Football365

When will Richarlison learn? No, he will never learn that taking his top off to celebrate a goal never ends well for him. It happened again in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

Richarlison scored what he thought was a winning goal for Tottenham on Saturday afternoon, only for Matthijs de Ligt to pop up with a 96th-minute equaliser.

Spurs 2-2 Man Utd: Key statistics

Man Utd scored from their only two shots on target

Spurs scored twice in seven minutes to come from 1-0 down

Big chances missed: Spurs 2 – 0 Man Utd

It was a poor game overall, but the ending was pure chaos. Spurs hit back with goals in the 84th and 91st minutes after Bryan Mbeumo’s header had given Ruben Amorim’s men the lead in the first half.

Richarlison nodded in an instinctive header from Wilson Odobert’s shot and celebrated by taking his shirt off, which, as history tells us, never, ever ends well.

Sure enough, De Ligt scored a header six minutes into added time to snatch a draw for United, who are now five games unbeaten in the Premier League, but, for the second week running, they were 1-0 up, conceded two quickfire goals, and had to salvage a point.

The Red Devils sit seventh in the Premier League after the draw, while Thomas Frank’s side are up to third, despite being 17th in the home table with just five points from six games.

READ: Amorim blushes spared by De Ligt as Frank outclasses Man Utd boss from the touchline

Banter magnet Richarlison has to learn

In a classic Richard Keys, Andy Gray exchange at full-time, Keys was unimpressed by Richarlison’s celebration – especially given how it came back to bite him against Liverpool in 2022/23.

Back in April 2023, Richarlison scored a last-gasp equaliser for Spurs at Anfield and whipped his shirt off in front of the travelling fans…only for Diogo Jota to score moments later to make it 4-3.

Here’s the conversation between Keys and Gray on beIN Sports:

Keys: “Will he never learn? Will he never learn, Richarlison? We’ve seen that before. Saw it in Anfield, remember? And it all went horribly wrong. I understand.”

Gray: “Listen, he thinks he’s won it. There are 90 minutes played. He got a little excited.”

Keys: “I think you could say he got over-excited.”

Gray: “Yes. They all did. They thought they’d won it. They haven’t played well for 80 minutes. Looked like they were losing the game. Suddenly, in seven minutes of football, they’re leading as they went to stoppage time. He (Amorim) thought they’d lost it. He (Richarlison) thought he’d won it. But I’m sorry, Richarlison. And especially when they’re (United) down to 10 men.”

Keys: “It wasn’t a cup-winning goal. It might have been a match-winning goal, but ultimately, of course, there’s time left for things to change, and they did at Anfield when he went off and did that. I don’t think you can argue with the result. No, can you?”

At some point, Richarlison really has to learn that celebrating late goals like that simply never ends well for him. He’s a bloody banter magnet.

Thomas Frank and Ruben Amorim took it in turns to make bad decisions in their bid to lose a game which neither Tottenham nor Manchester United therefore deserved to win.

There was a predictable spattering of boos at half-time from the Tottenham fans, who had watched another insipid attacking performance from their team on a home patch which has reaped the scant reward of 13 points from their previous 19 Premier League games.

While Joao Palhinha and Pape Matar Sarr offered the very same inability to progress the ball from the base of midfield, Xavi Simons was frequently spotted looking up and seeing no-one to either bounce the ball off or find running in behind thanks to the almost comically inert and toothless trio of Brennan Johnson, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani playing ahead of him.

The surprise in Spurs’ one decent chance wasn’t Richarlison entirely missing his header but Johnson creating that opportunity with a very fine cross, such was their shocking end product or even ability to get into a position where end products matter besides.

Micky van de Ven produced a sublime tackle to deny Benjamin Sesko late in the game which ended up being worthy of the Man of the Match award as Ally McCoist scratched his head in search of alternatives, but the centre-back didn’t cover himself in glory in the first half.

Understandably buoyed by his extraordinary solo goal against Copenhagen, he ignored the first inevitable and thoroughly enjoyable roar from the Tottenham fans when he jinked past a Manchester United forward with the ball at his feet from the back, but failed at the second time of asking, imagining the goal celebration when a full 70 yards from goal before being tackled after about ten of those yards as the ball got away from him.

And while Sarr is undeniably the chief culprit when laying blame for the Manchester United opener, a less panicked centre-back would have taken a touch and cleared, while one with Van de Ven’s very particular set of skills could have dribbled his way out of trouble, with Bruno Fernandes admittedly close but also the only Manchester United player in his vicinity.

There are also few more gear-grinding sights than the public dressing down of one player by another in a blatant bid to make sure everyone in the stadium knows who’s at fault. Sarr knows he’s made a mistake, the fans know he’s made a mistake. The only purpose the on-pitch scolding serves is to make Van de Ven look like a self-serving so-and-so.

The quality of Spurs’ forwards was in stark contrast to Manchester United’s for the vast majority of this game. Amad Diallo’s delivery for Mbeumo was excellent, and while the Cameroon international scoring a header with his feet firmly rooted on the ground isn’t a great sign of Spurs’ defensive order, it was very well directed by a player who was a constant threat both with and without the ball.

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United looked to be cruising, albeit not entirely convincingly, towards a relatively comfortable victory until the managers rang the changes in the second half.

The most ardent boos of the day came when Xavi Simons was taken off once again. But Frank may well be afforded more leeway with regard to his hooking in future as his replacement Mathys Tel scored the equaliser with a deflected shot past Senne Lammens after a quite brilliant first touch following a cross from fellow sub Destiny Udogie, who – like yet another sub, Wilson Odobert – did this alien thing of taking on and beating defenders before delivering the ball.

Frank also deserves credit for leaving Richarlison on the pitch. Few would have complained at him not coming out for the second half, let alone still being around to expertly flick Odobert’s shot past Lammens with his head.

But as much blame should be laid at Amorim’s door as praise bestowed upon Frank after the Manchester United boss contrived to put his team in a position where the towering Matthijs de Ligt header deep into stoppage time was required for them to claim a point when they looked destined for three for so long.

Mason Mount’s touch and blind pass for Sesko before that Van de Ven tackle was stunning, and their introduction from the bench made a positive difference, but why oh why is Amorim obsessed with changing his centre-backs? Harry Maguire had been faultless and while Leny Yoro didn’t do anything wrong per se, it just creates a needless disruption when things are going smoothly.

And frankly we can’t imagine just how entirely knackered, injured or concussed Casemiro would have to be to make it a good idea to bring him off for Manuel Ugarte. Tottenham had no joy in front of the United defence before that change was made in the 72nd minute, and Odobert was found in that space for both goals.

Amorim got his starting XI right, Frank got it wrong, but the Tottenham manager outclassed his Manchester United counterpart from the touchline. They each did their level best to lose this game through their decisions, but instead head into the international break with a point that is serviceable if uninspiring, which also neatly serves as a perfect description of both of these teams right now.

Tim Sherwood saying Tottenham Hotspur finishing outside the Champions League places and without a trophy would be a “failure” probably isn’t the hot take he thinks it is.

Finishing sixth, per se, would be a significant improvement on last season’s 17th-place finish in the Premier League. But returning to the Europa League and winning nothing after ending their trophy drought would obviously be a failure.

Tottenham in 2025/26 Premier League: Key stats

Best away team (4 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses)

Eight goals conceded in first 10 games; only Arsenal have fewer

Trophyless and out of the top five a ‘failed’ season for Spurs

Speaking on Gillette Soccer Saturday, former Tottenham manager Sherwood said Thomas Frank’s side lost the biggest game of their season so far against Newcastle United, and understands why supporters were upset after last weekend’s pathetic 1-0 home defeat to London rivals Chelsea.

“It’s a big game for him today (against Manchester United),” Sherwood said. “Really huge game of football, because if they lose this game, there’s doom and gloom. And we’re talking about a team sixth in the league.

“They’re in the Champions League, now they’re not going to win that, they lost the biggest game of the season, which was Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, bar none. That is a huge game of football. Well, that’s the easiest trophy to win.

“Newcastle beat them, and convincingly at that. You lose to Chelsea, a London Derby in front of 60,000 fans. They’re not happy with what they saw, and no one would be, and nor Thomas Frank and the players would be happy with that.

“They get booed off, there’s a little reaction with Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence with the manager, a little bit of dispute there.”

Sherwood then stated what constitutes a failed season for Spurs, by stating exactly what constitutes a failed season for Spurs.

“There’s a negative vibe, and there shouldn’t be with the position they are,” he continued. “But if they don’t finish in the Champions League spots, and they don’t win anything this season, it’s a failure. It’s a failure.

“You can’t just think, well, we improved on the 17th place. We know why they finished 17th, because Ange threw the towel in on the Premier League to win the Europa League.

“They managed to do that. They’ve tasted that success now. They’ve had the open-top bus. If they don’t win anything this season, or don’t finish in the Champions League spots, it’s a failure.”

Using a dramatic word such as “failure” is sure to get people talking, but it’s absolutely spot on from Sherwood. It’s almost so true that it’s not worth saying in an age of pundits desperate for soundbites.

Nonetheless, we appreciate the honest punditry.

Just win, Thomas, and everything will be fine

All Frank needs to do is win football matches. It really is that simple.

“The home form…it’s down to one thing: there’s a demand to play a certain way when you’re in front of the Tottenham fans,” Sherwood said.

“When you play away from home, it doesn’t matter how you play.

“They’re very well supported at home; there’s 60,000 demanding to be entertained, not only that, and to win.

“Under [Antonio] Conte, under Jose Mourinho, the style of play wasn’t great, but they were winning games, especially early in their tenure.

“It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter if you won. If you stop winning games and you’re not picking up maximum points, then it matters. Then you start getting scrutinised.

“They’ve absolutely got every right to want to be entertained. They’re paying a lot of money to go and watch their team play, but the team is not brave enough at the moment. There’s not enough flavour in there for them.

“They’re missing [Dejan] Kulusevski. They’re missing [James] Maddison. They’re players who can slow the game down, and they can get a little bit of control.

“At the moment, they’re all about set-pieces. The ball’s out of play, corners, it’s not great to watch.”

If reported Real Madrid target Micky van de Ven avoids injury this season, Tottenham Hotspur will find it “totally impossible” to keep him, says Tim Sherwood.

Real Madrid have been linked with the Tottenham defender, who scored a headline-grabbing solo goal against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Micky van de Ven’s Copenhagen goal breaks record

Longest ball carry ending in a goal in Champions League history (67.7m)

Beat previous record set by Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr in October 2024 (64.4m)

Not further than Heung-min Son’s Puskás-winning goal v Burnley (72.3m) in 2019

F365 SAYS: Micky van de Ven now nailed on for Real Madrid switch

Van de Ven picked the ball up on the edge of his own box and glided past several Copenhagen players with his incredible pace before smashing the ball past Dominik Kotarski.

It will probably go down as the Champions League goal of the season and reminded everyone what Van de Ven is capable of when in full flight on the ball.

He produced a similarly mesmerising run to assist Brennan Johnson against Manchester United last September, but he and Spurs were unable to kick on in the Premier League, finishing a miserable 17th.

Spurs did go on to win the Europa League final against the Red Devils under Ange Postecoglou, which is why they’re playing in Europe this campaign, and Van de Ven played a huge part in that, producing an acrobatic clearance off the line with his side 1-0 up.

Injuries curtailed the Dutchman’s 2024/25 campaign, but he’s remained injury-free this season, and former Spurs manager Sherwood thinks keeping hold of the Madrid target will be “impossible” if he stays fit, while also joking that the Copenhagen players were “blindfolded” for his wondergoal.

“Obviously, the magnificent goal that Micky van de Ven scored,” Sherwood said on Sky Sports’ Gillette Soccer Saturday.

“It was incredible, but, I have to be honest, the Copenhagen players, they were all blindfolded, weren’t they? I mean, he just run through them, they’re letting him go. It was incredible…it was fantastic.

“Look, if he keeps himself fit, it’s impossible for Tottenham to keep hold of him. Totally impossible. The kid is top drawer. But it’s just the injuries.”

Van de Ven to Real Madrid is inevitable…on one condition

As Tickers already wrote, Van de Ven seems destined for a big-money move to the Spanish capital.

He’s rarely caught out defensively and is obviously a speed demon and a threat in the attacking penalty box. That pace has bailed out him and Spurs many times before and will continue to do so for as long as he’s in north London.

A player making the jump from Spurs to Madrid wouldn’t be anything new, and Van de Ven would be very silly indeed not to push for it if the Spanish giants make the call.

Xabi Alonso’s side are keen to add a new centre-back and could move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi on a Bosman next summer, but Van de Ven is a name that keeps cropping up.

It would be a brilliant signing for them, a brilliant move for the player, and a bitter blow for Spurs, who will dig their heels in when the time comes and surely demand north of £70million. But as Sherwood says, a lot depends on Van de Ven staying fit.

If Romero leaves Spurs, so will Van de Ven

With interest growing in Van de Ven, Thomas Frank’s side are unsurprisingly keen to extend his contract.

According to transfer journalist Graeme Bailey, the 24-year-old “is very happy at Tottenham,” though his future slightly hinges on the future of centre-back partner Cristian Romero. Bailey told The Boot Room:

“A new deal for Van de Ven is emerging as one of Tottenham’s priorities under Vinai Venkatesham’s reign, and talks have already been taking place since the summer.

“But this is both ways, Van de Ven is very happy at Tottenham, he has settled in brilliantly since he arrived, having now emerged as one of the Premier League’s best, and his partnership with Cristian Romero is on par with anything in the game.

“Romero plays a part here; his decision not to seek a move in the summer has an impact on Van de Ven, who is ready to follow in his steps and sign, and he will be rewarded with similar terms to those of his Argentine colleague.

“Yes, both Spurs and Van de Ven are aware of interest; there is no denying that. Spurs believe he is one of the best anywhere in Europe, and they are recognising this with this prospective new deal. Talks are set to accelerate this month.”

Ruben Amorim doing “something different” against Tottenham feels hugely significant for Manchester United.

Tottenham’s last 19 Premier League games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium comprise three wins, four draws and 12 defeats. It’s a harrowing run which would ordinarily make firm Manchester United favourites amid their promising uptick in form.

But the Red Devil somehow contriving to lose not once, not twice or even thrice to Spurs last season but four times, combined with Amorim’s side winning just once away from home this term, makes this a particularly hard game to call, with their respective impossible-to-gauge quality making it near impossible.

Much of the criticism aimed at Amorim in his time at Manchester United, before the improvement of late which saw him named Manager of the Month for October, has been based around his obstinacy.

It’s 3-4-3 or bust and it’s typically been the latter. He’s stubbornly refused to deviate from his formation and philosophy, and while we don’t expect that to change too much against Tottenham, it could feel a tad perverse to some that – as he admitted in a pre-match interview – he’s made changes to his team with the aim of “doing something different” on the back of three wins and a draw in his last four games.

“We’ve been working on it this week,” he added, and that’s a luxury he has over Thomas Frank and most of the other managers of teams vying for places towards the top of the Premier League, with no European football this season granting him the space to make tactical tweaks and work on new things midweek to make the push for qualification this season.

Amorim made three changes to his starting line-up, with Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu all returning in place of Leny Yoro, Diogo Dalot and Benjamin Sesko, who drop to the bench.

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Perhaps the changes have been made in a bid to replicate their performance against Liverpool, where the lack of a focal point caused no end of problems for Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, or maybe Tottenham’s insipid display vs Chelsea prompted him to pack his team full of pressers to push a panicking Spurs into ceding possession as regularly as they did against the Blues.

But after Amorim naming an unchanged side against Nottingham Forest for the first time in the Premier League was a landmark call to show why Manchester United should be in the running for a return to the Champions League, so too is this newfound will to do “something different”.

It points to a level of comfort, from Amorim in his players and from his players in him. Having taken a very long time to come to terms with the basics of his philosophy, they’ve now reached a stage where Amorim believes he can make adjustments to the blueprint for individual games.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ‘willing to let’ one or two stars leave the club in January to ‘pave the way for Thomas Frank’s preferred signing’.

Spurs have had a mixed start to the 2025/26 campaign as they sit sixth in the Premier League table after ten games, while they remain unbeaten in the Champions League group stages.

However, it has become apparent that not all of Tottenham’s supporters are sold on new head coach Thomas Frank, as they have suffered a disappointing exit from the Carabao Cup and have produced some woeful performances in the Premier League.

Most of Tottenham’s struggles have come at home, while they have lacked a goal threat in certain matches this season.

Last week, a report claimed the north London outfit’s players are ‘desperate for new attackers’ in January, while the club are linked with several potential targets.

READ: Big Weekend: Manchester City v Liverpool, Tottenham, Xhaka, Farke

Naturally, Spurs are linked with several past and current Brentford stars following Frank’s appointment, with Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney linked with a possible reunion with his former manager in north London.

The 29-year-old has spent the last 18 months in the Saudi Pro League, though it has been suggested that he could return to the Premier League ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

Now, a report from Football Insider claims Toney to Spurs is on the cards, with the Premier League side ‘willing to let Richarlison or Dominic Solanke leave’ to ‘pave the way’ for the Al-Ahli star to join as he is Frank’s ‘preferred signing’. It is also noted that they face competition with Everton and Man Utd.

The report adds:

‘Spurs and Everton are among the clubs keen on signing Toney in the mid-season window, with a loan deal seen as most likely.

‘But Tottenham must offload one of Solanke or Richarlison, with both of the forwards believed to be seen as expendable by Frank.’

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Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence recently made the headlines by ignoring Frank after last weekend’s loss to Chelsea, with former Premier League chief scout Mick Brown explaining why it will “take time” for the head coach to settle.

“Yeah, I think it was just a bit of frustration from both players losing a London derby to Chelsea,” Brown said.

“It was the manager in which they lost the game, they didn’t really lay a glove on Chelsea.

“Thomas Frank came out quickly to sort of play down any talk of unrest or anything like that amongst the squad. He said both players came and apologised to him the day after.

“It’s obviously had no effect on Van de Ven, he scored that wonder-goal in midweek.

“It was a disappointing result against Chelsea, there’s no getting away from that, but obviously still early days in the tenure of Thomas Frank at Tottenham. It will take time for him to get his ideas across.

“To be fair to Spurs, they’re sixth in the table and still unbeaten in the Champions League.

“It’s not been the worst start to a season and as I said I think there’s still a lot of time for Frank to improve things and I’m sure he’ll be looking to improve the goal scoring output in the team as well.”

The tables don’t lie, apparently, so you better believe us when we tell you that Arsenal are grinding like champs, while Man Utd and Tottenham are as absurd as ever…

If you had not already noticed, we love a table here at F365. Which is handy because we’ve got bloody loads of them, based on whichever metric you fancy.

And when you have devoured all those, you can create your own. The fun need never end.

You’re busy, though, so with a quarter of the season now played, we’ve pored over all the tables and picked out six to tell some of the stories of 2025/26 so far…

Arsenal set-piecing their way to the title

We start with the table boiling most p*ss so far this season. The one that highlights how reliant Arsenal are on set-pieces for their goals.

We know that to be true because only three teams have scored fewer goals in open play. The Gunners are 15th in this table because the alphabet. They could just as feasibly be 17th, with only Forest, Leeds and Wolves below them.

GOALS FROM OPEN PLAY TABLE

Is that a problem? Jamie O’Hara thinks so, but no one is coming to take away Arsenal’s set-pieces.

The opposite seems to be true, according to this table. If everyone stopped giving Arsenal the corners they are so reliant on, they might not be away over the horizon a quarter of the way into the season.

Of course, Arsenal’s title charge is powered by more than just dead balls. This and this are just as important in their early-season success. David Raya has faced one shot on target in the last four games, FFS. At this point, Mikel Arteta could probably win the title playing rush goalie.

Tottenham’s troubles at home

Across north London, Tottenham Hotspur remain a complete head-f*ck.

Away from home, Spurs have the best record in the Premier League.

They have taken 13 points from 15 available, winning by at least two goals at Manchester City, Everton and West Ham, while also leaving Leeds with maximum reward.

At home, though, they are a mess. For the clearest illustration of the staggering contrast between Tottenham on their own turf and Spurs on the road, click the ‘Home’ and ‘Away’ buttons below…

Tottenham have not won on their own patch in the Premier League since Thomas Frank’s first match in charge on the opening day when Burnley were beaten 3-0.

Since then, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Chelsea have all won in north London, while Spurs needed a late leveller to deprive Wolves a first win they are still searching for.

It’s a problem that pre-dates Frank, but the new boss is showing no sign of getting a grip on it. In 2025, Sunderland have taken the same number of Premier League points at home, despite playing NINE fewer games.

United beat the best but struggle with the stragglers

Manchester United are similarly absurd.

At the extreme ends, they have been tipped for both a relegation battle and a title charge, when the truth almost certainly lies somewhere in the middle. They are not as bad as their start suggested, but nor should anyone be getting carried away with a four-game unbeaten run, relief though it certainly is for Ruben Amorim.

Like Spurs, United are both gaining and dropping points when they really ought not to.

Against top-half opposition, United are mustard. In such games, they have taken more points than anyone else by beating Liverpool, Chelsea, Sunderland and Brighton. They have only lost to the top two but they deserved at least a point against Arsenal on the opening day.

United are back, are they? Well, not quite. Because they still balls it up against bottom-half opposition.

They beat Burnley – just – but dropped points at Forest and Fulham while taking nothing from Brentford. Only Forest and Wolves have taken fewer points against sides 11th to bottom.

United’s problem is probably similar to Spurs’: they are happiest when they opposition is coming on to them. When they are expected to seize the initiative, that’s when they run into trouble. So Saturday’s meeting at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should be revealing.

Sunderland the Prem’s pride for resilience

Sunderland are one of the stories of the season so far. They hardly tore up the Championship but here they are, bloodying the big boys’ noses while mixing it in the top four. You would have to be a Geordie – or a Coventry fan, weirdly – not to enjoy what the Black Cats are doing.

What’s behind their stunning start? Primarily, a massive recruitment drive featuring some huge hits and few misses. Granit Xhaka being the best bit if business anywhere this summer.

Xhaka is certainly the driving force that has made Sunderland the most resilient side in the Premier League so far.

The Black Cats have had to rally for many of their points – almost half of them, with eight of their 18 being earned from losing positions.

From six deficits, Sunderland won dramatically over Chelsea and Brentford, while taking a point from Villa despite playing most of the game with 10 men.

Villa’s creativity concerns yet to bite

That draw at Sunderland is typical of Villa’s shortcomings, especially through the early part of the season when they couldn’t win a rigged raffle.

At the Stadium of Light, they had 71 per cent of the possession against a side playing a man light, but they were outnumbered for shots and shots on target.

Having more of the ball is a common theme in Villa’s season, but so too is a lack of creativity.

Unai Emery’s men are fifth in the possession table, behind only the top three and Chelsea, but second-bottom of the big chances created table, with only woeful Wolves worse.

BIG CHANCES CREATED TABLE

In only one game this season – Burnley at home – have Villa finished with a better xG than their opponent. That feels… unsustainable.

Liverpool’s luck runs out spectacularly

We couldn’t end this feature without some illustration of Liverpool’s journey over the side of a cliff…

The Reds began the season on fire – in terms of results, not performances – but we wondered whether their stodgy displays might eventually bite them on the arse. We did not, however, foresee them clamping on for a month.

Their four-game losing streak after a perfect start saw Liverpool slip from top spot eventually allowing six teams to look down on them at Halloween.

FORM TABLE

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur have already picked out their ‘top priority’ for this winter’s transfer window as they ‘prepare’ an offer.

Unsurprisingly, Spurs were very active in the transfer market in the summer as they look to build a stronger squad ahead of a season in the Champions League.

New head coach Thomas Frank was appointed to replace Ange Postecoglou in the summer and he was backed by club chiefs, with around £185m spent on several marquee signings.

Frank has altered Tottenham’s style to make them tougher to beat than they were under Postecoglou and this has improved their results. They currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, while they are unbeaten in their four Champions League group games.

However, Spurs and Frank have not been without criticism this season as they have struggled at home and have lacked a goal threat in certain matches.

READ: Xavi Simons, Sesko and other high-profile summer signings who might just be a bit sh*t

This means it would not be a surprise if Tottenham sign an attacker or two in the winter, with a recent report claiming that their players have internally made it clear that they are ‘desperate’ for reinforcements in this department.

Now, Spanish outlet Fichajes claims Spurs are ‘preparing’ an ‘offer’ worth around £53m (60 million euros) for Real Sociedad winger Takefuso Kubo. This is the value of his current release clause.

The 24-year-old has sparkled for Real Sociedad over the past couple of seasons and has been sporadically linked with a move to several Premier League sides.

Spurs have often been mentioned as a possible destination, with the report claiming that they are now ‘determined to go all out’ with an ‘offer’ in the winter.

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The report claims:

‘Tottenham have identified Takefusa Kubo as a top attacking priority in the upcoming transfer window. The English club are looking for a player who can provide attacking flair, creativity, and goals, and the Japanese winger perfectly fits the profile their manager is seeking.

‘After several failed attempts in previous campaigns, Tottenham seem determined to go all out for the Real Sociedad player. The €60 million figure matches his release clause, meaning the Basque club would have no room to negotiate a lower price. The London club is confident of finalizing the deal quickly and incorporating the Japanese player as a key part of their new sporting project.’

It has also been claimed that Spurs are targeting several Brentford players who worked with Frank at the London club.

Nathan Collins has been mooted as a target after Spurs failed with a move for Bryan Mbeumo in the summer, while Igor Thiago is another option.

The striker has six goals in his ten Premier League appearances this season and several reports in South America have claimed that the north London outfit, Aston Villa and Newcastle United are in contact over signing him next year.

Mauricio Pochettino has suggested a return to England is “possible” as he told former club Tottenham what they should be aiming for and they “deserve.”

Spurs changed manager over the summer and there have already been calls for the new man’s head. Thomas Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou, whose Tottenham side finished 17th in the Premier League last season, and he has them sixth after 10 games.

In the Champions League, meanwhile, Spurs have two wins and two draws, so things seem to be progressing well enough, but some have taken issue to Frank’s style.

It does not seem he is in any immediate danger given the marked improvement on last season, but the north London club might be roused by the potential of one of their most successful managers returning.

Pochettino, who earned 1.84 points per game during his time at Spurs, guided them to a second-placed Premier League finish and a Champions League final, has discussed a return to English football.

He told talkSPORT: “Maybe it’s possible. Yes, maybe my challenge in the future, of course, after the World Cup and being now focusing on the USA national team, is maybe to come back one day to the Premier League.

“We were so close with Tottenham to win the Premier League and the and Champions League, and I think the fans, not the fans, but I think in that case we wanted to win the Premier League and the Champions League because it’s in that case.

“Tottenham is a club that deserves this type of titles, you know, this type of trophies.”

It seems evident that Pochettino would like the chance to win the English top flight having previously come close, be that with Spurs or another club.

He also somewhat diminished the achievement of former boss Postecoglou, who broke the club’s trophy drought of 17 years when he guided them to Europa League glory.

But Pochettino had Spurs one step away from the Champions League trophy, and though any silverware would have been nice for the club having gone so long without winning any, they’d surely rather the elite European competition than the one a step below it.

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Pochettino continued: “And yes, why not one day to come back to the Premier League? For me, the Premier League is the best league in the world, the most competitive.

“And yes, I don’t say that it’s an unfinished show, but I think why not have the possibility again to challenge and to be involved in the Premier League and to challenge for the big things.”

This is the first meeting between these two since they contested last season’s Europa League final – a terrible match although one with a very happy outcome if you were a Spurs fan.

That showdown came after both had flopped horribly in the Premier League but the table makes for much happier reading this time.

After 10 games, Tottenham are sixth and United eighth and yet both managers, Thomas Frank and Ruben Amorim, have still had their fare share of stick this season.

Frank was drawing heat after a woeful Spurs display in the limp 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea last weekend but the mood changed on Tuesday as Micky van de Ven scored a wonder goal, racing the length of the pitch to score the third goal in the 4-0 home Champions League win over Copenhagen.

The trajectory for United is generally positive but last week’s 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest meant they still only have one win in five away Premier League games so far.

True, that was a 2-1 victory at Liverpool but it’s fair to say they rode their luck at Anfield.

How to watch Spurs v Man Utd

Spurs v Man Utd kicks off at 12.30 GMT on Saturday, November 8 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The game will be shown live on Discovery+ and TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting from 11am.

TalkSPORT will provide full match commentary.

Spurs team news

Tottenham have a lengthy long-term injury list and Frank’s options could be hit further after Mohammed Kudus missed the win over Copenhagen with a knock.

Brennan Johnson, who scored before being sent off in that game, may fill in.

Frank will have to choose between Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert on the other flank while Randal Kolo Muani will probably be his preferred option over Richarlison down the middle.

Lucas Bergvall again has so sit this one out due to concussion protocols.

Spurs expected line-up

(4-2-3-1) Vicario; Porro, Danso, van de Van, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kudus, Simons, Sarr; Kolo Muani.

Man Utd team news

The United starting XI is starting to feel more familiar now although there may be a change in central defence.

Lisandro Martinez is back in training so could push for a start but Harry Maguire, who only made the subs bench at Forest, is more likely to be the one to replace Lenny Yoro in the three-man backline.

In attack, Amorim will hope his three big forward summer signings, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, can continue to gel further.

With no European football this season, they have less chance to work on each other’s patterns of play.

Man Utd expected line-up

(3-4-2-1) Lammens; de Ligt, Maguire, Shaw; Amad, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dalot; Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko.

Spurs vs Man Utd stats

– Tottenham completed the Premier League double over Manchester United last season – they last won three consecutive league games against the Red Devils in 1959/1960.

– Manchester United are winless in their last seven meetings with Tottenham in all competitions (D2 L5), losing each of the last four – the last team to win five in a row against the Red Devils were Liverpool between 2000 and 2002.

– No side has lost more home Premier League matches in 2025 than Tottenham Hotspur (9). Only in 1994 and 2003 (10 in each) have Spurs reached double figures for home defeats in a year in their league history.

– Manchester United are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games (W3 D1), their joint best run under manager Ruben Amorim.

– Across spells with Brentford and Spurs, Thomas Frank has suffered nine defeats in his last 16 home Premier League matches (W3 D4).

– Only Liverpool (156) have had more shots in the Premier League this season than Manchester United (153) and no side has had more shots on target than they have (54).

– Only against Southampton and Brighton (5) has Man Utd’s Bryan Mbeumo scored more Premier League goals than he has against Spurs (4), with three of his four against them coming at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs vs Man Utd predictions

One thing’s for sure, this will surely be a better spectacle than last May’s Europa League final in Bilbao.

As for the actual outcome, the evidence is mixed.

Spurs have struggled badly at home in the Premier League this season even though they’ve had United’s number in recent matches.

In addition, United look far more convincing at home than away so don’t cry out to be backed either.

Almost by default, the draw at 5/2 is probably the best bet.

It’s likely to be a scoring draw and one standout to find the net is Bryan Mbeumo, who has wheeled away in celebration three times previously at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.