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Leeds vs Tottenham predictions: Chris Sutton on Premier League game

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Leeds vs Tottenham predictions: Chris Sutton on Premier League game - BBC
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Fair play to Leeds, they have really surprised and impressed me so far. There is a good balance to their team because they carry a threat and can dig in too.

Apart from a heavy defeat at Arsenal, they have been competitive in every game so far and their good start would have been even better but for late goals against Fulham and Bournemouth.

Even so, they have got more points than I expected at this stage and Daniel Farke deserves a lot of credit.

I think there were question marks over whether he could manage at this level because of his Premier League record with Norwich but, as I've said before, he never really had the squad there to be able to compete.

Tottenham have had a difficult week, having to fight back to rescue draws against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt, and this is going to be another tricky game for them.

I can actually see it ending in another draw for Spurs. At least they played in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday night rather than Wednesday, but a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday is still far from ideal, and this Champions League campaign is going to stretch their squad.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

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Thomas Frank press conference: Leeds vs Tottenham

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Thomas Frank press conference: Leeds vs Tottenham - BBC
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Cristian Romero is fit and will start after sitting out of the midweek trip to Bodo/Glimt.

Dominic Solanke has had a minor procedure and Frank expects to know more about his future availability when they return from the international break.

Randal Kolo Muani will not be available for Leeds, but has been back on the pitch over the past two days.

Frank said the renewals of both Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur's contracts is "a big sign" that the players believe in the project.

He said he has "quite a few [players] with leadership potential" since taking responsibility is "what creates the best teams".

Frank is pleased his team have come back from a losing position three times in a row, and he said this resilience is key to the mentality his team are building.

Leeds have done "very well" since promotion, giving very little away from open play, and Frank said his team are ready for this.

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Ange Postecoglou retains support from Nottingham Forest hierarchy

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Ange Postecoglou retains support from Nottingham Forest hierarchy - BBC
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Ange Postecoglou retains the immediate support of the Nottingham Forest hierarchy, but Sunday's match at Newcastle is emerging as a potentially key fixture for the under pressure Australian.

The club are without victory in the six matches since the Australian replaced Nuno Espirito Santo at the City Ground.

A section of Forest supporters chanted "you're getting sacked in the morning" towards the former Tottenham and Celtic boss following Thursday's 3-2 Europa League defeat at home to Midtjylland.

It is understood the club's board is still behind Postecoglou heading into the Premier League trip to Newcastle, although no talks were held between him and owner Evangelos Marinakis following the European loss.

"I didn't catch up with him, it's fair to say we weren't both in the mood," said Postecoglou on Friday.

"I caught up with him after the Sunderland game though. He wants his team to win, his only comment to me was, 'how can we help you?'

"He asked if I needed anything, did I need any other support? I don't expect him to be happy about the current situation, but neither am I. Both from the owner and people connected, all they have said is, 'how can we help?'

"The reality is there is very little they can do, it is in my hands. I'm responsible for changing the club's fortunes."

BBC Sport understands there is a belief that a number of mitigating circumstances have contributed to the poor start to Postecoglou's reign, particularly in the Midtjylland defeat, where key figures believe a number of refereeing decisions wrongly went against them.

There is, however, a sense the match at St James' Park is likely to be significant in how Forest view Postecoglou's position moving forward.

The game against Eddie Howe's side provides the team with an opportunity to show they are responding to his coaching following the poor start.

While the result at Newcastle will be key, the manner of the performance, it is understood, will be equally as important.

A heavy defeat could put Postecoglou under internal scrutiny heading into the international break.

Postecoglou also said the Europa League he won at Tottenham last season, before he was sacked in the summer, demonstrated he does not allow pressure to impact his management.

"It doesn't enter my head," he added. "My responsibility lies in making sure this football club progresses and gets to a position where it can challenge for things.

"If I start putting timelines to that or worry about what is going to happen next week then I am not performing the role I have been given.

"I just don't think it is helpful to anyone. At the end of the day, I have to concentrate on the environment, the training, the way we play, and, as I said last night, I am still very, very strong in my belief that we are not too far away.

"Put it this way - I knew I was getting sacked at Tottenham about three or four months before I did, but that didn't stop me from winning something."

The 60-year-old joined Spurs from Celtic in 2023 and supporters initially warmed to the Australian for his attacking style of play, with the Londoners finishing fifth in the Premier League during his first season.

Postecoglou's second term was more difficult as Spurs finished fourth from bottom in the table. He did, however, lead the club to their first trophy in 17 years as they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final.

With the current poor run of results, there is no denying it has been a difficult start for Postecoglou.

And the numbers illustrate just how poor Forest have been since his appointment.

In Postecoglou's six matches, they have been beaten four times across three different competitions.

No Premier League team has lost as many matches as Forest since his appointment and they have conceded 13 goals - at a rate of 2.17 per game.

Only Manchester United and Burnley have a worse goals conceded per game average than Forest since Postecoglou's arrival.

Surprisingly, it is the 35th instance in which a top-flight manager has failed to win any of their first six matches in charge in all competitions.

Paul Jewell holds the record, having failed to win any of his first 27 matches as Derby County boss in the 2007-2008 season.

Nuno was dismissed after just three matches of this campaign when Forest were 10th in the table. They are now 17th, having drawn one and lost two of their three domestic matches under Postecoglou.

He is the first permanent Forest manager in 100 years not to win any of his first six matches.

Nottingham Forest fan view. Pat Riddell - The Famous Club

This season should have been one of Nottingham Forest's best in modern history. Qualification for Europe for the first time in 30 years, the best squad this century and everyone at the club pulling in the same direction.

Somehow, at least for now, that has all gone out of the window. Nuno has departed, performances have been abject and on Thursday night the City Ground turned on the new manager Ange Postecoglou after just six games.

And yet it's very much classic Forest, a club that veers from success to self-made disaster like a learner driver who can't stay in a lane.

For whatever reason, the much-heralded arrival of Edu seems to have destabilised the club. The global head of football only officially arrived in July but allegedly fell out with Nuno and, despite a successful transfer window, things have taken a turn for the worse ever since.

It might all be entirely coincidental but the lack of continuity at Forest has thrown the club into crisis. It's a perfect storm of events that mean nine games into the season, the Reds have only won once.

Little wonder that some fans have already turned on him. Is it entirely of his own making? Of course not. Do the players bear some responsibility? Naturally.

Can he turn it around before it becomes even more toxic? With games against Newcastle, Chelsea, Porto, Bournemouth and Manchester United coming up, it's very hard to say.

But ask any fan and they'll tell you the same, it's never dull at Nottingham Forest.

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Rodrigo Bentancur: Tottenham midfielder signs new 'long-term' deal

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Rodrigo Bentancur: Tottenham midfielder signs new 'long-term' deal - BBC
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Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has signed a new deal at the club.

The Uruguay international has made 122 appearances for the club since joining from Juventus in 2022.

The 28-year-old started as Spurs ended their 17-year trophy drought by beating Manchester United in the Europa League final last season.

Tottenham did not specify the length of Bentancur's new deal, referring to it instead as "long-term".

"I feel really good and I'm very happy to continue my story with this fantastic club," he said.

"We have a new head coach, a new captain and I want to enjoy many more years at the club."

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Tottenham news: Bentancur ready 'to enjoy many more years' at Spurs

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Tottenham news: Bentancur ready 'to enjoy many more years' at Spurs - BBC
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Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur says he is "very happy" to have signed a new long-term contract at the club he loves.

The 28-year-old has made 122 appearances since signing from Juventus in 2022.

"I feel really good and I'm very happy to continue my story with this fantastic club," Bentancur said. "My family are happy. I have fantastic friends and team-mates who work hard every day.

"Winning the Europa League was a fantastic moment and we want to build on this now, to win more trophies.

"I want to enjoy many more years at the club."

Head coach Thomas Frank added: "It shows his belief in what we are building here and that we are starting a journey which we hope will be really special.

"Rodri is a big part of that. He's a fantastic midfielder who can dictate games and be the glue that holds the team together. He also has the ability to arrive in the penalty area, create goals and score them, too."

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Tottenham news: Do Spurs lack leadership qualities?

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Tottenham news: Do Spurs lack leadership qualities? - BBC
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Micky Van de Ven had a bad five minutes on Tuesday in Norway.

Tottenham's equaliser had been ruled out for a foul by him - a decision which caused him to argue bitterly with the referee.

Moments later he absolutely clattered into one of Bodo/Glimt's attacking players, earning him a yellow card and a talking to. He looked fit to burst.

I immediately cast my eye around the team to see who could calm him down. Then I remembered he was the captain and none of his team-mates appeared comfortable trying to rein him in.

As it turned out, Van de Ven didn't completely lose it. He stayed on the pitch and headed in the goal which sparked another comeback - but he trod a very thin line that night in Norway - something Spurs keep doing this season, not just from a disciplinary point of view, but in other areas too.

With the departure of Son Heung-min and injury to James Maddison, two of the obvious leaders in a Spurs shirt are now absent. Cristian Romero is captain, but it would be generous to describe him as an even-tempered presence on the field.

Van de Ven was the obvious choice to take over the armband on Tuesday, but Thomas Frank is going to have to ask some of the squad's other players to take a leading role as well.

The goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, Joao Palhinha and maybe Pedro Porro need to shoulder some of that burden.

Either that or Tottenham's January plans will need to have 'leadership qualities' at the very top of the agenda.

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Tottenham transfer rumours: Mateo Pellegrino, Rodrigo Bentancur

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Tottenham transfer rumours: Mateo Pellegrino, Rodrigo Bentancur - BBC
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Tottenham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest are interested in Parma's 23-year-old Argentine striker Mateo Pellegrino, but the Italian club do not want to sell him before next summer. (TuttoSport, via Parma Live - in Italian), external

Meanwhile, Spurs are set to agree a new contract with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, whose current deal runs out in the summer of 2026. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Tottenham news: Spurs show signs of progress in Champions League

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Tottenham news: Spurs show signs of progress in Champions League - BBC
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Despite being in the Champions League, there was always the faint smell of the Europa League when Tottenham's fixtures popped out of the big computer at Uefa HQ.

Villarreal, Frankfurt, Monaco, Copenhagen, and our old friends Bodo/Glimt are not quite the glamour ties you dream of. Nevertheless, you have to step up and play like it is the top-tier competition - a standard Spurs failed to meet in Norway.

On Tuesday night, for large periods of time, it felt like last year's Ange Postecoglou European tour. There was no control, no shape and the fundamentals of elite football were missing. The team even looked like an Ange line-up as no new signing started. It was the familiar faces and weaknesses.

We were lucky to head in level at half-time. When the Norwegians doubled their lead, few were complaining and we began preparing for a painful post-mortem. But then something happened. The team that never got going, refused to quit.

Our new faces were flung on and the vibe immediately changed.

Xavi Simons offered moments of hope. His ability to draw fouls and link the play were a marked improvement from Lucas Bergvall's puppy-like energy and enthusiasm. Mohammed Kudus on the right suddenly had his opposition full-back pinned back and out of breath, and Archie Gray - the player we don't really know where to stick - decided to announce himself in a Spurs shirt.

The game swung to and fro, but each swing towards Spurs was better, stronger and, ultimately, you could smell the equaliser coming.

There are fundamental issues with this Tottenham, but when the new faces are on the pitch together, they stare down adversity and just get on with it.

Thomas Frank is clearly learning with every passing minute that there is so much work to do, but the hunger and desire are there for all to see. Those are solid building blocks, and four points from two Champions League games is progress. We just need to be a little less Europa League moving forward.

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Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Tottenham: Fan views on Champions League draw

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Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Tottenham: Fan views on Champions League draw - BBC
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We asked for your views on Tottenham's 2-2 draw at Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Here are some of your comments:

Nick: Excellent point away from home on a difficult surface against a very well coached team. Despite what you might read, for those that watch, Spurs have been showing a backbone for a while now. Growth takes time but tonight we saw some more green shoots.

Neil: Not bad from Spurs considering they only had nine real players on the pitch for most of the time - Johnson and Richarlison were just bystanders.

Tom: Spurs are a different gravy under Thomas Frank. More drive, movement and never say die attitude, much better to watch. True Spurs in my opinion. I'm sure they will continue improving too.

Barry: What happened to our flying start? This is two games in a row now that we've struggled massively against teams we should win against. Frank will need to turn things around if he wants us to win anything!

Joshua: An extremely bad performance in a game we should be winning. Thomas Frank got the setup wrong by starting Brennan Johnson and there were many stylistic flashbacks to the disasters of last season. However, to grasp onto a point does show the improvement in mentality but Frank needs to realise the mistakes he's making and sort them out.

Colin: Spurs keep on grinding out results when playing poorly. I thought the team selection was a little suspect, but at least we have the fight in us this year. We have had two lucky draws that we probably didn't deserve. We need to start performing and start beating the teams we really should be beating if we want this team to succeed.

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Champions League reaction: Liverpool lose, Chelsea win and Spurs draw

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Champions League reaction: Liverpool lose, Chelsea win and Spurs draw - BBC
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Alisson to miss Chelsea clash

Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool

One are that is certainly going to require a change for Arne Slot is his goalkeeper.

Liverpool have confirmed that Alisson will miss their Premier League match against Chelsea on Saturday after the goalkeeper limped off in the 56th minute of their 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray on Tuesday.

The Brazilian missed 10 Premier League games last season with a hamstring injury.

"When he sprinted back he felt something. I cannot tell you [exactly] because I am not a physio, but normally when a player when he sprints back, feels something, goes to the floor and doesn't come back onto the pitch [it's not good]," Liverpool manager Arne Slot said.

"If my player is on the floor, I nine out of 10 times fear the worst – and by the worst I mean he cannot continue. That's what happened with Alisson."

Summer arrival Giorgi Mamardashvili is in line to make his Premier League debut at Stamford Bridge.

Has Wirtz unbalanced Liverpool?

Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool

Phil McNulty

BBC Sport chief football writer

One of the major sources of concern in Liverpool's season so far is the lack of impact from Florian Wirtz.

Wirtz is playing in a withdrawn role behind Liverpool's striker - Hugo Ekitike in Istanbul - but apart from one shot in the first half that forced a save from Galatasaray keeper Ugurcan Cakir, he was once more peripheral. It left him still seeking his first Liverpool goal.

Even the best players sometimes need to bed in, with Wirtz getting to know his team-mates and his team-mates getting to know him, but Liverpool will hope for a spark of inspiration for their £116m man sooner rather than later.

The introduction of Wirtz has seemingly resulted in Liverpool being exposed more, although this is not just the German's responsibility. They do not look as secure as they did last season and team shape appears to have been affected.

Has summer spending upset chemistry?

Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool

Alex Brotherton

BBC Sport journalist

After making just one senior signing in Arne Slot's first summer transfer window, Liverpool won the Premier League title at a canter.

The transition from Jurgen Klopp to the Dutchman appeared seamless, as Liverpool remained potent in front of goal while tightening up in defence.

But after spending close to £450m this summer, has team chemistry been knocked off balance?

Slot's side look vulnerable at the back, while in attack they are not playing with the same fluidity of last season.

It might take time for so many new recruits to fully settle and assimilate - will conducting a major squad overhaul in one window prove to be a mistake?

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Craig Nelson

BBC Sport reporter

Right, it's been a full-time job this morning sifting through the countless messages we have had on Liverpool and their faltering form.

Views are mixed - from the 'don't panic, nothing to see here' camp right through to 'this should be a wake-up call for the Premier League's defending champions'.

We are going to try to reflect all sides of the argument now, and will publish as many of your messages as we can, so keep them coming...

Should Spurs be happy with a point at Bodo/Glimt?

Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Tottenham

Craig Nelson

BBC Sport reporter

Gary Rose described Bodo/Glimt as minnows and it is easy to see why, considering the relative size and stature of the club when compared with the majority of the teams in the Champions League.

But I know that this description has irked a number of you, who rightly point to the Norwegian club's proud recent record at home, where they have been almost unbeatable in Europe over the past few seasons.

So while Spurs did manage to do a job on them in the Europa League semi-finals last season, it seems many Tottenham fans are more than happy with last night's battling point.

Thumbs up if you agree that was a point to cherish, thumbs down if you think it was two points dropped...

Spurs rescue draw at minnows Bodo/Glimt

Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Tottenham

Gary Rose

BBC Sport reporter

Tottenham avoided a big upset in the Champions League as they fought back from two goals down to rescue a draw at Norwegian minnows Bodo/Glimt.

Spurs, who beat this team home and away on their way to winning the Europa League last season, were second best for large periods and fell behind early in the second half when Jens Petter Hauge curled a strike into the far corner.

Things got even better for the hosts when Hauge superbly turned away from Pedro Porro before hammering a strike into the bottom corner to put the home fans in dreamland.

But Micky van de Ven gave Spurs hope when he powerfully headed in Porro's cross and Destiny Udogie crashed a header against the crossbar as they pushed for a leveller.

That duly arrived with one minute remaining when the unfortunate Jostein Gundersen turned a cross into his own net.

It was a fortunate escape for Tottenham, particularly after Kasper Hogh had blazed a penalty over the bar in the first half.

Mourinho defeated on Chelsea return as Blues beat Benfica

Chelsea 1-0 Benfica

Simon Stone

BBC Sport Chief Football News Reporter at Stamford Bridge

Jose Mourinho's latest return to Stamford Bridge ended in frustration as Chelsea secured a narrow Champions League victory over his new club Benfica thanks to Richard Rios' first-half own goal.

Such is the affection Chelsea fans have for Mourinho they serenaded him before and during the encounter.

Mourinho, who replaced former Wolves boss Bruno Lage 12 days ago, responded by waving to both ends of the ground.

But he would doubtless have preferred Benfica not to provide a present to their hosts as Colombian midfielder Rios could not get out of the way when Alejandro Garnacho sent Pedro Neto's-far post cross fizzing back into the six-yard area, giving goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin no chance of keeping the ball out.

There was frustration for the Blues though as well, with subsitute Joao Pedro sent off in the sixth minute of stoppage time for a second yellow card.

It was Chelsea's third red card in four games, although at least this time it happened too late to affect the outcome, as was the case in recent Premier League defeats to Manchester United and Brighton.

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