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Mikel Arteta warned Arsenal’s Premier League title rivals that his side are not taking their foot off the gas despite moving six points clear at the top of the table with an emphatic win over Tottenham.

Inspired by a superb hat-trick from Eberechi Eze, the Gunners stormed to a thumping 4-1 win over Spurs at the Emirates to deliver a statement victory over their arch-rivals.

And after both Liverpool and Manchester City suffered damaging defeats on Saturday, Arsenal’s win means they now sit six points clear of second-place Chelsea and in a commanding position in the title race.

The Gunners know full well how quickly the title picture can change, having conspired to finish runners-up in each of the last three seasons.

And, therefore, Arteta insisted his team will read nothing into the current league table, despite their superb start and six-point advantage over the chasing pack.

Asked what his side’s six-point lead meant at this stage of the season, the Spaniard told reporters post-match: ‘In this league? Not much.

‘We are doing really well. We’ve been really consistent and that’s it.

‘I mean, when you look at the results, whether they win or lose, the difference in the scoreline and actually what happens in games is really small.’

Asked how crucial it was to get back to winning ways, especially after City and Liverpool dropped points on Saturday, Arteta added: ‘Yeah, and especially after the Sunderland game, at the end we lost two points in the last kick of the game, basically.

‘And we went to the international break with that bitter feeling because we didn’t concede any goals and we had 10 straight wins.

‘And we wanted to get back to earning that momentum again and the London Derby and today’s performance. It’s a good start.’

Arteta was also full of praise for the display from Eze, who scored a superb hat-trick against the club who came so close to signing him over the summer.

The midfielder was given license to roam all over the attacking third, reigning down shots on Guglielmo Vicario’s goal throughout the encounter.

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‘Yeah, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. It can be right, left, ball on the ground, bouncing ball at this height, and he takes it,’ Arteta said of Eze’s willingness to get shots away.

‘And he has such a quality and capacity to finish actions in different ways that we need to play him very close to the box, because apart from that, for example, the ball that he put to Declan in the second minute, I think it was, to play him through and create that big chance is exceptional.

‘We need to play him in his qualities. The more he spends time there, the better for the team.’

Arsenal face a quick turnaround after Sunday’s win, with the Gunners now turning their focus to the Champions League clash with Bayern Munich on Wednesday before they pay a visit to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea next Sunday.

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It just had to be Eze

A first north London derby and what a way to announce yourself against the club that almost signed him in the summer. Eberechi Eze was given license to roam and find space, and he repaid that faith with two well-taken finishes.

Trossard continues to go under the radar

The Belgian was kept quiet in the first 30 minutes, but a superbly timed run and finish gave Arsenal the lead and Leandro Trossard his fifth goal contribution in ten games. Arteta will find him hard to drop even as Madueke and Martinelli return to full fitness.

Hincapie impresses in Gabriel’s absence

Given his first league start since joining in the summer, Piero Hincapie proved exactly why Arteta previously described him as a ‘warrior’. The Ecuadorian didn’t have loads to do but threw himself at every ball and challenge when it came hs way.

Full Arsenal player ratings: Raya 7, Timber 7, Saliba 6, Hincapie 7, Calafiori 6, Zubimendi 6, Rice 7, Eze 9, Saka 7, Merino 7, Trossard 6. Subs: Madueke N/A,Nwaneri N/A, Mosquera N/A, Lewis-Skelly N/A.

Danso fails to deliver

Kevin Danso lined up alongside Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero as Frank opted for a back-five against Arsenal, but a nervy display from the Austrian only got worse when he allowed Trossard to ghost in behind him for the opener. No surprise he didn’t re-emerge after the break.

Odobert anonymous

The young Frenchman was given the opportunity in Tottenham’s front three, but struggled to have any impact on the game before making way in the second half. The left side of Spurs’ attack remains one area where Frank is yet to find his preferred man.

Vicario the only positive

Perhaps the only saving grace for Tottenham was that it was only the four goals shipped to their arch rivals. For that, they have Vicario to thank, who, while still unconvincing on the ball, remains a superb shot-stopper, denying Eze and Rice superbly either side of the half.

Full Tottenham player ratings: Vicario 6, Spence 5, Romero 5, Van de Ven 5, Danso 3, Udoig 4, Palhinha 6, Bentancur 5, Kudus 5, Odobert 3, Richarlison 6. Subs: Simons 5, Sarr 5, Kolo Muani 5, Porro N/A, Johnson N/A.

Ratings by Ben Fleming livefrom the Emirates

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario admits his team did not fight as he apologises to fans for a 4-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

The Gunners dominated the north London derby at the Emirates, with Eberechi Eze the star of the show thanks to a brilliant hat-trick.

Leandro Trossard opened the scoring for the home team, with Richarlison scoring a spectacular consolation for Spurs, but Eze grabbed the headlines with the first north London derby hat-trick since 1978.

Thomas Frank’s side were well beaten, offering little going forward as they played five at the back and yet were unable to quell Arsenal’s attack.

Vicario says it was a lack of fight from his teammates, apologising to supporters for that surprising admission.

‘A very bad night for us,’ the Italian told Sky Sports. ‘First of all we have to apologise to the people that support us every day. They expected us to fight and today we didn’t fight. Today we didn’t fight as a collective we didn’t fight and that’s not negotiable to compete in a football match especially at this level. We didn’t do it as a team.

‘Now is a tough night, it’s a very bad defeat but we have to stick together because we know that we have to address these kind of things. Now we have a big night again on Wednesday, we need to stick together and believe much more in ourselves.

‘Tonight we didn’t show anything what we are normally capable of. The emotions are high and especially when you lose a derby in this way, but we need to have cool heads and apologise to people who support us and travel today because we cannot put in place a performance like that.’

It will be an extremely disappointing admission for Spurs fans to hear and Vicario was unsure as to why the team did not show enough fight in a big derby match.

‘I don’t know which is the answer,’ he said. ‘Probably many things. We waited a little bit to get into the game we were a little bit too passive, the game plan we prepared was a bit different, we didn’t recognise some situations to put pressure on them and to fight. Today we didn’t fight. We have to apologise for this.’

The 29-year-old dismissed the idea that the change to a back five was the problem, insisting it was an issue with aggression, physicality and competitiveness.

‘Doesn’t change nothing if we play five at the back, four at the back, two at the back,’ he said. ‘There are non negotiable things in football like fight every day, fight every duel, try to win, put your body and try to win some fouls. In that aspect today we didn’t play our game.

‘Then you can speak about every tactics, every build up every situation, but if you don’t do it as a collective a performance in terms of aggressiveness it’s tough to compete at this level. We didn’t show it so we have to apologise for this.’

Manager Frank also sent an apology to the club’s fans, agreeing that his players lost too many duels on Sunday afternoon.

‘I think it is extremely painful. I won’t talk away from that. It was a bad performance,’ he said. ‘It was completely the opposite of what the intention was when we came here.

‘We can only apologise to the fans for the performance. I think no matter if both teams wanted to play shirt, they got more out of that and we couldn’t get out. When the team went long, we didn’t win enough duels. That is exemplified by the 2-0 goal and the 3-0 goal, where a player went through two or three players. Bad performance and we lost.

‘I have seen a lot of character and fight in this team but we didn’t win enough duels. We can call that whatever we want but we didn’t win enough.’

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Metro’s Ben Fleming breaks down the action from the Emirates:

It just had to be Eze

A first north London derby and what a way to announce yourself against the club that almost signed him in the summer. Eberechi Eze was given license to roam and find space, and he repaid that faith with two well-taken finishes.

Trossard continues to go under the radar

The Belgian was kept quiet in the first 30 minutes, but a superbly timed run and finish gave Arsenal the lead and Leandro Trossard his fifth goal contribution in ten games. Arteta will find him hard to drop even as Madueke and Martinelli return to full fitness.

Hincapie impresses in Gabriel’s absence

Given his first league start since joining in the summer, Piero Hincapie proved exactly why Arteta previously described him as a ‘warrior’. The Ecuadorian didn’t have loads to do but threw himself at every ball and challenge when it came hs way.

Full Arsenal player ratings: Raya 7, Timber 7, Saliba 6, Hincapie 7, Calafiori 6, Zubimendi 6, Rice 7, Eze 9, Saka 7, Merino 7, Trossard 6. Subs: Madueke N/A,Nwaneri N/A, Mosquera N/A, Lewis-Skelly N/A.

Danso fails to deliver

Kevin Danso lined up alongside Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero as Frank opted for a back-five against Arsenal, but a nervy display from the Austrian only got worse when he allowed Trossard to ghost in behind him for the opener. No surprise he didn’t re-emerge after the break.

Odobert anonymous

The young Frenchman was given the opportunity in Tottenham’s front three, but struggled to have any impact on the game before making way in the second half. The left side of Spurs’ attack remains one area where Frank is yet to find his preferred man.

Vicario the only positive

Perhaps the only saving grace for Tottenham was that it was only the four goals shipped to their arch rivals. For that, they have Vicario to thank, who, while still unconvincing on the ball, remains a superb shot-stopper, denying Eze and Rice superbly either side of the half.

Mikel Arteta sprung something of surprise with his team selection for the north London derby with summer signing Piero Hincapie making his full Premier League debut.

The summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen has been forced to bide his time to make an impression his own fitness issues and the form of Arsenal’s left-sided defenders.

An injury suffered by Gabriel Magalhaes on international duty, which could keep the 27-year-old out of action for up to two months, has presented Hincapie with an opportunity he will be desperate to take.

Fellow new recruit Cristhian Mosquera had been tipped to fill in for Gabriel given he has excelled over the course of his first 12 appearances for his new club following his move from Valencia.

It was Ecuador international Hincapie who was given the not against Spurs, however, with Arteta keen to maintain a left and right-footed combination at the heart of his rearguard.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Arsenal manager said: ‘We believe what we want to do is the best partnership. We have the absence of Gabi for the next few weeks and we need the stability we have in the past.

‘He’s won the Premier League already in Germany and for his age already he has a lot of football in the legs.’

While they were without their defensive linchpin, Arteta was at least able to welcome back Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke who started on the bench following their own fitness troubles.

The game came too early for skipper Martin Odegaard as well as strikers Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres.

Odegaard spent the majority of the international break with his Norway teammates as they booked their place at the World Cup and he hopes to be back on the pitch imminently to help both club and country.

‘This week I’ve been working really hard on my rehab – it’s going very well,’ he said.

‘I can feel I’m getting closer every day and getting towards the final stages where it’s a lot more exciting.

I’ve been doing some pitch work and training, so I really feel like I’m getting there.

‘That’s the best part of the rehab, when you’re getting closer to joining the team, you can do a lot more on the pitch and you can be more aggressive in the rehab.

‘I feel like I’m getting stronger and stronger. I can’t wait to be back now, we’re on a good path and it’s looking good.

‘I’m really excited. I guess that’s one of the good things about being injured. You get hungrier and more excited to play football again.

‘That’s the good part of it, I’m desperate to get going again.’

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Jamie Carragher had some damning criticism for Tottenham’s Joao Palhinha and the combative midfielder has not taken it lying down.

The 30-year-old is on loan at Spurs from Bayern Munich and has been featuring regularly under Thomas Frank.

The Portugal international came to prominence in the Premier League with Fulham, where he spent two seasons, before a big money move to Bayern which was worth up to £47.4m.

Things did not work out in Germany and he is back in England in north London but Carragher, while he accepts he does his job as a defensive midfielder, has made it clear he does not rate his quality on the ball.

Analysing Tottenham’s defeat to Chelsea earlier this month, Carragher said on Sky Sports: ‘We spoke about courage; now we can talk about quality. Palhinha hasn’t got the quality.

‘For a player playing for Tottenham in central midfield, for me, that’s a pass you have to be able to make. He can’t make it.

“So even though I’m being critical of it, saying he hasn’t quite got the ability, he’s actually done okay for Tottenham in terms of his job.’

He continued: ‘Again, Palhinha is on the ball, five touches because he hasn’t got the confidence or the ability.

‘What you’ve got is you’ve got a lack of courage and confidence from certain players, but you’ve also got a lack of ability of certain players.

‘There was a reason why players and teams in the Premier League didn’t buy him from Fulham, and there’s a reason why Bayern Munich bought him and didn’t play him, so that would be a worry.’

Palhinha has responded to the criticism, aware of what Carragher said about him, but aiming something of a dig back at the Sky Sports pundit.

The midfielder also felt he responded well to a poor game against Chelsea, scoring in a 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League in Spurs’ next outing.

‘I saw it because some people sent it to me, I couldn’t say that I didn’t see it. But to be honest, about this, what can I say? I don’t care what the people say,’ he said.

‘If he says bad things about [Cristiano] Ronaldo, he can speak about everyone. Some people need to speak about another to be on the screens on the TV. My life is not about that, definitely.

‘It makes it a bit embarrassing seeing sometimes the ex-players speaking that the way that they speak and they look sometimes like superstars on their past, I don’t have problems to say.

‘I think he should have seen probably more games of me at Tottenham. I think I am doing a top season and the things that he says about me go to the back [of my mind].

‘But he’s not going to be the first and he’s not going to be the last one, you know?’

He added: ‘The way is about how we react. And the way I react is scoring a goal, after he said this to me, against Copenhagen.

‘I will keep showing how I can do it. I don’t need to give these answers, but that’s what I feel. I don’t really care about this kind of thing. It’s not important for me.

‘I just want to keep doing my job and show what I am capable of doing because I am really proud of what I have been doing until now.’

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Thomas Frank is starting a back three – with Kevin Danso named in the Spurs XI alongside Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Mohammed Kudus has missed the last two games with injury but he returns for the away side.

Lucas Bergvall has been named on the bench following question marks over his fitness.

Piero Hincapie will make his first Premier League start for Arsenal, partnering William Saliba in central defence with Gabriel Magalhaes ruled out of today’s game against Spurs.

Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke are deemed fit enough for the bench but Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz haven’t made the squad.

Eberechi Eze has been named in the No.10 role with Mikel Merino up top. Riccardo Calafiori starts at left-back despite an injury scare.

Premier League legend and Betfair ambassador Alan Shearer has revealed his Arsenal vs Tottenham prediction to Metro.

‘Arsenal’s mentality is that they have to win the game,’ Shearer said. ‘It’s always tough to predict a derby game but I think I’m just going to go for Arsenal to edge it. I usually go for a draw but I think I’ll just go for Arsenal to edge it.

‘From 17th last season to where they are now, the football hasn’t been great from Spurs, but you can see a stamp from Thomas Frank on that team. They’ve improved at set-pieces and I think it’ll take time. I think Thomas Frank will be quietly pleased with how things have gone so far.’

Prediction: Arsenal win

Speaking ahead of today’s showdown, Spurs head coach Thomas Frank said: ‘[I am] super excited. Before I stepped into the club, of course, I knew about the north London derby, but it’s when you are in it, you sense it and feel that this is important.

‘You feel it from the fans, you feel it from the staff members, the players, the people that have been working here for years. This is the big one. I always say the next game is the most important game and we always have that.

‘But I’m very, very, very aware there are two games in a year that are even more important – and this is the first of them. We are ready, we are up for it, we are looking forward to it and we will do everything we can to win.’

Quizzed about what makes the north London derby so unique, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: ‘It’s just different.

‘It’s a big city, but it’s a big rivalry; it’s a part of London that we want to conquer, and they want to do the same. There’s been a lot of shifts as well over the years, we’ve been more dominant, and it’s just beautiful, especially when we play at home in front of our people.

‘We know what it means to them and the energy that they’re going to bring, the energy that the team is going to bring in every single action and it’s just a privilege to play those kind of games.’

Yes! Today’s north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham is indeed on TV in the UK today.

You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV.

Good afternoon from north London! One of the biggest rivalries in English football is back as Arsenal host Tottenham at the Emirates.

The Gunners are top of the league – and in the title hunt – but Spurs have shined on the road this season and are unbeaten away from home in the top-flight.

That means we should be set for a cracker of a game today… Stay with Metro for all the build-up, team news, live updates and reaction.

Arsenal and Tottenham collide at the Emirates this afternoon in the first north London derby of the season.

The Gunners sit top of the Premier League after the final international break of 2025 with Spurs eight points behind their arch-rivals.

But injury struck again during the break for the Gunners with questions marks remaining over a number of other stars ahead of kick-off.

Gabriel Magalhaes limped out of Brazil’s friendly match against Senegal last weekend, immediately making him a doubt for the derby.

It has since been confirmed he has suffered a muscle injury in his right thigh that is expected to rule the centre-half out for at least a month.

It serves as a huge blow at both ends of the pitch for Arsenal with the Brazilian a huge set piece threat, chipping in with two goals and three assists this term.

Cristhian Mosquera will be in the frame to come in and replace him today. The summer signing from Villarreal shone in the first-team when called upon to replace William Saliba earlier in the campaign with Piero Hincapié also an option.

Arsenal were also left sweating on the fitness of Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber during the international break. Calafiori missed Italy’s games against Moldova and Norway and had still not returned to training when Mikel Arteta spoke to the press on Friday.

Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli were thought to be in the frame to return from injury today but Arteta was giving nothing away in front of the media.

The Arsenal boss merely hoped to have his recent absentees back with Viktor Gyokeres also in that group. The Sweden international was forced off against Burnley at the start of November, missing games against Slavia Prague and Sunderland.

Before the international break, Arteta said the club were still waiting to learn the full extent of the issue with no further updates on the striker since.

Odegaard and Madueke meanwhile have been missing since early October and late September respectively.

Kai Havertz appears to have suffered a setback in his bid to a return from a knee problem that required surgery in August.

‘Kai had a minor relapse on his injury, but overall, he’s doing well,’ Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann said this week. ‘He is expected to return towards the end of the year.’

Tottenham have injury problems of their own. Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma remain sidelined with James Maddison still a long-term absentee.

But Thomas Frank had better news on that front on Friday. Lucas Bergvall missed his side’s last two games due to concussion protocols but is available once again.

Pape Matar Sarr was another casualty during the international break, forced off playing for Senegal against Brazil at the Emirates. He too has been passed fit along with Mohammed Kudus after missing the last two games.

Randal Kolo Muani was a doubt after picking up a jaw injury during the 2-2 draw with Manchester United that ruled him out of both of France’s World Cup qualifiers.

The forward will be wearing a protective mask but trained this week and is available for selection.

Arsenal XI to face Tottenham – Metro prediction

With Gabriel missing out, Mosquera has proved he is ready to slot in when called upon.

With Arteta relentlessly coy on the fitness of other members of his squad, there is plenty of guesswork going into our predicted line-up.

But any lingering doubts over Calafiori’s fitness could open the door for Myles Lewis-Skelly to come into the side.

Tottenham XI to face Arsenal – Metro prediction

The availability of Sarr, Bergvall and Muani is a huge boost for Spurs and all three could slot back into the team today.

Arsenal vs Tottenham TV channel and kick-off time

Arsenal vs Tottenham takes place on Sunday 23 November with kick-off scheduled for 4:30pm.

You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.

Or you can follow all the action with Metro’s LIVE blog.

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Former Tottenham star Sandro has backed Micky van de Ven to lock down and ‘control’ Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres in Sunday’s north London derby.

Arsenal head into tomorrow’s showdown top of the Premier League with Thomas Frank’s side eight points adrift in fifth place. Spurs have not beaten their arch-rivals since May 2022, losing their last three derbies on the bounce.

Tottenham remain heavily hit by injuries but do have their fearsome partnership at the heart of defence back in place with van de Ven and Cristian Romero set to start at the Emirates.

Van de Ven in particular has been in exquisite form this season, chipping in with six goals in all competitions.

Arsenal meanwhile will hope to have Gyokeres available after a recent injury to do battle with the Spurs duo with former Premier League star Sandro relishing the physical battle.

Sandro is a big admirer of Gyokeres, declaring him a ‘fighter’ who will be able to give as good as he gets against Romero. He is also confident that despite the knock he picked up earlier this month, the Sweden international will be fit for the derby clash.

But up against the lightning quick van de Ven, the Brazilian believes there will only be one winner.

‘Sandro, speaking to Metro via Eskil Raknes at Kongebonus said: ‘Gyokeres will be fit for this game. Gyokeres is a player that works very, very hard for the team. I saw him here in Portugal and he can run! He can run, he will give everything for the team.

‘But I think Romero is an intelligent defender, he’s strong and he’s a winner. Van de Ven is fast enough to control him, fast enough to control him in the deep.

‘Gyokeres is a fighter. He will fight with Romero all game long, you’re going to see that. They will be 100% fighting throughout this match, because I see two players that want to fight. Romero will be there to fight for everything. Every single ball, he’s going to throw his head in. Gyokeres will also push Romero, I’m so excited to watch them battle.

‘This could be a very important game for us to change our momentum. If we can win this game, it could be a game changer for the period ahead.’

Arsenal were on a run of 10 straight victories conceding just one goal before dropping points at Sunderland prior to the international break.

While the Gunners will be desperate to secure a win to maintain their lead at the top, Sandro expects his old side to spring a surprise.

‘When you talk about Arsenal and Tottenham, I just want Tottenham to win, 100% of the time,’ he said.

‘But to try to guess is very tough because Arsenal are doing a good job at the moment. Arsenal are in good shape but I think Spurs will win 1-0.’

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Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has surprisingly claimed that one Spurs star is ‘never going to be outstanding’ in a damning assessment of Thomas Frank’s team.

Tottenham are currently preparing for one of the biggest games of their season – the North London Derby against Arsenal on Sunday.

The Gunners are top of the table and have lost just one game so far this campaign while Spurs are a credible fifth, but fans are yet to warm to manager Frank.

While results have improved since the Dane replaced Ange Postecoglou over the summer, the style of play and performances, especially in home games, has been criticised.

One bright spot has been the form of Mohammed Kudus, a £56million summer signing from West Ham, who has recorded one goal and five assists in 10 league games.

But surprisingly, Sherwood, who managed the Lilywhites from 2013 to 2014, has been critical of Frank’s side and says that the attacking midfielder, while good, is an exceptional talent.

‘They’ve got the likes of Kudus who’s been refreshing,’ Sherwood told Sky Sports. ‘He’s picked up a few injuries but when he’s played he’s been a plus.

‘He’s not been outstanding but I don’t think he’s ever going to be outstanding. He’s not consistent enough to be that man. But he has moments and hopefully he can have a moment at the weekend.

‘They’re all similar the wide [players]. I wasn’t convinced when they brought Xavi Simons in because I felt he was similar to [Wilson] Odobert, who is similar to [Mathys] Tel, whose similar to what they’ve already got.

‘Kudus has come in, I thought he was quite similar but he’s got a little bit more personality. I think he takes the game to the opposition a little bit more and he’s got more end product.’

Kudus has missed Tottenham’s last two games through injury and did not play for Ghana during the international break, but has recovered in time to feature in the North London Derby.

While fans are still cold on Frank, Sherwood says the manager must be given time to succeed but says failure to qualify for the Champions League or win silverware would be disastrous.

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‘I haven’t been really impressed with Tottenham, even though their position in the league is fine at the moment,’ the Premier League winning captain added.

‘They’ve had Europa League success, they’ve had the open top bus, they’ve tasted it. If they were to finish outside the Champions League and didn’t win a domestic trophy, it would be a failure.

‘They’ve already lost the biggest game of the season [so far] which was the Newcastle game in the Carabao Cup. That was a huge game of football, they had to win that.

So, they’re up against it to have a successful season because the only thing that Tottenham fans will see as success is to finish in the Champions League. Europa League will not tick the box for them.’

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