Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been banned for seven matches by The Football Association (FA) and fined £100,000 for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.

The 27-year-old’s domestic suspension will begin on Saturday 23 November when Spurs visit Manchester City, and he will miss six Premier League matches, plus the EFL Cup quarter-final against Manchester United on Thursday 19 December.

An FA statement said: "It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute. It was further alleged that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin."

Spurs' next six PL fixtures

Bentancur will next be available in the Premier League on Boxing Day, when Spurs visit Nottingham Forest.

However, Bentancur will be available in play in the UEFA Europa League, so he can face Roma at home on Thursday 28 November and make the trip to take on Rangers on Thursday 12 December.

The Uruguayan will certainly be missed, having started seven of Spurs' 11 Premier League matches this season and made three appearances as a substitute. He has played 14 times in all competitions.

He also scored their last goal, heading in against Ipswich Town in the 2-1 home defeat on 10 November.

Ipswich Town claimed a shock 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur to end their wait for a first Premier League win of the season.

Sam Szmodics opened the scoring for the visitors with an acrobatic finish just past the half-hour mark before Liam Delap doubled Ipswich’s advantage prior to the interval.

Spurs, who saw a Dominic Solanke goal disallowed for handball early in the second half, were handed a lifeline when Rodrigo Bentancur headed in from a corner to cut the deficit in the 69th minute.

Solanke had a great chance to restore parity in stoppage time, but Arijanet Muric made a fantastic stop as Ipswich held on for a memorable triumph, securing their first win in the Premier League since April 2002.

It is a victory that takes Kieran McKenna’s side up to 17th, while Spurs are 10th, with 16 points from their 11 matches.

How the match unfolded

Ipswich set the tone early on as Szmodics forced a save out of Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario inside two minutes before Cameron Burgess rattled the crossbar from a corner.

And the visitors took a deserved lead in the 31st minute when Jens Cajuste’s cross hit Delap and hung in the air for an unmarked Szmodics to finish with a well-timed overhead kick.

Szmodics played a part in Ipswich’s second as his cross was parried by Vicario and the ball rebounded off Radu Dragusin, and Delap was on hand to prod in his sixth league goal of the season.

Solanke thought he had dragged Spurs back into it in the 49th minute, but his goal was overturned following a VAR review because he had kicked the ball on to his hand while shooting.

Bentancur thumped in a header from Pedro Porro’s corner, but with Muric in sharp form between the sticks, Ipswich held firm to finally get their season up and running.

Tractor Boys get that long overdue win

The pressure was on for Ipswich after fellow strugglers Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton all got their first wins of the season in recent weeks.

But Ipswich pulled off one of the shock results of the season so far and will now hope to build on the momentum after the international break, as McKenna enjoyed a happy return to the club where he came through the academy and began his coaching career (below, left) almost a decade ago.

The Ipswich boss was without the services of suspended Kalvin Phillips and brought Axel Tuanzebe and Cajuste into the line-up and he was rewarded when the latter's cross led to his side's opener.

McKenna’s side have now shipped 22 goals following Bentancur’s header, but they defended in numbers late on and restricted their opponents to very few clear chances.

They will next host Manchester United at Portman Road in Ruben Amorim's first match in charge of the Red Devils and will fancy their chances of giving the Portuguese a tough welcome to the Premier League.

Spurs falter, again

Spurs delivered an impressive performance in beating Aston Villa last week, but questions about their consistency have lingered this season.

Indeed, they had fallen behind in their last two home league outings, but fought back to claim 4-1 wins over West Ham United and Villa respectively.

And there was to be no such comeback this time around, as Spurs’ faltering form continued.

They have now lost three fixtures when coming off the back of midweek outings in the UEFA Europa League and Ange Postecoglou’s team just could not get going after defeat to Galatasaray in Istanbul on Thursday.

The Spurs head coach had kept his trust in the same 11 that fought back against Villa, but this is a worrying patch of form for Postecoglou, and his team will need to rediscover some consistency if he is to deliver UEFA Champions League football this season.

Club reports

Spurs report | Ipswich report

What the managers said

Kieran Mckenna: "It's a massive, significant moment. A day to cherish in the recent history,” McKenna told Sky Sports.

"The journey the club has been on - the highs and the depths. For the fans to see their club in the Premier League and win in a stadium like this is a massive day. Where the club was two years ago to now competing in the Premier League. A significant landmark."

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Key facts

Guglielmo Vicario made his 25th home start for Tottenham Hotspur today in the Premier League. Across those 25 starts, Vicario has kept just three clean sheets, the joint-fewest by any Spurs keeper across their first 25 home starts in the competition, along with Ian Walker.

Today’s victory was Ipswich’s first in the Premier League since a 1-0 win vs Middlesborough in April 2002, as well as their first away win in the competition since beating Everton at Goodison Park in February 2002, ending a run of 12 away matches in the competition without a win (D3 L9).

Since the start of last season, Sam Szmodics has scored 31 league goals across his spells with Blackburn Rovers and now Ipswich Town, with only Manchester City's Erling Haaland (39) scoring more than him across England's top four tiers.

The Scout is tipping five players for big success in Gameweek 11 of 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League ahead of Saturday's 13:30 GMT deadline.

Dominic Solanke (Spurs) £7.7m

Although it may seem somewhat reactive to be tipping the Tottenham Hotspur forward after his season-high haul of 16 points last weekend, a delve into the data suggests Solanke still has room for improvement over the course of the campaign.

In his final season for AFC Bournemouth in 2023/24, he had 28 big chances – situations in which the player is expected to score. He converted 14 of them – or 50 per cent – on his way to scoring 19 goals.

This season, Solanke has had 10 big chances and scored four of them, which suggests he can improve upon this 40 per cent return if he gets back to his form of 2023/24.

Crucially, Spurs are also ensuring their frontman is being supplied with big chances at a far quicker rate than last season. Solanke is averaging a big chance every 70.7 minutes for Ange Postecoglou’s side, an improvement on his average of 115.1 minutes at Bournemouth last season.

A home encounter with Ipswich Town this weekend gives Solanke the chance to immediately get more goals and, although Spurs then visit Manchester City in Gameweek 12, matches against Fulham and Bournemouth in the following Gameweeks lift the short-term appeal of their attackers.

Alejandro Garnacho (Man Utd) £6.3m

The Manchester United winger will be hoping history repeats itself when he entertains Leicester City this weekend.

Garnacho produced a goal and an assist in the same fixture only just last week, in the Red Devils' 5-2 EFL Cup win over the Foxes.

Certainly, the Argentinian has the goal threat to punish his opponents again. Over the last four Gameweeks, Garnacho’s 18 shots and 13 shots in the box are both team-leading totals.

Man Utd also face Ipswich and Everton in the next three Gameweeks, giving Garnacho the chance to make his mark under their new head coach Ruben Amorim.

Antonee Robinson (Fulham) £4.7m

Fulham’s left-back has the short-term schedule to continue his fine attacking form this season.

According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), three of the Cottagers’ next four matches – against Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton & Hove Albion – score only two.

Robinson visits the Eagles this weekend having supplied his third assist of the campaign against Brentford in the last Gameweek.

That’s already half of his total of six assists from 2023/24, while the same can be said for his bonus points – the US international has four of them already, compared with eight last season.

If Marco Silva’s side can profit from their schedule and improve upon their tally of just one clean sheet, Robinson can offer multiple routes to returns in the coming period.

Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) £7.5m

The West Ham United star’s improving home form looks ominous for Everton this weekend.

Bowen has amassed 19 points across his last two encounters at the London Stadium, thanks to two goals and an assist. That includes strikes against both Ipswich and Man Utd.

The underlying numbers show his major all-round influence on the Hammers’ attack in home matches.

Bowen’s 11 key passes are more than twice that of any team-mate, while his 12 shots and 10 shots in the box both place second.

Everton’s struggles in defence, meanwhile, further add to the West Ham midfielder’s appeal. They have just a single clean sheet in five away matches, conceding nine goals.

Josko Gvardiol (Man City) £6.2m

Three goals in his last five matches have taken the Man City star to 49 points this season, placing him second in the defender standings.

Gvardiol’s improved output has also coincided with Rodri's (£6.3m) injury, with manager Pep Guardiola affording the defender greater licence to be involved in his side’s attacks.

Although he’s yet to get an assist, Gvardiol’s creativity has improved markedly in the five matches without Rodri. He has made eight key passes in the last five Gameweeks, compared with only two in the first five.

Despite Man City’s poor run of two clean sheets in the first 10 Gameweeks, Gvardiol sits just a single point off Virgil van Dijk (£6.2m) at the top of the defender standings.

If Guardiola’s side can rediscover their defensive form, Gvardiol could become the most fixture-proof option for managers’ defences over the remainder of the campaign.

James Maddison enjoyed a milestone moment as he reached a half-century of Premier League goals in Tottenham Hotspur's 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.

On his 201st appearance in the competition, Maddison came off the bench to curl in a superb free-kick in stoppage time to seal an impressive comeback victory.

It was his third goal of the season and his seventh league strike overall since joining Spurs in the summer of 2023.

The playmaker's previous 43 goals were all netted for former club Leicester City, with the first one dating back to 18 August 2018, when the Foxes beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0.

How Maddison scores his goals

With the help of Oracle, we've analysed the different ways in which Maddison finds the net.

He has scored 37 goals with his right foot and 13 with his left. Remarkably he is only the fifth player in Premier League history to reach 50 goals without scoring a single header, after Thierry Henry, Kevin De Bruyne, Damien Duff and Peter Beardsley.

His half-century of goals includes two penalties, from four attempts.

Sunday's goal was his ninth from a direct free-kick in the competition. Since debuting in the top flight in 2018/19, only James Ward-Prowse (15) has netted more times from a direct free-kick than Maddison.

How Maddison scored his goals

Right foot Left foot Head Total 37 13 0

Half-century scorers at Spurs

Maddison is the third current Spurs player to have reached 50 Premier League goals, after Son Heung-min and Richarlison.

Current Spurs players on 50+ PL goals

Player Total goals For Spurs For other clubs Son Heung-min 123 123 0 Richarlison 60 12 48 James Maddison 50 7 43

Maddison becomes the 137th player to reach 50 goals since the competition began in 1992.

Dominic Solanke scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways in the Premier League, coming from behind to beat Aston Villa 4-1.

Spurs bounced back from last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, with four second-half goals turning the contest completely on its head at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Villa had broken the deadlock just after the half-hour mark through Morgan Rogers, but Brennan Johnson levelled within four minutes of the restart.

The hosts then completed the turnaround in the final quarter of an hour, with Solanke striking twice in the space of four minutes before substitute James Maddison put some gloss on the scoreline with a stoppage-time free-kick.

Spurs climb to seventh in the table with 16 points, two places and two points behind Villa, who missed the chance to jump into the top four.

How the match unfolded

Following a generally even opening half-hour, Villa turned up the pressure with Amadou Onana's header hitting the post, before they broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute.

Guglielmo Vicario could only parry after Pedro Porro deflected John McGinn's corner towards goal, and Rogers reacted quickest to score from two yards out.

However, Spurs responded well and were back on level terms soon after the break, with Johnson turning in Son Heung-min’s cross at the far post.

The hosts then edged ahead in the 75th minute as a neat exchange of passes culminated in Dejan Kulusevski slipping the ball through for Solanke, who beat the offside trap and delightfully lifted over the stranded Emiliano Martinez.

Solanke was in the right place at the right time again four minutes later following another lovely move, tucking in Richarlison’s square ball at the far post.

Maddison then put the icing on the cake in the seventh minute of stoppage time, curling a delicious 20-yard free-kick beyond Martinez.

Spurs come from behind once more

Spurs entered this game having conceded the opening goal in 11 of their 13 home Premier League matches in 2024, though they had recovered to win on seven of those occasions.

Therefore, it would not have been too much of a surprise to them when Rogers prodded Villa in front after 32 minutes.

Nevertheless, whatever Ange Postecoglou said to his players during the half-time break certainly had the desired effect, with Johnson quickly equalising.

Eyebrows were raised when Son was replaced in the 55th minute after returning to fitness, and with Micky van de Ven already injured, Spurs’ problems intensified when Cristian Romero limped off soon afterwards.

However, the hosts did not allow themselves to be affected by that setback, and even after Son’s withdrawal, they showcased their attacking quality to great effect.

The way Spurs’ front players exchanged passes for both of Solanke’s goals was breathtaking, before Maddison rounded off the victory with a sumptuous set-piece effort, scoring his 50th Premier League goal.

Postecoglou has come in for criticism in the season’s early weeks, but with this level of attacking talent, Spurs will always be a threat.

Villa streak screeches to a halt

Without a defeat in seven Premier League matches – and having won nine of their 13 league matches in London under Unai Emery – Villa had every right to arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium feeling confident.

They had also won on three of their four most recent visits to this ground, and everything appeared to be going to plan again when Rogers broke the deadlock – demonstrating their quality from set-pieces once more.

However, Johnson’s equaliser appeared to knock the stuffing out of Villa, with the hosts putting themselves firmly in charge of the contest.

The visitors subsequently had no answer to their opponents’ slick attacks, and they must endure that rare feeling of leaving the capital empty-handed.

The positive thing for Villa is they do not have much time to dwell on this result. A trip to Club Brugge awaits on Wednesday, and the mission is to maintain their impressive unbeaten start to this season’s Champions League.

Club reports

Spurs report | Aston Villa report

What managers said

Ange Postecoglou: "They are a very good side, they have a level of performance that rarely drops.

"It was a tight first half, we had to match up with them and it was disappointing for them to score. After that, we have other gears in us and we showed that in the second half. After the performance in midweek I thought it was an outstanding effort.

"We stick to our principles, there is great belief in these players, and when we do that we are hard to stop. I felt the momentum was going our way, we knew we would finish strong and if we upped it a couple of gears like we can we knew we would be hard to stop."

Unai Emery: "When you are losing you have to try and get one step forward to try and change the result. But we know how difficult it is against Tottenham. 4-1 is a tough result but the match we played was more or less in line with the expectation I had before the match.

"We are disappointed, frustrated but we are accepting it. We know our way, it is 38 matches, the league is very tight."

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Key facts

Since the start of last season, Tottenham Hotspur have gone on to win 10 Premier League matches in which they conceded the first goal; the joint-most of any team in the competition along with Manchester City, while winning three of their last four in which they've gone one goal down.

Spurs’ Solanke has now scored more goals against Aston Villa under Unai Emery in the Premier League than any other player, netting four goals in four appearances against them.

Villa have scored five goals from set-pieces (excl. pens) in the Premier League this season, with no team scoring more than Unai Emery’s men (Arsenal also five).

Since the start of last season, Tottenham Hotspur have conceded the opening goal on 13 occasions in Premier League home matches – excluding relegated sides, only Manchester United (14) have done so more times in this period.

Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City are in “trouble” and only have “13 outfield players” after his side suffered more injuries in Wednesday night's EFL Cup defeat by Tottenham Hotspur.

Manuel Akanji and Savinho were the latest names to be added to City's injury list, as the former hurt his calf in the warm-up and the winger was taken off on a stretcher in the second half of the 2-1 loss.

“He had a knock in the 18-yard box but we will see tomorrow what happened,” Guardiola said on Savinho.

“We have to see if it was just a knock or something else. It was on the bone, so hopefully nothing dangerous, but we will have to see tomorrow.”

In City's defence, as well as Akanji, Josko Gvardiol required attention immediately after the match while Guardiola says Ruben Dias is also “struggling” after he was withdrawn at half-time.

The champions are next in action at AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.

“It’s tough,” Guardiola added. "Akanji felt something in the muscular part of his body - he wanted to take a risk, but we said, 'No, no risk.'

“Ruben is struggling sometimes as well. It’s been getting more difficult game by game – maybe we will be all back together at some point.

“I don’t know, I didn’t speak [to Gvardiol]. Every time I went in [the dressing-room], [someone] was on the table [having] a massage: it was too busy, too crowded! So, I don’t know.

“We are in real difficulty because the guys who finish had some problems but we will see how they recover. I think when we are in trouble, because in nine years I never had this situation with many injuries for many reasons, in this situation, the players step forward more than ever in all they try to do.

“We have a short time for recovery this week. We have 13 outfield players. Tomorrow we have two goalkeepers and Erling Haaland in the training session. The rest, we don't have anything else...”

Who else is out for City?

Man City are already without Kyle Walker, Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish, with some of those not returning for at least a few weeks.

“Our captain [Walker] is injured,” Guardiola added. “I don’t think he or Kevin will be back until after the international break. Jack Grealish as well.”

That means the trio will also miss the trip to Brighton & Hove Albion next weekend before potentially making their comeback after the international break on 23 November against Spurs.

In total, City could have up to nine first-team players unavailable to travel to Bournemouth.

Man City's next five PL fixtures

Who can Guardiola call upon?

Providing Dias and Gvardiol are not ruled out for Bournemouth, these are the 13 first-team outfield players that Guardiola says he has to choose from:

Defenders: Ake, Dias, Gvardiol, Lewis, Stones, Wilson-Esbrand; Midfielders: Foden, Gundogan, Kovacic, McAtee, Nunes, B.Silva; Forwards: Haaland.

Who might get a call-up from the Academy?

The injuries present an opportunity for some talented City youngsters to get some first-team experience on Saturday.

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (18 years old), who came on for his senior debut at Spurs, Nico O'Reilly (19), James McAtee (22) and Jacob Wright (19) could all feature. O'Reilly was among the players praised by Guardiola after his performance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“The Nico we saw tonight was the Nico we met last season – what a game he played,” Guardiola said. “This competition is very good to give players this chance. Jahmai was exceptional at centre-half in the minutes he played.

“James McAtee – what a game he had – and Nico and Jacob played really well. I’m really pleased with what I’ve seen – really pleased. Ninety minutes, so composed against a team that is so, so dangerous.”

Who else got injured in the EFL Cup?

Man City weren't the only team to suffer in midweek. Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton both went off early in their win at Aston Villa while Spurs' Micky van de Ven also had to be withdrawn with a suspected hamstring problem.

Jean-Philippe Mateta made the difference as Crystal Palace beat Tottenham 1-0 to claim their first Premier League win of the season.

Coming off the back of three straight defeats, the pressure was on Oliver Glasner, and his team delivered the goods for their fans at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Their winner came in the 31st minute when Mateta latched onto Eberechi Eze’s clever flick and drilled in from close range.

While Brennan Johnson saw a shot hit the post for Spurs, Palace looked most likely to get the matches second goal, and Eze saw one ruled out for offside while Adam Wharton was thwarted by Guglielmo Vicario.

Palace were not made to pay for failing to add a second, however, as they claimed a morale-boosting result that takes them up to 17th, while Spurs are eighth after two defeats from their last three league matches.

More to follow...

Club reports

Palace report | Spurs report

Next Premier League fixtures

Key facts

Today’s 1-0 win was only Palace’s second win across their last 19 Premier League matches against Spurs (D2 L15), though both victories in that time have come at Selhurst Park whilst keeping a clean sheet.

Spurs have failed to win any of their four away London derby matches in the Premier League in 2024 (D1 L3), failing to score in three of those matches, whilst netting just one goal in total.

Palace have won two of their last six Premier League matches against fellow sides from London (D2 L2), as many victories as across their prior 18 such matches combined (D5 L11). Each of their last four London derby successes in the top-flight have come at home, whilst this was the first alongside a clean sheet since beating Arsenal 3-0 in April 2022.

Palace’s Mateta struck the winner in this match, with his 17th Premier League goal of 2024 – only Erling Haaland (24) and Cole Palmer (21) have netted more this calendar year.

An exciting prospect has emerged at Tottenham Hotspur who is making his full Premier League debut against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Mikey Moore, who only turned 17 in August, was selected in Spurs' Europa League line-up for the second time on Thursday night, as they defeated AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa League.

"I think he's ready to play, to start a Premier League game for sure," said Postecoglou, in his press conference for Sunday's match against Crystal Palace.

"He's very mature for a 17-year-old, he handles things really well, both positive and negative. He works hard every day and he's making an impact, at an age where it's very difficult to make an impact at this level."

Moore's admirers include the player who captained Spurs against AZ Alkmaar, James Maddison.

"From minute 45 to 65, I thought we had Neymar on the wing, " said Maddison, as he reflected on the teenager's sensational performance.

With Son Heung-min rated "unlikely" to be fit, Moore's dynamic display has raised the prospect of him starting against Palace.

That will excite the Spurs fans who already sing his name enthusiastically - but who exactly is this rising star?

Moore's beginnings

Moore was born in Southwark, south London, on 11 August 2007 and joined Spurs' academy at the age of seven.

Rapidly climbing through the ranks, Moore made a remarkable impact for the Under-18s during the 2022/23 season while still a schoolboy.

He played a crucial role in helping the team achieve an Under-18 and Under-17 Premier League Cup double, notably scoring a dazzling brace in the latter final against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Across the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, he impressively netted 19 goals and provided 13 assists in 24 matches for Spurs' Under-18s.

In April 2023, Moore became the youngest player to appear for Spurs' Under-21s since the formation of Premier League 2, making his debut as a 15-year-old against Manchester United.

Playing style and position

Moore's stellar performances in the academy have highlighted his exceptional dribbling, close ball control and technique, making him a nightmare for defenders, especially in tight spaces where he thrives in one-on-one situations.

He consistently creates chances for both himself and his team-mates, showcasing a superb weight of pass and a keen eye for goal.

Primarily operating as a winger, Moore favours the left flank but is also comfortable playing on the right. He also featured more centrally in the academy teams, demonstrating his versatility and ability to adapt to different attacking roles.

Moore's goal for Spurs U21s v Bristol Rovers

International recognition

Moore has represented England at various age groups and received his first call-up to the Under-19s at the start of this season.

He shone at the Under-17 European Championship in the summer, scoring four goals in the group stage, including a stunning solo effort against France and a long-range strike against Spain that helped the young Lions advance to the knockout stage.

Moore's brace for England U17s v France

Moore's goal for England U17s v Spain

Stepping up to the senior side

Moore became Spurs' youngest-ever player to appear in the Premier League - at the age of 16 years, nine months, and three days - when he made his first-team debut on 14 May 2024, as a substitute against Manchester City. He also came off the bench in the final match of the season against Sheffield United.

The teenager continued to make his mark at senior level in pre-season, scoring against Hearts, then registering an assist against Queens Park Rangers. He followed that up with a late winner against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo.

Spurs' confidence in Moore's potential was reflected when he signed his first professional contract with the club on 12 August 2024, just one day after his 17th birthday. A significant step in his promising career.

Moore's pre-season goal v Hearts

Impressing this season

After making his first appearance of the season off the bench in the final moments against Brentford, Moore more notably played the last 15 minutes in Spurs' impressive 3-0 victory over Man Utd at Old Trafford.

He provided further evidence of his confidence by picking up the ball on the edge of the box and sending a curling effort just wide in the closing stages. After the match, the travelling fans chanted his name, highlighting his popularity already.

Moore's first start for the club, against Ferencvaros earlier this month, was also significant because it made him the youngest starter for an English club in the Europa League since 2009.

He was heavily involved in the build-up to both Spurs' goals and had more touches than any of the other attackers and midfielders, aside from Yves Bissouma, who was at the heart of his team's midfield.

Such a statistic reflects not only Moore's comfort and influence on the field, but also how much his senior team-mates trust him to contribute.

"It’s a big step but it is one I am ready to take," said Moore, after the match.

Football writer Tom Hancock looks at key stats and tactical points ahead of Matchweek 9.

Team analysis - Tottenham Hotspur

After watching his team blow a 2-0 half-time lead to lose 3-2 at Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break, Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou stated his desire to “change the perception” of his side.

Such change, the Australian boss said, would come from being “relentless in our approach” – something the north Londoners definitely were not in the second half at the Amex Stadium.

Thumping local rivals West Ham United 4-1 upon their return to Premier League action certainly suggested “relentless” – and Spurs equally showed great character in coming back from 1-0 down to make it three home league wins from four this season.

In all of those victories, Spurs have scored at least three goals, having beaten Everton 4-0 and defeated Brentford 3-1, and exerted the superiority of a top team.

Heading into another London derby, away to Crystal Palace on Sunday, Spurs sit seventh in the Premier League and trail leaders Liverpool by eight points – but are they, in fact, title contenders themselves?

A creative force

Eight matches into the 2024/25 campaign, Spurs are sitting pretty atop the Premier League Expected Goals (xG) chart.

Their non-penalty xG (NPxG) of 16.95 – they’ve not actually been awarded a penalty yet – is 2.09 greater than that of the second-ranked side, Chelsea, and 2.17 ahead of champions Manchester City. They’ve made their creativity count, too, scoring 18 goals – the second-most in the league behind City, with 19.

Spurs are averaging 2.11 NPxG per game, an increase of more than 10 per cent on their average at this stage last season, when they led the Premier League on goals scored ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal.

It’s important to note that we are still less than a quarter of the way into the current campaign, but Spurs have been exceptionally creative so far. Indeed, they boast the leading individual creator in the league right now: James Maddison, who has accumulated 3.6 Expected Assists (xA) in 615 minutes.

During Saturday’s triumph over West Ham, Postecoglou’s team chalked up 1.92 non-penalty xG to the Hammers’ 0.78. That was the continuation of a theme for Spurs: in all four of their Premier League wins this season, they’ve posted an NPxG figure at least TWICE as big as the opposition’s.

Spurs' non-penalty Expected Goals v opponents'

Opponent Result Spurs' NPxG Opp. NPxG Leicester D 1-1 1.18 1.05 Everton W 4-0 2.43 1.00 Newcastle L 2-1 1.26 1.83 Arsenal L 1-0 0.71 0.74 Brentford W 3-1 3.52 0.80 Man Utd* W 3-0 4.59 0.96 Brighton L 3-2 1.34 1.76 West Ham W 4-1 1.92 0.78

*Man Utd reduced to 10 men in 42nd minute

As the data above shows, when Spurs win, they win dominantly. If they can consistently show the relentless streak Postecoglou wants, they seem well-placed to climb the table based upon their underlying attacking numbers.

Making territorial gains count

Spurs' impressive xG output is the mark of a side consistently getting themselves into threatening positions – a fact underlined by their possession and touch data.

In the Premier League this season, only Man City have seen more of the ball, averaging 65.4 per cent possession to Spurs’ 61.9 per cent, or had more touches in the opposition box – 404 to Spurs’ 355.

It follows, then, that Spurs are taking among the highest number of shots in the league. Again, City are the only team to outrank them – albeit only marginally, having had 105 non-penalty attempts to Spurs’ 99 so far. And the team from the capital boast a higher NPxG per shot.

Ranking for NPxG per shot 2024/25

Team NPxG/shot (attempts) Team NPxG/shot (attempts) Chelsea 0.18 (80) Man Utd 0.14 (85) Spurs 0.17 (99) Fulham 0.14 (79) Aston Villa 0.17 (68) Bournemouth 0.13 (90) Brentford 0.17 (66) Nott'm Forest 0.13 (71) Southampton 0.17 (56) Everton 0.13 (65) Liverpool 0.16 (86) West Ham 0.12 (87) Newcastle 0.16 (67) Leicester 0.12 (61) Arsenal 0.15 (88) Crystal Palace 0.11 (73) Brighton 0.15 (78) Wolves 0.11 (64) Man City 0.14 (105) Ipswich 0.11 (54)

Despite averaging more than two goals a game, Spurs are being let down somewhat by their finishing, which feels strange to say but emphasises how terrifyingly devastating they could be.

They have scored from only nine of their 29 big chances, giving them a below-average big-chance conversion rate of 31.03 per cent. But their two primary goal threats on paper, captain Son Heung-min and headline summer signing Dominic Solanke, have both had slightly injury-disrupted starts to the campaign.

Son has converted two of his three big chances in the Premier League this season, having put away a rather clinical 12 out of 19 in 2023/24. And, while Solanke has only scored from two of eight big chances in his six league outings for Spurs so far, he posted a big-chance conversion rate of 50 per cent for AFC Bournemouth in the league last season.

That said, it’s not as though Spurs are over-reliant on Son and Solanke. They have had eight different scorers in 2024/25, the joint-highest number in the Premier League, with six of those netting at least twice: Son (three), Brennan Johnson (three), Solanke (two), Dejan Kulusevski (two), Maddison (two) and Yves Bissouma (two).

Clubs with most different scorers 2024/25

No. of scorers Spurs, Brighton, Bournemouth 8 Arsenal, Fulham 7 Liverpool, Man City, Brentford, Leicester, West Ham 6

Keeping things tight

Quite a lot has been made of Spurs’ perceived defensive weakness, but does that narrative really hold up? Let’s take a look at the underlying numbers once again.

For starters, only four Premier League teams have a lower figure for Expected Goals Against (xGA) than Spurs’ 8.9 this season, with only Liverpool at 6.2 being significantly more miserly than Postecoglou’s men by that telling metric.

Spurs’ actual tally of nine goals conceded is none too shabby either. It’s bettered only by Arsenal (eight), Newcastle United (eight) and Nottingham Forest (six), and it would be even lower if not for some frustrating individual lapses at the back.

A case in point was Johnson’s slow reaction to Mohammed Kudus’s movement before he scored West Ham’s opener last weekend.

But that’s rather nitpicking, and Spurs appear more defensively sound than they did last season, when they gave up 64.5 xG and conceded 61 goals en route to finishing fifth.

Building a fortress at home

At home, they have already restricted the opposition to 1.0 xG or lower on four occasions this campaign, as many as they did in the whole of last season.

It’s not quite taken on fortress status yet – Spurs have lost three of their last 10 home league games – but the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a difficult place to go, and a difficult place to create chances and score goals.

Are Spurs the real deal? There are still some creases that need to be ironed out, but the underlying numbers point to one of the most well-rounded teams in the Premier League right now.

Big tests are coming up in the form of Aston Villa, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool between now and Christmas. But all of those are home fixtures, an opportunity for Spurs to add a moat and drawbridge to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, perhaps.

The signs are promising – and perceptions do change.

The Scout analyses the early-season statistics to help managers in Fantasy Premier League determine the best way to invest in Tottenham Hotspur's free-scoring attack.

Spurs’ 4-1 win over West Ham United in Gameweek 8 showed just why managers should own at least one of their attackers in Fantasy.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have scored at least three goals in four of their eight matches this season, with their midfielders enjoying the most success.

James Maddison (£7.6m) is the leading scorer among a quartet of Spurs midfielders who have produced at least 30 points. The playmaker’s two goals and four assists have earned him 43 points, with only three blanks to his name so far.

Son Heung-min’s (£9.9m) return from injury last weekend has made him the most-bought player in Gameweek 9, with over 237,000 managers bringing him in.

The South Korean has three goals and two assists in six appearances, with his 6.8 points per match (ppm) more than any team-mate.

Son has been left out of Spurs' squad for their UEFA Europa League match at home to AZ Alkmaar on Thursday due to suffering some soreness after returning from a hamstring injury last weekend.

Nonetheless, it’s Brennan Johnson (£6.7m) who is Spurs’ most-popular midfielder in Fantasy. Owned by almost 10 per cent of managers, the Welshman has scored in seven of his last eight appearances for club and country.

Dominic Solanke’s (£7.7m) position as a forward in Fantasy means he’s their most-owned attacker, though, with 13 per cent selecting the England international.

Although he frustrated those backers with a blank against the Hammers, that was his only failure to register a goal or an assist over the last four Gameweeks.

Dejan Kulusevski (£6.2m) has matched Solanke’s two goals and an assist, and with both of those strikes arriving across the last three Gameweeks, the Swede cannot be ruled out of the conversation.

Spurs attackers' stats compared 24/25

Player G+A Owned Pts Pts per match Maddison 6 6.7% 43 5.4 Son 6 7.0% 41 6.8 Johnson 5 9.7% 38 4.8 Kulusevski 3 2.6% 33 4.1 Solanke 3 13.4% 23 3.8

Who has had the greatest goal threat?

Johnson’s HUGE goal threat is one of the key takeaways from the underlying statistics.

The Welshman’s 26 shots in the box are at least TWICE the total of any team-mate, underlining his tremendous value in Fantasy at a cost of just £6.7m. It's also noticeable, though, that just six of those were big chances, or situations where the player is expected to score.

Instead, it’s Solanke who leads the way for this statistic, with his total of eight big chances more than double the three of Son.

Son’s world-class finishing skills are also in evidence here, with a 25 per cent goal conversion rate far superior to the rest of the Spurs attackers and more than twice the 11.5 per cent of Johnson.

Spurs attackers' goal threat 24/25

Player Shots Shots in box Big chances Goal conversion Johnson 26 26 6 11.5% Solanke 14 13 8 14.3% Maddison 15 12 4 13.3% Kulusevski 16 11 1 12.5% Son 12 7 3 25.0%

Who has been involved in the most big chances?

The South Korean has played a part in seven big chances - he's had three of his own and created a further four - at a rate of 73.4 minutes per big chance involvement.

Solanke's average of 58.8 minutes per big chance involvement is the quickest of the quintet and suggests he should at least be held for the upcoming period.

Spurs attackers' creativity 24/25

Player Key passes Big chances created Total big-chance involvement Mins per big-chance involvement Kulusevski 23 3 4 157.0 Maddison 18 3 7 86.0 Son 15 4 7 73.4 Johnson 8 0 6 99.7 Solanke 4 1 9 58.8

So, who's the best Spurs attacker to own?

Son is the one Spurs attacker who is likely to deliver huge hauls in Fantasy – he’s a proven world-class finisher and his big chance creation ticks a lot of boxes in the BPS.