Inside Futbol

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has given a quickfire blunt assessment of his side’s Premier League title chances after their 3-0 win at Everton.

Spurs have impressed at points this season under the former Brentford boss and with Manchester City and Liverpool struggling for consistency, eyes are being cast around for other possible challengers to Arsenal.

The comfortable victory at the Hill Dickinson Stadium pushed Tottenham up to third in the Premier League table, with nine games played.

Frank’s side are five points off league leaders Arsenal and have scored more goals than the Gunners, managing 17 to their rivals’ 16.

Despite that though, the Tottenham boss is not prepared to label his side title challengers.

Asked if Tottenham are title contenders, Frank needed no time to fire back at a press conference: “No.

“That I think is a big…I think there are probably a few teams ahead of us.

Game Competition Newcastle United (A) EFL Cup Chelsea (H) Premier League FC Copenhagen (H) Champions League Tottenham’s next three games

“I think it is fair to say I am only thinking of one game at a time and let’s see where we are in April.”

Tottenham managed to qualify for the Champions League last term by winning the Europa League, a route that is now closed to them this term.

As such, Frank will need to make sure his side finish in the top five this season to secure Champions League football for a second successive season.

Tottenham must now switch their focus towards facing Newcastle United in the EFL Cup in midweek, a game that Micky van de Ven has admitted he expects to be tough.

Van de Ven scored twice in Tottenham’s win over Everton on Sunday and Frank is increasingly making his side a threat from set pieces.

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Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven is not getting carried away with his side’s 3-0 win at Everton and insists next opponents Newcastle United will be tough.

Thomas Frank’s men headed to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to lock horns with Everton on the back of a stalemate against Monaco in the Champions League.

Spurs had too much for the hosts, making full use of set pieces, a feature of their play under Frank, as Van de Ven scored two headers and Pape Matar Sarr grabbed a third just before the 90th minute.

The Dutchman admits scoring a brace is unbelievable, but the result of hard work at set pieces on the training ground.

“We work on set pieces every day, a little bit and to come away with two today is unbelievable”, he told the BBC’s Match of the Day.

Tottenham are up to third in the Premier League following the win, but switch gears next as they head to St James’ Park to face Newcastle in the EFL Cup.

And it is a game that Van de Ven is expecting to be a real test; it is followed by a meeting with Chelsea.

Result Competition Tottenham 1-1 Newcastle Friendly Tottenham 1-2 Newcastle Premier League Newcastle 2-1 Tottenham Premier League Last three Tottenham-Newcastle meetings

“Newcastle away is always difficult and Chelsea at home is always crazy in our stadium.”

Tottenham got a taste for silverware by winning the Europa League last season and a domestic cup may be their best hope of lifting another trophy this term.

Newcastle however won the EFL Cup last season and will want to make a strong defence of their trophy.

Chris Ricco/Getty Images

Fixture: Everton vs Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Premier League

Kick-off: 16:30 UK time

Thomas Frank has picked his Tottenham Hotspur lineup to take on Everton in the Premier League at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this afternoon.

Spurs played out a 0-0 draw away at Monaco in the Champions League in midweek, while they lost their last league outing, against Aston Villa.

There are growing expectations of Tottenham’s big money summer signings, a group which includes Xavi Simons.

Frank has insisted that Simons is developing and adapting every day, but made clear that he is looking to see more intensity from him.

The game will represent Tottenham’s first taste of Everton’s new home, the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and that could well be welcome.

Spurs lost at Goodison Park last season and their last win at the ground game in 2018.

Guglielmo Vicario is in goal for Tottenham this afternoon, while in defence, Frank goes with Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence.

In the engine room, Tottenham have Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur and Xavi Simons, while Mohammed Kudus, Brennan Johnson and Randal Kolo Muani lead the attacking threat.

If Frank needs to shuffle his pack by bringing on his substitutes then he has a host of options and they include Mathys Tel and Archie Gray.

Tottenham Hotspur Lineup vs Everton

Vicario, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence, Palhinha, Bentancur, Simons, Kudus, Kolo Muani, Johnson

Substitutes: Kinsky, Richarlison, Tel, Gray, Bergvall, Odobert, Sarr, Scarlett, Byfield

Chris Ricco/Getty Images

Fixture: Monaco vs Tottenham Hotspur

Competition: Champions League

Kick-off: 20:00 UK time

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has picked his starting lineup and substitutes to lock horns with Monaco at the Stade Louis II in the Champions League this evening.

Spurs were turned over 2-1 by Aston Villa in the Premier League last weekend, something which set alarm bells ringing for one former Tottenham player.

Now Frank, whose side were held to a 2-2 draw by Bodo/Glimt on their last Champions League outing, will want to see a return to winning ways tonight.

Monaco were thrashed 4-1 by Club Brugge in their Champions League opener, but held Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at home last time out.

That result marked a run of three consecutive draws heading into tonight’s match and the Ligue 1 outfit may well be prepared to take the same outcome again against Premier League opposition.

The two clubs last met in the Champions League in 2016, with Monaco beating Spurs 2-1 both home and away.

Guglielmo Vicario is in goal for Tottenham tonight, while in defence Frank picks Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven and Archie Gray.

Midfield could be a key battleground this evening and Spurs look towards Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall, while Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert support Richarlison.

There are options on the bench for Frank if he needs to shake things up and they include Randal Kolo Muani and Brennan Johnson.

Tottenham Hotspur Lineup vs Monaco

Vicario, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Gray, Palhinha, Bentancur, Bergvall, Kudus, Odobert, Richarlison

Substitutes: Kinsky, Austin, Simons, Johnson, Spence, Sarr, Kolo Muani, Scarlett, Olusesi, Byfield, Williams-Barnett

Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has claimed that summer signing Xavi Simons is constantly going in the right direction, giving no cause for worry.

Spurs, after losing out on Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, hijacked Chelsea’s swoop for Simons to make him their headline signing for the summer.

Simons, though, has struggled at Tottenham after his move, with the Dutchman often drifting out of games or electing to play safe passes and has a solitary assist to show for his efforts this season.

Frank asked for patience with Simons, reiterating that despite his quality, the human angle of relocating to a new country will be a factor in settling down.

The Danish manager insisted that Simons is moving in the right direction and cited some examples from his game as promising offshoots.

Frank told a press conference (5:55): “He’s a very good player coming into a new country, new club, new city.

“We’re all getting judged every game but we need to see the bigger perspective.

“There were some good bits – asking him to arrive in the box, and he did. It’s constantly going in the right direction.”

Simons’ assist came more than a month ago against West Ham United in September for Pape Matar Sarr’s opener.

One reason for Simons’ ineffectiveness could be Frank’s propensity to set up his team to attack through the wings rather than centrally.

Mohammed Kudus, another summer signing for £55m, has been instrumental in a lot of attacking moves for Tottenham from the wings in the absence of Dejan Kulusevski.

A former Tottenham star recently warned that Spurs will finish mid-table if they continue performing the same way as they did in the loss to Aston Villa.

Frank will want to quickly the get the balance of his side right and make them an effective threat through the centre as well as the wings to not only bring out the best from Simons but to also make Spurs a harder side to defend against.

Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur out-on-loan star Min-hyeok Yang has been dubbed ‘absolutely unbelievable’ given his performances at Championship club Portsmouth.

Since signing the teenager from Tottenham on loan at the start of August, Yang has featured in six Championship games for John Mousinho’s Portsmouth team, scoring two goals.

He has been tipped by former EFL star Sam Parkin to step up in the absence of injured Josh Murphy.

Now, after having set up his first goal for Portsmouth, Yang has earned praise from another person in the form of commentator Matt Davies-Adams.

The commentator insists that the Tottenham-contracted player looks ‘absolutely unbelievable’.

“Yang, the South Korean, looks absolutely unbelievable”, Davies-Adams said on What The EFL (6:47).

At the start of this month, the Portsmouth manager himself gave credit to Yang for his recent performances, insisting that he will be feeling ‘on top of the world’.

Player Min-hyeok Yang Ashley Phillips Alfie Devine Will Lankshear Jamie Donley Tottenham talents on loan at Championship clubs

“I think he should be feeling on top of the world, really!” Mousinho said.

“A young lad who has started three consecutive league games for the first time in his career, all in one week.

“He has got two goals off the back of it, and he has had a massive contribution to the game today [against Middlesbrough].

“He should feel full of confidence. I want to see a lot more of that.”

Tottenham signed Yang from South Korean club Gangwon FC in January this year and sent him out on loan to QPR immediately.

Even for QPR, he showed signs of promise, making three goal contributions in 14 matches.

It now remains to be seen whether his performances are enough to warrant him a place in the Tottenham first-team next summer, when Thomas Frank could take a look at Yang in pre-season.

Yang as one senior appearance for the South Korea national team to his name.

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Fixture: Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa

Competition: Premier League

Kick-off: 14:00 UK time

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed their starting lineup and substitutes to welcome Aston Villa to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League this afternoon – match preview here.

Thomas Frank’s side head into an important block of games before November’s international break kicks in and Aston Villa, despite their poor start, could reasonably be considered competitors for a Champions League spot finish.

The Spurs boss will have analysed all the data around Aston Villa before the clash, but was clear in the build-up to the game that his instinct and knowledge are the main things he bases his decisions on.

Frank will know that Tottenham have lost their last two meetings with Aston Villa, however both those games were at Villa Park.

All three points for Tottenham this afternoon would move them up to second in the Premier League table, even if only temporarily.

Frank though is aware of the challenge and insists that he rates Villa as a side who are good when they build up the play and have a fantastic structure about them.

Guglielmo Vicario is in goal for Tottenham this afternoon, while in defence, Frank selects a back four of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence.

In midfield, Tottenham have Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur and Xavi Simons, while Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert will support Mathys Tel.

If Frank wants to try to change the flow of the game by using his substitutes then he has options available and they include Randal Kolo Muani and Lucas Bergvall.

Tottenham Hotspur Lineup vs Aston Villa

Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence, Palhinha, Bentancur, Simons, Kudus, Odobert, Tel

Substitutes: Kinsky, Danso, Richarlison, Gray, Bergvall, Johnson, Sarr, Kolo Muani, Byfield

Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has insisted that he uses data to create the right message for his players, but made it clear that his knowledge and instincts are his best friends.

The north London club have former Brentford boss Frank as their new manager, to take the project at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium forward.

Spurs have enjoyed a good start to their league campaign and look well placed for a strong season under Frank.

Up next, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday – match preview here.

In the modern game, the use of statistics and analytics has grown a lot, as many clubs rely on data from analysts to approach different opponents differently.

Frank, though, has clarified that he does not prefer going into games completely based on statistics and analytics, stressing that he trusts his eyes more.

The Spurs boss, though, is not completely disregarding analytics, as he admitted that numbers are key to analysing performances and creating the correct message for his players, whether good or bad.

Result Competition Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Aston Villa 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Aston Villa Premier League Last three Tottenham-Aston Villa meetings

“Not too much to matchdays, I would say”, Frank told a press conference (7:41), when he was asked if he approaches games based on data.

“I use data, of course, to create the right narrative that I want to maybe get across to players or to you guys [journalists], to make sure that we get the right message out there.

“That’s one thing, secondly, I think it’s good to have another indicator or benchmark that you could look towards to analyse performance.

“But my eyes and my knowledge of principles of what I believe in, is always the most important thing.

“But I think it is also important to have the stats to back up the performance, either way, good or bad.”

Frank could hand striker Randal Kolo Muani his Spurs debut against Aston Villa on Sunday, with the Paris Saint-Germain loan star in contention after recovering from a dead leg.

Tottenham have lost both of their last two meetings with Aston Villa, but both of those were at Villa Park.

Aston Villa’s last win at Tottenham was in November 2023, when Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins struck in a 2-1 victory.

Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has revealed that summer signing Randal Kolo Muani is ‘in contention’ to face Aston Villa this weekend.

Spurs managed to pull off a transfer coup by landing the striker on loan from French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window.

He has yet to play for Tottenham though, due to a dead leg, caused in training through a clash with Pape Matar Sarr.

The good news for Tottenham however is that Frank is now able to unleash him against Aston Villa this weekend – match preview here – because Kolo Muani is in contention to feature.

Fellow striker Dominic Solanke has progressed in his recovery, while Yves Bissouma is out for a few weeks.

Frank told a press conference: “Kolo Muani has trained for two weeks with the team – he looks better and better – and he’s in contention for the weekend.

“Dom’s progressed well post-surgery, he’s moving forwards.

Competition Goals Ligue 1 29 Bundesliga 16 Serie A 8 German Cup 7 Champions League 3 Randal Kolo Muani’s top competitions by goals

“Biss unfortunately had a situation with the national team and has a ligament issue in his ankle so he’ll be out for a few weeks.”

Kolo Muani will want to make sure he is playing on a regular basis, especially in a World Cup year, something which Frank understands.

The Tottenham boss stressed it is his job to make sure that the striker is doing as well as he can and then the rest will take care of itself in terms of his France hopes.

“The World Cup is far away in general. I understand the players are thinking about it. I haven’t spoken to him about it.

“What I am focussing on is making sure he is in the right place and performing as well as he can for us and the rest will take care of itself from there.”

All eyes will be on whether Kolo Muani gets the chance to be involved against Aston Villa on Sunday, but throwing him in from the start given a lack of game time may well be viewed as a risk.

The PSG star could well find joy against a tired Aston Villa defence if he comes on as a late substitute, which may well be a track Frank takes with him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Fixture: Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa

Competition: Premier League

Kick-off: 19th October, 14:00 UK time

Tottenham Hotspur will take on Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday, with the Villans heading to the capital to face a Spurs side in good form and showing promise under Thomas Frank.

Spurs and Villa have been well matched in recent seasons, taking points off each other. Last season both sides picked up home wins, with Aston Villa prevailing in the FA Cup at Villa Park too. In the campaign prior to last, either side notched up a win on the road. In the 2021/22 season, Spurs did the double over Aston Villa, with the Villans returning the favour in the 2022/23 campaign.

Tottenham went into the international break with a win over Leeds United, and Spurs attacker Mathys Tel felt his goal in the game was more than justified.

Spurs’ form has been patchy, as they could only manage a draw against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League, with Thomas Frank admitting he needed to revisit the match to look at whether they were bettered physically, and gave a struggling Wolves side their first point for the season after drawing against Brighton the previous weekend.

Tottenham will want to find their feet quickly after the international break and Frank will hope that Lucas Bergvall can shrug off the disappointment he had on Sweden duty.

Aston Villa have now embarked upon a four-game winning streak, picking up wins against Fulham and Burnley in the Premier League while prevailing over Bologna and Feyenoord in the Europa League.

Emery will know that with his own side’s form in the uptick, now is the ideal time, if any, to take on Tottenham.

However, he has warned that he expects tough times to return as Aston Villa’s journey is not smooth.

With games against Manchester City and Liverpool to immediately follow in the league, the Villans will be desperate to come away from London with something, despite expecting a tough game; Donyell Malen recently dubbed Tottenham ‘very good’.

Predicted Lineups

Tottenham Hotspur Aston Villa Vicario Martinez Porro Digne Romero Torres Van de Ven Konsa Spence Cash Bentancur Bogarde Palhinha Kamara Bergvall McGinn Kudus Rogers Odobert Malen Richarlison Watkins Predicted lineups

Recent Form (league)

Tottenham Hotspur: WDDWL

Aston Villa: WWDDL

Key Men

Tottenham Hotspur

Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert both scored for France Under-21s against both the Faroe Islands and Estonia, while also picking up an assist each against the Baltic side. They will want to make the most of their chances with Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani nearing a return from injury.

Mohammed Kudus has become a creative force in Thomas Frank’s side and has five assists in all competitions. In Dejan Kulusevski’s absence a lot of Tottenham’s good work goes through him and Kudus will have to be on his game for Spurs to be creative.

Lucas Bergvall’s good domestic form saw him championed for the national team by a former legend. Bergvall finally got his chance, but missed gilt-edged opportunities against Switzerland, while also starting in the defeat against Kosovo. Jon Dahl Tomasson has been subsequently sacked.

Aston Villa

Morgan Rogers became the third Aston Villa player after Gareth Barry and Gareth Southgate to feature in ten or more consecutive games for England over the break. Rogers scored his first England goal against Wales and will want to showcase what he is all about against Spurs, as Villa are rumoured to be preparing a new contract for their star player. Rogers is quickly becoming talismanic for the Villans, with Villa’s fortunes going as Rogers goes.

Ollie Watkins scored his first goal for the season against Fulham and has one in seven now, after scoring 16 goals in the Premier League last season. Watkins will want to quickly return to scoring form and build on his goal against Wales, injury permitting, as a spot in the England team is at stake.

Donyell Malen was on the double against Burnley, highlighting how much more effective he is in central areas rather than out wide. Malen will know that the best way to convince his boss to continue playing him in central areas is to keep producing.

Result Competition Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur Premier League Aston Villa 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur FA Cup Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Aston Villa Premier League Last three meetings

Match Prediction

The two sides are seemingly trending in the opposite direction in terms of form, with Aston Villa on the ascendancy while Spurs are regressing.

To complicate predictions, Spurs have only gained 1.33 points per game at home, while the Villans have been even worse away at 0.67 ppg.

Aston Villa have a slightly worse xG of 6.13 from their seven league games so far compared to Spurs’ 7.53 despite having more shots on target from both inside and outside the box, a likely remnant of the desperation from their early season struggles; Villa currently have six goals from their league games, while Tottenham have 13.

With the two sides evenly matched in recent seasons and form offering no gleanings, this is a game that could go either way or as a stalemate.

Emery will want something to show for recent form and a positive away result to Spurs will be something to pride themselves on.

Spurs’ form and injury issues make it an opportune window to play them and whether Villa will have the courage to do that on the day remains to be seen.

Inside Futbol Score Prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Aston Villa

Where To Watch?

Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa in the Premier League will be live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League for a 14:00 kick-off in the UK.