The Independent

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank defended Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence after appeared to ignore their manager after the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.

Spurs players were subject to boos from the home crowd after the final whistle, and though Frank encouraged his team to do a lap of appreciation around the stadium, Van de Ven and Spence appeared to snub their boss and go straight down the tunnel.

"All the players are of course frustrated," said Frank said when quizzed on the incident. "They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that.

"I think it is difficult to be consistent in good times and in bad times. That is why I went around to the fans as I did. It is more fun when we win, I can tell you that."

When pressed on the reactions of the duo and whether their actions were acceptable, the Dane said that the pair “are doing everything they can”.

"I think that is one of the small issues. They perform very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, so I don't think it is a big problem,” he added.

The boos at full-time came after Spurs fell to a third Premier League loss of the season, with Frank’s side having won just one of their five home matches in the league this season. In addition, they have not won back-to-back league matches since August.

And the Dane was somewhat understanding of the fan reaction, while also emphasising that his team needs time to gel.

"They [the fans] did everything they could to back us in a game that we didn't perform well in. Chelsea were better than us on the day," he said.

"There's no doubt, and I keep saying it, that we have a front four that is new. We have to build together with short turnarounds in games. We'll do that. I'm not in doubt that will happen.

"I think every team I've coached has scored a lot of goals. It will happen again in the future here,” he added.

Joao Pedro struck in the 34th minute to help Chelsea inflict more pain on toothless Tottenham with a dominant 1-0 victory to move up to fourth in the Premier League.

Spurs’ horrendous record in this London derby extended after a meek display under new boss Thomas Frank with only one shot on target all match.

Pedro punished slack home defending to break the deadlock 11 minutes before half-time, but he could have walked off with a hat-trick after fine saves throughout by Guglielmo Vicario to deny the Brazilian attacker.

Chelsea’s victory makes it five in a row against Tottenham and 10 wins from the last 12 meetings in all competitions, with Maresca’s young team able to bounce back from a disappointing home loss to Sunderland last weekend.

Loud boos greeted full-time as Spurs suffered another home defeat – their third under Frank in seven matches – as fans make their feelings known after another performance which lacked attacking intent in N17.

Tottenham had captain Cristian Romero available again, but he was only on the bench and surprisingly joined by one-time Blues target Xavi Simons.

Xavi was on the pitch within seven minutes, though, as Lucas Bergvall was forced off despite fierce remonstrations with Spurs’ medical staff with concussion.

The disruption halted momentum, but the visitors soon started to dictate with Vicario forced to get down to save from Alejandro Garnacho before two more stoppages occurred.

Vicario firstly required treatment, but was fine to continue before Tottenham centre-back Kevin Danso had two small bottles thrown at him.

When play did resume, Vicario was required to make an ever better save in the 31st minute after Pedro Porro’s intercepted pass went straight to Pedro, who was brilliantly denied by the Spurs goalkeeper.

Three minutes later and the deadlock was broken as Chelsea claimed a deserved opener via Pedro.

It was a catalogue of errors from Tottenham, with Djed Spence and Xavi sloppy on the ball before Micky van de Ven’s decision to try and dribble past Moses Caicedo was misjudged. The midfielder won back possession and teed up Pedro for a simple opener.

Pedro nearly made it 2-0 after 43 minutes, but his half-volley was expertly tipped over by Vicario.

The derby sparked into life when Rodrigo Bentancur’s poor tackle on Reece James only resulted in a yellow card, which infuriated the visitors and they almost conceded deep into first-half stoppage time.

Randal Kolo Muani and Pape Sarr combined to set up Mohammed Kudus, who had a curled effort parried wide by Robert Sanchez.

Tottenham failed to kick on after the restart with Bentancur unable to capitalise from Danso’s long throw before Frank turned to his bench with Romero and Richarlison sent on after an hour.

Chances remained at a premium with cautions more frequent as Xavi and Fernandez were shown yellow cards – the latter for a tackle which grazed the knee of Palhinha.

The visitors should have put the game to bed in the 74th minute when Pedro Neto fashioned a yard of space in the area, but Vicario saved his effort before away captain James curled over.

Frank had rolled the dice for the last time moments earlier in an effort to raise a grand finale, but instead Tottenham wasted two free-kick chances late on and Chelsea should have added a second in stoppage time.

Substitute Jamie Gittens blazed over with the goal at his mercy after a fine pass by Pedro, who was thwarted one final time by the excellent Vicario to ensure it finished 1-0.

Tottenham Hotspur host fierce London rivals Chelsea in an exciting derby battle in the Premier League this evening.

The Blues were stunned last time out in the league by Sunderland, but rebounded nicely in the Carabao Cup to ease past Wolves. Enzo Maresca rested most his starting XI in midweek and recalls his stars to the line-up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Frank’s Spurs enter the weekend in third after victory at Everton, but their hopes of silverware were hit by defeat at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup midweek.

Last year’s game saw a comedy of errors in a chaotic 4-3 win for the Blues, who can draw level with their rivals with another win on Saturday night.

Tottenham Hotspur host fierce London rivals Chelsea in an exciting derby battle in the Premier League this evening.

The Blues were stunned last time out in the league by Sunderland, but rebounded nicely in the Carabao Cup to ease past Wolves. Enzo Maresca rested most his starting XI in midweek and recalls his stars to the line-up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Frank’s Spurs enter the weekend in third after victory at Everton, but their hopes of silverware were hit by defeat at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup midweek.

Last year’s game saw a comedy of errors in a chaotic 4-3 win for the Blues, who can draw level with their rivals with another win on Saturday night.

A storm is brewing in the capital as Chelsea travel across London to face fierce rivals Tottenham in the Premier League.

The Blues come into the clash in patchy form, succumbing to this year’s surprise package Sunderland last weekend before only just holding off a comeback at struggling Wolves to progress in the Carabao Cup.

However, Enzo Maresca’s side will be buoyed by their ever-imperious record against their North London counterparts, having lost just once in their last 12 meetings.

Thomas Frank will be desperate for his players to rise to the derby occasion but will need to buck the trend of their home form, with Spurs without a league win at their stomping grounds since the opening day.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Tottenham vs Chelsea?

Tottenham’s clash with Chelsea kicks off at 5:30pm GMT on Saturday 1 November at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the UK can watch the game on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football or stream on Sky Go, with coverage starting at 5pm GMT. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

Team news

Tottenham have received a quadruple injury boost ahead of the clash, with Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario and Wilson Odobert all passed fit by Frank.

Chelsea are without Liam Delap who was branded as “very stupid” by Maresca for his sending off against Wolves in the Carabao Cup. He joins the likes of Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile and Levi Colwill on the absentee list.

Predicted line-ups

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kudus, Simons, Johnson; Tel.

Alfie Whiteman has announced a stark change in career, following the conclusion of the goalkeeper’s contract with Tottenham Hotspur.

Whiteman is retiring from professional football at the age of just 27, as he pursues a new career as a director and photographer.

Whiteman joined Spurs’s academy at the age of 10 and remained with the club – barring two loan spells with Degerfors in Sweden – until May of this year, when his contract expired.

Tottenham opted against renewing the goalkeeper’s deal, and Whiteman, who made a single senior appearance for Spurs, has subsequently decided to leave football altogether.

Whiteman, who has a popular profile on the film-review app Letterboxd, and who hosts a monthly radio show on NTS, announced on Friday that he had signed with the production company Some Such.

Speaking to The Athletic, Whiteman said: “The stereotype of a footballer is generally quite true. It’s the golf, wash-bag culture. I was that young footballer. I wanted the Gucci wash bag and I drove the Mercedes. You all just become a reflection of each other. You’re a product of your environment.

“It’s the way football is in this country; it’s so shut off from anything else. You go to training and then you go home, that’s it. I guess I always felt a little bit different. My teammates – who I got on well with – called me a hippie. That was their definition.

“But then, when I was 18, I met my ex-girlfriend, who was a model. She was a bit older than me. Her best friend was a director. It just started opening my eyes to what life has to offer. So, as I was getting a bit older around 18 or 19, I started meeting new people and realising a bit more about myself, and understanding the football bubble, because it’s so insular.

“Football is a short career regardless, even if you do really well, and I knew that I didn’t want to stay in it. It was about trying to gain experience and be proactive in learning about these things I was also interested in, but mainly because I was enjoying it, and was surrounded by the kinds of people that were doing what I enjoyed as a job. They were making things. It was really inspiring.”

Some Such said in an Instagram post: “With an eye attuned to capturing moments of human connection in unseen places, director and photographer Alfie’s work is defined by a curiosity for how culture, identity and community intersect. A former professional footballer with Tottenham Hotspur, Alfie channels the discipline of elite sport into the openness of his creative practice.”

Whiteman, who represented England at youth level, is a boyhood Tottenham fan, having grown up close to – and with a view of – the club’s old stadium. “[My parents] still live in Tottenham, close to the stadium, they can see it from their bathroom window,” he said in a 2023 interview with the club.

Tottenham vs Chelsea betting tips

Tottenham Hotspur face Chelsea in a London derby in Saturday’s late kick-off in the Premier League, with the hosts looking to stay within touching distance of the top of the table.

Spurs begin the weekend in third place after their convincing win over Everton last week, though they are five points off rivals Arsenal at the top after a mixed run of form of late.

A loss to Villa and draws to Brighton and Wolves show that Spurs likely won’t contend for the title in the longer-term, but Thomas Frank will be afforded plenty of time to gel his new side, especially if they stay towards the top of the table.

However, this weekend brings the first in a series of tests for Spurs, who will also face Manchester United, Arsenal and PSG in November.

The first test comes against local rivals Chelsea this weekend, with the Blues crossing the capital after their own spell of mixed form in the league.

Enzo Maresca’s side sit in ninth with 14 points, but although they are just three points below Spurs, there’s been plenty of frustration with performances such as last weekend’s 2-1 home loss to Sunderland.

A match like this is the perfect time to turn it around though, and the visitors are the surprise favourites with betting sites in the latest Premier League odds versus a decent price for Spurs to beat their old rivals.

Tottenham vs Chelsea prediction: Blues to continue derby dominance

This is always a difficult match to predict in terms of scorelines – as shown by the 4-3 win for Chelsea in this fixture last season – but the reality is that Chelsea tend to dominate this fixture, having won the last four in a row.

Tottenham’s last win over their rivals came in a 2-0 league victory in February 2023, but overall Spurs have won just one of the last 12 fixtures between these teams in all competitions.

Spurs have won just once at home in the league all season – on the opening weekend against Burnley – while drawing to Wolves and losing to both Bournemouth and Villa, with all of this explaining why Chelsea enter the match as narrow favourites despite recent struggles of their own.

The Blues have picked up some form after winning four of their last five fixtures, though they have won just two of their last five in the league. Over this period, they’ve scored eight goals and conceded eight, and their inability to keep it tight at the back keeps coming back to haunt them, as evidenced by the fact that they have just three clean sheets.

It’s been a frustrating time for Spurs fans, too, though, as they never know what they’re going to get with their new side. The win over Everton was a welcome performance, but the loss to Villa and recent draws to Brighton and Wolves show that they can enter scrappy matches against even the worst sides in the league at times.

However, with Frank’s side having conceded five times in their last five matches while scoring nine, we think it’s safe to say neither side will be keeping a clean sheet.

So, while football betting sites clearly aren’t too sure on either outcome – with a draw and both teams to score priced at 16/5 and a Spurs win at 7/2 – we think that Spurs’ poor home form and Chelsea’s dominance in this fixture will tell eventually, so a wager on the Blues to win and both teams to score seems good value.

Tottenham vs Chelsea prediction 1: Chelsea to win, both teams to score - 7/2 William Hill

Tottenham vs Chelsea betting tip: Fernandez to continue Spurs streak?

Enzo Fernandez has been in mixed form so far this season, having scored three times this term, but the Argentina midfielder has featured in recent wins over Spurs, scoring the winner in both fixtures last season.

The World Cup winner is occasionally deployed in more attacking positions by Maresca and even when he isn’t, he can still come up with goals, as shown in this fixture last season.

Fernandez continues to feature in attack for the Blues of late, too, having taken 12 shots in his last five games across all competitions.

In fact, has had a shot on target in four of his last matches, only failing to do so in the loss to Manchester United, in which the Blues got an early red card. In addition, he had three shots on target last time out in the loss to Sunderland and hit two in the loss to Brighton.

With the Argentine no stranger to shots from distance or from chances falling his way in the box, we think a wager on 1+ shots on targets represents good value.

Tottenham vs Chelsea prediction 2: Enzo Fernandez to have 1+ shots on target - 6/5 Coral

Tottenham vs Chelsea team news

Tottenham vs Chelsea predicted line-ups

Tottenham vs Chelsea betting offers

New customers can secure £50 in free bets for signing up for Betfred and betting on Tottenham vs Chelsea on Saturday.

To unlock the free bet offer, new customers must click the link below before using the Betfred promo code BETFRED50 when signing up online.

Once you’ve completed the registration process, deposit £10 and bet £10 on any Tottenham vs Chelsea market at odds of evens or greater.

When your qualifying bet has settled, you’ll be credited with £50 in free bets paid out in 5 x £10 installments to use on the sportsbook. Free bets are active for seven days.

Responsible gambling

When having a bet, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.

Betting can be addictive and it’s important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.

Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Nick Woltemade’s sixth goal of the season sealed holders Newcastle’s passage to a fourth-successive Carabao Cup quarter-final as Tottenham became their latest victims.

Woltemade’s second-half header wrapped up a 2-0 win set in motion by Fabian Schar’s 24th-minute opener to leave the home contingent among a crowd of 51,216 at St James’ Park dreaming of a return to Wembley.

The victory was all the more impressive because of the eight changes head coach Eddie Howe made and while the Magpies needed goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale’s intervention on more than one occasions as Spurs pushed, the visitors could have few arguments with the outcome.

Howe retained only Dan Burn, Malick Thiaw and Woltemade from the side which started Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Fulham, while opposite number Thomas Frank rested Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani.

It was the Magpies who made the brighter start, Thiaw seeing his header from a fifth-minute Sandro Tonali – the Italy international was imperious throughout – free-kick saved by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky before Joe Willock’s follow-up was blocked.

Jacob Ramsey’s attempt was smothered at source after he had been played in by Dan Burn three minutes later, but Thiaw had to be at his best at the other end within seconds to throw himself into the path of Richarlison’s drive.

Harvey Barnes dragged a 12th-minute shot into the side-netting after Woltemade had built upon a fine link-up between Anthony Elanga, Joe Willock and Tonali, turning expertly before sliding his team-mate in.

The visitors gradually eased their way into the game with Xavi Simons prominent, but they fell behind with 24 minutes gone when Schar met Tonali’s corner – which was delayed by Djed Spence re-tying his bootlaces – with a firm downward header, prompting ultimately-futile protests from the visitors that the defender had not been allowed to get back into position.

Spurs might have been level through their most fluent attack of the half 13 minutes before the break when Brennan Johnson headed the ball into the path of the unmarked Lucas Bergvall, but his cross fell behind Richarlison and the midfielder only just failed to reach Johnson’s driven ball at the far post two minutes later.

Ramsdale fielded Kevin Danso’s speculative effort and Richarlison’s header, but in the meantime, Barnes had fired against the crossbar after Thiaw had played a Tonali cross back across goal and his side headed in at the break with the slimmest of advantages.

Willock should have extended Newcastle’s lead within two minutes of the restart, only to mistime and misdirect his header from Barnes’ cross, but he soon made amends when, after Thiaw had picked off Danso’s ball forward, he crossed for Woltemade to head past Kinsky.

As Spurs pushed men forward in the search for a foothold, the hosts prospered on the counter, but they needed a superb one-handed save from Ramsdale to keep out Pape Matar Sarr’s curling attempt on the hour and another to repel Richarlison’s clever flick from a Pedro Porro cross.

But there was no way back for Frank’s men in an increasingly-fractious conclusion.

PA

Follow live coverage as Newcastle United face Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup.

Newcastle are the reigning champions of the competition following a stunning win over Liverpool at Wembley last term, with Alexander Isak proving decisive to end the club's 70-year domestic trophy drought.

While all 72 clubs from the football league enter from the first round, Premier League teams enter at the second or third round stage, the latter for clubs competing in Europe this season.

The final is slated for 22 March 2026 this term, at Wembley as usual, marking the first chance for teams to earn both a trophy and a place in next season’s Uefa competitions. Follow updates from today’s game in the live blog below.

Holders Newcastle take on Tottenham in the League Cup last 16 match at St James’ Park, looking to make it three wins on the bounce and reach the quarter-finals.

The Magpies ended a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy in May when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final at Wembley, thanks to goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak, but they are only fifth favourites in the Carabao Cup odds to lift the trophy again in March.

Eddie Howe’s side have only had to play one match in the competition so far, due to their involvement in Europe and two goals apiece from Joelinton and Will Osula earned them a 4-1 win over League Two side Bradford City.

Spurs, who are also playing in the Champions League, set up the trip to Newcastle with a 3-0 win over Doncaster Rovers as they look to go one better than last season, when they were beaten 4-1 on aggregate by Liverpool at the semi-final stage.

They won the first leg 1-0 but went down 4-0 at Anfield thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk.

Newcastle vs Tottenham betting: Expect goals at St James’ Park

Wednesday’s meeting is the 173rd between the two sides and the fourth time they have met in this competition.

The last came back in 2014 when goals from Nabil Bentaleb, Nacer Chadli, Harry Kane and Roberto Soldado earned Spurs a 4-0 win at White Hart Lane.

Spurs also won the previous two matches in the competition after losing the first match 3-1, at St James’ Park in 1976.

Both teams have scored in this fixture in 10 of the last 11 occasions and football betting sites are offering 8/11 on both teams scoring on Wednesday.

Given that record, we like the value for backing the score draw after 90 minutes to send the contest to penalties.

Newcastle vs Tottenham prediction 1: Score draw after 90 minutes - 4/1 Betway

Newcastle vs Tottenham prediction: Can Osula strike again?

Osula is likely to start for Newcastle as Howe gets the chance to rotate his already light forward line.

He only came on for the last four minutes in Saturday’s win over Fulham, but he played a key role in Bruno Guimaraes' 90th-minute winner.

The former Sheffield United forward scored twice in the 4-1 League Cup win over Bradford to take his tally for the season to three so far, but Howe has this week described him as the complete package, so we can expect more from the 22-year-old.

With the form of Nick Woltemade, who has scored seven goals for club and country in his last 12 games, Osula’s opportunities have largely come from the bench, so he will want to impress on Wednesday and betting sites are offering 19/1 on him scoring another brace.

However, there’s still value to be had for Osula to notch a goal contribution in the EFL Cup tie.

Newcastle vs Tottenham prediction 2: Will Osula to score or assist - 7/5 BetMGM

Newcastle vs Tottenham team news:

Newcastle: The Magpies are still without Yoane Wissa, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento due to injury, and they could be joined on the sidelines by defender Sven Botman, who required stitches for a head injury at the weekend.

Tottenham: Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie are likely to be missing again for Spurs, and Archie Gray could come in to give Micky Van de Ven a much-needed break. At the other end of the pitch, Dominic Solanke is still ruled out with an ankle injury.

Newcastle vs Tottenham betting offers

New customers can secure £30 in free bets by signing up for Bet365 and betting on Newcastle vs Tottenham on Wednesday.

To qualify, new users must click the link below and create an account on Bet365 using the Bet365 bonus code INDY2025. After that, deposit £10 and bet £10 on any Newcastle vs Tottenham market with odds of 1/5 or greater.

Once your qualifying bet has settled, you’ll be credited with £30 in free bets to use on Bet365 on any sport. Alternatively, customers can deposit £5 and bet £5 to unlock £15 in free bets. These free bets are active for seven days.

When having a bet, it’s vital to practice responsible gambling.

Betting can be addictive and it’s important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop.

Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control.

But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don’t hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.