The New York Times

Tottenham Hotspur came back from 2-0 down to claim a point at Brighton & Hove Albion, thanks to a vastly improved second-half performance.

Brighton took the lead when Yankuba Minteh exploited Tottenham’s high line, rounding Guglielmo Vicario to slot home. When Yasin Ayari’s powerful shot from the edge of the box made it 2-0, the game looked done by the half-hour mark.

But Richarlison scrambled home his third goal of the season before half-time, and a dangerous Mohammed Kudus cross was deflected into his own net by Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke, as Spurs dominated the ball in the second half.

The Athletic’s Jay Harris assesses the action…

Cranking up the pressure pays off

This was a huge test for Thomas Frank. Spurs have been exceptional this season when they have taken the lead against teams but on the only other previous occasion when they conceded first, in a 1-0 defeat against Bournemouth, they never came close to scoring.

Spurs have struggled to create chances from open play since Frank took charge and Brighton repelled their corners easily as Kudus’ deliveries were underwhelming. Could Spurs show a different side of themselves under their new head coach?

Even if there was an element of fortune about both of their goals, the way Spurs aggressively attacked Brighton in the second half deserves a lot of praise. Frank was proactive with his substitutions and threw on more offensive players. The key to unlocking Brighton’s defence was Xavi Simons, who was superb. Frank will have to answer awkward questions about why Simons did not start this game but maybe the head coach was conscious of not overplaying him. The Netherlands international only joined the club in the final week of the transfer window.

The scenes at full-time underlined the growing bond between Frank and the fans. What could have been an ugly defeat on the south coast for the third year in a row turned into a valuable point. Frank and the supporters applauded each other and it felt like a performance that they would learn a lot from.

Spurs showed resilience under pressure and great character to come from behind. There were not many occasions when you could have said the same about them last season.

A first glimpse of Xavi Simons in the middle

Everybody assumed that Spurs signed Simons to play as a No 10 but he started on the left wing in his first two appearances against West Ham United and Villarreal.

Simons dropped to the bench against Brighton but came on in the 61st minute to replace Rodrigo Bentancur. He was involved straight away as he lashed a right-footed shot wide from after Destiny Udogie charged into the box. Bentancur and Simons are very different players. Simons’ introduction was an acknowledgement from Frank that he needed to be more adventurous to try to rescue a point but crucially, it did not prompt Lucas Bergvall to drop back.

They combined on multiple occasions. Simons received the ball deep in Brighton’s half and waited until the perfect moment before playing a clever pass to Bergvall, who could not control it in the box.

Simons naturally drifted out wide to the left and in the 67th minute, he dribbled past a couple of players before trying to bend a right-footed shot into the box that Bart Verbruggen saved.

It felt like Simons created more chances and had more shots in his first five minutes on the pitch than his team-mates managed in the first hour without him. A few moments later, Bergvall dummied Kudus’ cross and Simons had another chance but he failed to make a good enough connection. In the 80th minute, he slalomed past multiple challenges and set up Richarlison, who shot straight at Verbruggen.

Just when it looked like Simons would not be able to inspire a comeback against Brighton, he picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch and found Kudus out wide. The Ghana international’s cross was deflected into his own net by Van Hecke for the equaliser. Simons is already showing why he is going to be a star for Spurs.

Defence too easily pulled out of shape

Tottenham’s defence has looked rock-solid under Frank but Brighton pulled them apart. Frank changed the back four for the first time this season, starting Destiny Udogie, who has just recovered from a knee injury, instead of Djed Spence.

Frank spoke on Friday about how Udogie offers them a different dimension on the left-hand side from Spence, who is predominantly right-footed. It was fresh on his mind because Simons and Spence kept occupying the same areas in their 1-0 victory against Villarreal on Tuesday night. Udogie overlapped Wilson Odobert on multiple occasions against Brighton and whipped dangerous crosses into the box, but he struggled to cope with Minteh.

Brighton’s opening goal started deep in their own half. Minteh shrugged Odobert off the ball before darting past the halfway line. Udogie and Micky van de Ven were caught far too high up the pitch, allowing Minteh to charge unchallenged towards goal before rounding Vicario.

It was not a one-off incident. Georginio Rutter found himself in a similar situation but he was held up by Van de Ven. Rutter worked the ball inside and Brajan Gruda’s fierce drive was saved by Vicario at the second attempt.

Frank’s aggressive man-marking approach has paid dividends in other fixtures this season but against Brighton, their defence was dragged out of position too often and the gaps were exposed.

What did Frank say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What next for Spurs?

Wednesday, September 24: Doncaster Rovers (Home), Carabao Cup third round, 7.45pm UK, 2.45pm ET

(Top photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

To contextualise the growing debate around Joao Palhinha within the Tottenham Hotspur fanbase, let’s first consider the circumstances that led to him signing on a season-long loan.

Rewind to 2021. Given his standout performances for Portugal at Euro 2020 and his crucial role in Sporting CP’s league title win in 2020-21 under Ruben Amorim, if Palhinha were to leave the club he progressed through as a youngster, many expected it to be for one of Europe’s elite.

As it transpired, he waited a year and left his hometown of Lisbon for London. But not for Chelsea, Arsenal, or indeed Tottenham. He joined newly-promoted Fulham in a deal worth around €20m (£17.2m).

“A couple of reasons for that,” Tom Kundert, founder of English-language site Portugoal, told The Athletic in 2022. “He had a couple of injury problems. But also Sporting bought a very promising Uruguayan central midfielder, Manuel Ugarte, who, whenever he played, was just absolutely superb and is a bit more creative than Palhinha.”

It proved a bargain for the west Londoners. In his debut Premier League season, Palhinha was named the club’s player of the year. He won 64.3 per cent of his 112 aerial duels (Rodri with 68.6 per cent of 105 was the only player to win a larger share of those who competed for 100 aerial duels or more) and made 148 tackles in 2022-23, 48 more than any other player in England’s top flight. In his second season, he somehow topped it, finishing with 152.

Having needed just a single Premier League season to convince one of Europe’s biggest clubs he had the quality to step up, Bayern Munich failed in a deadline-day bid to bring him to the Bundesliga in 2023. That move came a year later, with Palhinha joining the German giants for €51million (£43.1m, $54.9m) plus €5m in potential add-ons, equalling a club record sale for Fulham.

The move didn’t work out. Having initially been recruited in 2023 to play under the more defensive-minded Thomas Tuchel, Palhinha was an awkward fit at the base of Vincent Kompany’s midfield, with the Belgian preferring the technical qualities of Joshua Kimmich and academy graduate Aleksandar Pavlovic.

He featured 17 times in the Bundesliga for Bayern, starting just five matches. In an end-of-season player survey conducted by German publication Kicker, Palhinha was voted the league’s most disappointing player by 216 of his Bundesliga peers, receiving 13.4 per cent of the vote.

Back to Kundert’s creativity comment. Combined with injuries, Palhinha’s perceived lack of invention and quality on the ball prevented his career in Bavaria from taking off. Now, having been cast aside by Kompany and permitted to join Spurs on loan with an option to buy for €30m, it’s central to a growing discussion around the 30-year-old’s suitability and fit within Thomas Frank’s midfield.

At the core of the discussion are memories of Tottenham’s dysfunctional engine room last season. Without a natural No 6, Ange Postecoglou experimented with Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Archie Gray, Yves Bissouma and Lucas Bergvall at the base of midfield, all of whom have the characteristics and qualities to succeed in the right system.

It was evident, however, that Postecoglou’s daring style, which often came at the expense of leaving the defensive midfielder to manage transitions individually, didn’t suit any of them. They were conditions that even the best ball-winners in Europe — of which Palhinha is one — may not have been able to thrive in.

Under Frank, defensive structure is prioritised, and Palhinha’s qualities have been evident. He had a strong debut in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain and produced one of the best performances of his career away to Manchester City, winning more duels (eight) and tackles (four) than any Spurs player, and topping off his performance with a well-taken goal. At that point, the suggestion Palhinha would be anything less than a key player moving forward this season would have felt ludicrous. But after an ineffective display in the 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth at home the following week, where he was taken off at 54 minutes, Palhinha’s limitations in helping to progress the ball through the first and middle third of the pitch were more evident.

“On the offensive side, we struggled to find good enough solutions to get through phase one and two so we could get up there and put a bit of pressure on them,” Frank said in his post-match press conference. “We only did that in the last 15 where we put on good pressure and could have equalised. I think, over the game, it was fair that Bournemouth won.”

But in the modern game, you don’t necessarily have to play every match to be a key player. Contests against City and PSG offered Palhinha the perfect conditions to demonstrate the extent of his defensive capabilities — something sorely missed in midfield last season — but Frank’s willingness to leave him on the bench at home to Villarreal suggests he believes there are better alternatives for home matches where the onus is on Spurs to control possession and build attacks with patience.

For those occasions, Tottenham’s midfielders need to feel comfortable passing the ball forward under pressure. Last season, Palhinha completed 92.9 per cent of his passes in the Bundesliga — but only 2.7 per cent of those were “progressive”. For comparison, Christian Norgaard, who fulfilled a similar role under Frank last season at Brentford, played the ball forward 7.1 per cent of the time.

The immediate need to address this has been reduced by Spurs’ efficiency from set pieces and their overall defensive structure. Four clean sheets out of five matches since the Super Cup is practically impossible to maintain, but Tottenham will be solid under Frank and can expect that to continue for the remainder of the season and beyond. However, leaning on set pieces without creating enough chances from open play is unsustainable. If that well dries up, Tottenham will need more from their midfield, starting at the base.

As Bayern pushed to win the Bundesliga and go deep in the Champions League, Palhinha’s perceived weaknesses in possession kept him on the sidelines as skills to aid build-up were prioritised. Unlike Kompany, who sticks to his principles regardless of club or situation, Frank is a pragmatist and develops bespoke tactical plans. Sometimes Palhinha will be the right horse for a particular course. For other plans, he may not be.

But given the early indications of his defensive and structural value at the heart of midfield, it would be nonsensical to suggest Palhinha is a problem. In fact, in light of last season’s struggles, he’s one of Tottenham’s biggest problem solvers.

(Photo: Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)

Another weekend of Premier League action has come and gone, and with it comes a new set of dilemmas, opportunities, and headaches for Fantasy Premier League managers.

From new heroes emerging to familiar faces reminding us why they’re essential, the season is taking shape after four games. Here, we will analyse the main talking points from the weekend’s action.

Semenyo is taking even more responsibility at Bournemouth

Few players have impressed more than Antoine Semenyo (£7.5m) in the opening weeks. The Bournemouth forward continued his electric start with a goal and assist in the 2-1 win against Brighton & Hove Albion, taking his tally to three goals and two assists in just four matches.

He was already looking lively, but this weekend added a twist that could reshape FPL planning: Semenyo took and converted a penalty.

This is quite a big development for FPL managers. In a season where nailed-on penalty takers are scarce, especially in mid-priced forward brackets, Semenyo’s appeal skyrockets. Add to this that he has been Bournemouth’s most dangerous attacking outlet, and it’s hard to ignore him.

Justin Kluivert (£7.0m) took and scored six penalties in the Premier League last season, and has recently returned from injury — but given how well Bournemouth are playing, it won’t be easy for him to get back into the starting XI.

Their fixtures sweeten the deal as they come up against Newcastle United (H), Leeds United (A), Fulham (H), Crystal Palace (A) and Nottingham Forest (H) — a run of three home games from their next five means he should be high on our shopping list.

Chasing last week’s points can be a dangerous game in FPL, but in Semenyo’s case, there are plenty of compelling reasons to bring him in right away.

Nick Woltemade steps into the spotlight

When one door closes, another opens. With Yoane Wissa (£7.5m) expected to be sidelined for six weeks, Newcastle’s new striker Nick Woltemade (£7.0m) can cement his place. The Germany international made his debut this weekend and scored Newcastle United’s only goal in their 1-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With virtually no competition for the No 9 role until Wissa returns, Woltemade should get plenty of minutes and chances to score in Newcastle’s upcoming fixtures.

After a tricky double against Bournemouth (A) and Arsenal (H), they then face Nottingham Forest (H), Brighton (A), Fulham (H), West Ham United (A) and Brentford (A).

Woltemade is one to monitor over the next few, especially if he is on penalty duty.

Steady Spurs defenders — and an exciting differential

It might be early days, but Tottenham Hotspur’s appointment of Thomas Frank has helped transform them into one of the most solid sides in the league. Three clean sheets in their first four games is no fluke: they are compact, well-drilled, and hard to break down.

Add in an attack that has scored eight goals in four matches and, suddenly, Spurs’ assets look far more attractive than in pre-season. Their defenders, including Micky van de Ven (£4.6m) and Cristian Romero (£5.0m), are becoming reliable FPL picks for their clean-sheet potential, while the attackers are benefiting from more structure behind them.

It’s early days, but Xavi Simons (£7.0m) is looking like one of our most exciting mid-priced midfield options. Already establishing himself as a first-choice starter, he also took four corners and a free kick in Spurs’ 3-0 win against West Ham.

Regular minutes and the potential for more points from set pieces make him very appealing, especially with Wolves (H), Leeds (A), and Aston Villa (H) coming up in the next four.

His price makes him attainable and his low ownership (two per cent of managers) makes him a significant point of difference.

A premium problem: Haaland or Salah?

For all the excitement around new budget options, Erling Haaland (£14.1m) has been the most reliable premium option. After a somewhat underwhelming campaign by his lofty standards last season, he looks like he is back to his ruthless best. A double in the 3-0 win against Manchester United took his tally to five goals in four matches, underlining his form and reminding us why going without him is always a gamble.

But timing is everything in FPL. Manchester City’s next league game is away at Arsenal, arguably the toughest fixture for Haaland to obtain points. Jumping on him this week feels premature. Gameweek 6, however, could be a turning point. After Arsenal, Manchester City face a very favourable run against Burnley (H), Brentford (A) and Everton (H) — all games where Haaland will be the standout captaincy pick.

That creates a very real dilemma. To fund him, managers may need to sacrifice Mohamed Salah (£14.5m), who converted a 95th-minute penalty in Liverpool’s 1-0 win against Burnley. Losing last season’s highest-scoring player will always feel uncomfortable, but Haaland’s captaincy potential in those fixtures may well outweigh the risk. Using two free transfers to restructure your team and make room for Haaland could be a shrewd play.

I am looking at this double move myself in Gameweek 6 as I don’t own Haaland.

The bigger picture

This weekend gave us a snapshot of the shifting FPL landscape. Semenyo’s emergence as Bournemouth’s talisman, Woltemade’s entry as a very viable forward, and Simons’ appeal as a starter and set-piece taker provide managers with fresh options. Meanwhile, Spurs’ newfound solidity opens the door to defensive picks we might not have trusted before.

But Haaland is the storm on the horizon. Every decision between now and Gameweek 6 is, in reality, a step toward answering one question: how do we fit him in? Whether you plan to use your wildcard or free transfers to do it, it’s something we should be working towards.

(Top photos: Micky van de Ven and Erling Haaland; Justin Setterfield/Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Mohammed Kudus is yet to score for Tottenham Hotspur but when he does, he will be able to use his trademark celebration after his wooden elephant seat was returned to him by former club West Ham United.

On Saturday, the 25-year-old winger made his first return to the London Stadium since his £55million ($74.5m) summer switch.

The Ghana international received a hostile reception and was booed by home fans throughout West Ham’s 3-0 defeat. Given the animosity surrounding his departure, a ball boy in the lower tier of the Bobby Moore Stand opted not to give Kudus the match ball before he took a corner.

The attacker featured heavily in Tottenham’s attack missed a chance in the latter stages to open his account. Post-match, Kudus had a brief catch up with West Ham’s non-playing staff.

Near the family enclosure area, he was given his wooden stool and duly thanked them. Kudus, who joined West Ham from Ajax £38m in 2023, scored 19 goals across 80 appearances during his two-year spell.

In 2023, the former Ajax playmaker adopted his trademark celebration. He would initially sit on on the perimeter boards, then the stool used by ball boys and stewards but he revealed his prized item in the 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion.

“It’s a special stool, a stool from Ghana,” Kudus explained to West Ham’s social media page. “With my celebration, I see a lot of competitors and people doing it so I thought, ‘Why not do something different?’

“It’s my roots. Where I come from, the chiefs and the kings, they sit on stools where are they are from. So I thought it would be nice to share a little bit of life where I am from.

“As you know there’s a lot of people sitting on the boards now and there’s a lot of conversations about it. This is mine now and no one (else) can do it!”

(Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

“More wins, more often” was the phrase from a source close to the Lewis family last week, explaining the decision to remove Daniel Levy as chairman after 24 years. It was a reminder that ultimately it is what happens on the pitch, not in the boardroom, that fans care about. That is where they want to see results. That is where they want to see change.

And how better to start the post-Levy era than this 3-0 win? It is hard to imagine how Saturday evening could have gone any smoother for Tottenham Hotspur. Vivienne Lewis and her son-in-law Nick Beucher — two of the most influential members of the majority-shareholding Lewis family — were seated in between technical director Johan Lange and CEO Vinai Venkatesham in the directors’ box. They watched on as Thomas Frank’s side picked West Ham United apart, with a perfectly executed tactical masterclass, identifying West Ham’s weaknesses and mercilessly exploiting them. The Lewis family must know that things will not always look this easy.

Remember that the last time Tottenham won here at the London Stadium was almost six years ago, in November 2019. That was also the first game back after a cataclysmic international break; Daniel Levy sacked Mauricio Pochettino, six months after the Champions League final, and replaced him with Jose Mourinho. At the time, that felt like the end of the world. But in historical terms, it has little on the removal of Levy himself by the Lewis family last week.

It was difficult not to raise an eyebrow when Venkatesham twice referred to “business as usual” in his video interview released by Tottenham last week. That sounded like an impossibility after the sudden departure of the man around whom everything had revolved for almost a quarter-century. But the only way that “business as usual” might be possible is through wins on the pitch. The football calendar has a profound focusing effect on people. The games come twice a week and for as long as Spurs are doing well, that is what most people want to think about and talk about. Rather than the specifics of the UK Takeover Code, or the difference between an executive and a non-executive chairman.

But this new dynamic does place the club’s senior management under the spotlight. For years Levy was effectively the lightning rod for so many of the fans’ complaints. Now that he is gone, there is perhaps a degree of extra pressure on the people running the club. The fans will look for accountability somewhere else.

This is doubly challenging because so much of the club’s senior leadership is so strikingly new. Lange, sat next to Beucher in the directors’ box, is a relative veteran, having been at Tottenham for almost two years. Venkatesham and Frank both joined in June. Peter Charrington, the new non-executive chairman, did at least join the board in March. For better or worse, the club has lost decades of accumulated experience in recent months.

So much has changed this summer on and off the pitch that Frank already feels part of the furniture at Tottenham. This is just how quickly football moves at the top level: it is already difficult to imagine Spurs without him. Especially given that Frank provides such calm leadership as the public face of the club.

Watching this game at the London Stadium, it certainly did not feel like it was only Frank’s fourth league game in charge of Spurs. Partly because his brief reign already has an air of permanence and stability given everything else that has happened. But also because this game was a Frank masterclass, a perfect example of the strengths that he has already brought to this team. Almost everything you want to see from Frank’s Tottenham was on show here.

In their previous game against Bournemouth — which now feels as historically remote as the First World War — Frank picked the wrong team and played straight into Bournemouth’s hands. His side looked predictable, flat and very stoppable. This time Frank got it spot on.

Lucas Bergvall came in for just his second start of the season — how Spurs missed him from the start against Bournemouth — and he was exceptional, moving the ball forwards every time he got it. He scored Spurs’ second with a brilliant header, running onto Cristian Romero’s long pass and looping the ball over Mads Hermansen. Frank said afterwards that Bergvall “drags the team with him”, which is true, and a remarkable thing to say about a 19-year-old just starting his second season in England.

Tottenham also showcased their new-found excellence on set pieces. Their first goal came from Pape Matar Sarr heading in from Xavi Simons’ curled delivery. They should have been 1-0 up already, after Romero’s first-half near-post header was harshly disallowed. They already look a different team from dead-ball situations and yet this early into the Frank tenure, they are likely to keep getting even better.

Most impressive of all was the clean sheet. In Frank’s four league games, they have kept three clean sheets and only conceded one goal, Evanilson’s deflected shot two weeks ago. It gives them the joint-best defensive record in the league, along with Crystal Palace and Arsenal. Yes, the sample size is small, and it is too early to make big judgements. But on the limited evidence, it looks like a big step in the right direction from last season. Frank revealed this was his “first aim” when he arrived at Tottenham in June, and they have been working hard on it ever since. “Obviously we want to score, want to play offensive football,” he said. “But over so many, many games, that foundation, being able to get clean sheets is key.”

We are still in the very early days of the Frank tenure, even if it does not feel like it. He starts his first Champions League league-phase campaign against Villarreal on Tuesday night. It is a new step, a new challenge, but fans will trust that he can come up with some new answers. As Spurs keep aiming for that simple but lofty goal: more wins, more often.

(Photo: Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur thumped rivals West Ham United 3-0 at London Stadium on Saturday evening, to make it three wins from four league games under new manager Thomas Frank.

The highlight of a relatively low-key first half was a disallowed goal by Cristian Romero, after the Spurs captain had headed home a Mohammed Kudus corner. West Ham, given their recent propensity to concede from corners, riskily gave up a succession of them to Frank’s side during the first half, but made it to the break unscathed.

But just two minutes into the second half and Tottenham were in front from — you guessed it — a corner. Debutant Xavi Simons took it and an unmarked Pape Matar Sarr headed home at the far post.

Less than 10 minutes later West Ham were down to 10 men after Tomas Soucek had been sent off for a studs-up foul on Joao Palhinha. And nine seconds into the restarted game, Spurs went 2-0 up, the impressive Lucas Bergvall powerfully heading over goalkeeper Mads Hermansen from Romero’s pass.

And a third goal arrived from the second phase of yet another corner, Micky van de Ven guiding the ball home on 64 minutes after more good work from Bergvall. The scoreline is Spurs’ biggest margin of victory at London Stadium, but the result doesn’t flatter them in the slightest.

Jack Pitt-Brooke analyses the key moments from the game.

Bergvall continues to impress

When Tottenham lost their last game 1-0 against Bournemouth, Bergvall started on the bench and it felt like a rare misstep from Frank. Spurs missed his ability to move the ball forward and his technical ingenuity.

Only when he came on did they start to threaten. Here at West Ham, Frank did not make the same mistake again. Bergvall started his second game of the season — replacing Rodrigo Bentancur — and he was excellent. The 19-year-old was integral to the 3-0 win, Spurs’ best ever result at the London Stadium.

Tottenham were 1-0 up and had a one-man advantage when Romero got the ball just inside the West Ham half. Sensing that the defence was napping, Bergvall darted in behind and Romero found him with a perfectly-judged clipped ball over the top. Bergvall leapt and looped his header high over Hermansen into the West Ham net.

It was a brilliant piece of inventive athleticism, comparable to Robin van Persie’s famous leaping header against Spain in the 2014 World Cup.

Soon after, Bergvall broke into the box again, received a pass from Palhinha and laid up Van der Van to make it 3-0 and kill the game. He deserves to start again against Villarreal on Tuesday.

Spurs take advantage of West Ham’s set-piece troubles

It is no secret that Frank is good at coaching set pieces. This was perceived as a weakness at Tottenham in recent years but there has already been a marked improvement since Frank took over as head coach in June.

Spurs had West Ham under pressure all game with the quality of their set pieces. They briefly thought they had taken the lead in the first half when Romero headed in from close range, only for the goal to be disallowed for a Van de Ven push on Kyle Walker-Peters. It felt like a harsh decision based on the modern standards for physicality in the box.

But Spurs continued to ask questions of West Ham and it felt inevitable that they would break eventually. And sure enough, right at the start of the second half, they did. Simons bent the ball high towards the far post. Sarr was totally unmarked, and thumped a header back past Hermansen and into the net. It gave Spurs a lead they never relinquished.

How did Mathys Tel work as a centre-forward?

The most interesting selection decision from Frank was to give Tel his first start of the season as centre-forward.

He was the only fully-fit option: Richarlison had just flown back from international duty, Dominic Solanke was out with an ankle injury and Randal Kolo Muani is still getting up to speed. And it was not a new role for Tel either. He had a run there under Ange Postecoglou in February and March last year. But Tel has often looked as if he did not have the physical presence to lead the line, and so it proved again here.

He has a lot to his game, but as Spurs started to fling crosses into the box late in the first half they needed someone who could win those headers. Tel was never that man, although he did pose questions of the West Ham defence with his movement, particularly when the game started to open up.

It has been a difficult time for Tel recently, culminating with being left out of Spurs’ initial Champions League squad. It will be fascinating to see if Frank sticks with this experiment or whether he goes back to a more traditional profile when the other centre-forwards are fit.

What next for Spurs?

Tuesday, September 16: Villarreal (home), Champions League 8pm UK, 3pm ET

(Top photo: Getty Images)

After a dramatic international break, headlined by the removal of long-time chairman Daniel Levy, it shouldn’t be forgotten that two exciting attacking players are in line to make their Tottenham Hotspur debuts this weekend.

Xavi Simons, who joined Spurs for €60million (£51.8m; $70m), was unveiled at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before the 1-0 defeat against Bournemouth on August 30. In the absence of James Maddison, who will miss most, if not all, of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in pre-season, and Dejan Kulusevski, whose omission from the Champions League squad indicates he is not close to returning from a knee injury, the 22-year-old Simons has the chance to make the No 10 position his own.

For fellow new boy Randal Kolo Muani, 26, who joined Spurs on deadline day on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain, there are more probing questions about where he will fit in.

Like Simons, who has played on either wing and as an auxiliary left-sided ‘No 10’ at different clubs in his career, Kolo Muani is highly versatile — a trait that head coach Thomas Frank values.

“He’s a good age, in the prime of his career, has good qualities that will suit both us and the Premier League, and gives us a different option in the final third, being able to play out wide and through the middle,” Frank told the club website.

Tottenham’s pursuit of Manchester City winger Savinho and their long-standing interest in other Premier League forwards, such as Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, indicate Frank had identified the left wing as an area requiring improvement, implying Kolo Muani will play a portion of his minutes from that position.

However, he has barely featured there in his career, playing as a nominal left-winger just 12 times. He did score five goals from those games, an impressive return given it is not his natural position, and has also deputised from the right 22 times — but Kolo Muani is a striker by trade. His best season came as a centre-forward in 2022-23, when he scored 15 goals and assisted 11 more in 32 league appearances for German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, before securing a move to PSG.

But after falling out of favour under Luis Enrique, he rejuvenated his career at Juventus during the second half of last season. In Turin, he competed with Dusan Vlahovic for the striker’s spot, scoring eight times in 16 Serie A matches, as well as two goals in three appearances at the Club World Cup.

A map of his touches over his last six games demonstrates that Kolo Muani is not a conventional striker, perhaps feeding into the view that he could be equally capable from the wing as from central areas.

His willingness to receive the ball across the front line stands out, with his displays against Lazio, Al Ain and Wydad highlighting his tendency to drift left, while he offered an outlet from the right in the 1-0 defeat against Real Madrid in the Club World Cup round of 16.

He is dangerous from those wide areas, too. Over the last year, Kolo Muani ranks in the 90th percentile or higher per 90 minutes for touches (6.29), successful take-ons (1.56) and progressive passes recorded (7.96) when compared to forwards in the top five European leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League.

From a data perspective, it is in these more creative areas where Kolo Muani stands out among his peers, which bodes well for his potential to combine with Dominic Solanke or Richarlison.

Here’s an example, taken from France’s 3-2 win against Chile in March 2024, of Kolo Muani dribbling out of a tight area from the right wing, taking on his man before squaring for former team-mate Olivier Giroud to tap in from close range.

Or this remarkable assist for Francisco Conceicao to grab a late winner against Inter.

While Solanke and Richarlison have elite qualities, neither is at their best dribbling at opposition players and creating for others — and it is in this area where Kolo Muani appears to bring something new to Tottenham’s forward line. Whether that is playing as a lone striker in Frank’s favoured 4-2-3-1, as part of a duo in the 3-5-2 system implemented in the European Super Cup against his parent club, or as a wide player, Kolo Muani brings a wide range of skills to the Spurs attack.

But despite his trickery and versatility, Kolo Muani is not just a creator. His well-rounded profile extends to more traditional aspects of the striker role, with the France international extremely capable in the air. As well as being 6ft 1in (187cm) and possessing an incredible leap, Kolo Muani also has good timing in the air and can score using his head in a variety of ways.

Take this example from last year’s 2-1 win against Belgium, where Kolo Muani runs across his man to meet a cross from wide with a well-directed header.

Evidently, Kolo Muani has the ingredients to be an effective forward for Spurs wherever he plays. He showed glimpses of his talent in Paris, but at times could float in and out of games when PSG adopted a more patient approach. An impressive period at Juventus will have helped rebuild his confidence, and with Spurs aiming to compete in the Premier League and the Champions League, Kolo Muani will have plenty of opportunities to build rhythm.

If he is afforded regular game time, Kolo Muani’s wide range of qualities could become essential to Frank’s team. Whether he’s playing in his “strongest position” or not might not really matter.

(Graphic: Thom Harris)

(Top photo: Stuart Franklin – FIFA via Getty Images)

Mohammed Kudus was on holiday in Ghana when he was informed about interest from a club he did not expect to be in the mix for his signature.

It was always Kudus’ intention to leave West Ham United in the summer transfer window. London rivals Chelsea were the front-runners and initially expressed interest in signing the 25-year-old winger in May. They planned to sign the Ghana international early in the window so he could join Enzo Maresca’s side ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup — a competition they would win — which started on June 15.

Personal terms were agreed, but there was a stumbling block. Chelsea offered West Ham £40million ($54.2m) plus midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the swap deal, but their offer was rejected. Both clubs failed to reach an agreement and Dewsbury-Hall was later sold to Everton for £30m in August.

Tottenham Hotspur also saw Kudus as a transfer target and the winger was surprised by their interest. The north Londoners first enquired about his availability in July and saw their opening bid of £50m rejected. West Ham’s hierarchy were initially reluctant to accept offers less than £60m, but Tottenham were the only club to make a formal offer for the Ghanaian.

Chelsea, however, had not lost hope of signing Kudus. They needed another attacker with winger Noni Madueke set to complete his £55m switch to Arsenal. Due to Chelsea’s interest, Tottenham wanted assurances from Kudus that he was keen to join because they feared Chelsea would attempt to hijack the deal.

Kudus gave Tottenham his word he would join and felt he would get more playing time there, as opposed to Chelsea. He completed his £55m switch and became the first player to move between West Ham and Tottenham since August 2011, when Scott Parker signed for Spurs following West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League.

Ahead of this weekend’s game, Kudus is likely to receive a hostile reception on his return to the London Stadium. It is a far cry from the days of the winger entertaining the crowd with his trademark celebration, being a fan favourite to the extent that Ian, a season-ticket holder in the Billy Bonds Stand, travelled more than 3,000 miles (5,000km) to Accra, the capital of Ghana, to watch Kudus play for the national team.

He had other standout moments, such as his solo goal against Freiburg and acrobatic strike against Manchester City, but these showboating skills will no longer be in a claret and blue jersey.

Kudus’ desire to join Thomas Frank’s side also stemmed from wanting to play in European competition. Tottenham, who finished 17th and below West Ham last season, will compete in the Champions League this season, having won the Europa League. Kudus also had interest from clubs in the Middle East, but wanted to remain in the Premier League.

Sources with knowledge of the deal say Chelsea did not show enough commitment to sign Kudus. He had no intention of waiting longer and appreciated Tottenham’s determination to sign him. It mirrors the summer of 2023 when the versatile forward had interest from the west Londoners, but they stalled on finalising a move.

During negotiations with West Ham, former technical director Tim Steidten convinced Kudus he would develop into a crucial player, which led to his £38m arrival from Ajax. Kudus signed a five-year deal, with the option of a further year.

He adapted seamlessly in the 2023-24 season, registering 17 goals and six assists across 45 appearances. Clubs enquired about his availability in the summer of 2024, but their advances were rejected. Kudus’ unhappiness at West Ham pre-dates this summer, having initially wanted to leave after his debut season. The stumbling block was West Ham wanting clubs to activate his £85m release clause, which many were reluctant to do.

At half-time at Brentford in September last year, Kudus and Lopetegui had a frank exchange of words. Members of West Ham’s hierarchy reached out to Kudus’ camp to reassure them that there were no issues between the player and the former head coach. But it made the attacker further disillusioned with life in east London.

Despite Kudus’ desire to leave, he did not want it to be an acrimonious departure. Those close to the player strongly deny suggestions that he submitted a transfer request or reported late for training before his departure. He reported for pre-season training at Rush Green as planned on July 7.

Kudus was utilised in multiple positions across West Ham’s front line, but his preferred position is on the right flank. It is where captain Jarrod Bowen is naturally suited, which limited Kudus’ ability to play there. His desire to leave also stemmed from an urge to play in his natural position. The winger has played in that role in Tottenham’s league games against Burnley, where he registered two assists, Manchester City and Bournemouth.

Kudus is not concerned about the volatile reception he could receive at the London Stadium. It is a ground that used to be his playground, where some would parade the Ghanaian flag in his direction and where he was serenaded by fans.

But given the level of disdain over his switch, that animosity is unlikely to subside any time soon.

(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Former Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen has joined Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg.

Eriksen, 33, said in March he expected to leave Old Trafford after the completion of his third season at the club. This was confirmed by a club statement at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, announcing the Denmark midfielder’s departure alongside defenders Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans.

The Athletic reported in July that Wrexham had made an approach to sign the free agent. However, the Denmark international has now signed a contract with Wolfsburg until 2027, where he will wear the No 24 shirt.

“VfL Wolfsburg is my first club in the Bundesliga – I’m really looking forward to this new adventure,” said Eriksen. “I’m convinced we can achieve something together at Wolfsburg. The talks with the club bosses went very well. I immediately sensed that (head coach) Paul Simonis has a clear vision for the team and for me personally. The fact that there are several familiar faces in the squad from the Danish national team makes VfL a particularly attractive proposition for me.”

United signed Eriksen on a three-year deal in July 2022 as a free agent, following his departure from Brentford. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder made 11 appearances for the west London club following his recovery from a cardiac arrest while representing Denmark at the European Championship in 2021. Eriksen was fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) before his return to football.

He went on to play 107 times for United under Erik ten Hag and his successor Ruben Amorim, helping in his side’s run to the Europa League final with two goals and assists in nine appearances in the competition. His appearances became less frequent towards the end of the 2024-25 season, starting just two matches since the end of March, and scored in his final appearance from the penalty spot in United’s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa.

Eriksen was widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s greatest attacking midfielders during a Tottenham Hotspur spell which spanned from 2013 to 2020, during which he made 305 appearances, registering 69 goals and 88 assists. He played a key role in his side’s run to the Champions League final in 2019, where they were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool, and left Spurs without winning a major trophy.

Having played 163 times in his early career for Ajax, Eriksen left Spurs for Serie A side Inter in 2020, where he made 60 appearances and won the 2020-21 Serie A title.

In March, Eriksen told Danish news outlet TV 2 Sport his preference would be to remain with a club in Europe, while suggesting he was not yet ready to return to his native Denmark but would consider a move back to his home country in future years. He added that a move to the United States would be too far for his family.

Wolfsburg, who have won two of their opening three games of the 2025-26 season, are next in action against FC Koln on Saturday.

(Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

After Ange Postecoglou’s Europa League triumph — the crowning achievement of a managerial odyssey from semi-professional football in Australia to the Premier League, via Greece, Japan and Scotland — Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had some kind words to say.

“What I want to say about Ange is that he has spoken about Greece many times, he is proud to be Greek, and in the great success he had with Tottenham Hotspur by winning the Europa League, he spoke about Greece,” Marinakis said while presenting Postecoglou, who was raised in Australia but born in Greece, with an award for being the first Greek manager to win a European trophy at the draw ceremony for the Greek Super League.

“A man who not only does not hide his origin but is also proud of it. What he achieved, he did with a team that has not won any titles. It has had a very difficult time in recent years.”

“In this huge success that the whole world saw, he promoted Greece. We must thank him especially for this, and we wish him well, although we are sure that he will do well, as he has the ability. Wherever he goes, the successes will come.”

As it transpired, Marinakis will hope those “successes” follow Postecoglou to the City Ground.

The first and most obvious question regarding Postecoglou’s fit at Forest is a footballing one.

Nuno Espirito Santo stabilised the club in the Premier League with a focus on defensive solidity and quick counter-attacks. Even at their best last season, Forest were rarely prolific, finishing the 2024-25 term with 58 goals, the joint-fewest in the top half of the table.

Crucially, however, they retained the solidity that had previously staved off relegation, content to sit back and let the opposition have possession before breaking quickly in transition through speedy wingers. Last season, the approach took them to seventh in the table and Europa League qualification, their best finish in two decades.

Postecoglou’s Tottenham were as close to a footballing antithesis to Nuno’s Forest last term. Spurs scored freely in the league, finishing the season with 64 goals, the same number as fourth-placed Chelsea. They also ended the season in 17th, the club’s worst finish in the Premier League era, and conceded 65 goals. The only clubs to concede more were Wolverhampton Wanderers and the three relegated sides.

Postecoglou’s principles are his principles. For better or worse, he sticks by them, at least in the league. Expect to see remarkably high lines, goalkeeper-led build-up and high-octane pressing, even in away trips to the Emirates Stadium. Famously, “it’s just who we are, mate”.

In the Europa League, particularly in the latter stages, however, Spurs were almost unrecognisable from Postecoglou’s stylistic handprint. For tough away trips to Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt, Spurs sat in a solid defensive structure and leaned on long balls and set pieces. In the 2023-24 season, Spurs were the Premier League’s most voracious pressers, allowing an average of 8.8 passes before attempting to win the ball back. In Frankfurt, this increased to 18.3, highlighting a previously unseen pragmatism. Whether that’s something Postecoglou is prepared to do in the league, however, remains to be seen.

While there are valid footballing questions regarding Postecoglou’s fit in the wake of Nuno, there’s a spiritual crossover between the coach and club that will appeal to supporters.

Forest is a club steeped in history, success and tradition, and Postecoglou’s journey represents those principles as much as any coach in the league. His coaching is inextricably linked to his footballing education at the hands of his father, Jim, whose love of attacking football has influenced his ideas. Not to mention Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas, whom Postecoglou played under at South Melbourne Hellas in Australia and spent hours in the car alongside as his personal driver.

There’s also more than a hint of Brian Clough in the way Postecoglou handles press conferences, using impassioned speeches to voice his displeasure with the modern game — including a strong opposition to the VAR system.

This, however, may be Postecoglou’s most challenging brief yet. Forest have a squad packed with talent, but Postecoglou often takes at least one season to condition his players for his intense style of football.

Last season, Spurs had 41 separate injury cases (only Brighton & Hove Albion, 48, recorded more), according to Premier Injuries. Without a pre-season, that adaptation is made considerably more challenging.

And while Marinakis is clearly a fan, he is among the most demanding owners in the league and may not accept a turbulent start. The onus is on Postecoglou to hit the ground running, not least because he is replacing the club’s most successful coach of the 21st century.

Postecoglou may be one of just a few head coaches in the world who can step into his shoes.

Even after finishing 17th in the league, Postecoglou was the face hundreds of thousands of Spurs fans wanted to see most at the trophy parade. As he has ascended through the levels to reach the pinnacle of football in the Premier League, he has retained near-universal adoration at every club he has passed through and will likely receive a warm reception when he returns to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March. He creates a bond with players and fans who want to see him succeed wherever he goes.

Now, he faces the familiar task of bringing silverware back to a club who have not tasted it in a long time. Fortunately for Forest fans, he has the CV to suggest he can do just that.

(Top photo: Nicolo Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)