The Independent

Tottenham playmaker James Maddison hopes his goal against Brentford “shuts up a few people”, but reiterated it is all about the team after Saturday’s 3-1 victory.

Maddison crowned a superb display with a fine chipped effort in the 85th minute to clinch the points after first-half efforts by Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s 22-second opener.

The 27-year-old Maddison started the campaign with back-to-back assists but faced criticism following last weekend’s defeat to Arsenal and responded with his first goal since March.

“The team is always the most important. I would have been happy with my performance and how I played regardless of whether I got the goal,” Maddison reflected.

“It obviously helped us in the game because we got that little cushion. It kind of shuts up a few people in the background who think the goals and assists do matter more than what they probably do.

“I am an attacking player who has always scored goals and always got assists, that’s my job.

“So when you are not doing that and even if you feel like you are playing well personally, helping the team, the gaffer is happy with what I’m doing, for some games you have it where I feel like I play really well in the build-up and help the team progress but you don’t get a goal or assist to show for that.

“And then people start questioning the numbers, so sometimes you have to take the outside noise with a pinch of salt, but on the other hand I love scoring goals and it was a nice feeling.

“I think I had to blow the dust off the old darts celebration because it has been a little while, but it felt so good in front of the South Stand to score.”

Maddison’s late clincher ended a run of 16 matches without a goal and followed a crucial cameo off the bench at Coventry on Wednesday.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou watched his substitutes score plenty of times last season and the feat was repeated in midweek to earn Carabao Cup progress.

England international Maddison told SpursPlay: “The gaffer says it constantly that we’re a team and it’s not about whoever scores.

“He used an analogy the other day which I thought was brilliant at Coventry. It’s like he makes changes, but it’s just handing on the baton. They go on or we come on and have an impact like the subs did.

“It’s important that people realise it’s not just about the goals, it’s sometimes (the job) for the team.

“Hopefully the fans enjoyed today and watched what we did. And that’s all because of the structure that comes from the gaffer.”

It was a case of deja vu for Brentford and Thomas Frank after they scored again after 22 seconds like at Manchester City last weekend.

“That’s another positive thing,” Frank acknowledged.

“We work on the kick-offs and some of it is how we position ourselves on the second balls and what we do after that.

“So, very pleased with that.”

Postecoglou will feel some pressure lifted off his shoulders as Tottenham get their Premier League campaign back on track with an impressive 3-1 come-from-behind win against Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mbeumo handed the visitors a blistering start when he volleyed in the opener with only one minute on the clock, but Spurs recovered quickly as Solanke found his first goal for the club in the eighth minute. They didn't have to wait long to take the lead through Johnson, who was also on target in their midweek EFL Cup win against Coventry. Brentford threatened to restore parity towards the end of the first half and at the start of the second, but a Maddison goal at the end of a Spurs break in the 85th minute secured the three points for the home side in an action-filled London derby. Spurs ended the game with only 47.8% possession, but they dominated the game in all other aspects, generating an xG of 3.51 and attempting an incredible 23 shots in 90 minutes, of which 10 were on target. Brentford, meanwhile, only had an xG of 0.58 and would be disappointed not to have found an equaliser after firing six shots -- all of which were on target. Postecoglou's side climb up to 10th place with their second win of the season while the Bees sit in 12th position. Tottenham will next be in action against Qarabag in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday before a meeting with Manchester United on Sunday. Brentford, meanwhile, welcome West Ham in their next Premier League outing. Thanks for tuning in to this live coverage and see you all again very soon.

Late goals by Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson helped Tottenham avoid an almighty upset at Coventry City in the Carabao Cup.

Spurs were set to follow up Sunday’s painful derby defeat to Arsenal with a 1-0 loss in the third round after Brandon Thomas-Asante fired the Championship side into a deserved lead after 63 minutes.

Moments earlier, Ange Postecoglou’s decision to substitute Lucas Bergvall had been met with boos from the away end.

However, with time running out and Postecoglou’s bold prediction last weekend of always winning silverware in his second season being set to come back to bite him, Djed Spence found an equaliser with three minutes left.

Spot-kicks were still on the cards until Rodrigo Bentancur played through Brennan Johnson, who chipped home in the 92nd minute to earn Tottenham a precious 2-1 win and leave their travelling support singing about Wembley.

This was the first meeting between the clubs in 11 years, but it was a fixture synonymous with the 1987 FA Cup final when Coventry triumphed 3-2 to clinch the only major trophy of their history.

Postecoglou was eager to deliver silverware for Spurs, but made eight changes from Sunday’s north London derby loss.

Fraser Forster was recalled for his first start in more than 12 months and almost gave away a goal inside 60 seconds, but atoned for a poor pass out from the back with a fine save to deny Jack Rudoni from 20 yards.

When Tottenham did eventually settle, they were forced into a 17th-minute substitution when Wilson Odobert went down after a strong challenge from Jake Bidwell.

Johnson was sent on and while the visitors continued to dominate possession, they could not fashion any chances and almost conceded again during an end-to-end 38th minute.

Firstly, Rudoni’s shot from Bidwell’s cross was blocked by Destiny Udogie and Johnson led the Spurs counter-attack but his cutback failed to pick out a team-mate, which resulted in Norman Bassette being sent away only to fire over.

After no first-half shots and a smattering of boos from the away crowd, Postecoglou sent on full-back Spence and two minutes later they did register an effort of note.

Dominic Solanke carried the ball and found Johnson, but his low effort was blocked by ex-Tottenham youngster Luis Binks.

It was not a sign of things to come as after Timo Werner was again dispossessed, Bassette tested Forster with a low strike.

The 24,606-strong crowd could smell blood and wanted a penalty after 56 minutes when Bidwell raced onto Ben Wilson’s pass and collided with Forster, but play continued and Spurs’ stand-in captain Ben Davies slid in to deny Haji Wright’s goalbound effort.

Thomas-Asante lifted over shortly afterwards before Postecoglou’s night went from bad to worse as his decision to bring off the lively Bergvall sparked boos.

Seconds later and the home faithful were on their feet in celebration after Bassette produced a superb cross for Thomas-Asante to slot past Forster.

No immediate reaction was evident as Ellis Simms headed wide soon after for Coventry.

James Maddison did go close in the 77th minute when he controlled Radu Dragusin’s long-range pass but curled wide from range before Ephron Mason-Clark failed to sufficiently connect with Simms’ deflected shot.

As Postecoglou was facing up to a second consecutive early exit in this competition, his blushes were spared when Dejan Kulusevski linked up with Spence, who prodded home for his first Spurs goal.

With three minutes left, Tottenham sensed their moment and in the second minute of stoppage time Bentancur played in Johnson, who rolled the ball past Wilson to ensure the full-time whistle was greeted with chants of ‘Wembley’ from Tottenham’s travelling support.

PA

Ange Postecoglou has insisted that he “always wins” trophies in his second season at a club as he struck an optimistic tone despite a slow start to Tottenham’s season.

Derby defeat to Arsenal was Spurs’ second defeat in their first four Premier League games, while Postecoglou’s side also suffered an opening weekend set-back in a draw with Leicester.

The hosts controlled much of the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but could not breach Arsenal’s defence, while familiar failings at set pieces again proved costly in a 1-0 loss.

But citing his recent record of having led Yokohama F Marinos and Celtic to league titles in his second year at the clubs, Postecoglou was clear that Spurs fans can expect silverware this season.

“I’ll correct myself - I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year,” the Australian said when asked by Sky Sports about a preseason interview in which he said he “usually” wins things in his second season.

“Nothing’s changed. I’ve said it now. I don’t say things unless I believe them.”

Postecoglou steered Spurs to a fifth-placed finish in his first season at the club. It is 16 years since Tottenham last secured a trophy, the 2008 League Cup.

Arsenal defender Gabriel headed home the only goal of the game on Sunday having been left unmarked after Bukayo Saka’s inswinging corner.

It was the 18th league goal that Spurs have conceded from set-pieces since the start of last season, a tally exceeded only by Nottingham Forest.

But Postecoglou insists that his side work on defending corners and free kicks “all the time”.

“I know, for some reason people think I don’t care about set pieces, and it’s a narrative that you can keep going on for ages and ages,” the Spurs boss said.

“I understand that, like I said, we work on them all the time, like we do with every other team, you know that [Arsenal] are a threat. For the most part we handled them really well today, but we switched off for one.

“It’s my burden to carry mate, and I’m happy to do that. Like I’ve always said, for me there’s a bigger picture, there’s a play here that’s much more important than the finer details of us getting to where we want to.”

A north London derby so predictable that, well, it could have been a set piece. You could see everything lined up, right down to Ange Postecoglou’s complaints about a “narrative” after a 1-0 defeat. Tottenham Hotspur played a lot of attacking football but did little with it; Arsenal defended superbly before a set piece settled the game.

Even the manner of the goal was as rudimentary as you could get, Bukayo Saka swinging in a delivery that Postecoglou himself called “spot on” and Gabriel heading in unchallenged from close range. Arteta beamed afterwards with the satisfaction of a plan that had come together, especially after so much disruption. He even spoke of changing that idea so many times, but it helps when you can be so sure of other key elements.

While Postecoglou wearily answered questions about Spurs’ set-piece frailties while insisting he “doesn’t care” about how this perception has grown – something he himself has fostered – Arteta was lauding the work of Nicolas Jover as “the best in his field, the best in any field”. Arsenal's set-piece coach, appointed in 2021, has been crucial in helping the team develop this hugely dangerous weapon in their attack. Gabriel’s goal made it 42 from such scenarios in three years, the most of any team in Europe’s top five leagues. The preparation is so good that players can visualise these moments and see them manifest.

All of this was ironically a vision that materialised from a set of circumstances that could well have led to a very different version of this game. Without their first-choice midfield, and after the way the Brighton 1-1 draw had played out, it was easy to see Arsenal dropping more points to fall five behind Manchester City. A good old-fashioned crisis could have set in. Instead, that is what Spurs are facing because Arsenal stood up in so many ways, especially defensively. That was witnessed so directly in the match-winning goal. Cristian Romero lost Gabriel, who rose to head in a beautifully flighted corner from a few yards out.

It was all so easy, albeit thanks to that hard work but also granite-hard players. That’s what Arteta has turned this team into, even if an element of imagination was missing without Martin Odegaard. The manager spoke afterwards about players who “are hard, have a thick skin” and who were only “hungrier and hungrier” to play when they kept getting bad news about absences during the week.

Spurs never looked like getting into Arsenal’s area so easily, after the energy from an admittedly impressive early burst dissipated. Even then, William Saliba made one brilliant challenge to completely consume Dejan Kulusevski’s space. It was to be a sign of what was to come. Any time Spurs got close to the Arsenal area, on the occasions when they didn’t make poor attacking decisions, one of Arteta’s defensive players was there to shut it down.

This was the major difference between the teams. As one prominent Spurs figure lamented at half time, Arsenal looked like they knew exactly what they were about. The gameplan and instructions were so clear, even if necessarily simplified. Part of that was down to the opposition.

It’s brutal but, at this point, everyone in the Premier League knows what you’re getting with Spurs. Opportunities at set pieces are certainly among them.

So, while Arsenal became so confident close to their own goal, Postecoglou’s players seemed to panic in the same area. There were so many inexplicable decisions. Virtually every player was responsible for at least one, usually in the form of a bad pass, wrong option or poorly-hit cross. The last example was almost a theme of the game. The home crowd became so anxious about the refusal to shoot that they were soon imploring the players to do exactly that. It was summed up when, for one rare moment, the box opened up for Dominic Solanke, only for the forward to dummy it. Spurs’ main idea seemed to be to get it wide and try something hopeful, which was so easy for Saliba and Gabriel to clear away. Jurrien Timber stood out in terms of his physical presence, too, even if Spurs felt that eventually extended into a foul on Pedro Porro that could have been a red card. Arsenal just looked more commanding.

There is a bigger point there, to go with how Arteta has increased both the physicality and quality of this team. Spurs, by contrast, have leant further into buying mere potential. The wage bill remains so low, relative to rivals as well as the club’s revenue.

That has proven a promising model in football for most of the last decade and has broadly worked for Spurs in transforming them from an inconsistent mid-table club into one that is regularly around the Champions League places. The true difference is still revealed in games like this, though. Spurs were playing against a defence that might just be the best in Europe right now. You couldn’t say their attack is anything close to that level.

Arteta added that, with the absences, he wasn’t going to get into the sort of open game that Postecoglou’s Spurs can be so good at. They weren’t here. So many Tottenham crosses went nowhere. Even Son Heung-min, for so long one of the best performers on the planet, has been off it for some time. There just wasn’t that sense of danger here.

Spurs are left with familiar questions. Arsenal are able to celebrate familiar qualities.

A north London derby so predictable that, well, it could have been a set piece. You could see everything lined up, right down to Ange Postecoglou’s complaints about a “narrative” after a 1-0 defeat. Tottenham Hotspur played a lot of attacking football but did little with it; Arsenal defended superbly before a set piece settled the game.

Even the manner of the goal was as rudimentary as you could get, Bukayo Saka swinging in a delivery that Postecoglou himself called “spot on” and Gabriel heading in unchallenged from close range. Arteta beamed afterwards with the satisfaction of a plan that had come together, especially after so much disruption. He even spoke of changing that idea so many times, but it helps when you can be so sure of other key elements.

While Postecoglou wearily answered questions about Spurs’ set-piece frailties while insisting he “doesn’t care” about how this perception has grown – something he himself has fostered – Arteta was lauding the work of Nicolas Jover as “the best in his field, the best in any field”. Arsenal's set-piece coach, appointed in 2021, has been crucial in helping the team develop this hugely dangerous weapon in their attack. Gabriel’s goal made it 42 from such scenarios in three years, the most of any team in Europe’s top five leagues. The preparation is so good that players can visualise these moments and see them manifest.

All of this was ironically a vision that materialised from a set of circumstances that could well have led to a very different version of this game. Without their first-choice midfield, and after the way the Brighton 1-1 draw had played out, it was easy to see Arsenal dropping more points to fall five behind Manchester City. A good old-fashioned crisis could have set in. Instead, that is what Spurs are facing because Arsenal stood up in so many ways, especially defensively. That was witnessed so directly in the match-winning goal. Cristian Romero lost Gabriel, who rose to head in a beautifully flighted corner from a few yards out.

It was all so easy, albeit thanks to that hard work but also granite-hard players. That’s what Arteta has turned this team into, even if an element of imagination was missing without Martin Odegaard. The manager spoke afterwards about players who “are hard, have a thick skin” and who were only “hungrier and hungrier” to play when they kept getting bad news about absences during the week.

Spurs never looked like getting into Arsenal’s area so easily, after the energy from an admittedly impressive early burst dissipated. Even then, William Saliba made one brilliant challenge to completely consume Dejan Kulusevski’s space. It was to be a sign of what was to come. Any time Spurs got close to the Arsenal area, on the occasions when they didn’t make poor attacking decisions, one of Arteta’s defensive players was there to shut it down.

This was the major difference between the teams. As one prominent Spurs figure lamented at half time, Arsenal looked like they knew exactly what they were about. The gameplan and instructions were so clear, even if necessarily simplified. Part of that was down to the opposition.

It’s brutal but, at this point, everyone in the Premier League knows what you’re getting with Spurs. Opportunities at set pieces are certainly among them.

So, while Arsenal became so confident close to their own goal, Postecoglou’s players seemed to panic in the same area. There were so many inexplicable decisions. Virtually every player was responsible for at least one, usually in the form of a bad pass, wrong option or poorly-hit cross. The last example was almost a theme of the game. The home crowd became so anxious about the refusal to shoot that they were soon imploring the players to do exactly that. It was summed up when, for one rare moment, the box opened up for Dominic Solanke, only for the forward to dummy it. Spurs’ main idea seemed to be to get it wide and try something hopeful, which was so easy for Saliba and Gabriel to clear away. Jurrien Timber stood out in terms of his physical presence, too, even if Spurs felt that eventually extended into a foul on Pedro Porro that could have been a red card. Arsenal just looked more commanding.

There is a bigger point there, to go with how Arteta has increased both the physicality and quality of this team. Spurs, by contrast, have leant further into buying mere potential. The wage bill remains so low, relative to rivals as well as the club’s revenue.

That has proven a promising model in football for most of the last decade and has broadly worked for Spurs in transforming them from an inconsistent mid-table club into one that is regularly around the Champions League places. The true difference is still revealed in games like this, though. Spurs were playing against a defence that might just be the best in Europe right now. You couldn’t say their attack is anything close to that level.

Arteta added that, with the absences, he wasn’t going to get into the sort of open game that Postecoglou’s Spurs can be so good at. They weren’t here. So many Tottenham crosses went nowhere. Even Son Heung-min, for so long one of the best performers on the planet, has been off it for some time. There just wasn’t that sense of danger here.

Spurs are left with familiar questions. Arsenal are able to celebrate familiar qualities.

Arsenal battled to a 1-0 win over Spurs in the north London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon, courtesy of a goal from Gabriel.

The centre-back rose above the Tottenham defence to head home in the 64th minute from Bukayo Saka’s corner, with Arsenal going on to win the game thanks to plenty of resolute defending.

And despite no real protest to the goal from Spurs players, Sky Sports pundits suggested that the goal should not have been allowed to stand.

When reviewing the goal, Jamie Redknapp mentioned that Cristian Romero struggled to get to grips with Gabriel throughout the game, before Les Ferdinand pointed out that the Argentine “gets a little shove in the back”.

“If a centre-forward does that, the referee gives a foul against him. They don’t even look at it,” said the former Spurs striker.

“He does need to be stronger, it is poor defending, but he does get a shove in his back,” he added.

Paul Merson agreed, saying that he “would be disappointed if I didn’t get a foul”.

“He [Romero] is in the wrong position, everything is wrong about his defending. You have to be side on, seeing the ball and the player.

“To start off with, you’ve got to be an arm’s length away, and he’s standing with him. But I would expect a foul,” added the former Arsenal man.

Redknapp was more critical of Romero, saying that he “has got to do better with his own defensive responsibilities”, as well as pointing to Vicario’s problems when defending corners.

Spurs have now conceded 18 goals from set-pieces since the beginning of the 2023/24 season.

The win puts Arsenal second in the league behind Manchester City, who they face at the Etihad on Sunday, 22 September, while Spurs now have just four points from their opening four fixtures of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur face Arsenal on Sunday afternoon in the first north London derby of the new Premier League season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs come back from the international break having had a mixed start to the season, with one win, one draw and a loss to Newcastle United in their most recent match.

And Arsenal enter the weekend having suffered a frustrating result of their own, with a 1-1 draw to Brighton following two dominant wins to open the season.

The match is the first in a long run of difficult matches for the Gunners, as they start their Champions League campaign against Atalanta before facing Manchester City next weekend.

The away side will be keen to remind rivals of their title credentials after dropping two points last time out, while Spurs will look to get back on track with a potentially decisive win.

Here’s everything you need to know about the game.

Tottenham vs Arsenal kicks off at 2pm BST today, Sunday 15 September, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 1pm on the latter. Subscribers will also be able to watch on NOW TV online and on the app.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.

Subs: Forster, Spence, Davies, Dragusin, Gray, Sarr, Bergvall, Odobert, Werner.

Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber; Partey, Jorginho, Trossard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.

Subs: Neto, Kiwior, Kacurri, Heaven, Lewis-Skelly, Sterling, Nwaneri, Jesus, Kabia.

Tottenham 9/4

Draw 2/1

Arsenal 5/6

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It’ll be a fiery encounter in north London, with Arsenal no doubt expecting a difficult atmosphere and a tough game. Arteta’s side certainly have the superior quality, but it remains to be seen whether they can take advanbtage of a Spurs side that is still capable of being dismantled in defence. Rice will be a big miss, and it may be that both sides think it best to settle for a draw, but Arsenal should win it if they can keep their cool. Tottenham 1-2 Arsenal.

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Tottenham Hotspur face Arsenal in the first north London derby of the season on Sunday, as the Premier League continues its return after the international break.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have had a mixed start to the new season, with a draw in their opening fixture followed by a convincing win against Everton and a disappointing loss to Newcastle. And they host an Arsenal side who started the season in fine fashion – with two commanding wins from two – before slipping to a frustrating draw against Brighton in the last match before the international break.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be without Declan Rice and potentially Martin Odegaard, but both sides should otherwise be at full strength as they gear up for what promises to be a fiery contest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ange Postecoglou says his team are ‘in a good place to push on’ as he takes charge of Tottenham Hotspur in another north London derby on Sunday.

Spurs are hoping to respond after a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in what has been an indifferent start to the 2024/25 campaign with one win, one draw and one defeat from their three matches so far.

The derby is a crucial fixture every season and Tottenham have a slight advantage given they are playing at home and Arsenal are undergoing something of an injury crisis but Postecoglou believes the Gunners will be a ‘tough nut to crack’.

Mikel Arteta’s side had the best defence in the Premier League last season but Postecoglou’s free-flowing brand of football could help Spurs break them down.

“We want to be a club that can challenge everyone, that’s what we are trying to aim to become.” said the Tottenham boss in his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“To do that, you’ve got to perform at a certain level, at a consistent basis, the squad’s strong enough to do that. We’ve started the season fairly solidly, from a performance perspective. The results haven’t reflected that but I think we’re in a good place to push on from last year and improve on all areas. There’s no reason why we can’t [challenge] this year.”

Postecoglou also acknowledged what winning the north London derby would mean to the fans and how triumphing in big games like this can help a team build momentum.

He added: “Every derby is a bit different, obviously this one, you can tell it’s fairly intense between the two clubs geographically situated in the same part of town. On the same turf, there’s a little bit of an edge. I thought both games last year were entertaining. I thought we played well in their place, and really matched with them. We know what it means to our supporters and the club we’ve got to go out there and perform.

“I’ve never felt like there is an easy way to success, I don’t think one thing can change the trajectory to a great effect. It helps, a win in a big game, in a derby but it’s a game against one of the top sides so that gives you more belief and confidence and potentially that can inject some real momentum into our season.”

The manager was also asked about the charges against Rodrigo Bentancur for misconduct and for an update on the injuries in his squad to which he replied: "It’s not unexpected from our perspective. We know it’s something the league will look at and we need to let the process play out. Rodrigo’s well aware of the ramifications. We will just wait and see what they come out with.

"[Yves] Bissouma is the only one that’s got an issue. It’s not serious but he’s getting treatment today. We’ll see if he can train tomorrow and make a decision there.

"Micky [Van de Ven] is all good, he’s trained fully over the international break. Dom [Solanke] is back with the first team, training today so again, we’ve got training tomorrow, if they get through alright, I guess they’ll be available. Richarlison and Will Lankshear are the only two in rehab."