The Sports Bank

To anyone who isn’t a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, what happened on Saturday was nothing short of hilarious. Yes, they did beat fourth tier side Morecambe FC in the FA Cup 3-0, but they needed extra time to do it. Being goalless and level with a League Two club, after 90 mins, is indeed very funny (which again, provided of course you’re not a Tottenham fan). No matter how you look at that result, it is not the way you want to head into the North London Derby.

North London Derby FYIs

Kickoff: Jan. 15, 2025, at 8pm UK at Emirates Stadium

Team News: Tottenham Arsenal

Starting XI Prediction: Arsenal Tottenham

Google Result Probability: Arsenal 70% Draw 17% Tottenham 13%

PL Position, Form Guide: Arsenal 2nd, 40 pts DWWWD Tottenham 12th, 23 pts WLLDL

However, there is no longer any time to think about it now, as the North London Derby is almost here. So with that mind, let’s take a look at the first team prediction.

Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction (North London Derby)

Antonin Kinský, Pedro Porro, Radu Drăgușin, Archie Gray, Djed Spence, Lucas Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Dominick Solanke, Heung-Min Son

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

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It has now been confirmed, by Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglu that Rodrigo Bentancur suffered a concussion last week.

All things considered, this is very good news, as that was absolutely an extremely scary scene last week, in the EFL Cup semifinal leg one win over Liverpool.

North London Derby FYIs

Kickoff: Jan. 15, 2025, at 8pm UK at Emirates Stadium

Team News: Tottenham Arsenal

Starting XI Prediction: Arsenal Tottenham

Google Result Probability: Arsenal 70% Draw 17% Tottenham 13%

PL Position, Form Guide: Arsenal 2nd, 40 pts DWWWD Tottenham 12th, 23 pts WLLDL

Spurs Team News

“Good news,” Postecoglu said. “He was in hospital and did all the tests to make sure everything is OK. All good. He’s back home, and he’s fine. He is feeling good… Thankfully, it looks like a concussion and nothing more than it.”

So Bentancur will now enter the concussion protocol, and while he’ll miss the North London Derby on Wednesday, we’ll just have to wait and re-assess after that.

There is even better news, when it comes to No. 2 goalkeeper Fraser Forster. With the No. 1 shot-stopper out, he is the current first choice, but he’s battling an illness.

It sounds like he could possibly be in contention here.

Finally, the long-term injury concerns, Spurs have plenty of those, and from just the hamstring/thigh area alone. The group contains Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison.

Of that group, the last name that we mentioned there will be the first to return, but none of them will be back for this game, or even the next.

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

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Tottenham Hotspur travel to Tamworth FC on Saturday for a FA Cup clash that will see the North Londoners take on the 16th place team in the National League, the fifth tier of the FA pyramid.

So if you’re aware of Spurs’ current position in the table, and you’re scoring at home (for your sake, I really hope what you’re doing at home is a lot better than scoring The Sports Bank articles) that is a difference of 96 slots in the grand scheme of things.

FA Cup 3rd Round FYIs

Tottenham Hotspur vs Tamworth

Kickoff: Sun. Jan. 12, 12:30pm, The Lamb Ground, Tamford, Stratfordshire, UK

Tottenham Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction

That disparity is the most for this specific round of this edition of the FA Cup, but it is not unprecedented; not even for Spurs. Remember the tiny club in Liverpool known as Marine?

They welcomed in Spurs for a tie in this round of the competition almost 4 years to the day.

That match is believed to be the biggest slot disparity ever, as Marine and Tottenham sat 161 places apart at the time. And Marine almost took a lead on Spurs too, as they had a shot on goal bang off the crossbar while it was still scoreless.

That said, let’s just get to the first team prediction. As it’s a Premier League side versus a fifth tier team, Spurs will play a lot of kids and reserves here.

They are playing their third choice goalkeeper out of necessity, and not by choice here. But this is the perfect match to be doing so.

Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction at Tamworth (FA Cup)

Antonin Kinsky; Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin, Alfie Dorrington, Sergio Reguilon; Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall; James Maddison, Luca Williams-Barnett, Mikey Moore; Will Lankshear

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

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There was a major scare for Tottenham Hotspur, and their overall community yesterday, as midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur had to be stretchered off during the first half of their 1-0 win over Liverpool last night. Bentancur collapsed on the pitch and lost consciousness during the first leg of their EFL Cup semifinal tie. Later on, a statement from Tottenham indicated that Bentancur was “conscious, talking and will go to hospital for further checks.”

Thursday brought an even more positive update, with Bentancur taking to social media to post a photo of himself, with the message: “All good, guys! Thank you for the messages!!! Congratulations for the victory boys!!!”

FA Cup 3rd Round FYIs

Tottenham Hotspur vs Tamworth

Kickoff: Sun. Jan. 12, 12:30pm, Tamford, Stratfordshire, UK

Tottenham Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction

Fun Fact: This is just the second FA Cup tie ever against a top flight side for Tamworth. Their first was a loss to David Moyes’ Everton in 2011-12.

Spurs Team News

So the overall big picture sounds better for Bentancur, but he will obviously not feature on Sunday at Tamworth. Not much detail, about the specific condition that afflicts Bentancur, is out there right now. Shifting gears to Fraser Forster, the backup goalkeeper is still battling an unspecified illness, and is doubtful for this one.

He probably shouldn’t be risked against a side from the National League anyway.

Finally, Richarlison remains out, long-term, but Ange Postecoglu gave an update on the Brazilian yesterday, saying:

“With what happened before, the whole plan for him was to get a solid couple of weeks of training, and next week should be his second week.”

So he could feature towards the end of this month.

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

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New Year, new you, right? It is the season for New Year’s resolutions, and that means everyone tries to believe that they now have a clean slate to work with, and that a chance to set, and hopefully reach, new goals. For Tottenham Hotspur that all starts with a visit from Newcastle United.

Tottenham Hotspur at Newcastle United FYIs

Kick: Saturday, Jan 4, 2025 12:30 PM, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London UK

Team News for Both Sides: go here

Starting XI Predictions: Tottenham Newcastle

PL Standing: Tottenham Hotspur 11th, 24 pts Newcastle United 5th, 32 pts

Form Guide: Tottenham LWLLD Newcastle LWWWW

Google Result Probability: Tottenham Hotspur 33% Newcastle United 42% Draw 25%

Pulling off an upset win here would be huge for boosting morale. What starting lineup puts the best foot forward? How does Ange Postecoglu lead with strength from the off?

We’re guessing that this below is answer.

Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction

Fraser Forster; Pedro Porro, Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin, Djed Spence; Dejan Kulusevski, Pape Mater Sarr, James Maddison; Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke, Heung-Min Son

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

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Newcastle United do have their fair share of injuries to contend with, but no new concerns as they head into their first fixture of 2025. The Geordies are heading to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on a sliding Spurs side.

This Saturday lunchtime affair is a matchup of two sides that entered the season with, most likely, pretty similar expectations.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United FYIs

Kick: Saturday, Jan 4, 2025 12:30 PM, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London UK

Team News: Tottenham Newcastle

Starting XI Predictions: Tottenham Newcastle

PL Standing: Tottenham Hotspur 11th, 24 pts Newcastle United 5th, 32 pts

Form Guide: Tottenham LWLLD Newcastle LWWWW

Google Result Probability: Tottenham Hotspur 33% Newcastle United 42% Draw 25%

But it’s Newcastle who are on the right track, as they have a good chance of getting back into the Champions League next season. What’s the winning hand for manager Eddie Howe to play in order to progress along that path?

We think it looks like this.

Newcastle United Starting XI Prediction

Martin Dubravka; Tino Livramento, Kelly, Dan Burn, Lewis Hall; Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton; Jacob Murphy, Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

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Tottenham Hotspur have yet another injury concern to contend with, believe it or not. Central defender Radu Dragusin twisted his ankle in the 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day. He’s now a doubt vs. Wolves on Sunday.

“It’s a bit early to tell,” Ange Postecoglu said of Dragusin’s status for this weekend.

Festive Fixtures FYIs

Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Kick: Sun Dec. 29, 2024, 3pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

“He tweaked his ankle last night and felt like he couldn’t continue, so we’ll have to wait and see. We’ll wait until he gets in [for training] today and assess him from there.”

Meanwhile Ben Davies, Richarlison, Micky van de Ven, Wilson Odobert and Christian Romero are all out with hamstring/thigh injuries. Elsewhere Guglielmo Vicario is done for the season while Djed Spence is suspended. In looking at the starting lineup prediction…hey, big news here!

It looks like we’ll see the the first ever starting assignment for U21s squad member Alfie Dorrington. He made his first ever senior team appearance against Saints 12 days ago, coming on as a sub.

Now the young center back could see his first ever starting gig.

Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction vs Wolves

Fraser Forster; Pedro Porro, Archie Gray, Alfie Dorrington, Destiny Udogie; Lucas Bergvall, Yves Bissouma; Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Heung-Min Son; Dominic Solanke

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

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Tottenham Hotspur versus Liverpool is a very lopsided series. The two sides have met 184 times, with Liverpool winning 90, while Tottenham have emerged victorious 49 times. The two “big six” clubs have stalemated on 44 occasions. Lately the series has been extremely lopsided though with 10 of the last 13.

And of three non-wins, only one was a loss. So Spurs just can’t seem to get Ws in this rivalry.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool FYIs

Kick-off: 4.30pm (BST), Sunday Dec 22, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Starting XI Predictions: Liverpool FC Tottenham Hotspur

Team News: Liverpool FC Tottenham Hotspur

Google Result Probability: Tottenham 23%, Draw 22% Liverpool 55%

Prediction: Liverpool FC 1, Tottenham Hotspur 0

Something to think about when these two teams clash in the EFL Cup semifinals down the road. So with that all in mind, let’s get to the first team prediction. Can Dominic Solanke start living up to his price tag?

So far, he’s been pretty much a flop.

Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction vs Liverpool FC

Fraser Forster; Pedro Porro, Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie; Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma; Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Heung-Min Son; Dominic Solanke

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

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Timo Werner, who has been battling an unspecified virus, could come back into the Tottenham Hotspur team that will host Liverpool tomorrow. He has been a bit of flop, to be sure, but hey, Spurs could use more bodies in there right now. They don’t need any more absences right now.

In addition to Werner, fullback supreme Destiny Udogie could be back in action too. He came off early last weekend, due to muscle soreness, and missed the League Cup win over Southampton.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool FYIs

Kick-off: 4.30pm (BST), Sunday Dec 22, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Starting XI Predictions: Liverpool FC Tottenham Hotspur

Team News: Liverpool FC Tottenham Hotspur

Google Result Probability: Tottenham 23%, Draw 22% Liverpool 55%

Spurs Team News

Of course, he wouldn’t have even played in that match, if he were healthy, anyway. As for the updated list of the walking wounded- Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Ben Davies, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are all out with injuries to the same part of the body: hamstring/thigh.

Meanwhile No. 1 goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario (ankle) is done for the season and Mikey Moore remains absent with an unspecified illness.

And then finally, Rodrigo Bentancur still has time left to serve on that egregious (and not really justified) seven game suspension.

Prediction: Liverpool FC 1, Tottenham Hotspur 0

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

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Tottenham Hotspur hosts Manchester United on Thursday in the only all-big six matchup of the League Cup’s quarterfinal round. However, there is nothing “big,” at all, about these two teams right now.

They are both sputtering in mid-table, having endured a season that thus far has seen lots of injuries, disappointments and underwhelming performances.

EFL Cup Quarterfinal FYIs

Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur

Kick: Thurs. December 19, 8pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Team News: Tottenham Hotspur Manchester United

Starting XI Predictions: Tottenham Hotspur Manchester United

How They Got Here:

Manchester United- Leicester City 5-2 (round of 16), Barnsley 7-0 (third round)

Tottenham Hotspur- Manchester City 2-1 (round of 16), Coventry 2-1 (third round)

Both sides have fared better in the UEFA Europa League, but their standing there isn’t anything much to write home about either. United sit seventh, but in line for qualification to the next round. Tottenham are 9th, and slotted for a position that would require a playoff, in order to advance.

Man United Starting XI Prediction at Tottenham Hotspur

Andre Onana; Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Lucha Martinez; Diogo Dalot, Kobbie Mainoo, Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia; Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes; Rasmus Hojlund

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”

He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.

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