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West Ham 0-3 Tottenham highlights

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Live Commentary - West Ham vs Spurs

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Live Commentary - West Ham vs Spurs | 13.09.2025 - Sky Sports
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Premier League predictions and best bets: Mohammed Kudus to take centre stage on West Ham return, Jones Knows tips up 4/1 double

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Our football betting expert and top tipster Jones Knows is back to preview all 10 Premier League games with a 4/1 double on his radar.

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest, Saturday 12:30pm

You couldn't get a more seismic shift in football philosophy from the pragmatism and safety of Nuno Espirito Santo to Ange Postecoglou's front-foot philosophy.

It's a wild appointment from Forest, one showered with risk.

There will be teething problems, especially at the heart of the defence.

Nuno's centre-backs, often protected by a double pivot and narrow shape, were rarely exposed to isolation or high-line races. They weren't expected to be part of the attack, they were there to clear, block and survive. It's what made Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo such an imposing duo last season.

SUPER 6: £1m still up for grabs!

However, Postecoglou doesn't just want control, he wants chaos. The press is high and aggressive. The defensive line creeps ever closer to halfway and centre-backs are no longer shielded - they become part of the plan in possession.

Milenkovic and Murillo are going to take time to adapt which means their prices to be carded offer great value while being caught out of possession is going to be extremely likely. Both are 3/1 with Sky Bet to pick up a booking.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-1

Bournemouth vs Brighton, Saturday 3pm

This should be full of goals.

Bournemouth press relentlessly, commit bodies forward in numbers, and play with almost a disregard for defensive structure that leaves their centre-backs asked to do lots of one-on-one work. It's high-risk, high-reward football that leads to goals at both ends when the opposition can hurt them. Brighton are the perfect dance partner in that regard with their last 16 away games in all competitions averaging 3.88 goals per game.

Over 300,000 Super 6 players are predicting a 1-1 draw

The over 3.5 goals line is on offer at 13/8 with Sky Bet and that looks a price to take seriously.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-2

Crystal Palace vs Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

Oliver Glasner is arguably one of the best pound-for-pound managers in world football and his skills are going to be tested over the next few weeks to keep Palace moving forward. Eberechi Eze has gone while Ismaila Sarr and Adam Wharton are both set to be out for this one.

One player who could take advantage of opportunities is Justin Devenny and if you're digging around the player shots market this weekend, him to have a shot on target at 4/5 with Sky Bet rates as a juicy price. With injuries forcing Glasner to shuffle his pack, Devenny looks set to be handed a more attacking remit and he does love to shoot as outlined by his 2.65 shots per 90 data from his appearances for Palace so far.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1

Everton vs Aston Villa, Saturday 3pm

There was a time when backing goals in an Everton game felt like throwing cash into a firepit. In recent years with Sean Dyche at the helm the football has been functional, efficient and predictable.

They've been an under-goals gamblers dream.

How times have changed though. Everton are now opening up the game. And the arrival of Jack Grealish has added the kind of attacking intent and tempo that's turning David Moyes' team into a great watch. Backing goals in their games looks to be a sweet spot of value to attack as the markets are sleeping and holding too much emphasis on the Dyche days.

Over 2.5 goals here at Evens is one of the best punts of the weekend.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-1 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Over 2.5 goals (Evens with Sky Bet)

Fulham vs Leeds United, Saturday 3pm

Opposition centre-backs beware - there's a foul drawing supremo playing as the Leeds centre-forward. And as bettors we must try and take advantage of this edge when assessing the player fouls markets.

Lukas Nmecha isn't renowned as a regular goalscorer but what he does do well is the dirty work needed from a striker. He wins fouls, he's good at the dark arts.

Across his last 50 appearances, he's drawing 3.1 fouls per 90 and has drawn four fouls in his first two starts for Leeds. These types of markets rarely adjust foul lines for defenders based on the specific forward they're facing, so there's an angle to exploit here with Joachim Andersen's price of 5/2 with Sky Bet to make two or more fouls standing out.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1

Newcastle United vs Wolves, Saturday 3pm

This stinks of a Newcastle to win to nil betting opportunity at 13/10 with Sky Bet.

Eddie Howe's side may not get the plaudits they deserve for defensive organisation, but this is a team drilled to an elite level. Despite a tough fixture list of Aston Villa, Liverpool and Leeds, Newcastle have managed the best expected goals against process of any team this season, offering up just 1.58 worth of chances. They've also faced the fewest shots (18), showcasing just how strong they are as a unit.

Meanwhile, without Matheus Cunha injecting his quality and class, Wolves look like a team running out of ideas already in the final third. Boosting the raw Newcastle win price of 2/5 with Sky Bet by adding in the clean sheet looks a smart play.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0

West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur, Saturday 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from this season

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The narrative of Mohammed Kudus returning to West Ham following his move to Tottenham for £55m adds lots of intrigue to an already spicy London derby. Kudus is the first player to join Spurs from West Ham since Scott Parker in 2011 and - as they should - Hammers fans have taken Kudus' move very personally.

He's in for a hot reception and strikes me as a character who will embrace the hostility.

This makes his price of 13/8 with Sky Bet to rack up five or more foul involvements very appealing.

Across his last 50 games in the Premier League playing for West Ham and Spurs, his per 90 foul involvement average is 3.75. And in his four appearances for Spurs already, he's racked up 15 foul involvements.

If you just pull his foul involvement averages against the bigger clubs - in his last 15 appearances against teams that finished in the top 10 of the Premier League and PSG in the Super Cup final, the number comes in at 5.4 per 90. He can hit that average here.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2

Brentford vs Chelsea, Saturday 8pm, live on Sky Sports

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from this season

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If Chelsea are to challenge for the Premier League title this season, these are the meat-and-drink fixtures that require a no-thrills return of maximum points.

It's something they are becoming very accustomed to doing, though, as Enzo Maresca's side have won 16 of their last 19 games in all competitions. Chelsea are a very reliable team to trust. There's a calmness and control about this team now.

Over 250,000 Super 6 entrants are predicting a 2-0 win for Chelsea

They possess a machine-like quality, quietly getting results in matches they're expected to win. That makes them a dangerous animal for Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City this season.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-2

Burnley vs Liverpool, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from this season

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These newly-promoted teams at home are going to be bigger forces to be reckoned with than last season. Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester only won five home games between them while the new boys are already at four wins combined from just five matches.

Burnley at Turf Moor can make this scrappy and fiddly for Liverpool. Scott Parker's team are unbeaten in their last 24 home league games and although that run is likely to end here, there will be positive vibes with the players likely to feed off the fact they're very used to winning games in front of their own supporters.

Despite Liverpool's perfect start results-wise, it has been clear they've struggled to find their flow and that stodge may just continue for another week due to the international break limiting time on the training pitch for Arne Slot. The Reds beat Leicester, Wolves and Southampton twice across all competitions by a one-goal margin last season on the road. It's 11/4 with Sky Bet to happen again at Turf Moor.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1

Manchester City vs Manchester United, Sunday 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from this season

Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱

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The Premier League might be back on your screen, and you're ready to go goals galore with your punting after sitting through England vs Andorra for the 32,000th time but the trends suggest this is a time in the calendar where goals drop like a stone.

Players have been flying halfway across the globe and managers have had barely a day or two with their full squads.

The result? Slower starts, lower intensity, fewer chances.

Across the last two seasons, this matchday immediately after the international break, the average goals per game sits at a lowly 2.35 which is way down on the overall average of 3.1 per game during those two seasons.

Matches can be cagey and this one fits the bill where the market is overplaying the chances of goals. That makes the under 2.5 line at 13/8 with Sky Bet a nice edge to attack in a fixture which has only averaged 2.6 goals per game across the last 10.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-0 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Under 2.5 goals (13/8 with Sky Bet)

Jones Knows' Best Bet:

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Premier League predictions and best bets: Mohammed Kudus to take centre stage on West Ham return, Jones Knows tips up 4/1 double

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Premier League predictions and best bets: Mohammed Kudus to take centre stage on West Ham return, Jones Knows tips up 4/1 double - Sky Sports
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Our football betting expert and top tipster Jones Knows is back to preview all 10 Premier League games with a 4/1 double on his radar.

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest, Saturday 12:30pm

You couldn't get a more seismic shift in football philosophy from the pragmatism and safety of Nuno Espirito Santo to Ange Postecoglou's front-foot philosophy.

It's a wild appointment from Forest, one showered with risk.

There will be teething problems, especially at the heart of the defence.

Nuno's centre-backs, often protected by a double pivot and narrow shape, were rarely exposed to isolation or high-line races. They weren't expected to be part of the attack, they were there to clear, block and survive. It's what made Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo such an imposing duo last season.

SUPER 6: £1m still up for grabs!

However, Postecoglou doesn't just want control, he wants chaos. The press is high and aggressive. The defensive line creeps ever closer to halfway and centre-backs are no longer shielded - they become part of the plan in possession.

Milenkovic and Murillo are going to take time to adapt which means their prices to be carded offer great value while being caught out of possession is going to be extremely likely. Both are 3/1 with Sky Bet to pick up a booking.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-1

Bournemouth vs Brighton, Saturday 3pm

This should be full of goals.

Bournemouth press relentlessly, commit bodies forward in numbers, and play with almost a disregard for defensive structure that leaves their centre-backs asked to do lots of one-on-one work. It's high-risk, high-reward football that leads to goals at both ends when the opposition can hurt them. Brighton are the perfect dance partner in that regard with their last 16 away games in all competitions averaging 3.88 goals per game.

Over 300,000 Super 6 players are predicting a 1-1 draw

The over 3.5 goals line is on offer at 13/8 with Sky Bet and that looks a price to take seriously.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-2

Crystal Palace vs Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

Oliver Glasner is arguably one of the best pound-for-pound managers in world football and his skills are going to be tested over the next few weeks to keep Palace moving forward. Eberechi Eze has gone while Ismaila Sarr and Adam Wharton are both set to be out for this one.

One player who could take advantage of opportunities is Justin Devenny and if you're digging around the player shots market this weekend, him to have a shot on target at 4/5 with Sky Bet rates as a juicy price. With injuries forcing Glasner to shuffle his pack, Devenny looks set to be handed a more attacking remit and he does love to shoot as outlined by his 2.65 shots per 90 data from his appearances for Palace so far.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-1

Everton vs Aston Villa, Saturday 3pm

There was a time when backing goals in an Everton game felt like throwing cash into a firepit. In recent years with Sean Dyche at the helm the football has been functional, efficient and predictable.

They've been an under-goals gamblers dream.

How times have changed though. Everton are now opening up the game. And the arrival of Jack Grealish has added the kind of attacking intent and tempo that's turning David Moyes' team into a great watch. Backing goals in their games looks to be a sweet spot of value to attack as the markets are sleeping and holding too much emphasis on the Dyche days.

Over 2.5 goals here at Evens is one of the best punts of the weekend.

SCORE PREDICTION: 3-1 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Over 2.5 goals (Evens with Sky Bet)

Fulham vs Leeds United, Saturday 3pm

Opposition centre-backs beware - there's a foul drawing supremo playing as the Leeds centre-forward. And as bettors we must try and take advantage of this edge when assessing the player fouls markets.

Lukas Nmecha isn't renowned as a regular goalscorer but what he does do well is the dirty work needed from a striker. He wins fouls, he's good at the dark arts.

Across his last 50 appearances, he's drawing 3.1 fouls per 90 and has drawn four fouls in his first two starts for Leeds. These types of markets rarely adjust foul lines for defenders based on the specific forward they're facing, so there's an angle to exploit here with Joachim Andersen's price of 5/2 with Sky Bet to make two or more fouls standing out.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-1

Newcastle United vs Wolves, Saturday 3pm

This stinks of a Newcastle to win to nil betting opportunity at 13/10 with Sky Bet.

Eddie Howe's side may not get the plaudits they deserve for defensive organisation, but this is a team drilled to an elite level. Despite a tough fixture list of Aston Villa, Liverpool and Leeds, Newcastle have managed the best expected goals against process of any team this season, offering up just 1.58 worth of chances. They've also faced the fewest shots (18), showcasing just how strong they are as a unit.

Meanwhile, without Matheus Cunha injecting his quality and class, Wolves look like a team running out of ideas already in the final third. Boosting the raw Newcastle win price of 2/5 with Sky Bet by adding in the clean sheet looks a smart play.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0

West Ham United vs Tottenham Hotspur, Saturday 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from this season

Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

The narrative of Mohammed Kudus returning to West Ham following his move to Tottenham for £55m adds lots of intrigue to an already spicy London derby. Kudus is the first player to join Spurs from West Ham since Scott Parker in 2011 and - as they should - Hammers fans have taken Kudus' move very personally.

He's in for a hot reception and strikes me as a character who will embrace the hostility.

This makes his price of 13/8 with Sky Bet to rack up five or more foul involvements very appealing.

Across his last 50 games in the Premier League playing for West Ham and Spurs, his per 90 foul involvement average is 3.75. And in his four appearances for Spurs already, he's racked up 15 foul involvements.

If you just pull his foul involvement averages against the bigger clubs - in his last 15 appearances against teams that finished in the top 10 of the Premier League and PSG in the Super Cup final, the number comes in at 5.4 per 90. He can hit that average here.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2

Brentford vs Chelsea, Saturday 8pm, live on Sky Sports

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from this season

Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

If Chelsea are to challenge for the Premier League title this season, these are the meat-and-drink fixtures that require a no-thrills return of maximum points.

It's something they are becoming very accustomed to doing, though, as Enzo Maresca's side have won 16 of their last 19 games in all competitions. Chelsea are a very reliable team to trust. There's a calmness and control about this team now.

Over 250,000 Super 6 entrants are predicting a 2-0 win for Chelsea

They possess a machine-like quality, quietly getting results in matches they're expected to win. That makes them a dangerous animal for Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City this season.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-2

Burnley vs Liverpool, Sunday 2pm, live on Sky Sports

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from this season

Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

These newly-promoted teams at home are going to be bigger forces to be reckoned with than last season. Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester only won five home games between them while the new boys are already at four wins combined from just five matches.

Burnley at Turf Moor can make this scrappy and fiddly for Liverpool. Scott Parker's team are unbeaten in their last 24 home league games and although that run is likely to end here, there will be positive vibes with the players likely to feed off the fact they're very used to winning games in front of their own supporters.

Despite Liverpool's perfect start results-wise, it has been clear they've struggled to find their flow and that stodge may just continue for another week due to the international break limiting time on the training pitch for Arne Slot. The Reds beat Leicester, Wolves and Southampton twice across all competitions by a one-goal margin last season on the road. It's 11/4 with Sky Bet to happen again at Turf Moor.

SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1

Manchester City vs Manchester United, Sunday 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from this season

Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

The Premier League might be back on your screen, and you're ready to go goals galore with your punting after sitting through England vs Andorra for the 32,000th time but the trends suggest this is a time in the calendar where goals drop like a stone.

Players have been flying halfway across the globe and managers have had barely a day or two with their full squads.

The result? Slower starts, lower intensity, fewer chances.

Across the last two seasons, this matchday immediately after the international break, the average goals per game sits at a lowly 2.35 which is way down on the overall average of 3.1 per game during those two seasons.

Also, of the last 40 Premier League games played immediately after the first international break, 20 of them have been 0-0 at the break and the average first half goals scored is 0.9 per game.

Matches can be cagey and this one fits the bill where the market is overplaying the chances of goals. That makes the under 2.5 line at 13/8 with Sky Bet a nice edge to attack in a fixture which has only averaged 2.6 goals per game across the last 10.

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-0 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: Under 2.5 goals (13/8 with Sky Bet)

Jones Knows' Best Bet:

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Ange Postecoglou: Can 'Angeball' work for Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis after Spurs stint?

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Ange Postecoglou: Can 'Angeball' work for Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis after Spurs stint? - Sky Sports
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He's back. And given his standout moments last season, he was never going to be away for long.

Mic-drop comments, bold statements, interviews you never wanted to end. Ange Postecoglou was box office at Tottenham Hotspur - and the manner in which he delivered on his promise of "I always win things in my second season" only adds to the appeal.

Perhaps the surprise is where he has ended up next. Nottingham Forest have replaced a head coach who took them from 17th to Europe, with a head coach whose Premier League position went from Europe to 17th last season.

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Postecoglou's links to Evangelos Marinakis are clear given their shared nationality - plus the fact the Forest co-owner gave the former Spurs coach an award over the summer for becoming the first Greek manager to win the Europa League.

But there is an ideological clash here. Postecoglou prided himself on playing attractive, attacking football with high lines, aggressive presses and lots of the ball. He is now entering a squad of Forest players who were drilled in low blocks, counter-attacking breaks and a lack of ball possession under Nuno Espirito Santo.

The two styles of Nuno's Forest and Postecoglou's Spurs are polar opposites, and it is confirmed by those who know the technicalities of 'Angeball'.

"People just talk about attacking and pressing. That's 100 per cent right," a senior source from Postecoglou's Spurs era tells Sky Sports.

"The main principles are playing with the purpose of scoring goals, defending aggressively, trying to win the ball as quick as you can. Those are the basic general principles."

But those principles were not always perceived positively. It added to the perception that Postecoglou wanted to play exactly the same way no matter who the opponent was. And it led to criticism, scepticism, the lot.

Some believed 'Angeball' neglected the defensive side of the game too much, with other claims of the style of play impacting player fitness and injuries. Those inside the Spurs camp, however, saw it differently.

"Obviously there's a lot of big talk. People talk, it's this, it's that, and obviously there has to be - and everybody's entitled to their opinion," says the same source. "But I was there and it's not like how people described it.

"Every approach was targeted to win and it's not about only playing in a certain way. It's about winning that game.

"We did work a lot in defensive things, it didn't get much talk and we did improve throughout the season in that area."

Perhaps the biggest indication of that - and also of Postecoglou not being 'one-style philosophy' manager he was accused of being - came in the latter stages of the Europa League.

Spurs transitioned from a team with one of the highest percentage numbers in the Premier League to not having more than 42 per cent of the ball in the final four games of the Europa League run.

They went to Eintracht Frankfurt with the aggregate score level and won 1-0 with just 39 per cent possession. They then had 41 per cent of the ball at home to Bodo/Glimt, winning 3-1 with 24 shots.

In the away match in Norway, they had 31 per cent possession - and ended Bodo's record of scoring in every home game for 18 months by winning 2-0. That was not by accident, or by Spurs being tactically inferior or fortunate - those from inside the Spurs dressing room remember that semi-final being a deliberate game plan from Postecoglou to get a result.

Then in the Europa League final, they had 26 per cent possession against Manchester United, with their one shot on target being their winner.

If anything, winning despite having less of the ball sounds a lot like Nuno's Forest.

"It was about: how can you win every moment?" says the same senior figure from Spurs. "How can you win when the ball is coming from across? How can you win when there's a shot? How can you win if the ball gets over the keeper and Micky van de Ven has to take it away from the line?

"Micky did everything there to win, so everybody was thinking like that. And if that means you're defending more, then you're defending more.

"The idea in the Europa League was just to win. It's not like the league where you can build your principles consistently and become stronger by going hard on your principles. Of course, in the Europa League you also have your principles, but if you don't win, you're out."

So what happened in the Premier League, and why was that so dire? For all the Europa League celebrations in Bilbao, Spurs failed to win their final seven top-flight matches of the season.

They conceded 65 goals in the Premier League, only the relegated sides and Wolves managed more. They also had the fourth-most errors leading to goals in the league, which vastly contrasted against their perfect Europa League form and style.

"For me, it's an easy answer," says the same source. "It seems to be very hard for so many people to understand.

"But it's: is the team playing Champions League this season? What's different if you then finish 13th or 10th? Does it change anything?

"By the time you get to that point in January, February or March and you see your biggest thing to accomplish to get to the Champions League and get to the Europa League win, why would you still try to make the Premier League work? Of course, you want to try to win everything. But is it really possible?"

For the Spurs dressing room and clearly Postecoglou, it was not possible - due to the number of injuries Spurs had. Several members of the squad were hamstrung by setbacks, leading to the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall to play more minutes as teenagers than they would have liked.

At the start of the season, it was not planned that the duo and the other Spurs youngsters would be so heavily involved.

So there are several questions that Postecoglou needs to answer at Forest. Has he now fully changed from the 'one-philosophy manager', if he was ever one in the first place? And if not, can he completely turn around Forest's game plan from defensive to attacking? Does his style of play lead to more injuries?

Crucially, with Forest in the Europa League this season, can he build a team that competes on all fronts?

The 17th-place finish in the Premier League with Spurs forced Daniel Levy to pull the trigger, and Marinakis has not proven to be any more forgiving over the years with his standards at Forest.

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Ange Postecoglou: New Nottingham Forest boss jokes he will have to win trophy in first season to stay in job

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Ange Postecoglou: New Nottingham Forest boss jokes he will have to win trophy in first season to stay in job - Sky Sports
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New Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou has joked that he will have to win a trophy in his first year in charge to remain in the job.

At Tottenham, Postecoglou famously declared that he "always wins things" in his second year, and he delivered on his promise as he led the club to Europa League glory last season.

But despite ending Spurs' 17-year trophy drought, Postecoglou was sacked after the club's worst-ever Premier League season as they finished 17th.

Angeball is back - but can it work at Forest?

Forest appoint Ange as new head coach

Forest news & transfers🔴⚪ | Forest fixtures & scores

Three months on from his dismissal, Postecoglou has replaced the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo at Forest, whose owner Evangelos Marinakis believes the Australian is the man to bring trophies to the club.

Asked about winning silverware in his second season, Postecoglou interjected: "I've won a couple in my first [season] as well. [At] Celtic, I won a double in my first year so…"

Questioned whether he was going to win one in his first year, he replied: "Yeah, of course I can. I may have to, to have a second year here, mate."

Postecoglou will be aiming to end Forest's 35-year trophy drought and has a chance to defend his Europa League title at the club, with Forest part of this season's competition.

"I want to win trophies," he said. "That's what I've done my whole career.

"Looking at the opportunity here, every club wants to be successful for sure, but what I've seen over the last few years, those ambitions are backed up with actions. That's perfect conditions for me."

'I knew Spurs sacking was coming before Europa League final'

The 60-year-old is set for a swift return to north London as Forest visit Tottenham's rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

Winning Spurs' first European trophy in 41 years was not enough to keep him in the job as he was sacked 16 days after the victory in Bilbao.

But Postecoglou revealed he knew "a fair way before" the Europa League final that he was going to be sacked.

He said: "I knew it was coming, so it wasn't a surprise.

"I knew it was coming a fair way before the final. But we won it, we had the parade, so it was a great three days, and I didn't want it to tarnish that, but after that, I kind of knew it was done.

"From my perspective, I had the chance to process that. Whether I feel it was unjust, other people make those decisions and determinations, that's up to them, and you have to ask their reasoning for it.

"What I do know is that I had two years that were very, very challenging, but I worked with some fantastic people in the football department.

"The supporters, we put them through some tough times, but there isn't a Spurs supporter that I don't come across now that doesn't want to hug me and take me home for dinner, so I must've done something right.

"I'm very proud of what we achieved there, and it will always take a special place in my heart.

"How it ended, I don't really think about it a lot. And to be fair, I left Celtic and Yokohama - and I'm sure they were both disappointed - so you understand that's part of the business we're in.

"But that's allowed me to move into this and maybe these things happen for a reason."

Ange on style: I've played just about every system there is

Postecoglou's arrival at Forest is likely to see him introduce a polarising style to his predecessor, Nuno.

The pragmatic Portuguese boss built his team on defensive solidity during his 21 months in charge, but Postecoglou prefers attacking football known as 'Angeball'.

The ex-Celtic boss, however, believes he is adaptable and can play any system.

He said: "I do love my teams to attack. I do love my teams to score goals.

"But the one constant in my career is everywhere I've been I've won things.

"Sometimes that's done in a slightly different way. The principles are the same, but I've played just about every system there is. I've played three at the back, five at the back, three in midfield, three strikers, two strikers. I've done 4-4-2 for a whole season.

"There used to be a melting pot of different ideas and different opinions. There tends to be a melting pot of the same ideas these days sometimes and it would be nice if people just took a step back.

"If you look at my two years at Spurs, we finished fifth the first year, just missed a Champions League spot, and we were really aggressive with our football.

"Last year was different and I had to adjust things, but it brought success.

"But I'm never going to go away from: I want my teams to play football that's exciting and gets people talking."

He added: "The fans are not going to love me from the first day, I've got to earn their respect. It's a unique club where if you get that momentum, great things can happen."

'You can't be compared to Clough'

If Postecoglou can deliver success at Forest, he would follow in the footsteps of Brian Clough, who is revered at the City Ground.

He did not want to be compared to the man who won two European Cups and a league title at the club, but wants to make his own legacy.

"He's a standalone legend. He's one of these figures you cannot compare to," Postecoglou said.

"He's one of the most legendary figures going around, he did it at a football club where no one expected that.

"He's a standalone figure. If I can bring similar joy to this club and this city, I'll be a very happy man.

"For the most part, what you see is what you get. I'm just very passionate about what I do.

"I love creating things that are lasting. Every club I've been to, I'd like to think I'd be welcome back because I've left a mark.

"If I set my mind to do something, I'll see it through. Hopefully I can bring some special times to this club."

Can 'Angeball' work at Forest?

Sky Sports' Sam Blitz:

He's back. And given his standout moments last season, he was never going to be away for long.

Mic-drop comments, bold statements, and interviews you never wanted to end. Postecoglou was box office at Tottenham Hotspur - and the manner in which he delivered on his promise of "I always win things in my second season" only adds to the appeal.

Perhaps the surprise is where he has ended up next. Nottingham Forest have replaced a head coach who took them from 17th to Europe, with a head coach whose Premier League position went from Europe to 17th last season.

Postecoglou's links to Evangelos Marinakis are clear, given their shared heritage - plus the fact that the Forest co-owner gave the former Spurs coach an award over the summer for becoming the first Greek manager to win the Europa League.

But there is an ideological clash here. Postecoglou prided himself on playing attractive, attacking football with high lines, aggressive presses and lots of the ball. He is now entering a squad of Forest players who were drilled in low blocks, counter-attacking breaks and a lack of ball possession under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Source

Enzo Fernandez making runs like Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, Mohammed Kudus impressing for Spurs - The Radar

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Enzo Fernandez making runs like Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, Mohammed Kudus impressing for Spurs - The Radar - Sky Sports
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Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column in which Nick Wright uses a blend of data and opinion to shed light on need-to-know stories from up and down the Premier League. This week:

🔷 Fernandez's runs reminiscent of Lampard

⚪ Why Kudus is thriving under Frank

🔥 Everton's new-found attacking flair

🔍 A player to watch this weekend

Fernandez channelling Lampard?

Enzo Fernandez rarely misses a game for club or country but his suspension from Argentina's fixtures against Venezuela and Ecuador gave him some time off during the international break. It could prove precious given the demands of his role at Chelsea. He showed signs of fatigue during their 2-0 win over Fulham.

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The 24-year-old shoulders a heavy workload in terms of the running he is asked to get through as well as the volume of minutes he plays. Premier League tracking data since the start of last season shows he covers more ground than any other Chelsea player.

It is a consequence of a positional change last term, when he was pushed further forward and asked to contribute at both ends of the pitch. His box-to-box industry has helped maintain balance in Chelsea's midfield. It has also become an offensive weapon.

Fernandez is Chelsea's top scorer and top assister since January with a combined 18 goal involvements. One of his most recent, the close-range strike in Chelsea's 5-1 thrashing of West Ham, highlighted a key attribute he has brought to his new role.

The goal, dispatched from Estevao's cut-back, came from one of 22 runs making Fernandez an option for a cross this season.

No other Premier League player has made more than 15 such runs in the opening three games of the campaign, with Fernandez's new team-mate Joao Pedro next in the rankings. The numbers highlight a talent for arriving in the box at the right time in the style of another player who wore Chelsea's No 8 shirt in Frank Lampard.

Fernandez almost scored a second goal in similar style against West Ham, when, early in the second half at the London Stadium, he blazed a shot over from 12 yards out having accelerated away from James Ward-Prowse to latch onto Pedro Neto's square pass.

Fernandez has a long way to go to reach the heights of Lampard, of course. But his late runs into the box, like those of the Chelsea legend, are made more difficult to defend against by the fact they often start from as far away from goal as the halfway line.

They require intelligence as well as athleticism.

In the example below, during Chelsea's win over Fulham, Fernandez anticipates Estevao's first-time flick to release Joao Pedro on the right, beginning his sprint towards goal before it even happens and bursting beyond Fulham's midfield line untracked to take up a dangerous position for the subsequent cross.

The trigger for Fernandez's runs is usually one of Chelsea's wingers receiving the ball in a wide position, as in the example below against Crystal Palace, when Fernandez darts towards the centre of the box as Estevao runs onto a through-ball near the left-hand touchline.

The cross never came on that occasion, with Estevao instead checking back onto his right foot, but Fernandez makes his runs knowing they will not always be found and they are not unique to this season. Last term, he ranked behind only Raul Jimenez and Dominic Solanke in the Premier League for cross option runs.

They have become an established feature of his game, in other words, helping to vindicate Enzo Maresca's decision to give him more attacking licence as opponents struggle to get to grips with them.

Expect to see more of the same when Fernandez, refreshed from some rare time off, faces Brentford live on Sky Sports on Saturday.

Stability helping Kudus thrive

While Chelsea increasingly look to Fernandez for attacking inspiration, their London rivals Spurs have two new outlets in Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons. The latter could make his debut for the club live on Sky Sports against West Ham on Saturday; the former has already shown what he can bring.

Kudus can expect a hot reception at the London Stadium having become the first player to move between the two clubs since Scott Parker in 2011 but he returns to his former club having made a bright start for Spurs, who paid £55m for his signature.

At a time of upheaval off the pitch with the departure of Daniel Levy as chairman, Kudus has benefitted from some stability on it, playing exclusively on the right flank in his first three appearances having been used in a dizzying array of roles by West Ham last term.

Kudus felt his form suffered as a result of the changes to his position under Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter at West Ham. But following a strong pre-season with Spurs, he has already become a key part of the side's attack, adding a new dimension with his one-on-one ability and creativity on their right flank.

The 25-year-old has attempted more dribbles than anyone else in the Premier League so far this season. There were two assists in the 3-0 win over Burnley and he also ranks top among Spurs players for chances created, expected assists and fouls won.

Spurs hope Simons will help share the creative load. But Kudus is also benefitting from working with a manager in Thomas Frank and technical director in Johan Lange who have built up a detailed knowledge of his game since his time in Denmark with Nordsjaelland.

"We have known him for many, many years," said Lange in a recent interview with the Spurs website. "We knew this player has all the attributes to be a fantastic offensive player in the Premier League. We have already seen him having a great impact in the team, so let's just cross our fingers this will continue."

Are Everton the new entertainers?

Kudus is not the only in-form attacker facing his former side this weekend. Elsewhere on Saturday, Jack Grealish comes up against boyhood club Aston Villa having contributed four assists in Everton's back-to-back victories over Wolves and Brighton.

He appears to have rediscovered the form that set him apart at Aston Villa but the Manchester City loanee is just one part of a style transformation taking place under David Moyes.

With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tyler Dibling also added to an attack which already features the maverick brilliance of Iliman Ndiaye, Everton suddenly have an abundance of attacking flair.

It characterised their displays against Brighton and Wolves, both of which featured slick team goals involving all three of Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, and it can be seen in the numbers too.

Everton are scoring more goals, attempting more dribbles and making more final third passes this season. They have gone from making the fewest through-balls in the division to the third most.

It all adds up to a level of attacking threat far beyond last season's. It promises plenty of entertainment in the campaign ahead too.

Player Radar: Who else to keep an eye on

Marcus Tavernier was mostly used as a winger in his first three seasons at Bournemouth but continues to shine in central midfield having been moved by Andoni Iraola at the end of last term. Will his good form continue against Brighton on Saturday?

Live Radar: What's on Sky this weekend?

Saturday brings a double header as West Ham host Tottenham in the 5.30pm kick-off before Brentford's meeting with Chelsea at 8pm. Both games are live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 5pm.

On Super Sunday, Burnley host Liverpool at 2pm with Alexander Isak expected to make his debut, before Manchester City take on Manchester United at 4.30pm. Both games are live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event, with coverage starting at 1pm.

Read the last Radar column

The last column before the international break was ahead of the curve, outlining Dominik Szoboszlai's importance to Arne Slot before he went on to show it with his match-winning display for Liverpool against Arsenal.

Sky Sports showing 215 live Premier League games this season

Starting this season, Sky Sports' Premier League coverage is increasing from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.

And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games this season will be shown live on Sky Sports.

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Ange Postecoglou: Can 'Angeball' work for Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis after Spurs stint?

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Ange Postecoglou: Can 'Angeball' work for Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis after Spurs stint? - Sky Sports
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He's back. And given his standout moments last season, he was never going to be away for long.

Mic-drop comments, bold statements, interviews you never wanted to end. Ange Postecoglou was box office at Tottenham Hotspur - and the manner in which he delivered on his promise of "I always win things in my second season" only adds to the appeal.

Perhaps the surprise is where he has ended up next. Nottingham Forest have replaced a head coach who took them from 17th to Europe, with a head coach whose Premier League position went from Europe to 17th last season.

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Forest news & transfers🔴⚪

Got Sky? Watch Forest games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔

Postecoglou's links to Evangelos Marinakis are clear given their shared nationality - plus the fact the Forest co-owner gave the former Spurs coach an award over the summer for becoming the first Greek manager to win the Europa League.

But there is an ideological clash here. Postecoglou prided himself on playing attractive, attacking football with high lines, aggressive presses and lots of the ball. He is now entering a squad of Forest players who were drilled in low blocks, counter-attacking breaks and a lack of ball possession under Nuno Espirito Santo.

The two styles of Nuno's Forest and Postecoglou's Spurs are polar opposites, and it is confirmed by those who know the technicalities of 'Angeball'.

"People just talk about attacking and pressing. That's 100 per cent right," a senior source from Postecoglou's Spurs era tells Sky Sports.

"The main principles are playing with the purpose of scoring goals, defending aggressively, trying to win the ball as quick as you can. Those are the basic general principles."

But those principles were not always perceived positively. It added to the perception that Postecoglou wanted to play exactly the same way no matter who the opponent was. And it led to criticism, scepticism, the lot.

Some believed 'Angeball' neglected the defensive side of the game too much, with other claims of the style of play impacting player fitness and injuries. Those inside the Spurs camp, however, saw it differently.

"Obviously there's a lot of big talk. People talk, it's this, it's that, and obviously there has to be - and everybody's entitled to their opinion," says the same source. "But I was there and it's not like how people described it.

"Every approach was targeted to win and it's not about only playing in a certain way. It's about winning that game.

"We did work a lot in defensive things, it didn't get much talk and we did improve throughout the season in that area."

Perhaps the biggest indication of that - and also of Postecoglou not being 'one-style philosophy' manager he was accused of being - came in the latter stages of the Europa League.

Spurs transitioned from a team with one of the highest percentage numbers in the Premier League to not having more than 42 per cent of the ball in the final four games of the Europa League run.

They went to Eintracht Frankfurt with the aggregate score level and won 1-0 with just 39 per cent possession. They then had 41 per cent of the ball at home to Bodo/Glimt, winning 3-1 with 24 shots.

In the away match in Norway, they had 31 per cent possession - and ended Bodo's record of scoring in every home game for 18 months by winning 2-0. That was not by accident, or by Spurs being tactically inferior or fortunate - those from inside the Spurs dressing room remember that semi-final being a deliberate game plan from Postecoglou to get a result.

Then in the Europa League final, they had 26 per cent possession against Manchester United, with their one shot on target being their winner.

If anything, winning despite having less of the ball sounds a lot like Nuno's Forest.

"It was about: how can you win every moment?" says the same senior figure from Spurs. "How can you win when the ball is coming from across? How can you win when there's a shot? How can you win if the ball gets over the keeper and Micky van de Ven has to take it away from the line?

"Micky did everything there to win, so everybody was thinking like that. And if that means you're defending more, then you're defending more.

"The idea in the Europa League was just to win. It's not like the league where you can build your principles consistently and become stronger by going hard on your principles. Of course, in the Europa League you also have your principles, but if you don't win, you're out."

So what happened in the Premier League, and why was that so dire? For all the Europa League celebrations in Bilbao, Spurs failed to win their final seven top-flight matches of the season.

They conceded 65 goals in the Premier League, only the relegated sides and Wolves managed more. They also had the fourth-most errors leading to goals in the league, which vastly contrasted against their perfect Europa League form and style.

"For me, it's an easy answer," says the same source. "It seems to be very hard for so many people to understand.

"But it's: is the team playing Champions League this season? What's different if you then finish 13th or 10th? Does it change anything?

"By the time you get to that point in January, February or March and you see your biggest thing to accomplish to get to the Champions League and get to the Europa League win, why would you still try to make the Premier League work? Of course, you want to try to win everything. But is it really possible?"

For the Spurs dressing room and clearly Postecoglou, it was not possible - due to the number of injuries Spurs had. Several members of the squad were hamstrung by setbacks, leading to the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall to play more minutes as teenagers than they would have liked.

At the start of the season, it was not planned that the duo and the other Spurs youngsters would be so heavily involved.

So there are several questions that Postecoglou needs to answer at Forest. Has he now fully changed from the 'one-philosophy manager', if he was ever one in the first place? And if not, can he completely turn around Forest's game plan from defensive to attacking? Does his style of play lead to more injuries?

Crucially, with Forest in the Europa League this season, can he build a team that competes on all fronts?

The 17th-place finish in the Premier League with Spurs forced Daniel Levy to pull the trigger, and Marinakis has not proven to be any more forgiving over the years with his standards at Forest.

Source

Ange Postecoglou: Can 'Angeball' work for Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis after Spurs stint?

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Ange Postecoglou: Can 'Angeball' work for Nottingham Forest and Evangelos Marinakis after Spurs stint? - Sky Sports
Description

He's back. And given his standout moments last season, he was never going to be away for long.

Mic-drop comments, bold statements, interviews you never wanted to end. Ange Postecoglou was box office at Tottenham Hotspur - and the manner in which he delivered on his promise of "I always win things in my second season" only adds to the appeal.

Perhaps the surprise is where he has ended up next. Nottingham Forest have replaced a head coach who took them from 17th to Europe, with a head coach whose Premier League position went from Europe to 17th last season.

Transfer Centre LIVE! | Forest news & transfers🔴⚪

Got Sky? Watch Forest games LIVE on your phone📱

Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺

Choose the Sky Sports push notifications you want! 🔔

Postecoglou's links to Evangelos Marinakis are clear given their shared nationality - plus the fact the Forest co-owner gave the former Spurs coach an award over the summer for becoming the first Greek manager to win the Europa League.

But there is an ideological clash here. Postecoglou prided himself on playing attractive, attacking football with high lines, aggressive presses and lots of the ball. He is now entering a squad of Forest players who were drilled in low blocks, counter-attacking breaks and a lack of ball possession under Nuno Espirito Santo.

The two styles of Nuno's Forest and Postecoglou's Spurs are polar opposites, and it is confirmed by those who know the technicalities of 'Angeball'.

"People just talk about attacking and pressing. That's 100 per cent right," a senior source from Postecoglou's Spurs era tells Sky Sports.

"The main principles are playing with the purpose of scoring goals, defending aggressively, trying to win the ball as quick as you can. Those are the basic general principles."

But those principles were not always perceived positively. It added to the perception that Postecoglou wanted to play exactly the same way no matter who the opponent was. And it led to criticism, scepticism, the lot.

Some believed 'Angeball' neglected the defensive side of the game too much, with other claims of the style of play impacting player fitness and injuries. Those inside the Spurs camp, however, saw it differently.

"Obviously there's a lot of big talk. People talk, it's this, it's that, and obviously there has to be - and everybody's entitled to their opinion," says the same source. "But I was there and it's not like how people described it.

"Every approach was targeted to win and it's not about only playing in a certain way. It's about winning that game.

"We did work a lot in defensive things, it didn't get much talk and we did improve throughout the season in that area."

Perhaps the biggest indication of that - and also of Postecoglou not being 'one-style philosophy' manager he was accused of being - came in the latter stages of the Europa League.

Spurs transitioned from a team with one of the highest percentage numbers in the Premier League to not having more than 42 per cent of the ball in the final four games of the Europa League run.

They went to Eintracht Frankfurt with the aggregate score level and won 1-0 with just 39 per cent possession. They then had 41 per cent of the ball at home to Bodo/Glimt, winning 3-1 with 24 shots.

In the away match in Norway, they had 31 per cent possession - and ended Bodo's record of scoring in every home game for 18 months by winning 2-0. That was not by accident, or by Spurs being tactically inferior or fortunate - those from inside the Spurs dressing room remember that semi-final being a deliberate game plan from Postecoglou to get a result.

Then in the Europa League final, they had 26 per cent possession against Manchester United, with their one shot on target being their winner.

If anything, winning despite having less of the ball sounds a lot like Nuno's Forest.

"It was about: how can you win every moment?" says the same senior figure from Spurs. "How can you win when the ball is coming from across? How can you win when there's a shot? How can you win if the ball gets over the keeper and Micky van de Ven has to take it away from the line?

"Micky did everything there to win, so everybody was thinking like that. And if that means you're defending more, then you're defending more.

"The idea in the Europa League was just to win. It's not like the league where you can build your principles consistently and become stronger by going hard on your principles. Of course, in the Europa League you also have your principles, but if you don't win, you're out."

So what happened in the Premier League, and why was that so dire? For all the Europa League celebrations in Bilbao, Spurs failed to win their final seven top-flight matches of the season.

They conceded 65 goals in the Premier League, only the relegated sides and Wolves managed more. They also had the fourth-most errors leading to goals in the league, which vastly contrasted against their perfect Europa League form and style.

"For me, it's an easy answer," says the same source. "It seems to be very hard for so many people to understand.

"But it's: is the team playing Champions League this season? What's different if you then finish 13th or 10th? Does it change anything?

"By the time you get to that point in January, February or March and you see your biggest thing to accomplish to get to the Champions League and get to the Europa League win, why would you still try to make the Premier League work? Of course, you want to try to win everything. But is it really possible?"

For the Spurs dressing room and clearly Postecoglou, it was not possible - due to the number of injuries Spurs had. Several members of the squad were hamstrung by setbacks, leading to the likes of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall to play more minutes as teenagers than they would have liked.

At the start of the season, it was not planned that the duo and the other Spurs youngsters would be so heavily involved.

So there are several questions that Postecoglou needs to answer at Forest. Has he now fully changed from the 'one-philosophy manager', if he was ever one in the first place? And if not, can he completely turn around Forest's game plan from defensive to attacking? Does his style of play lead to more injuries?

Crucially, with Forest in the Europa League this season, can he build a team that competes on all fronts?

The 17th-place finish in the Premier League with Spurs forced Daniel Levy to pull the trigger, and Marinakis has not proven to be any more forgiving over the years with his standards at Forest.

Source