Football Insider

Tottenham dropped points at home yet again after conceding a 96th-minute equaliser to Manchester United.

Thomas Frank’s side are in and around the top four in the Premier League this season but have had a real problem winning games in North London.

On Saturday (8 November), Tottenham drew 2-2 with Man United, despite falling behind to an early Bryan Mbeumo header.

Goals from first Mathys Tel and then Richarlison looked to have turned the game on its head, before Matthijs De Ligt popped up to ensure the Red Devils took a point back to Manchester.

Tottenham have to overcome home woes

Tottenham are now winless at home in the Premier League since their opening day triumph over Burnley.

Frank’s side have no such issues in the Champions League, beating both Villarreal and FC Copenhagen in North London so far this season.

Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer told Spurs exactly what they have to do to overcome their Premier League problems at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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“Well, I think what they have to get used to now under Thomas Frank is that teams are going to come to their stadium and they’re going to sit and defend, and they have to try and find a way through.

“When Tottenham are going away from home, teams will attack them, and that suits them better.”

Tottenham are in relegation form at home

Tottenham have played six Premier League games at home since the start of the campaign, and their 3-0 win over Burnley is their only victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.

Spurs currently sit 18th in the home table, with just Nottingham Forest and Wolves holding a worse record in their own stadium this term.

In 2025-26, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth have all come to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and won, with Man United and Brighton picking up draws.

Frank will be desperate to address Tottenham’s woes at home quickly, to ensure their top four aspirations aren’t affected.

Tottenham are looking to agree a new front-of-shirt sponsorship deal worth up to £60million, sources have told Football Insider.

The AIA Group has partnered with Tottenham for more than a decade, with its logo featuring on the front of the club’s shirts since 2013.

However, Spurs confirmed on Tuesday (4 November) the Hong Kong-based insurance group’s shirt deal will not be extended beyond the 2026-27 season and it will instead become the new training kit sponsor.

Tottenham’s existing agreement with AIA is worth £40m a year, making it one of the most lucrative deals of its kind in the Premier League.

Sports business expert Lukasz Baczek exclusively revealed to Football Insider Tottenham will be looking to reach an agreement with a new shirt partner worth between £50-60m.

Tottenham sponsor update expected after Son Heung-min exit

Tottenham extended their shirt sponsorship with AIA for a further eight years in 2019, taking its value to £320m over the lifetime of the deal.

The Asian insurance giant, which has a market cap of more than £80bn, will see its logo feature on Spurs’ training kit from 2027 to 2032 as part of the new agreement.

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Baczek admitted AIA’s downgrade is “surprising”, but he revealed it has been anticipated it could happen following the departure of Son Heung-min in the recent summer transfer window.

Tottenham sold Son to Los Angeles FC for around £20m, with the South Korea international a hugely popular figure across Asia.

Thomas Frank’s side are now working behind the scenes to find a new front-of-shirt partner to replace AIA.

In terms of the biggest shirt deals in the Premier League, Liverpool could bank more than £100m a year from their new agreement with Adidas.

Manchester United’s deal with Adidas is worth £90m a year, while Arsenal rake in around £75m from the German kit supplier.

How much commercial revenue do Tottenham generate?

Tottenham have been making efforts to boost their commercial revenue since they moved into their 62,850-capacity stadium in 2019.

Spurs’ latest published accounts for 2023-24 revealed their commercial income increased from £228m in 2022-23 to £255m.

That helped Tottenham generate the fifth-highest revenue in the Premier League after their turnover stood at £528m for 2023-24.

Tottenham could agree a lucrative stadium naming rights deal to strengthen their revenues further after holding talks with various parties.

However, it is believed finding a new front-of-shirt partner will be easier than agreeing the stadium naming rights after six years have passed without a deal in place.

Tottenham have had a frustrating week with plenty of speculation surrounding the club and suggestions of unrest and discontent behind the scenes.

Thomas Frank’s side lost 1-0 to Chelsea last weekend, leading to growing frustrations both amongst the players and fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Footage of Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven snubbing Frank after the full-time whistle quickly emerged, while Tottenham fans were raging at the boss.

Since then, however, they cruised to a 4-0 win against Copenhagen in the Champions League and remain unbeaten in Europe so far this season.

Suggestions of unrest in the dressing room have been played down, but concerns about the players’ response on the pitch are refusing to go away.

Thomas Frank squashed dressing room concerns at Tottenham

Former Spurs scout Mick Brown told Football Insider on 3 November that Tottenham must squash any concerns amongst the squad and aim to move forward.

As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Frank was quick to resolve any issues behind the scenes, while he explained the players involved have apologised privately and have put the incident behind them.

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However, with Frank having been heavily criticised in the last week, he is hoping to further develop his tactics and plans for the future to avoid similar unrest.

Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “Yeah, I think it was just a bit of frustration from both players losing a London derby to Chelsea.

“It was the manager in which they lost the game, they didn’t really lay a glove on Chelsea.

“Thomas Frank came out quickly to sort of play down any talk of unrest or anything like that amongst the squad. He said both players came and apologised to him the day after.

“It’s obviously had no effect on Van de Ven, he scored that wonder-goal in midweek.

“It was a disappointing result against Chelsea, there’s no getting away from that, but obviously still early days in the tenure of Thomas Frank at Tottenham.

“It will take time for him to get his ideas across.

“To be fair to Spurs, they’re sixth in the table and still unbeaten in the Champions League.

“It’s not been the worst start to a season and as I said I think there’s still a lot of time for Frank to improve things and I’m sure he’ll be looking to improve the goal scoring output in the team as well.”

Goalscoring frustrations have been at the forefront of fans’ frustrations, with the lack of a regular goalscoring proving an issue in difficult games.

Tottenham striker plan revealed after Frank claim

One of the supporters’ concerns in the wake of the Chelsea defeat is the lack of threat going forward, with no regular goalscorer available to Frank as things stand.

Richarlison and Mathys Tel have shared the responsibility of being Spurs’ number nine so far this season after Dominic Solanke underwent surgery on an ankle injury.

However, Football Insider revealed on 22 October that Tottenham will struggle to sign a striker in January and may be forced to stick with their current options.

Given the money required to land a new striker mid-way through the season, and the lack of available options, it may prove a difficult task.

The likes of Samu Aghehowa, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Harry Kane have all been linked with moves to North London as they assess a number of top-level options.

Tottenham have been embarrassed by a plethora of gloating Arsenal supporters following a new social media post.

Despite Brennan Johnson being sent off, Spurs claimed a 4-0 win over Copenhagen on Tuesday, 4 November, with goals from the Welshman, plus Wilson Odobert, Micky van de Ven, and Joao Palhinha.

Thomas Frank appeared to have fallen out with two of his players after losing to Chelsea, but everything seemed back to normal as the Lilywhites claimed their second Champions League win of the campaign.

Of course, their rivalry with the Gunners continues from season to season, with Mikel Arteta’s side beating Slavia Prague to rise to second in the same competition, having yet to concede a single goal in Europe.

Arsenal supporters make fun of Tottenham’s new accomplishment

After beating Copenhagen, Spurs are unbeaten in 22 home European games, showing off with a graphic on social media, but it appears to have reached the wrong audience.

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Other than AC Milan and AS Roma, Arsenal fans have been quick to compare their own games to the difficulty of the opposition that Spurs have faced. It’s not gone down well, it’s safe to say.

Fans are bickering in the comments over how impressive 22 home games unbeaten actually is, and even some of the Spurs supporters are embarrassed by their own club’s announcement.

Tottenham already handed boost to extend record vs PSG

PSG could be without three key players against Tottenham as the two sides prepare to meet on Wednesday, 26 November, which will be a concern for Luis Enrique.

Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi, and Ousmane Dembele have all suffered new injury setbacks, which are likely to rule them out for weeks, and not just the Champions League tie.

Frank almost kicked off his managerial tenure with a Super Cup final victory over the Ligue 1 giants, but it was not to be as late goals from Kang-In Lee and Goncalo Ramos forced the game to penalties, where Spurs lost.

Revenge against PSG would be a huge boost to the Lilywhites’ chances of going through to the next round of the Champions League, and they now have the perfect opportunity.

Tottenham have enjoyed a strong start to the season on the pitch but that has done little to ease growing concerns amongst the supporters.

Thomas Frank’s side lost 1-0 to Chelsea last time out in what proved to be a frustrating performance despite high hopes of a result against their London rivals.

Tottenham now sit sixth in the Premier League table after 10 games, but in the wake of their latest defeat, lingering frustrations are beginning to boil over.

Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven snubbed Frank following the full-time whistle and headed straight down the tunnel, leading to concerns about the harmony in the dressing room.

While the real reasons for their frustrations has not been made clear, the hostile attitudes of two key players towards the manager has been highlighted as an issue.

Tottenham fans begin to turn on Thomas Frank

It is not only the players who expressed their frustrations in the wake of the Chelsea defeat, however, as fans have also begun to turn on the manager.

Grievances surrounding the style of play, in spite of what have been positive results since Frank’s arrival, have made the atmosphere are the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium restless.

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That is according to former Tottenham and Man United senior scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that there are similarities to when David Moyes left West Ham.

“Tottenham fans are not pleased with what they’re seeing,” he told Football Insider.

“It’s not too different to what happened with David Moyes at West Ham, but it seems to be happening far quicker at Tottenham if they’re already unhappy.

“There was a lot of change after winning the Europa League and coming into this season, with a new manager and a new style of play.

“Frank is a very organised and pragmatic manager, but they knew what they were getting and that’s what they wanted, a change from Postecoglou.

“But because it’s not pretty football all the time, the fans have started complaining.

“When the fans turn against the manager, that’s always a concern for the club, and while I don’t think things are that bad yet, there are a few bad signs from the fans.

“There is still progress to be made there, and they’re getting results most of the time which ultimately is what you should be looking at.

“But if things get worse with the fans, it could become a problem.”

This comes after Brown warned Football Insider that Tottenham may suffer dressing room issues, which must be stamped out as soon as possible.

Tottenham plan to sign new striker in January

One of the supporters’ concerns in the wake of the Chelsea defeat is the lack of threat going forward, with no regular goalscorer available to Frank as things stand.

Richarlison and Mathys Tel have shared the responsibility of being Spurs’ number nine so far this season after Dominic Solanke underwent surgery on an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, the likes of Samu Aghehowa, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Harry Kane have all been linked with moves to North London as they assess a number of top-level options.

However, Football Insider revealed on 22 October that Tottenham will struggle to sign a striker in January and may be forced to stick with their current options.

Sources say that in an ideal world, Spurs would bring in a striker when the window reopens, but it is notoriously difficult to do business in January.

Tottenham and Chelsea ‘will be charged’ – PGMOL expert re-analyses explosive footage

Tottenham and Chelsea should both expect to hear from the FA regarding charges after the two teams clashed in the Premier League.

That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the clubs could face punishment for failing to control their players on Saturday, 1 November.

Joao Pedro continued haunting Tottenham as the former Brighton man scored the only goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Thomas Frank‘s players showing very little fight against their rivals.

Things could have gone from bad to worse had Jarred Gillett taken appropriate action after Rodrigo Bentancur crunched into a challenge on Reece James, which left the Blues defender in agony.

Rodrigo Bentancur sparks player brawl in London derby

Both Randal Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons were bashed after the full-time whistle, but most fans had their eye on one player who decided to snub the manager and walk straight towards the tunnel.

Djed Spence was clearly upset by the Chelsea defeat, and players’ actions were a huge focus throughout the game after a large group clashed over Bentancur’s first-half challenge.

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The FA are always keeping a close eye on games, with Arsenal recently facing punishment for failing to control players, and this could now happen to Spurs and Chelsea following the weekend’s derby.

FA likely to take action after Tottenham and Chelsea players clash

Hackett spoke exclusively to Football Insider about potential repercussions after several players clashed over Bentancur’s foul on James in the London derby.

“They will be charged with failing to control their players. Jarred Gillett had a good game overall. He didn’t get too involved, and he let the game breathe,” he said.

“But it’s a balance. From my view, it’s a red card, and you can see from the players’ reactions, they don’t want to be on the receiving end of these challenges. The PGMOL needs to get its act together.”

The victory saw the Blues move level on points with their rivals, only separated by goal difference after 10 matches of the Premier League season.

Wayne Rooney believes he knows what happened after Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven appeared to ignore manager Thomas Frank after Spurs’ defeat to Chelsea.

Chelsea beat London rivals Spurs 1-0 thanks to a first half Joao Pedro goal, in a contest dominated by the Blues.

Spurs had just one shot on target in the contest, and frustrations spilled over at the final whistle when Spence and van de Ven seemed to disregard Frank.

Spence’s behaviour could lead to the axe at Spurs, with Frank is surely set to have conversations with both players over the incident.

Wayne Rooney delivers verdict on Spurs incident

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, [3 November,], the former Man United striker explained why he believes Spence and van de Ven did not want to acknowledge Frank at the final whistle.

“I think what has probably happened is because the Tottenham fans were booing them, they’re probably a bit annoyed with the Spurs fans and thought we are not clapping you then, why are we clapping you if you’re booing us,” Rooney said.

“I think that’s probably what has happened so it is going to be aimed at Thomas Frank, it is just a game and emotion that they’re probably feeling why should we clap the fans if they’re booing us and whether rightly or wrongly I think that’s probably what’s happened.“

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Spurs home record a growing concern

Frank must also urgently change Spurs’ record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with just one Premier League win at the ground this season in five matches.

Winless Wolves drew 1-1 at Spurs, whilst Chelsea, Bournemouth and Aston Villa have all left north London with maximum points.

Whilst Spurs may be strong on their travels, with just one defeat in eight games on the road, if Frank’s side want to make the top four then a instant improvement will be required at home.

FC Copenhagen are the next visitors to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Djed Spence may have upset more than just the Tottenham faithful with his actions following the narrow defeat to Chelsea.

Tottenham lost 1-0 to Chelsea on Saturday, 1 November, with Joao Pedro scoring the only goal in a tight affair between the London rivals, one which saw the Blues move up to sixth in the Premier League table.

Matters could have been even worse for the Lilywhites had Jarred Gillett sent off Rodrigo Bentancur for a reckless challenge on Reece James, but the midfielder somehow only escaped with a yellow card.

The atmosphere was raw after the final whistle, which was to be expected at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, especially after being kicked out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United.

However, one player appears to have made his situation even worse through his actions at full-time.

Djed Spence causes more drama after Tottenham defeat

While Micky van de Ven was also involved in the situation, dropping the Dutchman is not something the manager can really afford to do when he is one of the most talented players on the pitch.

Instead of sticking around to clap the fans, shake hands with the players, and speak about what might have gone wrong, the duo stormed down the tunnel while snubbing their manager completely.

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Spence went one step further by flinging his arms away from Frank, launching into a rant, which was all picked up by a fan still sitting in the crowd at full-time.

Spence has a chance of an England call-up for the World Cup next year, but if Thomas Tuchel has made anything clear by his recent selections, having an ego does not go down well with the international boss.

Destiny Udogie should be ready to return vs Copenhagen

Destiny Udogie has taken a back seat so far this season, starting just three Premier League matches to date, and being given just 17 minutes against Enzo Maresca‘s side this weekend.

Udogie and Pedro Porro were the perfect pairing under Ange Postecoglou. But with Spence showing just how much he has matured recently, there are far more options at full-back now.

Spurs’ depth, however, could now go against the former Nottingham Forest man as Frank works out his lineup to face Copenhagen in the Champions League, with Udogie waiting in the wings.

The manager needs to set an example after being completely snubbed by two of his players in front of a frustrated fanbase, and so, his full-back could take the biggest hit ahead of the next match.

Thomas Frank’s positive start to his managerial tenure at Tottenham may not instantly adhere him to the clubs fan base.

Tottenham’s 3-0 win at Everton lifted the north London club up to third in the Premier League table, with Frank looking to lead them back into the Champions League spots following a 17th placed finish under Ange Postecoglou last season.

However, Spurs were knocked out of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 defeat at Newcastle in midweek which puts to an end any hope of winning the first major trophy on offer this season.

Such a setback adds more pressure to achieve a high Premier League finish with Spurs welcoming London rivals Chelsea to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next.

Thomas Frank is being ‘tolerated’ at Spurs

Speaking to The Telegraph [31 October], former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher thinks Frank is currently being “tolerated” by the Spurs support.

“For the time being, Frank’s pragmatic approach is probably more tolerated than adored,” Carragher claimed.

“Frank was appointed at an ideal moment because there is so much room for improvement. The downside is he is being underestimated because everyone knows Spurs were such underachievers.

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“Since there was zero chance of Spurs being relegated, Frank literally could not have done any worse than Postecoglou in the Premier League. It was inevitable they would get far better very quickly.

“My instincts are that the relationship between Frank and his new fanbase will be a slow burner.“

Frank’s best signing revealed

Carragher believes that the addition of Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich to the Spurs midfield has been Frank’s best bit of business so far.

“The best signing under Frank so far is Joao Palhinha, a highly effective ball-winner more so than a playmaker,” Carragher said.

“In the early stages of his Spurs career, Palhinha is exactly what Frank and his new club need, and it could bring instant success.

“Going forward, there will have to be an evolution, as the pairing of Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur is perceived by supporters to be over-cautious in home games.”

Enzo Maresca has some tricky decisions to make before Chelsea travel across London to face fierce rivals Tottenham.

Liam Delap will be suspended for the clash on Saturday, 1 November, after an “embarrassing” few minutes on the pitch as a substitute, getting sent off after just 26 minutes against Wolves.

The 22-year-old had only just returned from injury, with Tyrique George helping to lead the line for Chelsea in recent weeks, and the Blues have lost just one of their last six matches in all competitions.

Maresca was able to make wholesale changes in the Carabao Cup, including dropping Enzo Fernandez, and still squeak through to the next round, so here are three players who simply must start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Jorrel Hato

Starts have been extremely rare for Jorrel Hato since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, but each time he is thrown into the spotlight, he takes the opportunity by the scruff of the neck.

Despite the Blues conceding three goals to the Old Gold, the Dutchman remained a standout player for Maresca, grabbing an assist, not being dribbled past, and not even losing possession once.

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Whether he is up against Mohammed Kudus, Brennan Johnson, or any other pacey winger on Saturday, the manager should be confident that Hato has that player in his back pocket for 90 minutes.

Andrey Santos

Possibly one player who can keep Fernandez out of the lineup ahead of the trip to North London, Andrey Santos was simply sensational against Wolves, notching a goal and an assist in 90 minutes.

He was an absolute nuisance for the opposition, being fouled four times, dictating play from the middle of the park, and also winning 88 per cent of his ground duels at Molineux Stadium [FotMob].

The Brazilian has shown glimpses of what he is truly capable of, but with so many ahead of him in the pecking order, the 21-year-old has to take his chances when they become available. He did exactly that.

Jamie Gittens

Chelsea fans have been unimpressed with Jamie Gittens since his big-money arrival, but with a real chance to shine against Wolves, some of the doubters seem to have disappeared.

He topped off the night with a sensational long-range effort after already grabbing two assists, and Wolves just couldn’t deal with his pace and trickery down the left flank.