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Ange Postecoglou will not “dictate what people should or should not do” amidst 'Levy Out' chants

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Ange Postecoglou has stated that he will not “dictate what people should or should not do” as a section of Tottenham Hotspur fans continue to chant against owner and chairman Daniel Levy.

At the last two home matches, a supporter’s group, Change For Tottenham, revealed a banner that says '24 Years, 16 Managers, 1 Trophy. Time For Change'. Fans, both home and away, have also been heard chanting 'we want Levy out' and 'I don’t care about Levy'.

Pressure on the 62-year-old owner comes due to Spurs performing at their worst level under his 24-year leadership. They currently sit 15th in the Premier League and defeat to Brentford on Sunday would keep them perilously close to the relegation zone.

While Postecoglou has called for unity to “create something special”, he has continued to showcase that he will lets fans think, and do, what they want.

“I have always felt that when you are trying to build something successful, you need to be united. I have probably failed in unifying the club in that way, part of that is because of our league form, which allows people's minds to go away from the here and now,” he said.

“We’re going to need support in this last phase of the season to hopefully create something special. I can't sit here and dictate what people should or should not do. My role is to create an environment where we're unified — and we have to be unified; the last thing you want is splintering in our mindset and focus.”

Spurs have made just one signing in the January transfer window so far, goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. Ahead of Monday’s deadline, they are linked with moves for AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel, although it is understood the latter has rejected a move to N17; Levy’s and Johan Lange’s failure to bring in an outfield player immediately has therefore angered sections of the fanbase.

When questioned on the perception by fans that Levy does not back managers and go the extra mile, Postecoglou continued to call for unity and insisted those in the background are working hard.

“What I deal with is reality. I have said since the start of the window that we are short; the club is doing all it can to try and rectify that. I can’t delve too deeply into that, because again I would be going into that world of looking for blame or looking to portion responsibility to other people,” the Australian answered.

“We have to be unified through this, otherwise, when you're going through a tough period, you will never get out of it. I will always take things at face value.

“You trust everyone in the group that they are doing all they can to try and help. They are not helping me; they are helping the club. Managers come and go, it's about what's best for the football club. It's got to be the primary motive for everyone involved.”

Levy has been under pressure before by Spurs fans, most recently due to their attempts to enter the Super League and the chaos at the end of Antonio Conte’s reign. Postecoglou admitted that the relationship between fans and the Chairman does make it more “difficult” to build unity, but performances on the pitch can “get everyone aligned again”.

“It makes it more difficult, but it's not an unusual situation for me. Usually, when you get things right on the field, it gets everyone aligned again,” the under-pressure manager outlined.

“They would much rather come to the game and cheer the side on. They want to feel good about their football team — and obviously, they don't at the moment because of our form and position, which is understandable.

“But again, all I can do is try to get the team back on track in the league and hopefully give our supporters pride of enjoying their football team.”

Postecoglou still has “energy” for Spurs challenge

Brentford away was Postecoglou’s first match in charge. Over 19 months later, the former Celtic manager is under more pressure than ever, with Spurs sat 15th in the table and any hopes of European football now dependent on winning a trophy.

Since his first match, he has had to deal with two titanic injury crises, pressure on the board and calls for him to leave the club. Some managers would flounder under that, but the Australian admits he still has the “energy” to fight, especially when he thinks the future can be successful.

“I still love it. I love the challenge of it. I'm under the pump and have been for a while now. It feels like it hasn't been plain sailing from the moment I started, but I love the unknowns and possibilities of it,” he answered.

“I am still really optimistic and bullish about what we are doing and where we're heading. That's not reflected in our objectives so far, but I still feel really excited.”

After finishing fifth last season, there is a natural sense of disappointment around Hotspur Way. Postecoglou admits the players are the same, and he insists they are not disheartened or losing faith.

“Dejan [Kulusevski] is a good example. He's as disappointed as anyone and really wants to not accept the position we're in and believes we can be better. That's important,” he said.

“I have never felt that the players are saying: 'We're just on a bad run. We've got injuries.'

“They are genuinely disappointed with how we're going in the league, as am I. We can’t accept it. It isn't good enough. My role in that is to make sure I try and support the players and steer us out of the predicament we're in. I have not felt like the players have been disheartened.”

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Michel Vorm: "It's a great football club"

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In 2014, Dutch goalkeeper Michel Vorm made the switch from South Wales to London to join Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham Hotspur for £3.5m.

The former Swansea City shot-stopper went on to make 48 appearances for The Lilywhites across two separate spells - the first lasting until the culmination of that memorable 2018/19 season, with the second lasting from October 2019 to July 2020.

Vorm, who was a reliable understudy to captain and legend Hugo Lloris, kept 17 clean sheets under the guidance of both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho, was well-respected by fans, who acknowledged his commitment to the club as he returned for the second spell after leaving as a free agent the previous season. He joined as an emergency backup after Hugo Lloris dislocated his elbow in a 3-0 defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion.

His final appearance representing The Lilywhites came in March 2020 as he started an Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round tie against Norwich City, in which Mourinho's side suffered the agony of a penalty shootout defeat, which followed a 1-1 draw after extra time.

A runner-up in both the Carabao Cup and UEFA Champions League as a Spurs player, however, he never tasted silverware in his six-and-a-half-year stint with the club. Despite this, the goalkeeper was fond of his memories and offered VAVEL the chance to dive deeper to unlock those in an exclusive interview.

Favourite memory in N17

Vorm's stay in North London was during one of, if not the most successful time that Tottenham have had since the turn of the millennia, mainly down to the brilliance of Head Coach Pochettino to work under difficult circumstances.

“It’s a great football club, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the club," said the Dutchman.

He touched on the togetherness of their young group, which fielded the youngest average starting eleven the club has seen in the Premier League during the 2016/17 season, rather than focusing on things on the pitch. Despite reaching the last four, or going further, on five occasions, they tripped at the final hurdle.

"For me we had a top squad of players. Walker, Rose, Vertonghen, Toby [Alderweireld], Harry [Kane], Dele, Eriksen, Son joined as well. We are a great tight group and in terms of memory it was just being part of a very good team and winning games and the journey to the Champions League Final was great.”

That night in Amsterdam

The now 41-year-old was part of that magical night in his homeland in May 2019, as Tottenham did the impossible to come from 3-0 to beat Erik ten Hag's young stars of Ajax in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie.

Trailing 1-0 from the opening leg in N17, Spurs were stunned as the Dutch giants raced into an early three-goal aggregate lead at the Johan Cruyff ArenA. With the absence of Harry Kane, the visitors looked down and out, but for a heroic Lucas Moura hat-trick, including a 96th-minute winner, to send them to Madrid.

Vorm did play a part in the road to the final. He started the opening group game against Inter Milan as The Lilywhites lost 2-1 despite leading, with the Dutchman also replacing Heung-Min Son in the 81st minute after Hugo Lloris had been sent off against PSV Eindhoven.

He offered his thoughts on that miraculous night.

“That really summed it up for me. It was a pleasure and I was so proud to be part of that squad.

"We had a really good team and a group of players that were all in sync with each other. We communicated well as a team and had so much talent and quality. Not only the first XI, but most importantly, all the squad played a big part in that season and we had huge confidence in each other.”

Build up to the final

Having seen off de Godenzonen in the last four, Liverpool awaited Tottenham at the final hurdle. An almighty challenge was up ahead, but Pochettino's men were looking to become the first Spurs side to win the Champions League and the first side for the club to win a European trophy since 1984.

In recent months, former goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris revealed that Chairman Daniel Levy gifted the group luxury watches with 'Champions League Finalist 2019' engraved on the timepiece, just days before the Madrid showdown. The Frenchman fumed at the lack of ambition from Levy, stating that he "still hasn't got over it."

However, Vorm offered a very different explanation of the build-up to that special night.

“Not nerve-wracking, it was full of enjoyment and anticipation. We knew we had a good team, we had a lot of leaders, courage and fight and were never going to give up. We fought to the end, but Liverpool just had enough.”

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Are Tottenham in a relegation battle?

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"Whatever the shortcomings of Postecoglou, the ongoing pattern is the result of a club trying to do things on the cheap."

Perhaps quite perfectly summed up by Jonathan Wilson, in the Guardian, Tottenham have operated in a market that has produced little to no positive results. Now, the club find themselves in a race for survival. Currently in 15th place in the Premier League, with a humiliating 2-1 collapse against Leicester City last time out, there is a real danger that the Premier League stalwarts find themselves in a race for survival.

The downfall since last season's calamitous performance in a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea has set the club on a course of failure and inconsistency. We are truly seeing the effects of Daniel Levy's stewardship of the club with minimal transfer window activity and a group of players that are not up to the task of delivering success to a football club that dearly needs it.

Defensive issues at the heart of the team

It is very easy to blame injuries on the lack of results for a side. Whilst Tottenham's injury crisis is unprecedented, the underlying issue is that they concede far too many goals.

Spurs have conceded the seventh most goals in the Premier League with 37, and clearly shows that Tottenham's issues stem from defensive performances.

Tottenham do need to work on holding onto the lead and staying ahead in matches. More often than not, thanks to Postecoglou's high press system, Spurs score the first goal but are unable to replicate their efforts as the game continues.

Furthermore, Spurs have only recorded four clean sheets in the league so far. With the absence of Guglielmo Vicario, it has clearly been difficult to keep goals out. Fraser Forster has been unreliable at times but the signing of Antonin Kinsky and the solid showings of Brandon Austin do highlight how Spurs can kick on from here.

No support in transfer window

Tottenham's transfer inactivity has been a cause of great concern for all spectators. Only one signing has come through the door, in the form of Antonin Kinsky.

The goalkeeper has made an immediate impact in his time in North London, most notably with a stellar performance in Spurs' 1-0 win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi final.

However, there needs to be more recruitment if they are to get themselves out of their current situation. Defensive reinforcements are desperately needed with Archie Gray playing out of position regularly at centre-back.

Transfer rumours surrounding Tottenham have largely been concerning attackers such as Ipswich's Liam Delap and Southampton's Tyler Dibling.

With talk of signing Dibling and then loaning him back to Southampton for the second half of the Premier League season, it simply is not what Tottenham need right now.

Defensive signings are a must and at least one must be brought in before the transfer window shuts.

On the bright side, Cristian Romeo and Micky Van de Ven are back in training and will provide a much needed boost to a depleted defensive department.

But with Tottenham's current injury struggles, seen with James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr now both facing spells on the sidelines, another defender could help to balance the workload.

"Levy out" reigns supreme in N17

It is important to note that Spurs fans are not directing their anger over poor performances at Postecoglou, but rather chairman Daniel Levy.

The long serving chairman has found himselves in the middle of a sorts of civil war at the club as only one trophy has been won since in time in charge of the club.

Postecoglou is widely believed to still be retaining Levy's backing due to the vast injuries that his squad has suffered.

Speaking for the majority of Tottenham supporters, keeping Postecoglou should bring in success.

He is a proven trophy winner, shown by his spell at Celtic, and Spurs are still in a great chance of securing silverware, whether it be the Carabao Cup or Europa League, despite their worrying league position.

If one man is to leave the club, it will have to be Levy.

Whilst the atmosphere, upon external viewing, may seem disheartening at Spurs, there is hope for the future.

Players will continue to come back from their injuries and buy into Postecoglou's fast paced and attacking football.

Trophies are still there to be won to arrest the club's silverware drought and the current situation can be resolved.

At the moment, they are not in a relegation battle. With eight points separating Tottenham and 18th placed Wolves, there is breathing room.

A backing in the transfer window is more than essential, however to bring in reinforcements to the squad and create a group that can ensure that this does not happen again.

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"Daniel 100% has the club's best interests at heart" - Michel Vorm opens up on current ownership and the state of Tottenham

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Michel Vorm spent six seasons at Tottenham Hotspur, from 2014 to 2020, including the incredible 2018/2019 run to the Champions League final with the eventual 2-0 loss to Liverpool in Madrid.

His loyalty and consistency when called upon did not go unnoticed by the fans, despite playing just 13 league games in his time at the club due to the club captain and legend Hugo Lloris taking the number one role at the club.

Although, within his six seasons at the club, the Lilywhites did not win a trophy, continuing the now 17 year drought, leaving the fans to wonder if it is not the manager and perhaps the ownership.

Vorm spoke to VAVEL to discuss the fans' concerns.

The current ownership

Club Chairman Daniel Levy is under fire from Spurs fans currently, with the loyal supporters believing his best interests are not with the club due to the lack of investment into improving the team. When asked what the Dutch goalkeeper thinks of Levy and his ownership, Vorm said:

“It’s a tough one, but from my time at Spurs and speaking with Daniel, he 100% has the club's best interests at heart. The one frustration from fans is that he may not give too many interviews, so you can’t see what is going on and decisions that are being made, but he has moved Spurs on with the stadium and does want Spurs to be at the top."

Ange Postecoglou and transfers

Ange Postecoglou has faced recent scrutiny with Tottenham sat in 15th, with 24 points after 23 Premier League matches, which is 2 less points than they had after 10 games last season in the 2023/24 season. With his previous success everywhere else he has been, he has joined a long line of successful managers at the club to struggle when joining the North London side - is the manager the problem?

Vorm stated: “I am not in the club right now, but in my time, we had a very tight group of players, we spoke regularly, we communicated and had good leaders. We had a great manager, but we had talented players all around the pitch.

"Maybe this has changed and there is something not right as the players are giving lots of effort and trying, but it seems they aren’t making the right decisions on the pitch. From a manager’s perspective, it’s a difficult one for sure as Spurs should be higher in the table."

More anger has been caused among the fanbase with Tottenham yet to sign an outfield player despite numerous outfield injuries, with the end of the January transfer window approaching. We asked the ex-Lilywhite shot stopper if he thinks Tottenham need to sign an outfield player, if so in which position.

“When Spurs have all their players back, they have a very good squad and can compete with the best. But with so many injuries and having 4 goalkeepers playing this season, the team can’t get a consistent team on the pitch.

"Transfer wise, in January, it’s always difficult, so you really need to be selective as to who you bring in, but if you can add to the squad, it can give a breather to some players, who have been playing so many games.”

Tottenham's unclaimed number one spot

Tottenham's only January signing so far was 21-year-old Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky deemed the 'next Petr Cech' by many Tottenham and Slavia Prague fans, signing for £12.5m plus add ons. Since signing, the young shot stopper has thoroughly impressed for the Lilywhites, keeping a clean sheet on his debut against league leaders Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.

He has continued to impress with many opportunities in the first team as Italian international Guglielmo Vicario is out until mid February to the start of March with a fractured ankle injury. Although, with Kinsky's impressive performances, should he keep his place over Vicario?

The ex-Tottenham keeper said: “Vicario is Spurs’ number one and when he is back fit, he will come straight back into the side. He has the experience and he has shown good performances in his Spurs career.

"Kinsky is a good signing and can gain great experience by playing games and with playing games you get to know the pace of the game and also get a good feel of how the team wants to play as the goalkeeper is now an even bigger part of the team with so many teams wanting to play out from the back."

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Pre-Match Analysis: Tottenham face Leicester looking to capitalise on mid-week form

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Tottenham will be eager to end their torrid league form and kick on from a promising performance against Hoffenheim in the Europa League as Leicester City travel to North London on Sunday.

Spurs were able to dominant more large portions of the game in Germany as James Maddison and Heung-min Son both excelled, much to Ange Postecoglou's delight.

He will surely be hoping that this is the start of a good run of games as the injury crisis that has ravaged the club this season appears to be nearing an end.

The home side should be confident coming into this match, especially as Leicester have only recorded one away Premier League win all season.

A must win game for Spurs

Tottenham's season has been marked by inconsistencies. With no ability to maintain a good set of results, Postecoglou's side has dropped further and further down the table.

The danger is clear. The relegation zone is looming large and it would be naive for any of the players or management to think that would not be a possibility.

Everton are four points behind but do hold a game in hand, albeit their match will be against league leaders Liverpool.

However, with Everton easily brushing Tottenham aside last week, there will be some belief that they can take a victory as they play against Brighton this weekend.

To put it simply: Spurs have to win.

Further injuries continue to ravage the squad

It is mind-blowing how many injuries Spurs have had this season.

Cristian Romeo and Micky van de Ven, one of the best centre-back partnerships in the league, have remained sidelined for the majority of the season.

Midfielders have come and gone with little niggles and issues and an unexpected illness wiped out a lot of the squad to compound their bad luck.

For this match, Pape Matar Sarr will likely remain out, along with Djed Spence. The right-back has shone brightly in recent matches, despite playing out of position on numerous occasions.

His loss will be felt hard as Tottenham lose his strong and quick dribbling ability.

Fortunately, Ben Davies has returned from his hamstring injury and can fill in but Tottenham will miss Spence's influence.

Moore to start?

Mikey Moore has been a standout performer whenever he has entered the pitch.

Despite his age, at only 17-years-old, he has done superbly well and has contributed well to his side.

With two assists in his last two games, he is clearly a threat for any team and should be afforded the opportunity to start.

With a potential front three of Mikey Moore, Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham would have three top class dribblers in attack.

Arguably, Son's best position is through the middle as he is able to use his pace and break the defensive line. With Leicester focused on Son's movement, Moore may be left open on the left flank and able to deliver some pinpoint crosses.

The youngster is a world-class talent and one to watch for many years to come. He needs to play now and hopefully Postecoglou can recognise that.

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Everton vs Tottenham LIVE Score Updates, Stream Info and How to Watch Premier League Match | January 19, 2025

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Don't miss a single detail of the live match updates and commentary from VAVEL's coverage.

If you want to watch it directly on streaming: NBC Sports App and Disney + in South America.

If you want to watch it online, VAVEL is your best option.

"Again, you're asking me to talk about something that just isn't in my head. I mean, we'll get to that point if we get to that point. We may never get to that point and it's irrelevant for me to talk about it or we may get to that point and then I'll look at it, but right now there's nothing more important than making sure we have a good game at Everton."

"We would love to have a combination, like when it was Baines and Pienaar, for example.

"We want Myko to go forward and get involved. In fact, he threw a really good pass that Doucoure caught and failed to finish. We want to increase those numbers."

"They are a team that plays incredibly open, attacking soccer. (Postecoglou) doesn't change what he does, so all credit to them."

My name is Wendy Benavides 👩🏻‍🦰 and I will be your host for this match. We will provide you with pre-match analysis, score updates and live news, here on VAVEL.

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4 things we learnt as Arsenal comeback against Tottenham Hotspur

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After successive defeats, Arsenal needed a huge performance especially at home to bitter enemies Tottenham Hotspur.

Mikel Arteta made four changes to his side following their FA Cup exit to Manchester United which seemed to add some much needed energy to the midfield and attacking line.

Spurs opened the scoring against the run of play on the 25th minute as Son Heung-Min's deft volley deflected off Thomas Partey into the bottom corner.

Again, for all of Arsenal's pressure, it was a set-piece that saw them get back into the game. Declan Rice delivered a delicious ball to Antonin Kinsky's back post which Gabriel Magalhães headed off Dominic Solanke to tie the score five minutes before the break.

Leandro Trossard scored the match-winner on the the 44th minute as his strike across goal caught out Kinsky, sending the home crowd into pandemonium.

We learnt four things from the Gunners' North London Derby win.

Arsenal are still in the hunt

Despite their slight dip in form and current injury crisis, the Gunners find themselves just four points behind table toppers Liverpool FC. The Reds do have a game in hand, but have shown dwindling signs in recent weeks.

Arsenal have dominated their last five fixtures in terms of chances created, but have lacked that cutting edge that could swing results in their favour. Only Liverpool have scored more league goals than Arsenal this season, but watching the home side's forwards recently has only left fans wondering 'What if?'

If Mikel Arteta's side can replicate their 2024 form and find their shooting boots, they will certainly at least be within touching distance of a Premier League title.

Myles Lewis-Skelly has arrived

The teenager has been making a name for himself this season, but many would expect a nervous performance in a fixture that holds such history. It was quite the opposite for the youngster as he stifled Dejan Kulusevski and later Brenan Johnson.

Lewis-Skelly showed the technical quality of a cultured central midfielder as he slipped Sterling through one-on-one with a perfectly weighted pass in the opening period. Going the other way, Lewis-Skelly was just as good, highlighted by his crunching challenge on Pape Matar Sarr to stop the Spurs counterattack.

The 18 year old earned high praise from teammate Declan Rice who likened him to Moussa Dembele in his post match interview with TNT Sports.

Jury's out on Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling started his third Premier League match of the season but his performance left a lot to be desired. The Englishman could not find his way around Spurs' makeshift backline, finding it especially difficult against a lively Djed Spence.

Albeit a loan signing, Sterling has failed to impress throughout his Arsenal spell. Arteta has provided him with limited minutes and the now 30-year-old finds himself in starting contention going forward due to the injuries of Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, and Gabriel Jesus.

Will a consistent run of games see Sterling rediscover the form that he displayed in his first spell under Mikel Arteta? With Arsenal chasing a league, Sterling has a golden opportunity to prove his worth to the Emirates crowd.

A forward is a MUST in January

As Declan Rice said post-match, " I think we're unlucky not to score 10 tonight! That's the feeling."

This has been the feeling of Arsenal fans for large portions of the season as their forward line has faultered in front of goal. Missed opportunities from Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling, and Martin Ødegaard saw Tottenham keep in the game for far too long.

Arsenal played themselves into great positions against Spurs but lacked the box presence to take advantage of their chances.

With the current injury crisis, Arsenal are left with only four fit first team attackers going into the final months of the campaign. For context, Liverpool have six.

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Pre-Match Analysis: Struggling Tottenham host Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg

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Tottenham will be hoping that the Carabao Cup will be their silver lining in what has so far been a season tainted by underwhelming performances, far below the expectations of fans.

The hosts have had an eventful January so far: announcing the signing of Antonin Kinsky to rectify their sparse goalkeeping options; welcoming summer signing Yang Min-hyeok to the first team and most significantly, announcing the one-year extension of captain Son Heung-Min’s contract.

Ange Postecoglou’s side will be hopeful that these changes will spark the rejuvenation of their disappointing campaign. But they face a red-hot Liverpool side, who have displayed outstanding form under Arne Slot, making them favourites for all three competitions they are currently taking part in.

When Slot took over in the Summer, many believed that Liverpool would see a decline in standard after nine successful years under Jurgen Klopp. But the Dutchman has emphatically disproved his doubters, winning 23 out of his 28 games in charge.

The prospect of making it to the Carabao Cup final will be a challenge that the Liverpool squad will relish, having triumphed in 2022 and 2024. Victory against Spurs will put them in a great position to extend their record amount of League Cup titles to 11.

Will lack of squad depth haunt Tottenham again?

When the teams met three days before Christmas, Liverpool were relentless with their high press, which was far too much for the make shift, inexperienced Tottenham defence to cope with. Unfortunately for the Lilywhites, the number of defensive absentees has only increased since then, with the club announcing that Destiny Udogie is expected to be out for six to ten weeks.

This adds to the injury list that also includes first choice centre-backs Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies.

Tottenham were also struck with a plague of viruses last week, that heavily affected their squad during Saturday's match against Newcastle, which included their only fit centre back Radu Dragusin, who had to be removed at half time.

Also affected, was 18 year-old Archie Gray, who has been filling in in central defence, due to Tottenham's severe lack of options. “Radu and Archie literally got off sickbeds to play today, and Radu was shattered at half-time,” said the Tottenham manager.

Can Tottenham's dreadful home form finally come to an end?

Tottenham have not won at home in their last six attempts, losing four - a run which dates back to the 3rd November. This has seen pressure increase on Postecoglou who will be desperate for that run to end on Wednesday, in what could be a huge step forward in the club's bid to end their 17 year trophy drought.

However, doing this against the 10 time League Cup champions will be an enormous task, especially considering Tottenham's poor record against Liverpool, having beating them just twice in their last 26 attempts.

Will speculation around Liverpool players benefit Tottenham?

Despite the positivity surrounding the club at the moment, the past week has been slightly overshadowed by the rumours surroundings the futures of: Virgil Van Dijk, Mohammed Salah and Trent Alexander Arnold. The latter of whom was was substituted following his poor individual display against Manchester United, in the surprising 2-2 draw.

All three players have gained great experience in winning trophies and have all been monumental to the club's success since the 2017/18 campaign. Now, each of them are in the final year of their respective contracts and as we edge closer to that day, more and more media speculation surrounding the topic has become apparent.

In recent history, speculation over the future of players has proved to impact a team's form. Although it seems very unlikely that this will be the case for Liverpool, perhaps the lacklustre and chaotic performance on Sunday was a crack beginning to show.

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Why this Tottenham loanee could provide boost

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Manor Solomon joined Tottenham Hotspur as a free agent in July 2023, becoming one of the first signings after Ange Postecoglou joined the club.

However, his first season in N17 was plagued by injury and subsequently ended in September, with the Israeli winger playing a mere 198 minutes across two starts and three substitute appearances.

Solomon joined fellow Premier League side Fulham at the start of the 2022/23 season but was sidelined after knee surgery from August until January, where he slowly built his minutes back up. A run of four goals in four games in February saw many pay attention to the former Shakhtar Donetsk man and ultimately earned him his move to North London.

It's understandable why he was identified and signed at the beginning of the Postecogolou era. The winger poses a great threat when squaring up one-on-one with an opponent, whilst he is also extremely progressive and forward-thinking.

Timo Werner, who is on loan from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, has been underwhelming in his twelve months at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Solomon could be recalled from loan, with Spurs sending the German back to his home country, or keeping both in the side for further squad depth.

In August, the first month of his first season in N17, he had a slow start, remaining as an unused substitute for two out of three matches, before picking up just two minutes of action in a 2-0 home win against Manchester United.

Despite this, three average performances from Richarlison saw the 25-year-old handed a start away at newly-promoted Burnley and he took the opportunity. Solomon provided two assists, linking up incredibly well with Heung-Min Son as Tottenham stormed to a 5-2 win at Turf Moor.

There is no denying that the 25-year-old performed in his short spell at Tottenham before the injury, even in a Carabao Cup game at Fulham, he looked lively whilst the rest of the team was well below-par and drew 1-1 before being knocked out on penalties in the second round.

Solving squad issues

A horrific injury crisis has taken over the Tottenham squad in the last few months, so being able to call upon another senior member of the squad would be thoroughly welcomed by Ange Postecoglou.

Although the major issues have not been in the forward areas of the pitch, another senior outfield player would make a huge difference and would decrease the workload on the likes of Heung-Min Son and Dominic Solanke, who have both looked jaded in recent weeks.

Whilst it may not help in Europe due to tight registration rules and Spurs having under the bare minimum of club-trained homegrown players, it would have certainly helped over the busy festive period and in the domestic cup competitions.

Starring on loan

After a mediocre pre-season campaign with The Lilywhites, in which he received minutes from the bench against Queens Park Rangers after he started the opening game against Heart of Midlothian, he joined Leeds United on a season-long loan.

In the friendly against their Scottish opposition, considering it was the attacker's first start for a measly ten months, he was impressive. He moved the ball well, was direct, agile and created many chances. He gave Tottenham fans a glimpse of his quality which they had missed for the majority of the previous season, but he didn't impress too brightly on the whole.

Since joining the second-tier giants, he has hit the ground running. Whilst the stats don't match the opinion, anyone who has spent time watching Leeds this campaign will understand why it may come as no surprise that he could be a decent option for Spurs in the second half of the season.

Per game, the Israeli is averaging 4 progressive passes per game and 5 progressive carries per game. which is higher than Brennan Johnson's 2 and 3 respectively. The Tottenham loanee has already hit the back of the net three occasions, with the same number of assists.

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