The Spurs Web

A report suggests that one Tottenham player has been completely forgotten by his national team set-up in light of his struggles in North London.

Player fails to make the most of his chances

The player we are talking about is Timo Werner, who certainly cannot complain about a lack of chances at Tottenham.

The forward has got a run in the side over recent weeks in light of the injuries to Heung-min Son, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison, and he has failed to make the most of them.

While the German has certainly looked threatening at times and produced some impressive moments, his poor finishing has let him down time and again.

Timo Werner forgotten by the German set-up

RB Live now point out that there was a big debate in Germany recently regarding who Julian Nagelsmann should call up to the squad in light of the injury to Niclas Fullkrug.

However, the Spurs man was never considered one of the candidates, with the outlet simply stating that ‘nobody talks about Timo Werner’ anymore.

The 28-year-old was not in Nagelsmann’s mind because he is basically ‘forgotten in London’, according to the report, which goes on to add that his reputation is now of ‘a death of chances’, perhaps hinting at his inability to finish.

Things looking bleak for Werner

Werner’s opportunities will likely dry up when Tottenham’s key stars return from injury over the coming weeks, with the wide-man now also in danger of falling behind 17-year-old Mikey Moore in the pecking order.

Unless we see a dramatic turnaround from the on-loan Leipzig man soon, it is pretty clear that his stay at Spurs will be short-lived.

Radu Dragusin was an unpassable wall in Romania’s win over Lithuania, winning every single ground and aerial dual that he contested.

Romania seal quarterfinal spot

Romania maintained their perfect record in the Nations League, making it four wins from four in their clash at Lithuania on Tuesday, thereby sealing their place in the knockout stages of the competition.

The home side took an early lead through Armandas Kucys but goals in either half from Razvan Marin and Denis Dragus saw the eastern European nation seal their comeback.

They had their defence to thank for coming away with all three points, with Tottenham’s Radu Dragusin playing a vital role once again.

Radu Dragusin’s unbelievable numbers

Dragusin’s defensive numbers on Tuesday are nothing short of spectacular, with the Tottenham man making one block, three important clearances and recovering the ball on five different occasions, according to Fotmob.

What is even more eye-catching is the fact that the 22-year-old won all six of the duals he contested against the Lithuanian forwards, who got absolutely no joy against him.

The defender was also tidy in possession, having a total of 52 touches, completing one successful dribble, making seven passes into the final third, and not being dispossessed even once in the game.

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Much-needed confidence boost for Dragusin

Dragusin has not had the easiest of starts to the new season, struggling to get much of a look-in at Tottenham.

When the centre-back did get an opportunity against Qarabag in the Europa League, he was sent off quite early in the game after a lapse in concentration.

The Argentine media continue to be wowed by Cristian Romero, who helped his side keep a clean sheet and register a comfortable win against Bolivia.

Cristian Romero is Argentina’s Mr. Reliable

Romero’s absence was felt by Argentina in their 1-1 draw against Venezuela last week, with the Tottenham man suspended for the clash.

The defender came back into the starting eleven for the clash against Bolivia at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, with the home side registering a thumping 6-0 win.

Lionel Messi scored a hattrick while Laurato Martinez, Julian Alvarez, and Thiago Almada also got on the scoresheet.

Praise for Romero

As expected, Romero proved a calming influence at the back for the World Champions on his return to the starting eleven.

The Tottenham vice-captain put out all the fires at the back and was also praised for the way he helped Lionel Scaloni’s men build out from the back.

Argentine outlet Clarin wrote about his display: “Another remarkable game from Cuti, who gave his all no matter the opponent or the moment. He was constantly out with the ball and hardly made any failed passes.”

Romero’s form at club level

So far this season, Romero has fallen short of the high standards he has set for himself, being guilty of several poor errors that have cost Tottenham in a few games.

Pedro Porro is the toast of the Spanish press on the back of his excellent display against Serbia on Tuesday. The right-back will next be in action for Spurs against West Ham on Saturday.

Pedro Porro’s statement performance

It seems like Spanish football fans and the media have now seen what Spurs fans have known for a while about Porro, who delivering an oustanding display in the La Roja’s 3-0 win over Serbia.

The right-back set up the first goal with a lovely curled cross to the far post and he was a constant attacking threat throughout the 90 minutes while also remaining solid defensively.

High praise for Porro

A number of Spanish outlets waxed lyrical about the Tottenham man after his performance in Cordoba, with many of them suggesting that Luis de la Fuente has now found his long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal.

Diario Sport gave him the highest rating of 8/10, writing: “The first goal came from his boots and he created a lot of danger on his flank. He was also very attentive in closing down the Serbian full-backs’ runs. He was finally able to prove De la Fuente right in his candidacy to be Carvajal’s replacement.”

Marca wrote about Porro: “He provided a great assist for Laporte’s goal, showing that he loves to attack and has a good foot. A run and his subsequent shot led to the penalty that Morata missed, and he then rounded off his game with a good assortment of passes and shots. Carvajal has someone to cover for his absence.”

Meanwhile, Diario AS were also impressed by the 24-year-old, writing: “De la Fuente trusted him for the second consecutive match and he quickly returned those credentials, with the cross to the far post that Laporte converted into the first goal.”

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Finally, Relevo said: “This international break has vindicated the role of two worthy returning players like Pedro Porro and Alex Baena.”

Real Madrid watching Porro?

Over recent weeks, some outlets have suggested that Real Madrid are plotting a move for Porro, with the La Liga giants allegedly identifying the Spurs star as a potential alternative to Trent Alexander-Arnold (CaughtOffside).

If that is the case, performances like the one on Tuesday would only strengthen Los Blancos’ resolve to sign the former Sporting Lisbon man.

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Djed Spence has signed a new contract with the club until 2028.

Djed Spence signs new Spurs contract until 2028

Djed Spence‘s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium had been uncertain during the summer, however, he has been reintegrated back into the Tottenham first team squad after loan spells at Leeds and Genoa last season.

Some eyebrows were raised when Ange Postecoglou decided to omit Spence from Tottenham’s Europa League squad.

UEFA rules permit 25 players to be named, however, Spurs were restricted to 23 as they were unable to pick the required eight ‘locally-trained’ players with only Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman, fitting the criteria.

After a solid start to the season when given the opportunity to play in his role as a back-up to Pedro Porro, he has put in some decent performances and has been rewarded for his efforts.

A statement on the official Spurs site read: “We are delighted to announce that Djed Spence has signed a new contract with the Club, which will run until 2028.”

Antonio Conte called Djed Spence a ‘club’ signing

Former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte famously claimed that the arrival of Spence from Middlesbrough was a ‘club’ signing rather than his own, with the Italian overlooking the young defender in favour of the likes of Matt Doherty and Emerson Royal (talkSPORT).

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Spence scored his first goal for Tottenham in the 2-1 win over Coventry City in the Carabao Cup in September, with his equaliser paving the way for Brennan Johnson to score an injury time winner.

The England Under-21 international has made four appearances for Tottenham across all competitions already this season and will be hoping to be part of the squad for Saturday’s Premier League clash against West Ham United.

Spence is a key part of Tottenham’s future

While it looked to many that Spence would not be a Tottenham player come the end of the summer window, the decision to extend his deal is a shrewd piece of business.

Spence’s versatility to be able to cover at left-back is a huge plus for Tottenham, with Ben Davies’ lack of pace still a liability if Destiny Udogie is injured.

If Tottenham have one eye on potentially selling Spence down the line, the extension and hopefully, his continued impressive performances would see the club net a decent fee for the player.

Pedro Porro announced himself on the international stage on Tuesday, delivering the sort of performance for Spain that we have seen him do so many times for Tottenham.

Comfortable night for the Spaniards

Spain made light work of Serbia, emerging with a comfortable 3-0 win in Cordoba and sealing their place in the knockout stages of the Nations League.

While there were several star names on show for La Roja, it was Porro who stood above the rest, with Fotmob naming him their star of the match with a rating of 8.9 out of 10.

Pedro Porro’s impressive numbers

Porro was one of Spain’s biggest threats going forward and that is reflected in the Tottenham man’s stats.

He picked up a superb assist early in the game, with his cross being met at the far post by centre-back Aymeric Laporte. He then forced a penalty when his shot from inside the box was blocked by a Serbian hand.

According to Fotomob, Porro had three shots on target, had four touches in the opposition box and created six chances in total across the 90 minutes.

The Tottenham man also completed four successful crosses, one of which was the assist, and he made a total of five passes into the final third.

Porro’s defensive exploits

While we all know the 24-year-old’s qualities going forward, he was also rock solid defensively for Spain on Tuesday. The right-back was arguably Tottenham’s only decent defender in the 3-2 defeat against Brighton too.

The Spurs man made two defensive interceptions for his side, recovered possession on seven different occasions and made one clearance. Porro also won six of the eight ground duels that he contested.

Tottenham Hotspur welcome West Ham United to North London this weekend in the Premier League – a welcome return from two weeks of international football.

The worst timing for Spurs

It really was the worst time for Tottenham to endure an international break. Fresh off the back of letting a two-goal lead slip against Brighton, Spurs fans and players everywhere have been forced to stew in those three dropped points.

What better way to get the blood pumping again than a London derby? West Ham have struggled for form at the start of the Premier League campaign, finding themselves two points below even Spurs.

A win for Tottenham would go a long way to dispelling the concerns raised on the South Coast, but a defeat could compound the troublesome headlines for Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs vs West Ham score prediction

Pascal Chimbonda expects Spurs to bounce back from that Brighton defeat with a narrow win in the London Derby this weekend, while we expect something a little more stylish.

Pascal prediction – 2-1 Tottenham win

Spurs Web prediction – 3-0 Tottenham win

The Table

Spurs Web – 8 points after 10 games (5 correct results, 1 correct score)

Pascal – 5 points after 10 games (5 correct results, 0 correct scores)

The Lilywhites are back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend, with West Ham the guests. Spurs will be looking to bounce back from that woeful defeat to Brighton, while the Hammers will simply want to improve on their dismal eight points from seven games.

Tottenham vs West Ham United

We believe that Guglielmo Vicario will start between the sticks for Tottenham, fresh off the back of his competitive debut for Italy in the international break.

At right-back, Pedro Porro returns to action after a successful recall to the Spain national team.

At left-back, Destiny Udogie retains his spot despite putting in his worst Tottenham performance to date against Brighton last time out.

In the centre of defence, Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven continue to be the go-to partnership for Ange Postecoglou, despite Radu Dragusin’s superb performance for Romania this week.

Rodrigo Bentancur starts in the pivot role, aided by the fact he has been training with Postecoglou at Hotspur Way all week rather than jetting off around the world.

Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison line up in the more attacking and creative midfield positions.

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On the right of attack, Brennan Johnson will be hoping to make it eight goals in eight games for club and country across all competitions.

On the left, Heung-min Son finally returns from injury to captain the side.

Up front, Dominic Solanke leads the line following his first minutes for England in over seven years.

Predicted Tottenham XI to face West Ham

Former Tottenham and West Ham striker Jermain Defoe thinks his two former clubs have had similar starts to the Premier League season, but Spurs ‘really need’ to come out on top on Saturday.

Two sides searching for consistency

Tottenham host West Ham in the early kick-off on Saturday with a much-needed return to Premier League fixtures after two long weeks of international break.

It has been far from the ideal start to the 2024/25 season for both London sides, in truth. Spurs have just 10 points from their opening seven games, while West Ham are lingering even further below on eight.

While Ange Postecoglou will be desperate for his side to propel themselves back into the hunt for Champions League football, the Hammers will simply want to steady the ship after what seemed like a positive summer transfer window.

In need of a response

Speaking to Gambling.com, Defoe has highlighted the importance of this match and what each team will be looking for after their last run of fixtures. In fact, heading into the London derby, he feels the two rivals have had comparable starts to their Premier League campaigns.

He said: “It’s a big game for both teams really. West Ham and Tottenham are similar; they’ve had a stop-start season. West Ham’s performance against Chelsea was disappointing, but then they got a good win at home (against Ipswich).

“Tottenham really need a win to be honest. The Brighton game was really disappointing. When you’re winning the game 2-0 at half-time, you have to manage the game in the right way. If you can’t win – don’t lose.”

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Postecoglou described the loss at the Amex as the ‘worst defeat’ of his tenure as Spurs manager. In addition to a result, Defoe believes Postecoglou will be looking for a performance which corrects the wrongs of their last match.

“The manager will be looking for a reaction from his players, and I think the players will be looking to put things right.”

When asked about how the game may play out, Defoe said: “It’s a big game for both teams, a London derby, so I’m looking forward to it. I think it’ll be a good game.

“Tottenham are at home but I think West Ham will go there confident. I always feel like you get the best version of every player in a derby. As a player you find a little extra because you know how much it means to the fans, and it’s a special game.”

A player familiar with the stakes

Arguably, no player from the Premier League era is more familiar with the rivalry between Tottenham and West Ham than Jermain Defoe. He made close to one hundred appearances for the Hammers before moving to Tottenham and becoming one of their all-time greatest goalscorers.

Speaking about the intensity of the fixture, Defoe said: “When I left West Ham and signed for Tottenham, I remember all the stick I would get from the West Ham fans every time we played them. So I know how big the game is, and it’s going to be a tough one for both teams.”

Former Spurs fan favourite, Jermain Defoe, has offered his verdict on Tottenham Hotspur’s new big-money signing, Dominic Solanke – and he has plenty of advice for the number 19.

Solanke’s journey to N17

Dominic Solanke certainly earned his move to Tottenham. Scoring 19 Premier League goals in 38 appearances, he helped AFC Bournemouth to a 12th-place finish last season (Transfer Markt).

But Solanke is under much more pressure at Tottenham than he faced at Bournemouth. The 27-year-old has already been criticised for his lack of goals in his first few matches at Spurs, a consequence that comes with being the club’s record signing – costing £65m.

However, he is now getting to grips with playing for Spurs and has just represented England for the first time in almost seven years, grabbing an assist against Greece, despite only spending around 20 minutes on the pitch.

Defoe praises Solanke

Speaking to Gambling.com, Defoe has commended Tottenham’s newest striker, who he believes will get even better at Spurs given time.

He said: “I like Dominic Solanke. He’s nicked a couple of goals now, which is good. He got off to a slow start and after three games, people were sort of questioning the signing. But I think that’s just part and parcel of football really, every player’s had it.

“If you’re not playing well, then people are going to come for you. If you’re playing well then everyone loves you.

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“I did say that he’ll come good. He’ll score goals because of the way Tottenham play, they create a lot of chances. So it’s just up to him to take them.

“I think for him, he just needs to just focus on playing well and improving. He’s just got back in the England squad, which is good.

“I know he didn’t get any minutes, but just to be amongst it is good. Ivan Toney’s gone to Saudi, so there’s a space there. You’ve got Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins who will always be involved. I think for him, just focus on goals, focus on playing well and improving, and keep himself in and around the English squad.”

Solanke could become very important to Tottenham

Solanke was criticised for failing to score in his first few matches for Spurs, particularly on his debut against Leicester City. However, while he missed some big chances, he did most other things well, holding up the ball and making runs which were often ignored.

It now looks like Solanke has found his shooting boots, scoring three goals in his last four starts. Although he may not be a direct replacement for Harry Kane, Solanke offers something different and could make a real difference for Tottenham this season.