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Arsenal vs Tottenham LIVE SCORE: Premier League clash on NOW as Son fires Spurs ahead in North London derby – updates

Spurs' skipper breaks the deadlock

ARSENAL are taking on fierce rivals Tottenham in a huge Premier League clash RIGHT NOW.

Spurs skipper Son Heung-min fired the visitors ahead with a superb volley against the run of play on 25 minutes.

The headline team news from the Emirates is that Raheem Sterling and Leandro Trossard replace the injured Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli, who starts on the bench.

TV channel: TNT Sports 1

Live stream: discovery+

Arsenal team: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Sterling, Havertz, Trossard

Tottenham team: Kinsky, Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence, Bissouma, Sarr, Bergvall, Kulusevski, Solanke, Son

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Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham

He seemed to be trying to prevent the game being restarted.

Arsenal have it all to do here now, despite their domination, they trail in the North London derby.

Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham

The cauldron of noise has now turned into a North London library.

As a cross comes in, Son takes it on the volley and shows great technique to stroke it into the bottom corner of the goal.

It did seem to take a slight deflection on the way through, not that it will matter to the visitors.

Goal - Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

As a corner comes in, Arsenal fail to deal with it and it drops to Kulusevski.

He skips past his man and has a sight of goal but goes for the near post and Raya parries it behind for another corner.

That is the difference between a decent Premier League player and a world class one right there.

The Spurs winger should have been looking to shoot into the far corner there.

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

The Tottenham keeper is making Raya look like Pirlo his passing range.

Spurs counter and a dangerous ball into the back post almost finds Solanke but Saliba puts it behind for a corner.

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

He seems to feel confident with the ball at his feet but every game he has played in for Spurs so far, he has got himself into trouble either dwelling on the ball or playinng a loose pass.

All that matters so far is that it has not cost his side a goal.

Around the grounds - half time

Not many goals about this evening - just Alexander Isak doing what he does best.

The Toon forward continues his remarkable scoring stream, slamming in from the edge of the box just before the break to give Newcastle the lead over Wolves.

Elsewhere, we're still waiting for an opener at Everton and Leicester.

Everton 0-0 Aston Villa

Leicester 0-0 Crystal Palace

Newcastle 1-0 Wolves

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

Arsenal have had a lot of practice at these already in this game, despite only 17 minutes having been played.

Odegaard swings it in deep but Kinsky punches clear.

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

His follow through seemed to catch Partey, although the midfielder did make the most of it.

It is almost like Arteta has trained his players with the approach 'if you feel any contact, go down like you've stepped on an IED'.

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

Partey had the goal at his mercy but as he opened up his body to shoot, Bergvall was able to head it clear.

Tottenham are struggling to get out of their own half currently.

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

Kinsky is wise to the tactic and standing firm to punch clear.

The pressure is taken off the visitors as the referee awards them a free-kick on the halfway line.

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

Kinsky does well to block at the near post, giving the hosts another corner in the early stages.

Wimbledon, I mean Arsenal, look to capitalise from another set-piece.

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

The visitors last won here fifteen years ago, that is quite a baffling stat.

Sterling gets down the wing and looks to cross but Gray blocks at the expense of a corner.

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

It has been one-way traffic since the kick-off.

Tottenham are just looking to survive the early onslaught.

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

Lewis-Skelly threads it through the middle for Sterling, who has a free run on the Tottenham goal.

Kinsky comes charging off his line and it is almost as if the former Chelsea winger spotted him and went into the challenge half-hearted.

Toon vs Wolves update

Still goalless at St James' Park, where goal machine Alexander Isak has just gone close.

Fascinating tactical battle so far at St James’ with Wolves’ high-press leaving Newcastle bamboozled at times, writes SunSport's Gary Stonehouse.

Jacob Murphy has had Toon’s only two efforts on goal so far, while Goncalo Guedes could have put the visitors ahead but dragged his shot wide.

One man on the pitch is shining brightest under the lights though and that’s Anthony Gordon, but we’ll have to wait and see whether he can conjure up some magic for a breakthrough.

Arsenal 0-0 Tottenham

In his first two games for the club, he has kept two clean sheets, another tonight would be a dream start to his Tottenham career.

Sterling is fouled in a wide position and referee awards a free-kick.

Rice swings it into the danger area but the visitors just about manage to clear their lines.

Kick-off: Arsenal vs Tottenham

We are underway at The Emirates.

The battle of North London, with so much at stake for both.

Tottenham get the game started.

Forwards with chance to make their mark

Kai Havertz and Dominic Solanke lead the line for the respective teams in tonight's North London derby.

Neither has scored as many goals as the fans would have liked to see and still have someway to go to justify their monumental price tags.

Scoring the winner against their local rivals could go some way to giving them cult status with the fans.

Slow start

No goals as yet in the early kick-offs, with Villa's Morgan Rogers going closest to breaking the deadlock.

His rasping drive was well saved by Jordan Pickford - but Moyes' men have struggled to get out of first gear at Goodison Park.

Everton 0-0 Aston Villa

Leicester 0-0 Crystal Palace

Newcastle 0-0 Wolves

Spaniard calm before big clash

The Arsenal manager spoke with TNT Sports about the North London derby and taking advantage of Liverpool and Nottingham Forest's draw last night:

We all love these games, especially at home. That is the moment of the season, you have the chance to close the gap. Take things as they come, make the most out of it. We want to recreate the feeling that we can make a lot of our fans very happy.

Mikel Arteta

Gunners massive favourites for win

The bookies cannot see anything but a win for Arsenal in the North London derby this evening.

Arsenal - 3/8

Draw - 17/4

Tottenham - 6/1

All match odds brought to you by Betway.

Huge game for both sides in North London

Arsenal cannot afford any result other than victory this evening if they are dreaming of a title race still.

Defeat to their local rivals would be a serious dent to Mikel Arteta's hopes of challenging for the Premier League title.

Ange Postecoglou has come under criticism for his tactics and attacking style, however, you feel tonight that could be the key to any success they get at The Emirates.

View of SunSport's Gary Stonehouse at St James' Park

Isak is looking to become Alexander the Great tonight after overcoming his hamstring issue to start for Newcastle.

The Swedish star is aiming to eclipse Alan Shearer and team-mate Joe Willock by becoming the first Toon star to score in eight straight Prem matches.

The Mags are also hoping to make it nine wins on the bounce - but a resurgent Wolves stand in their way.

ARSENAL host fierce rivals Tottenham this evening with boss Mikel Arteta having plenty of key decisions to ponder.

The Gunners go into the match with the right side of their attack having been decimated by injury.

Bukayo Saka remains a long-term absentee with a hamstring injury, while Ethan Nwaneri also has a muscular injury.

Gabriel Jesus became their latest attacker to be struck by the injury bug on Sunday, when he was taken off on a stretcher with an ACL issue.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou will have little sympathy for Arteta, with the Lilywhites having plenty of injury issues of their own.

Nevertheless, the Spaniard will have his work cut out in selecting the correct combination up front.

Gabriel Martinelli would seem a shoo-in to start on the left flank, with Kai Havertz likely to continue down the middle.

The right wing is harder to predict, given Arsenal's injury issues.

Raheem Sterling replaced Jesus on Sunday, and could come in to make just his third Premier League start for the Gunners.

Arteta could alternatively turn to Leandro Trossard.

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Arsenal's goalkeeper and centre-backs pick themselves, with David Raya, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes to start.

Jurrien Timber is likely to begin at right-back, although Arteta could go for Thomas Partey.

Myles Lewis-Skelly may get the nod over Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back.

Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are certainties to start in Arsenal's midfield three - and could be partnered by any of Partey, Mikel Merino or even Kai Havertz.

Should Havertz play in midfield, Sterling could be an option to fill in up front.

In addition to Saka, Nwaneri and Jesus, Arsenal also have defensive injuries to deal with.

Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Riccardo Calafiori are all out with knee injuries.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have several absentees of their own.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is out, as well as defenders Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie.

Ben Davies has returned to training, but is unlikely to feature.

Rodrigo Bentancur remains sidelined with concussion protocols, while Wilson Odobert and Timo Werner will miss out with muscular issues.

ARSENAL host Tottenham this evening in what is set to be a mouthwatering North London derby.

The Gunners will be desperate to resurrect their spluttering title chase, following devastating cup defeats to Newcastle and Manchester United.

Tottenham, meanwhile, hope to shake off their FA Cup scare at Tamworth to derail their fierce rivals' campaign.

Arsenal will have to cope without the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri in their front-line, with the trio all crocked.

While Spurs' defence remains decimated, as Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie miss out.

Here, SunSport runs through the tantalising clash that could make or break both clubs' seasons.

How much pressure is on the manager going into NLD?

Arsenal: This is the most pressure Mikel Arteta has been under in years, but is he close to the sack? No chance.

Yet there is now an expectation and understanding around the club and the fan base that going a few games without a win is unacceptable.

Lose to their most bitter rivals at home and that will be ramped up another notch with major questions being asked of Arteta, as well as putting another dent in their withering title charge.

Tottenham: Some, but not as much as you may think given Spurs have lost half their 20 Premier League games this season.

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Ange Postecoglou remains backed by the hierarchy who are understanding of his injury crisis, while the Aussie still has the team in all cup competitions.

The “very poor” form in the league, as Postecoglou put it, must improve though and you would fear for him if the losing ratio does not improve.

Supporters, at least the ones that attend games, are still generally on Postecoglou’s side too.

Unlike his predecessors, the 59-year-old has not aimed any thinly-veiled digs towards Daniel Levy and the board over backing and says the responsibility lies squarely with him.

That will not be enough to save the ex-Celtic boss if there is not an upturn eventually, but cannot hurt when Levy is mulling over his latest manager’s fate.

Where has it gone wrong this winter?

Arsenal: To put it simply: injuries, illness and key players out of form. Losing Bukayo Saka was a huge blow, and without him the squad look bereft of ideas, inspiration or belief.

Kai Havertz and skipper Martin Odegaard suffered the most from the Christmas sickness bug that hit the players, and their performances have slumped as a result.

The likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus are also either injured or preparing to come back from injury.

It has been a brutal winter for Arsenal, one they need to shake off fast.

Tottenham: Injuries mainly, and also, in part, Postecoglou’s refusal to adapt in spite of them.

Spurs have been decimated, particularly in defence.

Starting centre-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven – as well as back-up Ben Davies – have all been out for a while and continue to be absent.

The same can be said for left-back Destiny Udogie, while Guglielmo Vicario’s fractured ankle was so key that the club pushed forward plans to buy another goalkeeper and brought in Antonin Kinsky last week.

Yet Postecoglou continued to persevere to play out from the back in Vicario’s absence, even when Fraser Forster, the man who came for the Italian, was ill-suited to it.

But being down the to the bare bones, as Harry Redknapp would put it, was the key.

Richarlison is back for the North London derby but has been injured for nigh-on the whole season.

Do they need to buy in January?

Arsenal: Yes, badly. An attacking threat is required with Saka, Jesus and Nwaneri currently out as well as Havertz missing his shooting boots the last few weeks.

Arsenal are actively on the lookout for recruits, but they have their limitations when it comes to finances, and could even eye a makeshift loan move.

That is how desperate they are.

Tottenham: Yes, and they already have.

Kinsky, 21, has been recruited from Slavia Prague for £12.5million plus add-ons.

He has made an electric start and became the first Spurs keeper for a hundred years to keep a clean sheet in his first two games after Sunday’s shut-out against Tamworth.

But more is needed with the club identifying centre-back, central midfield and a versatile attacker before the window opened.

A midfielder is looking less likely at the moment but up top is definitely an area they want to have bolstered by February.

What is an acceptable finish to the season?

Arsenal: While top spot is what Arteta, the players and the fans dream of, there must be a realisation that given how this season has gone and the gap between themselves and Liverpool, a top four finish – preferably in second place – would just about be acceptable.

However, supporters will not be happy if the Gunners end up battling for fourth spot with the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle and Chelsea.

Tottenham: The cups and Europe have become hugely significant.

For fans, the league is gone. Spurs are nearer to the drop zone than fourth spot, so hopes have dwindled of reaching the Champions League.

Postecoglou still feels his side can go on a run when they get their players back but winning the Europa League looks their best route to qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition.

Levy and the board will not like to see regression after last season’s fifth-placed finish and generally have not seemed to put too much stock in the cups.

Indeed, Levy even hinted that the League Cup should be done away with when speaking at a fans’ forum earlier this season.

Ironically though, if Postecoglou can win that competition, then it could go a long way to quelling the fan disharmony towards Levy, given the lack of trophies is the stick they beat him with during his 25-year tenure.

Describe the mood of the manager in three words…

Arsenal: Edgy, impatient, determined.

Tottenham: Jekyll-and-Hyde (IF THAT’S ONE WORD), spiky (then) charming.

Where will the derby be won and lost?

Arsenal: The wide players.

Arteta has a choice of whether to throw Raheem Sterling on the right, or use one of either Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli as a makeshift right winger to link up with playmaker Odegaard.

Get that right, and Havertz could finally get the service he needs to end his mini-rut.

Tottenham: Arsenal’s struggles in front of goal, especially without stricken striker Gabriel Jesus, is an obvious boost to Spurs.

But for all the talk of Postecoglou’s side being wide open at the back, Spurs’ nine goals conceded on the road in the league is actually the lowest in the division.

Tottenham looked more pragmatic in their 1-0 win over Liverpool and Postecoglou could try to replicate it here.

Too often his midfield has been too easy to play through but one of Pape Sarr, Yves Bissouma and wonderkid Lucas Bergvall could be more resilient.

That of course would mean benching James Maddison, but that Postecoglou has done that quite frequently this season and will not be afraid to again.

Arsenal’s 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this season was a tight affair and a similar game would not be a surprise.

Predictions

Jordan Davies: 2-1 Arsenal

TOTTENHAM new boy Antonin Kinsky has been tipped to join Real Madrid.

Kinsky, 21, has enjoyed a whirlwind start to his Spurs career since signing from Slavia Prague nine days ago.

With Guglielmo Vicario still out with a fractured foot, Kinsky went straight into the starting XI for Tottenham's 1-0 League Cup semi-final first leg with over Liverpool.

The Czech ace then experienced the other side of English football, playing the full game as Spurs beat Tamworth 3-0 after extra time in the FA Cup.

Prior to breaking into Slavia's first team, Kinsky spent seasons on loan at Czech sides Vyskov and Pardubice.

While with the latter he displaced stopper Viktor Budinsky, who remains with the club.

Kinsky's emergence at Spurs has caused great excitement among Czech football fans.

And speaking to Czech paper MF DNES, Budinsky did little to dampen the hype.

"Great boy. Already at the first training session it was clear that he was different," he said of Kinsky.

"Strong in the head, healthy confident and purposeful. He can be even higher in three years."

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Quizzed over where he sees Kinsky going next, he added: "At Real Madrid. Plus, he is learning Spanish, he’ll be ready, he won’t get lost there.

"When Tonda [Kinsky] came to us in Pardubice from Vyskov, who were playing in the second league, many would not have said that he would be in the Premier League within two years.

"And yet. I think Tottenham is an intermediate step for him, that an even bigger club is waiting for him."

Kinsky is contracted to Spurs until 2031.

Upon joining the club, he said: "I’m really happy to be here and to sign the contract.

"It’s a pleasure for me because Tottenham is a big name in Europe, in the world, especially in the Czech Republic so, as I say, for me it's a big honour and I’m really happy.

'THE RIGHT CHOICE'

"I spoke with the coaches, I spoke with the sporting director, almost with everyone, and I really got the feeling that this is going to be the right choice.

"I’m looking forward to everything. For me, it is a new experience. I’m really happy to make that first step outside of the country (Czechia).

"I’m really happy, I’m really excited and I’m looking forward to the training sessions, to the games because, of course, it is the aim of every player to be on the pitch.

"And that is what I am going to do; I’m going try to push in the training session to get the minutes."

Vicario is expected to remain sidelined for at least another month.

It is then not a given that he will return straight to the starting XI, with Kinsky signed to challenge for the No1 spot.

ARSENAL face a make-or-break North London derby as they look to shrug off back-to-back cup defeats.

Mikel Arteta's side drew against Brighton before falling to a Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Newcastle.

They then exited the FA Cup after a penalty shoot-out loss to Manchester United.

Yet all is not lost, because the Gunners have the chance to regroup and refocus their attention on the Premier League title battle, currently six points behind Liverpool.

However, their next match could be a season-defining game for them as they host bitter rivals Tottenham on Wednesday.

Ange Postecoglou's side have been in sticky form of late, beating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup before needing extra time to triumph over National League side Tamworth.

SunSport's Will Pugh and tactical guru Dean Scoggins have highlighted five areas how Spurs could KO Arsenal's title bid this season.

Organised chaos

There is a perception about Tottenham that they play a very wild style of football, and while this is true to a degree there is more than meets the eye within Postecoglou's system.

The Aussie manager's uniquely rigid attacking structure incorporates a left-hand set and a right-hand set of players.

And in the last few weeks, that system has - believe it or not - been adapting amid a flurry of errors from young and inexperienced players parachuted into the team due to an injury crisis.

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The current treatment room list means the likely centre-back pairing for this game will force Radu Dragusin to be paired alongside Archie Gray, with brand new goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky in goal.

Spurs will look to nullify their mistakes by playing out from the back even more than has been seen previously, with Yves Bissouma dropping into the space between them as they split to receive the ball.

In attack, Tottenham look to operate as a pair of wheels on either side of the pitch but without much crossover to the other flanks.

In this system, only the centre-backs, holding midfielder and striker are asked to stick to their main position, often allowing them to dominate possession due to overloads.

Unfortunately, this system can make Spurs susceptible to teams setting up against them, as Arsenal did at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this season.

Underlap, overlap, wandering free

Tottenham are a team who often do not look to generate chances through crossing from out wide, but do tend to score a lot with cutbacks.

This is often due to Spurs relying heavily on underlaps with the wingers hugging the touchline while the fullbacks - likely to be Pedro Porro and Djed Spence against Arsenal - invert centrally.

Spence, a right-footed full-back, has been particularly impressive deputising for Destiny Udogie at left-back in the last few weeks.

In a perfectly executed gameplan, this pair of wheels allow for the full-backs to move forward into a dangerous area before being able to find a cutback for a more central team-mate.

One of the main sources of Postecoglou's frustration this season has often come with Spurs giving the ball away and the wheels literally falling off.

But to that end the former Celtic boss has tweaked his tactics.

The first change to the system has been to concede some ground and move the team deeper to accommodate for Gray and Dragusin not being as quick as Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

The full-backs are also not going forward as quickly, with Porro in particular showing much more discipline in the last few weeks.

The third change has been to use to two pivots to collect the ball and build up instead of one, with Bissouma and one other dropping in to help the ball progress.

Sterling effort

It does not take a genius to figure out Bukayo Saka's absence from the Arsenal team has hit them hard.

The Hale End graduate has been a talismanic figure for the Gunners since breaking into the team, and was their spearhead across their last two title challenging campaigns.

While most teams may tend to split attacks more evenly across the field, Arsenal often played much more down the right, mainly due to Saka's excellence and his strong link with Martin Odegaard.

Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus had both played in the role before getting injured themselves, which almost certainly means Raheem Sterling is going to be asked to play there against Spurs.

The former Liverpool and Manchester City star will be key for Arsenal if they are to get anything from the game.

What Arteta will ask the ex-England international to do is pick up the ball on the run, rather than with his back to goal, allowing him to then make a diagonal run into an interior position.

Movement like this will allow Sterling to crossover with Kai Havertz in a nightmare rotation for the Spurs defence, offer a lay off to Odegaard, or try and find Gabriel Martinelli as he bombs up the left flank.

The presence of Spence up against Sterling will create a unique opportunity for Arsenal to exploit, with Jurrien Timber potentially being allowed to go up the space left on the outside.

Sterling, 30, has flattered to deceive since arriving at the Emirates on loan.

He had an indifferent game against Man Utd on Sunday, but could have a watershed match against Spurs as he is finally given the chance to prove he can help the misfiring Gunners hit their mark.

Art stoppers

There is a perception around Arsenal that they have failed to hit the same heights as they did last season, having struggled to score in open play in many games this campaign.

Despite going out of the FA Cup, Arsenal still have the chance to make a Carabao Cup final if they can muster a heroic performance against Newcastle at St James' Park.

They can also close the gap on the top of the league if some results go in their favour, which would serve to turn the current negative narrative of the club around.

Arteta has built the bedrock of his team on being defensively sound, and are actually set up in such a way that they have an extra player screening to prevent counter-attacks.

Declan Rice and one of Mikel Merino or Thomas Partey are often the players charged with this duty, but the key to unlocking Spurs may need to come from Arteta taking the shackles off of his team.

While Arsenal have a dangerous attack on paper, the lack of movement from midfield - while often proving defensively sound - hurts their chances of open play goals due to there not being enough movement to give opposition defenders cause for concern.

Consequently, this has led to their attack becoming stodgy due to it being too rigid.

However, to break down Spurs, Arsenal may need to unlock one of these screening players to make runs beyond the defence and give the defence food for thought.

King Dom's come

Toothless Tottenham needed to bring on talisman Dominic Solanke to beat Tamworth in the FA Cup.

There was a lot of debate over whether he would be a better signing for them than Ivan Toney, but 11 goals and six assists already this season have proven Solanke to be the right deal.

But there are still many aspects of his game which do not get the credit they deserve, such as his effort, ability to track, pressing and overall world class team ethic.

Solanke is often overlooked for a lot of the off-ball work he makes to open space up for team-mates.

These exploits can include his runs forcing a defender to commit to marking him or pinning defenders.

Against Arsenal he is likely to target William Saliba rather than Gabriel Magalhaes in the air.

Spurs will look to use the England international as a key pivot player up front, using him to play off the two wheels on either side of their attack.

Solanke is often able to unlock defences when he has runners such as Brennan Johnson going beyond the defensive line in behind, with this ability being integral to a number of goals through pre-assists.

The 27-year-old will be key for Spurs' front-footed defence against Arsenal, while his team-mates know if they can use him to his best he will help them create a dangerous chance even if he is not the one to finish it off.

And it is thanks to the likes of Solanke, that the last game Arsenal would want at the moment is Tottenham.

ANDY PEAKS repeated the mantra before, during and after the greatest two hours of his football career.

“Believe in yourselves. Believe. Believe. Believe. I tell you week in, week out, people don’t want to come here. THEY certainly don’t want to be here. Stay in the game and see where it takes you.”

They were supposed to be Lambs to the slaughter — but for 120 glorious, sweat-drenched, fist-clenched minutes tiny Tamworth roared like lions.

And I was privileged to be at the heart of it all as SunSport was given the kind of access rarely seen at this level.

We love the FA Cup and, after Tamworth’s heroics, I am sure the nation has fallen head over heels for this unique, historic competition all over again after witnessing this epic David-versus-Goliath tie.

I spent the week shadowing Tamworth manager Peaks, general manager Scott Rickards, club secretary Archie Baynham and the players, those red-and-black-clad warriors who went toe-to-toe with Tottenham.

I was with them, scraping ice off cars at 10.30pm on Thursday in -4C conditions after their ONLY training session of the week.

If that is what they could produce after just 90 minutes of preparation to face Ange Postecoglou’s millionaires think what they could have done if they were full-time?

Peaks’ team included a taxi driver, building surveyor, bricklayer, marketing executive, financial adviser, engineer, teacher, sandwich-maker and even a zip salesman.

But he has somehow found a way to mould this group of part-time warriors into serial scrappers and serial winners after back-to-back title wins.

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I shared breakfast with the squad after they gathered at nearby Drayton Manor Hotel, within the grounds of the theme park, before the white-knuckle ride of their lives.

And I sat with them on the team coach during the short hop to The Lamb, when over-eager security staff stopped us at the entrance — to make sure the luxury coach with Tamworth FC emblazoned on the front was indeed what it said on the tin.

That comedy moment lightened the mood among the players ahead of the biggest game of their lives. The tension built during the pre-match warm-ups.

I walked by the Spurs dressing room and witnessed some of their star players being strapped up on the treatment table they had brought with them - in the chilly corridor outside.

And I was there to hear Peaks demand that his players believed this could be their day during his inspirational pre-match team talk.

I was with them, scraping ice off cars at 10.30pm on Thursday in -4C conditions after their ONLY training session of the week.

Then it was out to the roar of 3,000 Tamworth fans… and the murmurs of 800 Tottenham supporters who were probably still rubbing the sleep from their bleary eyes.

Mighty Tottenham towered above fifth-tier Tamworth - a massive 96 places above them in the football pyramid.

The build-up for both sides couldn’t have been much more polarised.

Tamworth got home, bleary-eyed at 2.30am on Wednesday morning following a 1-0 FA Trophy defeat at Sutton United.

Spurs warmed up with a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup.

But first, there was an unexpected hiccup as kick-off was delayed for five minutes after one of the nets became unclipped from its hooks.

Spurs stars looked bemused as a ladder and net technician were called for.

However, Lambs winger Beck-Ray Enoru - usually a Sales Assistant for Zara - sprang into action, clambering on to the shoulders of giant defender Jordan Cullinane-Liburd to save the day.

Job done, Tamworth’s army of fans in the Shed chanted: “We are Tamworth… we fix our own nets!” And then we were off.

Tamworth got off to a flyer when Enoru almost found the Spurs net with a shot which goalie Antonin Kinsky did well to save.

First-team coach Tim Dudding turned to me and said: “No matter what happens now… at least we’ve had a shot.”

He needn’t have worried. By the end of a dramatic afternoon, Tamworth had rattled off 13 shots to Tottenham’s 17.

As Peaks supped tea from a cardboard carton, it soon became evident something special was brewing.

That was different class. You’ve all been part of an unbelievable day. Be disappointed because we came so close to rewriting the history books.

Andy Peaks

Jas Singh - whose partner gave birth to a son on Saturday night - was defiant in the Tamworth goal, defying James Maddison more than once.

Tom Tonks hurled in his trademark Howitzer long throws and Kinsky looked uneasy as he missed one completely, before going on to regain his composure.

At half-time, honours even, Peaks urged his team for another big push: “Everyone’s performed their role. You’ve out-battled them, you’ve shut them down, we look a threat when we get it.

“More of the same. More of the same. Do not switch off.

“They’re probably going to get a rollicking because they’ve not hurt you.”

As we settled down for the second half Peaks turned to me, smiled and said: “At least they’ve not got much on the bench to bring on.”

However, Tamworth forced Postecoglou to send on all of his big guns as Lucas Bergvall, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Djed Spence entered the fray.

“We wanted Arsenal… we wanted Arsenal,” Tamworth fans taunted.

Ange kept his cool throughout but he breathed a sigh of relief when Tom McGlichey’s shot was blocked then Kinsky saved crucially to deny Cullinane-Liburd in the dying seconds.

The deadlock was finally broken 11 minutes into extra-time when Spurs scored following a controversial free-kick, harshly awarded by ref Peter Bankes.

Villain of the day Pedro Porro shaped up to shoot but slid the ball around the wall instead and in the chaos which followed the ball ricocheted off Nathan Tshikuna’s knee and landed in his own net.

It was a cruel blow but Peaks reminded his side at the break: “Keep believing - you’ll get one chance.”

It fell to McGlinchey whose audacious chip flew just over with Kinsky stranded.

Sadly for the Lambs, Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson took theirs to flatter the visitors with a 3-0 win.

Afterwards, Peaks was full of praise for his heroes.

He told them: “That was different class. I don’t think you realise how good you were at times.

“You’ve all been part of an unbelievable day. Be disappointed because we came so close to rewriting the history books.

“The general performance, the attitude, they are raving on commentary about how good you were. Well done.”

This was Peaks performance without a shadow of a doubt.

FANS slammed a “cruel” FA Cup rule change that saw non-league Tamworth denied a money-spinning replay at Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou’s Premier League giants were taken to extra time by their hosts after the initial 90 minutes ended in a 0-0 draw.

Tamworth did their fans proud as they brilliantly kept a clean sheet in normal time while also recording 13 shots of their own.

But Spurs’ might and squad depth paid dividends later on when they took the lead through a 101st minute own-goal from Nathan Muya Tshikuna.

Dejan Kulusevksi then made it 2-0 six minutes later.

And Brennan Johnson sealed an emphatic 3-0 win for the visitors with a goal at the death.

However, many fans feel Tamworth were denied a proper reward for their efforts in the normal 90.

Old FA Cup rules meant a draw between sides in that time resulted in a replay.

Had those still applied today, it would have seen Tamworth travel to London for a money-spinning adventure at Spurs’ £1billion stadium – which holds 62,850 compared to their Lamb Ground at 4,000.

FA Cup replays were scrapped only in April last year following a scheduling agreement with the Premier League.

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And taking to social media, fans blasted the “cruel” change that denied the Staffordshire side their time in the sun.

One said: “Tamworth grafted for a 0-0. A replay would see them right for five years, but because the big boys get tired, replays are scrapped.”

Another declared: “The FA and Premier League has taken away the glory of a replay for Tamworth, it would have meant so much footballing wise and financially.”

One noted: “Tamworth not getting a replay which would likely bank them £1m is all wrong.”

Another added: “Robbing the players of their small piece of fame and robbing the local clubs of ££.”

Live Blog

UP FOR THE CUP

FA Cup LIVE SCORES: Tamworth vs Tottenham on NOW plus updates from Newcastle vs Bromley and Crystal Palace vs Stockport

THE FA Cup third round has produced some huge upsets so far - and plenty more could be on the cards today.

Tamworth, who are the lowest-ranked side left in the iconic competition, welcome Premier League giants Tottenham in one of Sunday's early kick-offs.

SunSport will bring you the very latest from all of today's FA Cup third round ties, including high-flying Newcastle's clash with League Two Bromley.

Kick off times: 12pm/12.30pm/3pm/4.30pm

Explainer: Whenis FA Cup 4th round draw?

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Follow our live blog below...

HT: Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

The referee brings the first-half to a close.

It has been entertaining and the non-league side have held their own.

Ange Postecoglou will know that they are are very much in a game here in this cup match.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

Spurs are knocking the ball around, looking to stretch the hosts.

They force a corner to test the Tamworth defence.

Hull City 0-1 Doncaster

Despite the hosts' dominance in the first-half, they take the lead through Luke Molyneux.

The Tigers have it all to do now.

Goal - Luke Molyneux (Doncaster)

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

Tamworth need to hold out until the interval.

They deserve to be on level terms given their performance so far.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

Spurs get into all sorts of problems as Kinsky is way out of his goal.

The visitors manage to scramble it clear for a throw-in.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

Tamworth are dropping off Spurs a little now, not pressing the way they have for the majority of the half.

The hosts seem like they would benefit from the half-time breather now.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

He seems confident enough to come and claim them.

That is more than can be said of the usual first-choice keeper Vicario.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

The hosts fool eveeryone as they take it short and Enoru gets to the byline before trying to cross.

It is well blocked, at the expense of a corner.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

That will give them some confidence in this game.

Maddison is down on the near side but gingerly gets back to his feet.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

Maddison receives the ball and skips past his man, giving him some time and space in front of him.

He looks to bend one in the far corner but Singh gets down well to turn it around the post.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

They have restricted Spurs to many efforts at goal.

Apart Maddison's speculative effort, Singh has had little to do.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

Enoru will be hoping it is nothing too serious.

Another long throw from Tonks is half-cleared by the visitors.

HT: Hull City 0-0 Doncaster

It is all square in the other early kick-off this afternoon.

The hosts have dominated possession and had the majority of the chances.

However, Donacaster are creating opportunities themselves and as long as the scores are level, are very much in this game.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

They are just lacking that final pass to unlock Spurs.

This is by no means a comfortable start to the game for the visitors.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

He looks to thread a ball through for Maddison but it is slightly overhit and runs out for a goal kick.

Brief glimpse of goal for the visitors.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

When Spurs get time on the ball, the gulf in class is there for all to see.

However, when the hosts get on top of the vistors and in their faces, they look uneasy.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

It looked like it was going to cause Kinsky some issues but Gray gets a block in to put it behind for a corner.

The Tottenham keeper collects the resulting cross well.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

He shifts it onto his left-foot and lets rip at goal.

The keeper seems to have it covered as his effort narrowly goes over the crossbar.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

It is exactly what you need to do as the underdog in these games.

High-tempo and give the visitors no time on the ball at all.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

Kinsky struggles under pressure but is awarded a free-kick.

The ball ran through and actually hit the far post.

Keepers are protected far too much by officials now.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

The youngster has a chance to make a real impression here today.

Tamworth relieve the pressure as they look to get the ball downfield.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

We have none of the usual lower-league vibes where the playing surface acts as a leveller between the teams.

Tottenham are trying to get into their groove early on.

Tamworth 0-0 Tottenham

This is the beauty of the FA Cup.

It cares not for position of statue in the league pyramid, just two teams going toe-to-toe looking to book a place in the next round.

SPURS are facing a big window to give Ange Postecoglou the help he needs after so many of his first team have been laid low with injury.

His defence has been decimated with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario out until late February with a fractured ankle.

While centre-backs Cristiano Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies are not scheduled to return until the end of this month.

But they have had issues in attacking positions too with Richarlison missing for most of the season, while youngsters Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore have also been absent.

What do Tottenham need?

The first need has been addressed: they have brought in a new goalkeeper.

And not just a back-up, but someone who is ready to challenge Vicario for a starting spot right now, in the form of Czech rising star Antonin Kinsky.

The 21-year-old joined from Slavia Prague for £12.5million plus add-ons and signed a six-and-a-half-year deal.

He went straight into the side for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at home to Liverpool and was hugely impressive as he kept a clean sheet on his debut.

But Spurs are looking at more signings this month, whether that be on loan or permanent.

Centre-back and up top are two key areas, and in a perfect world they would like a wideman too.

Destiny Udogie’s long-term hamstring issue means they are short at left-back as well.

Young South Korean winger Yang Min-hyeok, 18, was signed in the summer but has only just arrived at the club, though his focus right now is on adapting to his new environment.

Who is the perfect buy?

Spurs like Jamie Gittens, the 20-year-old English winger making waves at Borussia Dortmund.

The former Manchester City academy starlet came on in last season’s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.

And this term he has been a regular starter with nine goals in 18 starts in all competitions.

He would be just the kind of player to add some star quality to the left-hand side of Spurs’ attack, where Son Heung-min has sparkled for so long but this term has largely faded.

But the England Under-21 man, previously known as Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, would be very expensive.

Dortmund are sixth in a congested Bundesliga but are still very much in the hunt to finish in the top eight of the Champions League table phase.

While the chances of them selling two wingers in one window seems slim, given team-mate Donyell Malen could leave for Aston Villa.

Who is more realistic?

Randal Kolo Muani is on the market at Paris Saint-Germain with the striker - best known for his 2022 World Cup final miss - available on loan.

The France international, 26, could not get into the team when Kylian Mbappe was there and now is struggling for game-time as Luis Enrique prefers a false nine.

Eight goals in 27 games for his country underlines his talent though and Postecoglou has already spoken publicly of how he needs to bring in another forward.

You cannot blame him given Richarlison’s fitness had proved unreliable during his time at the club since joining from Everton for £60m in 2022.

Muani has other suitors though, including Juventus and in the Bundesliga - though SunSport understands Chelsea are NOT interested.

Spurs could make a compelling case for the former Eintracht Frankfurt man, who can also play out wide.

They are also believed to like the look of current Eintracht goal-getter Omar Marmoush but he looks to be heading to Manchester City.

Tottenham could also move for young Irish striker Mason Melia, 17, who has shown big potential and will likely leave St Patrick’s Athletic this month.

At the back, they have been credited with an interest in Uzbeki speedy centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov, who looks set to depart Lens in the winter window.

How are the finances looking?

Strong. Chairman Daniel Levy cops flak from supporters regularly, particularly when results are poor as they have been of late.

But the supremo can claim to have no profit and sustainability compliance issues, unlike other clubs.

It means money is there to be spent in this window if they want to.

Could anyone be on their way out?

Being so stretched right now, it is more about adding players than losing them.

Sergio Reguilon, 28, is out of contract in the summer and was expected to move on this month.

Although even that may not be definite now given Udogie is expected to be out for another six weeks.

If they get the right players through the door, youngsters like Will Lankshear and Alfie Dorrington could be loaned out to gain experience.

If everything went to plan, how could Tottenham line up after the January window?

TAMWORTH have rolled out the red carpet for Tottenham’s millionaire superstars — by painting the away dressing room navy and white.

But that is where the similarities between Spurs’ £1billion stadium and the National League minnows’ home ground end.

For Son Heung-min and Co will walk into a tiny Portakabin housing one L-shaped bench, a battered and torn massage table, one rickety tactics board, a plastic bin and a portable electric heater.

Their cramped dressing room for Sunday’s David v Goliath FA Cup third-round-tie in Staffordshire also contains two small sinks, a dinky mirror, two toilets and six showers.

But Tamworth’s Lamb Ground stadium manager Andy Jones warned: “The only problem they’ll have is if they try to use all six at the same time.

“Then the pressure drops and the water becomes a trickle!”

SunSport was given a VIP tour around the Lambs’ home on Thursday.

The dressing room’s leaky corrugated roof has been fixed to prevent Ange Postecoglou’s players getting soggy as they put their kit on.

But there is no underfloor heating beneath the ancient lino.

And only one portable heater as a second would trip the electric circuit and plunge the players into darkness.

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Spurs' crumbling dressing-room door also comes with its own letter box, but it does have a brand new door handle and lock after freezing temperatures caused the key to snap.

Tamworth striker Dan Creaney, 30, said: “Spurs won’t like our changing rooms — even we don’t like them.

“We also have six showers — but only three of them work!

“Perhaps some of the Spurs lads will enjoy the experience because it will make them feel grateful for what they’ve got . . . but they won’t like our place.”

Tamworth have already KO’d League One Huddersfield in the first round.

And Creaney added: “Huddersfield certainly didn’t like coming here and there aren’t many National League teams who do.

“The fans are really good at the Lamb and they get on the oppositions’ backs. Spurs are in for a difficult day. The stick they’ll get from our 12th man might just help us get a result.”

In the away dugout there are just four plastic back-less seats for Postecoglou and his coaching staff with a wooden bench for the subs.

But the fifth-tier hosts plan to place an additional 12 social-club seats to accommodate the Aussie’s team.

Lambs boss Andy Peaks hopes Spurs hate every minute of their stay in Staffordshire.

He said: “Spurs’ players and manager deserve our respect, but when the game starts we’ll be what we need to be — horrible and nasty and in their faces.

“I’m sure they will know what to expect because it’s been talked about so much.

“We’ve got to make it as difficult as we can and, hopefully, they have a few players who don’t fancy it and we have 11 players who play out of their skin.

“Spurs will find it really intense because our supporters will be really close to the pitch and right behind the away dug-out.”