GiveMeSport

Tottenham Hotspur finally picked up their first Premier League win of the season against Coventry City on Monday night, but not everyone connected with the club will be fully satisfied with this week.

Tottenham have probably played better in other league games this season, such as Aston Villa and Manchester United, but it was the visit of Frank Lampard's side to north London that finally yielded all three points.

Spurs moved up to 16th as a result and it prevented Roberto De Zerbi's job coming under serious pressure if they had only drawn, or lost.

The Italian probably would have been at risk of an immediate sacking if the latter had happened, but he will now be hoping that this is the turning point in their season, ahead of the trip to London rivals Chelsea on Saturday.

The other big positive aside from the result was James Maddison returning to the starting XI and scoring the opening goal, while Dejan Kuluesvki made his first appearance for the club in 526 days following injury hell.

With Sandro Tonali looking much better since the international break and Omar Marmoush scoring his first goal for the club, things are looking more positive for Spurs fans and De Zerbi.

Tottenham's Next Five Fixtures:

Chelsea away

Crystal Palace home

Leeds United away

Ipswich Town home

Sunderland away

An injury to Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur being ruled out through injury meant it was expected that Tonali would finally line up alongside fellow big-money summer addition Mateus Fernandes in the middle of the park against Coventry.

However, the one-cap Portugal international instead started from the substitutes' bench, with Archie Gray preferred in midfield alongside the Italian.

Last week, Fernandes' partner gave birth to their first child, but it was still something of a surprise that he wasn't named in the starting line-up, especially as he did take his spot on the substitutes' bench.

Fernandes' Tottenham Career Not Going as Expected

After what we saw from Fernandes at Southampton and then West Ham, and then costing Spurs £85m, it was expected that he would quickly become a regular in the XI alongside Tonali this season.

The fact that the £185m duo still haven't started alongside each other is surprising, and Fernandes will surely have been furious with how things played out on Monday night.

Yes, he may have just welcomed a new baby into the world, but it didn't stop him from being named on the bench, so it shouldn't have affected him playing from the start either.

If that is the reason, you can maybe understand it from De Zerbi's point of view, if he's missed a training session or two, but given his lack of consistent starts this term, there is every chance it may also have been a tactical decision.

Fernandes still has plenty of time to turn his Tottenham career around, but it hasn't gone as he may have expected it to go so far.

He has largely played in the No.10 position despite looking better in a deeper role than that at Saints and West Ham, and we may not see the best version of the Portuguese star unless he is given consistent starts alongside Tonali.

Tottenham Hotspur superstar Pedro Porro is seriously considering an exit from the club amid interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The Lilywhites defender signed a new long-term contract with the north London side in the summer, before going on to win the World Cup with Spain as the first-choice right-back under Luis De La Fuente.

He has since returned to the club and established himself as a starter under Roberto De Zerbi, but he has missed recent games due to a hamstring injury picked up against Aston Villa last month. However, it has now emerged that he could be looking for a way out in the near future.

According to a report by Football Insider, Porro would 'seriously consider' a move away from Spurs should Real Madrid or Barcelona firm up their interest in his services in the coming transfer windows.

The 27-year-old is very open to returning to his homeland to play for one of the two giants of world football, and would prefer to be playing at the very highest level at this stage of his career. He now feels that isn't possible to do at Spurs, and has quickly lost faith in the project at the club, despite putting pen to paper on his new contract a few months ago.

Spurs would not be keen to let him leave, especially with his new contract status, but a big offer from Barcelona or Real Madrid could be the turning point for everyone.

Both Spanish clubs can offer Champions League football regularly, something Spurs can't do, but their interest is considered to be at an early stage at this point.

Barcelona have Joao Cancelo and Jules Kounde as right-back options currently, while Real Madrid have Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries. But the former three have all been linked with potential moves away recently, which could open the door for a move for Porro.

Porro Exit Would Rock Spurs

Tottenham went big in the summer to strengthen their squad for De Zerbi, bringing in ten new faces and spending almost £400m.

But they started the season poorly, while they also allowed some top stars like Cristian Romero and Luka Vuskovic to move on. Porro signed a new deal before a lot of that happened, and after seeing the team win just once all season so far, he's obviously not been convinced that they are heading in the right direction.

Even if they had won every game, though, Spurs would have to accept their place in the food chain of world football if Barcelona or Real Madrid made a move for a top star, and he'd likely want to be on the move anyway.

Replacing him at this stage would be incredibly difficult to do, and it would be a major blow to the project and team, so they will be hoping that the two clubs never make their move, and they can start winning games quickly to convince him that he is in the right place.

Tottenham Hotspur picked up their first victory of the 2026/27 Premier League season on Monday evening as they beat Coventry City in north London.

Spurs were rock bottom of England's top tier going into the match having picked up just three points from their opening six matches.

Roberto De Zerbi would have been desperate for a victory over Frank Lampard's side, and they got the three points they craved as they triumphed 3-1.

James Maddison, Omar Marmoush and Ben Davies were all on the scoresheet as Tottenham climbed above the Sky Blues and out of the relegation zone.

James Maddison Posts Statement on Social Media

It's been a hellish 18 months for Maddison. He has spent much of the past one-and-a-half years on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.

Maddison was given his first start since May 1, 2025, and he marked the occasion with a goal. The boyhood Coventry City fan was overcome with emotion after hitting the back of the net, and he celebrated by kissing the Tottenham badge.

That didn't go down well with Coventry fans, though, with many slamming him for his actions on social media.

Maddison, who joined Coventry at the age of seven and played 42 times for the first team, has now addressed the backlash in an emotional statement. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the 29-year-old wrote:

"I had already planned my first goal back. I was kissing the badge of this club who has supported me and my family through the darkest days of my career over the past 18 months.

"I absolutely adore and love Coventry City. All my close friends and family know that. I’m a fan and always will be and I will 100% apologise to anyone who thought the timing was bad as my first goal back just happened to be against my hometown club.

"Good luck to Frank and the boys for the rest of the season. PUSB."

Maddison's statement comes after he gave an emotional interview with Sky Sports following the match. He said, per the Sun:

“They are the ones you dream of. Those dark days recovering from the ACL you dream of those moments and those goals. That is always the light at the end of the tunnel.

“That is why I felt really emotional and proud of Dejan Kulusevski today because I knew exactly that feeling he had stepping back onto the pitch after that amount of time out. Those moments and those goals they make it all worth it.”

He added: “I hoped [I could make this type of impact]. I spoke to the gaffer about this week and feeling like the right moment for me to go back into the starting XI after a stop-start start to the season.

“I just wanted to play well and to show my qualities and what the team has missed in the last 18 months since my last start. The gaffer asked me to play and wanted to enjoy watching me from the side, so hopefully I did that. A goal like that is always nice.”

Key Events Timeline

May 2016 — Maddison made his final appearance for Coventry before joining Norwich.

May 2025 — Maddison made what became his final Spurs start for 18 months.

August 2025 — Maddison ruptured his ACL in a pre-season friendly against Newcastle in Seoul.

April 2026 — Frank Lampard's Coventry sealed promotion, ending a 25-year Premier League absence.

May 2026 — Maddison returned to Tottenham action nine months after his knee surgery.

Tottenham and Maddison return to action on Saturday, October 24, when they travel to west London to take on fierce rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham Hotspur claimed their first Premier League win of the season as they defeated Coventry City 3-1 on Monday night.

The night belonged to the returning James Maddison, who was making his first start for the club in 536 days following a serious knee injury, as the playmaker netted a stunning opening goal with a fine strike into the top corner after just 14 minutes.

Jack Rudoni equalised for the visitors in the second half, before Omar Marmoush got his first goal for the club, and veteran Ben Davies scored in the 95th minute to wrap up all three points and move Spurs off the foot of the table.

While Tottenham claimed the win, there was some disappointment over the performance of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who allowed the Coventry goal to go in far too easily, while the likes of Dominic Solanke and Tosin also struggled on the night.

But while Maddison was excellent, there was another player who was arguably just as good as him, and is deserving of some major credit for how he has played this season.

Archie Gray has been seen as the cover for Pedro Porro at right-back for much of the campaign so far, but against Coventry the youngster was handed the chance to play in his preferred central midfield position alongside Sandro Tonali.

With Lucas Bergvall injured and Rodrigo Bentancur suspended following his red card at Man Utd, the expectation was that Mateus Fernandes or Conor Gallagher would start. But instead, it was Gray who got the nod, and he took the opportunity with both hands.

The 20-year-old created two chances, made nine defensive contributions, won 60% of his ground duels, and won both of the tackles he attempted. The brilliant star also moved from midfield to right-back later in the half, with Tosin going off injured, showing his versatility, and his performance earned him a strong 8/10 rating from Football London's Alasdair Gold.

Gray Has Earned a Regular Starting Spot

Many have tipped Gray to become a future Tottenham captain, but with the strength and depth that Spurs have in their squad, De Zerbi isn't always inclined to select him from the start.

But his performances this season have surely done enough to earn him a spot in the team, whether it's at right-back or in midfield, and De Zerbi cannot drop him out of the side now that the team has finally picked up a victory.

With Porro still sidelined, Bentancur still suspended, and question marks over both Bergvall and Mateus Fernandes at this stage, Gray should be expecting to be in the starting lineup against Chelsea at the weekend. If not, then something has gone seriously wrong, as Spurs are infinitely better with him in the side than without him.

Tottenham Hotspur finally ended their winless run in the Premier League by claiming a 3-1 victory at home against Coventry City on Monday night.

Goals from a returning James Maddison, Omar Marmoush, and Ben Davies were enough to seal all three points and take Spurs off the foot of the table, with the club claiming their first win since the final day of last season, when they beat Everton 1-0 to maintain their status as a top-flight club.

Maddison was making his first start in over 500 days, since playing and scoring against Bodo/Glimt in May 2025, and he was one of the standout performers for the hosts on the night, with some brilliant interplay, great creativity, and a stunning goal to cap it all off.

Spurs will now begin looking forward to the Saturday evening clash when they will travel to take on high-flying Chelsea, and they will be keen to continue the momentum of this victory against their rivals.

But while there are plenty of positives from the game to look at for Spurs, there is one performance from the game against Coventry that is being completely overlooked because of the final result.

Tottenham took the lead early on through Maddison's goal, but just minutes into the second half they found themselves pegged back level, as Jack Rudoni stabbed home from six yards out. But it was a finish that was straight at goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, and it really should never have found its way into the net.

Kinsky made himself big in front of Rudoni and got a full arm to the shot. However, he still couldn't stop it from going in, and it took a controversial goal from Omar Marmoush to put the hosts back in front.

The Czech international was handed the number one starting spot during the summer following the decision to let Guglielmo Vicario move on, and he was handed a new contract to show the faith that the club has in him. But the more he plays, and the more mistakes he makes, it looks more and more like that faith may have been misplaced.

Kinsky Could Cost Spurs a Premier League Place

Considering how close Tottenham came to being relegated last season, it was somewhat a surprise that the club decided against replacing Vicario with a proven goalkeeper, and instead handed Kinsky the starting role unchallenged.

His mistakes last season were high-profile and clearly rocked his confidence, and he hasn't started this season in particularly good form either. The type of goal that Coventry scored simply can't happen from a goalkeeper's point of view, and things like that seem to happen too often with the 23-year-old in the net.

Kinsky's performance against the Sky Blues saw him handed a 4/10 rating, and with the January transfer window fast approaching, it's a situation the club must seriously consider addressing. A top goalkeeper can be the difference between 10 or 15 points in the campaign, and for Spurs that could be crucial.

Replacing Kinsky as the first-choice goalkeeper seems like a no-brainer, and if they don't do it in January then it's very possible that relegation becomes a threat once again.

Tottenham Hotspur claimed their first Premier League win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Coventry City, as James Maddison shone in his first start of the campaign.

Spurs looked a little shaky early on with Coventry having some decent chances in the opening ten minutes, but the returning Maddison netted a stunning curling strike into the top corner to give the hosts the lead, in his first start for over 500 days.

But Coventry started the second half quickly and this time found an equaliser, as Jack Rudoni stabbed home past Kinsky, who should have done better. However, Tottenham bounced back quickly, and Omar Marmoush netted his first goal for the club with a fine strike from the edge of the box into the corner to give the team the lead once more, and ultimately all three points.

Ben Davies put a cherry on top of the cake in the 95th minute with a left-footed strike into the corner, but Carl Rushworth will feel he should have saved it after getting two hands to it.

Kinsky Almost Costs Spurs Again as Maddison Shines

Antonin Kinsky - E

Kinsky hasn't done much to convince as the number one goalkeeper at Spurs since taking over the role in the summer, and he almost cost the team again with Coventry's equaliser, where he should have done much better and was beaten far too easily.

Tosin - D

Playing in the centre of a back three in his first start for the club, the former Chelsea man didn't look fully fit and lacked mobility. He often slowed down attacks with some really basic passing, but didn't do much wrong either. Showed why he is fourth-choice centre-back.

Jan Paul van Hecke - C

The summer signing has been a regular since joining, and played on the right of the back three. But he looked shaky in different moments, including a completely botched header attempt in the first-half that almost caught Kinsky out.

Micky Van de Ven - C

Van de Ven came back into the side after missing out against Man Utd and did well, using his pace and ability on the ball to help the team. Didn't have too much to do, but did make one vital block to stop Brandon Thomas-Asante in the first half.

Andy Robertson - C+

The experienced Scot has done exactly what many expected him to do since he joined from Liverpool in the summer, with a string of steady performances. Once again didn't put a foot wrong, while also being a threat going forward, before being subbed off with a knock with 20 minutes to play.

Sandro Tonali - C+

Tonali was asked to control the midfield almost on his own in this game, and his athleticism certainly helped him to do so. Kept the ball ticking, made some big defensive plays, and showed his importance to the way De Zerbi wants to play.

Archie Gray - B+

Playing in his natural central midfield position, Gray was one of the standout performers for the home side. Brave and controlled in possession, he also covered plenty of ground and helped to support Van Hecke on the right while defending.

Mohammed Kudus - B

The Ghanaian was playing on the right and was electric throughout the game, causing Jay Dasilva a host of problems with his pace, trickery, dribbling and creativity. Tottenham fans will be hoping for more of the same in upcoming games now that he is fit again.

James Maddison - A

In his first start since the 2024/25 season, Maddison turned in a brilliant display. His composure and forward-thinking in possession has been greatly missed in north London, and his goal showed the quality they have lacked. A top performance.

Omar Marmoush - C

Marmoush has struggled since joining from Man City, but while he was relatively quiet for the first hour, he burst to life with a fine strike which turned out to be the winner, showing his quality.

Dominic Solanke - D

With no other recognised striker available, Solanke is getting starts by default at the moment, and that continued in this game. He offered very little threat to the Coventry back line, and while he helped make the ball stick in attack, he was very quiet.

Substitutes Struggle for Spurs

Conor Gallagher - E

Other than legs and running power, it's hard to see what Gallagher offers to this Spurs side. He replaced Maddison with around 20 minutes left, but the team lost all control after that, and he managed to lose possession XXX times.

Ben Davies - C

After his own injury problems, the longest-serving player at the club came off the bench to deputise for an injury Robertson, and ended up scoring a 95th minute goal to wrap up all the points.

Mateus Fernandes - N/A

Dejan Kulusevski - N/A

The Swede had next to no time to get involved, but his return after 526 days on the sidelines with a knee injury deserves a mention and a round of applause. Got the biggest cheer of the night when he won a foot race just after coming on.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to pick up their first Premier League win of the season when they host newly-promoted Coventry City on Monday night.

Tottenham moved back to the bottom of the top flight standings after Fulham secured their maiden win of the campaign against Hull City on Saturday, with Roberto De Zerbi's men needing all three points against Coventry to move out of the relegation zone.

De Zerbi has had a full week to work on the training ground to prepare his Spurs side for this game, as they look to bounce back from a poor start to the season.

The north London outfit are the only team in the entire Football League yet to win a league game this term, and if they have ambitions of eventually pushing up the table and being contenders for European qualification, they need to be winning games like this one.

It won't be an easy task against Frank Lampard's visitors though, who have won successive games after losing their first four of the campaign.

The 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest was impressive, but they laid down a marker with their 4-1 triumph against Newcastle United at the Coventry Building Society Arena last time out.

De Zerbi has been boosted with some positive fitness news ahead of facing the Midlands outfit, with Dejan Kulusevski set to be named in the squad more than a year since he last appeared for the club, while James Maddison is also fully fit.

That update, coupled with the fact that Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended for the next three matches, means there could be a different midfield lineup to what we've largely seen this season.

While Sandro Tonali and Bentancur have been the deepest-lying midfielders on most occasions, with either Conor Gallagher and Mateus Fernandes ahead of them, the latter could finally get his chance alongside Tonali in the Uruguay international's absence.

Tonali and Fernandes Partnership Has Chance to Flourish

Not only is Bentancur suspended, but Savinho and Lucas Bergvall are injured, which does open the door for changes to the XI and set-up against Coventry.

Posting on X, reliable Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold believes that De Zerbi is finally ready to unleash Fernandes in his preferred central midfield role alongside fellow big-money signing Tonali.

We haven't seen that combination start a match this season yet, and it will be interesting to see who De Zerbi selects ahead of them if he does choose to go down that route.

Conor Gallagher and Maddison will be his main options, alongside potentially Mohammed Kudus, but much will depend on if Maddison is actually fit enough to start.

What is clear is that Fernandes hasn't looked entirely comfortable when playing in the No.10 position to date, and this is his big opportunity to cement his spot in the central midfield position where he shone for both Southampton and West Ham United previously.

It will also be interesting to see if Luca Williams-Barnett is named on the bench, having not been seen in a Premier League matchday squad since the opening day loss to Brentford.

The 18-year-old is their brightest young talent and amid recent talk about potential new contract talks, the teenager will want to see that there is a pathway to the first team for him.

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi could finally unleash young star Luca Williams-Barnett following his double injury update on Sunday.

Spurs are still searching for their first win of the Premier League season as they sit at the bottom of the table heading into their seventh game of the campaign.

Spurs face newly promoted Coventry City on Monday night, which they will undoubtedly see as an opportunity to get their season on track.

Frank Lampard's side endured a difficult start to the campaign, losing their first four matches, but they have started to turn things around.

Coventry have won their last two games in the Premier League, allowing them to climb out of the relegation zone.

Speaking to the media ahead of Tottenham's game against Coventry, De Zerbi provided an injury update.

The Italian manager confirmed that both Savio and Lucas Bergvall will miss the game due to injury.

In more positive news, De Zerbi also added that Dejan Kulusevski will be available for the squad, but it does feel unlikely that he's going to be utilised much during the game.

The Swedish international has been out for over 500 days, so a start against Coventry is undoubtedly almost impossible.

The injuries to Bergvall and Savio are a blow to Tottenham, but it could give young Williams-Barnett an opportunity.

There's a chance it opens up a space on the bench or even in the starting eleven if De Zerbi is feeling brave.

Despite Williams-Barnett's lack of minutes under De Zerbi, the Tottenham boss is a huge fan of the youngster.

"I usually give time to all the young players I work with in my career, and he is a special player."

Williams-Barnett is capable of playing in the number 10 position but could also play out wide. Given Spurs' struggles, it might be time for them to unleash the young talent.

De Zerbi might need to start taking some risks rather than continuously relying on the experienced players who are letting him down.

The perfect time to unleash him

Despite their impressive results over the last few weeks, Coventry still have one of the worst squads in the Premier League.

Lampard has kept a number of players who helped him get out of the Championship, so it could be the ideal opportunity to unleash a player like Williams-Barnett.

De Zerbi needs to start taking some risks if he wants to turn things around for Tottenham, and Williams-Barnett is the type of player to play with freedom and confidence.

A start against Coventry might seem unlikely, but there really is no better chance for De Zerbi to give him an opportunity.

Lampard and Coventry certainly won't be expecting him to start, so it could be a huge curveball in their preparation.

Tottenham will be looking to finally find their shooting boots and move out of the Premier League relegation zone when they take on Coventry City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night.

For the second match in a row, Spurs dominated the first half of a match, but could not put the ball in the back of the net against Manchester United at Old Trafford and needed an injury-time header, with ten men, to salvage a point.

That had come after a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa before the international break, when Spurs had been on top early on before slipping 3-0 behind.

Facing a Coventry City side who have strung back-to-back wins together in the Premier League, Roberto De Zerbi will be hoping to have as many of his first choice players available as possible to kickstart the season.

Here GIVEMESPORT takes a look at the players who could be missing through injury.

Dejan Kulusevski

The Swedish forward has not been seen by Spurs fans for more than 500 days, but he is on the way back to action.

He has been spotted in training videos over the past few weeks, with De Zerbi stating that he was back in full training with the squad. He also took part in an 11-a-side match at Hotspur Way during the international break and was with his teammates on the warm weather break to Marbella.

Could he be in line for a role in the squad in N17?

De Zerbi has provided some good news on the Swedish international, finally.

"Yes [he will be on the bench], the medical staff have given the ok. It's probably the greatest news since the Everton game. He has suffered too much. I told him yesterday and he had a big smile on his face."

Pedro Porro

Porro suffered a hamstring injury against Aston Villa, ruling him out of Spain's Nations League matches during the international break.

The right-back did not make the squad for the game at Old Trafford, and De Zerbi suggested that he might be able to play against Chelsea.

"Pedro, I think he's coming. Maybe in Chelsea he can play."

Savio

De Zerbi has confirmed that Spurs will be without Savio on Monday evening after he felt a muscular problem before they left for Marbella.

"No Savio, unfortunately Savio on Tuesday before leaving for Marbella felt a muscular problem and we have lost him for some weeks."

Lucas Bergvall

De Zerbi has also confirmed another fresh injury blow. Lucas Bergvall suffered an injury against Manchester United, and De Zerbi has confirmed he will be out for around two weeks.

"And Lucas Bergvall because he had a problem in Manchester early on in the first chance he created for Dominic Solanke. He felt pain in his knee but felt fine and on Sunday he came to the training ground and he'll be out for two weeks."

Long-term injuries

Xavi Simons is working his way back to full fitness and there is a feeling that he is ahead of schedule with his ACL injury, having initially been expected to return in early 2027.

Wilson Odobert is also coming back from an ACL injury and was thought to be returning to first team action by November time.

The rise of Max Dowman at Arsenal has highlighted the promise coming from the Gunners' youth academy, and it looks as if the club could have another exciting talent coming through the system.

Mylo Bernard may be a name unknown to the majority of Arsenal supporters, but bagging a brace against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur shortly after arriving at the club is certainly a way to get noticed.

While it may be too soon to predict a Max Dowman-esque rise into the first team this season for the 16-year-old, Bernard is certainly a player who supporters would be right to be excited by.

Mylo Bernard bags brace against Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal announced the signing of Bernard as part of the club's first-year scholarship intake for 2026/27 this summer. The teenager put pen to paper on a pre-contract agreement that will lead to him signing professional terms when he turns 17.

The forward arrived from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace after an outstanding 2025/26 campaign, which saw the player score more than 40 goals for the Eagles academy, playing above his age with the Under-18 side.

Bernard has also been called up by the England Under-16 team and netted four times in eight games for the Three Lions. Now at Arsenal, he still has his scoring boots on.

The talisman scored a brace against Spurs this weekend to help the Arsenal Under-18 outfit come from behind to win the derby. The youngster only made his debut as a substitute last month and was handed his first start against Tottenham.

Straight after Spurs took the lead, an Arsenal move saw the ball crossed into Bernard, who finished to score his first goal for the club. A second strike came in injury time, when Bernard saw a cannoned shot hit the back of the net off the crossbar to ensure the match finished at 2-1.

It was a head-turning performance on his first start, and a sign of what could be to come in both the short term and long term future at Arsenal. While at Crystal Palace, former academy teammate Lucca Benetton previously compared Bernard to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry following a hat-trick - before the player had even made the move to North London.

Mikel Arteta turns to youth academy

While Arsenal are not afraid to shell out the big money to sign renowned first team players, the club are also very proactive in investing in the future. The Gunners have already confirmed a deal to bring 16-year-old Ecuadorian twins Edwin and Holger Quintero to the Emirates Stadium in 2027, after securing youngsters Tommy Setford and Victor Ozhianvuna.

Speaking as Dowman broke into the first team last year, Arteta said:

“I love the trophies and I love working with young players, especially the ones that have been through our academy, our system and see them playing, because I think that is a dream for any football club.

“The first thing we do is, what do we have in the academy? Can we look at them? Can we promote them? Can we make them the lead players that we are going to need to win trophies? Do they have this mentality?

“You are never going to get it right unless you bring academy players [through] - and win trophies. If you don’t do those two things at the same time, you are never going to win."