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Tottenham Hotspur had a golden opportunity to put some real separation between themselves and rivals West Ham United after the latter's shutout loss to title favorites Arsenal, but Spurs could not take advantage of the "gift" given to them by the Gunners, drawing Leeds United 1-1 in a match they could have easliy lost without the heroics of young breakout goalkeper Antonin Kinsky.

Yes, the refs were an issue, but Tottenham know better than to blame the refs for their own failings. After Mathys Tel's excellent opener, Spurs faded badly, and Tel and his teammates made several major errors along the way.

But Tel nor the refs were the biggest problem for Tottenham and the major reason why they dropped two points in the Premier League relegation fight against Leeds on Monday Night Football. No, the biggest issue was the same issue that has plagued the Lilywhites throughout the season: the other forwards besides Mathys Tel.

The Spurs veteran forwards were disastrous

Richarlison has been Spurs best striker this season and one of their best players of the season by default, but that is a huge problem in and of itself. He is maddeningly inconsistent, and he proved it against Leeds by skying three shots that could have been go ahead goals and three points in the bag for Spurs.

And yet, he was not even the worst striker out there. The de factor right winger Randal Kolo Muani continues to be horrendous in his role out there, and he is clearly not a right winger. Everyone knows it. But at least a player of his supposed status and pedigree (and, ahem, wages) could at least pretend to be something. Kolo Muani created one nice chance for Richarlison but did nothing else of note for the club in another missed opportunity.

What really grinds everyone's gears about the drop off between Mohammed Kudus or even Wilson Odobert and then Randal Kolo Muani on the right wing is how easily the latter loses possession. Almost every time he is on the ball, he makes a bad touch or is dispossessed, and he can't win one on one or offer the necessary work rate. And his goal threat out there is zero.

The biggest problem for Tottenham this season has been the inability of the strikers to make up for the other injuries or to fill out roles in the front three. Young Tel stepped up. Richarlison flopped on the big stage, and Kolo Muani was just straight up embarrassing. You can't win with a starter in the front three playing as badly as RKM did.

Tottenham Hotspur missed out on a wonderful opportunity to skip further past rivals West Ham United in the Premier League relegation battle, failing to take full advantage of the Hammers losing 1-0 to their bitter rivals Arsenal by drawing 1-1 with Leeds United on Monday Night Football.

But the harsh reality is that Tottenham could have easliy lost this game against Leeds if it were not for the heroics of young goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who has emerged as the man of the hour for Spurs in this tenese relegation fight.

Kinsky prevented 1.35 goals above expected against Leeds, proving to be the deciding factor for Spurs in the draw. He quite literally saved a point for Tottenham, marking yet another consecutive impressive game between the sticks without any fault for the goal Leeds scored while sparing multiple goals with jaw dropping saves.

Antonin Kinsky is the obvious No. 1

Clearly, Kinsky is a better No. 1 goalkeeper than Guglielmo Vicario, and while Roberto De Zerbi does seem to like the Italian international and has implied that he would still be the No. 1 choice keeper, that definitely cannot be the case anymore, if it ever was.

Vicario was terrible for Tottenham this season, and if it were not for the unlucky slips on the Atletico Madrid field that had claimed Barcelona's goalkeeper before that, nobody would be questioning Kinsky, whom many Spurs fans had already wanted to see above Vicario in goal for much of the season.

Kinsky was thrown to the wolves by that bungler Igor Tudor, one of the worst man managers in the history of the Premier League, perhaps only surpassed by the only Spurs manager to drink out of an Arsenal cup in a live game.

But Antonin Kinsky has brought himself back under the charismatic Roberto De Zerbi, and even the headstrong Sassuolo grad has to say that Kinsky has more than earned the opportunity to jettison Guglielmo Vicario back to Serie A for good.

Kinsky is far less mistake prone already despite his youth, at least as good of a shot stopper, clearly better at commanding his box in the air, and superior on the ball to a degree that opens things up for the Tottenham offense significantly.

To seal the deal, Kinsky saved his best for the most recent game of the Premier League relegation battle against Leeds United, and anyone could tell that he was THE best player for Spurs - and he has been their best player this past month. The choice is obvious. It is Kinsky in goal.

Two of Tottenham Hotspur's most talented players are actually playing on loan for other historic clubs in European football, and both of them scored on Sunday. Luka Vuskovic had a brilliant free kick and produced another defensive monster class as the Hamburg faithful cheered his name in his final home game, as he was the best player on the pitch in a 3-2 win over Europa League Finalists Freiburg.

Meanwhile, Mikey Moore was not able to lift Rangers to victory over Celtic, but that's because his teammates were horrendous. Moore scored an early goal in the ninth minute, but Rangers blew the lead in the second half, falling 3-1 in the Old Firm Derby.

While Vuskovic is the biggest gem Tottenham have and has been one of the elite players in the Bundesliga this season, Moore, who first showed glimpses of his talent for Spurs in the 2024/25 season, hasn't been half bad either. In fact, he's been exceptional at times, and his latest goal in the Old Firm Derby is something Spurs need to keep closely in mind.

Mikey Moore has that clutch gene

Even when the rest of his team isn't up for it, Mikey Moore has it made it a regular habit of scoring against Celtic, and since Rangers vs. Celtic is one of the biggest games and overall rivalries in European football, it's a huge deal for Moore to elevate his performances and show real end product as a younger player. He has no real affiliation with the rivalry since he is only just at Rangers on loan from Tottenham, but the fact that he can find it within himself to play like this at the Old Firm Derby bodes well for Tottenham.

Moore has that almost inborn ability to score goals and have that clutch factor on the big stage, whether it is in European competition or a massive rivalry matchup. And Tottenham need that. In their biggest games this season, Spurs have routinely been embarrassed. Atletico Madrid shelled them in the Champions League, and top rivals Arsenal and Chelsea have pretty much had their way with them this season.

Tottenham can't wait to have Luka Vuskovic and Moore in the first team next season, not just because of their quality but because of their strength of chracter. At a young age, Moore has shown that he is not afraid to be up for the big moments, and Spurs need players like that. Roberto De Zerbi will love him.

Following Hamburger SV's final home game of the season, Tottenham Hotspur loanee, Luka Vušković

has confirmed he will not be staying with the Bundesliga side.

Vušković told Kicker, "To a 99.9 percent certainty, it was my farewell party." It was not a bad way to go out as the defender scored in a 3-2 win over Freiburg. Hamburg still has one more game, which is away to Bayer Leverkusen this Saturday.

The center-back has been a key player for the German side this season. In 28 games, he has scored six goals and made one assist. Vušković has helped Hamburg comfortably finish in mid-table in their first season back in the Bundesliga.

Tottenham are expected to retain their Premier League status after West Ham's loss to Arsenal last weekend. After a very good campaign in the Bundesliga, Vušković may want to get a chance in the Premier League.

Will Luka Vušković be starting for Tottenham Hotspur next season?

Vušković has proved this season that he can perform in an elite European league. Whether he will be good enough for the Premier League is another question. However, he is certainly one of the most exciting young defenders in Europe.

The player joined Spurs from Hajduk Split in 2025. He played one friendly game against Reading, where he scored and made an assist. However, when it came to competitive action, Vušković made the bench for Tottenham three times before going on loan to Hamburg.

Thomas Frank was still in charge of Spurs when Vušković was sent to the German side. However, now Roberto De Zerbi is in charge, the center-back may finally get his opportunity. Micky van de Ven's future is still uncertain, whilst Cristian Romero has been unreliable this season. Therefore, putting a player such as Vušković, who is young and hungry, in could be what Spurs need.

Vušković may have options away from Spurs, with Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona reportedly interested in the player. Staying in the Bundesliga with one of the division's top sides could be good for Vušković's development.

Joining PSG could be tempting as they are about to win Ligue 1 and are in the Champions League final. The same with Barca, who have already won La Liga. However, Vušković, who is just 19, must ensure that he gets regular game time where he goes next. He already has five caps for Croatia and is expected to be at the World Cup this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has brought a lot of optimism and tactical quality to the dressing room, and Spurs are now out of the bottom three of the Premier League with a chance to go further clear of rivals West Ham United in the relegation battle if they can take advantage of West Ham's latest loss - to Arsenal, no less- with a win over Leeds United on Monday Night Football.

De Zerbi has been behind the players through and through, even gassing up players like Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani who have not deserved it. But he is also not afraid to tell the truth about how Spurs are doing or how things are going on the news front, which is a breath of fresh air from the bizarre Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor press conferences before him.

Star right winger and attacking midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has been a big loss from the last season, suffering a knee injury so serious we still don't officially know what exactly is going on. Some weeks ago, Spurs fans had already given up hope on Kulu coming back to Tottenham, but there was optimism of him being able to play this summer at the World Cup for Sweden.

Dejan Kulusevski remains up in the air

Speaking to reporters before the Tottenham Hotspur vs. Leeds United game in the Premier League, manager Roberto De Zerbi had a realistic take on Kulusevski. Because he's not so convinced that we will be able to see Kulu at the World Cup at all, given he has not played any games this season for Spurs.

De Zerbi said, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, “I don’t know the situation well. I hope so but I don’t know his injury and I can’t say nothing more. For me, it’s difficult to understand how he can play at the World Cup if he didn’t play any games this season. I texted him after [the Villa game]. He told me in the next week, I think, he comes back and I hope he can be available to stay with us in the last game because he is an amazing player.”

Although you hate to hear that from De Zerbi about Kulusevski, these are the times where you want the manager not to sugarcoat things, because De Zerbi earns more respect than he loses by being honest about his opinion here. Because he's totally right.

The better news is that De Zerbi and Kulu are in touch and that De Zerbi respects Kulu so much that, like James Maddison, he will want him in the squad whenever possible, even if he is not healthy enough to play. Maybe, just maybe, he can come back for the last game and actually get on the pitch, but it's more likely he won't. And if he can't play at the World Cup, maybe it's all for the better anyway as he looks to 2026/27 with Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur are on the cusp of Premier League safety. After West Ham's 1-0 defeat to rivals Arsenal, all Spurs need to do is get three points against Leeds United, who are just ahead of them in the table, and stay on top from here on out.

New manager Roberto De Zerbi has Spurs believing again, and the results on the pitch have followed suit. Spurs are in 17th again and most recently beat Aston Villa, who are headed for the same Europa League Final that Spurs won last season.

One of the best things De Zerbi has done is get the players in his squad to play with confidence again. That goes for veterans like Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo Bentancur, but it is also true for Antonin Kinsky, the young Czech goalkeeper who seemed to be headed for an end at Tottenham after an embarrassing display against Atletico Madrid.

Roberto De Zerbi has gotten the most out of Antonin Kinsky

But Kinsky has been vital and one of the bright spots for Spurs in this race to safety, performing at a higher level than injured goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who is likely no longer the starter at Tottenham.

Antonin Kinsky has been a microcosm of how Roberto De Zerbi has been superior to predecessors Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor in terms of handling the personalties in the dressing room and getting the best out of players.

Ahead of Monday night's game against Leeds United, De Zerbi praised Kinsky and spoke more about the young goalkeeper, showing how he exactly gets it as a manager. De Zerbi said, via Football.London's Alasdair Gold, "Big character, big personality. Great guy, great professional, and great goalkeeper. He's playing very well, he has to stay with the focus and don't take risks in any situation, but he is playing very well and is very important for us now. Of course he is an example. Of course what he felt after Madrid, for sure, was a big, big motivation for him. If you have pride, if you have dignity, if you have the right spirit, if you have character, and he has all these values."

That is so well said by De Zerbi about Kinsky, who has the ingredients to be the future starting goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur. And that's not something that was a prevailing believe even just several weeks ago after the debacle against Atletico Madrid, but, as De Zerbi said, his professionalism and personality ahve shone through, in addition to his quality on the pitch. Kinsky has become one of Spurs most important players in the relegation battle, and De Zerbi has, in a way, been very key to that and continues to be important in his corner.

It may have been the last match for Luka Vuskovic in front of the home fans at Hamburg, because even though the had stated his desire to play one more year in the Bundesliga with his brother, the Croatian sensation's star has grown to the point where another year on loan for the German giants turned underdogs is now unlikely. And so in 2026/27, Tottenham Hotspur will be doing their darndest to make sure Vuskovic is their first team player and not a new star for Barcelona, Bayern Munich, or another elite club.

Vuskovic's star only seems to rise with each passing month, and he added another high point to his resume in Hamburg's 3-2 upset win over European contenders Freiburg to make his home finale one worth celebrating.

Not only did Vuskovic score a brilliant, low driven free kick that proved to be the winner for Hamburg in this 3-2 affair, but he also played another amazing all around game. His intelligence defensively is beyond what any teenage center back has been capable of - maybe even in our entire lifetimes. Vuskovic did not even have to make a single tackle in this win, recording five interceptions and 11 clearances in another defensive monsterclass that had shades of Paolo Maldini.

Luka Vuskovic has earned so many superlatives

The superlatives almost seem grotesque at this point and unebelievable to those not familiar with Luka Vuskovic's work in the Bundesliga, but all you had to do was listen to the way the Hamburg crowd chanted his name as he came off the pitch in the final minutes to soak up a well deserved ovation to understand the sheer magnitude of impact he had in his first season as a senior player.

As the clock winds down for Cristian Romero and his future hangs in the balance for a second straight summer transfer window, Vuskovic's masterful performance in all respects (defense, passing, and even scoring) for Hamburg vs. Freiburg served as a massive statement of intent at the captain.

Vuskovic is coming for Romero's spot. If you compare the two center backs this season, it is the younger one who has been the much better player in all aspects. And even though Romero wears the armband for his team, Vuskovic has meant more to Hamburg than Romero to Tottenham, as the latter has been a flop in his season as captain in taking over from Son Heung-min. If the choice has to come down to paying and playing one of the two, Vuskovic did a great job of showing to Spurs why it should be him.

So many talented players at Tottenham Hotspur have profoundly disappointed the club this season, but one of the most troubling developments over the preceding couple of months during the worst of Spurs descent into the relegation places was the uneven performances of center back Micky van de Ven.

One of the most valuable players in the squad, Van de Ven was making egregious defensive errors showing a profound lack of discipline, football IQ, and progression as an actual defender. Tottenham fans were beginning to wonder if they had significantly overrated the Dutchman's prowess, as Van de Ven was coming across as both immature and a player too reliant on his athletic gifts and not equipped enough to read the game.

But like so many players with experience at Tottenham, Van de Ven is enjoying an improvement in form and more consistency on the pitch since the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi to break the spell that Thomas Frank had on the club - a spell that Igor Tudor could not break.

Micky van de Ven sounds like a true Spur

Now, Van de Ven seems increasingly likely to stay with Tottenham Hotspur after the 2025/26 season, especially if Spurs are to complete the comeback under De Zerbi and remain in the Premier League for the 2026/27 season.

Speaking ahead of the Arsenal and West Ham matchup, which carries huge implications for Tottenham as the Hammers are their big rivals in the relegation fight, Micky van de Ven gave a response that sounds like exactly what a vice captain and a true Spur should say. Although Tottenham Hotspur might well like Arsenal to fully bottle the league to Manchester City, the priority is to say safe. But rooting for Arsenal against West Ham? That's a step too far for anyone to say, including Van de Ven.

The Dutch center back said of the Arsenal vs. West Ham game, via The Spurs Watch, Yeah, I won’t be cheering on Arsenal to be honest. I know you say Arsenal can do us a massive favour, especially for themselves, because they’re playing for the Championship. They can do us a massive favour by winning against West Ham, and then hopefully we can get the three points against Leeds."

It sounds like such a small thing to pick up on, but it's the small details in how players talk that hint at their headspace and are the clues we have to go on. And Micky van de Ven, in his body language on the pitch and in quotes like this were he sounds fully COYS, feels like a guy who is now more in than out at Tottenham.

There are flattering transfer rumors linking him to Real Madrid and Barcelona, but Van de Ven doesn't sound at all like a guy who is checked or looking at the next thing. He is 100 percent a believer in Spurs and in the fight for Tottenham, and, like a true Spur, he is not here to placate to Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur are in a much better place now than they were even just a few weeks ago, as Roberto De Zerbi has got a squad that previously looked like they had given up on even pretendign to care to one that is believing - and more importantly, winning.

But even if Tottenham manage to stay up in the Premier League and hold off the push from crosstown rivals West Ham United, there are three players who are going to leave the club anyway this summer transfer window.

ST Randal Kolo Muani

The most obvious player who is going to leave Tottenham this summer is loan signing Randal Kolo Muani, who was brought in on transfer deadline day last summer to bolster a weak striker lineup. And while Spurs were disappointing up front and had a major injury to Dominic Solanke, Kolo Muani, outside of a hat trick against PSG in a game Spurs lost anyway, did a whole lot of nothing.

Kolo Muani's sheer lack of effort has been appalling and infuriating to Spurs fans. With not even Roberto De Zerbi able to get more out of the French striker, the common refrain around the former Eintracht Frankfurt man will be "good riddance".

GK Guglielmo Vicario

Serie A champions Inter Milan are driving hard after the signing of Guglielmo Vicario, and it appears his move back to Italian football is a mere formality at this point. Vicario was once one of the best goalkeepers in Europe at Empoli, but he has outworn his welcome at the N17, exposed as a hugely mistake prone goalkeeper in the Premier League. With Antonin Kinsky shining since Vicario finally got surgery to repair a hernia, there is clearly no use left for the veteran goalkeeper.

CB Cristian Romero

With Micky van de Ven suddenly more in than out, perhaps galvanized by the coaching of Roberto De Zerbi, the most likely star center back to leave Tottenham Hotspur - even moreso than young gem Luka Vuskovic in Hamburg - is captain Cristian Romero.

The Argentinian international has not behaved very captain like this season, and while it was nice to see him take the board to task, it's not like his actual play on the pitch or leadership was the proper response. Romero is a good player, but he's not great. And he may choose to chase his own greatness by asking for the change in scenery he had already pondered last year.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi is not known for being a man who likes to keep quiet or avoid controversy and speaking his mind. But Spurs probably hired him for his personality and boldness, wanting to go back to a swashbuckler like Ange Postecoglou than rather a more conservative - and almost cowardly - figure like Thomas Frank.

De Zerbi already has Tottenham closer to survival in the Premier League, and he is getting the most out of players Spurs had written for dead like center midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Conor Gallagher, who are now spurring the comeback charge.

But Gallagher and Bentancur are not the only veteran midfielders De Zerbi appears to be high on. Even though defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha has not been a nailed on starter for the Italian manager, RDZ sounds convinced that the Portuguese international is someone he wants around Spurs for longer than the 2025/26 season when his loan deal with Bayern Munich wraps up.

Roberto De Zerbi is sold on Joao Palhinha

De Zerbi told reporters at the press conference before Tottenham Hotspur vs. Leeds United on Monday Night Football that he "100 percent" wants Palhinha to be back in a Lilywhite kit next season.

The Italian manager said, via Chris Cowlin, "One hundred per cent. We have to start from these types of people. More than players, we need reliable people, reliable players. Palhinha is one of the best, as a player for sure, but as a guy. I want to see the players with the same passion, spirit, personality and we are lucky to have Palhinha with us."

Although the 30 year old Palhinha only came off the bench in De Zerbi's first three matches in charge against Sunderland, Brighton, and Wolves, he got the full 90 in the win over Aston Villa. And Palhinha has been pretty good in these two wins against Wolves and Villa, scoring the decisive goal against Wolves while playing good defense and even passing at a high level in both matches.

With Xavi Simons down for the count and James Maddison still working his way back from an ACL tear of his own, Joao Palhinha is going to become even more important to De Zerbi, and it sounds like the manager trusts his No. 6 100 percent.

Spurs have been going back and forth all season long on Palhinha, who started the season hot, cooled off, and now may be reviving himself with solid defense, big goals, and potentially even passable work on the ball under his new manager. De Zerbi is making bold claims and does have some say over personnel, so this is a situation to watch with Bayern.