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Jamie Carragher has said that Tottenham Hotspur have suffered from a lack of belief, even during their first Premier League win of the season. Spurs came out on top against newly-promoted Coventry City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night.

James Maddison made dream comeback in what was his first start since his knee injury, by curling in the opener against his boyhood club in the 14th minute. That goal was the difference between the two sides at half time.

Spurs showed their fragility early in the second half when Jack Rudoni took advantage of them giving the ball away to grab the equaliser. But the scores were level for just nine minutes before Omar Marmoush made it 2-1 to Spurs in the 58th minute.

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Eight minutes of added time prompted some nerves around the stadium as Coventry pushed for an equaliser. But those nerves evaporated when Ben Davies made it 3-1 in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

It was that goal which lifted something that may have been holding Spurs back, according to Carragher.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, he said: "It felt edgy all night and didn't change until Ben Davies got the goal right at the end.

"You can understand. It has been so tough for them in that new stadium. They never really have any belief the team are going to win. I don't think the team believe they are going to win it.

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"Hopefully for Tottenham, this is going to be the start of getting some belief going forward that they can actually win games in the stadium."

The win lifts Spurs above their opponents on goal difference and into 16th place in the Premier League table, with six points from their opening seven games of the season.

Spurs will now look to build on the result when they are back in action on Saturday as they take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (5.30pm kick-off).

Speaking about his return to the team, Maddison told Sky Sports: "I was feeling this was the right moment for me to go back into the starting XI after a bit of a stop start start to the season.

"I just wanted to play well, I just wanted to show my qualities and show what I bring to the team, what the team has missed in the last 18 months or whatever it is from my last start. The gaffer asked me to play and he wanted to enjoy watching me from the sidelines, so hopefully I did that and a goal like that is always nice."

Roberto De Zerbi has described Dominic Solanke as 'maybe the best striker' for Tottenham Hotspur in the continued absence of Richarlison.

Solanke, 29, captained Spurs for the first time during their 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford. He equalised in the second minute of second-half additional time, scoring his first goal in the Premier League since March.

Richarlison started the opening match of the season ahead of Solanke, who replaced him through the second half. However, the Brazilian is now not registered to play in the league after being frozen out by De Zerbi after asking to leave.

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De Zerbi spoke after the draw with Man United about making Solanke captain, with Micky van de Ven only featuring as a substitute. The club's second-choice skipper, Pedro Porro, is out injured, while third and fourth choice options Ben Davies and James Maddison were on the bench.

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Solanke, however, got the armband ahead of Archie Gray, who started at right-back. He captained Spurs in their first match of the season against Brentford and in the Carabao Cup third-round tie against Liverpool.

De Zerbi named him as the fifth of their captains in August. However, he said Solanke "deserved" the armband.

Explaining the decision, De Zerbi said: "Because he suffered maybe too much. Because 'Tottenham didn't win, Tottenham didn't score, who is the striker of Tottenham? Solanke is not good enough'.

"It's not true, Solanke is good enough to play; maybe he is the best striker for us, because of his qualities. He is a complete player; he is a good guy; he has personality.

"He has to feel good in terms of his physical condition, but he is a great player. I wanted to show what is my confidence, and what is the importance I give him in this team.

"After the last game, the criticism, I wanted to put him as captain, to show my confidence and the confidence of the team, because all other players were happy when I said that Domi Solanke is captain.

"When one player of us is in a difficult situation, all other players and staff and myself, we have to show, to be close with him, like a family, like a team, like a normal team."

Bobby Zamora has backed Dominic Solanke to fire Tottenham Hotspur up the Premier League.

The Lilywhites plunged into the relegation zone following last weekend's defeat to Aston Villa, before falling to the foot of the table when Fulham earned a point against Manchester United.

Spurs will have the chance to climb out of the bottom three when they face the Red Devils immediately after the international break. The 29-year-old striker has been tipped to be a game-changer once Roberto De Zerbi masters the art of playing out from the back.

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“Roberto's all about build-up, playing out from the back, fantastic patterns, and cutting through lines,” began the former Premier League striker, who scored 47 goals in 247 top-flight appearances, in an exclusive interview with football.london.

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“The final third, which is the hardest part of the game to do, will be focused on at some stage. I think his fundamentals and basics are probably taking up a lot of the time in training; Solanke will thrive when everything is finally there.”

Zamora added: “I can see them [finishing] 10th, top half of the table, and then next season really kicking on. They've obviously signed a lot of players, and all eyes are on them because of that as well, adding even more pressure to them. But I do think that there are elements, and I'm seeing bits and pieces of the game that do show me improvement.”

Solanke hasn’t quite had the desired impact in the early stages of the season, having only scored once in seven games across all competitions.

His solitary strike came in the Carabao Cup second round when De Zerbi’s side stormed past Charlton Athletic at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in August.

Zamora continued: “As a striker, you want to be scoring early, and you want to be in a positive mindset when the pressure falls on you to take one chance that drops to you in a game. There just haven't been enough chances for Tottenham in general; I think that will come [though].”

Richarlison informed the Lilywhites of his desire to leave towards the end of the summer, so he was subsequently axed from the Premier League squad.

The 29-year-old striker wasn't registered to continue playing, unlike Xavi Simons, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in April and isn't expected to return until next year.

Solanke and Omar Marmoush have been tasked with finding the net in the absence of Richarlison, who scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 32 top-flight appearances last season. Zamora reckons whoever finds the net first will cement a place in the starting lineup for weeks to come.

The former West Ham, Fulham, Brighton, QPR, Spurs, and Bristol Rovers striker said: “It's down to one of those guys, one of the strikers, to take their opportunity and make their season, make them the number one choice.

“It's a good opportunity currently for them to stake their claim. So, whoever jumps in, bags that first goal for them has a good chance of continuing in the side and making a really good season for themselves.”

And on Richarlison, who has recently entered the final year of his contract in north London, but has an option to extend his stay by a further 12 months, Zamora said: “Both the manager and, from what I can see, Richarlison, are fiery characters, so I don't know if there's any make-up to be done there and [Tottenham] may have to wait till January for him to go.

“But I think they can probably do with one striker. The way I see it is that his head was turned, and to be able to access a move with Roberto, he's probably having a disagreement, and, ‘You want to go? Okay, off you go'.

“Let's say passionate conversations between those two may have happened just to work the way out for Richarlison as well, and maybe that's what's happened. I don't think there'll be a way back.

“Obviously, anybody who can score goals in the Premier League is important. So, he will be missed. But if he is, it's a few months, and January will come around, and he may be able to get out the door, and with those funds, maybe somebody comes in.”

The Premier League is around the corner and Tottenham Hotspur fans have just days to wait until their first game of the 2026/27 season. But before the club get their new campaign underway on August 22, a new deal has dropped that lets fans get kitted up in the classic Tottenham Hotspur 1978/79 Home Shirt for less than £6.

At Sports Direct, this retro jersey has been reduced from £39.99 to £21, but shoppers can combine this with another deal to get it for £5.65. To do this, Spurs fans can sign up for a TopCashback account to receive a £15 welcome bonus when spending £15 or more.

It also pays cashback on Sports Direct orders, effectively reducing the Spurs shirt to £5.65 after cashback, saving £34.34 or roughly 86% from the original price. There are a couple of caveats to note though, including Sports Direct’s £4.99 standard delivery charge.

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Also, only new TopCashback members can claim this deal, while existing members will pay £20.65 after cashback plus delivery. Both options still work out cheaper than the official Spurs store, where the same jersey costs £42.

The club says its 1978/79 strip captures the heritage of Spurs’ glory days, inspired by ‘the flair’ of Glenn Hoddle and Argentine duo Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa. It’s designed in crisp Spurs white with a polo-style spread collar and a navy trim on the neck, shoulders and cuffs.

It features the iconic embroidered cockerel crest and vintage Admiral logo from that era. The TopCashback deal comes as Spurs prepare for their first full season under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, who will take charge in their trip to Brentford on August 22.

Sky has confirmed it will broadcast the game live from a 5.30pm kick-off, as well as their home game against Newcastle United on August 29. Fans will need a Sky Sports TV package to tune in, which start at £20 per month.

Until then, here’s how to get Tottenham’s 1978/79 Home Shirt for £5.65

How to get Tottenham's 1978/79 Home Shirt for £5.65

Sign up to TopCashback here.

Search for Sports Direct and click ‘Get Cashback Now’.

Shop and checkout as usual.

Cashback will track and appear in the TopCashback account within seven working days of purchase.

The cashback will become payable and available to withdraw and spend after Sports Direct has paid TopCashback the commission for the purchase.

While no reviews for the 1978/79 home shirt are available at Sports Direct, club store shoppers have awarded it a perfect five-star rating.

“This was exceptional quality,” one says. “I would highly recommend this.”

Another fan wrote: “Always one of my favourite shirts. Looks good.”

While a third added: “Lovely shirt and lovely retro look.”

Tottenham's friendly against Getafe will only be 70 minutes long. The 3pm kick-off against La Liga opposition will be played behind closed doors and under shorter-than-usual conditions, baffling fans just two weeks before the Premier League season gets underway.

The match marks Spurs' penultimate friendly as they face Hoffenheim next week before opening up their campaign with a match against Spurs. Mateus Fernandes and Dominic Solanke were both absent from the squad to face Getafe.

New signings Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson and Sandro Tonali started the match against the Spanish side. They were joined by Antonin Kinsky, Conor Gallagher, Richarlison, Mathys Tel, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Ben Davies and Mikey Moore.

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A second, internal match is also scheduled. It is unknown whether the likes of Kevin Danso, Martin Dubravka and players who are yet to earn minutes, such as Micky van de Ven, feature in that game, having been left out of the squad for the senior match.

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Tottenham's supporters have been left frustrated by the decision to reduce the game time.

"Why?! Can we have refunds on Spurs play? I paid for full games....," one fan complained.

Another said: "I hope Getafe have other plans whilst in London."

"They took one look at our front line and felt sorry for us," a person added.

"What why, we haven’t got any attackers that can play 90 minutes?," questioned a supporter. "Watch there still be a half-time and hydration breaks as well," quipped another.

"Well this is gonna be a waste of time this match," one fan moaned. "The season starts in 2 weeks. Why are we doing 70-minute matches at Hotspur Way"

Others still had questions. "35 minutes each half or no breaks?" said one X user. "What’s the point of shortening a match?" wondered a further fan.

Tottenham's pre-season so far has included four wins. They have dispatched MK Dons, Auckland FC, Sydney FC on penalties and Chelsea. Richarlison scored a 92-minute winner against their London rivals to earn a victory despite being down to 10 men.

Tottenham Hotspur's next summer transfer looks set to be an exit with Brazilian full-back Souza reportedly in advanced talks to join Porto after agreeing terms with the Portuguese champions. The 20-year-old only joined Spurs from Santos in January but appears set to move on permanently after making just four appearances.

He appeared off the bench in defeats to Manchester United and Fulham before making his first start against Crystal Palace before being taken off on a yellow card before half-time after Micky van de Ven was sent off.

Nonetheless he started the next game against Liverpool at Anfield and actually put in an impressive performance despite playing on the right of midfield. Under Roberto De Zerbi, he did not play one minute and was only included in four out of seven matchday squads.

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With Spurs having signed Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi to strengthen in defence, Souza appears free to leave and that looks to be exactly what he is doing.

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According to Brazilian outlet Globo, Porto have hijacked Benfica's move for Souza with terms agreed and advanced talks between them and Spurs underway.

The latter were leading the race and had submitted a €20million (£17m) bid but Porto hijacked the move and his agent Giuliano Bertolucci is now in Portugal negotiating the transfer.

Souza appears open to the move as he looks for more regular minutes to get himself into contention for Brazil's 2030 World Cup squad. Spurs will likely break even if he is sold this summer with former club Santos to receive a further 10 percent of any future transfer fee having already raked in £13m from selling him in January.

The Lilywhites have done well to raise significant funds from player sales this summer with Luka Vuskovic joining Brighton for £50m and Will Lankshear leaving for Middlesbrough in a deal that could reach £20m. Those and other departures have helped offset some of the £230m spent on new signings so far this summer.

Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Van Hecke have cost that amount upfront while Senesi, Robertson and Martin Dubravka have joined as free agents.

Roberto De Zerbi claimed that another "bomba" was on the way which understandably excited supporters. He has since clarified exactly what he meant.

The Spurs boss said: "Bomba in Italian is different from bomba in English. You can write what you want, no problem, no pressure. But I said we have to complete the transfer market. I think we have some other players to complete the squad, and the players will be here in the next in the next days are for me, top players.

"I don't know if the expectation are bigger than two days ago, but we have to go forward and to think to the good of the the team of the club, of the the squad, But in Italian it's a different word."

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly demanding at least £10million more for Djed Spence after his performances for England at the World Cup this summer. It is claimed that Spence is open to a move away from the north London club.

The 25-year-old, who featured regularly for Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions in North America, earned admirers for his displays during this summer’s tournament. Overall, the defender had a mixed World Cup as England crashed out in the semi-finals to Argentina before finishing third with a win over France in FIFA's 'bronze medal' match.

Spence earned praise for his substitute appearances against Croatia, Mexico and Norway while drawing criticism for unconvincing performances against Ghana and DR Congo. The full-back was chastised by Tuchel from the sidelines on several occasions, but took this criticism in his stride.

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Nevertheless, he faces an uncertain future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer. Serie A champions Inter Milan are among the sides interested and Italian football journalist and transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio has provided the latest on Spence's situation to Wettfreunde.net.

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He said: "It's a strange situation because before the World Cup, I don't know if Tottenham wanted to sell Djed Spence, but they were open to hearing about eventual and potential offers, and the price was like €25m, plus €5m, so €30m.

"During and after the World Cup, there was one club that asked for him, and it was Inter Milan, and Inter Milan fought to get him for that price, but after the start of the contacts with Tottenham and the people involved in the deal, the price was really high.

"I think it's more than €40m and even De Zerbi is not sure if he wants to let Spence go because he's never said Spence has to leave.

"So I think that Spence can leave, but it will not be for the price that was there at the beginning of the World Cup. Inter Milan is one of the teams that wants him, but they have to arrive with an offer near €40m or more, and I don't think that Inter Milan wants to spend all that money for a player in that position."

Inter's links with Spence follow the departure of Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid. The experienced Dutchman had spent five years at the San Siro and made over 200 appearances for the Nerazzurri.

And reports claim Spence would be open to leaving Spurs and may relish the opportunity to establish himself as the Italian champions' first-choice right-back.

The former Nottingham Forest man made 44 appearances for Spurs last term as they came dangerously close to relegation from the Premier League.

Roberto De Zerbi's side escaped the drop on the final day of the season amid a torrid campaign. Tottenham’s hierarchy have already made it clear this summer that the club has no intention of repeating the disastrous previous two campaigns, which ended with consecutive 17th-place finishes.

Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali have joined for a combined £177.5m this summer. The big-money duo have joined Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka as new arrivals in a reshaped squad under De Zerbi.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly working on a £60million deal for Savinho. In a boost to Spurs, it is also said that the Brazilian wants to leave Manchester City this summer.

The winger has been linked with a move to Tottenham since the January transfer window, when they were unable to prise him away from the blue side of Manchester. It is also said that the Lily Whites were put off by City’s £67million valuation.

A thigh problem affected Savinho last season under then-manager Pep Guardiola, but he still played 84 times for the club, providing 16 assists and seven goals. However, the 22-year-old missed out on Brazil's squad for the World Cup this summer and looks to be keen on a fresh start.

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And the Times now report that Spurs have revived their interest in the forward as they look to bolster their attack under Roberto De Zerbi. It comes after their dismal record of just 48 goals in the Premier League last term.

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It is claimed that Savinho may cost more than £60m, including add-ons. Tottenham want to sign two attacking players and Savinho’s versatility would also be appealing.

Former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is also thought to be monitoring Savinho's situation, with a view to bringing him to Serie A giants AC Milan.

The former Troyes star has a contract with City until 2029, having joined from the Ligue 1 side for £34m in 2024. The French club, like Girona in Spain, are attached to the City Football Group.

Savinho registered three goals and 13 assists in 48 appearances in his first season in Manchester, but never fully convinced at the Etihad Stadium.

He would join midfielders Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, who cost a combined £177.5m this summer, as well as Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka as new arrivals in a reshaped squad under De Zerbi.

Determined to avoid a repeat of last season's abysmal 17th-placed top-flight finish, ENIC are pulling out all of the stops to provide De Zerbi with all of the tools necessary to thrive domestically.

Tottenham are also reportedly open to offers for Brazil forward Richarlison and England defender Djed Spence, among others.

Inter Milan have entered talks to sign Tottenham captain Cristian Romero.

The Argentina centre-back helped his nation to a second consecutive World Cup final this summer but is expected to leave the club this summer after five years in north London.

His leadership and attitude were often questioned as Spurs only narrowly avoided relegation last season, serving four separate suspensions and suffered a number of injuries throughout the campaign.

Tottenham have already brought in a number of defenders in the early days of the summer transfer window, with Andy Robertson signing on a free transfer and centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke moving up from Brighton.

And Romero now seems to be progressing towards leaving the club, with Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio confirming that talks had been held between Inter, Tottenham and the player’s representatives.

“It’s definitely a deal we are trying to sign with the player and the club (Tottenham),” Ausilio told Sky Italia.

“These things take some time but there’s definitely interest. Let’s see.

“We are interested in signing Cuti Romero. We have met his agent and we have already talked with Tottenham. Let's see what happens.”

Romero is yet to join up with Tottenham as he enjoys some time off following the World Cup. His team-mates, meanwhile, are in New Zealand, where on Sunday morning they beat A-League champions Auckland FC in a pre-season friendly.

De Zerbi has made clear this summer that he only wants to work with players who are keen to play for Spurs: “Listen, I was very clear at the start of my time in Tottenham. I said, 'Who doesn't want to stay in Tottenham, who is not happy, is not proud to stay here, has to leave'.”

Speaking after beating Auckland, he made clear that Spurs were far from finished with the summer transfer window: “We have to finish the window of this transfer market, because it's not finished yet, our transfer market.

“I think we can be happier at the end of this transfer market, because I spoke a lot of time with the owner, with the board, and they want to build a very strong team for this season for sure, but to make the base for the future to become great again.”

Lucas Bergvall is also pushing to leave the club this summer, with Nottingham Forest and Newcastle both interested.

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Inter Milan are desperate to bring Cristian Romero to Italy this summer and have opened talks with Tottenham over signing the Spurs captain.

Romero starred as Argentina reached a second consecutive World Cup final earlier this month, but could depart Spurs this summer for a substantial fee following an eventful five-year period.

The centre-half has racked up 156 appearances since arriving at Tottenham in 2021 and helped the side to Europa League glory last year, but received four separate bans during a turbulent 2025-26 season.

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With Jan Paul van Hecke secured for £52million from Brighton and Marcos Senesi also arriving as a free agent in June to strengthen Roberto De Zerbi's defensive ranks, Spurs are willing to sanction Romero's exit and his representatives have travelled to Milan for discussions with Inter this weekend.

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Inter sporting director Piero Ausilo told Sky Italy regarding Romero: "It's definitely a deal we are trying to sign with the player and the club (Tottenham).

"These things take some time but there's definitely interest. Let's see."

Romero is currently enjoying some downtime, having helped Argentina reach the World Cup final before they suffered defeat against an impressive Spain side.

Following Argentina's heartbreak, Romero released an emotional statement and apologised to their fans.

He said on Instagram: “And this time, it just wasn’t meant to be. And believe me, it hurts. It hurts deeply, because no one wanted to keep writing this beautiful story more than we did.

“We dreamed of bringing the trophy home again, but it didn’t happen. But if there is one thing we will never lack, it is total commitment. We gave it our all.

“We finished second, but we never stopped representing Argentina with the pride and dedication this jersey deserves.”

The 28-year-old added: “Today, we have to pick ourselves up, start over, work harder, believe more, and prepare so that this jersey returns to the very top – right where we placed it ourselves over these past few years.

“Because finals aren’t handed to you; you earn them by getting there. And this group – and whoever comes next – will keep fighting, united, with the same hope and drive as always.”