LondonWorld

It had been reported that several Premier League clubs had made enquiries over a loan move for former Brentford striker Ivan Toney.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have been dealt a fresh transfer blow in any potential pursuit of former Brentford striker Ivan Toney in January.

It had been touted that the 29-year-old was keen on a brief return to the Premier League from Saudi Arabia, with an eye on making it into Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Both Spurs and Chelsea have had injury problems up front this season and Toney had been seen as a potential source of firepower over the second half of the campaign. The striker has 11 goals in 15 appearances for Al-Ahli this season and 36 Premier League goals to his name.

Tottenham and Chelsea handed Ivan Toney transfer blow

TeamTALK had named the London clubs as potential suitors with other reports claiming that West Ham and Everton could also be interested. Sky Sports reported on Tuesday that ‘a number of Premier League clubs’ had now ‘started enquiries’ with Al-Ahli over a loan move.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank worked with Toney when at Brentford - naming him a ‘top international’ thanks to his all-round abilities - and it felt as if that personal connection could push the north London outfit to be frontrunners. Frank continues to be without the injured Dominic Solanke while Richarlison struggles for form and loanee Randal Kolo Muani picked up a fresh injury problem against Manchester United.

However, in a fresh update from talkSPORT, it now appears that any Premier League club who have enquired may be chasing a dead end. The outlet claims that Saudi tax rules mean that Toney would have to take a massive financial hit to leave Al-Ahli on loan.

It’s added that sources close to the player have accepted that even a move to the Premier League may not guarantee him a spot in Tuchel’s Three Lions squad for the World Cup.

David Bentley: Spurs ‘perfect’ for Toney

Speaking on Sky Sports as news of Premier League enquiries broke, former Spurs man David Bentley suggested that a move to work with Frank at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be ‘perfect’ for Toney.

He said: “He’s a great player. Scoring goals in the Premier League is not easy and the way he plays the game, scores goals... he’s got to go to Tottenham, hasn’t he? Under Thomas Frank, he had a great time with him at Brentford and I’m sure they’re talking. I’m sure that’ll be the number one destination for him to go in at. Tottenham are struggling with centre forwards at the minute, Solanke is out injured and Richarlison is not at the level he needs to be. He could be Tottenham’s new signing on loan in January.

“He’ll want to go in at Tottenham. For him, to go play at the stadium with Thomas Frank, that’s the perfect destination for him. If he wants to get into the England team, it’s not about money, it’s about playing to get into that World Cup squad. The perfect environment is Tottenham. Tottenham could do with him and England as well - if anything happens with Kane, we’re struggling a little bit for centre forwards.”

In other news, Thomas Frank could turn to 'exceptional' Tottenham star with Mohammed Kudus set for AFCON absence.

David Bentley believes that a move to Tottenham Hotspur would be the perfect opportunity for ex Brentford striker Ivan Toney.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped to beat Premier League rivals Chelsea and West Ham to the signing of former Premier League talisman Ivan Toney this summer.

There have been reports of a potential loan move back to the top flight from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli in January with the 29-year-old wanting to make the England squad for the World Cup next summer.

Toney has been in fine form in Saudi Arabia, with 11 goals in 15 fixtures this season, but it could take a run of form in the Premier League to convince Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel that he should be on the plane to the tournament.

Premier League clubs start Ivan Toney enquiries

Sky Sports report on Tuesday that ‘a number of Premier League clubs’ have now ‘started enquiries’ with Al-Ahli over a loan move for Toney. The article claims that even the financials of a loan move could be difficult for top flight clubs given Toney’s high wages, but that has not stopped teams monitoring the player.

Toney has 36 Premier League goals in 85 outings for Brentford and is proven in the division. The iPaper recently reported that West Ham are ‘very keen’ while teamTALK named Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea as suitors.

All three clubs have struggled with injuries to strikers this season with Spurs especially affected. Dominic Solanke is struggling to shake off his ankle injury and Randal Kolo Muani has now withdrawn from international duty with France having picked up a problem against Manchester United.

Tottenham Hotspur ‘perfect destination’ for Toney

Speaking on Sky Sports as news of Premier League enquiries broke, former Spurs man David Bentley suggested that a move to work with Frank at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be ‘perfect’ for Toney.

He said: “He’s a great player. Scoring goals in the Premier League is not easy and the way he plays the game, scores goals... he’s got to go to Tottenham, hasn’t he? Under Thomas Frank, he had a great time with him at Brentford and I’m sure they’re talking. I’m sure that’ll be the number one destination for him to go in at. Tottenham are struggling with centre forwards at the minute, Solanke is out injured and Richarlison is not at the level he needs to be. He could be Tottenham’s new signing on loan in January.

“He’ll want to go in at Tottenham. For him, to go play at the stadium with Thomas Frank, that’s the perfect destination for him. If he wants to get into the England team, it’s not about money, it’s about playing to get into that World Cup squad. The perfect environment is Tottenham. Tottenham could do with him and England as well - if anything happens with Kane, we’re struggling a little bit for centre forwards.”

In other news, Thomas Frank could turn to 'exceptional' Tottenham star with Mohammed Kudus set for AFCON absence.

Tottenham could be one of the clubs who lose players in the African Cup of Nations but one player could be given the chance of a key role.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham have yet to find the sort of consistency needed to challenge at the sharp end of the Premier League table but there has been enough to be positive about.

Thomas Frank has added stability to a team that was capable of one-off performances with the gap between the good days and bad days narrowing compared to the extremes of last season. What the Spurs boss will be hoping for now is a run of positive results where he can pick his strongest team. The festive period is always a busy time, however, the African Cup of Nations will throw a spanner in the works for those looking for stability.

Tottenham set for AFCON squad exits

Tottenham will probably be without Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and Mohammed Kudus with the latter being the player who Frank will miss the most in terms of what the winger has offered since signing from West Ham, not that Frank is looking for excuses: “I think it is what it is,” the Spurs boss said via The Guardian. Like the Club World Cup in the summer, the Africa Cup of Nations most of the time has been in December, January. We need to deal with it and we will. That's my take on it.”

Kudus has only scored one Premier League goal since arriving in the summer but the five assists have shown what he is capable of doing in terms of producing numbers in the final third. When he heads to Morocco for as long as four weeks, someone will need to step up to the plate and replace his output.

The favourite to take the Ghana international’s place will be Brennan Johnson who has scored two goals in 11 Premier League appearances, of those 11 games, he has started just five and Frank could well turn to the Wales cap to bolster his attack in Kudus’ absence.

Johnson backed to come good for Spurs

One man who has backed Johnson to take the step up is Wales boss Craig Bellamy who dismissed comparisons to former Spurs and Wales great Gareth Bale in the process, via BBC Sport: "There's no next Gareth Bale, he's one in a lifetime," said Bellamy. "I've not seen a Gareth Bale before him and we'd be lucky to see another Gareth Bale ever again. Hopefully we do, but I'm not hanging on to it. Brennan just has to be him and the best version of him. That's a player with real high intensity, real penetration and goals.

"It's been a change for him with a new manager coming in," said Bellamy, “Last season wasn't a great season for Spurs, but he excelled in certain parts and his numbers and goals were exceptional. I've been there myself and it's difficult when someone new comes in and you see one or two other players come in. So I feel he's adjusting to that and the new manager is adjusting to him as well.

"I always believe quality will shine through and for Brennan I'm sure that will be the case." One thing is certain, Johnson won’t have a better chance to prove that he can be the main man and cement his place back in the Spurs starting XI.

Arsenal had to face a full strength Sunderland team at the weekend, but several of their London-based rivals could get lucky during the African Cup of Nations.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

No transfer is ever risk free, however, there are some players who have red flags attached to their profiles for a variety of reasons.

Sometimes, a previous knee operation can be the difference between deciding who to sign as a short-list narrows, so too can be a players disciplinary record. One other inconvenience for European teams is when they lose key players to the African Cup of Nations during one of the busiest periods of the season in terms of fixtures.

London clubs set to benefit from AFCON weakened Sunderland

One of the teams who will be heavily affected is Sunderland who could have as many as seven players called up by their respective countries, unfortunately for Arsenal, they have already made the trip up to the North East and found out to their cost just how competitive the Black Cats are after their summer recruitment.

The mid-season AFCON could affect Arsenal and other London based clubs though and an entirely different Sunderland team.

Habib Diarra will represent Senegal, with a groin injury unlikely to prevent him from being called up and reporting for duty, Simon Adingra is a regular for Ivory Coast whilst it would be a surprise if Noah Sadiki and Arthur Masuaku aren’t selected for DR Congo.

Reinildo will play for Mozambique and Bertrand Traore for Burkino Faso. Chemsdine Talbi is also now being tipped to be absent for Sunderland which could give them a difficult four weeks during a period of the season where injuries can be a factor.

Arsenal title rivals set to face an easier Sunderland

One of the teams certain to have an easier time of it is Man City, who play Sunderland before the group stages of AFCON finish on New Year’s Eve. It will be a team significantly weaker than the one Arsenal faced in which remains a strange anomaly of the international fixture calendar. It would make more sense for European clubs to approach UEFA to have their international fixtures at the same time, rather than in three or four blocks throughout the early stages of the season instead.

Tottenham Hotspur also look set to benefit, although in their case, they will also have several players missing so, it could come down to which club has the better squad depth for the January 4th clash. The players who are eliminated at the end of the group stages might make the match day squads for this round of Premier League games, but starting them could put them at risk due to the difference in temperature and the lengthy journeys to return to England.

Brentford and Crystal Palace will be hoping that Sunderland’s African contingent go well in the tournament with the Bees due to face the Black Cats just a few days after they play Spurs. Only those who make it to the latter stages should be missing by the time Palace face Sunderland. If any of them are drawn in the third round of the FA Cup, they could line up against a heavily rotated team with Regis Le Bris having to rotate what will already be a depleted squad.

Thomas Frank faces Arsenal and PSG with Tottenham Hotspur after the international break. Here’s the latest injury news at Spurs.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur hearts may have finally stopped racing after a rampant end to the 2-2 draw against Manchester United in the capital on Saturday lunchtime.

Spurs thought they had come from behind to win the match when Richarlison netted a header in injury time but the Red Devils found a reply through Matthijs De Ligt in the 96th minute. It leaves Thomas Frank without a home win in the Premier League since the opening day of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur now have the two-week international break to gather and prepare to go again ahead of an action-packed festive fixture period. That starts with a north London derby against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, November 23 before a big Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

Frank will hope to have some injured players back and fit again to make the short trip to Arsenal, but does have new injury worries after the weekend. LondonWorld looks at the Tottenham Hotspur injury list and potential return dates.

Randal Kolo Muani

Spurs striker Randal Kolo Muani was substituted at half-time against Manchester United on Saturday. Initially, with the hosts struggling to create, it was thought that could be tactical.

However, after the game, Frank did confirm an injury worry, which has emerged to be a jaw injury. The Tottenham Hotspur boss said it was ‘nothing big’ but Muani has now withdrawn from French international duty this month and the problem is more serious than expected.

The French Football Federation said: “Randal Kolo Muani will miss the international break which begins this Monday. The Tottenham Hotspur striker suffered a lower jaw injury on Saturday against Manchester United.

“After consulting with Dr Franck Le Gall, who had previously spoken with his Tottenham counterpart, Didier Deschamps confirmed Randal Kolo Muani's withdrawal."

Potential return date - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday November 23.

Mohammed Kudus

Tottenham Hotspur missed the drive and creativity of Mohammed Kudus in the first half against Manchester United. The former West Ham man, who cost £55 million this summer, has now missed out against Copenhagen and the Red Devils.

Frank has put the winger’s absence down to a ‘knock’ and said that the lay-off would be ‘short’. The manager added that he was ‘very confident’ that Kudus would be available to take on Arsenal.

Potential return date - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday November 23.

Lucas Bergvall

Lucas Bergvall was hauled off early in the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea as a concussion sub. The midfielder wasn’t pleased at the time but had the decision taken out of his hands by medical staff.

After the match, Frank said: "There was a concussion. He couldn't stay on and I think the medical team did a good job in that instance."

Bergvall is now following the protocols stipulated by the FA and Premier League, as outlined here. The player will be eligible to feature in the north London derby.

Concussion recovery protocols stipulated that Bergvall had to recover for a minimum of 12 days, meaning he will be eligible to return to the pitch after the November international break.

Potential return date - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday November 23.

Radu Dragusin

Radu Dragusin is yet to play for Tottenham Hotspur this season after picking up an ACL injury in January. The 23-year-old has now returned to full team training, which suggests that he could be available for selection in the very near future.

Frank said: “He's fully integrated into training now. Because an ACL is such a... it's not tricky but it's such a big injury, because you're out for nine months so you need to build strength in the knee and so on.

"Then because we don't train that much, the big area stuff is not that much so we need to give him some of the bigger area stuff. But he is definitely getting closer to being involved."

Potential return date - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday November 23.

Ben Davies

Thomas Frank is yet to hand Ben Davies minutes this season with the veteran having to settle for a role on the bench - although he hasn’t made a Premier League squad since the 2-1 win over Leeds United on October 4.

That’s partly due to a hamstring problem picked up when on international duty with Wales against Belgium on October 13. However, Davies has been deemed fit again to play for his nation over the coming international break. His return to the Spurs squad seems more based on selection rather than fitness.

Potential return date - Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday November 23.

Dominic Solanke

Dominic Solanke picked up an ankle injury in pre-season and hasn’t been able to shake that off this term. He last featured for Tottenham Hotspur on August 23.

Frank is determined not to rush the player back but has hinted to a return before the end of 2025. Prior to taking on Manchester United, he said: "I do hope [to see him this year]. I would say let’s see what happens after the international break. We are still going steps forward. It’s on track so far.

"The international break will be the big deciding factor because we have two weeks there to push in the next steps. As I say, it's going forward. Just to take it instead of the questions every single time because it was clearly that he was not ready before the international break."

Potential return date - late November / early December.

Kota Takai

Tottenham Hotspur paid £5 million to sign Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale this summer. The 21-year-old is yet to feature this season due to a quad problem but is due back in training ‘soon’.

Potential return date - late November / early December.

Archie Gray

Archie Gray has been absent from the matchday squad for the past four fixtures in all competitions. The versatile midfielder and defender picked up a calf injury in training ahead of facing Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.

Gray has struggled for minutes under Frank but the Spurs boss confirmed that he was set to be handed a start against the Magpies before that problem. It is expected that he will miss out on eight weeks of action in total.

Potential return date - Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday December 28.

Yves Bissouma

It’s been a torrid season so far for Spurs midfielder Yves Bissouma. The 29-year-old has not featured since the UEFA Super Cup.

Initially, that was due to disciplinary reasons but the player then picked up an injury which was aggravated when playing for Mali over the last international break in October. Bissouma needed surgery on what Frank confirmed was a ligament injury, which leaves his return date up in the air.

Potential return date - unknown.

Dejan Kulusevski

Another Tottenham Hotspur star yet to feature this season, Dejan Kulusevski’s last minutes came in the Europa League semi-final second leg against Bodo/Glimt at the start of May. The 25-year-old underwent surgery on his patella this summer.

The Sweden international is yet to return to outdoor training. There’s hope he could be in action before the New Year but a return still feels a little way off.

Potential return date - unknown.

James Maddison

James Maddison suffered an ACL injury in pre-season. The midfielder is determined to play again before the end of the season but his recovery will have to be without setbacks to achieve that.

Maddison said: “I've already looked [at the average time out]. If it's eight months, six months isn't a question. The stage I'm at now, this needs to be right now.

“I'm 28, I'm going to be 29 when I return, I'm in my prime, really. These are my peak years ahead of me. I need to come back and I need to stay fit. So actually I'm not going to be pushing to say 'oh why are you taking so long', sort of thing. But if it gets to eight months and we're flying or whatever, if I'm in the right frame, that will allow me to play this season won't it, towards the end.”

Potential return date - unknown.

In other news, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal dealt fatal transfer blow in pursuit of 'stellar' Premier League forward.

Aston Villa have confirmed that the highly-rated forward has signed a new contract at Villa Park.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been handed a potentially fatal transfer blow by Premier League rivals Aston Villa with confirmation today that attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers has put pen to paper on a new deal.

The 23-year-old joined Aston Villa from Middlesbrough in February 2024 and has taken the Premier League by storm. Rogers registered 14 goals and 16 assists in a head-turning campaign last time out.

That form reportedly caught the attention of top flight rivals this summer. TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that ‘heavyweight suitors’ had been monitoring the player. Those included Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as Liverpool, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Aston Villa hand Chelsea, Spurs and Tottenham fatal transfer blow

The outlet even claimed that Spurs had offered ‘crazy money’ for Rogers in the summer with Chelsea having pitched a £100 million swap deal for Nicolas Jackson.

Both those teams, as well as Arsenal, could be in the market for another forward addition in January due to injuries but may have to look elsewhere. Aston Villa confirmed on Monday morning that Rogers had put pen to paper on a new long term contract at Villa Park.

A club statement read: “Aston Villa is delighted to announce that Morgan Rogers has signed a new contract with the club. The England international has agreed a deal that will keep him at Villa until 2031.

“Rogers signed for the club in February 2024 from Middlesbrough and has become a key member of Unai Emery's side, earning a debut for the Three Lions in November 2024. His stellar performances last term saw his peers vote him PFA Young Player of the Season.”

Rogers backed to return to form by Unai Emery

It’s a strong message from Aston Villa, who back their rising star despite the player having registered just one Premier League goal so far this season - that coming against suitors Tottenham Hotspur in the 2-1 win in north London in mid October.

Speaking about his form in September, following a win over Bologna in the Europa League, Emery said: "Morgan is young and he needs to accept it. Today, I kept him on the field for 90 minutes because I wanted his reaction to it, how he was accepting everything and he did it.

"He did not play well, he was not clinical in the attacking third to do the last assists but I wanted to keep him [on] because, firstly, he is always doing his tasks, always working for the team.

"But today he was not being clinical offensively. He needs to take experience of not playing well, the crowd sometimes not being happy with him. He has to accept these experiences and grow up through it."

In other news, Tottenham 'admirers' of 21-year-old ahead of January transfer window with Liverpool.

Tottenham Hotspur have the chance to bring in some new faces in the January transfer window

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 at home to Manchester United on Saturday in the Premier League. Mathys Tel and Richarlison got their goals against the Red Devils at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They conceded a last-gasp equaliser and weren’t able to hold on for the win.

Spurs have 18 points on the board from their first 11 fixtures this season. They turned to Thomas Frank as their head coach in the summer after he caught the eye at Brentford. Next up for the London outfit is a derby clash against Arsenal after the international break.

Tottenham Hotspur eye Konstantinos Koulierakis with Liverpool

Spurs are ‘admirers’ of Wolfsburg defender Konstantinos Koulierakis along with Liverpool, according to a report by CaughtOffside. Frank has the chance to bring in some new faces in the January transfer window. He also has the opportunity to let some players leave as well this winter to free up space and funds.

Koulierakis, 21, is a Greece international with 18 caps under his belt. He rose up through the academy at PAOK and was a regular for them at various different youth levels before breaking into their first-team as a teenager. The centre-back went on to play 73 matches in all competitions and scored nine goals from the back.

Wolfsburg then came calling in 2024 and he penned a long-term deal with the Bundesliga club. He has since made 44 outings altogether and has become one of their most prized assets. They could face a battle to keep hold of him down the line though amid fresh attention from England.

Spurs could see Koulierakis as someone to boost their defensive department. If he joined, he would give them more competition and depth in defence. However, they may need to see off competition from rivals Liverpool if they are to secure his signature in the future.

What now for Tottenham Hotspur?

Spurs will be disappointed that they weren’t able to pick up all three points against Manchester United. They looked like they have snatched the victory after Richarlison’s goal. However, it wasn’t to be and they will now be eager to bounce back against Arsenal.

Speaking after their draw with the Red Devils, Frank said: "Of course, the emotions inside me are high, but I take the positives out of this game. That’s what I believe and how I believe in building a good team and keep adding layers to it. Overall, a fine/good performance against a good Man United team which is definitely in flow. We are talking a bit about our, how can you say, level of defensive, attacking threats and to play against a Man United team that play with confidence with Cunha, Amad, Mbeumo and Sesko coming on and we kept them to five shots.

“It’s just another example on the other way around that it’s not that easy to create in the Premier League even though they had all their big boys out there. Second half, I was extremely happy with our response. We are playing at home and of course we all want to win and don’t talk too much about home form and all that.”

Thomas Frank is determined to take positives from Spurs’ performance but one Premier League legend was not impressed.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United had to settle for a point apiece after a dramatic end to the Premier League clash on Saturday lunchtime, but Alan Shearer was left unimpressed with the football on offer in north London.

Thomas Frank was under pressure to get more from his side at home in the top flight, having not won a league fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since the season opener despite European success at the ground.

A lacklustre start to the match was made worse for Spurs when Bryan Mbeumo scored after 32 minutes and the hosts struggled to create much going forward to respond. Frank’s side were improved after the break with Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel particularly impactful from the bench.

Alan Shearer criticises ‘poor’ Spurs and Man Utd performances

There was late drama following Tel’s equaliser in the 84th minute, Richarlison putting Tottenham Hotspur ahead in the 91st minute before Mathijs Lijt rescued a point in the 96th. There was plenty of excitement in north London but former Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers talisman Shearer wasn’t overwhelmed by the quality of the two sides.

The pundit said: “A draw was probably a fair result in the end. But the standard of football was pretty poor for both teams.

“The substitutes made a difference for Spurs but not for Manchester United. The visitors going down to 10 men after Benjamin Sesko’s injury definitely didn’t help. But the quality was lacking, especially for two sides that could have gone second in the league if they had won today.”

Thomas Frank positive after point at home

Spurs and Manchester United remain level on points, now with 18 after 11 fixtures, with the London outfit third in the table ahead of the rest of the action this weekend.

Reacting to the game, Frank was determined to take the positives from the point ahead of the international break. Speaking about the defence, he said: “A fine, good performance against a good Man Utd team that is definitely in flow. To play against a Manchester United team with confidence and keep them down to five shots… They had all their big boys out there.”

With regards to his side’s attacking exploits, he added: “We are searching to find the right balance up front. When we look back at the game, there were positive bits going forward. We created one of the biggest chances after 5 or 10 minutes with a Brennan Johnson cross to Richarlison. We constantly work on the relationship and try to improve it with the player, try to find exactly the right blend.”

In other news, Tottenham Player Ratings: 'Absolute gamechanger' 10/10 but 'unconvincing' 4 as Man Utd beaten.

Tottenham have given Arsenal a sizeable head start in the Premier League title chase and Mauricio Pochettino has given his verdict.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur would have to pull off something of a minor miracle if they are to usurp Arsenal and win the Premier League title.

The gap is currently eight points but Spurs are only two points away from second place in what has been a strange season so far in that everyone appears to be beating everyone, apart from the other North London giant.

An unbeaten run would see any team emerge from the pack and cement their place in the top four and there is no reason why Thomas Frank can’t be the manager who leads the fight back.

Mauricio Pochettino on Tottenham’s hopes for the season

Asked what Spurs were capable of this season, former boss Maurcio Pochettino told talkSPORT: “It's very open. I think the most solid team today about result and performance is Arsenal. Mikel Arteta is doing an amazing job, and is the most regular and solid team so far, but it's really open. You can see the table, you can see different teams that they are fighting for the top four. And I think it's really, really open. It's very a question mark.

“We'll see how the evolution is on the Premier League, but everything is open.”

Pochettino is right in that Arsenal are the most consistent and most organised team in the league so far this season with every other side unable to get close on a weekly basis. Spurs have shown glimpses of what they are capable of but still have a long way to go to match their rivals.

Do Spurs have the foundation to challenge Arsenal?

Despite the gap at the top of the table, Spurs have two players who Frank can build his team on and who, according to Jamie O’Hara, are every bit as good, if not better than the much-vaunted Arsenal centre-half pairing.

"The reason being, Arsenal defensively are incredible as a unit, as a team. Spurs are not," O'Hara said while speaking on Sky Sports as Real Madrid keep tabs on Van de Ven.

"But the two centre halves are absolutely fantastic. If you were going to take two of them out and put two of them in, I think Van de Ven has more about him than Gabriel. I think Romero is on par Saliba. There is not a centre half in the world that can do what Van de Ven did last night [goal vs Copenhagen]. Gabriel cannot score that goal. They are all world class but I think Arsenal are better defensively as a unit to Tottenham."

Arsenal’s midfield is more settled than Spurs’ in that they know what to do if someone drops out without any difference in quality if players are rotated. Frank doesn’t have that depth at his disposal yet, but his starting XI is more than good enough to compete, if he manages to sign Ivan Toney, the gap might just be easier to close.

Tottenham Hotspur have some issues up front and they could look to rectify that in the January transfer window

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur will look to build on Tuesday night’s 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League when they host Manchester United on Saturday afternoon.

Spurs have had inconsistent form at home this campaign as they host a resurgent Red Devils side. Ruben Amorim’s side have won three of their last four games. However Spurs were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea last weekend with some fans booing the performance as the scoreline flattered the tepid display from the home side.

One of Tottenham’s biggest issues this campaign is a lack of goals from their strikers - either because of poor form or injuries. Centre-back Micky van de Ven is the club’s top-scorer with six goals while defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha is joint-second with four goals. Right winger Brennan Johnson also has four goals.

Richarlison has three goals while Mathys Tel has scored just once and Randal Kolo Muani has yet to score. Dominic Solanke has played just 49 minutes due to injury and is yet to score. As Spurs struggle with their strikers, they have been linked with a move for an ex-Premier League frontman who Thomas Frank knows well.

Tottenham linked with move for Ivan Toney

Frank wants to bring Ivan Toney back to the Premier League with Tottenham, according to a report from talkSPORT.

Toney joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ahli in the 2024 summer transfer window as he left Brentford for £40m. The 29-year-old still has plenty to offer and scored 72 goals and provided 23 assists in 141 appearances for Brentford under Frank.

He has scored 41 goals in 59 games for Al Ahli but a move back to England could boost his hopes of reaching the World Cup as part of Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions squad. He has been left out of the last two squads after a surprise inclusion in the summer.

"Of course, Ivan Toney I coached for a few years, top player, top guy, very good striker, so let’s see what happens in the future,” Frank said of Toney last month.

Ivan Toney move to Tottenham branded ‘perfect fit’

Toney does earn £400,000 a week in Saudi Arabia which could prove a stumbling block to his return to England. His hopes of playing the World Cup and the chance to reunite with Frank could sway him into reducing his weekly pay significantly.

TalkSPORT's chief football correspondent Alex Crook said of a possible move for Toney: “I think they're light up front, Tottenham. Obviously the ongoing injury issues with Dominic Solanke has been a problem for Thomas Frank.

“I wasn't convinced by Mathys Tel last season - I wasn't really too sure why Spurs made that move permanent. Kolo Muani at the moment I would probably put in a similar bracket.

“I keep coming back to Ivan Toney for Tottenham. You look at what he did with Thomas Frank at Brentford.

“I think he'd like to come back to the Premier League, obviously financially it might be a difficult deal, but that just looks a perfect fit to me for Spurs either in January or next summer.”