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Sandro Tonali and Roberto De Zerbi was always set to be a match made in heaven... or rather in Italy.

When the Tottenham boss drew up in his transfer targets back in mid-March with sporting director Johan Lange during his negotiations to join the north London club, Tonali was one of his dream signings. The Italy international was always expected to be a tough get, until a story in the media sparked a chain of events that culminated in the 26-year-old being unveiled as Spurs' first £100million signing.

It's here that De Zerbi takes up the tale of the path that led Tonali to swap the surroundings of Newcastle to link up with his compatriot, both of them in love with the northern Italian city of Brescia, where the former was born and the latter played for almost a decade at a club that this week was liquidated due to £20million of debt.

"The story is very simple. I saw Sandro wanted to leave before the end of the season, maybe before our Chelsea game, and we have one friend in common, he's the team manager of Brescia," said the 47-year-old. "I read one story about Sandro which said 'Tonali is leaving Newcastle in the summer', and I sent a message to my friend to say 'hey, inform Sandro, if we stay up, I go to him'.

"After 10 minutes, my friend answered 'I said to Sandro and he's open'. I said now we have to win one game to stay up! I watched Newcastle's game against West Ham, 90 minutes like this (indicates sweat pouring down his face), and Sandro played very well in the first half. I said [to myself] 'if I stay up, I come to you, I come to you, I come to you'.

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"When we won the last match with Everton, the day after the game at 4pm I sent a message to Sandro. 'Sandro, I want to speak with you'. After 10 minutes, we spoke, and after two days, I went back to Italy, and we met in his home, because I didn't want to invite him in my home, because I thought maybe he's not comfortable in my home.

"I preferred to go to his home, to keep him in the right condition to say 'yes, why not'. For me, nothing changed."

De Zerbi was Tottenham's not so secret weapon when it came to signing Tonali, with Manchester City also interested in the player, for the two men had that long-standing connection to their common city.

"Brescia is so small. I spent two weeks there and him as well and I met him two or three times in the city," Tonali, who was born an hour away in Lodi, told football.london. "But not just him. I met my old team manager in Brescia. I met two times Roberto Baggio!

"I spoke with [De Zerbi] when he was in Sassuolo, and at Marseille and Brighton. We spoke every time because we are Italian, we are from Brescia, and it’s a mini connection together.

"We spoke about him, about his work, about the passion that he puts into every single moment with the team for this work and I think now, after two weeks, I know everything. Everything is real. All gaffers are different. I spent three years with Eddie [Howe] and he was fantastic, especially for me.

"But now I’ve found a different gaffer who works a lot on the pitch, a lot with the tactics, a lot with the ball. We love to play with the ball because we are a big team with big players. We spoke about Brescia, about our tough situation with our team."

There was also the looming presence of City but Tonali was instantly won over by De Zerbi, Lange and Tottenham's very personal desire to make him one of their own.

"Honestly, I spoke with another team, but when I spoke with Tottenham, it was totally different," admitted the midfielder. "The first thing was after last season, I spoke with my wife. We wanted to change our life, but not just for the city, we wanted to change everything.

"We spoke with two clubs. When we spoke with Tottenham, we decided to sign for this team. Not just for the city, but for the people and the way they spoke. They spoke with 100 per cent passion, 100 per cent seriousness. For this city, for my life outside of football for my family, OK, it’s like 10 per cent. Roberto and the director made the difference to the deal.

"If you are happy here with your manager, a manager you know already, in this city, your family is happy, my wife she is happy, totally it’s different."

Tonali said he knew within moments of finishing his discussion with Spurs that it was going to be a career-defining move for him.

"I spoke with Tottenham and the first impression is a big thing. My first impression was really positive. I spoke after two minutes with my wife and my family and I said 'probably it will be one of my best decisions of my career'," he remembered.

"When you are happy after a 10-minute chat, it’s everything, everything is perfect. The gaffer was Italian, Roberto. I knew him. Roberto really cares about his work, his football. He said the project will be tough but will be perfect for me, for you, for the city, and we can have one of the best seasons because we have big players. We just have to put a lot of work in."

Tonali and his family had first mulled over a return home this summer but it was obvious that Serie A clubs would not be able to afford the huge fee Newcastle were looking for. Then when Tottenham and De Zerbi came along, it would prove to be the perfect 'little Italy' in N17 for the midfielder and his wife to move to.

"We stayed three years in Newcastle and after three years, we spoke all together, me and my family and decided to come back to Italy but it was impossible for the money," he said. "It was really tough for us, but tough for the deal, for the team, not for the salary. For the salary, you can speak all the time, but if you don’t find the money for the transfer, you don’t have the chance to move.

"England was our solution and we found the best solution in England for me, for my career, for my football, for my happiness, for my family. I spoke with two teams. I knew within 10 or 15 minutes that Tottenham would be my next team."

On the Italian numbers among the squad and coaches, he added: "It’s nice. So many staff. Three Italian players. It’s funny because sometimes we speak more Italian than English, but it’s fine because I was at Newcastle and I spoke just English for three years! I only spoke Italian in my house with my wife. So it was a bit different."

Spurs' negotiations with Newcastle took a little while with United, who have now parted company with Eddie Howe, holding out for a £100million deal. They eventually exactly got that with the north London outfit agreeing to pay them £92.5million with another £7.5million in add-ons.

"The first thing was to get the best deal for Newcastle. I met there some of the best people in football," said Tonali. "They love football, they live for football. When I decided to move, I said to my agent and to [Newcastle sporting director] Ross Wilson that I wanted the best deal for Newcastle because they deserve everything and if I have to move, then I can say hello in two, three years to you or to Eddie.

"If we meet in 10 years, I want to go for a good dinner with the staff, with Ross, because they are very great people. This is football, sometimes you have to understand how everything can change in your life in five minutes. This work, for football players, you finish at 35, 36, 37, it’s really quick. You have to take opportunities in life and when you finish, you can speak with all the people."

So what does it feel like to join the exclusive club of £100million footballers?

"I don’t know! It’s pre-season. If I was another player, sometimes it’s tough, sometimes the pressure is different, but you have to understand that this is football. The price is different now to 10 years ago," Tonali told football.london. "I know I have a lot of pressure but I know I’m a football player, I know my responsibilities, I know this team, I know the people here.

"I have to play like I’m a normal player, a normal Tottenham player, with passion, putting my energy in everyday. If you put this into the pitch every day, it’s different, it’s not £1million, £10million, or £100million. You just have to be a passionate player for this gaffer. Put everything on to the pitch."

Tonali does not come across like a superstar £100million footballer. He's laid back, not a loud character but an assured talker and you are far more likely to find him with his family, his grandmother or friends than on some big night out on the town.

He is looking forward to the season ahead in a Spurs shirt.

"It is important now for us, for now, for the future, to stay all together because we know it was a tough, tough, tough, tough season. Every game is difficult," he said. "This season, we have to put our happiness, concentration, everything over 100 per cent to make the difference in every second to win every game.

"We will play one game a week, this is a little better especially when you arrive in December and January. We have to play our best football and try to win every game."

Tonali has a younger team-mate to partner and mentor through the coming season as while Tonali's arrival smashed Tottenham's transfer record, it had only been set a few days before with the £85million capture of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham.

De Zerbi is excited about his new midfield duo and the Italian could be seen in Australia in the background of a club video this week having an animated discussion with the two players to one side in a meeting room. So what was he saying?

"He wants our relationship to be 100 per cent, especially on the pitch, because off the pitch, our relationship is already top. We have to keep our football, our work on the pitch, because it’s tough," Tonali explained to football.london. "We played in two different teams last season, two different shapes, two different football [styles]. Now we are together, and we have to find our shape, our football.

"Sometimes it’s not easy. Maybe you need two or three weeks, but after four or five days, me and Matheus, I said to him and he said to me 'it’s not really difficult, this football, because we know the rules about this shape'.

"We played in the past with two midfielders and if you play like that, you know already everything. You know the offensive phase, the defensive phase, and it’s a little easier. You need less time and less weeks so we are a little lucky because we played in this shape in the past.

"We have to keep working together because when we start the Premier League, it will be different, playing against great teams. We play against Chelsea [on Saturday] but pre-season is not Premier League. We have to work every week to be ready for the first game."

Both players have featured for previous clubs as a number six and a number eight but Tonali said the 22-year-old looks set to be the deeper man in their pairing, even if a final call has not been made yet with just 45 minutes together on the pitch so far in pre-season.

"I don’t know, we don’t decide already, but I think him. For me, I played at number six last season, but for him, I think his characteristics are more number six than eight, but we want to start together at six," explained the Italy international.

Tottenham have made a big investment and leap in quality with the arrival of Tonali and both he and De Zerbi will be hoping that a partnership years in the making comes to fruition at the perfect time for a new era in north London.

Tottenham have already splashed £237million on new signings but Roberto De Zerbi has now indicated they are only 60 per cent "done" in the transfer market this summer

At some point, the focus at Tottenham will shift to outgoings but for now, Roberto De Zerbi has indicated there could be more glistening new arrivals very soon.

Speaking in Sydney, the Italian told football.london that another "bomba" is on the way very soon.

The indications are this could potentially be a separate attacking arrival on top of Savinho, who is a long-standing Spurs target.

The Manchester City man has already informed his current employers that he wants to pursue an exit with Tottenham primed to pounce, providing both clubs can find middle ground on a fee.

Once Tottenham have bolstered their attack, it's clear they will have to raise some cash through departures, purely based on the fact their squad is already somewhat bloated.

Here's a look at which stars could go and how much their exits could raise - subject to how negotiations advance.

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Guglielmo Vicario - £20m

The problem with Vicario is Juventus are seemingly the only club keen and they are never likely to blow a big fee on the Italian. They know Spurs want to sell and will probably seek to structure a loan-to-buy deal.

Some may feel £20m is below market value but given the lack of interest, it's hard to see Tottenham receiving much more than that.Souza - £16mThe young Brazilian arrived from Santos in January in a deal worth around £13million. Since then, Spurs have signed Andy Robertson and Djed Spence lit up the World Cup with England - then there's Ben Davies.

It's safe to say they're well-stocked at left-back so if a decent offer that would see them overturn profit lands on the table (Porto are reportedly interested) then Spurs may talk.

Cristian Romero - £40m

Romero is worth more than £40m but again, given the clubs that are interested, it's hard to see them earning his true market value.

It's clear he would be keen to move on, so that weakens Spurs' hand. Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have all been linked but there's not been any concrete movement to date.

Ashley Phillips - £8m

There's a chance Spurs could get a bigger fee for Phillips, who made the Championship Team of the Season last term following a bright spell with Stoke City.

The 21-year-old made 40 Championship appearances last season and is being courted by Middlesbrough.

He was not named in the club's pre-season tour squad, indicating a departure is probable.

Pape Matar Sarr - £20m

Given he joined for £14.6m plus bonuses from Metz in 2021, Tottenham will be pushing for a fee upwards of £25m, though that might not happen.

Sarr is a great age at 23 but is unlikely to get regular playing time at the club following the arrivals of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. A departure feels likely with Brentford and Aston Villa among those linked.

Manor Solomon - £8m

We have a decent idea of the player's value given Spurs included an £8.6m (€10m) buy-option in Solomon's loan to Fiorentina in January.

While they did not trigger it, Tottenham will be seeking close to that figure amid reported interest from West Ham and La Viola.

Solomon's reps are working on his departure and a transfer seems likely to materialise.Dane Scarlett - £5m

Scarlett has had a positive pre-season on the back of various loans with Portsmouth, Ipswich, Oxford and Hibs.

Still, he's unlikely to feature in Roberto De Zerbi's plans for the upcoming campaign. His deal is up next summer and Spurs will be seeking a small fee for his services.Potential: Lucas Bergvall - £50m

Bergvall's future is still a tad uncertain despite De Zerbi's insistence that he wants to keep the Swede.

Regular minutes are unlikely due to Tottenham's stacked midfield roster and Newcastle saw a £46m verbal offer rebuffed earlier this month.

If they receive a £50m bid, it's one that might be considered if Bergvall pushes to depart.

Roberto De Zerbi confirms new Tottenham signing will miss Chelsea clash in injury update  football.london

The new Tottenham Hotspur head coach has been explaining the style of football he will bring to the north London club

Roberto De Zerbi has very specific tasks he will ask of Dominic Solanke and Richarlison as the strikers in his Tottenham team this season.

The Italian has signed a five-year deal with the north London club but his immediate task is keeping Spurs in the Premier League. There are seven games remaining of their season and if West Ham beat Wolves at home on Friday night then De Zerbi will begin his tenure with his team in the bottom three.

Tottenham make the trip to Sunderland on Sunday and the 46-year-old will have to pick up his new players quickly and get his methods across if they are to finally win a Premier League match in 2026.

De Zerbi has previously said that when he see the ball up in the air it "hurts my heart" because as a former attacking midfielder he prefers it to be played on the deck. He brings a high energy, attacking brand of football with each player key to the overall system working as a unit and one of the key roles is the central forward.

In a Sky Sports interview with Glenn Murray during his time as Brighton head coach he spoke extensively about building up from the back and using six players to bait the press but also what he expected of his strikers and how he likes to adapt to his players' strengths.

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"I love playing with different solutions depending on the different characteristics of the players, because on the pitch they're the ones who have to play and they have to find the solutions. You can't move the player with a [computer game] joystick," he said.

Of his front three and the man in the middle, he said: "If we want to control the game we need the number nine to be smart, intelligent to understand when he has to play, when he has to attack the space and when he has to open the space [behind] for Mitoma for example or to open this other space [in front of the box].

"If you play for Brighton, you have to work for the players first of all. Then for sure we can't forget our style. We can't forget the quality of the play if we want to compete with the big teams.

"In this [system] there is myself. There is my history, there is my character. There is my madness, no? Everything."

The talented youngster Tottenham signed in early 2025 has finally made his debut for the north London club and instantly caught the eye

It took Mason Melia just three minutes to score his first Tottenham goal after finally pulling on the club's shirt to make his debut 14 months after signing.

The 18-year-old striker was considered one of the biggest young talents in Irish football when Spurs grabbed him ahead of other top Premier League and European clubs from St Patrick's Athletic in February last year for an initial £1.6million - a record transfer for the League of Ireland - with future add-ons that could double that figure.

Despite his age, Melia has already played 98 senior matches, including Europa League games, and been directly involved in 33 goals, scoring 25 himself and recording eight assists. He penned a Spurs contract until 2031, but was not allowed by EU law to make the move to the Premier League club until he turned 18, which meant he had to wait until January this year to complete the switch.

However, the Irish teenager then arrived in north London with a back injury that he had been playing with at St Pats in the final months of their season and when he recovered from that, he picked up a chest infection that further delayed his start date.

football.london reported last week that Melia was back in training and finally ready to get his first minutes in a Spurs shirt in the U21s match against West Ham on Saturday.

Not only did the Republic of Ireland U21 international get on the pitch in the 67th minute but it took him just three minutes after coming off the bench to race into the box and put the finishing touch on to Calum Logan's low cross.

That brought Tottenham back to 2-2 after fellow January arrival James Wilson's early goal had been ruled out by strikes by Joshua Ajala and Daniel Cummings. An own goal from West Ham's Callum Leacock sealed the points for the hosts in the 78th minute.

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"Obviously, I'm buzzing to be back on the pitch, mainly. It's been a long six months. I'm happy to get the goal and win the game," Melia said in his club interview after the game. "It's a nice feeling to get used to, but that's my job at the end of the day, so I'm happy to be back doing that.

"I did [have an impact on the comeback], to be fair, I think the lads done really well to grind in really. Look, it was a tough slog game but you get the 3-2 result and it's a good win. It was a scrappy game, but it's a London derby, they're going to be like that. It's going to be tough. I thought the lads dug in well, did very well to get the goals back."

After that back injury and check infection, Melia believes the rest and recovery has ensured he is in prime physical condition following so many games as a youngster.

"I've never felt better in my body," he said. "To be honest, they've looked after me really well, the physios, everyone in there, so I'm feeling really good in myself and I've settled in well. So, excited to be back."

The young Irishman was backed during the game at Hotspur Way by a healthy contingent of family and friends who had travelled to the Tottenham training ground to watch his long-awaited debut.

"A good few of them have [come], I've a big family, so a good few of them came over. My parents, my missus...yeah, I'm buzzing to have them here as well, it makes it more special," he said.

"It's been a long time coming. I'm really proud to make my debut and have it happen finally, I thought it was never going to happen! I'm buzzing to be here and get started."

Cristian Romero's father has lifted the lid on a release clause in the Tottenham captain's contract, with just weeks to go in the season

The father of Cristian Romero has claimed that the Tottenham Hotspur skipper has a 'very high release clause' in his existing deal with the north London club.

The Argentine defender has been the subject of transfer speculation this summer amid Spurs' continued difficulties in the Premier League.

Roberto De Zerbi will take charge of his first match at the helm when Spurs face Sunderland next weekend, fully aware that points are desperately needed to drag the club away from the relegation places.

Spurs sit 17th in the top flight, just a single point ahead of West Ham United, who occupy the final relegation spot.

Romero — who captains the side — has featured in 31 appearances across all competitions, contributing six goals and four assists throughout that period.

Despite his importance to the squad, he has been sidelined for a number of Premier League fixtures through injury and has been touted with a departure should the club drop out of the top flight this summer.

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"He has two more years on his contract with Tottenham and a very high release clause," Victor Romero disclosed in a recent interview. "The English club isn't going to let him go for free; it's between $50-70m [£37.8m-£53m].

"For me, they'll want to recover what they invested."

Spanish giants Atletico Madrid are understood to be amongst those monitoring the situation, with manager Diego Simeone reportedly a keen admirer of the 27-year-old international.

Romero has also been linked with a sensational return to his boyhood club Club Atletico Belgrano, with his father 'hoping' the speculation proves accurate as a supporter of the Argentine side.

Victor was questioned about a potential move back to Argentina and responded: "It's a bombshell that keeps getting bigger. I hope it's true.

"As a Belgrano fan and father, what more could I want? But I don't know anything.

"Cuti isn't one to make statements, that's why it surprises me. I don't know anything, but in football, anything can happen.

"Today, you might be thinking about being close to your family, and tomorrow, they put together a team to win the championship, and everything changes. I don't want to lie."

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Liverpool have been sent a clear transfer message ahead of the summer and their defensive problems amid their interest in Tottenham's Micky van de Ven

Liverpool have been brutally advised against signing Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven. Arne Slot's side are expected to strengthen in defence this summer with Ibrahima Konate out of contract and Virgil van Dijk turning 35 in a few months.

A deal has been pre-agreed for Jeremy Jacquet to join from Rennes ahead of the 2026/27 season but further additions at the back are still expected. Van de Ven has been strongly linked to an Anfield switch but Liverpool have been warned against bringing him in by former forward Dean Saunders.

He told aceodds.com: “When speaking about Micky van de Ven, he is lightning quick, but I have played against defenders like him. I have played against the quickest centre backs in the world, but it was never a problem for me. Being a top defender is all about your brain.

“It doesn't matter being quick if you don't have the brain. It helps you recover from mistakes, but you shouldn't make those mistakes to start.

“We also saw the situation where he ignored Thomas Frank. I didn't like that situation. Yes, he is playing for a team who are struggling and keep selling their best players, but you can't behave like that.”

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It has been a disastrous season for Tottenham and Van de Ven with relegation a real possibility as they sit one point above the bottom three having not won a Premier League game in 2026.

Interim head coach Igor Tudor, who has since departed the club, managed just one point from his five league games in charge with that coming against Liverpool earlier this month.

That stalemate came during a six-game run where Liverpool won just twice with their defeats coming against Wolves, Galatasaray and Brighton. The latter was a particularly disappointing one with it leaving the champions at risk of missing out on a top-five finish.

They do currently occupy the final Champions League qualification spot but are seemingly in a battle with Chelsea, Everton and Brentford.

However, Liverpool beating two of the teams that they lost to recently has seen them in the quarter-finals of both the FA Cup and Champions League.

Knockout ties in those competitions are up first for Liverpool following the conclusion of the March international break with trips to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon.

Current Manchester City star Omar Marmoush was linked with a number of Premier League stars before he made his move to the Etihad Stadium

Ex-Tottenham star Mido urged his former club to sign Omar Marmoush before he joined Manchester City in 2025. Both teams face off in the Premier League on Sunday, with the Egyptian expected to be part of the away side for this crucial clash.

However, the forward has been linked with a move to north London in recent weeks despite spending just a year in Manchester. Pep Guardiola added to his attack in January with the £64million signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.

This acquisition has cast uncertainty on Marmoush's future at the club, with Semenyo scoring three goals and assisting once in four appearances so far for City. Fenerbahce have also been linked, with Turkish publication Sabah reporting that the Super Lig club are prepared to offer £26m for the attacker.

However, it is understood that Marmoush would prefer to remain in the Premier League, putting Tottenham at the top of the list of interested clubs . Ex-Spurs star Mido, who spent time on loan at the club before joining permanently in 2006, seemed to be ahead of the curve as he encouraged former chairman Daniel Levy to sign the Egyptian before he moved to Manchester.

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Speaking on OnTime Sports, the fellow Egyptian claimed he had told Levy to sign Liverpool's Mohamed Salah when he was at Basel, and also to secure the signature of Marmoush. He said: "I sent a text message via phone to Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham, with whom I have a good relationship, to sign Mohamed Salah while he was playing in Basel.

"And I told him that it was necessary to sign Salah because he will be one of the best players in the world. The Tottenham chairman replied that he would follow up on the player, and I think he now regrets not signing him.

"A year and a half ago, I sent the same message to Daniel Levy, and told him to follow Omar Marmoush, and that he will be one of the best players in the world, but I do not think the club moved to include him."

Mido's words foreshadowed a Premier League transfer for Marmoush, but to a different club. The 26-year-old joined Guardiola's side from Eintracht Frankfurt last January for £59m, playing a part in City's push to the end of the season and an FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.

Since joining, the attacker has scored 10 goals and assisted four times in all competitions, making 42 total appearances for the club. Now, he could be on the move again in January with north London his potential destination.

Spurs face competition from Aston Villa as they aim to bolster their forward line before the transfer window closes. However, Besiktas boss Sergen Yalcin confirmed on Monday that Tammy Abraham will be expected to join Villa in the coming days to add to their striking options.

The Lilywhites have secured the signings of Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and left-back Souza from Santos. More goal scorers are required for Thomas Frank's side, though, with Dominic Solanke their only recognised centre-forward due to Richarlison's injury.

Tottenham can seal a top-eight Champions League finish if they are to beat Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on Wednesday evening

Tottenham have potentially been dealt both good and bad news ahead of their final Champions League group phase clash against Eintracht Frankfurt. Spurs head to Germany later this afternoon but they trained at Hotspur Way on Tuesday morning.

Joao Palhinha, who narrowly missed Saturday's 2-2 Premier League draw at Burnley, was pictured out on the grass.

That is a boost for under-fire boss Thomas Frank as both Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma are not registered to play in the Champions League.

The Portuguese loanee has now featured since picking up a knock during the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Aston Villa earlier this month.

However, centre-back Micky van de Ven was absent, sparking fears he could well miss the contest after netting the opener last weekend at Turf Moor.

Pedro Porro wasn't spotted either after coming off at half-time against Burnley.

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Spurs are yet to confirm the reason behind the Dutchman's absence, though Frank is set to address the media in Frankfurt later today when there will be clarity on Van de Ven's availability.

The 24-year-old missed last week's 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund through suspension after picking up his third Champions League yellow card against Slavia Prague.

He did not train ahead of facing Dortmund but there is now seemingly a chance he won't play or travel to Germany.

Gallagher did train and so did Mathys Tel, who was recently removed from the club's Champions League squad following Dominic Solanke's return to fitness.

Solanke was on the grass too after starting his second successive match against Burnley.

Tottenham can secure a top-eight finish with victory over crisis-hit Eintracht, who they beat 1-0 away from home in the Europa League quarter-finals last season.

Van de Ven starred in that particular match, nullifying Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike. Frankfurt are currently 33rd from a possible 36 in the Champions League standings and recently sacked boss Dino Toppmoller.

The Bundesliga club are now closing in on the appointment of a new manager with U21 coach Dennis Schmitt currently operating as their caretaker boss. Eintracht were beaten 3-1 at home on Saturday by Germany's in-form team Hoffenheim.

Meanwhile, Frank is clinging onto his job following more unrest in the away end at Turf Moor on Saturday when supporters again called for him head.

Much like last season, Spurs' European form has been incomparable to their results in the Premier League where they're now nervously hovering in 14th place.