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Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven, speaking to Amazon Prime after Spurs' 1-0 win against Villarreal: "I think it was a tough one, not an easy one. We didn't play well but it was an important one.

"We had a really good start and of course you want to build on that, but Villarreal are a really difficult team to play against. Every time on the counter attack, they keep the strikers forward, they're really dangerous.

"Of course you want to build on the 1-0 at the start of the game but at the end we got the three points and that's the most important."

On his foul late in the game which earned him a yellow card: "Of course, you never know what the referee is going to do in that moment. I think because I went for the ball it's not a red card. I haven't seen it back properly so I can't say what I think at the moment."

Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall added: "It was really tough. Villarreal did a great performance but a 1-0 win at home is amazing.

"We talk a lot about 'clean sheet mentality' and they did not have a shot on target, so we did a really good job."

This 1-0 win against Villarreal was the result Tottenham wanted as they made their return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2022-23 season, but it was far from a perfect performance.

Luiz Junior's unfortunate mistake got the home crowd going and could have been the platform for Tottenham to go on and put in a commanding performance, but that failed to materialise as they largely laboured to the win.

Tottenham's start this season has been impressive, with eye-catching wins against West Ham and Manchester City but there was the concerning display in the 1-0 loss to Bournemouth.

There were more similarities in this game to the performance against the Cherries, with some poor passages of play and sloppy passes whenever they did break forward.

Despite that, their defending was resolute with Micky van de Ven and Rodrigo Bentancur making some crucial tackles, particularly in the second half when Villarreal pushed for an equaliser.

The win means Tottenham are now unbeaten in their past 21 home games in Uefa competitions.

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The small three-digit numbers on Tottenham Hotspur's players' shirts are 'legacy numbers'.

Each number is unique to a player and sits at the back of their shirts, beneath the collar.

Numbers are assigned when a player has made a competitive appearance for the club, dating back to Spurs' first match in 1894.

The first time legacy numbers were displayed on shirts was during Spurs' win over Crystal Palace in 2023 - they have been displayed in every match since then.

The legacy initiative was launched to commemorate the contributions of every player that has represented the club.

New signing Xavi Simons was the latest to receive his number. The Netherlands player was given legacy number 898 after his debut in a 3-0 win against West Ham.

A total of 898 players have been assigned a legacy number as of 16 September 2025.

The first 11 numbers were given to Spurs' starting XI in their FA Cup tie against West Herts on 13 October 1894.

Spurs said during the research process, specific criteria were applied to ensure each player was given the correct legacy number.

They say you should not fall in love with a loan player.

Too late. I am already head over heels for Joao Palhinha.

Criticised by some fans for not progressing the ball enough, Palhinha demonstrates a different, but equally integral skill set.

Indeed, without the Portugal international's impressive ability to disrupt the opposition and confidently regain possession, Spurs would not have as many opportunities to move the ball up the pitch - and certainly nowhere near the number they had against West Ham on Saturday.

Palhinha won more duels (10) and made more tackles (five) than any other player against the Hammers.

What gives Palhinha the edge over his opponents is his strong ability to read the game and correctly predict the movement of others. Footballing intelligence, if you like.

His smart positioning puts him in the right place at the right time, and his calm and careful approach means he makes skilful interceptions - unlike the one he was on the receiving end of from Tomas Soucek.

It is important to remember that positive play looks different depending on your role and responsibilities. Palhinha may not play 40-yard diagonal defence-splitting passes, but he will successfully regain possession and redistribute to a team-mate who can.

He will block and redirect the opposition, limiting their options and protecting the defenders behind him, significantly increasing his team's chances of keeping a clean sheet.

He will disrupt play so expertly and with such seeming effortlessness, that his importance in the team could go unnoticed by some.

Much has been made of our attacking options this season, and although Palhinha is not shy in front of goal - as he proved against Manchester City - his defensive attributes are arguably what make him the sort of player we have been missing the most.

Chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.

Harry asked: I'm not a Tottenham fan but their Champions League run is something which I am excited to see given how they gained entry. How do you rate their chances of getting through the league stages? Do you think the new leadership and signings are ready?

Phil answered: If I was a Spurs fan, I would be very excited by new manager Thomas Frank and the early signs have been very promising, apart from the home loss to Bournemouth.

They have some very tough games, especially a trip to holders Paris St-Germain, but they played well against them in the Super Cup final so there should be no fear.

I'll say definitely play-off at the very least.

Thomas Partey is expected to play for Villarreal at Tottenham in the Champions League despite being due to appear in court - just hours later - on rape and sexual assault charges in London on Wednesday.

Ghana midfielder Partey, 32, was charged last month with five counts of rape against two women and a charge of sexual assault against a third woman.

It will be the first match he has played in England since the allegations first came to light, if he is selected to play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The conditions of his bail do not prevent Partey from playing football, but he must notify police of any international travel 24 hours in advance and must not contact the complainants.

The alleged offences took place between 2021 and 2022 when he was playing for north London club Arsenal.

Partey denies the charges with his lawyer Jenny Wiltshire adding he "welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name".

He was granted conditional bail and two days later signed for Spanish side Villarreal, who finished fifth in La Liga last season.

Partey will appear at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday for a plea hearing.

Villarreal signed Partey on a free transfer following his release by Arsenal, despite pressure from supporters not to.

More than 1,000 supporters have signed a petition set up by online content hub Villarreal Report to protest Partey's signing.

Partey made his debut on the opening weekend of the La Liga season at home to Real Oviedo on 15 August and each touch during his 15-minute cameo was met with whistling from the home crowd.

He has since made two further substitute appearances, before making his first start of the season against another former club - Atletico Madrid - at the weekend. And he is now set to feature against Tottenham.

"I am totally convinced that he is mentally prepared and technically prepared to play tomorrow," said Villarreal head coach Marcelino on Monday.

"For sure he will be ready. We are very happy Thomas is with us for his football capacity, football ability and his presence as a human."

"He is a great player with a lot of experience. He has played for a lot of top clubs. We know he has a great level."

When Marcelino was asked if he had spoken to Partey about the hostility he could face from Tottenham fans, the Spaniard said he was focusing on the football.

"We're interpreting stuff about and talking about a player that could be totally innocent," said Marcelino.

"We're playing a game of football tomorrow where the important thing is football.

"This is where football was invented after all. Do you understand me? Thank you."

Partey played 167 times for Arsenal after joining in 2020, scoring nine goals.

Opta's supercomputer has ranked Tottenham as the 13th-most likely team to win this season's Champions League.

The model estimates the probability of each match outcome (win, draw or loss) by using betting market odds and Opta power rankings. Both these areas are based on historical and recent team performances and the computer runs 10,000 simulations to create its predictions.

The Europa League winners win the Champions League trophy in just 1.1% of simulations.

Despite having to face an away trip to last season's champions Paris St-Germain in the league phase, Spurs have been given the fourth-most favourable draw according to Opta's rankings.

If they reach the knockout phases, the supercomputer gives Thomas Frank's side a 22.9% chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

They go on to reach the semi-final in 8.5% of simulations and the final in 2.8%.

Having sacked Ange Postecoglou after their European success in May, it means new boss Thomas Frank manages in Europe's top club competition for the first time in his career.

This will be the first meeting between Tottenham and Villarreal in European competition, with Spurs winning just one of their last 13 matches against Spanish opposition in major European competition (D5 L7).

Villarreal have played 14 matches against English opponents in the UEFA Champions League and are still looking for their first victory (D6 L8), while losing each of the last seven in a row. Over half of their defeats in the competition have been against English opposition (57% - 8/14).

This will be third time that Villarreal have played their opening game of a UEFA Champions League campaign against an English side (out of five seasons). The previous two were both against Manchester United and both finished 0-0, in 2005-06 and 2008-09.

Tottenham have only won their opening game of a European Cup/UEFA Champions League campaign in two of their seven attempts (D2 L3). However, those two have arrived on the last two occasions where they have played their opener at home: 2-0 v Marseille in 2022-23 and 3-1 v Borussia Dortmund in 2017-18.

Villarreal’s last match in the UEFA Champions League came in the semi-finals of the 2021-22 edition, losing 2-5 on aggregate to Liverpool. The Spaniards won three of their six away games in that campaign (D1 L2), more than they managed in 14 away matches across their three previous appearances in this competition (W2 D5 L7).

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank will take charge of a team in the UEFA Champions League for the first time – in fact, his only previous experience of managing in European competition came in qualifying for the UEFA Europa League, winning just three of 10 matches with Brøndby IF (D4 L3).

Villarreal forward Georges Mikautadze has been directly involved in seven goals in eight starts in major European competition to date (four goals, three assists), with all of those coming for Lyon in the UEFA Europa League last season.

Randal Kolo Muani could feature for a fourth different team (Tottenham) in the UEFA Champions League since the start of 2022-23, having previously appeared for Eintracht Frankfurt, Paris SG and Juventus. No active Champions League player has played for as many as four different teams in this period.

Villarreal defender Juan Foyth made his UEFA Champions League debut for Tottenham back in December 2017 (v APOEL Nicosia). Indeed, the Argentinean remains the youngest player to start a home game for the club in the competition (19y 328d in that match).

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has said he is "very happy" at the club and he "never" expressed his desire to leave, despite being heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid over the summer.

The 27-year-old Argentina centre-back had criticised the club's board for a lack of investment last season and posted a cryptic message supporting departing manager Ange Postecoglou and the "many obstacles" he overcame just an hour after Thomas Frank was appointed as his replacement.

However, Frank named Romero as his captain and he signed a new four-year deal in August to keep him at the club until 2029.

"I never said I wanted to leave the club," the World Cup winner said in a pre-match news conference before Spurs' Champions League opener against Villarreal on Tuesday.

"Nothing came from me in that effect. It is important what the manager and president say.

"I am very happy here, it is like a family. I like the manager. I like the way we work, the way we train. Always things can improve but I think everyone here at all levels are taking the right steps to improve. I am very happy here."

On the team's performances so far under Frank, Romero added: "We always focus on our jobs and our work. We have a great manager. We have a great defensive coach. We always want to improve.