Football.London

Ange Postecoglou will be hoping to secure his first North London Derby victory as Tottenham head coach this weekend. During his first season in charge, Postecoglou guided Spurs to a 2-2 draw at Emirates Stadium but the Gunners beat their rivals 3-2 away from home back in April.

Both teams have endured mixed starts to the season with Tottenham picking up four points from a possible nine while Mikel Arteta's side saw their winning start ended against Brighton. Arsenal were in total control of that clashQ until Declan Rice was sent off after picking up a second yellow card.

The Gunners' £105million star will be suspended for Sunday's clash which certainly gives Tottenham an advantage. In last season's clash, Rice was subbed off at half time because of an injury with the Lilywhites unfortunate to not claim all three points after Son Heung-min's equaliser.

Summer signing Mikel Merino will also be absent after picking up a shoulder injury in training during his first week at the club. As a result, the Gunners look set to be light at No.8 with Rice and Merino unable for selection and they could soon be joined by Martin Odegaard.

While representing Norway on international duty, the 25-year-old suffered a freak ankle injury which resulted in him being subbed off in his side's Nations League clash against Austria. In the wake of his injury scare, he has since been spotted on crutches and without a shoe on his likely swollen left foot upon his expected return to London Colney to be assessed.

Arteta will certainly be asked about his captain in his pre-Tottenham press conference later this week but it currently does not look to be good news. Meanwhile, in the opposition camp, Postecoglou could be welcoming back three of his own players in Dominic Solanke, Micky van de Ven and Richarlison.

Solanke picked up an injury on his debut for the club while van de Ven and Richarlison missed the most recent clash against Newcastle through injury. With both Van de Ven and Solanke's respective issues previously described as not serious, the duo returning to action this weekend is likely.

If Postecoglou can welcome them back into his matchday squad, it will certainly come as a huge boost, though he already has a double advantage over Arsenal and that could yet increase. He already knows that Rice and Merino cannot impact the midfield battle and there are now major doubts surrounding Odegaard.

Thomas Partey could be the only regular midfield starter in the team picked by Arteta this weekend. As such, the Ghana international will likely have the task of keeping James Maddison quiet but that could free up the likes of Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma to make an impact.

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

Neymar has reacted to the retirement of former Tottenham midfielder Paulinho.

The 36-year-old played for Spurs between 2013 and 2015, making 67 appearances in total for the Lilywhites. After that, Paulinho went on to have spells at Catalan giants Barcelona, Corinthians, Al-Ahli and Guangzhou.

The Brazilian also played over 50 times for his national side, featuring at two World Cups and two Copa Americas. He won 14 major trophies throughout his career.

And after announcing his retirement in a tearful video on Instagram, ex-teammate and Brazilian superstar Neymar sent him a message. "Congratulations on the career," he said to Paulinho via his Instagram story.

Speaking about his time at Tottenham, Paulinho only had positive words to say about the North London club. He admitted that it wasn't always easy, though.

"I worked with [Brazil manager] Tite for four years at Corinthians, and that was a golden period in my life and in my work," he told The Player's Tribune in 2018. "When I eventually left to go play for Tottenham in the Premier League, I went through a difficult time in my second season, and a lot of people lost faith in me.

"But one person who always believed in me was Tite.

"Actually, I would like to clear up something about my time at Spurs. I really can't say a bad word about the club or the staff or the president.

"It's true that it was a very difficult period for me as a player and there were times when I did not want to leave my apartment in London. I was so stressed about not playing.

"For a footballer, not playing is like a fish not being in the water. I felt as though I was suffocating.

"For whatever reason, I was not in Mauricio Pochettino's plans. I didn't fit his philosophy, I guess, but we never even had a disagreement.

"One day, I went to the club president and told him that if they got an offer close to what they'd paid for me, then I would like to move on. They were very professional about it.

"That summer, Spurs got a permanent offer from Guangzhou. I thought; 'Why not'?"

Danny Rose has opened up about the verbal bashing he faced from his England colleagues regarding his wages at Tottenham.

The former Spurs defender, who retired earlier this year after a distinguished 14-year tenure in north London, was a key figure for England during their memorable journey to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. Rose is celebrated as one of England's top left-backs over the past decade and a half.

However, it emerged that during an England training camp, Rose discovered his Tottenham salary didn't quite stack up against those of some of his national teammates - leading to a bit of friendly teasing.

Speaking on the In The Zone podcast, Rose said: "When we would go away with England, the lads would laugh at us at what we're being paid. And I have one friend who was at another club."

"I remember one season where West Brom were fighting relegation while we were near the top and some of their players were on more than what we were on. That wasn't right. With Spurs and win bonuses, you had to win by at least a couple of goals to get a bonus from it.

"At the time, I don't regret saying anything about it because it was the truth but now I think the lads are being paid appropriately."

Rose was at Tottenham for 14 years, but ended up signing a five-year deal in 2016 which is believed to have bumped his wages to around £65,000 a week. He said in 2017: "As with everyone else in my team, in my opinion, I am worth more than I am getting. In any walk of life, if you think you are worth a certain amount, why settle for less? I am not that person.

"If I get to levels I reached last season — and this goes out to everybody — I will make sure I get what I am worth."

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is known to have kept a close eye on the club's wage structure, especially during the construction of their new 62,850 seat capacity stadium. This all changed in 2018, however, when Spurs opted to double Harry Kane's wages to try and secure him to a new six-year contract.

Rose eventually left Spurs on a free transfer, joining Watford in summer 2021 on a one-year contract. He was released in 2022 and announced his retirement earlier this summer.

Tottenham might have shown Mikel Arteta the bold solution to replacing Martin Odegaard in his North London Derby starting XI for this Sunday's clash. The Gunners' captain is a major injury doubt for the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after picking up an ankle injury in action for Norway on Monday night.

Mikel Merino and Declan Rice are already guaranteed to miss the upcoming game through injury and suspension with Odegaard, potentially, set to join them. Following summer departures for Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira, Arteta's midfield options are rapidly dwindling in front of his eyes.

Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Kai Havertz could be his chosen midfield three with the alternative being to utilise Leandro Trossard centrally and, either, keep Havertz up front or leave Jorginho on their bench. There is, however, another way for Arteta to go with Hale End graduate Ethan Nwaneri having already proven that he can prosper in midfield against strong opposition.

In pre-season, the 17-year-old put in an impressive 45-minute performance against Manchester United with an assist also attributed to his name. Nwaneri is yet to feature in the Premier League so far this season, but Arteta's decision to loan out Vieira shows that he's a big fan of the teenager.

Giving him his first senior league start away at Tottenham would be quite the baptism of fire but, as the cliché goes, if you're good enough, you're old enough. A decade ago Spurs faced a similar decision for a North London Derby and Arteta could look to repeat that brave call by naming Nwaneri in his starting XI.

For the FA Cup clash between the two teams back in 2014, Mauricio Pochettino gave an excellent opportunity to midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, who was 19 at the time, by offering him a start in the game at Emirates Stadium. While a different competition, it was a bold decision to make in a game of such magnitude.

Nwaneri is, of course, two years younger than that, but that's perhaps a sign that Arteta should be looking to the future in order to solve the ongoing midfield crisis. Odegaard could yet pass a fitness test and feature in the game, but it's absolutely worth giving Nwaneri sustained minutes in the short-term and long-term.

Arsenal faced a scrap to keep him in north London in the first place, with multiple clubs sniffing around before he agreed to sign a professional contract with his boyhood club. Nwaneri opting to stay broke a somewhat worrying trend around some of the club's most talented Academy players leaving in search of senior opportunities.

Reuell Walters, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Chido Obi-Martin have all left recently with that pathway to the first-team, seemingly, much harder to navigate since the emergence of Smith Rowe and England's Bukayo Saka.

Eyes are now turning to the North London Derby for Tottenham and Arsenal as the first international break of the season draws to a close.

Spurs host Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon (2pm kick-off) as the Premier League returns with a bang for both clubs. Ahead of the game, Arsenal have been hit with what could be a massive injury blow.

Club captain Martin Odegaard was forced off in the second half of Norway’s Nations League game with an ankle injury. While the extent of the problem is not yet fully known, it is looking likely that he could miss the North London Derby after being spotted with crutches on Tuesday morning.

The blow comes with fellow midfielders Declan Rice and Mikel Merino already ruled out of the game due to suspension and injury. Mikel Arteta could therefore have to turn to an unfamiliar midfield as his team step into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ange Postecoglou will hope that his team can take advantage of the situation. But who could benefit most from the forced changes to the Arsenal team? Here’s a look at four Spurs players who could be unleashed.

James Maddison

If Maddison can get on the ball in the right positions, then he is able to dominate games. It was shown in the first half of the season opener against Leicester, where he controlled the game and provided the assist for Pedro Porro’s opening goal.

Against a makeshift midfield, Maddison should, in theory, find it easier to find that space that allows him to get on the ball in between the lines. That will allow him to be creative and provide chances for both himself and Spurs’ forward players.

Rodrigo Bentancur

Bentancur returned from a head injury that occurred in the season opener against Leicester by playing the final eight minutes against Newcastle before the international break. He will look to get his place in the starting line-up back for the North London Derby.

Coming up against a makeshift Arsenal midfield could make it easier for Bentancur and the rest of the Spurs midfield to dominate the middle of the pitch. While Bentancur is not known for his goalscoring or assist-making, his work allows other members of the team more freedom to go and attack.

Yves Bissouma

After missing the season opener due to a disciplinary issue, Bissouma has been trying to make it up with his performances upon his return. He opened the scoring in the 4-0 win over Everton before playing 82 minutes against Newcastle before the international break.

In a similar way to Bentancur, if Bissouma can dominate the midfield, then it will only be good news for Postecoglou’s men. In terms of selection, it could be a choice between Bissouma and Bentancur for the middle of the midfield three position.

Heung-Min Son

While not specifically playing in midfield, Son could also benefit from the changes that Arsenal will be forced to make. The continued absence of Dominic Solanke through injury means that Son could play either up front or out wide for the clash against Arsenal.

If the Spurs midfield are able to take advantage of the Arsenal absences and dominate midfield, then it should mean that the service to Son and the other attacking players is better. Their job will be to take advantage of that.

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

Gabriel Martinelli has been told what he must do to reclaim his place in the Arsenal starting lineup. The 23-year-old winger will be looking to fire Mikel Arteta's side to glory when the Gunners face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby at the weekend.

Last season, Martinelli struggled to impress, scoring just six goals and providing four assists in 35 Premier League games. Despite his nervy performances, Arteta maintained faith in the Brazil international, starting him in each of this term's opening two fixtures.

While Arsenal waltzed away victorious from clashes against Wolves and Aston Villa, Martinelli didn't have the desired impact. As a result, he was dropped to the bench for the final match before the international break and given just a quarter of an hour cameo.

Now, with Raheem Sterling eager to force himself into Arteta's plans and Leandro Trossard firing on all cylinders, the Brazilian has an uphill battle to get back into the side. Speaking to bettingexpert.com, Jermaine Pennant outlined exactly what Martinelli must do to find his mojo.

"His confidence is down," said the former Premier League star. "And we all know that in this game, if you've got bags of confidence, it helps massively on the pitch. All he [Martinelli] needs to probably add is a little bit more confidence and his end product.

"He can get in these great positions to score or assist. He just sometimes lacks that decisive pass and ability on that end of the pitch. Running with the ball, pace, he's got all of that. It's just that little bit in the final third, that little bit of end product."

Pennant added: "If he can get those numbers that we saw when he and [Bukayo] Saka were on fire, we've seen that partnership is horrible [for opposing defenders]. You not only have to worry about Saka but then you also have to worry about Martinelli running down the side.

"Whereas at the moment, teams are focusing more on Saka. Yes, Trossard can hurt you but he's not got that pace to run at players left, right and centre."

Pennant described Sterling's loan to Arsenal as a 'great deal'. He said: "I think it's a great little deal. Not only are they not paying a fee, they're getting him on loan so they've saved a lot of money on a permanent. I know Reem would have wanted a permanent one.

"Chelsea are paying a big chunk of his wages as well so that's an added bonus just in the financial scheme of things. As a player, he's still 29. When you reach peak years, you're around 27-29 as most people would say. So, in theory, he's got his best year ahead of him.

“Arteta coached him at Man City and they probably have a good understanding and a good relationship. And if you look at who they've got on the left, they've got Martinelli and Trossard. Would you say Raheem is better than them? If you get Raheem firing, I would say yes he is."

If Mikel Arteta is desperate to bolster his midfield options before the North London Derby then there are several free agents on the market. Arsenal could be without three big names in midfield when they lock horns with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

Mikel Merino suffered a shoulder injury in his first training session at London Colney, just hours after signing from Real Sociedad. Then, Declan Rice was shown a second yellow card in the Gunners' 1-1 draw with Brighton before the international break.

Now, Martin Odegaard could be ruled out too. The 25-year-old midfielder suffered an injury during a Nations League match against Austria on Monday night.

While fighting for possession with Christoph Baumgartner, Odegaard appeared to sprain his ankle. So, with Arteta potentially short on options, football.london have looked at what free agents Edu could sign to solve Arsenal's midfield crisis.

Adrien Rabiot

Rabiot would be the most suitable option for the Gunners, offering great quality and a catalogue of experience. The 29-year-old midfielder featured 31 times for Juventus in the Serie A last term, scoring five goals and providing three assists.

Playing a key role in Massimiliano Allegri's side, Rabiot helped the Old Lady finish third and secure Champions League qualification. At the end of the season, Juventus appointed Thiago Motta as the club's new head coach.

With the Italian giants eager to undergo a rebuild, having not won the Scudetto in four years, Rabiot was one of numerous players to be moved on. Despite an attractive CV, the France international has struggled to find a new club.

Yusuf Yazici

Yazici has been linked with a move to the Premier League since his contract at Lille expired in the summer. Last season, the 27-year-old attacking midfielder featured 27 times in Ligue 1, scoring five goals and providing two assists.

Playing a key role in Paulo Fonseca's lineup, he helped Les Dogues finish fourth and secure Europa League qualification. The Turkey international also enjoyed a brilliant campaign in the Conference League, finding the net five times in 10 games.

Despite firing Lille ahead against Aston Villa in the quarter-final second-leg, the Premier League outfit came out on top and reached the semi-final. Yazici predominantly operated as a number 10, though he often slotted on the right wing and up top too.

Miralem Pjanic

While Pjanic may be past his best, he could still offer Arsenal the technical ability to control – or see out – a game if Arteta is truly desperate to bolster his options. The 34-year-old midfielder featured 23 times for Sharjah FC in the UAE Pro League last season, providing seven assists.

Despite helping the Middle Eastern outfit finish fourth, Pjanic did not pen a contract extension. The playmaker has spent the last two years in the UAE, so perhaps he's not necessarily the best option.

Dele Alli

While it'd be incredibly unlikely that Arsenal opt to sign Dele, he's still a free agent after his contract at Everton officially expired in the summer. According to The Athletic last month, the Toffees could soon offers the 28-year-old a one-year deal if he proves his fitness in the coming weeks.

As it stands, Dele is still yet to put pen to paper, making him available on a free. In the meantime, he has been briefly linked with a move to France and Spain, but, again, nothing has materialised.

Toni Kroos

The five days ahead will bring plenty of injury news for both Tottenham and Arsenal as they prepare for the first North London Derby of the 2024/25 season.

Sunday brings Mikel Arteta's Gunners to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the visiting boss will have a number of worries ahead of the game with Martin Odegaard suffering an ankle injury on international duty with Norway which forced him off in plenty of pain in the 2-1 win against Austria on Monday evening.

He was spotted on crutches getting on to a flight after the match and will add to Arsenal's midfield concerns with Declan Rice suspended and summer signing Mikel Merino injured in training soon after joining. New defender Riccardo Calafiori also suffered an impact injury in action for Italy during this international break and will need to be assessed ahead of Sunday's derby.

So what about Tottenham, who have their own injury worries and Ange Postecoglou will be watching the remaining international break matches with trepidation. Here are Spurs' best and worst case scenarios going into the North London Derby.

Best case scenario

Postecoglou has two main injury concerns and with both Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven the Australian had previously suggested that they were close to being ready to play against Newcastle United before the international break so logic would indicate they will be ready two weeks on.

In our best case scenario that comes to pass and both players are involved in plenty of training during this week ahead of the game to ensure it's not the case of a last-minute throwing of them into the starting line-up.

To have his new £65million striker up front with his finishing and pressing ability as well as the pace of Van de Ven at the back would give Tottenham plenty of power and confidence at both ends of the pitch in front of their home fans.

Richarlison has also been out injured with a muscle injury suffered in training and while Postecoglou hinted that the former Everton man might be out a little while longer, this is a best case scenario so we're having the Brazilian returning for a spot on the bench, and if not then in our scenario young centre-forward Will Lankshear could make it back from his own hamstring injury to take his place among the substitutes for the big match.

Worst case scenario

This is Tottenham Hotspur so there's always a worst case injury scenario. In this, despite all of Postecoglou's hopes, neither Solanke nor Van de Ven are considered ready to return.

That means Son Heung-min has to continue up front in a central role and Spurs have to play without a focal point in their attack, with their captain taken out of his best spot on the left wing. At the other end of the pitch, Van de Ven misses out and that means Radu Dragusin partners Cristian Romero again with the Argentine playing awkwardly on the left of the central pairing as he did at St James' Park.

As it's a worse case scenario, neither Richarlison nor Lankshear are fit enough to play any part from the bench and in true Spurs style there's a late injury worry from the international break with another key player picking up an injury. No, we're not going to say who because if it did happen then you'd blame us!

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

Tottenham and Arsenal are set to face off in the season's first North London Derby this weekend.

Sunday's clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be another test of Arsenal's title credentials and offer Ange Postecolou's team an opportunity to assert their top four credentials. Last season saw the Gunners win at Spurs' ground whilst the points were shared at the Emirates Stadium.

Both teams have a number of injury concerns to deal with going into this weekend's fixture. Below is the latest on the injury issues...

Totttenham

Richarlison

Injury: Unknown

What Postecoglou said: "Richy pulled up sore, I think there's a muscle injury there, we're just getting more information but he'll be out as well."

Possible return date: Unknown

Dominic Solanke

Injury: Ankle/Foot Injury

What Postecoglou said: "Dom Solanke is close but we'll err on the side of caution, he won't play on the weekend with the international week, we've made a decision to wait until after that."

Possible return date: vs Arsenal (September 15).

Micky van de Ven

Injury: Knee

What Postecoglou said: "Micky was close in training this week but with the international break he's not quite 100%. It's nothing serious. We've got a heaped programme straight after the international break so we're going to need all our back four."

Possible return date: vs Arsenal (September 15).

Arsenal

Martin Odegaard

Injury: Ankle

The Arsenal captain was in action for Norway on Monday night against Austria when he suffered an injury in the second half of the game. He went down after colliding with Christoph Baumgartner, and received treatment from the medical staff before being replaced by Kristian Thorstvedt.

Arsenal now face an anxious wait to discover the extent of the injury. It is still to be seen if Odegaard's injury is serious enough to rule him out of the North London Derby at the weekend.

Riccardo Calafiori

Injury: Calf

The defender suffered the injury in Italy’s Nations League clash against France. There was initial optimism that he would be able to feature for the nation again this week, but he has since returned to Arsenal to continue his recovery.

Mikel Merino

Injury: Shoulder

What Arteta has said: “Very unfortunate. Yesterday, he had a collision, and he has a shoulder injury. It looks like he's going to be out for a few weeks. He was really excited, and everything was looking really good. He landed on the floor, and Gabi landed on top of him, and it looks like he has a small fracture, probably."

Possible return date: vs Bournemouth (A) (October 19).

Declan Rice

Reason for absence: Suspension.

Return date: vs Atalanta (A) (September 19).

Takehiro Tamiyasu

Injury: Knee.

What Arteta has said: “At the moment, it is difficult to say [when he will return]. It's a bit slow the process of the first phase of that injury. It's probably for the medical team to say more than that. He's not done any training yet."

Possible return date: vs Leicester City (September 28).

Gabriel Jesus

Injury: Muscle

What Arteta has said: “He’s progressing really well. He had a muscle injury, and he’s doing quite a lot of the stuff already, so we expect him to be with us really soon."

Possible return date: vs Tottenham (September 15).

Kieran Tierney

Injury: Hamstring.

What Arteta has said: “He will be a few weeks."

Ange Postecoglou will be hoping to welcome back three Tottenham players for the North London Derby against Arsenal. Spurs headed into the September international off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle, despite dominating large parts of the game at St James' Park.

The absence of Dominic Solanke and Richarlison was certainly telling but there is certainly hope that both will return this weekend. Ahead of the Everton clash, on Solanke, Postecoglou revealed: "Dom picked up a knock in the last game [against Leicester]. He got through the game but it flared up the day after. He will miss tomorrow Saturday vs Everton]."

Pushed further on the severity of the issue, he added: "It's an ankle injury mate, he copped it really early on, someone went across his ankle. He's definitely out tomorrow. It just depends on the recovery [when he returns], obviously next week we've got the international break, but it's not serious. We know that, but just an ankle injury."

The summer signing was in contention to face Newcastle last weekend, but Postecoglou subsequently admitted Spurs didn't want to risk him with the international break allowing further time for recovery. "Dom Solanke is close but we'll err on the side of caution, he won't play on the weekend with the international week, we've made a decision to wait until after that.

In terms of new absences for the clash on Tyneside, Postecoglou confirmed that both Micky van de Ven and Richarlison would not be selected. He said: "Richy pulled up sore, I think there's a muscle injury there, we're just getting more information but he'll be out as well.

"Micky was close, he trained this week, but he's not quite 100 per cent, part of me was keen to give Radu a run as well, especially at this venue, so we've gone with Radu today. It's nothing serious, we've a heavy programme after the international break, we're going to need all our back four, so getting Radu a game today is positive for us."

With Postecoglou having previously given considerable updates on the trio, a firm answer on their availability will likely come in his pre-Arsenal press conference later this week. Given what has been said about Van de Ven and Solanke, it is far more likely that duo feature as opposed to Richarlison.

Though he has been given an extra week to regain fitness, Solanke has missed over three weeks of action and could therefore need some time to bed in which could see him not feature at all, named on the bench or given a start but subbed off early into the second half.

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