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Spurs return to the Champions League with Villarreal up first whose manager is wary of the Premier League outfit.

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It’s not unfair to say that Tottenham scraped into the Champions League via the backdoor although this doesn’t make their presence any less worthy.

The Europa League isn’t an easy tournament to win and it was easy to see why the Premier League took a back stage when there was a chance that it could be added to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium trophy cabinet. An even bigger reward has been the sort of fixture list that Thomas Frank will be hoping sees his team advance to the knockout stages without too much trouble on their return to the Champions League.

Villarreal boss admits he is worried about Tottenham

Of the traditional big guns, only Paris Saint Germain can be classed as a team who Spurs will start the match as underdogs even if a solid start to the season suggests that they will be competing at the right end of the table once again.

With this in mind, it is easy to see why Villarreal boss Marcelino Garcia Toral had one eye on his side’s trip to London when speaking in his post-match press conference following a defeat to Atletico Madrid via Villarreal’s official website: “The key to beating Atlético is being clinical, and we were not. We had chances from Alberto Moleiro and Nicolas Pepe, but we did not convert them.

“With the substitutions, I was looking for different solutions. Honestly, with the score at 2-0, I thought of the match against Tottenham. We had to consider that some players were returning from injury, others from international duty… In addition, at that point we were lacking power and attacking presence in midfield, hence the changes. In the end, not taking the chances in the first half and some in the second, combined with the second goal, was a blow we could not recover from.

“We will try to help them (the new signings) adapt as quickly as possible. We know we play every three days, which makes it difficult, but that is no excuse. They need to get used to their teammates, the competition, and our objectives quickly. The coaching staff will do everything to make that happen as soon as possible.”

What sort of form are Villarreal in?

Villarreal currently sit fifth in La Liga with two wins, a draw and a defeat, other than Barcelona, nobody in the league has scored more goals. Pre-season can be a difficult marker to judge teams, but with three games against English opposition, it is a little easier to assess the Spaniards.

A 1-1 draw with Leeds United was followed by a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa before overcoming Arsenal 3-2 to highlight just unpredictable they can be.

The Villarreal line-up will have several familiar names and faces with ex-Spurs defender Juan Foyth being joined by former Arsenal players Nicolas Pepe and Thomas Partey. Renato Veiga signed from Chelsea this summer and veteran forward Ayoze Perez, formally of Newcastle, is still on the go. Marcelino has injury concerns of his own though and will be frustrated that he can’t name his strongest XI.

If Frank sees a repeat of the performance against Man City then three points and a good start shouldn’t be a problem, however, any drop in standards and players like Georges Mikautadze could make them suffer.

Spurs have enjoyed a solid start to the season, but the same can’t be said for some of the officials.

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Tottenham have enjoyed a solid start to the season with a healthy goal difference being supported by three wins and a solitary defeat.

That goal difference could have been one better though if Cristian Romero’s ‘opener’ against West Ham had been allowed to stand and VAR John Brooks had intervened to persuade Jarred Gillett that the foul that he saw by Micky van de Ven on Kyle Walker-Peters had actually been a foul on the Spurs centre-half instead.

James Maddison reacts to disallowed Spurs goal

It is the latest in a long line of mistakes already this season with the individual officials, rather than VAR, seemingly being where the problems lie.

Despite Howard Webb claiming that there will be a higher threshold for certain fouls, if anything, things have got worse with Spurs’ own James Maddison expressing his frustration from the treatment room, via BBC Sport: "Honestly the referees and VAR have had an absolute shocker of a start to the season. If that goal is disallowed for a foul you will never ever see a corner be taken without [the] referee blowing for something ever again."

The Professional Game Match Officials released a statement explaining why the goal had been given, which only made matters worse: "The referee's call of no goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that Van de Ven pushed Walker-Peters in the back and impacted his ability to play the ball.”

If a handball or foul in the build-up to a goal can see one being chalked off, it seems strange that the opposite can’t be true if a good goal has been disallowed. VAR was designed to help officials, but it doesn’t help when they refuse to accept when a mistake has been made.

What have the pundits said about the VAR blunder?

Speaking on Match of the Day, former Wales skipper Ashley Williams couldn’t believe how the officials got the decision wrong with the benefit of replays and video footage from various angles:

"West Ham's goalkeeper pushes his own player into Micky Van der Ven, who then collides with Kyle Walker-Peters but the Tottenham player didn't initiate that contact. We've watched it back numerous times and you can see he doesn't push Walker-Peters over." Williams said.

"The referee's given the decision on the field and because of that, VAR is reluctant to intervene but that's what they're there for. We'd like to see more goals given and it's the wrong decision, which is frustrating."

There might be a grey area for ‘clear and obvious’ in terms of when the VAR should intervene and when it should back the on-field official, however, in this instance, if referee Gillett was allowed to see the incident again via the monitor, he would probably have changed his mind. The man in the middle hasn’t actually done anything wrong, but he’s been badly let down by those who are employed to help him.

West Ham United will have to navigate their next three games without one of Graham Potter's regular starters

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Any good feeling that had surrounded West Ham United following their 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest before the international break quickly evaporated on Saturday night as they slumped to a third loss in four Premier League games.

Their overall record for the 2025-26 campaign is four defeats in five games, as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Wolves in August. London rivals Tottenham Hotspur beat them 3-0 on Saturday, with all the goals coming in 17 second-half minutes.

The Hammers are in the bottom three after four games, having conceded 11 goals in four matches. Burnley are level on points with them but already have a stronger goal difference while another newly-promoted side in Leeds United are one point above.

Sunderland sit four points above the Irons, with pressure beginning to mount once again on manager Graham Potter.

Tomas Soucek facing three-game ban

The defeat to Spurs, which saw fans leave early in huge numbers, was costly for two reasons with Tomas Soucek sent off early in the second half for a rash challenge on Joao Palhinha.

With the challenge being deemed as serious foul play, Soucek now faces a three-game ban under Premier League rules. He will miss games Crystal Palace, Everton and Arsenal and will not return until after the international break when the Hammers host Brentford at the London Stadium on October 20.

West Ham can appeal the decision but that is unlikely. Potter said of the incident: "I don't think there was intent from Tomas [Soucek] and there wasn't a lot of speed in it but when you go with your studs raised you've got a problem."

“I think it was the right decision. Soucek is a very honest player, a player I respect a lot. I don’t think it was the intention [to hurt the opponent], but it was a red card,” said Spurs boss Thomas Frank.

Tomas Soucek record against Crystal Palace, Everton and Arsenal

Soucek has been involved in 10 games against Palace since joining West Ham. He has won three, drawn three and lost four. In those fixtures, he has scored four goals and provided two assists while being booked three times.

One of those goals came last season as West Ham beat the Eagles 2-0 in the second game of the 2024-25 campaign.

Against Everton, he has been involved in 10 games with five victories, two draws and three losses. He has scored three goals against the Toffees, with one of those coming last season as the Irons drew 1-1 at Goodison Park. Soucek had been linked with Everton in the summer but rejected the chance to move to the blue half of Merseyside.

He has faced Arsenal 12 times, with two wins and two draws along with seven losses. The two wins have come in the last two seasons, as he scored in a 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium in 2023-24 and played as the Hammers beat the Gunners 1-0 last season in North London.

Latest Tottenham Hotspur injury news as they prepare for their upcoming Champions League clash

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Tottenham Hotspur won 3-0 away at West Ham this weekend in the Premier League. They bounced back from their loss to AFC Bournemouth before the international break in style at the London Stadium. Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven got their goals against the Hammers.

Thomas Frank was appointed as their head coach over the summer after catching the eye at Brentford. His team are back in action on Tuesday with a home clash against Villarreal in the Champions League. In the meantime, here is a look at the latest injury news...

Tottenham Hotspur injury news

Tottenham left striker Dominic Solanke out of their game against West Ham. He has an ankle injury and will need to be assessed ahead of the Villarreal game. Frank said ahead of the match against the Hammers: “Dom will not be available still, I don't expect it to be too long but he will not be available for this game."

Midfielder Yves Bissouma remains out of action and was actually linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window. However, he stayed put beyond the deadline. Meanwhile, Dejan Kulusevski is sidelined until early 2026.

Defender Radu Dragusin suffered an ACL injury earlier this year. He has made good progress though on his road to recovery and is poised to return to training. The centre-back isn’t in the squad for the Champions League though.

It remains to be seen when recent recruit Kota Takai will feature and Spurs aren’t taking any risks with him right now. As for James Maddison, he ruptured his ACL during pre-season and is a long-term absentee. His exact return date is yet to be known. A club statement read at the time: “His surgery will take place in the coming days and, following that, James will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team. Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur wishes James a full and speedy recovery. We will be supporting him every step of the way.”

Villarreal injury news

Villarreal have a few injury issues to deal with. Logan Costa has torn his ACL and is out for six to eight months, whilst Willy Kambwala is sidelined for three to four months after tearing a muscle in his hamstring. Attacker Gerard Moreno is in the treatment room until the end of the month.

Ayoze Perez could return though. He has played for Newcastle United and Leicester City in the past. Georges Mikautadze and Tani Oluwaseyi are available after their recent transfers, but Manor Solomon can’t play against his parent club. They are sat in 4th place in the La Liga table after four fixtures.

After joining Villarreal, Solomon said: “First of all, I'm really happy to be here at Villarreal. The transfer happened in the last one hour or two hours of the window, so it was something that I didn't expect. I know that Villarreal were interested in me, but it became really real just in the last few hours."

Tottenham Hotspur made it three wins from four under Thomas Frank with a 3-0 victory over West Ham United on Saturday night

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Tottenham Hotspur hit back from their 1-0 loss to Bournemouth before the international break with a dominant 3-0 win against London rivals West Ham United on Saturday night.

Spurs pushed for a first-half goal but could not find a way past the Hammers’ rear-guard. It took only two second-half minutes for Thomas Frank’s side to hit the front as Xavi Simons found Pape Matar Sarr to finish.

West Ham were reduced to 10 men soon after as Tomas Soucek saw straight red for a challenge on Joao Palhinha. Lucas Bergvall headed in a brilliant looping header soon after and the young Swede then provided the assist for Micky van de Ven to fire into the bottom corner and wrap the game up.

It is a result that keeps Spurs in the top four after four games, with Frank’s side below North London rivals Arsenal on goal difference. The two sides have a similar record, having won three of their four games. The only fixture Spurs have conceded in is the 1-0 defeat to the Cherries - whose only loss has been against Liverpool, which came on the opening weekend of the campaign.

Lucas Bergvall shines for Tottenham at London Stadium

While the misery piled on West Ham on Saturday night, with several fans walking out of the game early, it was another fixture that marked Tottenham’s swift improvement under Thomas Frank.

Bergvall stood out with his goal and assist but produced a stunning all-around display. He only had one effort on goal which he scored while 23 of his 25 passes found a teammate. He had 100 per cent long ball accuracy and did the defensive work too, as he made two tackles and three ball recoveries while winning three of six ground duels.

The Evening Standard rated his performance as 9/10, as they wrote: “Justified Frank’s decision [to start him] with a strong display as the most advanced midfielder. Confident in possession, dogged off the ball, and a sensational looped header gave him a deserved goal.”

Lucas Bergvall is the transfer bargain nobody is talking about

Tottenham signed Bergvall for a fee approaching £8.5m from Swedish side Djurgarden back in February 2024. He officially joined Spurs last summer and in his first season for the club he made 45 appearances, scoring one goal and providing three assists.

He is only 19 but is starting to show wisdom beyond his years and having a manager like Frank will only aid his development. In an era of profit and sustainability, finding good players at a bargain price when they are young is more important than ever.

Spurs appear to have struck gold with Bergvall, as two managers have now trusted him to play regularly for the club’s senior side before he has even turned 20. He was linked with Barcelona before joining Tottenham and it is easy to see why. And for £8.5m, that transfer could soon look one of the best bargains in recent Premier League transfer windows.

Speaking after the game, Frank said of Bergvall: “First and foremost I think his performance was good today. I really like his energy, his pressing skill, his enthusiasm. I think he drags the team with him, in a kind of way.

“And there's so much he can learn and improve. So I think that's promising as well. Fantastic goal. Well-timed run. Top ball from [Cristian] Romero. And a well-executed header.”

West Ham suffered their third defeat of the Premier League season with a 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium

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Jarrod Bowen has responded with a call for West Ham to “ride the storm” after a vast number of the club’s supporters left early during Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at the London Stadium.

Graham Potter’s side have lost three of their four games this season, conceding 11 goals in those defeats while scoring only once. Their one win was an impressive 3-0 victory at Nottingham Forest before the international break.

The Irons were unable to build on that success at the City Ground as a disastrous start to the second half saw Spurs score three goals while Tomas Soucek was sent off.

With the game all-but over after Micky van de Ven netted Spurs’ third of the evening, home fans streamed for the exit with few home supporters left when the final whistle sounded. There was a similar scene at the end of the loss to Chelsea, as West Ham were beaten 5-1.

What Jarrod Bowen said about West Ham fans leaving early

Talking about the supporters leaving early, Bowen said after the defeat: "The fans were disappointed as we all were. We were on a high after the last win but you can come down quickly. It's important to enjoy the wins together and when you lose you have to accept it - we can't change it now. The fans are disappointed, I'm disappointed but we can't change it.

"I've been here nearly six years now and been through a lot of highs and lows. I've experienced both of those and you just have to ride the storm."

On the game, he said: “We did OK in the first half, had some good crosses into the box and defended set-pieces well - we knew Thomas Frank at Brentford was good at those.

"We need to look at the fine details ourselves and take pride.

"We had a red card and then it's a totally different game.

"Against a side like this, who are in the Champions League, you have to defend well in open play but we switched off for a second from a set-piece,. That's where it goes down to the finer details.

"It's difficult then [after second goal] we are deflated and things change. We needed to dig in and roll our sleeves up - there is nothing else you can do."

What is next for West Ham as pressure mounts on Graham Potter

West Ham have another home London derby next weekend as they welcome Crystal Palace to the London Stadium on Saturday. Palace are unbeaten this campaign but have drawn three of their four games.

After that, they make the trip to Everton before another away game against Arsenal. That is their last three outings before the October international break. They return in October with games against Brentford and Leeds United in what could huge games when it comes to the relegation battle.

After four games, the Hammers are in the bottom three and sit above Aston Villa and Wolves, who are both yet to win this campaign.

West Ham and Tottenham go head-to-head on Saturday in a London derby.

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West Ham and Tottenham go head-to-head in a London derby on Saturday in what looks to be one of the fascinating fixtures of the weekend. Each of these two teams played three games before the international break, and they picked up opposing results.

The Hammers lost their first two and won their last one, while Tottenham won their first two and lost their last outing. Over the coming weeks, we should start to see which direction teams are heading in as the table starts to take some sort of shape.

But in the first instance, this game is a derby, and the West Ham camp seem to be well aware of that, with Iron boss Graham Potter having researched Spurs boss Thomas Frank. “I think the motivation is clear for us,” he said. “We know how important this game is for the Club and the fans, so we’re going to go out there and do the best we can to win.

“There isn’t a big sample to look at from the season so far. We’ve played three Premier League games, and in this league you know that every match is going to be a challenge. I’ve played against Thomas’ [Frank] teams a lot over the years, and there’ll be some things there like there was previously. He’s a very well-respected coach, and it’s going to be a tough game, but it’s one we’re looking forward to.

“We want to carry on the feeling of positivity we had after Forest, do our best, and try to come away with all three points.”

Kilman on Spurs derby

Meanwhile, West Ham defender Max Kilman ha said of the Spurs test: “I feel good, I feel excited. Obviously, we're coming back after a good result in the last game and just had the international break. We're all ready for this game coming up.

“I think when there's a rivalry, you always want to do better, you want to beat your rivals, and I think there's just that normal feeling where everyone has a bit more hunger because of the fear of not winning, and obviously you want to do well. We as players all know the importance of this game [to the West Ham fans] and how we need to be up for it and ready and get our first home win of the season.

“It's great when the fans give us a boost but, as players, we know regardless we need to do our job, and we need to put in a performance for them to give them something to cheer about. Of course, regardless if you're playing in the top of the league or in the bottom, you need to try to win every game. I think we all have that kind of mentality, and we've got a good enough squad that can perform in every game.

“To get back-to-back wins in the Premier League with how difficult this league is would be great, especially against Tottenham, but regardless of the opponent, we need to put in a good performance and give our best. Of course it's tough [to have the international break after a win]. We've come off the back of a good result against Nottingham Forest and want to carry on the momentum, and the international break does break it up, but it's something we as players have got to adapt to and deal with.”

Tottenham bounced back from their 1-0 loss to Bournemouth with an emphatic win over West Ham United on Saturday night

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Tottenham boss Thomas Frank was encouraged by Xavi Simons debut for the North London club and believes there’s more to come from the summer signing.

The 22-year-old Netherlands international joined Spurs at the end of August from RB Leipzig for around £52m but was made to wait for his debut until after the international break.

He claimed an assist in his first performance, as he provided the ball for Pape Matar Sarr to open the scoring at the London Stadium as Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven added a goal each to complete a 3-0 win for Frank’s men.

Frank was pleased with the performance and the result as Spurs responded well to their 1-0 loss to Bournemouth, which came in their final game before the international break.

Thomas Frank reflects on another three points

The win puts Spurs on nine points from a possible 12 and marks a positive start to Frank’s reign at the club. Reflecting afterwards, Frank said: “Overall, it was a good performance. Besides two situations in the first half, we didn’t give much away. We had some good crosses into the box, dominated and kept West Ham hemmed in.

“We scored a brilliant goal from a corner. The red card helps, of course, but I felt we were dominant in the game.

“We want to perform and win every game. We can’t look too far ahead, but need to have that little think about it. We’ve been travelling a lot and all the players have done well.

“We need to do well in the Premier League and see if we can compete in all tournaments. I’m happy with the win, now it’s all about the game on Tuesday [in the Champions League].”

On Simons, he said: “I thought he was really good, really promising. There’s more to come. Excellent ball for the goal. He created something when he was on the ball. Randal [Kolo Muani] will get his time, he’s just a little behind in terms of fitness.”

Thomas Frank and Graham Potter agree over red card

Spurs took the lead on 47 minutes with Tomas Soucek sent off soon after the visitors took the lead. The Czech Republic international came in high and late on João Palhinha and was subsequently red carded. Spurs would score twice in quick succession soon after.

Both Frank and his counterpart Graham Potter did not feel Soucek meant to produce a dangerous challenge but both felt it was a red card.

“I think it was the right decision. Soucek is a very honest player, a player I respect a lot. I don’t think it was the intention [to hurt the opponent], but it was a red card,” said Frank.

Meanwhile, Potter said: "I don't think there was intent from Tomas [Soucek] and there wasn't a lot of speed in it but when you go with your studs raised you've got a problem."

Three first team Tottenham stars could become free agents next summer

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank is quickly beginning to reshape the team in his image after taking over the reins from Europa League-winning boss Ange Postecoglou.

He’s signed the likes of Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani, Joao Palhinha and Mohammed Kudus among others to add a fresh leash of life to the team in a new era for the club as they begin life without long-serving chairman Daniel Levy.

The Lillywhites endured a domestic campaign to forget last term, finishing in 17th position, but showcased quality in moments last term as they ended their 17-year-wait for silverware.

They face the challenge of trying to improve their domestic showing while also making the jump up to a higher European competition after securing a spot in the Champions League, but have so far shown plenty of promise in the league with two wins from their opening three games.

Frank’s arrival signalled the end for stars Pierre-Emile Hojberg and most notably Heung Min-Son while backup goalkeeper Fraser Forster was also released over the summer. The Dane now must decide what to do with a number of players currently on the books, with three stars currently finding themselves at risk of being out of contract next summer.

The Tottenham Hotspur stars that could leave on a free next summer

Rodrigo Bentancur has nine months remaining on his Tottenham contract and faces an uncertain future in the capital. The Uruguayan has so far featured regularly under Thomas Frank, with three starts from four matches across all competitions, including the UEFA Super Cup. He’s impressed in those outings and looks increasingly like the player that helped Juventus to three Serie A titles earlier in his career.

According to a report from TBR, the North London club are ready to accelerate contract renewal talks with Bentancur following his sensational start to the new season. However, the South American is able to agree a deal in principle to sign for a non-Premier League team by January if negotiations don’t move at a good pace.

Long-serving defender Ben Davies, a 98-time Welsh international, also faces an uncertain future. The 32-year-old was scheduled to leave on a free last summer before the club triggered a one-year extension and he’s seen as a key leader in the dressing room. He has 11 years of experience at Tottenham but is yet to feature this term after being an unused substitute in each match so far.

Yves Bissouma, meanwhile, find himself becoming an increasingly peripheral figure at Tottenham after being left out of the club’s Champions League squad entirely by the new manager. The former Brighton man was notably left out of the squad for Spurs’ UEFA Super Cup clash with PSG due to a disciplinary issue and has not yet featured under Frank.

The Mali international has been linked with moves to clubs in Turkey since the closure of the window. However, it looks increasingly likely that he’ll see his contract out in North London. He faces a huge task if he’s to get back into the team and turn his Tottenham career around.

Top-flight English football certainly did not start in 1992, but the Premier League has become the biggest football league in the world following it’s creation 33 years ago.

Chelsea are the most successful London club in the current era, with five titles to their name. Arsenal have three with Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City the other clubs to win a Premier League title in the last 33 years.

There are currently seven clubs from London in the English top flight, with Arsenal and Chelsea joined by Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Brentford.

Over the years, several other clubs from the capital have competed in the top flight. Wimbledon and Charlton Athletic have spent eight seasons each in the top division while Queens Park Rangers were a Premier League club for seven seasons.

As the 2025-26 campaign gets back underway following the international break, we took a look at the all-time points standings for the Premier League. Here’s the tally of every London club and their place in a table that starts from 1992 until the present day...