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Hello! You’re never too young to fight for your club — especially on derby day.

On the way:

🔴 Arsenal’s bragging rights

🧑‍⚖️ Man City vs EPL begins

🤩 The U.S. celebrity clash

👀 Miss of the season (so far)

Stuck in a corner: Postecoglou’s Spurs lose to Arsenal after same set-piece failing

Ange Postecoglou is one of those people who won’t be told that black is white, even when it appears reporters questioning him might indeed be onto something.

Back in May, he was brushing off criticism of Tottenham Hotspur’s inability to properly defend set pieces, a discussion brought on by two goals from corners costing Spurs a derby against Arsenal. Fast forward to September, and here he is again.

It was only one goal this time — a Gabriel header in the 64th minute — but that finish was all Arsenal needed yesterday. It was also the product of a tried-and-tested means of examining Spurs: hang a corner in the airspace of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and let the good times roll. Not by accident did Ben White decide to get into Vicario’s head the last time these clubs met.

Spurs conceded 16 goals from dead-ball deliveries in the 2023-24 season. Postecoglou was adamant he didn’t require a specialist set-piece coach (something Arsenal have in Nicolas Jover) but it’s a recurring theme, and he insisted that Tottenham “work on them all the time”. Corners give Vicario the guise of a man tip-toeing on thin ice.

Once Spurs were breached, the game was Arsenal’s. There was no way through their defence, and David Raya’s clean sheet would have held had Spurs kept the possession counter climbing until sundown. Once again, north London is red.

Getting shirty

Postecoglou was slightly tetchy with Sky Sports’ interviewer after full time. He’ll know Spurs missed a trick.

Mikel Arteta was down on numbers with Declan Rice suspended and Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino injured. It’s a measure of his coaching and Arsenal’s self-assurance that their 4-4-2 defensive shape held up as rigidly as it did.

Saying they wanted it more would be cheap, but without doubt they wanted it. Their (heavily outnumbered) mascot was squaring up to his counterparts in the tunnel beforehand. Arteta’s players were all in during a first-half scuffle. Leandro Trossard had a hole torn in his shirt. En masse, they got into the trenches.

Arteta is an elite manager, and while it didn’t take a masterclass like yesterday’s to justify the contract extension he signed last week, he’s fundamental to everything Arsenal are doing.

The discipline required to keep Spurs out was ideal practice for Manchester City away this Sunday. Arsenal could have gone there five points behind. Instead, the gap is two. Under pressure and depleted, yesterday’s result goes down as a huge hold of serve.

Here comes Haaland…

The key for Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium — do what nobody else is capable of doing and face down Erling Haaland.

The 24-year-old scored with his first shot of the season. So far, he has nine goals from 20 attempts. He bagged another two against Brentford on Saturday and was the width of a post from a third hat-trick in a row, a feat last recorded in England’s top flight in 1946.

The only thing as predictable as him is the Premier League table. Liverpool’s defeat to Nottingham Forest — a first under Arne Slot — means we’re four fixtures in and already, it’s City and Arsenal, positions one and two. After the last two seasons, we’re about to complete the trilogy.

News round-up: Manchester City’s case over financial charges begins

(Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)

The most hotly-anticipated legal case in Premier League history — the 100-plus financial charges levied against Manchester City — is scheduled to start today. After so much talking, it’s down to business — and we’ve explained it all for you.

The weekend saw some high-profile injuries. Bukayo Saka limped out of Arsenal’s win at Spurs, Alexander Isak hurt an eye in Newcastle United’s 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Dani Olmo tweaked a hamstring as Barcelona maintained their perfect La Liga record by beating Girona 4-1.

The U.K. government has long been planning to create an independent football regulator to oversee the English game. UEFA is warning that England could be barred from Euro 2028 — a tournament they are co-hosting — if that happens. Hmm.

Speaking of Euro 2028, Casement Park in Belfast was due to be staging matches during the tournament. That won’t happen now — because cash needed to redevelop the ground isn’t available.

After leaving Juventus, Adrien Rabiot was minus a club at the end of the transfer window. Two weeks on, he’s joined Marseille on a free.

Conor Gallagher got his first Atletico Madrid goal last night. That’s him up and running.

Brady vs Reynolds 🥊

In the blue corner, Birmingham City. In the red corner, Wrexham. That’s your match-up for tonight; a League One tussle like very few others.

Both clubs are indicative of the extent to which football has become a celebrity playground. Tom Brady is on the scene at Birmingham. Wrexham are squeezing everything out of the Hollywood connections of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Will Ferrell tipped up at a Leeds United game on Saturday. They all want a piece of the action.

McElhenney described Birmingham versus Wrexham as “an absolute banger” — something never normally said about third-tier fare. He’s right. It’s got a prime-time slot on Sky Sports in the U.K. It’s live on CBS in the United States, the result of CBS muscling in on EFL broadcast rights. Be as cynical as you like about the celebrity influx but the brush with showbiz is opening new frontiers.

📺 League One: Birmingham City vs Wrexham, 3pm ET/8pm UK — CBS, Fubo/Sky Sports

Quiz answer

Did you get the four players who have turned out for Arsenal and Spurs in the Premier League? They were: Emmanuel Adebayor, Sol Campbell, David Bentley and William Gallas.

Inevitable Messi

Does Lionel Messi ever tire of his trade? The reason I ask is that it’s all well and good being the greatest of all time but there’s got to be a point at which easy is too easy.

Messi, you’ll recall, was injured in the Copa America final and left the field in tears. That was two months ago. He made his comeback for Inter Miami on Saturday — and marked it by scoring twice (including this nifty finish, above), assisting another goal and cantering through a 3-1 win over Philadelphia Union.

In total, he’s played 13 times this season. He’s got 28 goal contributions. Inter are cruising towards the Supporters’ Shield and let’s be real, the MLS Cup is theirs to lose provided Messi stays fit. Injury is the only thing capable of holding him back, and even that is dealt with like a minor inconvenience.

Around The Athletic FC

The scoreline at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday was Bournemouth 0 Chelsea 1. But the real point of note was the stack of 14 yellow cards — the most in a Premier League match ever. That doesn’t include the cards shown to both managers either.

Nottingham Forest’s win over Liverpool was their first at Anfield for 55 years. Paul Taylor has written about their superb, out-of-possession composure which made it happen.

I liked Tim Spiers’ latest piece on club nicknames because it mentions the famous Heart of Midlothian. And between the Lepers and the Rat-Stabbers, I was reminded that South America has the best monikers anywhere.

Aston Villa aren’t winning on the PR front at present. How did some of their season-ticket holders turn up at Villa Park to find they had no seats?

The top line from Mauricio Pochettino’s first press conference as USMNT head coach was cast in some quarters as him saying the U.S. can win the 2026 World Cup. He didn’t say that — he just wants his players to think like that.

Most clicked in Monday’s TAFC: Player X, the footballer accused of sexual offences who can’t be named.

Catch a match

La Liga: Rayo Vallecano vs Osasuna, 3pm/8pm — ESPN+/Premier Sports.

Serie A: Parma vs Udinese, 12.30pm/5.30pm — Paramount+/OneFootball; Lazio vs Hellas Verona, 2.45pm/7.45pm — Paramount+, CBS/OneFootball

And finally… an expected goal

If you’ve got that Monday feeling, be glad you’re not Derby County’s Ebou Adams. This was his chance in the 97th minute of Derby’s 1-0 win over Cardiff City — having done all the hard work and chased down a long punt forward after a corner.

Our friends from Opta Stats say the expected goals (xG) value of the opportunity was 0.75. In layman’s terms, that’s deep inside the territory of ‘no excuses’. He’ll have enjoyed reporting back in for training this morning.

(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Ange Postecoglou’s fiery interview with Sky Sports reporter Emma Saunders after Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-0 to Arsenal on Sunday gave us an insight into his long-term ambitions.

When Saunders suggested Postecoglou “normally” wins trophies in his second season at a club, he could not resist correcting her. “I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year,” he said.

At his last three clubs, excluding Melbourne Victory (he left after a year to coach Australia), Postecoglou has not just won a trophy in his second year but the league title. He achieved that with Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F Marinos and Celtic. There is data which backs up that they improve across several different metrics.

Postecoglou’s tense exchange with Saunders came after Spurs lost at home to Arsenal for the third year in a row (the first loss being under Antonio Conte), leaving them with four points from as many games. Last Friday, Postecoglou spoke in his pre-match press conference about how this fixture would be a good way to measure his side’s progress.

“But it’s not just about winning,” he said. “You can win a game like this and walk away knowing they played us off the park in reality. I’ve always said to go out there against the best and perform, that’s the best measure. Then hopefully you will win the game as well. If we go out on Sunday, dominate this game, create more chances, really nullify them, then I think irrespective of the result the players will walk off thinking, ‘OK, next time we’ll have another crack at it’. That’s where the real belief comes from.

“They’re a good measure for us not just in winning the game but can we play our football against them?”

That is exactly what Tottenham did and there was nothing disastrous about the performance. It was much better than the last time these two teams met in May when they were losing 3-0 at half-time. Yet it is clear they still have a long way to go to bridge the gap to the best teams in the division and to win a trophy.

Spurs had 63.7 per cent possession against Arsenal but only recorded an xG (expected goals) total of 0.7. At the moment, they are struggling to create quality scoring opportunities despite dominating the ball. It is the same issue which caused them to drop points against Newcastle United and Leicester City.

This was only Dominic Solanke’s second appearance since he joined Tottenham from Bournemouth for a club-record fee of £65million ($85m) at the beginning of August. The 27-year-old demonstrated his quality by dropping into space and linking up play. It confused William Saliba and Gabriel, who did not seem to know whether to follow him or who was responsible if they did.

But Saliba’s tackle on Solanke in the first half is a great example of the “lack of conviction” Postecoglou spoke about in his press conference afterwards — something which will hold them back from winning silverware. James Maddison intercepted Ben White’s pass and Solanke found himself completely free near the edge of the box. Instead of shooting, he tried to shimmy past Saliba. A great opportunity to score had been wasted.

Solanke works hard out of possession and in the 49th minute, he stole the ball from Jorginho to initiate a counter-attack. Brennan Johnson was in space on the right wing but his cross into the box was at an awkward height for Solanke. You hope that these problems will be resolved when everybody becomes more familiar with one another.

Last season, Arsenal had the best defensive record in the top flight. They are not easy for any side to create chances against. With Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Declan Rice missing, Mikel Arteta’s side defended deeper than usual. Arteta’s comments that “in some moments we had to suffer” and that they won “ugly” should be taken as a compliment.

It is not as if Spurs’ opponents possessed a huge threat either. Arsenal only managed an xG of 0.7 themselves, which is the lowest they have recorded since a 0-0 draw with Manchester City in March. Compared to their chaotic display in the last north London derby, Tottenham’s defence looked much more compact.

It was frustrating to concede from another set piece though and it will only increase fears that they have not addressed this issue from last season, when only Luton Town (19), Sheffield United (19) and Nottingham Forest (23) had a worse record (16). This was the first time they have conceded from a corner or a free kick in the 2024-25 campaign and they do seem like a more organised unit.

Nick Montgomery, who was appointed as an assistant coach in the summer, can often be seen on the edge of the technical area during set pieces dishing out instructions to players. Gabriel’s header was not due to any structural failure but a lapse of concentration from Cristian Romero, who lost track of the Brazilian centre-back.

This fixture normally guarantees drama — the last time there was a 0-0 draw in this contest was in February 2009 — but this was a tight, tense affair. The rhythm was constantly disrupted as there was a series of flashpoints between both teams, usually involving Jurrien Timber. In the first 45 minutes, it even felt like Arsenal were deliberately taking a long time with goal kicks and free kicks in their own half to slow play down. And these are challenges Tottenham’s players need to learn to overcome.

Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal for nearly five years. This is only the beginning of Postecoglou’s second season and the rate of turnover in the squad has been dizzying. Tottenham’s squad is younger than their rivals for the first time in seven years. This group needs the opportunity to grow together and this result will be an important part of that process.

Postecoglou might be confident his team can achieve something significant this year — but this result was a reminder there is more work to be done.

(Top photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

A depleted Arsenal side recorded a vital win against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

The first half contained the level of intensity — if not the white vs red shirts — you expect from this fixture, with referee Jarred Gillett handing out seven yellow cards (five for the home side) in the opening 45 minutes, equalling the Premier League record for a first half (less than a day after Bournemouth vs Chelsea produced a total of 14 bookings).

The best chance of a goalless opening fell to Gabriel Martinelli, but he shot straight at Guglielmo Vicario. It was a comfortable moment for a goalkeeper who spent much of the half looking decidedly uncertain at set pieces.

And that set-piece susceptibility came back to haunt Spurs midway through the second half: an unchallenged Gabriel headed home from four yards to put Arsenal 1-0 up. Mikel Arteta’s side then stood firm against Spurs’ pressure as the clock ran down to seal a massive three points, and a third successive win at their arch-rivals’ home.

Here, our writers analyse some of the key moments from the game.

A huge win for Arsenal

Travelling to take on Manchester City next Sunday already four points behind would have placed a huge amount of pressure on them to avoid defeat. Arsenal’s squad know all too well that seven points is a mile back when chasing Pep Guardiola’s team.

That’s why this victory — with their entire first-choice midfield missing and the stakes already ratcheting up — was so vital for Arteta’s men. It keeps Arsenal within touching distance and kickstarts their season after the disappointment of the 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break.

The resilience they showed when soaking up Tottenham pressure, the work rate that both wingers put into their defensive responsibilities and the adaptability Jorginho and Thomas Partey displayed to make up for their ageing legs are intangibles that will add belief to this team.

Jordan Campbell

A wasted opportunity for Tottenham?

With Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Declan Rice unavailable, Spurs had an opportunity to beat Arsenal for the first time since May 2022. There were some encouraging signs in the first half as Dominic Solanke linked up with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski nicely. Solanke kept dropping off Gabriel and William Saliba who did not know whether to follow him and who was responsible if so.

As can be seen from the graphic below, Spurs dominated possession and territory.

They lost their momentum midway through the first half, however, and never truly looked like reclaiming it. Arsenal’s stubborn 4-4-2 shape was difficult to break down in the second half and there were multiple occasions when Maddison had no other option but to hit a hopeful cross into the box.

This was a better performance compared to the last time these two teams met, when Arsenal were leading 3-0 at half-time. It will sting that Arsenal scored from another set piece but that was more down to Cristian Romero switching off (and Vicario failing to impose himself) than any structural failure.

Tottenham have improved under Postecoglou but this leaves them with four points from as many games. They have lost to Newcastle and Arsenal, two teams they want to compete with towards the top of the table and for Champions League qualification.

This felt like another harsh lesson that hopefully Postecoglou’s young side will learn from.

Jay Harris

Another lapse of concentration from Romero?

Reports in this morning’s newspapers suggested that Real Madrid had sent a scout to the north London derby to assess whether Tottenham’s Romero or Arsenal’s William would be a worthwhile transfer target. Based on this game — and, in truth, based on the last year — Romero comes off worse, and worse in comparison to Micky van de Ven too.

Romero is the type of centre-back who catches the eye. He is aggressive. He is committed. He gets the crowd going. He puts in crunching tackles. He runs through brick walls — even if the brick wall isn’t actually in his way. But he’s also not a particularly great defender. The Argentinian is a World Cup winner, granted — but it’s worth remembering that so was Leeds United flop Roque Junior.

Romero was both outwitted and then (more embarrassingly) wound up by Leicester’s Jamie Vardy in a game Tottenham clearly should have won but drew 1-1. He’s been very heavily involved in the opposition box in a 4-0 win over Everton — the kind of meat-and-potatoes opposition that suits him — including heading in the third goal.

In the 2-1 loss to Newcastle, he was partly responsible for the first goal and for the second, when he simply didn’t bother running back as Alexander Isak sprinted in behind. He ended up 30 yards behind the Newcastle goalscorer. Here, his defending against Gabriel — always Arsenal’s main threat at set pieces — was hopeless. He was the wrong side, got outmuscled and seemed to be aware of neither man nor ball.

Van de Ven’s recovery pace is rightly considered a key part of Tottenham’s gameplan, but it’s partly so important because he’s playing alongside a defender who doesn’t seem to know how to defend. If Madrid are genuinely interested, Spurs should be delighted.

Michael Cox

A predictably… intense match

There is always going to be tension when these teams meet, and Jurrien Timber always seemed to be at the heart of it on Sunday.

In the first 15 minutes, he had a flare-up with Brennan Johnson that ended with them both in a heap on the floor — but that was nothing compared to what happened just after the half an hour mark.

The Netherlands international tackled Dejan Kulusevski while he was on the floor and then won the loose ball from Pedro Porro. Tottenham’s right-back went down in pain but Timber carried on, burst into the box and won a corner. Romero recklessly wiped out his own team-mate Kulusevski in his desperation to take down Timber and gain revenge for Porro.

Vicario then rushed over to Timber and squared up with him. Despite Vicario’s size advantage, Timber did not back down and grabbed the goalkeeper by the scruff of his shirt.

Players from both teams then rushed over to try to defuse the situation, which ended with Vicario and Timber being booked. There were lots of other little skirmishes, too, including when Van de Ven fouled Leandro Trossard, who howled in pain.

As usual, the north London derby delivered on drama.

Jay Harris

Arsenal’s defensive organisation was spot-on

Defending against Postecoglou’s Tottenham in a low block isn’t the easiest of tasks. The wide combinations between the winger, full-back and No 8 make it a tedious task, and the dynamism of their movement and rotations only makes it harder.

In the first half of this north London derby, Arsenal’s defensive organisation limited that threat. Defending out of a 4-4-2 with Partey and Jorginho behind Kai Havertz and Trossard, one of Arsenal’s wingers would drop to form a situational back five towards the side where Tottenham are trying to attack while the other would tuck in next to the double pivot to minimise the space.

Meanwhile, Saliba and Gabriel were alert to switch markers with Arsenal’s double pivot when Solanke dropped deeper and Tottenham were searching for runners in behind the defence. In addition, Partey and Jorginho dropped to fill in the gaps in the defensive line.

Arsenal needed David Raya only once in open play in the first half when Tottenham combined down the left and played a cutback to Dejan Kulusevski, but transitional moments looked dangerous.

In the second half, it was expected that Tottenham would increase the pressure, especially after Gabriel put Arsenal in the lead, but more blocks and Raya being in position to save more shots earned Arsenal a deserved victory.

Ahmed Walid

What did Ange Postecoglou say?

The Tottenham manager spoke at length when asked about his team’s record at set-pieces. “For some reason people think I don’t care about set-pieces and it is a narrative you can keep going with for ages and ages. I understand that,” he said.

“We work on them all the time like any other team we know they are a threat. For the most part we handled them really well but we switched off for one and we paid the price. You learn from that and move on. It is what it is. It is my burden to carry and I’m happy to do it.

“There’s a bigger picture that’s at play here that is much more important than the finer details of us getting to where we want to. For us the way forward is to try to turn the football we are playing now into something meaningful.

What did Mikel Arteta say?

The Arsenal manager was delighted with the maturity his side showed in Sunday’s game.

“After the international break, we had a few blows,” Arteta said to BBC Sport. “How the team reacted was magnificent. It showed a lot of maturity from the team.

“When they (Spurs) get into the final third, it’s very difficult because they have a structure. We were missing vital players and we had to react to that. I’m very pleased.

‘We had to adjust and use different players and qualities. I was hoping they would do something with the ball and we did it. Sometimes better than others. They are a really good side.

“When we have to defend in deeper areas, we did it really well. There are things to improve but we have another victory here and it’s huge. I know how our supporters will feel about this so enjoy it.”

What next for Tottenham?

Wednesday, September 18: Coventry City (A), Carabao Cup, 8pm BST, 3pm ET

What next for Arsenal?

Thursday, September 19: Atalanta (A), Champions League, 8pm BST, 3pm ET

Recommended reading

Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 return: What to look out for in top five leagues

Tottenham vs Arsenal and why north London supremacy is all a matter of timing

(Top photo: Getty Images)

Predictably, Mikel Arteta was not happy with the decision to send off Declan Rice. Predictably, Brighton's Fabian Fabian Hurzeler said it was the correct call.

One thing everyone could agree on was that it massively swung the game, and Arsenal cannot afford to cede control of many more matches this season.

The Athletic's Amy Lawrence wrote on the lessons they must learn from a head-scratching afternoon at the Emirates Stadium — give it a read below.

Arsenal 1-1 Brighton

Having won both of their opening two matches, Arsenal welcomed Brighton to the Emirates Stadium in their last game.

A brilliant lob from Kai Havertz gave the hosts the lead in the first half, but their hopes of victory soon unravelled in the second half.

Within four minutes of the restart, Declan Rice was shown his second yellow card in a controversial incident with Joel Veltman. The England midfielder was adjudged to have delayed a Brighton free-kick by nudging the ball away and it left Arsenal a man down for the rest of the match.

Unsurprisingly, Brighton took advantage of the extra-man advantage and were soon level through Joao Pedro. The visitors continued to push for a winning goal and probably should have found one, but Mikel Arteta's side were able to hang on for a point to maintain their unbeaten start.

Tottenham Hotspur have taken 48 shots in their first three games of the Premier League season, according to Opta — more than any other team apart from Nottingham Forest (53).

They rank one behind Forest for shots on target with 20, and are joint-second for efforts outside the box (18) behind Crystal Palace’s 19.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have produced three good performances in those matches by dominating possession and boldly playing out from the back, yet have only four points from the nine available.

Before the international break, The Athletic broke down their struggles in front of goal against Newcastle — check it out below.

Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham

Tottenham were dealt their first Premier League defeat of the season in their last match before the international break. And it was a loss they really should have avoided.

After Harvey Barnes opened the scoring for Newcastle with the game approaching half-time, a rather comical Dan Burn own goal made it 1-1 before the hour mark.

From there, Spurs dominated the game and had countless opportunities to take the lead.

But they didn't take any of them and were punished on the break with Alexander Isak finishing off a clinical counter attack to win his side the game in the 78th minute.

This has caused quite the stir over the last days and, in my opinion, rightly so.

Arsenal will wear their away kit for a north London derby for the first time since 1986. The Premier League has ruled that their home kit includes too much white and is not different enough from Tottenham's home shirt.

So instead, Arteta's side will line up in their black away kit for today's game rather than their traditional red-and-white.

As soon as Odegaard limped out of Norway's 2-1 win against Austria, panic set in throughout the Arsenal fanbase.

They already knew they were going into a north London derby without Rice and Merino, losing Odegaard was just the cherry on top of a very unpleasant cake.

The Athletic's best Arsenal brains whirred into gear and it was Art De Roche's job to look at what midfielders Arteta was left with — you can find his piece below.

Despite claiming that "players with 48 hours are always available" in his pre-match press conference, Arteta will not be able to call on Odegaard for today's game.

"We need to see the extent of the injury and he quickly we can get him back", said Arteta. "He's super positive about everything. We know Martin, he wants to be there every single day but we have to wait and see."

He was then asked whether Merino has improving after he fractured his shoulder in his first training session.

"(He's) better. It's a slow process because it's a bone and it takes a while to heal," he said. "He's progressing well, he's already doing some stuff.

"He's working extremely hard and we're using this time to make sure he understands the things he has questions about, so that he's ready to go when he's back."

The last couple of weeks have been a nightmare for Arsenal on the team news front.

Declan Rice's red card in the 1-1 draw against Brighton means he is suspended and will not feature today.

And his absence of one of several for Arsenal; they are without captain Martin Odegaard, who sustained an ankle injury while on international duty, and new signing Mikel Merino because of a shoulder injury.

Another of their summer signings, Riccardo Calafiori, picked up an injury while representing his country but he could be involved today.

Elsewhere, defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is still out, while Arteta is hoping to have Gabriel Jesus available for selection.

After his initial injury round-up, Postecoglou was pressed on the issue facing Bissouma.

"It’s hard to say at the moment, it’s a tweak in his groin," said the Tottenham manager on Friday.

"The initial report is it’s not serious which means there is a chance for Sunday, which tells me it’s nothing significant.

"If he doesn’t make Sunday, then I’ll assume he’ll be right for after that. At the same time, he’s just come off a long flight, you never feel great anyway, we’ll see how he trains tomorrow (Saturday) and that will give the best indication."

There have been a few injury issues for Tottenham to contend with since the start of the season.

But the international break has done Ange Postecoglou's side the world of good. Both Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke have used the break to get back on the training pitch and they should both be in contention for today's game.

And Solanke's potential inclusion is important, with fellow forwards Richarlison and Will Lankshear still recovering from their injuries.

Midfielder Yves Bissouma picked up a groin problem while on international duty, so he is a doubt.

Home. That was the fourth word Mikel Arteta officially uttered as Arsenal manager. In his maiden press conference, in December 2019, with his smooth hair and youthful face, in a red polo shirt that looked fresh out of the packet, with everything in front of him — some things he expected and others he could not possibly imagine — the first expression that came to mind suggested he was at his happy place. “I feel back home,” he said.

As an opening sentence, it struck a chord because it was maybe a little unexpected to realise how much Arsenal had got under the skin of a player who represented six clubs in four different countries during his career. Although his time as a player was recalled fondly enough, it was not the easiest chunk of time in the club’s history.

There he was, Arsenal’s new head coach, ready to take the plunge into his first job at the sharp end. He was 37 and despite his high-calibre experiences as an ambitious assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, he had never, at that point, managed a single game. He was parachuted into a high-profile job made particularly demanding because the squad was not in a good place. Even today it seems a little mad — although the best ideas usually are.

Read more below

There was some big news for Arsenal supporters on Thursday morning.

Mikel Arteta committed his long-term future to Arsenal by agreeing a new contract, which will secure him to the Emirates Stadium until 2027.

Arteta’s previous deal was scheduled to expire at the end of this season — but both parties have moved to eliminate any uncertainty, with a three-year extension now in place.

The development will come as a significant boost to Arsenal ahead of today's north London derby. Arteta has been central to the club’s rise since he replaced Unai Emery as head coach in late 2019 and changed title to manager the following year.

Read more below.

Good morning and welcome along to The Athletic's live coverage of the season's first north London derby.

Tottenham vs Arsenal remains one of the great fixtures in world football and this one looks set to be a belter!

Arsenal arrive at the home of their greatest enemy without a few of their key players, while Tottenham come into this one on the back of a faltering start to their Premier League campaign.

Loads of time to go until kick-off in the capital, so stick with us for all the build-up.

Games between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal rarely disappoint.

There has not been a goalless draw in the north London derby for 15 years and last season’s two matches produced nine goals.

Arsenal have won on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and, already — slightly ridiculously, given we are three games into the season — there is a sense they need another one to stay in touch with a Manchester City team who have won their past 14 consecutive Premier League matches.

With plenty at stake for both teams, The Athletic’s Tottenham reporter Jay Harris, Arsenal writer Jordan Campbell and senior data analyst Mark Carey consider the key talking points going into Sunday’s match.

Is this a good time for Tottenham to face Arsenal?

Harris: Spurs will be smelling blood when they look at the number of key players unavailable to Mikel Arteta. Ange Postecoglou has also been dealing with injury issues, but if Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven are fully fit, he can field his strongest XI.

When these two sides faced each other in April, Ben Davies — deputising for the injured Destiny Udogie — could not keep up with Bukayo Saka. Udogie is fit again after spending the summer recovering from thigh surgery and his battle with Saka should be more even. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scored an own goal in that game but has since left for Marseille and Postecoglou has a wider variety of options in central midfield.

The biggest concern for Tottenham is that they can still look vulnerable at the back. Cristian Romero has made a couple of costly errors, which is somewhat understandable when you consider he only spent a couple of weeks on holiday after winning the Copa America with Argentina before returning for pre-season. Romero could have done with a rest during the international break but he played twice for Argentina. Tottenham fans will be hoping the extra game time has boosted his sharpness and that it does not leave him feeling knackered.

Carey: It is a cliche but it’s true — all rules go out of the window in derby games. The quick turnaround after the international break might mean that the contest is a little lower in intensity, but this one is difficult to predict.

For Arsenal, it is not just the blow of — as seems very likely — losing Martin Odegaard’s quality to injury but also how much it affects them tactically. Arsenal’s captain is a key component of their right-sided rotations with Ben White and Saka — a trio who have been so consistent for the past 18 months. They have plenty of quality elsewhere across the pitch, but add in Declan Rice’s suspension and Arsenal fans’ concerns become understandable.

Spurs have not made the blistering start of last season but have played well. On another day, they would have comfortably dispatched Leicester City and Newcastle United with the chances they generated and we all know that the football xG gods have a way of balancing things out across a season.

Might we see Spurs create fewer chances but score two scruffy goals? You wouldn’t bet against it.

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Three games in is too early to trust the Premier League table... or is it?

Campbell: Considering Arsenal’s missing players, yes, they are weaker, but that need to capitalise brings its own pressure for Spurs.

Arteta signing a new three-year contract, however, should re-energise Arsenal and balance out any pessimism.

It is a statement of intent that says Arsenal are not content with being challengers. They want more and a win at Spurs would be the perfect way to show they are not going anywhere.

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Are we in for another exciting derby?

Harris: This fixture always produces drama. Postecoglou’s philosophy is all about dominating the ball and pressuring the other team high up the pitch. When it works, as in their 4-0 victory over Everton last month, Tottenham do not let their opponents breathe and they score goals for fun.

The style of play comes with a lot of risk. Spurs push so many players forward that they leave themselves vulnerable to counter-attacks. Saka’s goal in Arsenal’s 3-2 victory at the end of last season is a prime example of this. As can be seen below, Spurs dominated possession and territory but Arsenal took their chances.

Harry Kane is no longer at Spurs but Son Heung-min remains a threat. The speed of Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert will cause problems for Arsenal’s full-backs, too. Solanke will make his home debut if he recovers from an ankle injury and scoring would be the perfect way to mark it.

Campbell: Arsenal were relentlessly efficient in the 3-2 win last season, making the most of their dominance from dead-ball situations.

But in last season’s first meeting, the enduring issue of playing well but spurning big chances prevented them from killing off the game early. Gabriel Jesus was most guilty and with the Brazilian potentially filling in for Kai Havertz up front, the question of whether Arsenal have enough killer instinct hangs over them.

Transitions will be key again for both teams and a first start for Raheem Sterling could help Arsenal add that extra incisiveness. Goals seem inevitable but do not be surprised to see Arteta employ a slightly more restrained, counter-attacking approach to compensate for the absence of Rice and Odegaard.

How might Arsenal’s midfield injuries affect things?

Campbell: Arsenal will probably be without what Arteta intended to be his first-choice midfield this season, with Mikel Merino and Odegaard both injured and Rice suspended.

The sale of Emile Smith Rowe and the loan exit of Fabio Vieira means Arsenal cannot replicate the balance they would usually have.

Havertz dropping into midfield, with Jesus taking his place up front, is a natural solution to the left-sided central-midfielder gap, but Jorginho and Thomas Partey are the only other senior conventional midfielders available. Partey being pushed forward slightly to allow the Italian to play at No 6 is one option, as is tweaking the shape to employ a double pivot, but both players can leave Arsenal lacking mobility and creativity.

Dropping Leandro Trossard back to play alongside Havertz would be an aggressive move but would risk leaving Arsenal too open. Shifting either Oleksandr Zinchenko or Jurrien Timber forward into midfield could help Arteta maximise continuity in their build-up play.

The closest thing to a like-for-like Odegaard replacement is 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri. It would be his first senior start but he could help Arsenal maintain their balance. Using an inexperienced teenager would also be the strongest rebuttal Arteta could serve to those sceptical of his willingness to trust academy players.

GO DEEPER

How do Arsenal adapt if they are missing Odegaard and other first-choice midfielders?

Harris: James Maddison is the only midfielder to have started all of Tottenham’s games this season. The 27-year-old has been accompanied by a rotating cast of Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr or Dejan Kulusevski, depending on the quality of the opposition.

In the second half of their 2-1 defeat by Newcastle, Spurs seemed to strike the right balance with a combination of Bissouma, Maddison and Kulusevski. The former protected the back four, Maddison dropped into pockets of space and sprayed passes across the pitch while Kulusevski drove forward with the ball into threatening positions. It would be a bold call by Postecoglou to start this trio against Arsenal but it might be exactly what is required to take advantage of Rice, Merino and Odegaard’s absences. If Postecoglou wants to be a little more cautious, expect to see Sarr slot in alongside Maddison and Bissouma.

Carey: There were only three games in which Odegaard did not start in the Premier League last season. Two of those were against relegated teams — Burnley and Sheffield United — making Arsenal’s match at Newcastle a decent example of how they set up in the Norwegian’s absence.

Looking at their passing network (below), it is encouraging to see that those right-sided triangles remained and Saka was not dragged deeper. On that day, Havertz was tasked with playing in the right-sided central-midfield role but, this weekend, he is more likely to play to the left or up front.

Having Zinchenko or Timber as ball-playing inside full-backs will add strength to the midfield, so you would expect to see greater numbers in central areas compared with the above graphic, where Jorginho was tasked with locking things down almost single-handedly.

Whoever plays, expect to see the same principles of play with Arsenal and a focus on wide rotations to stretch Spurs’ back line.

Would a win be more significant for Postecoglou or Arteta?

Harris: Postecoglou’s second season in charge of Tottenham has started underwhelmingly. They dominated for large spells against Leicester and Newcastle but failed to win. They tore Everton apart and demonstrated how devastating they can be when everything clicks, but Arsenal will be their toughest test yet.

Tottenham have lost to Arsenal at home for two successive seasons. They only earned one point against them last year and the last time they beat Arsenal was in May 2022 when Antonio Conte was still in charge. If Postecoglou can guide them to victory on Sunday, it would kick their season into gear and be a huge statement of intent.

If Spurs lose, they will have only taken four points out of a possible 12 and the arguments about Postecoglou’s entertaining but divisive style of play will become much louder.

Campbell: This was always going to be the start of a huge week, with a north London derby, a Champions League opener and a visit to Manchester City crammed into eight days.

But the 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion means the pressure on beating Spurs is already ramping up.

Arteta and his Arsenal players can lean on recent triumphs. They have become a team that thrives in big matches. After beating Spurs in May 2022, they went on a 17-game unbeaten streak in London derbies. Against the so-called ‘Big Six’ last season, they took 22 points from 30, becoming only the fourth team to go unbeaten against their rivals in a single season.

A win would not be as significant to Arteta as he has re-established the upper hand in the fixture over the past two seasons but in the context of chasing City, this already feels like a must-win.

What are the key tactical battles?

Harris: Watching Udogie take on Saka will be exciting and Solanke has the difficult task of escaping William Saliba’s clutches.

The key match-up, however, could be Bissouma against Havertz. The Germany international is expected to drop into midfield and, if fit, Bissouma will have the responsibility of tracking his dangerous runs into the box. Bissouma has produced two solid performances after missing the opening game of the season through suspension but can he step up against elite opposition? If Bissouma is not fit enough to play, that task could fall to Bentancur. The Uruguayan is available to start, three days after being charged by the FA over comments he made about team-mate Son.

Keep an eye on Maddison and whoever is tasked with marking him, too. Jorginho and Partey are far less mobile than Rice and Merino, which means Maddison might get that crucial extra second he needs to play a killer pass.

Campbell: It was the pressing of both teams that dominated the first fixture last season and the set-piece superiority of Arsenal that proved decisive in the second game.

Both of those aspects could prove key again, especially if Arsenal field a less dynamic midfield three. Jorginho was caught dithering on the ball in the 2-2 draw as both teams aggressively pressed the first line of build-up (as can be seen from their above-average ‘high press’ scores in The Athletic’s match dashboard below).

Postecoglou will hope his team are better equipped to deal with that challenge, having had a year to get used to his methods. When Pedro Porro and Udogie drift into the centre, Arsenal’s midfield will need to ensure there is no space for Maddison and Bissouma to dictate play.

Carey: One of Arsenal’s key strengths last season was their suffocating, relentless high press.

Their title challenge was built on rock-solid defensive foundations, and that was not exclusively because of their classy centre-backs — it was from their co-ordinated attackers not letting the opposition play out comfortably.

Sure, we are in a new season now but it is worth keeping an eye out for this part of the game when Spurs have the ball in their own third. If both sides show similar character traits from last season, there could be a key tactical battle at one particular end of the field.

How to watch Tottenham vs Arsenal

Sunday, September 15, 2pm BST/9am ET. Watch live on Sky Sports in the UK or USA Network in the United States.

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Dominic Solanke’s journey to becoming Tottenham Hotspur’s £65million ($85.1m) club-record signing has not been conventional.

When he was scoring goals for fun as a teenager in Chelsea’s academy, training alongside Didier Drogba and Diego Costa with the first team, it was assumed he would make a smooth transition into becoming one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

It took a lot longer than was expected. Solanke made one appearance for his boyhood club and a promising move to Liverpool did not work out either.

The centre-forward rebuilt his career with Bournemouth and arrived at Spurs as Harry Kane’s replacement this summer. Ange Postecoglou will hope he plays a leading role in his revolution.

Missing a glorious chance on his debut away to Leicester City and suffering an ankle injury that ruled him out of their next two games was not the ideal start to his Spurs career.

The good news is that Postecoglou confirmed on Friday afternoon that he has trained this week and has a chance of being fit enough to face Arsenal on Sunday. Solanke will become an instant hit with Tottenham’s supporters if he scores in a win against their north London rivals — it would be the perfect way to celebrate turning 27 on Saturday.

Solanke joined Chelsea’s academy as an under-8. He was chauffeured from his home on the outskirts of Basingstoke to training by Adi Viveash, who held a variety of roles in Chelsea’s youth-team setup for nearly a decade, including as head coach of the under-18’s and then the under-21s.

Solanke won the FA Youth Cup twice with Chelsea and scored in the 2015 UEFA Youth League final when they beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 in Switzerland. He was named their academy player of the season in 2014-15 after he scored 41 goals.

“Arsene Wenger saw him in an FA Youth Cup semi-final,” Viveash, who left his role as Coventry City assistant manager in July, told The Athletic this year. “Dom was 16, the second leg was at the Emirates, and Wenger said to me that he hadn’t seen anybody play like that — able to play in (a combination of) the two positions (No 9 and No 10) at a young age and have that football intelligence.

“Him and Tammy (Abraham) scored a ridiculous amount of goals coming through at youth level — it was like a competition — and then, for whatever reason, Dom’s career didn’t go in the path that I certainly thought it would. If there was anyone I would have put my hat on (hitting the top), it was him.”

Solanke’s time at Chelsea overlapped with Jose Mourinho’s second spell in charge. Mourinho spoke highly of Solanke and gave him his debut in a Champions League game against Maribor in October 2014. It was his only appearance. He spent the 2015-16 season on loan with Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem and was frozen out of Chelsea’s plans when he returned due to a contract dispute. In an interview with The Athletic in February, Solanke said his appearance against Maribor felt like a “token”.

“There wasn’t really anyone breaking through to the first team,” he said. “I don’t think there had been anyone who had gone through and stayed there since John Terry. There were some great young players and we were all trying to be the one, but we knew it was going to be difficult because Chelsea could just sign whoever they wanted.”

Solanke’s eye-catching performances for England’s youth teams underlined his talent. He helped them win the Under-17 European Championship in 2014 and was the joint-top scorer at the tournament alongside Jari Schuurman of the Netherlands. He scored twice in a group-stage game against Turkey to help England come from behind to win 4-1, found the back of the net in a 2-0 victory over Portugal in the semi-finals, and gave his side the lead in the final against the Netherlands, which they won on penalties.

John Peacock was in charge of England’s Under-17s and remembers Solanke was “always smiling” and “took on board everything that was asked of him”.

“There was a lot of noise around him because of his ability to score goals and be part of a successful academy team at Chelsea,” Peacock says. “He had a good support network around him. He was a quiet and unassuming character.

“We had an extremely difficult group (at the Euros) and Dominic, like the rest of the team, had to come up with really good performances to qualify for the knockout stage. His technical work and decision-making were of a high level. He is persistent and never lets defenders rest.

“When he was at the finals, he had to do his GSCE exams. He took that in his stride and came away with a lot of A*s. The day before or after we won the final, he had another exam. That shows you the concentration and desire he has to succeed at whatever he does.”

Peacock left his role with the Football Association shortly after that tournament but returned three years later on a short-term contract as an advisor to help the under-20s at the World Cup in South Korea in 2017. Paul Simpson was the head coach and led a team which included Solanke, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ademola Lookman — who finished second with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations this year — Fikayo Tomori and Lewis Cook to a 1-0 victory over Venezuela in the final. Solanke was the player of the tournament.

“The big goal for me would be Mexico in the quarter-finals,” Peacock says. “Lewis Cook played a fantastic through ball and Dominic slotted it away. It wasn’t an easy chance to take.”

In that summer, Solanke left Chelsea to join Liverpool. A few months later, Gareth Southgate called him up to England’s senior squad for the first time. The forward made his debut in a 0-0 draw with Brazil at Wembley when he replaced Jamie Vardy. It looked like his career was back on track.

Eighteen months later, he left Anfield with one goal in 27 games — with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino as competition — and has not played for England since.

Solanke’s £19million move to Bournemouth in January 2019 was a fresh start. Joshua King and Callum Wilson were the first-choice strikers under Eddie Howe, so Solanke, who was 21, was mainly restricted to coming off the bench.

“He was pleased to find himself somewhere he would be loved,” Steve Cook, who was a senior member of Bournemouth’s squad, tells The Athletic. “He was so good at such a young age, there were massive expectations and that can weigh heavily. He played for two giant clubs where it was going to be difficult to get minutes. He came ready to work and with a lot to prove.”

Things did not go according to plan. Solanke suffered from a few niggling injuries and finished the 2018-19 campaign without a goal. His struggles continued the following season. “We didn’t speak about the lack of goals,” Junior Stanislas, a team-mate on the south coast, says. “His quality was evident in training. His hold-up play, skills and willingness to run in behind — he was someone you always wanted on your team. He brought so much more than goals.”

Solanke found the back of the net for the first time in a 4-1 victory over Leicester in July 2020. It was his 39th appearance for Bournemouth and 60th in the top flight. He only had to wait 20 minutes for his next — a stylish finish with the outside of his right boot that nutmegged Kasper Schmeichel. That result left Howe’s side three points from safety with three games remaining.

“His first goal was massive,” Steve Cook says. “It was a game we had to win, but unfortunately we didn’t manage to stay up. It wasn’t the prettiest of goals and it crept across the line. I don’t think Dom showed he was struggling, he just cracked on. Everyone was delighted for him.”

Stanislas, who is now an academy coach at Bournemouth, believes dropping down into the Championship was “a blessing in disguise” for Solanke. Wilson moved to Newcastle United, while King joined Everton midway through the 2020-21 season. This left Solanke as the main striker under head coach Jason Tindall.

Solanke scored 15 times in the second tier, playing with “freedom” upfront alongside Stanislas and Arnaut Danjuma, but it was a turbulent year in the dugout. Tindall was sacked and replaced by Jonathan Woodgate at the beginning of 2021 before Scott Parker took over in June. Solanke produced the most productive season of his career under Parker, with 29 goals and seven assists in 46 appearances to fire Bournemouth to promotion.

“There were changes with personnel, so there were fresh ideas and you had a young, hungry squad,” Stanislas says. “Dom was confident and you knew you had a goalscorer that you could rely on.

“He is a willing runner, someone who can go in behind, take the pressure off, stretch the line and get you up the pitch. He is just as comfortable coming to feet and he brings others into play. Someone who can do both is difficult to defend against.”

The confidence was flowing and nothing summed up Solanke’s evolution like the 1-1 draw with promotion rivals Fulham. Bournemouth were losing 1-0 when he stepped up to take a penalty in stoppage time. “It was two teams right at the top of the league and it was a big moment,” Stanislas says. “He scored late on and when you’re playing against rivals you have to pick up points. It was a big goal.”

Cook had joined Nottingham Forest and came up against Solanke after Bournemouth’s draw with Fulham. “He has got everything,” the 33-year-old defender, who now plays for Queens Park Rangers, says.

“He has mixed with some top strikers and taken bits from all of them. He can drop into the No 10 position and roam. You never know whether to follow him or stay. When he is confident, his finishing is fantastic. It was a great challenge and difficult coming up against him in training. What stands out is his willingness to learn.”

Solanke produced a modest return of six goals and seven assists during Bournemouth’s first year back in the top flight. He played a direct part in all of the goals in a 3-2 victory over Spurs in April 2023. The forward pressed Pedro Porro and Davinson Sanchez in the build-up to Bournemouth’s first, scored the second and set up Dango Ouattara’s winner.

Solanke’s work rate is one of the reasons Postecoglou was keen to sign him. Nine of the 10 players who covered the most distance in the top flight last season were central midfielders. Solanke was the exception as he ranked eighth by covering 396.9 kilometres.

Andoni Iraola’s appointment as Bournemouth’s head coach helped Solanke hit a new level. He finished with 19 goals in 38 appearances, including a hat-trick against Forest. Iraola said in December that he was becoming “a complete No 9”.

The bigger clubs were on his radar again.

“I don’t think you can ever say someone will be a top performer, but I always felt Dominic would have a good career,” Peacock says. “There are going to be knockbacks and it is about overcoming them. Through resilience and hard work, he has another great challenge in front of him at Tottenham.”

That part of his character is one of the reasons Postecoglou was attracted to him.

“I got a real sense he had a burning desire to take his football to another level and challenge himself at a big club,” Postecoglou said on signing Solanke. “We have got him at a good time. He has had to work his way back up, which is a good thing.”

It is a daunting task replacing Kane, Spurs’ all-time top scorer, but Solanke, according to his former team-mates and coaches, will take the challenge head-on. If he can match or surpass the amount of goals he scored last season, he will not have to wait too much longer for a second England cap.

(Top photo: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

Arsenal are set to wear their away kit against Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby on Sunday.

Ahead of the game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium it has been ruled that Arsenal’s 2024-25 home kit includes too much white, with the back and side of the shirt blending into the white shorts, and therefore clashing with Spurs’ traditional home colours.

The Premier League’s rule M.22 states that clubs “shall wear a strip that differs visibly from and contrasts with one another” for each match.

Arsenal’s away kit has been deemed to provide sufficient contrast and they have therefore been asked to change.

A change would still have been required if Arsenal had proposed wearing red shorts and socks, an option that was also discussed.

It will be the first time in modern history that Arsenal will wear their change colours in a north London derby.

Tottenham will also sport their away kit for the reverse fixture at Emirates Stadium in January. Spurs’ away kit is light blue and takes inspiration from the club’s away kits from the 1980s.

Arsenal’s black away kit this term was designed to celebrate what the club describe as “the rich and well-established connection the club has to the African diaspora in north London beyond”.

It was worn for the 2-0 away win over Aston Villa last month.

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(Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

David Pleat can still remember the names, 64 years on.

He was a 15-year-old boy when Tottenham Hotspur came to the City Ground to play Pleat’s local team, Nottingham Forest.

It was 15 October, 1960. The Beatles were still in Hamburg. John F. Kennedy had not won the presidential election yet and Bill Nicholson’s Spurs were the best team in the country. They won 4-0 that afternoon, John White scoring the best of their goals. They went on to win the domestic double, the first English team to do so since 1897.

“That was the greatest team I saw, no question about that,” Pleat says with a smile. “To this day, I can tell you (the starting XI): (Bill) Brown, (Peter) Baker, (Ron) Henry, (Danny) Blanchflower, (Maurice) Norman, (Dave) Mackay, (Terry) Dyson, (John) White, (Bobby) Smith, Les Allen and Cliff Jones. I never forget that side. That was the side that I hold up. And, in my opinion, that side was probably the best side Tottenham have had all through the years, whatever anyone says about the differences between modern football and latterly.”

That afternoon, Tottenham took a place in Pleat’s heart. They would always be his favourite team, after the one he was playing for or coaching. And that memory, that linking of Tottenham with a certain approach to the game, inspired a lifetime’s work.

Pleat finally had his chance to manage Spurs in 1986. He went on to return to the club as director of football, caretaker manager in multiple spells and then, finally, as a scout. His association with the club ended this summer, 38 years after he first worked there. Pleat tells the story of his life in football in his autobiography Just One More Goal, which is out next week.

It makes Pleat a unique figure in Tottenham’s modern history.

He is one of the few people to work closely for Irving Scholar, Alan Sugar and for Daniel Levy — the three men who have chaired Tottenham over the last 40 years. He managed Ossie Ardiles, Chris Waddle and Glenn Hoddle, and even replaced Hoddle as caretaker manager in 2003. And his legacy at Spurs is still there. Of the current team, Son Heung-min, Ben Davies and James Maddison were all scouted by Pleat. Perhaps his proudest moment was unearthing Dele Alli from MK Dons and persuading the club to sign him, one of the club’s best transfers of the modern era.

But long before Pleat was a scout, caretaker manager or director of football, he was the manager of an exceptionally good Spurs team.

Pleat was at Luton Town for eight years, taking them from the Second Division and into the top half of the top flight. During that time he was mentioned as a potential England manager, and turned down offers to leave Luton for various other sides: Sunderland, Ipswich Town, Southampton and Queens Park Rangers. “I met all these people over a period of time who all wanted me to leave Luton and I didn’t,” he says. “I waited and waited.”

The right move came when he took a call from a friend of Irving Scholar asking if he might want to replace Peter Shreeves at Spurs. Pleat jumped at the chance, taking over after being an ITV pundit at the 1986 World Cup. “Tottenham still had a wonderful reputation for playing football in the right way,” he says. “As Blanchflower said, the game is about glory. People go to work five days a week, they come on a Saturday; they don’t want to be bored.

“They want excitement, they want something to talk about.”

Pleat was excited by the challenge of living up to the best traditions of the club. And he had far more established players at his disposal than he did at Kenilworth Road: Hoddle, Chris Waddle and Osvaldo Ardiles. “The players were already there,” Pleat says. “It was just a matter of fitting them in the right compartments.”

Spurs started slowly but an injury to Tony Galvin forced a re-think. Pleat decided to try an innovative five-man midfield behind a lone striker in Clive Allen. “Hoddle finally settled in the best position ever for him,” Pleat says. “There was always that in a two-man midfield — that Glenn didn’t do the same amount of work. Of course he didn’t, he was a talented player, he was a player people were in awe of.

“We put Glenn in the end as a second striker, a ‘loose striker’, he could do what he wanted to do. He didn’t have to defend.”

Out on the right was Waddle, so wide that he “got his boots white”. Paul Allen was “the ferret” in the middle, alongside Ardiles who was the “link man”. On the left was Steve Hodge, signed from Aston Villa halfway through that season. “He had wonderful energy, terrific work rate, never appreciated by the crowd,” Pleat says. “But he played left-sided, wide left, inside-left and left-half.”

After a 4-2 win at Oxford on 22 November, Tottenham “turned a corner and never looked back”. They went on a brilliant run in the league, eventually finishing third. They reached the semi-final of the League Cup and the final of the FA Cup, where they faced Coventry City. Spurs were favourites but lost 3-2 in one of the most memorable finals in history.

Pleat still sounds disappointed 37 years on, and is still able to analyse the game in great detail: pointing to the man-marking job Lloyd McGrath did on Hoddle, the aerial advantage Cyrille Regis had over Richard Gough, the struggle of Spurs left-back Mitchell Thomas to stop Dave Bennett from getting crosses in, and the failure of referee Neil Midgley to send Brian Kilcline off for a bad foul on Gary Mabbutt. “He was badly injured, that was a terrible turning point.”

The whole experience Pleat calls a “bad dream”.

It is a sign of how much football — and the manager’s job — has changed since then that Pleat’s weekend was overshadowed by a row about Spurs’ shirts. A mix-up meant that only half of the team had the name of sponsor Holsten on the front. An emergency board meeting was called at Tottenham the next morning to find out what happened, and Pleat had to attend a meeting with Holsten the day after to smooth relations with the brewing company that provided such a lucrative deal.

Spurs also pressed ahead with their plans for an open-top bus parade from White Hart Lane to Tottenham Town Hall, even though they had lost and despite torrential rain. “It p***ed with rain. People were getting soaked who came to watch us. There weren’t a lot of people, not crowds. Coventry were having a massive procession. And we were forlorn.”

Pleat resigned the following season but remains hugely proud of that innovative, nearly great Spurs team. Of course, the 1960-61 team is the pinnacle but Pleat ranks his side as “the third-best, in terms of attractive football”. He was also a huge admirer of Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs team, who went one better than Pleat’s, finishing second in the league in 2016-17. “Pochettino got a very good side together,” he says, “and he was a pleasant man, a nice man.”

Ultimately, Pleat knows that any Tottenham manager — from Nicholson to Ange Postecoglou — has to meet expectations from the fans about trying to play a certain way. “We will never lose that. I think (Jose) Mourinho proved that. And even George (Graham) proved that.”

Because Pleat’s return to Tottenham was in part dominated by the question of who was the right sort of manager for Spurs.

In 1998, Alan Sugar wanted some more football expertise in the White Hart Lane boardroom. And he decided to bring back Pleat, 11 years after his departure, as the club’s first director of football. This was a new step for a big English club but Sugar had seen the model work in Italy and wanted to try it in England.

“Sugar and (then Ipswich chairman David Sheepshanks) wrote a letter to the League Managers’ Association saying why directors of football should be important to a club,” Pleat says. “They keep the strategy of the club, the philosophy of the club, regardless of who the manager is. They’re the buffer between the dressing room and the board. We had people on the board who were from commerce, stockbroking, lawyers, (Spurs board member) Igal Yawetz who was a brilliant architect. Most boards have no one with a football background.”

Pleat repeatedly calls Sugar a “visionary” for seeing this, and for appointing him to the job at Spurs.

A few months after Pleat arrived, Sugar told him he had a new idea. He was going to appoint former Arsenal manager Graham.

Pleat had known Graham for almost 40 years — they played against each other for England and Scotland schoolboys — but he sensed there would be an issue. “What Sugar didn’t realise is how George played,” Pleat says. “He thought George’s record was so good that people would forgive him if he gets the results. George had a reputation for being solid, well-organised, defensive-minded. With a clear definition of how he wanted to play.”

Graham’s approach to the game was not exactly in the best traditions of Nicholson and Blanchflower. He had an issue with David Ginola, whom he wanted to drop back into midfield to compete for second balls rather than staying out wide on the wing. Ginola used to come into Pleat’s office after training and discuss it with him. Pleat, who built his own Spurs team with Waddle as a wide winger, sympathised with Ginola. “I loved David Ginola, I loved him — as a man, everything about him.”

Eventually, Graham was sacked and replaced by Hoddle but the hope of a new Spurs team in the traditions of the club did not materialise. Pleat himself ended up having to replace his former player Hoddle as caretaker for most of the 2003-04 season.

Pleat left Spurs at the end of that season and was replaced by Frank Arnesen, starting the succession of directors of football (and managing directors of football and technical directors) that goes all the way through Damien Comolli, Franco Baldini, Fabio Paratici through to Johan Lange today.

But there was another big change during Pleat’s time at Spurs at the start of this century: the arrival of Levy as chairman, ending Sugar’s nine-year spell in charge. Pleat remembers Sugar taking him to meet Levy soon after ENIC had bought Sugar’s shares, in Levy’s office off Regent Street. “I want you to go and meet this man who’s going to take over Tottenham,” Sugar said. Sugar told Levy that Pleat would help him to “learn the ropes”.

Pleat has a rare perspective on Tottenham’s modern history given he worked so closely with their last three chairmen. So how do they compare?

“Scholar was self-confident, almost to the extent of arrogance, and wanted to run perhaps before he could walk,” Pleat says. “Alan Sugar was brusque, could be gruff, but he had humour at times. I have lovely memories of him walking around the boardroom table, munching his grapes, his cheese and his celery.”

And Levy? “Daniel is a quiet man. Businesslike. You don’t know what he’s thinking, which is very clever; he’s got a poker face, expressionless at times. He’s a very clever man. But he’s made a lot of changes.”

Pleat’s modern legacy at Spurs concerns his return to the club as a scout in 2010. He truly loves footballers and he lights up when discussing the players he watched and recommended to Spurs. He knows how common it is for people to burnish their own records in this regard — “Every book I read, all the scouts all saw Bale, all went to their manager and said ‘sign Bale, sign Bale” — but he gives an honest of account of the players he did watch.

Spurs signed Son from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 but Pleat watched him before then at Hamburg, when he was available for just £12million ($15.8m). But Son was returning from injury, did not look fit enough, and was part of a poor Hamburg team.

Pleat watched Christian Eriksen at Ajax and thought at that point he was “erratic, maybe a one-in-three player”, before he found more consistency. But he saw Jan Vertonghen at Ajax, too, and immediately saw what a “leader” he was. He watched Ben Davies at Swansea City, another link to the current team.

Pleat is best known for finding Dele at MK Dons, watching him from the age of 16 in League One. He still remembers the games — Stevenage, Bristol City, Coventry City — and taking Baldini to watch him. Pleat then persuaded the club to pay £5m to sign him. When Dele was established in the Spurs first team, Pleat proudly handed a slightly non-plussed Dele a folder of all the reports he had written on him.

When Tottenham were celebrating their last game at the old White Hart Lane, in May 2017, Levy made a speech in the boardroom thanking everyone for their work to get Spurs to that point. And Pleat, who was there with his grandson, was proud to hear Levy thank him especially for finding Dele, as well as for all his work for the club over the years.

Soon after finding Dele, Pleat found another brilliant 16-year-old playing for Coventry City’s Under-18s against QPR. “The boy (James) Maddison was so good it was like he had eyes in the back of his head,” Pleat smiles. He bumped into Harry Redknapp at half-time who said exactly the same thing. “I went into Tottenham the following morning and said, ‘There’s a boy at Coventry we should sign tomorrow.’ It was an open goal. A tortoise couldn’t have gone slower. They didn’t chase it.”

When Maddison signed for Spurs last year, Pleat joked with him that he was “£40million too late”.

Some players never end up at Spurs at all. Pleat says that he advised Tottenham to sign Jarrod Bowen for £8million from Hull City, Ivan Toney for a similar price, and Ollie Watkins when he was still a box-to-box midfielder at Exeter City. He warns big clubs not to think that the only players good enough for them cost £40m from foreign leagues, and points to the fact that in the 1980s Spurs signed Galvin from Goole Town, Graham Roberts from Weymouth and Mabbutt from Bristol Rovers.

Pleat still has a traditional view on the value of old-fashioned scouting in a fast-changing game. And even though he left Spurs this summer, he still loves the chase, hearing tips on who the best young players are, driving around to watch games, hoping to catch sight of the next big thing.

“The data people, they’re intelligent boys from university who’ve done wonderful dissertations,” Pleat says. “(But) they haven’t been in a dressing room and smelled the liniment. They don’t know that side of it. They’re more intelligent than most football people, and they’re very good at expressing themselves. They’re looking at lung-bursting runs, at intensity, at all sorts of things. But in the end, someone has to go with their eyes and ears.”

Nicholson worked as a scout at Spurs long after he stopped managing, finding some of the players Pleat would go on to manage. Pleat used to see him at Kenilworth Road and asked him why he came all the way to Luton to watch games, staying longer than any of the other scouts who were there.

Nicholson told him: “You’ll be surprised what you learn.”

(Top photo: Pleat upon his appointment at Tottenham in 1986; S&G/PA Images via Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur’s technical director Johan Lange has done an impressive job this summer of selling players on the fringes of Ange Postecoglou’s first-team squad.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg moved to Marseille on loan with an obligation to buy. Oliver Skipp joined Leicester City permanently in a deal which could reach £25million ($32.9m). Emerson Royal is now at AC Milan. Tanguy Ndombele, Ryan Sessegnon and Japhet Tanganga were released. The money was reinvested and the quality of the squad has been raised. The £65m club-record signing of Dominic Solanke should solve a lot of problems up front. Teenagers Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert and Archie Gray have been bought for the future but are ready to contribute straight away.

Postecoglou will be happy he has a much tighter squad to work with. He also has more individuals who suit his philosophy. The newly-expanded version of the Europa League should afford players who are not in the starting XI regular minutes compared to last season when there was no European football and Spurs were eliminated from both domestic cup competitions early.

Heading into the final week of August, Spurs still needed to shift two players: Giovani Lo Celso and Sergio Reguilon. Lo Celso directly contributed to four goals in 22 appearances last season but only started on four occasions and racked up 497 minutes. The midfielder has been a key figure in Argentina’s back-to-back Copa America triumphs but he has never come close to having the same impact at Tottenham.

He joined them in August 2019, initially on loan, from Real Betis. After his move was made permanent, he struggled to establish himself in the first team, then spent 18 months on loan with Villarreal before a brief comeback under Postecoglou. He then sealed a return to Betis last week.

This leaves Reguilon as the last man standing in Tottenham’s outcasts; not a part of Postecoglou’s plans but with a year left on his contract. The left-back’s most recent appearance for Spurs was in a 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in April 2022 when Antonio Conte was still in charge. Since then, he has spent time on loan with Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Brentford.

The 27-year-old returned to Hotspur Way at the start of pre-season but was left out of their tour to Japan and South Korea to “explore transfer opportunities”. Reguilon made two appearances for Manchester United in the Champions League last season and wants to return to that level but there was minimal interest in him this summer. There was tentative interest from Barcelona at the beginning of August which never progressed any further. Time is running out as there are only a small number of transfer windows still open including Belgium (September 6), Greece (September 11) and Turkey (September 13).

Last Friday, Postecoglou said that Lo Celso and Reguilon “don’t have to get integrated back into the squad” if they failed to secure moves away — this was before the former’s reunion with Betis was announced.

“It’s pretty clear where they sit in terms of where we are as a squad and where we are as a team,” Postecoglou said. “But I’ve never been one to force people out. They’ve got decisions (to make) about their own careers and what they want to do. And if they’re still here, they’re still here. We’ll work around that scenario. But it certainly won’t affect the way we work in the first team.”

The problem for Reguilon is that he does not fit Postecoglou’s ethos. The left-back likes to overlap and fire crosses into the box for strikers to attack. He picked up two assists in Brentford’s 3-3 draw with Aston Villa in April by doing exactly that.

Postecoglou wants his full-backs to move inside and join the build-up. There were times during last Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United when Destiny Udogie was more advanced in central areas than James Maddison when Spurs were playing out from the back. There are parallels between Reguilon and Ben Chilwell, who finds himself in a similar situation at Chelsea under their new head coach Enzo Maresca. Football at the elite level is moving away from overlapping full-backs, and Reguilon and Chilwell are two unfortunate victims.

It is a strange sequence of events because Reguilon’s performances were initially encouraging on his arrival from Real Madrid in September 2020 for £27.5million. He had spent the previous season on loan with Sevilla, helping them finish fourth in the Spanish top flight and win the Europa League.

As The Athletic reported in April, there is an internal perception at Tottenham that when things aren’t going well or Reguilon is not being selected to play, he is not the easiest character. The outlook is the Spain international, who has six caps, really needs to feel loved to thrive. At Spurs, he is not going to get enough football for that.

Reguilon has spoken publicly of his dissatisfaction with what he perceived to be mixed messaging from Spurs last summer too. “One day is ‘yes’, next day is ‘no’,” he told The Times in March when asked about finding out that he was no longer part of the club’s plans. “I didn’t understand and still don’t understand the situation.”

Reguilon’s dilemma looked to be the opposite of Djed Spence, whose future was also uncertain at the beginning of the summer. Spence impressed throughout pre-season and did enough to convince Postecoglou he deserved a chance. Postecoglou spoke about how the 24-year-old Spence “fits into our football”, which does not apply to Reguilon. Spence replaced Udogie at left-back in the 4-0 victory over Everton. However, Spence, like Reguilon, has since been left out of Spurs’ Europa League squad.

Reguilon spent the first half of the 2023-24 campaign with Manchester United and made 12 appearances in all competitions. United’s head coach Erik ten Hag sanctioned his return to north London in January because Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw were close to returning from injury. Malacia did not make a single appearance last season while Shaw returned for four games in February before suffering a problem with his hamstring which kept him out until July.

Reguilon then joined Brentford on loan to provide cover while first-choice full-backs Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey recovered from long-term injuries. He was sent off in a 2-1 defeat to Burnley but was solid defensively and recorded four assists in 16 appearances.

Reguilon’s wages were a stumbling block to a permanent move. He has been on around £100,000 a week at Spurs — double the amount Brentford’s highest earners are on. They only covered a portion of his wages during his loan spell.

Brentford made two defensive signings this summer, Sepp van den Berg — who can cover multiple positions — and 18-year-old left-back Jayden Meghoma. All of their signings were aged 23 and below as they looked to build a squad for the long term.

Henry is back in full training but has not played since he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United last September. Hickey has suffered a setback and underwent another operation on his hamstring last week, which means he is expected to miss most of the season. Brentford’s head coach Thomas Frank has used right-footed defender Kristoffer Ajer or central midfielder Vitaly Janelt as emergency left-backs. Despite the lack of options, they never seriously considered a reunion with Reguilon.

The lack of genuine interest has left Reguilon, who received his last international cap in September 2021, in a state of limbo. A full-back with great attacking instincts is in danger of spending the next six months stuck on the sidelines.

(Top photo: Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Alfie Devine is to join Belgian club KVC Westerlo on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

The 20-year-old is leaving north London on a temporary basis to gain more first-team minutes elsewhere. The deal is a straight loan, with no option or obligation to buy the midfielder.

Devine will now play his football in the Belgian Pro League for the 2024-25 season.

The Athletic previously reported that Spurs were working to find a loan move for Devine.

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A proposed loan to Birmingham City fell through but other options were being explored.

Devine, who made his senior debut for the club in January 2021, has spent spells at Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle in recent seasons.

He has made two senior appearances for Spurs and scored one goal.

Spurs are next in action against rivals Arsenal on September 15 after the international break.

(Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)