Daily Mail

The Carabao Cup has a way of energising Newcastle’s seasons, but it’s the fizzy stuff at the end of it they’re addicted to now.

That is why this victory was roared home with even greater relish than the recent wins over Benfica and Fulham, completing a trilogy of home triumphs across the Champions League, Premier League and the competition for which they are holders.

Over four campaigns they have lost just once in the Carabao Cup from 19 matches, and that was defeat in the final in 2023. They corrected that in February with victory over Liverpool at Wembley.

This has become Eddie Howe and Newcastle’s favourite platform. After 70 years waiting for a domestic trophy, those bubbles can be intoxicating.

But it’s not just the road to Wembley that keeps them motoring, it’s the knowledge that Champions League qualification has ran parallel to both of their appearances in the final. There is something about a cup run in these parts that stokes the imagination. It acts like a page-turner, maintaining intrigue, interest and possibility.

For all of the debate about priorities given the proximity of those three home matches, the past week has returned the verdict of Howe and his players - we’ll try and win the lot.

When you have a midfielder like Sandro Tonali - an Italian of style and substance - and a striker in Nick Woltemade who has now scored six goals from six shots on target, winning becomes a whole lot easier. Howe will hope that three in eight days forms a habit.

For Spurs, meanwhile, the colour of their shirt was reflective of their application. They wore yellow and went down like a submarine. And playing away was supposed to be the strength of Thomas Frank’s new-look side.

It had felt like 1-0 to the visitors in the battle of the team-sheets, an arbitrary contest that only really matters on domestic cup nights. But Newcastle, with eight changes, would not have named this XI for a Premier League match. Spurs, with four, looked stronger and more recognisable.

And yet, when said battle switched from paper to grass, it was they who looked nothing like the team who have the top-flight’s best away record this season.

There’s an old adage about sides not putting their boots on. Well, Djed Spence wore his, he just hadn’t tied the laces properly. So when he asked for time to tighten his boot as Newcastle prepared to take a corner on 24 minutes, the hosts weren’t best pleased about waiting.

They gave him a few seconds to form the bow, but his absence from the goalmouth when Tonali swiftly delivered left Spurs in knots. Fabian Schar took advantage of his match-up against Richarlison to climb and head in.

They did improve slightly, but the man their supporters had booed before kick-off - former Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale - had the last laugh. He made a string of saves during a period when Frank’s men belatedly threatened parity. That rally expired when Woltemade headed Newcastle’s second in the 50th minute.

One observation of the £69million German - let’s not call it a criticism just yet - is that he does not touch the ball enough in the penalty area. It is hard to tell if that is his doing or a fault of the team around him. Either way, Woltemade’s response would surely be that every time he does, it ends up in the net.

And so, with his first effort of the evening, he steered a close-range nod from Joe Willock’s cross into an empty goal. He didn’t even have to jump, given his 6ft 6ins frame was too much for the fist of Antonin Kinsky to overcome.

It was a lame effort by the Spurs goalkeeper, and the defending of Kevin Danso - pinned beneath the scorer - was not much better.

The result was never in doubt thereafter. It seldom is when Newcastle play in this competition. They are now two ties from a third Wembley outing in four years and, with a taste for what awaits in the capital, you would not back against them making it there.

The home fans sang about their team 'never being defeated’ on full-time. In the Carabao Cup, that has become as good as factually correct.

Former Tottenham Hotspur fan favourite Toby Alderweireld has hinted that he's one of the contestants on the current season of The Masked Singer in Belgium.

The 36-year-old called time on his playing career in the summer after an impressive 17 years at the top of European football for Ajax, Atletico Madrid, Southampton, Spurs and lastly Royal Antwerp.

He spent six seasons at Spurs after joining the club in 2015, becoming a cult hero in north London alongside centre-back partner and fellow Belgian Jan Vertonghen.

However it seems in retirement that Alderweireld could be displaying a very different set of expertise.

Back in his home country, rumours have been rife amongst Saturday night television viewers about who exactly the 'eagle owl' is on the Belgian version of The Masked Singer.

The contestant has impressed viewers with his singing ability and extravagant performances. On the show's most recent episode last Saturday, his rendition of The Killers' classic tune Mr. Brightside went down a treat with the judges.

Speculation has incredibly suggested that Alderweireld is the man behind the mask and, speaking this week, the former Belgium international didn't deny it.

During an appearance on HLN Voetbalpodcast, he said: 'I've been asked that question (about the eagle owl) a few times.

'I know of the question, but who knows? Who knows? Do I have a set answer to that question? Well, no, I don't know myself. So maybe that's the answer I have to give.'

Alderweireld signed for Spurs for from Atletico Madrid just over a decade ago following an impressive season-long loan at Southampton.

The defender went on to feature 236 times in all competitions for Spurs and was a key figure in the side that reached the Champions League final back in 2019.

Following six years at the club, Alderweireld eventually left for Qatar side Al-Duhail where he would only spend one season before moving back to his hometown club.

He spent three seasons at Antwerp making 134 appearances before hanging up his boots last summer.

The highlight of Alderweireld's homecoming came at the end of the 2022-23 season, his first at the club. The defender netted a stunning last-minute goal from distance during the club's final game of the season to earn them their first league title in 66 years.

Thomas Frank chomped through his gum and ran his hands through his hair. He paced back and forth, bellowed and gestured repeatedly, like his life depended on it.

To look at this, anyone would have thought he was under pressure.

The idea Frank had questions to answer already, this early into his reign as Tottenham manager, seemed preposterous but, this being modern-football, one win in five matches ensured the spotlight followed him to Merseyside.

It can shine somewhere else now and, you suspect, Frank knows that, too.

Tottenham are up to third thanks to a display of aerial power at Hill Dickinson Stadium to rival the RAF jets that often whizz down the adjacent River Mersey.

Everton, simply, couldn't withstand the bombardment.

SET PIECE AGAIN! OLE, OLE!

During Ange Postecoglou's final season, Tottenham scored 11 times from set pieces but they are already up to five under Frank. We know that football is starting to resemble rugby, so beholden are some teams to lineouts, long kicks and tactical plays, but it sure helps if you can utilise them.

Tottenham did that magnificently, on a sodden afternoon. Frank has asked for corners to be lived with precision, into areas that set off alarms, and both Mohamed Kudus and Pedro Porro executed them magnificently. Porro, in particular, fizzed his in from the left, in swinging, with deadly accuracy.

Porro had started the game brilliantly, standing strong at the back post as Jack Grealish looked to capitalise in the third minute. His goal-line intervention there was huge but he surpassed it when picking out Micky van der Ven in first-half added time. It was a defining moment.

'We have been very good (defending) set pieces but there deliveries were very good,' David Moyes solemnly conceded. 'It was not for the lack of preparation. All managers are trying to score from them and defend them well but we were undone. I have to praise Tottenham.'

HEY MICKY, YOU'RE SO FINE!

Perhaps injuries have stopped van der Ven being spoken about in the glowing terms his talent should demand but here was a game when all eyes were on the Netherlands international, who has morphed, it seems, into centre-forward, too.

His two headers in the first half mean his tally for the campaign is up to five but it is nothing more than Frank has expected from him; with his speed, his height and his power, he should be every bit as potent at set plays for Tottenham as Gabriel is for neighbours Arsenal.

'Not bad from Micky, huh?' Frank asked and he was greeted with nods of agreement. 'He has really grown up and take some big steps in terms of his leadership. But I told him at the start of the season he needs to be scoring more goals with his head. He is centre-half. He gets in where it hurts.'

Van de Ven set the tone, inspiring his team to stay resolute when Everton pressed and probed in the second period with an aerial assault of their own. Behind him Guglielmo Vicario made some super saves, ahead of him Joao Palhinha – an Everton target in the summer – was a midfield gremlin.

Frank knows there is a lot of improvement to come and, possibly, there will be hiccups to come – he is aware of the demands that will be placed on them dealing with the Champions League schedule – but this has been an encouraging start, with solid foundations being laid.

'I'm very, very happy,' said Frank, who saw the win sealed in the 88th minute when Porro flipped a ball to the back post that Richarlison teed up for Pape Matar Sarr to score another header. 'We had come up against a very good team that had been unbeaten at home. 3-0 is a fabulous result.'

DEAD ENDS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS

As the Tottenham fans sang an ode to the tune of Barry Manilow's Can't Smile Without You, Everton's fans had long since started to depart. There were some muffled boos at the final whistle, no goals and incessant rain doing little to lift the locals' mood.

Members of The Friedkin family, Everton's owners, had arrived at Bramley Moore Dock in a helicopter ahead of the game, while Farhad Moshiri – the former owner – was also in situ, adding the sense that this was a big afternoon.

There was nothing wrong with the commitment but Everton simply ran out of ideas when they went two goals behind and it was revealing when Grealish waved an arm in exasperation at Beto, who started up front, when he passed the ball backwards in the first half. It was all a little stop-start.

'I've no complaints,' said Moyes, who saw a header from Jake O'Brien ruled out by VAR for offside. That decision seemed harsh but the Scot didn't quibble. 'I actually thought we played well in periods. There were lots of positives. We've just been undone by a couple of set pieces.'

Everton vs Tottenham - Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as the Toffees host Thomas Frank's...  Daily Mail

Giggles have been few and far between at Nottingham Forest so far in what has proved to be a miserable season.

However, the hope is that the arrival of former player Sean Dyche will have a much-needed galvanising effect at the City Ground.

Inside Sport can reveal that there has already been an uplift in morale thanks, unwittingly, to previous manager Ange Postecoglou, whose tenure lasted for just 39 days.

During the short time he was there, the Australian was surprised to find that, when he arrived at the side of the Trent the club did not possess one of the giant, mobile touch screens that are now commonplace in the top-flight and are a key tool when heading to away grounds.

Eager to back Postecoglou, Forest officials were quick to order one of the high-tech devices, which cost tens of thousands. The screen finally landed on Wednesday last week – four days after the Antipodean had been shown the door.

It's more Tottenham turnover

More turnover at Tottenham Hotspur, with highly-regarded executive Rebecca Capelhorn to depart the club in the new year, Inside Sport understands.

Capelhorn is Spurs’ director of football administration and governance and has been a key figure behind the scenes for more than a decade after arriving from Queen’s Park Rangers as head of football operations in 2015.

While her work on the men’s side has been extensive, Capelhorn has also been a driving force in establishing Tottenham’s women’s team in the WSL.

She also represents the Premier League on the FA Council and has been heavily involved in Spurs’s dealings with the European Football Clubs (formerly ECA).

Known as a sound operator, there are likely to be a number of suitors for Capelhorn, in a development that those within the industry will view as a blow for the club.

Her pending departure follows the exit of former chairman Daniel Levy and a host of execs as chief executive Vinai Venkatesham puts his mark on the club’s leadership team.

What's next for Sheffield Wednesday

Much rejoicing among Sheffield Wednesday supporters for obvious reasons after Friday’s administration, which Daily Mail Sport predicted earlier this month, spelled the end for despised owner Dejphon Chansiri.

The situation has also been helped by the fact that Sheffield 3, a separate company linked to Chansiri that owns Hillsborough, also entered administration.

That means the Thai businessman will effectively not have any further influence on the club – unlike the situation Derby County faced in 2021 when former owner Mel Morris retained ownership of Pride Park.

However, Chansiri, whose reckless tenure brought one of the country’s major footballing institutions to its knees, may have provided a sting in the tail on his way out.

A charge on the stadium, lodged by Sussex-based lender New Avenue Projects, now totals £7.3m and will need to be carefully dealt with by Begbies Traynor, who say they will take their fees from a resulting sale of the club.

From press box to child prodige!

Manchester United's press box security officer departed the club this weekend – but it may well not be the last that journalists have seen of him. Luke Owens was presented with a signed shirt from club legend Bryan Robson as a thank you for his 15 years of service at Old Trafford.

Owens has a full-time job through the week but is thought to be leaving his United role to spend more time with his two-year-old son Jude, who has become a social media sensation thanks to his uncanny ability on a snooker table.

Little Owens junior, who uses a special stool to allow him to access the table, has thousands of followers on his Instagram account, judey147, and a video of him sinking pots with ease now has more than 10m likes. A future involving reds of a different kind for father and son may well be on the cards.

Indonesia's foot-shooting

Last week, Inside Sport reported how Indonesia had self-delivered a seemingly fatal blow to their ambition to host the 2036 Olympics when they chose to ban Israel’s team for the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Right on cue, a thoroughly unimpressed IOC released a statement which revealed that it had ended any dialogue with the world’s most populous Muslim nation over hosting future events until their government could provide specific guarantees over access for athletes.

The foot-shoot may well be good news for rival bidders Qatar and Istanbul.

Guglielmo Vicario was accused of time-wasting by Monaco boss Sebastien Pocognoli after his goalkeeping heroics earned Tottenham a precious point in the Champions League.

'He was outstanding, he made some great saves,' said Pocognoli. 'He wasted also a lot of time between each free-kick, long kicks. Good performance from him, man of the match.'

Monaco peppered Vicario's goal with 23 shots, but the Italian keeper made a series of splendid saves as Spurs recorded their first goalless draw since March 2023, a run stretching over 125 games.

'It was a game relatively even first half and then second half Monaco were better than us,' said Spurs boss Thomas Frank.

'We didn't hit the performance we want. We lacked a bit of intensity, all over the game, especially second half.

'And this combined, it can happen. We are learning in the Champions League again, every game is difficult especially the away games. Monaco had their best half of the season against us. Fair play.

'Then the ability for us to compete Premier League and Champions League, it is a challenge we want and we're up to. Last year we were in the Europa League.

'We take it step by step and it's not a bad thing on bad day to get a point and a clean sheet. And a big thing is down to Vicario.'

The draw against Monaco, who were still without Paul Pogba, puts Spurs 15th in the Champions League group phase table after their opening three games.

Frank's side are back in Premier League action on Sunday with a trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton.

Security may be under scrutiny in the French capital after the Paris jewel heist, but Tottenham made it out of the Principality of Monaco with another precious Champions League point in the stash bag.

It was a feat largely down to Guglielmo Vicario, the goalkeeper who produced a fabulous series of saves as the hosts peppered his goal with 23 shots, the best of them late in the game from Jordan Teze. Perhaps they can get him a job at the Louvre.

Thomas Frank's side were far from fluent and created little. They worked hard to protect their clean sheet, however, remain unbeaten away from home this season and have five points from their first three games, two of them away from home.

This was their first goalless draw in 125 games since March 2023 against AC Milan and a Champions League exit in the last 16 under Antonio Conte.

Daily Mail Sport's MATT BARLOW was at the Stade Louis II to run the rule over Spurs.

Midfield enigma

Having pleaded pre match for patience with Xavi Simons, Spurs boss Thomas Frank opted to start without his £52million summer signing and recalled Lucas Bergvall as he gave his midfield shape a little tweak.

Frank started with with Palhinha as the deepest of the trio, flanked to the right by Rodrigo Bentancur and the left by Bergvall, who has quickly become a favourite with the fans, but does have a habit of taking risks on the ball in defensive areas.

The Swedish teenager was caught out on the edge of his own penalty area as Monaco made a strong start to the game. Guglielmo Vicario came to the rescue with the first of three first-half saves to deny former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun.

Vicario has come in for criticism since his return from the broken ankle suffered last year, but here he stood up manfully to the pressure. He frustrated Balogun through the early exchanges and scrambled back to clear a miscued cross from Maghnes Akliouche which was drifting over his head and appeared set to drop inside the far post.

Midway through the first half, in a bid to establish a foothold in the contest, Frank realigned his midfield trio. He pulled Bentancur slightly deeper, in alongside Palhinha and released Bergvall as more of an orthodox No 10 giving his team more of a 4-2-3-1 shape than the 4-3-3 they started with, but Monaco continued to dominate.

Creative quest

Richarlison was back up front, replacing Mathys Tel who has not been selected for their UEFA Champions League squad. Spurs were without 10 senior players through a combination to a lengthening injury list and those not available because Spurs has failed to plan properly to maximise their quotas.

The Brazilian had scored only one in 10 in club colours since two against Burnley on the opening day of the season and was feeding off scraps in the first half. Tottenham found it difficult to play through their hosts.

One sharp chance came Richarlison's way, collecting a pass from Wilson Odobert as he eased onto his left foot, but Monaco defenders were quick to crowd him out before he could shoot.

Odobert looked bright with the solidity of Archie Gray behind him at left back. Gray's opportunities have been limited under Frank but he made his usual intelligent contribution, making good defensive decisions and supporting his winger in attack.

Frank's team found it difficult to contain Akliouche who caused problems in the area between Micky van de Ven, the left-sided centre-half and Gray.

Tottenham's main attacking threat came from set pieces, including Kevin Danso's long throws, and when they managed to keep Monaco pinned into their own defensive third after a set piece. Danso and Micky van de Ven were also a threat in the air.

Incremental progress…

Monaco held Manchester City to a draw last month, although much has happened since. They have slipped to seventh in the French league and changed head coaches, with former West Bromwich Albion left back Sebastien Pocognoli, who won the Belgian title with Union Saint Gilloise, brought in to replace Adi Hutter.

Pocognoli started with a draw at Angers on Saturday and will be furious his team did not find a goal against Spurs. Vicario was inspired in the Tottenham but there were enough chances for the home side. Takumi Minamino squandered a flurry of them after coming on.

Frank will reflect on the strength of the defensive display but must finetune the balance of his team. The Champions League tie is at home against Copenhagen before they travel to face champions Paris Saint-Germain, who scored seven at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

Spurs held them in the Super Cup but PSG are purring again and that promises to be a thorough test of their defensive mettle. It will help if they can beat Copenhagen at home and go to France with eight points on the board.

Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Chelsea host Ajax at Stamford Bridge, whilst Tottenham travel to Stade Louis II to take on AS Monaco, with Kieran Gill and Matt Barlow reporting from the grounds.

Xavi Simons promised flair and Tottenham fans are waiting. Drumming fingers because he was unable to influence the game against Aston Villa. Rolling eyes about the failed 'rabona' pass at Leeds.

Not quite the drumroll anyone expected before the £52million summer signing made any sort of impact.

A big fee brings impatience. Just ask Florian Wirtz who, at 22, is the same age as Simons and cost more than twice as much for Liverpool to sign from Bayer Leverkusen.

Neither have found it easy to hit the rhythm of the Premier League as they did in the Bundesliga, and Wirtz has been in situ since June. Simons did not arrive until the end of August.

'It's a very good comparison,' said Frank, ahead of a Champions League tie in Monaco. 'Wirtz, also a very good player just like Xavi coming into a new country, new club, new city, just need to settle and it is part of it.

'We are all getting judged every game, but we also need to see the bigger perspective. I look for glimpses and with Xavi I asked him to be more arriving in the box and when I looked back at the [Villa] game, he did. Was there a big eye-catching moment? No, but there were glimpses so it's going a little bit in the right direction.'

Simons has played 499 minutes in all competitions for Spurs and is yet to score. He has registered one assist, on his debut at West Ham when one of his corners was headed in by Pape Matar Sarr.

These basic numbers are not ideal for a player recruited to fill the creative void.

And on days like Sunday, when Villa won at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to goals by Morgan Rogers and Emi Buendia, attacking midfielders akin to Simons, drifting between the lines and scoring with high-class finishes from the fringes of the penalty area, it becomes the topic of debate.

Online conspiracies swirled around whether his teammates were passing him the ball.

In the Premier League, however, Opta statistics showed Simons receives more open play passes per 90 minutes than Mohammed Kudus, who has made a strong start to his Spurs career since a £55m move from West Ham.

So, let's rule out the conspiracy theory. There are probably simpler, more basic factors in play as Thomas Frank tinkers with personnel in attacking areas as he searches for some chemistry.

As for Simons, he has played off the left but is ideally suited as the number 10 in Frank's current 4-2-3-1 formation. One very good judge of Dutch football told me when he signed that he could not see him excelling in the role off the left Tottenham and thus far it looks like an accurate assessment.

The Netherlands international was nurtured in Barcelona's La Masia academy. He adored Neymar, trod the same path from Catalunya to Paris Saint-Germain and, when asked to sum up his own style of football in one word after joining Spurs, he opted for 'flair' in homage to his hero.

Simons fits the number 10 role in the modern sense because he has abundant energy. He is quick, dynamic, in perpetual motion, closing defenders down. He can thread passes, bounce one-twos and threaten the goal when on top of his game.

Tottenham have seen him fizzing just the once, off the bench at Brighton to help the team fight back from two down to salvage a draw. In those 29 minutes at the Amex Stadium, Simons had a cluster of three clear shots compared to just the one in the four Premier League games when he started.

He should have scored one of them, but it was undoubtedly his finest display in a Spurs shirt.

It came with Frank's team committed to attack and opponents rattled. Lucas Bergvall and Joao Palhinha were deep in midfield by the time he came on, Kudus was excelling on the right, Richarlison a physical presence up front and Wilson Odobert, who later gave way to Brennan Johnson, offering pace on the left.

Spurs tried to replicate it a week later against Wolves, deploying Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur deep in midfield, Simons off the left and Bergvall at number 10, but on that day, they were fortunate to escape with a draw, at home against the team bottom of the Premier League.

Frank has restored Simons in the number 10 position for the last two games, sacrificing Bergvall, last season's player of the year and darling of the fans. At 19, it seems Bergvall has yet to earn the manager's trust in a deeper midfield role.

Spurs also look a better team with Sarr's mileage in midfield and yet he has not started in the Premier League since Simons made his debut. The right midfield formula eludes Frank, and that is connected as ever to other parts of the team.

'We are relatively early days,' said the Dane. 'There has been a lot of progress overall. Very good in high pressure. Very aggressive against Villa. Very intense. Offensively, we scored quite a few goals and that's what it's about.

'Also, how many teams right now play free-flowing top football three games in a row, in the Premier League? We are aiming for the perfect game every game. That's what we want. But we know what we are working at and progressing nicely.'

The two recent Premier League games with Simons in number 10 - against Leeds and Aston Villa - both featured Mathys Tel at centre forward rather than Richarlison.

Tel is a very different type of player, who cannot provide the same focal point holding the ball up with his back to goal, duelling with centre halves and linking play as the Brazilian can.

There are missing elements too, because Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani have been injured. Brennan Johnson, top scorer last season, cannot get a game because of Kudus.

And there are moving parts because Frank likes to tweak his tactical plan depending on opponents.

Villa are solid down the spine, with Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana shielding the central defenders and wide players often tucking inside, so Spurs tried to play around and not through them.

It worked early on, but the Spurs boss conceded he would have liked more creativity from open play.

So, it is not only about Simons. There is more to it, but he must shoulder some responsibility. In his breakthrough year at PSV Eindhoven, he scored 21 goals in 44 appearances, and 24 goals in 78 during two years at Leipzig.

The Premier League is a step up and he might need time to adapt but if he is to be Tottenham's number 10 and supply the flair, he must influence the games because Bergvall is competing for the same role and Dejan Kulusevski will be back in contention before the end of the year.

Tottenham were forced to replace Cristian Romero at late notice going into their clash with Aston Villa.

Romero had been named in Thomas Frank's starting line-up for their first game back after the international break.

But an injury in the warm-up saw Romero unable to play and Spurs announced that Kevin Danso had taken his place.

It also meant that fellow defender Micky van de Ven had to step up and take the armband ahead of a momentous day.

Going into the clash, Tottenham sat fifth in the table with the chance to leapfrog Bournemouth, Liverpool, and Manchester City.

Romero has had to contend with a lot of injury trouble since joining Spurs (initially on loan) in 2021.

The 27-year-old has experienced 10 separate injury-layoffs since moving to north London, with four of those being related to his hamstring.

Between December and March last season, the Argentinian sat out 21 games as he dealt with a major hamstring blow.

He has been heavily involved in Tottenham's action this campaign, starting nine of their 10 games in all competitions prior to Sunday's clash.

The only one he had missed was their trip to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, having to miss out on that one due to injury also.

Thomas Frank will hope to keep fitness issues to a minimum after seeing how much they hampered by predecessor Ange Postecoglou.

The tolls of a long domestic and Europa League campaign saw injuries become a weekly anxiety for Postecoglou, and ultimately contributed to their 17th-placed finish in the Premier League.