VAVEL.com

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Dominic Solanke is unavailable for tomorrow after picking up an ankle injury against Leicester.

Postecoglou, 58, said: "Dom picked up a knock in the last game. He got through the game, but it flared up after. He will miss tomorrow."

He later added: "It's an ankle injury. He picked it up really early and someone went across his ankle. He's definitely out tomorrow then it just depends on the recovery. There's next week then there's the international break, [but] it's not serious."

It's a major blow for Spurs ahead of a crucial match against Everton. Solanke failed to score on his club debut, but he impressed with his general and overall buildup play.

Tottenham will also be without Rodrigo Bentancur for the match against Everton. The Uruguayan midfielder clashed heads against Leicester, so - under concussion protocol - he is forced to watch from the sidelines on Saturday.

"With any head injury, we're going to be a little bit more consecutive. He's bounced back really well. He's done all the tests and he feels good. We'll take our time with Rodrigo and make sure he's 100%," Postecoglou outlined.

On Romero's 100th Spurs Appearance

If Cristian Romero plays against Everton, he will make his 100th appearance for Tottenham. Alongside Micky van de Ven, Spurs have created a strong defensive unit, despite keeping just three clean sheets in 30 matches.

Romero, who joined Spurs in 2021 from Atalanta, has impressed Postecoglou ever since they started working with one another — and the Australian outlined his praise pre-match.

"Outstanding. Obviously, with all these kinds of things, you have an image of a player from afar. Before I got here, I thought he was going to be a really important player to me. He's such a fantastic centre-back for club and country," Postecoglou stated.

"Being here now, watching him, the way he trains, the way he plays, unbelievably strong mindset [and] he's an absolute winner in everything he does. He's been really important. He will be really important moving forward, because he is one of the players within this squad that has achieved things from a team perspective.

"I've always said those kinds of things are transferable. He's won a World Cup and Copa America. I think he's a strong influence in the group — and it's great he plays his 100th game tomorrow. I know he'll perform at the level he always does; he's very consistent."

Wilson Odobert available for Everton clash

Tottenham announced the signing of Wilson Odobert from Burnley last Friday to the shock of everyone. In a move that went under the radar, the right winger bolsters Spurs' options in the final third.

He missed Spurs' opening match of the season due to not securing a work permit in time, but he is available for tomorrow. Postecoglou outlined his thought process in signing him pre-match.

"We went through the same sort of processes and he was one we identified really early on in the summer. It was no secret we were looking for a right winger and Wilson was one of the ones we highlighted.

"We had to go through certain steps to get it done. It's not as straightforward as saying: "That's who we want, go and get them.

"Getting Dom in was really important for us. We spent a lot of time working on that deal, but once Dom was done, there was one target and it was Wilson. It happened really quickly," he stated.

The former Celtic manager later outlined his qualities as a winger and how he provides something different compared to the rest of the squad.

"I really like the way he plays in the wide areas. He's different to our other wingers. He's a dribbler, likes to get into the final third and can play either side or centrally.

"He's had a really good development [as well]. You look at his trajectory from Paris Saint-Germain, to playing for Troyes in France and Premier League football before the age of 19. He ticked all the boxes for us and he's a fantastic, young bloke. Really happy to get him.

"I think with all the players we've signed - you've already seen - irrespective of their age, we sign them because we think they can make an impact — and we see that with Wilson. He's a year older than Archie and Lucas and they've already made an impact.

"We are still in that stage of building a team; I do not want to bring players here who I do not think can meaningfully contribute to what we're trying to do in the short term."

Tottenham Hotspur were tied to a score draw at the King Power Stadium after Jamie Vardy's second-half equaliser was enough for Leicester City to secure a point on the opening day of the season.

The visitors started the game on top but failed to capitalise on several opportunities in the first half, and the opening fifteen minutes of the second half, leaving Vardy to pounce on a Cristian Romero mistake and cancel out Pedro Porro's opener.

It felt like the same old story for The Lilywhites in Leicester on Monday night, having been pegged back and left downbeat as they headed back to London - it certainly feels more like two points dropped, rather than a point gained, especially when you consider how the match panned out.

Spurs also lost Rodrigo Bentancur, who had impressed throughout his spell on the pitch, to a nasty head injury in the second half, and VAVEL wishes him a speedy recovery.

Here are four things we learnt.

Spurs left to rue missed chances

Despite dominating the majority of the affair, Tottenham were unable to take all three points from their opening day fixture.

In the first half, it was Ange Postecoglou's side who were in full control. They had registered ten shots at Mads Hermansen's goal, whilst having 73% possession, nine corners, seven successful crosses and 22 touches in the opposition box.

Compared to The Foxes, these numbers are staggering. The hosts had just one shot on target and one touch in the Spurs box, whilst not registering a single corner or successful cross.

With six minutes on the clock, Bentancur's near post flick was superbly cleared away by Wilfried Ndidi with Dominic Solanke lurking just behind the Nigerian, before Brennan Johnson saw his volley saved by Hermansen.

It was Spurs new £60m man who should have scored at least once on his debut. In the first 45 minutes, the former Bournemouth striker saw a free header at the back post comfortably saved by Hermansen, before he hit a shot straight down the throat of Leicester's Danish goalkeeper in the early moments of the second half.

Arguably the best chance of the game fell to substitute Richarlison, in the ninth and final minute of additional time. Lucas Bergvall delivered a sumptuous free kick to the front post, where the Brazilian was on hand to meet it. Many fans inside the away end believed the net was about to bulge, but they were wrong, as the forward headed over when all it needed was a glance towards the back post.

The squandered chances meant that maximum points were not taken on match day one, and it left fans with a familiar feeling of frustration, as Tottenham failed to win an important first Premier League game.

Plenty of positives to take

Although both the players and staff will come away feeling they should have done better to ensure three points, there were also many positives.

The North Londoners put on a good show on the opening night of the season. For large parts, they played the free-flowing, attacking, high-pressing football we saw at the start of Postecoglou's reign. That led to many chances, but unfortunately not enough were seized to take the game away from, Leicester.

Debutant Dominic Solanke looked sharp, and linked play well despite never playing a game with his new teammates before, whilst James Maddison also looked back to his best. The Englishman, returning to his old stomping ground, was a handful for Steve Cooper's defence, and it was his wonderful cross which saw Porro give the away side the lead on 29 minutes.

Dejan Kulusevski - who came on in the 79th minute - had the second most touches in the opposition box (11) of all players to play in the Premier League on the weekend, second only to Bukayo Saka, who played eighty minutes and registered 15.

The Swede impressed heavily during pre-season as he scored and assisted three times each, and he looked sharp off the bench as Spurs pushed for a winner. No doubt will he be pushing to be involved from the start when they face Everton on Saturday afternoon.

Bergvall bright on debut

Making his Premier League debut as a late substitute following a run of impressive cameos in pre-season, Lucas Bergvall, again, was a bright spark.

In his time on the pitch, Bergvall had 39 touches and completed 25 out of his 26 attempted passes, whilst the former Djurgårdens IF playmaker also made one key pass, created one big chance and successfully completed two of his three dribble attempts.

Every time the Swede got on the ball, he looked dangerous and you got the sense that if Tottenham were going to snatch a winner, he would be at the forefront of the attacking move. Whenever a defender had the ball at their feet, it was always Bergvall who came searching for possession as he looked to be the spark for The Lilywhites.

With Rodrigo Bentancur unavailable for Saturday's clash with Sean Dyche's Everton, perhaps the midfielder will be called upon as Postecoglou is forced to reshuffle his midfield three.

Wide players frustrate

It was a frustrating evening on the whole, but even more so for the players who featured in the wide areas for Tottenham at the King Power Stadium.

The visitors had plenty of joy down the flanks, getting to the bye-line on plenty of times during their dominant spells before the interval. Last season, we saw so many goals scored from these types of areas, thanks to the pinpoint low crosses from Brennan Johnson, Heung-Min Son and Timo Werner.

However, on Monday night, the attacking trio were completely ineffective in these positions. These crosses were either deflected out for a corner or cleared by the robust Leicester back-line, meaning a number of good opportunities came to nothing.

Brennan Johnson lost a physical battle up against former Leeds United defender Rasmus Kristensen and was subsequently replaced by loanee Timo Werner with eleven minutes of the ninety to go, but the German also had no success down the right wing.

Heung-Min Son was gifted a glorious chance late on, with the ball played across to where the South Korean international was waiting on the left-hand side of the penalty area, however, he took a poor touch and was tackled, wasting a golden chance to score the winner.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou believes Djed Spence's 'characteristics' suit the club, as the Australian looks to start their season with a win away to Leicester City.

Spence, 24, spent last season on loan at Leeds United and Genoa. He was expected to depart Spurs permanently in the summer, but the former Nottingham Forest star has since impressed during pre-season.

Capable of playing on either flank, Spence is now seen as the deputy to both Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, particularly after the sale of Emerson Royal to AC Milan. Ahead of tomorrow's match against Leicester City, his manager Postecoglou was full of praise for him.

"We obviously had quite a few players who were out on loan last year. Again, a part of me [thinks] we need to keep evolving this squad [and] the guys go out on loan for a reason. How they come back? Are they fitter? Are they part of what we're doing? With Djed, I had hope in mind," the former Celtic manager said.

"I certainly think the kind of characteristics he has would fit into our football. He's had a good pre-season. He's trained really well. He seems to fit into the group really well.

"I don't think left-back is his obvious position — he's more of a right-back — but the fact he can play on the left gives us some good options into the season where, with European football, we're going to have more challenges.

"It was quite obvious last year that whenever we had disruptions in terms of injuries or suspensions, our performance dropped a fair bit. We're trying to narrow that gap and, hopefully, Djed is part of that squad and allows us to do that. He's available for Monday.

Postecoglou was later questioned about previous attitude concerns and added: "You would know about it if it was [a problem]. He would probably not be part of [the squad] if it was. I've had absolutely zero issues with his attitude this season."

Tottenham finished last season in fifth and are expected to push for Champions League qualification once again. Postecoglou has always won the title in his second season in charge at each club — and, although he did not say they would be champions, he did state: "We will improve and see where that takes us."

Solanke's 'got a great work ethic'

Dominic Solanke joined Tottenham for a club-record fee last weekend. The former Bournemouth striker scored 19 goals last campaign, impressing with his mobility and ability to press from the front.

The 26-year-old is set to take the number 19 shirt at Spurs as their main striker ahead of Richarlison, with a debut against Leicester increasingly likely.

Postecoglou, who just makes the decisions regarding signings as part of his 'small role' in the process, stated his overall play was the most impressive factor when bringing him to N17, not one specific performance.

"There was not one performance; I thought he did well against us. He gave us some problems that a lot of strikers in the league did not. His mobility and movement were really impressive. There's no secret that we love to press and he's got a great work ethic," the 58-year-old outlined.

"He scores different types of goals and the way we play really suits him. I really liked where he was in his career. He obviously was an outstanding young player and got to some big clubs, but it never worked out for him.

"It's what you do in that scenario. Do you think 'it's never going to happen for me' or do you work your way back? He's done remarkably well to get himself back into a position where he scored 19 league goals last season. I love that aspect. It was a whole range of things that made me keen to bring him in."

Last campaign, Spurs were struck with injuries across the pitch. James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison all had prolonged spells on the sidelines, with Spurs' backline being hit the worst. However, despite those defensive insecurities, Postecoglou was always adamant the team's attack needed the most work.

"As much as the injuries at the back cost us last year, that was mainly because we lost three-quarters of our backline for a big chunk. I still felt it was upfront where we were most short — and it's still the area we need to improve the most," he said.

"A lot of that was because Richarlison, when he played, was outstanding, but he had a lot of injuries. We had to play Son centrally. It was [Brennan] Johnson's first year at the club. I still think he did well, but we had to sign Timo [Werner]. We lost [Ivan] Perisic and [Manor] Solomon [early on], so I felt it was the area we needed to bulk up this summer.

"Just going into the season with Dominic and Richarlison in the striker's position allows Son [to play out wide]. It does not mean Son can't play through the middle, but I think we look like a much better team when he's on the left. We are looking for improvement."

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has insisted playmaker James Maddison does not lack self-belief ahead of their opening match of the Premier League season.

Maddison, 27, struggled with injury last season, seeing his electric form at the start of the campaign fizzle out. With four goals and nine assists in 28 matches, it became clear that the former Leicester star, who will be returning to his previous club for the first time on Monday, was trying too hard to get involved.

After missing out on England's Euro 2024 squad, the new campaign presents a fresh opportunity for Maddison to break into the international frame again, something Postecoglou thinks he can do.

"Even though it was not a significant injury in terms of time out, it still set him back a fair bit. Even when he came back, he had a couple of other smaller disruptions and we were also struggling.

"That did not help him because of the kind of player he is. He had a disappointment with the Euros obviously, but he's working harder pre-season and the good thing is that he's fit and given himself a foundation to have another strong season," the former Celtic manager stated during his press conference.

"I am sure he will want to go out there and get himself back into the international frame, but that's up to him to find the right way to use that as a motivation. If you deflect at any point and say 'that had nothing to do with me', you are missing an opportunity to improve."

At his best, Maddison is one of the best players in the Premier League. Capable of switching play quickly and elegantly gliding past the opposition, the Coventry City prodigy can be world-class — and Postecoglou continued to outline that he is not a player purely determined by confidence.

"I don't know what a 'confidence player' means. As a player, you've got to be on it all the time. You can't pick and choose. If you're physically fit and you get selected, you should be buzzing. I do not think Maddison lacks self-belief," the 58-year-old said.

"He knows he can be a really dominant player. Last year, a lot of it was about the physical element. When he was not 100% fit, he could not perform at the levels he wanted to. Even when he came back from injury, I never felt like he reached the levels he had earlier in the year.

"That's really key for him. If he's training really well and in good physical condition, his game flows from that. We've tried to give him a really strong pre-season — pushing him in a physical way — where I think when he feels really good about that, the rest of it goes from there. Rather than him lacking confidence or self-belief.

Postecoglou later added: "He's an exciting player. When the ball's at his feet, he's one of those creative types — and, for most people, that's what rocks their boat. Others love a big tackle and a great save, but he's a player who can get punters off their seats. The players feed off that as well. It's important for us that he's playing at his best. He makes us a better team and more dangerous. Hopefully that's what we see."

Tottenham finished last season in fifth and they will be hoping to go one step further and reach the Champions League this campaign. As they begin their season against Leicester, expectations are high in N17, but they will have to perform without midfielder Yves Bissouma.

"The best way is education" for Bissouma

Tottenham suspended Bissouma for their opening match of the season after he filmed himself taking nitrous oxide on social media last week.

Possession of nitrous oxide, where a person intends to wrongfully inhale it for a psychoactive effect, is now an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act since last November.

Bissouma, 27, previously apologised for his actions, stating that there was a "severe lack of judgement." However, Spurs still opted to suspend him, insisting that the former Brighton midfielder must regain trust and undergo education.

"How prevalent it [nitrous oxide] is I don't know because it's a world away from my kind of life, but I think the best way is awareness, education and understanding the ramifications of making those decisions. Obviously, there's the personal ramifications; it's illegal," the manager said.

"There's a significant price to pay there. I am sure Bissouma is like every other human being. He's got people in his life who love him and they would not want to see that. Then there's the professional responsibility of the image of the game. There are so many people who follow the Premier League and we are all in a pretty privileged position.

"We get well rewarded for that, but there is a responsibility for what you do. There's a reason it's illegal; it's not because somebody thought 'let's ban this for no particular reason'. There's science behind why it is.

"He's made a poor choice, but within that context, we all make mistakes and there should always be an opportunity there for rehabilitation and redemption. That's up to Bissouma now."

After a year in the Championship, Leicester City will return to Premier League action as The King Power Stadium welcomes a Tottenham side with big ambitions coming into a fresh Premier League season.

The sides share a lot of history in past encounterss, with the fixture having the highest goals per game average of those played more than 30 times. Between the two teams there have been 128 goals scored in 34 games.

In their most recent meetings in the 22/23 season, there was a combined total of 13 goals scored across both fixtures, and in the last 5 matches played between the teams a record 28 goals have been scored.

Leicester hold 13 victories over Tottenham in the Premier League, the joint largest total of victories against any other team.

Tottenham have won four out of the last five matches between the two sides claiming 12 out of the 15 points available. One of the most memorable meeting between the two teams was in January 2022, when Leicester hosted Spurs and after leading 2-1 the home side then lost to Tottenham after two last minute goals in the last 80 seconds of the game.

James Maddison scored for Leicester in both fixtures the last season the two teams met as a Leicester player, he will now be returning to the King Power Stadium to face his former team.

Tottenham will be looking to secure their first three points of the campaign under Ange Postecoglou while Steve Cooper's newly-promoted Leicester face a tough task.

Team News

Tottenham have no major injurie concerns, says head coach Ange Postecoglu, after some concerns with Forster [foot] and Richarlison [calf] after both failed to make an appearances during pre-season.

New signing Solanke had a minor foot injury but is clear to play and have a pretty much fully fit squad to come up against Leicester.

Leicester has a few injury problems coming into the game against Tottenham, Patson Daka will be unavailable and will continue to be out for a few months says the Foxes boss Steve Cooper.

Daka has had surgery on his ankle following an injury picked up in pre season in a match againts Lens. Conor Coady will also be unavailable due to a muscle injury and will remain out until September. Club captain Jamie Vardy also won't be available for selection until September due to a knock injury.

Likely Line-ups

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Gray, Sarr, Maddison; Kulusevski, Son, Solanke.

Hermansen; Pereira, Faes, Vestergaard, Justin; Winks, Ndidi, Soumare; Reid, Mavididi, Fatawu

Players To Watch -

Leicester

Abdul Fatawu -

Abdul Fatawu became a permanent member of the Leicester City squad after spending last season on loan from Sporting Lisbon.

He is one of football most exciting and upcoming talents, he provides pace and skill on the wing and in his first Championship season with Leicester scored 6 goals and provided 13 assists in 40 appearances.

He will experience his first season in the top flight of English football and will hope to burst into life in the Premier League.

Tottenham -

Archie Gray -

Tottenham have brought in 18-year-old Archie Gray this summer from Leeds United; he is described as one of the most exciting talents in English football.

He is a player that provides versatility, as he was played at center back during pre-season but also played in central midfield and right back for Leeds throughout last season.

In his last season in the Championship, he completed the most tackles for any player under the age of 21 and will be an exciting prospect for Tottenham who will be pushing for silverware this season.

Match Details -

Where will the game be played?

The game will be played at King Power Stadium, home of Leicester City.

What time will the match kick-off?

The match will kick off at 8pm BST on the 19th of August 2024.

How can you watch the match?

The match will be available to watch on Sky Sports in the UK.

Nineteen-year-old Wilson Odobert has swapped Lancashire for London, as he has completed a move to Tottenham Hotspur less than twelve hours before the new Premier League campaign gets underway.

The deal, which is subject to international clearance and other formalities, looks to have been completed before the registration deadline, meaning the Frenchman will be eligible to feature in The Lilywhites' season opener against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Monday night.

He becomes the sixth teenager to be signed by Ange Postecoglou since he arrived at the club thirteen months ago, meaning the average age of his sixteen senior signings is now 21.8 years old.

Odobert, who can play as both a winger or number ten, leaves Burnley with their Sky Bet Championship season already underway, having beaten Luton Town by four goals to one just four days ago. The attacker even got himself on the scoresheet during the victory at Kenilworth Road.

Here is what Tottenham fans can expect from their latest addition.

A 'dribbly' winger

It's been well-documented that Johan Lange and his recruitment team were looking to add a direct, explosive winger to Postecoglou's squad this summer, and it appears that Tottenham have finally secured their man.

Amongst all teenagers in the Premier League, the nineteen-year-old ranked first for the most successful dribbles completed during the 2023/24 campaign (53). When compared to teenagers around the continent, he ranked fourth, with only star boy Lamine Yamal, former Tottenham target Désiré Doué and new Brighton recruit Brajan Gruda ranking above him.

It looked pretty clear that Pedro Neto had been the main target throughout the summer to date, but in a crazy turn of events, he joined rivals Chelsea just days ago, meaning the North London side needed to act fast.

They have done exactly that, securing the services of another exciting young prospect, who seems to fit the mould of 'Postecoglou winger', and draws close similarities to previous targets.

Career to date

Despite only playing professionally for just over two years, Odobert has enjoyed a favourable career to date, which has seen him represent France from u16 to u23 level.

Formerly a member of Paris Saint-Germain's academy, the Frenchman opted to make the switch to fellow Ligue 1 side ESTAC Troyes in July 2022 as he sought regular first-team playing time. With L'ESTAC, he made 32 appearances across the 2022/23 campaign, scoring on four occasions.

As a seventeen-year-old, his form during his first season in the professional game caught the eye of many, with Burnley sealing a £10.2m deal to bring the attacker to Turf Moor in the summer of 2023. Whilst with The Clarets, he scored five goals in 34 appearances - becoming the club's youngest-ever goalscorer in the top flight.

His impressive quality in Vincent Kompany's relegated side has now earned him a mammoth move to Spurs, who have secured a deal worth an initial fee of £25m.

Mixing amongst the best

Whilst his outings in a Burnley shirt may have snuck under the radar, his numbers match up with some of the world's best.

Compared to midfielders, he ranks in the 99th percentile, the top one per cent of players in that position, for take-ons attempted and completed, progressive carries and progressive carries into the penalty area., completing at least two a game in every metric stated.

The versatile forward is also amongst the top two per cent when it comes to touches in the opposition box. Although this statistic may sound rather pointless if there is no end product, it is an extreme necessity when playing in the way that Tottenham do.

An awful lot of goals were scored from low bye-line crosses last season, with numerous assists from Brennan Johnson coming from within the width of the eighteen-yeard box. If Odobert can combine his dribbling successes with some improvement to his end product inside the box, he could be set for a very healthy season in the goal contributions list.

Opinion of the writer

It is very early to call but this capture appears to be one of great promise. A versatile attacker is exactly what Tottenham have been chasing for a few months now, so finally securing a main target is a huge coup for Postecoglou.

His ability to play across the front line will be much needed with Spurs fighting in four competitions this season and hopefully Odobert will be able to match the performance levels he exerted at Burnley, as with a Premier League giant in Tottenham he will naturally reap greater rewards.

Only time will tell, but a £30m package for an attacker who scored five and assisted three in a relegated team, seems to be a fantastic opportunity for The Lilywhites, and it will also help in their bid to offload Manor Solomon, who has now fallen further down the pecking order.

Last week Tottenham Hotspur smashed their transfer record to attain the services of Dominic Solanke from AFC Bournemouth.

In a deal believed to be in the region of £65 million, it eclipsed the fees paid for Tanguy Ndombele in 2019 and Richarlison two summer's ago.

So what does that mean for the current holder of the number nine shirt? Will it be a season mostly spent on the side lines or are there other avenues to success?

New man on the block

£65m might seem a lot for a player who has only had one high-quality scoring season in the top flight, but the reception Dominic Solanke received before the pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich last Saturday proved how desperate Tottenham fans had become for an out-and-out number nine.

Solanke ticks all the boxes: Premier League proven, hitting nineteen league goals last season; has performed well in an attacking system; now entering his prime years.

A gaping hole has been very adequately addressed for Tottenham, and finally a constant feature of the discourse from last season will be put to bed. They have a striker.

Given how needed he was, it would be remarkable if Solanke doesn’t start the opening Premier League fixture against Leicester City on Monday. A punter’s guess would see him make up a front three of Heung-Min Son and Brennan Johnson either side of him.

Although the Lilywhites managed a return to European football with either Son or Richarlison as a centre forward, more was still required in the position.

Even before Solanke's arrival, Richarlison was heavily linked with moves away from N17, reportedly rejecting heavy interest from Saudi Arabia in order to stay and fight for a place in the side.

In an Instagram story last week, the Brazilian alluded to having unfinished business with Tottenham. As a fan favourite and proven international, his decision to stay would be largely welcome with fans and presumably Ange Postecoglou too.

But it is easy to see why Daniel Levy might jump at the chance to recoup the £60 million fee paid for him.

It had been suggested that Richarlison’s proposed move to the Middle East would fund any move for Solanke. Obviously this has not been the case, but if Spurs were truly happy with Richarlison’s output then a move for the Englishman would not have materialised.

That said, Richarlison still managed 11 goals from 18 league starts last season, a wholly impressive return for someone who struggled with fitness throughout. But with Solanke in, where will Richarlison’s minutes come from?

More options up top?

Richarlison’s clearly favoured - and certainly best position - is as the central striker. His career has been full of making a nuisance of himself in the box, pestering defenders and hunting down goals.

What he lacks, and what Solanke certainly has, is the movement in the box to free himself up for the easy ones.

At times last season Richarlison would stand statically in the box waiting for a ball that would never arrive, or misjudge his run to find himself running past the near post before the ball has gone in. He lacks a calmness and can often seem erratic.

His best forward runs are made playing on the shoulder of the last defender. One would think that with James Maddison in behind there would have been great service for him to sweep home often.

But Spurs' attacks almost all come from the wide areas, and although Richarlison swept home from Johnson-assisted crosses against Everton and Bournemouth in consecutive games last season, it is not his specialty.

That said, we know he has the quality to make it work. We have seen it in flashes, and it is fair to say it is probably Richarlison’s consistency rather than his quality that has forced Spurs to play the Solanke hand.

Which is why it is understandable that Spurs might want to keep the Brazillian, especially with the increased fixtures that European football will bring next season. He offers a great rotation option as well as a bench option for league games up top.

It is hard to imagine a world where both he and Solanke are able to play their preferred position, as Postecoglou is particularly woven to his single striker, 4-3-3 formation.

Playing on the left?

While at Goodison Park, Richarlison enjoyed good spells on the left of a front three with Dominic Calvert-Lewin as the main striker.

A fully firing Calvert-Lewin could draw a tangible comparison to Solanke. Both are tall, physical and able to link play up nicely - which would suit Richarlison’s game.

However, there is the caveat of the captain. Son will be the first name on the team sheet each week and, beyond wearing the armband, he is also Spurs’ best attacker.

Richarlison will understandably struggle to make an impression on a league spot on the left so long as the South Korean is fit, irrespective of his form.

An understudy to Son is no position to turn your nose up at. The only problem is it might already be taken.

Timo Werner’s one year extension at the club came as a surprise to many, but it is clear that Postecoglou has an affection for him in addition to the left side being his more natural position.

In a 1v1, Werner has an edge over Richarlison just by virtue of his raw pace. Werner might seem like a one trick pony, - taking the ball to the byline before a low cross with his left foot - but it is remarkably effective.

It feels difficult to imagine a scenario where Richarlison is seen as being able to make more of a difference coming off the bench than Werner, given how Spurs play.

What will happen this season?

It looks as if Richarlison will be resigned to playing a more bit-part role in the team this season, barring any injuries.

Of course Postecoglou is known for picking players based on merit, so the door is by no means completely shut for a good stint in the side. After all, it is a nice problem for a manger to have, and not one that has been seen at Tottenham all too often.

But as he starts his third season in N17, he will know he will have the full backing of the fans.

Leicester City have made a swift return to the Premier League after their relegation, but they face a new challenge with the departure of Enzo Maresca, who guided them to promotion. Maresca has taken the reins at Chelsea, and Leicester have brought in Steve Cooper as his replacement. Cooper, who previously revitalized Nottingham Forest and led them to Premier League survival, now takes on a similar task at Leicester.

However, Leicester's return to the top flight begins with a daunting test against a Tottenham Hotspur side that has had a strong summer of recruitment.

Spurs have bolstered their squad with the signings of Archie Gray from Leeds United and Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth, the latter becoming their record signing. They will, however, be without the influential Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, who has been in their midfield since 2020, amassing 145 appearances for the club.

Leicester have made some key moves of their own, most notably securing the permanent signing of Issahaku Fatawu from Sporting Lisbon. Fatawu was instrumental in their Championship title win last season, featuring in 40 games. Yet, they have suffered a significant blow with the departure of academy graduate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has followed Maresca to Chelsea in a £30 million deal.

Tottenham, under Ange Postecoglou, narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot last season, finishing 5th, just two points behind Aston Villa. Postecoglou's dynamic and unpredictable style of play earned him widespread acclaim, especially after a memorable match against Chelsea where Spurs maintained a high line despite being reduced to nine men. This season presents an opportunity for Postecoglou to build on that success, further demonstrating his tactical prowess and adaptability.

Head2Head

Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur last met in February 2023 at the King Power Stadium, where Leicester secured a resounding 4-1 victory under Brendan Rodgers. Goals from Nampalys Mendy, James Maddison, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Harvey Barnes overturned an early opener from Rodrigo Bentancur.

Historically, Spurs have had the upper hand in this fixture, winning 61 of the 120 encounters, while Leicester have triumphed 38 times, with 21 matches ending in draws.

Tottenham’s most recent victory came in 2022 when Heung-Min Son netted a hat-trick in a 6-2 win.

Team News

Leicester will be without club legend Jamie Vardy, who sustained an ankle injury in their pre-season match against Villarreal and is expected to miss the early part of the season.

Additionally, Connor Coady is sidelined until mid-September after suffering an injury in training.

Patson Daka also picked up a knock in Leicester's final pre-season friendly against Lens, leaving them without two of their first-team strikers.

In response, Steve Cooper has been actively seeking new signings ahead of the match. One of those signings is Facundo Buonanotte, who joins on loan from Brighton. The 23-year-old could play a crucial role in filling the attacking void left by Vardy and Daka.

Tottenham will be without Yves Bissouma, who has been suspended for Monday’s game following the emergence of a social media video showing him inhaling laughing gas.

Manager Ange Postecoglou addressed the situation, stating, “He needs to rebuild trust with both me and the team. The door is open for him, but his behavior will be key.”

On a brighter note, Richarlison returns to full fitness after missing all of pre-season, though his minutes will be carefully managed.

Aside from Bissouma's suspension, Spurs have no major injury concerns, and new signings Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, and Lucas Bergvall are all expected to feature.

The primary selection dilemma for Postecoglou lies in midfield, where he must choose between Rodrigo Bentancur and new arrival Archie Gray to partner with Pape Sarr.

• Predicted Line-Ups

Leicester City: Hermansen, Kristiansen, Okoli, Faes, Justin, Winks, Ndidi, Buonanotte, Fatawu, Mavididi, De Cordova Reid

Tottenham Hotspur : Vicario, Udogie, Romero, Van der Ven, Porro, Maddison, Gray, Sarr, Son, Solanke, Kulusevski

Players to watch

Leicester- Stephy Mavididi

At 26 year of age Mavididi comes into the Premier League off of the back of a very successful debut season with Leicester where he got 12 goals in 46 appearances.

This included picking up the Championship player of the month award in December 2023.

He joined the club from Montpellier where he overtook Chris Waddle as the English player with the most appearances in Ligue 1.

The player came through Arsenal’s youth system and can play either at striker or on the wing.

His versatility offers Leicester's manager, Steve Cooper, multiple options in how he can deploy Mavididi, whether as a central striker, where his sharp finishing can be fully utilized, or as a winger, where his pace and ability to take on defenders one-on-one can stretch the play.

Tottenham Hotspur- Dominic Solanke

Solanke joins the club for a club record fee of a reported £65 million making it his third team that he has played for in the traditional ‘big six’ sides after previously being at Cheslea and Liverpool.

For Bournemouth last season he was the vocal point in the side getting 19 goals for the side as they finished 12th in the league.

At 6ft 2 Solanke is a tall pressing striker who has great finishing ability.

He was part of the side that won the under 20’s World Cup in 2017 band he picked up the Golden ball which saw him move to Liverpool following his contract expiring at Chelsea.

When and how to watch Leicester City vs Tottenham Hotspur

The game will be live on Sky Sports with the game kicking off at 19:45pm in the UK and will be shown on relevant USA channels.

Tottenham Hotspur have suspended Yves Bissouma for their opening match of the season after he filmed himself taking nitrous oxide on social media this week.

Possession of nitrous oxide, where a person intends to wrongfully inhale it for a psychoactive effect, is now an offence since last November under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Bissouma, 27, previously apologised for his actions, stating that there was a "severe lack of judgement." During his pre-match press conference ahead of Monday night's clash, Ange Postecoglou was clear in his words, highlighting that some "trust-building" is needed between Bissouma and the group.

"I've been in the game for a long time and I've always tried to look at them in a couple of different ways. He's made a really poor decision. You want to understand that and help him through that.

"As a club, what we can do is make sure he does not make those kinds of choices in the future. Within that context, there are also sanctions involved. Some of those sanctions include education, giving him an understanding of what he did was wrong," the former Celtic manager said.

"You always want to give people an opportunity to learn from their mistakes. The second part of that is that he's a footballer at this club. He has responsibilities for the club, his teammates and our supporters. He's failed in those duties, so he will not be available for Monday; we've suspended him.

"Beyond that, there's some trust building needed between me and Bissouma and Bissouma and the group. That's what he needs to work hard on to win that back. He's going to have to earn that. Hopefully, the door is open for him and we can help him to realise that the decisions he makes impact more than just him."

When asked how he rebuilds trust, Postecoglou said: "Behaviour mate. It's quite simple — him making better choices moving forward. He's obviously disappointed and he was very apologetic, but that's just the first part of the process. The next part is that he does the things we need to do. We all make mistakes; it's how you come back from them."

With Bissouma unavailable, it opens up room for Archie Gray to make his debut for Spurs. Gray, 18, joined from Leeds United at the start of July, and has since played in a multitude of positions during pre-season.

Acting as a right-back and centre-back at times, his preferred position is in the middle of the park — and Postecoglou stated he could play on Monday.

"Archie has settled in really well. He's a great kid, but a really strong mindset. We've asked him to play different positions, but he's held it really well," Postecoglou outlined.

"Part of the attraction when bringing him to the club is that, when required, we can use him in those areas. He's going really well, I'm really happy with him, and there's every chance he can play on Monday."

On Tottenham's different expectations

Tottenham finished fifth last campaign in Postecoglou's first season in charge. After the signings of Gray, Dominic Solanke and Lucas Bergvall, there is a natural sense that progression is expected.

It's been a different time in charge for Postecoglou this year compared to last. With a more settled squad, and notably no major loss in Harry Kane, the Australian highlighted this in his press conference.

"It's been a different pre-season. I think we feel better prepared for what's ahead. Last year, this time there were a lot of unknowns. Having said all that, it didn't stop us from having a great start to the season. It's one of these things where just because you're better prepared does not guarantee anything," Postecoglou said.

"For the most part, we got some guys in late last week. This last seven days when we've had everyone in, the level of training's gone up from what we had on tour. That's created a really good squad environment for us. The pleasing thing is pretty much everyone on the list is available."

There are still over three weeks left of the transfer window — and, after making three first-team signings, Spurs are still expected to make further signings. As usual, though, Postecoglou kept his cards close to his chest.

"There's always a little bit of uncertainty, but as supposed to last year, where there were a lot more moving parts, you're working in a smaller spectrum, for me anyway," the Australian said.

"I can plan for the season knowing that a lot of the work is done and whatever we get from here on in is not going to disrupt us too much. I still expect there to be activity, but the uncertainty is a lot less than last year.

"Solanke was important. Even though it was settled, it was a tricky pre-season for us, because we had the majority of the backline missing and we didn't have a striker as Richarlison was injured. When you didn't have those key elements, we tried to build a team.

"Super pleased to sign Solanke and that's coincided with Richarlison coming back. From that perspective, it does give us a settled look to see what the team will look like moving forward."

With just under a week to go until Tottenham Hotspur open their Premier League season against Leicester City under the lights of the King Power Stadium, fans are wondering whether the Lilywhites can push on after Ange Postecoglou's maiden campaign showed many positive signs.

Despite Spurs' tumultuous form resulting in a season of highs and lows, Postecoglou restored hope and ambition to a beleaguered set of fans after the chaotic and underwhelming spell of Antonio Conte.

Now after a summer of smart business and a positive pre-season tour, Tottenham fans will be hoping for a successful second campaign under their Australian manager.

VAVEL has you covered with everything you need to know about Tottenham Hotspur, from reflecting on last season's progress to the club's transfer activity, as well as previewing their prospects for what lies ahead.

Season Recap

After a protracted managerial search following the dismissal of Conte, Tottenham Hotspur finally landed on the relatively unknown candidate of Postecoglou, albeit one with a glowing CV following trophy laden spells in Australia, Japan and at Celtic.

Postecoglou was thrown into the deep end straightaway, with a disrupted pre-season seeing fixtures cancelled while the departure of the club's record goalscorer and team talisman, Harry Kane, saw a dampened mood engulf the club before a ball had even been kicked.

However, Spurs would take to life under Postecoglou like a duck to water, remaining unbeaten until November as they won 8 of their opening 10 games.

A fateful fixture against Chelsea would spell the end of Tottenham and Postecoglou's honeymoon as a nine man Spurs side slumped to a 4-1 defeat, following the dismissals of Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie combined with a devastating hamstring injury to Micky van de Ven.

While the match would prove disastrous to Postecoglou's team selection, the way in which Spurs responded to the adversity would enthuse the whole club and become a point of reference for how his Spurs wanted to play.

With a return of a clear identity and fast paced, attacking football, the remaining six months would see Tottenham continue to show glimpses of promise that was so evident in the first half of the year.

However, a poor run of form come the end of season, in which Tottenham lost to Newcastle, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in the space of six games, would see them miss out on Champions League football and settle for a place in the Europa League.

While Postecoglou won't be afforded the same sympathy when things don't go his side's way in his second season, the hope is that Tottenham can push on following a summer of clever signings and a positive pre-season and finally make a strong claim for either domestic or European silverware.

Transfer window so far

Written by Johnny Davies

Tottenham have been busy this window in terms of their business, scouting more towards the club's future rather than the now.

Postecoglou has set a clear vision for the club with what he wants. And with the new structure of Johan Lange as Technical Director and Rob Mackenzie as Chief Scout, Spurs have had a busy summer getting players in and out of the door.

Incomings

The first two signings of the window for Spurs demonstrated their emphasis on youth, with 18-year-old Swedish talent Lucas Bergvall and Leeds United's, EFL Championship Young Player of the Season, Archie Gray, signing on long term deals for the club.

Spurs picked up Bergvall for the small fee of £8.5 million back in the summer of 2023, with the player always set to play another season at Swedish club, Djurgården. Meanwhile, Gray attracted the larger fee of £40million after an impressive season in the Championship.

Spurs also brought in Timo Werner on a loan extension deal from RB Leipzig while 18 year-old Min-Hyuk Yang was signed for around £1million from Gangwon FC.

Yang will stay at Gangwon until January 2025 where he will then join up for Spurs ready to be part of Postecoglou’s plans.

The final incoming for Spurs this year is the main one they’ve needed, a new striker. In a club record deal, Spurs signed Dominic Solanke from AFC Bournemouth for fee that could approach £65million.

Solanke produced some standout performances amongst strikers in the Premier League last season, scoring 19 goals in 38 games for the Cherries.

Outgoings

The Lilywhites also saw several outgoings this window, many of which being free transfers with expiring contracts.

Those free transfer outgoings include Japhet Tanganga to Millwall, Ivan Perisic to Hadjuk Split, Tanguy Ndomeble to OGC Nice, Ryan Sessegnon to Fulham, and Eric Dier to Bayern Munich.

The transfers of Dier and Perisic were already set in stone after having been at their retrospective clubs in the 2023/24 season.

Joe Rodon also left the club this window for a fee of around £12 million to Leeds while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg joined Marseille, initially on loan but with an obligation to buy that could see the club earn up to £17 million for the Danish midfielder.

Youngsters Bryan Gil joined Girona, with a view to the move being made permanent for a fee of £12 million, while Alejo Veliz joined Espanyol for a season long loan.

Emerson Royal has also departed Spurs to join AC Milan for a transfer fee worth around £15 million after three seasons in North London.

Spurs arguably sold their players that were deemed to be ‘deadwood’ and managed to get quite a lot off their wage bills off their book.

With time still left in the window, Postecoglou stated that, “there is still more activity to be done”.

Manager and Tactics

Written by Brandon Williams

With his swashbuckling style of play and endearing Aussie charm, Postecoglou won over swathes of Tottenham fans during his first season with the club. Two thoroughly successful years at Celtic gave him a reputation for full throttle, attacking football – something he duly delivered on in north London.

Fifth place, which secured a return to Europa League football, was sufficient enough for an opening campaign. Despite disappointments in the domestic cups, the maiden campaign under Postecoglou saw positive steps in the right direction.

Tactics-wise, the majority of the first eleven suited his ideas. Pedro Porro and Udogie worked as inverted full-backs, Brennan Johnson and Werner liked to stretch the play to feed the ball into the area, while Cristian Romero and van de Ven thrived as a centre back pairing who push up high and looked to effect the midfield.

But Tottenham were still shaky. The lack of a solid No.6 certainly a factor alongside getting up to speed with a change of intensity. The addition of Gray should give the side a stronger spine alongside further moulding to Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr.

Solanke, meanwhile, is a near-perfect box striker - a player profile Postecoglou sets his teams up to have but was largely lacking in the last campaign.

It is said his methods take a season to embed - ideal for a Spurs side hungrier than ever to win silverware.

Strongest XI

Written by Harrison Nathan

Whilst Postecoglou has spent the majority of pre-season experimenting with his side, and not giving any real clue as to who his go-to starting line-up will be, here is how we are expecting the Australian to line up on the opening day of his second season in charge.

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Van der Ven; Bissouma, Sarr, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

At the base, and what will come as no shock to supporters, will be Guglielmo Vicario. Last season, the £17 million man kept seven clean sheets and became the first Spurs goalkeeper since 2007/08 to go an entire league season without making a mistake leading to a goal.

In defence, Porro will start as the right full back - as he has done in every single pre-season game to date - and he should be accompanied by the reliable Cristian Romero, who is fresh off the back of winning Copa America.

Postecoglou is expected to bring Radu Dragusin into the backline while moving van de Ven out to left back in order to deal with the potential absence of Udogie, as the former Udinese man has completed just 45 minutes of action since returning from his injury, which saw him side lined since April.

In midfield, Bissouma has been a regular in pre-season matches and will be expected to feature along with Sarr and James Maddison.

However, the former Foxes man has failed to rediscover his early form in a Spurs shirt and will have to work hard to keep Dejan Kulusevski from taking his role, who has made six goal contributions in six pre-season matches.

In attack, captain Heung-Min Son will begin on the left of the front three, with Johnson set to begin on the right. Through the middle, new club record signing Solanke, who scored nineteen Premier League goals during the 2023/24 campaign, will likely spearhead the attack.

Key Talking Points

Written by Harrison Nathan

A chance for youngsters to star

The new season will bring many opportunities for the fine young prospects on the books at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Last season, during the rotten injury crisis, Jamie Donley was often called upon and used on a number of occasions, including a chance to make his professional debut in the thrilling 3-3 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

Towards the end of campaign, Mikey Moore - who was just sixteen-years-old at the time - was often named amongst the substitutes, and became Tottenham's youngest ever player when he came on during the 0-2 home loss against Manchester City. In pre-season, Moore and the likes of fellow youngsters Donley, Gray, Bergvall and Lankshear have impressed supporters.

With Postecoglou's men fighting on all four fronts, integration of these promising youngsters will be pivotal for Spurs.

Options galore for Postecoglou

Ahead of the new season, Postecoglou will be very happy with the squad he currently holds the keys to, and there is still time for signings to be made in the remaining weeks of the transfer window.

To date, his side have completed just three signings, but the former Celtic manager now has multiple options all over the field, including in the striker role where Solanke and Richarlison will be expected to compete for the number nine spot allowing Son to be moved out to his preferred position on the left.

Straight in depth will be the key to a good and competitive season for Tottenham Hotspur, who suffered a barren injury crisis which dented hopes of a title charge in the Premier League, following an unbeaten opening ten games of the season.

Predicted Finish

Written by Jude Deedigan

When all aspects are considered, it’s not unreasonable to suggest Tottenham will get their hands on one of the coveted Champions League spots at the end of the season.

Spurs arguably should've finished fourth last campaign, but a turbulent run of form in the closing stages put a stop to that, as they narrowly missed out to Unai Emery's Aston Villa.

That finish resulted in qualification to the UEFA Europa League for the upcoming term, their first appearance in the competition since the 2020/21 season.

Furthermore, Postecoglou’s philosophy has had a whole year to manifest itself and the large majority of the players have acclimatised to their new role, whether that be inverting at full-back, pressing with more intensity or being braver and riskier in possession.

Spurs have recruited well in this transfer window thus far, addressing all the key areas that needed improving. Solanke provides necessary competition for Richarlison, whilst securing Werner on a season-long loan is a smart addition. 18-year-old Gray brings versatility in abundance, and he is only going to get better.

They've also succeeded in selling a plethora of players that were on the fringes of the squad and, in the process, they have dramatically decreased the wage bill, which was of paramount importance this summer.

Before an injury crisis hit the Lilywhites in November, the North London club were cruising at the top of the table. If they can replicate that impeccable form and sustain it over a longer period , fourth place or higher could be more than achievable.