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Tottenham's victory was supercharged by several electrifying performances

Tottenham piled more misery on Everton with a 4-0 thumping thanks to a brace from Son Heung-min and goals from Yves Bissouma and Cristian Romero.

While Ange Postecoglou's men are in the top four after the first two games, the Toffees are rooted to the bottom of the table after conceding seven without reply.

In the first half Bissouma scored his first Tottenham goal after 59 games with a thumping top-corner striker before Son capitalised on a Jordan Pickford error to make it 2-0.

With 19 minutes to go Romero rose to head home James Maddison's corner and Son put the result beyond all doubt minutes later with a slick finish.

James St Denis brings you the player ratings from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham (4-3-3)

Guglielmo Vicario: 6.5

Commanded his area well when called upon, which was very rarely. Saved Everton's only shot on target well and spent most of the match improving his passing.

Destiny Udogie: 6.5

Like his fellow fullback, the Italian was a constant attacking threat and linked well with new boy Odobert. Unfortunately his game ended early due to injury.

Micky Van de Ven: 8

Athletic, strong and brilliant on the ball, no one was getting past the Dutchman today. He capped off a fine performance with a superb assist for Tottenham's fourth.

Cristian Romero: 7.5

Shut out Everton's forwards with relative ease before scoring Tottenham's third of the match with a powerful header. A champions performance on his 100th Spurs appearance.

Pedro Porro: 7.5

Another electric performance from the Spaniard. Superb in attack and defence, the 23-year-old was a constant menace throughout, tormenting Everton's left-hand side of McNeil and Mykolenko.

Brennan Johnson: 6

Plenty more to offer but a solid overall performance. The Welsh international showed glimpses of what he can do when at his best, but did not do enough.

Yves Bissouma: 7.5

Back with a bang. After a nervy opening couple of minutes on his return, the Malian midfielder rifled in Spurs' opener after a brilliantly orchestrated move.

James Maddison: 8

The architect for everything Tottenham did well going forward, the midfielder was also on hand to divert Tarkowski's header off the goal line late in the first half.

Wilson Odobert: 7

A surprise inclusion in the starting eleven. Sharp, quick and direct, the Belgian was a constant threat down the left-hand side, receiving a round of applause when he was substituted.

Heung-Min Son: 8.5

Superb composure to double Tottenham's lead after capitalising on Pickford's howler, before having the guile to dispatch his side's fourth of the match. A hard working performance from the captain.

Dejan Kulusevski: 7

Along with his piece of individual brilliance to weave his way through Everton's defence before assisting Bissouma for Spurs' first goal, the Swede put in yet another combative performance.

Substitutes

Richarlison (67'): 6

Second appearance since returning on injury, and unsurprisingly looked off the pace. Tried his best but needs more game time to get fully fit.

Pape Matar Sarr (67'): 6.5

Dropped seamlessly into the midfield. Composed in possession and great at carrying the ball forward. Another good option for Postecoglou.

Archie Gray (73'): 6

So much composure for an 18-year-old midfielder. Dropped into defence to help Spurs' tiring defenders and was always looking to get involved.

Djed Spence (73'): 6

Looked sharp straight from the off in his limited minutes, offering a good attacking threat and defensive cover. Has worked hard to get into Postecoglou's plans.

Lucas Bergvall (75'): 6.5

Last player to enter the fray for the hosts but was instantly willing to get the ball forward. An interesting option for future matches.

Everton (4-2-3-1)

Jordan Pickford: 4

A very poor error from the England number one to gift Tottenham a second goal early in the first half in a disappointing performance.

Roman Dixon: 6

Thrown into the deep end on debut, but performed admirably. Kept Spurs new boy Odobert relatively quiet and showed promise at both ends of the pitch.

Michael Keane: 4.5

It is never nice to concede four goals away from home and the Englishman was powerless to stop Tottenham's relentless attack.

James Tarkowski: 5.5

Rumoured to have suffered an injury in the build up to this match, the Everton captain tried his hardest but looked off the pace.

Vitali Mykolenko: 5

The Ukrainian struggled to contain the right side combination of Johnson and Porro, allowing too many dangerous balls to come in from that side.

Idrissa Gueye: 5.5

Found some composure the longer the match went on, especially after struggling to contain the hosts during the opening half an hour.

Abdoulaye Doucoure: 5

Another victim of Tottenham's explosive first half. Tried to force the hosts' hand when Everton went forward, but like Gueye also struggled throughout.

Tim Iroegbunam: 6

One of the newer faces in Dyche's side, the former Aston Villa man was composured when his teammates struggled, and linked play well when presented the opportunity to do so.

Jack Harrison: 4.5

Anonymous throughout. Rarely tested Tottenham's defence when presented the opportunity and was hooked early in the second half with the game all but over.

Dwight McNeil: 5.5

Helped the Toffees carry the ball deep into Spurs' half and was the visitors main source in attack. Still struggled and was ushered out the match.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin: 5

Like Harrison was largely anonymous, with Romero and Van de Ven too strong and powerful for the Englishman to navigate. He was subbed off with 20 minutes remaining.

Substitutes

Iliman Ndiaye: 6

Showed promise when given the opportunity to attack Tottenham's defence, but that did not happen enough. A player Dyche should lean on in the future.

Jesper Lindstrom: 5

Rarely had time on the ball but was not effective enough when in possession. Still adapting to Premier League football but needs to show his qualities soon.

Beto: 5

Ineffective when introduced. Failed to make an impact even against Spurs' tiring defenders and was caught in no man's land too many times.

Tottenham winger Manor Solomon is in talks to join Leeds United on loan.

The Israel international has been given clearance to leave Spurs after a difficult spell with injuries since joining last summer as a free agent.

After featuring in five of the club's opening seven Premier League games under Ange Postecoglou, an injury in early October saw required surgery to the meniscus on his right knee and brought his campaign to a premature end.

Getafe had made enquiries but the 25-year old has been insistent on remaining in England.

Former Shakhtar Donetsk and Fulham flyer Solomon is due to undergo a medical this weekend.

Leeds signed Largie Ramazani on Friday from Almeria but want to add more attacking options and see Solomon as someone who can have a major impact on the Championship.

Leeds are also looking to add a striker and a full back before next week's deadline.

After missing out on promotion following defeat by Southampton in the play-off final last season, Daniel Farke has seen several of his top stars depart the club this summer.

Archie Gray joined Spurs in July, with fellow England youth international Charlie Creswell leaving for Toulouse later that month.

Georginio Rutter joined Brighton for a club record £40million fee earlier this month, while last season's top scorer Crysencio Summerville has completed a most to West Ham.

Jamie Vardy was up to his usual tricks during Leicester's 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur as he brutally trolled Spurs fans after he was substituted.

Vardy, 37, returned to the top flight with a bang as he netted as 57th-minute equaliser to earn a surprise point for the newly-promoted side.

Steve Cooper's Leicester had been under the cosh for the majority of the match until Vardy delivered the sucker punch to the north London team.

The former England striker, who had been an injury doubt before the match, couldn't see out the full 90 minutes and was substituted with 79 minutes on the clock.

As Vardy left the pitch he couldn't help himself and decided to taunt the away support for their lack of a Premier League title.

After handing the captain's armband to team-mate Harry Winks, Vardy took the opportunity to turn to the Spurs fans before heading off the pitch.

He first points at the Premier League badge on the sleeve of his shirt before pointing to himself and then raising one finger to indicate his title win in the 2015-16 season.

The striker then points back to the badge before aiming his finger in the direction of the Spurs fans and motioning the number zero, highlighting the fact Tottenham are still yet to win a Premier League title.

As he finally left the pitch he also got into an x-rated spat with Spurs defender Cristian Romero.

The Leicester man was caught telling the Argentine centre-back to 'f*** off' in a heated argument.

Following the match, Vardy was asked about the incident, but he played it down as just a bit of fun.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Vardy said. 'You take a bit of stick during the game, but it’s part of football. As long as they can take it when I’m giving it back, that’s all that matters.'

Former Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher, who was working on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football show, loved Vardy's tongue-in-cheek gesture.

'Thank God Jamie Vardy went and seen Steve Cooper midweek and said he was ready, ready to play,' said Carragher. 'And I mean, never change Jamie Vardy.

Vardy's strike against Spurs was his ninth Premier League goal against the club, he has only netted more against their rivals Arsenal, and Watford.

It was also his 103rd goal since turning 30 years of age, showing that he still has what it takes at the top level of English football.

His performance earned a lot of praise from pundits, no less so than Carragher who was in awe of his display.

'That was Vardy at his best,' Carragher added. 'He could have scored the winner and he got the goal to start with.

'It was chalk and cheese the second half performance [from Leicester], and there was energy in the stadium.'

The former Liverpool defender's fellow pundit, Gary Neville, was also left impressed by Vardy's performance.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: 'I loved it when he first came into the Premier League when he came into our sights, the idea of this non-league mentality playing.

'He's a throwback, but I did think he'd be one of those players that relies completely on his pace, running off the shoulder, counter-attacking.

'Then when he actually lost his pace or lost a yard, he's still quite quick, I thought he would find it difficult to adapt his game, which I think many others have, but he's still going at 37.'

Steve Cooper's first game as Leicester City manager saw his side fight back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night.

Spurs bossed the opening 45 minutes and took a deserved lead into the interval thanks to a well-worked goal finished by Pedro Porro.

But the Foxes equalised 12 minutes after half-time when Jamie Vardy headed home from close range.

Spurs then lost midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur - who went off in a concussion substitution after suffering a serious head injury - and they will feel like they lost the game, considering how dominant they had been at times.

Mail Sport's TOM COLLOMOSSE watched the action live at the King Power Stadium and has provided his player ratings below.

Leicester City (4-4-2)

MADS HERMANSEN 7.5

Good saves from Johnson, Solanke (twice) and Bentancur could do little about Porro's opener. His long kicking was erratic – no surprise as he was required to play everything short under Enzo Maresca last season – but a fine display overall.

JAMES JUSTIN 6

Brendan Rodgers once called him a £50million player yet serious injuries mean he has never quite recovered that form, and he struggled to contain Spurs' frequent raids down the left. Improved after the break.

WOUT FAES 6.5

Kept going but everything felt a struggle. It was lucky for the Leicester defence that Solanke was still finding his feet in a new team, otherwise it could have been a seriously rough night. Booked.

JANNIK VESTERGAARD 6.5

This will be a very different season for the Dane, with little opportunity to bring the ball from deep as he did in the Championship. Stuck to his task well though, like Faes, it always seemed as though he was at full stretch.

VICTOR KRISTIANSEN 6.5

Back from loan after helping Serie A club Bologna qualify for the Champions League, had his work cut out to stop Johnson and Porro down the Spurs right before playing a key role in the equaliser. Grew into the game.

ABDUL FATAWU 7.5

One of the most devastating wingers in the Championship last term spent most of his time helping out Justin at right back. When he had his chance to attack, he made it count, providing a perfect cross for Vardy to head in.

HARRY WINKS 7

The former Spurs midfielder was the more precise of Leicester's central two but often found himself chasing shadows as for the first hour of the game the visitors made excellent use of their extra man in the middle.

WILFRED NDIDI 7

Brilliant clearance from under his own bar stopped Spurs taking an instant lead. Though this was not the Ndidi who shone in Rodgers' first two years in charge, he perked up hugely after the equaliser like the rest of his team and drew a fine save from Vicario late on.

BOBBY DE CORDOVA-REID 6

Black mark for allowing Porro to drift goal side of him and head Tottenham into the lead. Tried to score from the halfway line with Vicario out of goal, and nearly hit the corner flag.

JAMIE VARDY 8

Declared himself available for this one even though not fully fit and promptly nodded in the equaliser and could have had a second. There was even time for a rant at Romero as he was subbed. He turns 38 in January. Mine's a Red Bull with ham and cheese omelette, please.

FACUNDO BUONANOTTE 6.5

Playing alongside Vardy, the on-loan Argentine did not get everything right, but always looked to hurt the opposition and worked hard to help out his midfield when Spurs were rampant before the break.

SUBS

STEPHY MAVIDIDI 6

BOUBAKARY SOUMARE 6

KASEY McATEER 6

MANAGER

STEVE COOPER 7

His side struggled desperately for most of the first hour yet on his first competitive game in charge, the Welshman did well to ensure the players kept their shape and kept their belief.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3)

GUGLIELMO VICARIO 7.5

Confident with his feet and hands, he had one hairy moment before the break when he raced out to head clear and left his goal open. Left stranded for Vardy's goal but made two crucial stops.

PEDRO PORRO 7.5

Until Leicester equalised, he was totally dominant on the right, scoring the first goal and keeping De Cordova-Reid at bay. Quieter after that but still a fine display.

CRISTIAN ROMERO 5.5

Could have scored with an early header and generally had little trouble with Vardy – until the moment he was caught under the ball for the veteran forward's goal.

MICKY VAN DE VEN 5.5

Like Romero, had little defensive work to do in the first half and then his job suddenly became a lot harder. Interesting to see how he and Romero cope when the tide turns like this against better teams.

DESTINY UDOGIE 6

Lucky not to be booked for a foul on Buonanotte and while he is a dynamo going forward, the Italy international left-back cannot always be relied upon going the other way.

PAPE SARR 7

Always full of running, the Senegal man was available when his team-mates needed him and made a brilliant recovery block on Reid

RODRIGO BENTANCUR 6.5

Afforded far too much space in the middle of the pitch as he revelled in being Spurs' spare man. Carried off on a stretcher after a clash of heads, which led to a seven-minute delay in the action.

JAMES MADDISON 7.5

Ran the show in the first half against his former club, setting up the goal for Porro and proving too difficult for Leicester to handle. Faded a little after that. Clapped off when he was subbed.

BRENNAN JOHNSON 7

Forced a good save from Hermansen when he connected nicely with a volley and combined well down the right with Porro, until Kristiansen started to get the better of him as the match wore on.

DOMINIC SOLANKE 5.5

The £65million man does not yet look on the same wavelength as his team-mates but he will be confident that understanding will develop. Could have had a debut goal with calmer finishing.

HEUNG-MIN SON 7

Used on the left, he stayed wide and regularly linked effectively with Maddison and Udogie, especially in the first half. Will be interesting to see how he is used across the campaign.

SUBS

LUCAS BERGVALL 6

Brilliant delivery from a late free-kick should have led to the winner.

DEJAN KULUSEVSKI 7

Brilliant recovery challenge on Ndidi as he raced back towards his own goal and always a danger going forward. Will think he should have started.

RICHARLISON 5

Somehow headed over from inside the six-yard box in the final moment of the game.

DJED SPENCE 6

ARCHIE GRAY 6

TIMO WERNER 6

MANAGER

ANGE POSTECOGLOU 7

He will know his team should have been out of sight long before Leicester levelled the match. Tried to turn the tide with a quadruple substitution in the closing stages.

REFEREE

CHRIS KAVANAGH 6

Drew the anger of the home fans, who were convinced Spurs were getting the benefit of the 50-50 challenges. Seemed to determined to let the game flow, even when he shouldn't have.

Jamie Vardy, remember him? Tottenham Hotspur would prefer to forget but last night at the age of 37 he was back to bother them again with his own very special brand of menace.

No house party this time. No wild kitchen celebrations as there were on that night in the spring of 2016 when Tottenham’s challenge was ended by a Chelsea comeback and handed the title to Claudio Ranieri’s 5,000/1 outsiders.

Simply, on this occasion, his ninth Premier League goal against Spurs. And that proved enough to transform what for almost an hour looked like a very comfortable away win into an unlikely point for Leicester City and perhaps the spark required to light the Steve Cooper era.

Vardy was unmarked at the back post to nod in a cross by Abdul Fatawu in the 57th minute and wipe out the opener scored by Pedro Porro in the first half.

He nearly found a winner, foiled by a fabulous Guglielmo Vicario save as he dashed clean through 20 minutes from time.

And could not resist return the taunts from those in the away when he was replaced near the end, stopping to point at the Premier League crest on his sleeve and signalling one for him and zero for them.

It had been all Tottenham for almost an hour, but his goal turned the contest on its head.

How fitting Vardy should be the hero on a night of commemoration for Craig Shakespeare, assistant to Ranieri during that magical season when they won the title before taking over from the Italian as Leicester reached the last eight of the Champions League.

The tributes to Shakespeare, who died this month at the age of 60, included an electrifying minute of applause before kick-off.

Vardy, the last of the players at the club from those glorious times, had plans of his own.

The former England international and Footballer of the Year had not been expected to start against after struggling with injury in preseason but with Patson Daka out injured after an operation, he told Cooper he would give it a go. In fact, he made it through 79 minutes.

For Spurs, the draw tasted like defeat. They had set off with such pace and purpose, zipping passes forward, squeezing up the pitch and forcing Leicester to retreat as they created and failed to convert early chances from a series of corners.

Wilfred Ndidi was on hand to hook clear a near-post header by Rodrigo Bentancur and goalkeeper Mads Hermansen saved a sweet Brennan Johnson volley before Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke both headed wide from Porro crosses.

James Maddison, greeted with a mixed reception on his first return, flickered into life and became more influential as the first half unfolded, looking to penetrate the massed ranks of blue shirts in the Leicester penalty box with disguised passes.

The home crowd delighted when one attempt ended in undignified fashion, with the England international dumped onto his backside near a corner flag, but he was back on his feet conjure the opener for Porro, who darted forward from right back and glanced a header past Hermansen in the 29th minute.

The first half became one of complete domination. Played almost entirely in one half of the pitch, the home crowd’s spontaneous applause at the half time whistle told of their relief at making it through the sanctuary of the interval without greater damage.

Leicester’s only effort at goal was a speculative one from debutant Bobby de Cordova-Reid after Vicario ventured from his penalty area to head clear. It ended up closer to the corner flag than the open goal.

Cooper resisted the urge to make a change during the interval and although the contest continued in the same pattern and Hermansen had to make saves from Solanke and Bentancur his team did begin to threaten on the break.

Leicester took heart, went forward with more confidence and levelled when a left-wing cross by Victor Kristiansen spilled out onto the opposite flank where it was collected by Fatawu and clipped back across.

Vardy found the net with a header from close range. Cue pandemonium and a chaotic finale, disrupted by a long stoppage for treatment for Bentancur. The Uruguay midfielder, who ruptured knee ligaments on his previous appearance at the King Power, clashed heads and fell heavily at a corner.

Thankfully, he was clearly conscious again before being carried off and Postecoglou confirmed afterwards that Bentancur was “conscious and communicating”.

The two teams were able to pick up the same breathless tempo as substitutions came and went. Tottenham made six, including a concussion sub for Bentancur.

Ndidi forced Vicario into another fine save with a header in added time and Richarlison headed the last chance of the game over from a free-kick.

Nobody was eclipsing Vardy. Back in the Premier League with a bang.

It's a massive day for Dominic Solanke.

With the price tag of £65million looming over his head, the Spurs fans will expect him to deliver.

He netted 19 goals for Bournemouth last campaign, so it's no surprise that Tottenham went and snapped him up. He's a sharpshooter.

However, he has been at big clubs before and not succeeded, take his time at Liverpool, for example, he scored just one Premier League goal.

That's not exactly great, is it?

This is a different Solanke, though, he certainly knows where the goal is now, don't doubt that.

It's worth adding, he is practically Harry Kane's replacement. Spurs spent the most of last year just playing Son Heung-Min up top.

Can Solanke fill the former legend's shoes?

I bet James Maddison is feeling a little strange right now...

The Tottenham midfielder knows the King Power like the back of his hand, he played their for five years.

Now he will play in the East Midlands for the first time as an opposition player since leaving in 2023. That will feel weird.

Leicester fans weren't overly fond of the way he left, either...

Meanwhile, Harry Winks may also be feeling a little odd as he goes up against Spurs after spending 21 years at the club from the junior to senior level.

I'm sure there will be lots of hugs and handshakes in the tunnel, but once they cross that line, there is no time for friendships.

I hope I don't jinx it with this post...

When these two teams meet, there are usually fireworks and lots of them - trust me.

This fixture has produced 128 goals in just 34 Premier League meetings. Yes, you read that right.

It has the highest average goals per game of all Premier League fixtures to have been contested 20 times or more.

These sides last faced off in the 2022-23 season, and my word did the goals fly in.

Spurs won 6-2 at home early in the campaign before Leicester returned the favour by battering them 4-1 victory at the King Power Stadium.

Let's hope we see action like that today (I love goals).

It's fair to say, Leicester City have had a tough summer...

After winning the Championship at a canter last year, things have not gone so smoothly since they were promoted back to the big time.

Now under Steve Cooper, the Foxes look very different to the side that romped the second tier under Enzo Maresca.

They have lost some big names such as Kiernan Desbury-Hall and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Yes, they have brought in some reinforcements such as Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Issahaku Fatawu, who was on loan last year.

But are they stronger?

And then there is the threat of PSR looming over their heads which has them in danger.

Despite all this, expect the King Power Stadium to be bouncing this evening, and they could cause Tottenham problems.

It's time to close out the opening Premier League weekend.

We have witnessed nine drama-filled contests so far that have set the tone for what is set to be another frenetic season.

The new campaign has certainly not disappointed so far. From dramatic late winners to a crazy headbutt, we have seen it all.

Let's hope tonight is no different as Tottenham Hotspur travel to the East Midlands to face Leicester City upon their return to the top flight.

These two have served up some belters in the past, but both are in two very different places now.

In my opinion, it's a great way to finish a fantastic first weekend of the 2024-25 season.

Right, I think that's enough of an introduction, don't you?

Let's get cracking!

Mail Sport's MATT BARLOW answers the five big questions facing Tottenham

LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday

Tottenham return to Premier League action on Monday night with a trip to Leicester facing them in their season-opener.

Ange Postecoglou's first season in charge was full of highs and several lows, with Spurs eventually finishing fifth after their season tailed off following a positive start.

Ahead of the new campaign, Postecoglou said that he 'usually wins things' in his second season at clubs after establishing a foundation and a philosophy at whatever club he's managed.

And with a number of summer acquisitions now through the door at Hotspur Way, with the likes of Dominic Solanke arriving for £65million and Archie Gray for £30m, Postecoglou will be hoping to kickstart this season like he did the last.

But what challenges do Spurs and Postecoglou face this time round? Could Europe be a distraction or help spread the minutes? And have they managed to wipe out the errors that so dearly cost them last season? Mail Sport's MATT BARLOW answers the five big questions.

Has AngeBall been sussed?

It’s the biggest of the big questions. Did the blistering start to last season fade to a fizzle because the best teams figured out how to stop them?

Spurs won just four of their last 11 fixtures and those four wins came against the bottom four. Or was it down to other factors?

The ready excuses, including injuries to key players at key moments and international disruptions, are simply part of the Premier League landscape.

Every team must ride them out and there will be more of the same. Ange Postecoglou will not change.

His teams improve in the second season with a deeper understanding, stronger belief and, in theory, a greater depth of the type of players attuned to his style. We should hope he is right because it is great fun to watch.

Can Dominic Solanke fill the Harry Kane void?

At £65million it feels like a heavy price for someone who is not a regular international, and yet with his mobility and willingness to run behind feels like a much more natural fit for this Tottenham team than Ivan Toney.

Solanke matured into a fine Premier League striker at Bournemouth, proving he can lead the line against top-class central defenders and shoulder responsibility for scoring goals.

At 26, he is approaching his prime and has another chance to prove he can make the next step having engineered an exit from Chelsea as a teenager for a move to Liverpool which did not work out.

His development suffered during the contract stand-off at Stamford Bridge and cost him time but there is scope to improve and Postecoglou is craving a focal point up front. Richarlison has not nailed it down and opportunity knocks.

Can they stop leaking goals from set-pieces?

A favourite stick with which to beat Postecoglou and something he is trying to address even though he resists clamour to add a specialist set-piece expert to his staff.

Quite rightly, too. Set-pieces have been designed and practised intensively by top teams for decades, long before individuals started jumping from the shadows to stand sentry on the touchline whenever a corner was awarded.

There have been changes to the coaching staff at Spurs with Chris Davies leaving to manage Birmingham and replaced by Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo.

Mile Jedinak and Ryan Mason will share responsibility for the set-pieces but the team remains low on aerial strength compared to Arsenal, who scored the most goals from set-pieces in last season’s Premier League.

Is the next generation ready to play a part?

The summer recruitment has revolved around teenagers with Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert arriving from Championship clubs along with Lucas Bergvall who signed in January from Djurgarden but remained in Sweden until the end of the season.

Exciting academy prospect Mikey Moore has signed his first professional deal at 17 and has flickered in pre-season friendlies.

All of which offers Spurs a youthful thread absent in recent years, but which amounts to nothing if Postecoglou does not trust them to contribute in some way, from the bench or in the cup competitions. No team gave fewer minutes to teenage players in last season’s Premier League than Tottenham.

Will Europe help or hinder?

Postecoglou bucked the trend last season when he claimed the lack of football was hurting Spurs. They played only 41 times in all with no European football and early exits from both domestic cups.

Antonio Conte would have adored the time for more analysis, preparation and long tactical exercises, but his successor reasoned that it made it harder to establish any rhythm or keep the fringe players ticking over and ready to step in when needed.

This season, they are back in the (freshly expanded) Europa League and expected to cope with the well-documented rigours of the Thursday-Sunday routine across at least eight ties, something which usually prompts the managers to grumble about travel schedules and tired players.

Leicester City have confirmed the agreement with Tottenham Hotspur over the signing of their academy product Oliver Skipp.

On the club's X (formerly Twitter), the Foxes released a picture of their newcomer, captioning it with: 'We have added to our midfield ranks with the transfer of Oliver Skipp.'

It is understood that Leicester's new manager, Steve Cooper, was keen to sign the player, who entered Ange Postecoglou's plans due to his homegrown status.

Mail Sport previously reported that Leicester City were set to pay a guaranteed £20million with a further £5million in add-ons for Skipp.

This deal comes as Leicester City are scheduled to host Spurs at King Power Stadium for their opening game of the 2024-25 Premier League season on Monday.

According to Leicester's statement, the player - who signed a contract until 2029 - will be present in the stands of the Foxes' stadium for tonight's game.

'I'm really excited to sign,' said Skipp on the club's website. 'I've got the feeling that it's a good group of people and a good group of players.

'I'm sure that we've got a squad capable of challenging in every game. You look around the squad and there's lots of exciting players who have played in the Premier League and I'm really excited to see what this group can achieve.'

The midfielder's transfer marks the Foxes's sixth signing this season, after they secured the deals of Bobby Decordova-Reid, Michael Golding, Caleb Okoli and Abdul Fatawu, in addition to Facundo Buonanotte who joined on loan from Brighton.

Despite featuring in 21 games in the Premier League last season, Skipp was not a regular player, starting on five occasions while gaining only 694 minutes on the field in total.

Although the 23-year-old midfielder made six appearances out of seven games Spurs played during the pre-season, they were open to let their academy graduate leave.

Skipp was promoted to the first team in the 2018-19 season and made his debut against West Ham United in the Carabao Cup.

He spent the 2020-21 campaign at Norwich City, where he was included in the Championship's Team of the Year after helping his side secure a promotion to the Premier League.

Although he never played for England's senior team, he earned 24 appearances for the Under 21s squad.

Ange Postecoglou's Spurs will look to disrupt the established elite this season

When Howard Wilkinson led Sheffield Wednesday up into the top-flight the established elite were rattled by the speed and relentlessness of his team.

They were robust and direct. And, when the ball went dead, Wilkinson's players were drilled to react in pairs. One, usually the one nearest the ball, would sprint to retrieve it and throw it to the other, who would have dashed to the spot required to restart the game in the blink of an eye with the rest of the team attuned to plan.

It was a simple enough premise. One of several like it designed to generate intensity and pressure, to disrupt opponents and deny them time to reset, to seize a split-second advantage on the turnover of possession.

This was 1984, long before the audience cared about marginal gains or whether their club employed a specialist coach for set-pieces.

Wilkinson always says it took rivals until Christmas to figure out what Wednesday were up to and combat it, by which time they had beaten defending champions Liverpool at Anfield, held champions-to-be Everton at Goodison Park and were on their way to finishing seventh.

Same game different times, of course. These days, tactical secrets don't last for long. Turn up in the Premier League doing something different and effective and you will be scrutinised by the armies of analysts using every digit of data from every conceivable camera angle.

This time last year, Ange Postecoglou ruffled plumage at the top of the tree while repairing self-esteem at Tottenham before a cluster of injuries to key players brought momentum to a grinding halt.

Postecoglou's Spurs never really moved again with the same fluency. There were flashes but nothing like the same and they won only four of the last 11. Four wins against the bottom four. The big question as they start the new season at Leicester City on Monday is whether they were figured out.

The best teams, the best players, the best coaches adapt and find new ways whether that involves tweaking and tinkering or ripping up the plan and starting again. Pep Guardiola searches restlessly for adaptations to the winning machine he created at Manchester City.

Postecoglou performs with confidence. With almost 30 years of coaching behind his philosophy he is not going to change but be sure he will be tweaking and tinkering within his boundaries and expects Tottenham to improve with a deeper understanding, enhanced belief and a broader array of players tailored to his demands.

As explained by Vince Rugari in a new book 'Ange Ball', published by Headline, there are parallels if you want them at Yokohama F Marinos in Japan where he faced challenges in his first year changing minds in a culture hardwired into cautious football.

In the second season, having completed a major clear out and transformed the squad, they won the J-League title.

That is a very different competition, of course, in a very different country. But there are similarities as Spurs were drenched in safety-first, counter-attacking principles under successive managers since Mauricio Pochettino. They could also be better for another year.

The club has backed Postecoglou in the sense they have belatedly taken a financial hit on unwanted players. Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Joe Rodon, Japhet Tanganga, Emerson Royal and Tanguy Ndombele have all gone this year. Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso will take the 2024 exodus into double figures.

Just so long as you are not about to sack or lose the manager, then shifting dead wood is no less important in the transfer market than buying players and comes at a price. Cutting loose Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Co was the real catalyst for Mikel Arteta's revolution at Arsenal and can have a positive impact across North London.

With new signings like Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert, and exciting academy talent Mikey Moore developing fast, Postecoglou has fresh minds to embolden, and a squad crammed with pace and creative flair.

Whether that is enough we are about to find out. Whether a complete absence of defensive instinct proves costly in the Premier League against the world's most powerful attacking units we will see.

Postecoglou would not be human if he did not hide doubts behind his bullish exterior, but we should wish Ange Ball well. It is terrific fun and provides genuine theatre. And that's what the game is about, mate.

Like father, like son

Mark Greaves was a keen and versatile young defender at Hull City when I was covering them for the Hull Daily Mail. These were bleak times for the Tigers and not only because of my negative outlook. They were hard-up and mired in boardroom strife and one of the worst professional teams in the country, flirting with relegation to non-league.

Greaves signed from Brigg Town where he won the FA Vase as a teenager. He was smart and likeable because he did not take himself at all seriously and his professional career unfolded in tiers four and five of English football.

On Saturday, I saw his son Jacob make a stylish Premier League debut for Ipswich Town looking for all the world like his father after Marvel makeover. Bigger, stronger, faster, bristling with purpose as if he might tear open his shirt and take off into the skies on a more pressing mission.

If he has inherited Mark's attitude, his humility and determination to maximise his talent and enjoy his football there is an exciting future ahead. Keep an eye on him this season. I am curious to know what his dad thinks of the greased locks and elastic hairband though.

Football's most prized coaching role

If Lee Carsley succeeds Gareth Southgate and makes the England job his own the office of Under-21 boss will become one of the most prized coaching roles in the land.

The U21s are currently in the interim hands of Ben Futcher, who will lead them next month into a game against Austria at Kenilworth Road where his father Paul and uncle Ron both played for Luton Town in the 1970s.

Manager moans

First Erik ten Hag, then Julen Lopetegui, managers lining up to tell us they weren't ready to start the season. Begging questions such as when exactly did they expect it to start.

Why not shorten the preseason tours. And can we stop moaning about the schedule anytime soon. Yes, we know it's brutal, gruelling, etc. That's the reason you all build massive squads. Rest the ones who are already tired and play some of the others. Greetings of the new season, everyone.

Dominic Solanke price boosted to 12/1 to score a header against Leicester City

Solanke scored four headed goals in the Premier League last season

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In what is the final fixture of the opening gameweek of the 2024-25 Premier League season - newly promoted club Leicester host top four hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur Monday.

Unsurprisingly, the visitors are heavy favourites to secure the win - with Ange Postecoglou's side price at 8/15.

Conversely, the Foxes are 17/4 underdogs to be victorious in their first game in the English top-flight since 2022-23, while a draw is 10/3.

In addition to the head-to-head odds outlined above, Sky Bet are offering four Price Boosts for this contest.

They include James Maddison to have a shot on target at 1/1, Cristian Romero to commit 2+ fouls at 4/1, for there to be 15+ match shots on target at 8/1, and Dominic Solanke to score a header at 12/1.

Maddison has had a shot on target in three of his last four league games, while Romero committed six fouls over Tottenham's last two Premier League games of the 2023-24 season.

Additionally, Solanke scored four headers for Bournemouth in the league last season. Can Solanke make an immediate impact at his new club? We will find out Monday.

Sky Bet odds in Full-time Result market for Leicester vs Tottenham Hotspur:

Tottenham Hotspur 8/15

Leicester 17/4

Draw 10/3

Sky Bet Price Boosts for Leicester vs Tottenham Hotspur:

James Maddison to have a shot on target WAS 4/6 NOW 1/1

Cristian Romero to commit 2+ fouls WAS 3/1 NOW 4/1

Dominic Solanke to score a header WAS 9/1 NOW 12/1