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Big Ange has a selection headache when it comes to Tottenham’s midfield against Crystal Palace

Tottenham Hotspur travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace in what promises to be an exciting Premier League clash.

Spurs have done well to recover from the upsetting 3-2 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, beating West Ham United and AZ Alkmaar after the international break. Ange Postecoglou will be happy with the way his team responded to the Brighton collapse, and after picking up a win in Europe in midweek, he’ll want another to follow it up with at Crystal Palace.

The Greek-Australian tactician made nine changes to this starting XI against AZ Alkmaar. One of those was Rodrigo Bentancur, who had come into the team in place of Yves Bissouma.

The Uruguayan international has been in and out of the team this season. He suffered a nasty collision with Abdul Fatawu in Spurs’ season opener at newly promoted Leicester City and was ruled out of the next league game against Everton due to concussion protocol.

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Before the 4-1 win over West Ham last weekend, Rodrigo Bentancur had started the last four league games for Spurs. The central midfielder managed to complete 90 minutes just once across those outings which came in the fantastic 3-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

As for Yves Bissouma, he has seemingly recovered from a slow start to the season which was disrupted by an off-field issue. The Mali international didn’t feature at Leicester City due to being suspended by the club but returned against Everton with a bang, scoring a pile-driver in the 4-0 win.

A couple of niggling knee issues means the 28-year-old has only managed three league starts so far this term. Yves Bissouma was excellent at the heart of Spurs’ midfield in the big win over West Ham, dictating the tempo of play and breaking the opposition’s attacks. He had even netted a fine goal from just outside the box to help Spurs take a 2-1 advantage before half time.

Bentancur starting five league games when fit tells us clearly that he is ahead of Bissouma in the midfield pecking order. However, with the South American playing the whole European game in midweek and Bissouma being an unused substitute, the chances of the Mali international starting at Selhurst Park appear higher.

Having not featured against AZ Alkmaar, Bissouma should be fresh to start on Sunday. Bentancur may be better technically but he lacks the off-the-ball work rate and defensive qualities that Bissouma would bring to the table. Even though Palace have been extremely poor and are royally lacking in confidence, having a pure ball-winner in the team is always important in games away from home.

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That being said, Big Ange should start Bissouma as a No.6 ahead of Bentancur in his preferred 4-3-3 formation against Oliver Glasner’s side.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to face Crystal Palace later today as Ange Postecoglou looks to build on the wins in the past week; however, facing the Eagles could be a tricky tie given how they haven’t won any games in the new season and would be fired to get something on the table. And while the pressure would be on the Lilywhites to deliver yet again playing at Selhurst Park, the likes of Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson would be expected to deliver for the visitors.

And John Wenham, owner of the reputable Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose, has been backing the England international striker who signed for the North Londoners in the summer window to find himself on the scoresheets against the Eagles, as the podcast host acknowledges how Marc Guéhi has been enduring poor form this season in surprising turns of events.

Solanke expected to shine against struggling Palace

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Tottenham News, Wenham expressed his confidence in the team to come out of the game with all three points. He said:

“Guéhi has seemingly downed tools since that failed transfer to Newcastle United. He didn’t even get in the last England squad, which is crazy when you consider he started every game at the Euros.

“I don’t want the whole Doctor Tottenham thing to re-emerge and suddenly Guéhi and Palace are flying on Sunday. However, I don’t think that’s going to happen. I’m quite confident we will go there, and we’ll win. I’m hopeful that Solanke will grab another goal because he certainly deserved one against West Ham.”

Going into the game, Spurs are the definite favourites to clinch the game at Selhurst Park; however, Tottenham are expected to be without Son Heung-min, which could prove tricky and make things difficult—like we saw against Brighton before the international break.

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The travelling supporters would be hoping to get a look at academy graduate Mikey Moore, who could start ahead of underfire Werner in place of Son.

While Palace struggles are well documented, Solanke would be looking to put further woes in their season later today.

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Do you think the ex-Liverpool striker will be getting on the scoresheet against the Eagles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Lucas Bergvall has been handed limited opportunities by Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou made nine changes to the team that won at West Ham last weekend for the visit of AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday evening. And his team of fringe players and young guns did not disappoint him, winning the game 1-0.

Lucas Bergvall was one of the players who was handed a start against AZ Alkmaar. It has been a tough start to life for the young midfielder at Tottenham following an £8.5m transfer from Swedish outfit Djurgardens. The teenage prodigy has got limited chances to make a mark at White Hart Lane.

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However, according to Swedish journalist Olof Lundh, Lucas Bergvall needs to be patient for his chances in the Premier League and that his trajectory at Tottenham are ‘pointing in the right direction’ amid exit rumours.

Bergvall ought to be frustrated with the lack of minutes at his new club but is very much part of the future of group of young stars in north London. Despite amassing just 258 minutes of football across nine appearances in all competitions this season, the creative midfielder remains a vital part of Ange Postecoglou’s plans moving forward.

In Spurs’ 1-0 win over AZ, he delivered a calm and composed performance in the middle of the park. The Swedish prodigy demonstrated his fine range of passing to carve open the Dutch side’s defence several teams, broke up plenty of play and was responsible for winning the all-important penalty that Richarlison scored to help Tottenham bag the points.

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Bergvall’s performance in the Europa League in midweek was a timely reminder of his talent and huge potential. As Lundh said, the 18-year-old needs to be patient, keep working hard and grab his opportunities with both hands when it comes rather than seeking a loan move elsewhere.

Tottenham Hotspur last winter signing Radu Dragusin has been subject to aggressive links with a move away from White Hart Lane owing to difficulties to find a stretch of game under his belt since his move to North London. The Romanian defender enjoyed strong performances in the Italian top tier before his move to the Premier League, and while he was warming the bench in England, he went on to put in an exciting set of performances for his country in the European Championship.

While many thought that his run in the EURO 2024 would be his opportunity to find a place in Ange Postecoglou’s side, it hasn’t been the case, and Serie A giants Juventus are looking to take advantage of the situation.

Juventus are looking at the 22-year-old as a possible replacement for Gleison Bremer and could make a move for the defender as early as January, per Juve-Live.

Loan deal could be on the cards for Dragusin?

Bremer has been on the receiving end of an extended spell on the sidelines as a season-ending injury came a severe blow to Motta’s plans, and they have been looking outwards to resolve the problem, and they could try to move for Radu even if it is on a temporary loan deal.

Alternatively, Juve are also looking at Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior as a possible alternative; however, it is difficult to see Mikel Arteta willing to sanction a move for the Polish defender mid-season, and that could force the Italian giants to push Spurs into a potential loan deal for Radu.

Thiago Motta’s side is also looking at possibilities to bring in the mould of Jonathan Tah and Milan Skriniar.

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With his game time thin at Tottenham, would you be willing to sanction a loan move for Radu Dragusin if an offer were to arrive in the winter transfer window? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Tottenham Hotspur have been coming back from a horrendous defeat against Brighton before the international break, where the Seagulls found a way to break a five-game winning streak that the Lilywhites were enjoying and in a memorable way. Ange Postecoglou’s side are trying to build on another streak, one they started with a splendid performance against West Ham United last weekend.

The North Londoners continued their form in the midweek following a narrow win against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League fixture on Thursday night.

Sutton warns Spurs of Palace threat

Spurs will now face a struggling Crystal Palace on Sunday as they travel to Selhurst Park, and it’s a massive opportunity to get another three points onboard and kickstart their ambitions to finish in a Champions League qualification place. However, Chris Sutton has fired an early warning to Ange Postecoglou’s side, stating that everything wouldn’t go their way against the Eagles like it did against the Hammers last weekend.

Oliver Glasner’s side are struggling this season as they come into the game without registering any wins this season and are in the relegation zone. However, despite their struggles, Sutton believes they will play a very close game against Tottenham this weekend.

He pointed out that Palace would be a more potent threat on the counters than West Ham were last week. And went on to suggest that Palace offensive players would love to play Spurs high defensive line.

Speaking on BBC Sport, the former Celtic striker said:

“Crystal Palace are desperate to get their first league win of the season, but any sort of positive result would do after losing their past three games. I am backing Tottenham, although I am a bit concerned about the fitness of Son Heung-min, who is back from injury but was rested for their Europa League game with AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.

“Tiredness could affect other players. Spurs play high-pressing and high-energy football and I wonder what playing twice a week will do to them. So Palace should pose more of a threat, but Spurs blew West Ham away and, while this will be a lot closer, I still expect them to win.”

Sutton score prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Tottenham

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What do you make of Sutton’s take on the game, and how do you predict the game will end this Sunday away at Palace? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin has been subject to links with a move away from White Hart Lane following his struggles to find minutes under his belt under Ange Postecoglou. The Romaninan international moved to N17 at the start of the year when the Lilywhites infamously beat Bayern Munich to his signatures following weeks of speculations; however, that has been the most notable highlights of his tenure at Hotspur Way so far.

The 22-year-old had proven his credentials in the Italian top tier ahead of his move to Spurs, and he reciprocated his renowned prowess in the offseason, where he featured for Romania in the European Championships. Many thought he earned a spot in the Greek head coach’s team with those performances; however, that has not been the case, and the links away from Tottenham have compounded over the past few weeks.

And his former coach Roberto Baronio now suggests that he wouldn’t be surprised if the defender decides to swap Tottenham for Napoli soon.

Radu Dragusin’s former coach hints at Napoli Move

Speaking via. Area Napoli, Baronio said:

“Drăgușin at Napoli? It wouldn’t surprise me. He did very well in Italy, he was confirmed at Genoa, if he arrived at Napoli he would compete for the starting place. I coached him for a while, and I know him very well.”

Radu Dragusin has been linked with a move to Napoli off late, with the Naples-based club looking for defensive reinforcements.

It will be interesting to ponder whether Levy would be willing to sanction a sale for a defender who clearly has a lot of talent and potential, however, has been forced to be on the bench. Moreover, Tottenham do lack in depth at the heart of defence, and letting go of the Romanian may not turn out to be a good idea.

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Do you think Tottenham will sell Radu Dragusin if a substantial offer were to arrive in the winter window? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Tottenham Hotspur continued their splendid Europa League run with their third win of the European campaign as they come on top of Dutch side AZ Alkmaar at White Hart Lane on Thursday evening. However, while the North Londoners enjoyed a splendid win, Timo Werner again took away the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

The German international has struggled to replicate his initial form at Spurs in the conclusive matches of the previous campaign, with his clinical output in front of goal coming into question on multiple occasions this season.

The RB Leipzig loanee has failed to score in the new season in his nine appearances donning the Lilywhites badge in the 2024/25 campaign. And he was given a perfect opportunity to make that record right yesterday night when Swede maestro Lucas Bergvall played the former Chelsea man in with a beautiful defence-splitting pass.

Werner has plenty of time to bury that chance; however, he chose to fire a shot straight at AZ goalkeeper Rome Owusu-Oduro. While it wasn’t exactly an open goal, you’d expect someone with Werner’s experience to find the back of the net when presented with such glorious opportunities.

Former striker Allen critiques Werner lack of confidence

And former Spurs striker who was a commentator on TNT, Clive Allen, insists that the player possesses no confidence at all as he struck the ball without any venom. Speaking on TNT Sports (via. BBC), Allen said:

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“It’s a fabulous run from Werner, stays onside. Bergvall right off the outside of his right boot. Now he just composes himself, but no confidence or conviction to strike with any venom.”

Timo Werner went on to miss another opportunity ten minutes later as Spurs supporters frustrations with the German grow.

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Do you think Werner is low on confidence or is this just his lack of clinical presence? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

It’s been a while and more that Tottenham Hotspur have won silverware; however, the North Londoners have an opportunity to do so in the ongoing season as they compete on multiple fronts. Any silverware talk at White Hart Lane has been the aggregate of everything that head coach Ange Postecoglou has done at N17 since he took over the reins in the previous season.

The Lilywhites have an opportunity to acclaim silverware this season in the European Second Tier, where the North Londoners have an opportunity to go all the way.

And former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho has made a surprise claim about Tottenham’s capacity to win the UEFA Europa League in the ongoing campaign.

Since he was let go of his office at Hotspur Way, the Portuguese coach has not left an opportunity to land a jab at Tottenham whenever he could, as he regularly points out how Tottenham is the only place where he hasn’t won a trophy. And the fact that he was sacked only ahead of the Carabao Cup final in 2021.

Mourinho backs Tottenham for Europa League glory

However, he has now surprisingly given Tottenham a big push to win the Europa League.

Ahead of Fenerbahce’s fixture against another of Mourinho’s former sides, Manchester United, he acknowledged that two of his former sides are best placed to win the Europa League. The former Real Madrid manager, via Reuters, said:

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“If I have to say now which are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League, I think it’s easy—Manchester United and Tottenham. The Premier League is a different level of quality, intensity, pace, tactical culture—a different level of everything. Tomorrow, I think we are going to play against one of the two strongest teams.”

While Tottenham are the favourites, Europe is unpredictable and difficult. The games will start getting more and more tricky as the campaign goes by. It is important for them to not get carried away in talks and focus on getting through the group stages at the moment.

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What do you think about Tottenham’s chances of going all the way in the Europa League this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Tottenham may avoid signing Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey in the wake of Dejan Kulusevski’s progress

Tottenham Hotspur are among a few Premier League clubs interested in signing Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey.

Aston Villa don’t want to lose Ramsey on a free transfer in 2026. As a result, they face a decision over the English midfielder at the end of this season—with that period most ideal to get a sizeable for his services. Villa value the midfielder at £50million and would want a bidding war to erupt between the Premier League clubs next year.

However, John Wenham—the owner of the famous Spurs podcast Lilywhite Rose—believes the transition of Dejan Kulusevski to a central midfielder may deter the north London club from splashing a big fee to sign Ramsey from Villa.

Since the start of this season, Dejan Kulusevski has become one of Tottenham’s most important and impressive players. He has been among the most in-form players in the English top flight, thanks to Ange Postecoglou’s decision to change his position from wing to central midfield.

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This positional change has helped the Sweden international to thrive from a central role, with the 24-year-old using his athleticism, ball-carrying, dribbling and flair to link up with his teammates and unlock opposition defences. He has been a key figure in Spurs’ resurgence after a sluggish start to the season that saw them pick up only four points from as many league games.

John Wenham thinks Kulusevski’s fantastic form after a change in his role diminishes Spurs’ requirement to sign another creative midfielder. He expects this transfer rumour to be quashed by the north Londoners sooner rather than later.

Big Ange deserves plenty of praise for his part in Kulusevski’s evolution. His decision to use him in a midfield three has allowed the Swede to show the best version of himself. But at just 24 years old, the Stockholm-born talent still has plenty of room to grow and improve, the prospect of which has Spurs fans very excited indeed.

So, in an ideal world, the Hotspur Way chiefs would not want to directly hurt Kulusevski’s development by signing another player in the same position. This could rule out a potential move for Ramsey in 2025, as suggested by Wenham. Spending around £50million for a player who has not been able to establish himself in Unai Emery’s first XI at Villa due to injury issues would not be a smart idea.

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That said, Spurs must take note of Wenham’s advice and avoid going for Ramsey in the wake of Kulusevski’s evolution since the start of the campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison has been subject to links with a move away from White Hart Lane as the Lilywhites look to bring in an understudy to Solanke following the frustrations with the former Everton star owing to his consistent injury concerns complemented by his struggles to find his feet since moving to North London.

Richy came through the doors at White Hart Lane as a marquee signing for a marquee price, and many expected him to take over the goalscoring baton from Harry Kane; however, he wasn’t able to replicate his Goodison antics at Hotspur Way. He has only netted 15 goals in 69 appearances donning the Spurs badge since his move in 2022.

Tottenham linked to Delap as Richarlison replacement

The chiefs at N17 are looking for a change as they look to integrate someone who can not only second but also compete with Dominic Solanke for that number nine role, and ex-Spurs scout Bryan King suggests that Tottenham can replace the former Watford ace with Pswich Town striker Liam Delap in the upcoming winter window.

The North Londoners have expressed interest in signing the Manchester City academy graduate as they look for a potential January move, per CaughtOffside, with the newly promoted Premier League side set to demand more than £30 million for the 21-year-old.

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And King, in an exclusive interview with Tottenham News, suggests that the only way for Tottenham to make a move for Delap is to sell Richarlison in January. He said:

“Spurs might be interested, but I can’t see that happening till the summer. Unless Richarlison is to leave in January. I’m not a great believer in him. If Spurs have got something lined up in the January window, then they would certainly be looking for another forward.

“Therefore a young one who has scored goals in the Premier League would be a perfect option.”

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Delap could be an exciting arrival at White Hart Lane, given his poaching abilities and similar attributes to Tottenham icon Harry Kane. He also fits into Spurs newly adapted strategy of bringing in high-potential young players, and Levy could pay hefty fees this winter to acquire another starboy.