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Tottenham Hotspur have tried changing their manager, chairman and stadium in a bid to earn their place amongst the Premier League's elite, as well as spending the best part of €216 million in the summer. While Ange Postecoglou ended their long 17-year wait for a trophy by winning the Europa League last season before he was sacked, their inconsistent domestic form remains an issue for Thomas Frank, who has already found himself under intense scrutiny just six months into his reign in the capital.

The 52-year-old managed to relieve some of the pressure after watching his side beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park on Sunday, with Archie Gray scoring his first senior goal in his 112th career appearance to grab the winner. The performance was a slight improvement on their recent form which has seen the team plummet to 13th in the table, and their young squad have struggled to piece together any sort of momentum. It has led some to question if Spurs need to spend even more money in January, having watched their summer signings largely fail to perform to the required standard so far. Transfermarkt looks at three potential signings in January to explore.

Leon Goretzka to Spurs?

The elephant in the room for Spurs is that Rodrigo Bentancur, a loyal servant since arriving from Juventus in 2021, has struggled to rediscover his best form following a spate of injuries. Yves Bissouma is also out of favour and is likely to be heading out the door in January, either on loan or permanently. Replacing one or two of them with some fresh blood in midfield might just be what Spurs need.

Of course, they are well-stocked in that area with Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and James Maddison. But they could also do with an expert passer, one who can dictate the play and control games. Frank had Christian Norgaard at Brentford, and it does feel like he is missing that midfield general to boss the central areas. Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka has been linked, although it is not yet known if the Germany international would be interested in a move to the Premier League. But a physical presence is required to add some steel to this Spurs team if they are to secure European football this season.

Vicario interest may trigger domino effect

Reports suggest that Guglielmo Vicario could be on his way out of Tottenham in the January transfer window, with Inter Milan interested in the goalkeeper. If the Nerazzurri follow up on their interest, it could tempt Frank to engineer something of a defensive reset. Vicario has produced some disappointing performances of late, with the 29-year-old perhaps guilty of not possessing the strength required to bully opposition attackers inside his 18-yard box. Spurs have also conceded 23 goals this season, which is more than double the number let in by rivals Arsenal.

If Vicario is tempted to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to return to Italy, it would take a monumental effort to find a goalkeeper who can improve upon the Italian's ability. Top goalkeepers are a rarity in the modern market, yet despite that, only four shot-stoppers have been signed for over €50m. Marc-André ter Stegen is one name that has been put forward as a potential replacement, and the German's situation in Barcelona is far from certain, which could give Spurs some encouragement.

Dragusin out, Lazio star in

The reliance on Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven has led the pair to put their bodies through the pain barrier one too many occasions. Van de Ven, in particular, is fairly susceptible to injury and it's high time Spurs invested in that area more than they have done over the past two years. Aside from Radu Drăgușin and Kevin Danso, the north London side haven't provided the depth required to cope with the rigours of the modern game and congested schedule.

Tottenham Hotspur have tried changing their manager, chairman and stadium in a bid to earn their place amongst the Premier League's elite, as well as spending the best part of €216 million in the summer. While Ange Postecoglou ended their long 17-year wait for a trophy by winning the Europa League last season before he was sacked, their inconsistent domestic form remains an issue for Thomas Frank, who has already found himself under intense scrutiny just six months into his reign in the capital.

The 52-year-old managed to relieve some of the pressure after watching his side beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park on Sunday, with Archie Gray scoring his first senior goal in his 112th career appearance to grab the winner. The performance was a slight improvement on their recent form which has seen the team plummet to 13th in the table, and their young squad have struggled to piece together any sort of momentum. It has led some to question if Spurs need to spend even more money in January, having watched their summer signings largely fail to perform to the required standard so far. Transfermarkt looks at three potential signings in January to explore.

Leon Goretzka to Spurs?

The elephant in the room for Spurs is that Rodrigo Bentancur, a loyal servant since arriving from Juventus in 2021, has struggled to rediscover his best form following a spate of injuries. Yves Bissouma is also out of favour and is likely to be heading out the door in January, either on loan or permanently. Replacing one or two of them with some fresh blood in midfield might just be what Spurs need.

Of course, they are well-stocked in that area with Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and James Maddison. But they could also do with an expert passer, one who can dictate the play and control games. Frank had Christian Norgaard at Brentford, and it does feel like he is missing that midfield general to boss the central areas. Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka has been linked, although it is not yet known if the Germany international would be interested in a move to the Premier League. But a physical presence is required to add some steel to this Spurs team if they are to secure European football this season.

Vicario interest may trigger domino effect

Reports suggest that Guglielmo Vicario could be on his way out of Tottenham in the January transfer window, with Inter Milan interested in the goalkeeper. If the Nerazzurri follow up on their interest, it could tempt Frank to engineer something of a defensive reset. Vicario has produced some disappointing performances of late, with the 29-year-old perhaps guilty of not possessing the strength required to bully opposition attackers inside his 18-yard box. Spurs have also conceded 23 goals this season, which is more than double the number let in by rivals Arsenal.

If Vicario is tempted to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to return to Italy, it would take a monumental effort to find a goalkeeper who can improve upon the Italian's ability. Top goalkeepers are a rarity in the modern market, yet despite that, only four shot-stoppers have been signed for over €50m. Marc-André ter Stegen is one name that has been put forward as a potential replacement, and the German's situation in Barcelona is far from certain, which could give Spurs some encouragement.

Dragusin out, Lazio star in

The reliance on Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven has led the pair to put their bodies through the pain barrier one too many occasions. Van de Ven, in particular, is fairly susceptible to injury and it's high time Spurs invested in that area more than they have done over the past two years. Aside from Radu Drăgușin and Kevin Danso, the north London side haven't provided the depth required to cope with the rigours of the modern game and congested schedule.

Liverpool have been waiting months for their €405 million attacking signings to produce the goods in front of goal. Alexander Isak, due to a combination of injuries and a lack of match fitness, has struggled to settle into the side under Arne Slot and gain any sort of momentum. Florian Wirtz, still without an official Premier League goal after his strike against Sunderland was deemed a Nordi Mukiele own goal, has been working hard to end that barren run. Jeremie Frimpong has also flattered to deceive, while Hugo Ekitiké has proved to be the exception with seven goals heading into this game. But this time, all four contributed decisively in the 2-1 win over nine-man Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night to suggest things may improve in the coming months.

The Reds were undoubtedly helped by a moment of madness from Xavi Simons. With 33 minutes gone, the 22-year-old chased down Virgil van Dijk when the defender was in possession and raked his studs down the Achilles of his compatriot. The referee had no option but to upgrade the initial yellow card to a red one, and Spurs, having had the better of the first half up until that moment, were down to 10 men. It was the first time in over 24 years that a Dutch player had been sent off as a consequence of their foul on their compatriot.

Everything changed after that moment. Liverpool's mentality changed, putting them firmly on the front foot, and Slot sent on Isak for Conor Bradley at the break. In truth, he had to go for broke, knowing that anything other than a win would surely put an end to their extremely slim title hopes. With a man advantage, Liverpool took the initiative and found the opener, with Isak striking past Guglielmo Vicario under pressure from Micky van de Ven. Unfortunately for the Swede, he was caught by Van de Ven on the follow-through and gingerly limped off, bringing a premature end to his evening on the pitch.

It told the story of Isak's time at Anfield: one step forward, two steps back. A confidence-boosting goal, followed by what appears to be a painful ankle injury. Liverpool will be praying it's only an impact injury and not a twist or sprain, but it didn't look good. Of course, Slot knows he can lean on in-form Ekitiké to lead the line in Isak's absence - his header to make it 2-0 was a good example. But spending several weeks in the physio room, rather than integrating into the squad, won't help him or his club.

Liverpool have been waiting months for their €405 million attacking signings to produce the goods in front of goal. Alexander Isak, due to a combination of injuries and a lack of match fitness, has struggled to settle into the side under Arne Slot and gain any sort of momentum. Florian Wirtz, still without an official Premier League goal after his strike against Sunderland was deemed a Nordi Mukiele own goal, has been working hard to end that barren run. Jeremie Frimpong has also flattered to deceive, while Hugo Ekitiké has proved to be the exception with seven goals heading into this game. But this time, all four contributed decisively in the 2-1 win over nine-man Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night to suggest things may improve in the coming months.

The Reds were undoubtedly helped by a moment of madness from Xavi Simons. With 33 minutes gone, the 22-year-old chased down Virgil van Dijk when the defender was in possession and raked his studs down the Achilles of his compatriot. The referee had no option but to upgrade the initial yellow card to a red one, and Spurs, having had the better of the first half up until that moment, were down to 10 men. It was the first time in over 24 years that a Dutch player had been sent off as a consequence of their foul on their compatriot.

Everything changed after that moment. Liverpool's mentality changed, putting them firmly on the front foot, and Slot sent on Isak for Conor Bradley at the break. In truth, he had to go for broke, knowing that anything other than a win would surely put an end to their extremely slim title hopes. With a man advantage, Liverpool took the initiative and found the opener, with Isak striking past Guglielmo Vicario under pressure from Micky van de Ven. Unfortunately for the Swede, he was caught by Van de Ven on the follow-through and gingerly limped off, bringing a premature end to his evening on the pitch.

It told the story of Isak's time at Anfield: one step forward, two steps back. A confidence-boosting goal, followed by what appears to be a painful ankle injury. Liverpool will be praying it's only an impact injury and not a twist or sprain, but it didn't look good. Of course, Slot knows he can lean on in-form Ekitiké to lead the line in Isak's absence - his header to make it 2-0 was a good example. But spending several weeks in the physio room, rather than integrating into the squad, won't help him or his club.

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Eberechi Eze might well have been preparing for the north London derby in the away dressing room had Tottenham Hotspur got their way in the summer. But a split-second decision from Mikel Arteta to sanction a €69.3million transfer in a board meeting changed the very course of their summer, with Eze choosing to sign for Arsenal over Spurs. Now, he faced them for the first time in a red shirt and the England international made it abundantly clear what they had missed out on with a sublime hat-trick in a 4-1 thumping Premier League victory on Sunday afternoon.

The warning signs were there when Eze, in the third minute, scooped a delightful chip over the Spurs backline to find Declan Rice but his England team-mate's effort was saved well by Guglielmo Vicario. Arsenal produced a few more waves of attack with Bukayo Saka's whipped free-kick stinging the hands of the Italian, with the Gunners dominating possession as they were practically camped in the Tottenham half. So it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 34th minute. Mikel Merino's clever dink sailed in between the Spurs back three and Leandro Trossard ghosted in behind them, springing the offside trap. On the swivel, the Belgian brilliantly found the corner with his back to goal, giving the hosts a deserved lead.

Despite fielding a front three with a combined market value of €100m, Spurs went into half-time without registering a single shot and Thomas Frank wore a frustrated look on the touchline. Yet the Dane's defensive 3-4-2-1 setup certainly contributed to his team being pinned back. The fact that the nine players on his bench totalled €340m in market value, compared to the €397m starting XI, told the whole story. Why were Randal Kolo Muani, Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Pedro Porro left on the bench?

Arsenal continued to press for another and got their reward when Rice supplied Eze this time, and the playmaker danced past one, two and three challenges before pulling the trigger from 15 yards, with Vicario unable to keep it out this time. If those 43 minutes proved anything, it demonstrated Eze certainly made the right call in snubbing the white side of north London for the red. Spurs looked jaded and incohesive in this shape, struggling to string passes together. How they could've done with a player of Eze's profile to take the ball up the field with his close dribbling and impressive speed. The player signed to take his reserved spot, Xavi Simons, was only named as a substitute following a disappointing start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Dutchman was introduced at the interval for Kevin Danso as Spurs switched to a more attacking shape.

Within 60 seconds of that change, Jurriën Timber was able to have two bites of the cherry to find Eze waiting on the edge of the box and the playmaker placed his effort into the bottom corner. His second of the day, Arsenal's third, and the damage was done for Spurs. Frank's men were suddenly having to protect themselves from a hammering, such was the freedom Arsenal were getting in their half. They still hadn't attempted a single shot on David Raya's goal and, given their lack of threat in the defeat against Chelsea too, it is becoming an issue for Frank. Richarlison put an end to that with a spectacular effort from the best part of 45 yards out to catch out Raya and give Spurs the smallest glimmer of hope.

But Arteta's men, as they so often do, killed the game as a contest with Eze's third of the day to go six points clear of Chelsea ahead of their clash next week. Perhaps more importantly, they've secured a 20th home win against their bitter rivals since 1993 to secure the bragging rights again - and to Arsenal fans, nothing tastes sweeter than that.

©TM/IMAGO

A 5-4 at White Hart Lane in 2004. A 4-4 thriller in 2008. Back-to-back 5-2s at the Emirates in 2012. Arsenal vs Tottenham is a rivalry that not only provides animosity between fans, but a fixture that usually rains with goals. From Thierry Henry's iconic solo goal to Danny Rose's thunderbolt, the match-up has also seen it's fair share of mesmerising goal down the years. Just four miles separate the Gunner's stadium with Spurs' ground, and of all the derbies in the Premier League era, it has probably been consistently the closest between the two teams.

After 22 years of Arsenal finishing above Tottenham, leading to their supporters declaring their very own 'St.Totteringham's day' when it became mathematically unachievable for their rivals to surpass them, Spurs came above the Gunners for four seasons in-a-row between 2017 and 2021. Since then, Arsenal have re-asserted their dominance, with 16 places separating them in the Premier League last term. This Sunday, the pair meet at the Emirates with Mikel Arteta's team top of the table, and Thomas Frank's outfit in fifth. And if past meetings are anything to go by, we could be in for another goal-fest.

Club Comparison

Arsenal FC

Tottenham Hotspur

Premier League

Premier League

€1.31bn

Market Value

€920.60m

First Tier

League Level

First Tier

€293.50m

Expenditures 25/26

€210.60m

Mikel Arteta

Managers

Thomas Frank

Full Club Comparison

Premier League games with most goals-per-game

When we go back through the archives and look at all of the Premier League fixtures which have been played 60 times or more since the 1992/93 season, the North London derby actually ranks in the top 10 for the most goal-per-game. Which is surprising given the magnitude of pressure surrounding the fixture. The Premier League match-up with the most goals-per-game is actually none other than Tottenham vs Newcastle, which, in 60 meetings, has averaged 3.20 goals-per-game. Liverpool vs Newcastle takes second place with 3.16 goals-per-game from 61 encounters. Liverpool vs Spurs is the first ever-present Premier League fixture on the list in third with 3.12 goals-per-game from 66 meetings.

Fourth goes to Manchester United vs Newcastle with 3.05 goals-per-game, and that's followed by Arsenal vs Liverpool, which has averaged 2.97 goals-per-game. Then in sixth it's the North London derby with 2.88 goals-per-game from the 66 meetings between Arsenal and Tottenham in the Premier League era. Last season, the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finished 1-0 to Arsenal, whilst Arteta's side were 2-1 victors at the Emirates. But how does the North London derby goal ratio compare to the other iconic Premier League rivalries?

Premier League rivalries with most goals-per-game

We have lowered the threshold for Premier League rivalries to 50+ games to include the Manchester derby, but still focus on matches with a bigger sample size. As I'm sure readers would have deciphered from above, the North London derby comes out on top in this department. It's 2.88 goals-per-game narrowly betters the Manchester derby, which has boasted 2.86 goals-per-game from its 57 Premier League encounters. Chelsea vs Spurs is usually a confrontational affair, and is third with 2.76 goals-per-game. In fourth is another London derby between Arsenal and the Blues, with 2.73 goals-per-game in that fixture.

The North-West derby between English giants Manchester United and Liverpool ranks fifth with an average of 2.67 goals-per-game. The Red Devils vs the Gunners was the iconic fixture around the Millennium but only averaged 2.49 goals-per-game. The Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton used to be renowned for being a feisty affair, but has only averaged 2.27 goals-per-game down the years in the Premier League. Will the North London derby continue to deliver goals at the Emirates this Sunday?

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Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim will be desperate for all three points against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the Red Devils boss will be keen to extend his side’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to five games. But perhaps second on the list will be an opportunity to take advantage of Spurs’ inconsistent form to finally claim a win over the North London side, since Amorim took over at Old Trafford.

Club Comparison

Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United

Premier League

Premier League

€920.60m

Market Value

€730.20m

First Tier

League Level

First Tier

€210.60m

Expenditures 25/26

€250.70m

Thomas Frank

Managers

Rúben Amorim

Full Club Comparison

Indeed, while Sir Alex Ferguson may have famously poked fun at how easy the fixture once was for Man Utd - the Scot is quoted as once saying “Lads, it’s Tottenham” in a somewhat condescending team talk - his successor will be saying nothing of the sort on Saturday. In his first season at the club, Amorim suffered defeat on no less than three occasions when his team locked horns with Spurs with a 4-3 defeat in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, a 1-0 loss in the Premier League back in February and then, most notably, when Spurs overcame Man Utd by a solitary goal to win last season’s Europa League final.

However, while Amorim did very little to endear Man Utd fans to his tactics and methods when he joined the club last season and duly lost three consecutive games to Tottenham in the space of six months, the club’s poor run of form against their North London opponents actually predates Amorim’s move to the club. And when we compare it to Man Utd’s record against the other “Big Six” clubs in the Premier League, we find that Spurs have actually become something of a bogey club for the Old Trafford giants in recent seasons.

As we can see from the graphic above, when we look at Man Utd’s points-per-game average against the English top-flight’s five other big clubs in all competitions, we can see that Tottenham have inflicted the most grief on the Red Devils since the start of the 2022/23 season. In that time, Spurs have won five of their eight encounters, drawn two and lost just once to Man Utd since October 2022. When we break that down to a per-game average it works out at just 0.6 for Man Utd and is considerably less than their record against their other Premier League rivals.

While Arsenal can lay claim to an equally impressive record against Man Utd in that time (five wins and one draw in eight games), these figures show that the Old Trafford club have averaged twice as many points against Manchester City and almost three times as many points against Liverpool and Chelsea than they’ve managed against Tottenham in the last three seasons.