GIVEMESPORT

Real Madrid have been linked with a move for Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold for years now, but the Spanish side may be tiring of their pursuit, as they are now considering a move for Tottenham Hotspur's Pedro Porro instead.

Alexander-Arnold has long been mooted as the most talented right-backs in world football, and historically, Madrid only want the best of the best. With the experienced Dani Carvajal now heading towards his 33rd birthday, the La Liga giants are looking to the future and are hoping to line up his successor for the full-back role. Given Carvajal's dedicated service to the club, and the fact he is captaining the team regularly this season, Madrid need to get this next signing right.

Despite the rumour mill consistently spinning in the direction of the Liverpool star, it has now emerged that Porro is being lined up as an alternative option.

Pedro Porro Could be a Target

The Spurs ace has impressed this season

After a shaky start to his Spurs career upon joining in January 2023, the Spanish defender has adapted to the English game quickly, and is now flourishing as an inverted full-back under Ange Postecoglou.

Porro's form has now caught the eye of Real Madrid, according to CaughtOffside, who claim Carlo Ancelotti is a big fan of the 25-year-old's skills and sees him as the ideal option if a move for Alexander-Arnold fails.

The report suggests those at the Bernabeau are already prepared for their pursuit of Alexander-Arnold to come to nothing and now have a plan in place to bring Porro to Madrid instead. It is thought the Lilywhites are concerned they will now lose Porro, who has quickly become one of the best right-backs in Tottenham's history, as he may want to return to his native homeland in Spain.

According to CaughtOffside an offer of around £54 million could be enough to tempt Spurs into discussing a deal. However, it is said this latest bit of speculation could be Real Madrid's attempts to push Alexander-Arnold into a decision.

Is Porro the Best Right-Back in the Premier League?

Spaniard leading the way in statistics

Pedro Porro has been flying of late, as one of the most creative and confident members of Tottenham's in-form side in recent weeks. He's also just been called up to the Spain squad for the first time since March 2024.

As per statistics from DataMB, Porro is officially the highest-rated full-back in the Premier League so far this term, and even leads the way across all of Europe's top five leagues when it comes to crossing, passes into the penalty area, and deep completions.

If he continues in the same vein for this season and beyond, there is no doubt Porro will be included in the conversation as the best right-back in the world. But, if he doesn't win some trophies at Spurs soon, the lure of a club like Real Madrid may be too much to ignore.

Key Takeaways

Tottenham beat Ferencvaros 2-1 in Budapest tonight in the Europa League.

Yves Bissouma thrived in midfield for Spurs in the game, winning 10 ground duels.

Postecoglou faces a selection headache ahead of Brighton on Sunday after Bissouma's excellent display against the Hungarian side.

Tottenham Hotspur's positive start to their Europa League campaign continued as they narrowly beat Hungarian side Fernecvaros 2-1 in Budapest on Thursday evening. The North London outfit fielded a team consisting of four teenagers, in what was a slightly disjointed performance in Eastern Europe.

In spite of the home side coming out of the blocks quickly and looking like the more threatening team early on, Spurs took the lead midway through the first half when Pape Matar Sarr capitalised on a defensive mix-up to slot beyond goalkeeper Denus Dibusz. In a largely uneventful second period, substitute Brennan Johnson continued his fine goal-scoring form by bending in off the post late on, before Barnabas Varga netted a consolation in the dying embers of the encounter.

The result leaves Tottenham second in the Europa League table for the time being, having accumulated maximum points thus far, with tricky games against AZ Alkmaar and Galatasaray to come in their next two fixtures.

One man who has received praise for his contribution to the triumph in Hungary is Yves Bissouma, with the midfielder staking his claim to start on the weekend in the Premier League against his former club Brighton. The Malian produced a dominant display in the middle of the park, and the stats reflect this, in what was a good night for him.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Yves Bissouma won more ground duels against Ferencvaros than any other Tottenham player (10).

Bissouma Thrived Against Ferencvaros

He won ten ground duels

Having started just two Premier League games out of Spurs' opening six, Ange Postecoglou appears to have lost some faith in Bissouma, opting to deploy a midfield trio of Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski in recent matches, in an attempt to improve Tottenham's offensive prospects.

The 28-year-old was an unused substitute on the weekend during the Lillywhites' 3-0 win over Manchester United, and was banned for a game earlier this season after posting a video of himself consuming 'hippy crack'. He's also suffered an injury issue that kept him out for a short period after the last international break, in what has been a disruptive start to the season for the midfielder.

However, tonight could represent a turning point in the campaign for the ex-Lille man. With a SofaScore rating of 7.5, Bissouma's performance was impressive on the statistical front, with only Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro and Pape Sarr managing high ratings out of the cohort that started the game. Earning a purported £55,000 a week, a modest wage in comparison to the likes Romero and Porro, he's arguably delivering above what you'd expect.

Completing 89% of his passes, Bissouma was secure in possession, and drove Spurs up the pitch on numerous occasions, with his three completed dribbles seeing him manipulate the ball out of tricky situations and launch dangerous attacks.

However, it was the defensive side of his game that was perhaps more impressive. The mobile midfielder won a staggering ten ground duels, four more than any other player in a Spurs shirt. He also made five tackles, three interceptions and two clearances, constantly sweeping up Ferencvaros attacks and preventing them from exposing a high Tottenham line in transition.

This immense defensive contribution was integral to the traveling side claiming all three points, and arguably made his display the most important of any Spurs player, given the margins were ultimately tight in regard to the outcome of the game.

Bissouma Gives Postecoglou Headache

There's serious competition for places

Against United at Old Trafford on Sunday, Postecoglou's offensive set-up produced a mesmerising display, tearing Erik ten Hag's men to pieces in front of their own supporters. Such was the emphatic nature of the performance, pundit Micah Richards described Postecoglou's tactical choices against the Red Devils as a 'masterstroke', waxing lyrical about the midfield dynamic deployed by the Australian.

Bentancur sat at the base of the midfield, delivering a showing labelled 'excellent', with Maddison and Kulusevski pulling the strings in front of the Uruguayan. With all three purring in the north-west, contributing to a free-flowing and fully functional attacking outing, it'll be difficult for Postecoglou to mess with this formula and drop one of the three for the trip to the Amex this Sunday.

However, Bissouma's performance in Budapest surely merits a start against the Seagulls. The former Brighton man's defensive nous would provide extra stability in midfield for the Lillywhites, and Postecoglou must be deliberating making a change in this area to accommodate him.

An alternative option could be to drop one of the forward players - perhaps the out of form Werner - and move Kulusevski out wide. Regardless, with Spurs now on a run of five consecutive victories in all competitions, seclection headaches are inevitably developing for Postecoglou, and he'll certainly view this as a positive.

Ange Postecoglou has added three fresh faces to his Tottenham Hotspur squad for their Europa League clash with Ferencvaros, with talented youngsters Alfie Dorrington, Dante Cassanova, and Damola Ajayi all in the mix for minutes against the Hungarian champions on Thursday night.

The Australian tactician could make significant changes to his matchday squad, with usual academy players Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear also travelling with the team, according to football.london journalist Alasdair Gold.

The trio of Dorrington, Cassanova, and Ajayi have been added to the Europa League B list for youngsters and will all be hoping to be included among the 12 substitutes on the bench for the game.

Moore and Lankshear both got the nod in the 3-0 victory against Qarabag last week, while Moore also made an appearance off the bench, coming on for Dominic Solanke in the 85th minute.

Tyrese Hall and Luca Gunter were also added to the squad list for the game against the Armenian champions, but Postecoglou opted for only 10 substitutes last Thursday.

Spurs Seek Second Victory in Europe

Take on Ferencvaros in Hungary

Spurs will be looking for their fifth win in a row across all competitions when they travel to the Groupama Arena in Budapest, with Ferencvaros now standing in Postecoglou side’s way.

Since suffering back-to-back Premier League defeats against Newcastle and Arsenal, Tottenham have turned the corner with an emphatic run, topped off with a 3-0 rout of Manchester United on Sunday.

The win at Old Trafford saw Spurs climb the league table, sitting eighth after six rounds of matches, with 10 points collected from a possible 18.

A clash in Hungary will potentially offer Postecoglou a chance to field a more rotated squad ahead of another tough Premier League encounter at Brighton on Saturday, which will be their final test before the October international break.

This will be the first time Spurs have played Ferencvaros in their history, while Postecoglou himself has faced the Hungarian side in his managerial career, leading former club Celtic to two victories in the 2021/22 Europa League group stage.

Radu Dragusin is suspended for the fixture on Thursday, while Richarlison and Wilson Odobert remain sidelined with injuries.

Werner Poised to Start on Thursday

A confidence boost for the German

Timo Werner is expected to retain his place in Postecoglou’s starting line-up on Thursday to face Ferencvaros, after getting the nod against Manchester United on Sunday, GIVEMESPORT journalist Dean Jones has revealed.

The German international was an unexpected inclusion for the Premier League clash four days ago when Heung-min Son was ruled out with an injury, and he is now anticipated to start in the midweek Europa League fixture.

Werner has played a total of 208 minutes across six matches this season and is yet to record a goal or assist, having missed a couple of good opportunities during the 3-0 win at Old Trafford.

Tottenham Hotspur will look to continue their fine form as they travel to Hungary to take on Ferencvaros in their second Europa League clash of the season on Thursday evening. Ange Postecoglou's side made it four consecutive wins in all competitions at the weekend as they dominated Manchester United at Old Trafford, following on from their 3-0 win over Qarabag last week in their opening European fixture. Ferencvaros on the other hand claimed a 3-0 win over Puskas Academy at the weekend to bounce back from a 2-1 loss to Anderlecht in the Europa League last week.

Spurs battled to defeat Qarabag last week despite having defender Radu Dragusin sent off inside the opening ten minutes, and their forwards are coming into this game in fine form after consecutive wins over Coventry, Brentford, Qarabag and Man United. But with a busy schedule, the manager could look to make some changes to his team and this is how GIVEMESPORT sees both teams lining up.

Ferencvaros Team News

Full strength team to choose from

The Hungarian champions have got a clean bill of health coming into this major clash against Spurs, and manager Pascal Jansen is expected to name his strongest possible starting lineup after resting players during the weekend league game.

Adama Traore netted the club's goal in their defeat to Anderlecht last week and should keep his place in the side, while Matheus Saldanha could earn a place in the starting lineup after netting a hat-trick at the weekend having come off the substitutes bench.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Jansen confirmed the health status of his squad ahead of the big Europa League clash.

"Everybody is eager to play tomorrow's game. This is one of the biggest home matches we'll have. This excitement is motivation for us. They could easily be in the Champions League. This is the level they are at. They are one of the teams that have a chance to reach the final. They're definitely among the top teams we've faced."

Ferencvaros Predicted XI

Saldanha to start after hat-trick

Ferencvaros' Predicted XI: Dibusz; Botka, Cisse, Szalai, Ramirez; Abu Fani, Rommens; Kady, Zachariassen, Traore; Saldanha.

Ferencvaros' Predicted Substitutes: Radnoti (GK), Varga (GK), Gartenmann (DEF), Civic (DEF), Kajan (DEF), Toth (DEF), Maiga (MID), Romdhane (MID), Gruber (FWD), Misidjan (FWD), Pesic (FWD), Saldanha (FWD), Varga (FWD).

After making several changes to the team at the weekend, Jansen looks likely to recall a host of players back into his lineup including Botka, Szalai and Ramirez in the defensive line. He could also reward Saldanha with a rare start as the number nine, following his weekend hat-trick against Puskas Academia.

That would see Barnabas Varga heading to the bench to provide firepower later off the bench, while Philippe Rommens is set to return in midfield ahead of Habib Maiga.

Tottenham Team News

Heung-Min Son likely to miss out

After a huge performance at the weekend without influential captain Heung-Min Son, Ange Postecoglou is unlikely to risk the South Korea star even if he is available for the clash on Thursday night.

Son was forced off with a problem against Qarabag and missed the win over Man United, and it seems unlikely that he will recover in time for this game. He is likely to stay on the sidelines alongside fellow forwards Wilson Odobert and Richarlison who are long-term absentees currently. Romania international Dragusin is also suspended following his red card last time out.

The manager may see this as an opportunity to give some fringe players some serious minutes too, with the likes of Archie Gray, Ben Davies and Timo Werner looking to add some game time into their legs ahead of the weekend clash against Brighton. Sergio Reguilon in ineligible after being left out of the club's Europa League squad.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Postecoglou offered an update on the health status of his squad ahead of the game.

"Destiny [Udogie] hasn't travelled. Nothing significant, but didn't makes sense to bring him if he wasn't going to play.

"Radu [Dragusin] is suspended and Sonny is back in London doing rehab.

"Sergio [Reguilon] is a Tottenham player, that's why he's here. We like to have 20 players for training, we've also brought some young players. They had a game last night and we didn't want to disrupt them too much." ​

Tottenham's Predicted XI

Johnson to continue in the team

Tottenham's Predicted XI: Forster; Spence, Romero, Gray, Davies; Bissouma, Sarr, Bergvall; Johnson, Solanke, Werner.

Tottenham's Predicted Substitutes: Vicario (GK), Austin (GK), Van de Ven (DEF), Porro (DEF), Bentancur (MID), Maddison (MID), Kulusevski (MID), Lankshear (FWD), Moore (FWD).

With a trip across Europe to come, Postecoglou is likely to make several changes to the side. Fraser Forster, Gray, Ben Davies and Djed Spence should get the nod in defence alongside Cristian Romero with Micky Van de Ven likely to be rested.

Tottenham Hotspur are among the top European clubs showing an interest in Benfica sensation Tomas Araujo ahead of the January transfer window, according to Caught Offside.

The Lilywhites strengthened their squad in the summer window with the addition of Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert but lost a host of defensive options in Joe Rodon, Emerson Royal, Ryan Sessegnon and Japhet Tanganga which has left them a bit short in that area of the pitch.

Ange Postecoglou is now looking to strengthen further in the winter window and young Portuguese centre-back Araujo has emerged as a target for the north London club, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain also said to be interested in his signature.

Tottenham Eye Tomas Araujo

Scouts have watched him several times

Despite having strong options in the heart of defence with World Cup winner Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven and Radu Dragusin, Araujo is someone the club believe can further strengthen the squad and they are interested in a deal for the 22-year-old.

Araujo, who has been described as "elite", was a target for Crystal Palace in the summer too, as they had an official bid turned down when they were looking for potential replacements for Marc Guehi, but a deal never materialised. He has also been linked with a move to the Premier League with fellow London clubs Chelsea and Arsenal, while French champions Paris Saint-Germain also have an interest.

But it's Spurs who have made their initial move by sending scouts to take a closer look during at least three appearances during the current season, with positive reports coming back about his defensive skills, composure and potential to excel in the Premier League.

It's currently unclear if Benfica would be open to his sale in mid-season, with Araujo currently competing with Antonio Silva and Nicolas Otamendi for a starting spot at the Estadio De Luz. But, Benfica would want in excess of €20million to even consider a deal, which CaughtOffside sources believe represents great value for money for Tottenham.

Should a deal in January fail to materialise it's possible that Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and PSG could all look to make their move in the summer although it's likely they would have to pay a premium at that stage should he continue to develop positively.

Shearer: Brennan Johnson 'Undroppable'

Wales international has 5 goals in four games

With the Spurs side currently flying on the back of four consecutive victories in all competitions, winger Brennan Johnson has emerged as "undroppable" for the team according to Alan Shearer.

The Wales star has netted five goals in his last four appearances for the team, including the opening strike in the 3-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford this past weekend.

That performance was the latest in a strong run of games since Johnson was criticised by fans and abused to the point where he deleted his social media accounts, and Shearer told the official Premier League website that he is now one of the first names on the teamsheet for Postecoglou.

Tottenham Hotspur star Timo Werner will get the chance to give himself a confidence boost as he is expected to retain his place in the starting line-up when Ange Postecoglou's side face Hungarian side Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday.

The Germany international struggled against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup last month, so he was an unexpected starter at Manchester United on Sunday when Heung-min Son was ruled out with an injury.

However, his inclusion allowed Spurs to play as close as possible to the system they had been planning to employ for the fixture, and he had been hoping for the chance to turn around his tough start to the season.

Werner Remains Important Squad Member

German set for chance to open goalscoring account for season

Werner joined Tottenham on a season-long loan from RB Leipzig during the summer, and the north Londoners have the option to sign him permanently for less than £9million at the end of that period.

That seems unlikely right now, but sources are indicating that the 28-year-old remains an important player for the squad and that there is still strong belief in him fulfilling a vital role this season.

Tottenham boss Postecoglou has always viewed Werner as a squad player rather than a standout option for the best XI, and it remains the case that he trusts him.

A couple of missed opportunities during the convincing 3-0 win at Old Trafford took the gloss off an otherwise good performance from Werner, but now it is expected he will get another run out against Ferencvaros and a chance to open his goalscoring account for the season.

He has played a total of 208 minutes across six matches this season and is yet to record a goal or assist, but the trip to Hungary is seen as an opportunity to help him break through for the 2024/25 season.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Timo Werner boasted 71 per cent pass accuracy, registered two shots and completed as many dribbles during Tottenham Hotspur's win against Manchester United last weekend

Werner Retains Trust of Spurs Teammates

Solanke also in contention to keep starting berth on Thursday

From a team perspective, Werner has the trust of his Lilywhites teammates, sources indicate, but there is now a drive for him to work on his confidence to return to his old goalscoring ways.

Hungarian side Ferencvaros provide a good opportunity for Postecoglou to field him again and further appearances will then depend on the return to fitness of Son but also how he is performing and improving.

Postecoglou may also be tempted to field Dominic Solanke again in the Europa League as he bids to keep up his sharpness. The former Bournemouth man has found the net in successive Premier League games for Spurs and also scored in their opening Europa League match against Qarabag.

Sources believe he is likely to start but would then be substituted early in the second half if possible, to help him rest before the clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Solanke is a crucial figure for Tottenham in setting the tone of their attack and is even more important in terms of a goalscoring presence if Son misses more game time.

Tottenham Hotspur ran riot against an out-of-sorts Manchester United team on Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford, easing past Erik ten Hag's men, but manager Ange Postecoglou was left fuming with teenager Lucas Bergvall for two incidents late on in the match.

An exceptional run from Micky Van de Ven saw Brennan Johnson tap home for the travelling team inside the first five minutes before Bruno Fernandes was given his marching orders for a reckless tackle on James Maddison on the stroke of half-time. Spurs capitalised on their man advantage in the second period, with a smart finish from Dejan Kulusesvski and a poacher's effort from Dominic Solanke sealing an emphatic 3-0 victory at the Theatre of Dreams.

Despite the convincing nature of his team's performance, Postecoglou was left ruing several missed opportunities to make the goal deficit greater, with substitute Bergvall guilty of two particularly wasteful moments in the latter stages of the encounter.

Postecoglou 'Furious' With Bergvall

The Swede was wasteful in the final third

With Tottenham ending the game having taken 24 shots, and having accumulated 4.59 expected goals, there were certainly chances on offer for the Lillywhites to embarrass United by winning by a much greater margin than they ultimately did. Postecoglou was reportedly disappointed with his side's inability to batter this United team and make the scoreline even more comfortable.

The Aussie introduced 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall in the 77th minute, replacing goalscorer Johnson, for what was his seventh appearance in a Spurs shirt. There had been calls for the Swedish starlet to start the game ahead of Maddison in the build-up, but ultimately, the youngster may have demonstrated why he's not being granted regular minutes as of yet.

According to Football.London, Postecoglou bellowed 'Lucas' across the pitch on two separate occasions in the closing stages at Old Trafford. In the first incident, Bergvall opted to shoot from distance rather than finding a pass to his left to an unmarked Mikey Moore, who would've had an excellent opportunity to score.

"Even Postecoglou was raging twice with 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall in the final 10 minutes, first for taking a shot from distance rather than passing the ball to the unmarked Mikey Moore and then later when the Swede attempted to find his fellow teenager rather than playing the ball to the right to two unmarked team-mates. The Australian bellowed 'Lucas' across the pitch and angrily showed him where the ball should have gone."

Attempting to atone for not feeding Moore, Bergvall then found his fellow teenager when there were better options available on his right, with two unmarked teammates queuing up to tuck the ball home. Postecoglou's anguish at Bergvall's decision-making certainly reflects a coach eager for his team to consistently put their opponents to the sword.

The Sweden international will have to improve this aspect of his game if he wants to begin starting games regularly for Tottenham.

Bentancur Praised For United Display

The midfielder was described as a 'boss'

One man who Postecoglou certainly wasn't bemoaning in Manchester was Rodrigo Bentancur, who produced a stellar display in the middle of the park. Journalist Alasdair Gold was blown away by the Uruguayan's outing against the Red Devils, describing the midfielder as a 'boss'.

Bentancur dictated the game from deep for Spurs, completing 96% of his passes and managing eight passes into the final third. The 27-year-old also did his fair share of defensive work, making two interceptions and eight ball recoveries in what was an excellent all-round performance.

The number eight made 25 appearances for Tottenham last season, and has begun to establish himself as one of Postecoglou's most important midfielders.

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has come under a lot of criticism for his 'lazy' role in Tottenham Hotspur's opener at Old Trafford on Sunday - in a goal that saw the Lilywhites take the lead inside four minutes at the Theatre of Dreams.

A United counter-attack was thwarted by Tottenham centre-back Micky van de Ven, and the rapid Dutch defender was allowed the freedom to drive at the heart of the United defence, fending off pressure from Matthijs de Ligt to cross for Brennan Johnson, who was left unmarked at the back post to turn home under no pressure whatsoever. Dalot had left him unmarked, and that prompted poor feedback from Jamie Redknapp, who labelled the Portuguese man as 'lazy' for failing to track his man.

Redknapp: Man Utd Star Dalot 'Bad' in Tottenham Opener

The defender didn't track his man and gave Tottenham the foundation to win

Speaking on Sky Sports' Premier League coverage of the crunch clash at Old Trafford, the former Tottenham man berated Dalot by labelling him as 'so bad' in tracking Johnson - who had the freedom of Manchester to turn home and put the side from the capital ahead. Redknapp said:

"It's so bad from Dalot. You see him there, you would think as left-back just get back and match the run - he doesn't. He's jogging, that is so bad from his persepective. There have been collective mistakes from United all through that first half.

"Spurs have been excellent but from United's point of view, they've been so abject. There's no confidence or identity, they're sitting back. They're like the away team, it's been so poor from them."

That was compounded just before the end of the half with Bruno Fernandes receiving his first red card in his 242 games for the Red Devils - but even before his dismissal, Tottenham had been by far the better team and Ange Postecoglou would have been ruing his side not going 2-0 up.

However, that was counter-acted by Dejan Kulusevski's first goal of the season just two minutes into the second half that put real daylight between the away side and the beleaguered Red Devils.

Ten Hag Could Be Pushed to Man Utd Exit

The Dutchman has overseen poor results this season

Erik ten Hag was already beginning to feel pressure at Old Trafford having only won two of his opening five league games to begin the season, and a home Europa League draw in midweek against Dutch side FC Twente did little to quell that. The first-half performance from the Red Devils was way below the standard expected, and against a side who will also be gunning for European football, it's seen United slip further behind in the race for continental football.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Diogo Dalot has made 166 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 6 goals.

Ten Hag now has huge pressure on his back, and he won't be helped by a lack of commitment from his players. Adding to that, Fernandes' red card means that he is without his main creative spark for the next three domestic games and that will further hinder United, who seldom looked to be creating anything in his absence, albeit with ten men.

Tough clashes against Aston Villa, Brentford and West Ham United are to follow amid tough ties away at Porto and Fenerbahce in the Europa League - and without Fernandes in the Premier League games, it could spell the end of Ten Hag's time at Old Trafford.

Tottenham Hotspur have been criticised for signing striker Timo Werner on loan after another subpar performance in the Premier League.

Ange Postecoglou’s side did, however, secure a crucial 3-0 win away from home against Manchester United. Brennan Johnson opened the scoring inside the opening five minutes at Old Trafford following a fantastic run from defender Micky van de Ven.

United midfielder Bruno Fernandes was sent off for a poor challenge before half time, and Dejan Kulusevski doubled Spurs’ advantage early in the second half. Dominic Solanke then made it three with a little over 10 minutes left to play of the 90.

‘No Justification’ for Timo Werner Loan

The forward had another poor performance

One player that didn’t have a good afternoon was Werner. Before half time, he was played through on goal, and was one-on-one with Andre Onana, but the United goalkeeper was able to make a crucial save.

The same thing happened early in the second half when Onana once again made the save to deny Werner in a one-on-one situation. Werner was substituted soon after as he made way for 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall.

In what was otherwise a fantastic performance from Postecoglou’s side, fans were left scratching their heads as to how Werner was awarded a start. Speaking on social media platform X, TheSecretScout claimed there’s no justification for having the player on loan as there are better players in the youth set-up at the club.

"There’s no justification for having Werner on loan. There’s better players in the u21s."

Werner was once one of the shining lights in German football during his first spell with RB Leipzig, but a horrid two-year stint at Chelsea set back his career. He returned to Leipzig back in 2022, and then joined Spurs on a short-term loan at the end of last season.

That was extended this summer as he rejoined the North London club for the 2024/25 campaign. They have the option to make the move permanent at the end of this season for a fee the BBC claim to be £8.5million.

Tottenham Defender Praised for Assist at Old Trafford

Van de Ven set up Johnson for their opening goal v United

Elsewhere, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was full of praise for Spurs defender Van de Ven after what he did in the build-up to the opening goal against United. With three minutes gone on the clock, he pushed forward with the ball from his own half, and crossed it into the path of Johnson, who tapped home from close range.

Despite Neville’s United allegiances, as he spent his entire professional career with the club, he was blown away by Van de Ven’s run given he’s a central defender. Speaking on commentary after the goal, he said:

“Absolutely brilliant from Van de Ven. One of the best runs I've ever seen from a centre-back. He drives through four Manchester United players. It's amazing. Brilliant.”

Spurs are now eighth in the Premier League standings after six games. They have 10 points following three wins, one draw and two defeats. Postecoglou’s side are five points off Liverpool in top spot.

Tottenham Hotspur have learned a huge blow just hours ahead of their trip to Manchester United in the Premier League - with reports suggesting that 'world-class star' forward Son Heung-min is set to miss out on the crunch clash with injury.

Son was taken off against Azerbaijani side Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday with a potential hamstring issue, as Ange Postecoglou's side won 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium despite only having ten men thanks to Radu Dragusin's early red card - but reports have stated that he won't be featuring against the Red Devils with the game coming too soon for him to take part.

Son 'To Miss' Tottenham Clash vs Man Utd

The winger will not feature after picking up an injury

The report from the Daily Mail states that Tottenham captain Son will miss their Premier League clash away to United on Sunday afternoon thanks to a hamstring injury.

Postecoglou had said earlier in the week that Son was aiming to train with the squad on Saturday ahead of the Red Devils' visit, but the trip up north has come a little too soon for him - as the Daily Mail have 'learned' that Son will miss out on what will be a huge blow to their chances of winning.

Tottenham have a plethora of attackers at the club, but with Wilson Odobert out injured also, it will likely be Timo Werner to star on the left-flank ahead of the South Korean legend, whilst Dominic Solanke is likely to start up front and one of Brennan Johnson or Dejan Kulusevski on the right.

Son has two goals in five Premier League games to start the campaign, but he's rarely out injured and today will be much more of a struggle with his absence and ability to breach back-lines on the counter attack with his speed.

Tottenham And Man Utd Have Had Poor Season Starts

Both would have expected to fare better at this stage

Tottenham have had an indifferent start to the campaign after dropping points where they should have won against Leicester City and Newcastle United, but with a win over Brentford last weekend and Qarabag in midweek, they're in a decent run of form to take United on.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Tottenham Hotspur won 8 of their first 10 league games under Postecoglou last season but have only won 2 from 5 so far this time around.

United, meanwhile, have suffered a similar fate. Only escaping their game vs Fulham with a late winner from Joshua Zirkzee, the Red Devils have not been at their best in the Premier League and barring a win over Southampton, have failed to properly get going - typified by a 1-1 draw to FC Twente in the Europa League.

United are generally better at home and that can be an advantage to them, but they are leaky at the back against the better teams in the division - and if Tottenham can exploit that, they'll certainly have a fighting chance of winning with Erik ten Hag beginning to wobble in terms of his long-term future at Old Trafford.

A win for either side will take them eighth in the Premier League as we enter October, and they will both be looking to kick-on from there, though a loss could see both managers come under pressure for their less-than-desirable starts to the new campaign.