GiveMeSport

Things were brought to something of a head for Tottenham Hotspur supporters on Sunday as the Lilywhites lost 2-1 at home to Aston Villa.

For the first time in eight attempts, Spurs went into an international break on the back of a win, but turned things on their head by losing on the other side of the two-week sojourn.

Rodrigo Bentancur had given Spurs an early lead, firing home a Joao Palhinha knock down.

But Tottenham were pegged back by a fine Morgan Rogers strike before half-time and then saw the scoreline turned on its head by an equally brilliant Emiliano Buendia strike in the second half.

Spurs had the chance to go second in the table, but instead find themselves sixth and five points adrift of leaders and north London rivals Arsenal.

While results had been pretty good up until that point - the Bournemouth home defeat aside - performances have not exactly been pristine from Thomas Frank’s side and the reverse against Villa led to a fair amount of fan anger.

Criticism was pointed towards his team selection, with Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur both chosen as more defensive-minded midfielders for a home game they would have been expecting to win.

But it was not just those two who had something of a defensive mindset during the game as Frank has created something of a problem with one of his key attacking players too.

Transfer coup

Xavi Simons was signed from RB Leipzig for his creativity and attacking intent. Tottenham were in need of a new No.10, with injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski and bringing Simons in was seen as something of a coup.

He has played on the left of a front three but is at his best centrally, picking the ball up in tight spaces and getting Spurs on the front foot.

But there is an unseen part of his game that certainly endears himself to Thomas Frank and the way he wants to set up and while endearing to the fans in the moment, is not where supporters want to see him.

Simons showed on Sunday that he is not afraid to do the dirty work, which would ordinarily be left to the likes of Palhinha and Bentancur.

Defensive output

The Dutchman made a quite staggering ten defensive contributions in the match - more than all but four other players on the pitch - the two defensive midfielders for both sides.

He also made four tackles, only bettered by Palhinha, and recovered the ball three times. He also made two clearances.

This is not what he is on the pitch to do, and while it is a team game and it is laudable the work he is putting in, which Frank will love him for, Spurs need him higher up the pitch, making the attackers tick and creating chances.

In an attacking sense he created just one chance and passed the ball into the final third on only three occasions.

Frank splashed out £51million to sign the forward, having missed out on players like Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze already in the transfer window. Simons had 17 goal contributions in 25 Bundesliga matches for RB Leipzig last season. It will take time to adapt to a new league, a new head coach's philosophy and new teammates, but Spurs need to get him firing sooner rather than later if they are to really challenge for the Champions League spots come May.

And to have any chance of doing that they need to push him higher up the pitch and leave the so-called dirty work to other players.

Gary Lineker and Micah Richards both believe Mathys Tel should be playing on the left-hand side after struggling to impress in a central role during Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.

The French striker was deployed at centre-forward by Thomas Frank on Sunday and failed to be the focal point of the attack, managing zero shots on goal and just five accurate passes.

With Frank’s move seemingly backfiring, Lineker claimed Tel was not fulfilling the natural striker’s duties well against Villa, as he struggled to exploit the high line that Unai Emery deployed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tel was handed his third Premier League start on Sunday, all of which have come at centre-forward, with the Frenchman scoring his first goal of the season in the 2-1 win over Leeds before the international break.

Tottenham were without injured Dominic Solanke on Sunday, while Richarlison came off the bench for Tel in the final half-hour, and Randal Kolo Muani returned from injury.

Lineker and Richards Agree on Mathys Tel

Lineker, speaking on The Rest is Football, said he preferred seeing Tel on the left following yet another start for Tottenham at centre-forward on Sunday:

“I preferred him, perhaps, on the left-hand side when I'm seeing him play there. But yeah, he wasn't making the natural runs of a striker that understands how to beat an offside trap, which is not that difficult when a team plays that high line with no pressure on the ball.”

Richards responded:

“Yeah, exactly that. I echo your thoughts as well. I like him better off the left.”

Tel, a February arrival from Bayern Munich, has struggled to find form in his first 10 months as a Tottenham player, netting just four goals in 28 appearances for the North London side.

The 'extraordinary' Frenchman initially joined Spurs on loan at the start of the year before his move from Bayern was made permanent for £30m this summer.

Tottenham are dealing with several injury issues in attack, with Solanke yet to feature since their 2-0 win at Manchester City in August.

Dejan Kulusevski also remains unavailable and has yet to play this season, following surgery on his patella before last season’s Europa League final victory in May.

Pundit and former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O'Hara has slammed a pair of Spurs players for their performances in the club's latest game.

Making a return from the international break in October, Spurs played hosts to Aston Villa as they looked to build on their impressive start to the Premier League season. Despite taking the lead, however, Villa battled back to win 2-1, marking their fifth successive win in all competitions.

Tottenham, despite taking the lead in the game, never looked as though they would convincingly score more than once. Villa were deserved winners from the game, though it has led to cause for concern for Spurs, who have won just once from four home matches in the Premier League.

Following the game, Jamie O'Hara, perhaps best remembered as a player for his tenure with Spurs between 2005 and 2011, criticised two of the Lilywhites attacking talents.

'They Are Not Good Enough'

Starting against Villa for Tottenham were attacking duo Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel, two players that O'Hara criticised after the full-time whistle. Tel retained his place in the starting line-up after scoring a goal against Leeds before the international break, whilst Odobert has developed into a consistent part of the first-team under Thomas Frank.

O'Hara asked why both had played against Villa, against whom they created little. He then stressed that Tottenham need their home form, which ranks amongst the worst of any Premier League team, needs to be "a million times better."

Aston Villa are a good team, particularly when they are on a strong run of form. The Villans could well be one of the clubs Tottenham are battling towards the end of the campaign in a race for Champions League football.

Thomas Frank must consider changing the balance in Tottenham's midfield following their 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon. Two players in particular could find their places in the starting XI under threat following lacklustre displays.

Coming into the game five points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, three points were crucial for Spurs as they aimed to keep pace with their north London rivals. A win would have taken them two points behind the Gunners and one ahead of Manchester City.

Although Tottenham took the lead in the opening five minutes through Rodrigo Bentancur, Villa levelled thanks to a superb strike from Morgan Rogers. Unai Emery's side then took the lead through Emiliano Buendia, whose curling effort beat Guglielmo Vicario.

Frank Must Rethink Defensive Tottenham Midfield

Multiple Tottenham players have been criticised in the wake of the loss. And while they might have combined for the opening goal of the game, neither Bentancur nor Joao Palhinha had games to remember against Villa. The pair have been Frank's preferred midfield pivot in recent games, with Pape Matar Sarr having to settle for a spot on the bench alongside fellow midfielders Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall.

But while both midfielders add defensive stability, they can leave much to be desired when it comes to going forward. That proved to be the case against Villa where, after combining for the opening goal, their influence gradually decreased.

Although he grabbed the opening goal of the match, Bentancur really didn't create much of note, playing just one key pass and registering an expected assist total of just 0.01. And Palhinha, while he helped create Spurs' only goal, is much more of a disruptor, and he struggled to help propel the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert forward.

Frank's decision to play a very defensive midfield partnership has angered parts of Spurs' fanbase, who took to social media following Sunday's defeat to vent their frustration. One supporter said: "The insistence on Palhinha-Bentancur is utterly baffling. We're driving with the handbrake on. It makes no sense." Another added: "Another week of Bentancur Palhinha is a sackable offence."

Others believe that the 2-1 loss is squarely on Frank for his choice to start the pair together against Villa, and that the decision to persist with them is impacting results. "This result is 100% on Frank, so so tired of Bentancur x Palhinha and waiting to make changes until its already too late. Cowardly," one fan said, while another tweeted, "We should never start Bentancur and Palhinha together at home it's doing my head in. These dropped points are on Frank."

Considering that both Sarr and Bergvall offer more going forward, it might be time for Frank to drop one of Bentancur or Palhinha for a more attacking option. A different player would allow Spurs to be more free-flowing, giving them the chance to put teams to the sword when they are there for the taking.

Fans were left stunned on Sunday afternoon after an incident during Tottenham vs Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs took the lead in N17 thanks to a Rodrigo Bentancur strike from inside the box inside just five minutes. But the home side were pegged back by a glorious Morgan Rogers strike that flew past Guglielmo Vicario in the Tottenham goal.

But while both goals got fans at home and inside the stadium off their seats, there was a moment that left many scratching their heads, and it came just before the half-time whistle.

With the clock winding down towards half-time, Spurs were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous-looking position.

Instead of getting the ball into the box, Pedro Porro played the ball out wide to Mohammed Kudus, who then played a dangerous ball into the box that Mathys Tel should have done better with.

The Aston Villa players, however, seemed to stop, because Porro’s pass out wide to Kudus hit referee Simon Hooper on the way to him.

Normally, play stops when the ball hits a referee and a drop ball is awarded to the team who were originally in possession, but Hooper let Spurs continue and they almost scored from it.

Villa would have been apoplectic had a goal been scored from it, so what are the rules?

The rule

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), who are responsible for the rules of the game, have guidance on what happens during matches. Rule 9.2 states: “The ball is out of play when: it has wholly passed over the goal line or touchline on the ground or in the air; play has been stopped by the referee; it touches a match official, remains on the field of play and: a team starts a promising attack or the ball goes directly into the goal or the team in possession of the ball changes.

“In all these cases, play is restarted with a dropped ball.”

The touch of the referee did not lead to a change in possession, nor did it go directly into the goal, but it did lead to Spurs starting a promising attack. However, the argument could be made that the home team would have made a promising attack without the touch of the referee, because the pass from Porro would have still reached Kudus, hence the decision not to award a drop ball.

It did leave supporters wondering about the rules, though, in the aftermath of the incident.

Thomas Frank was handed a massive headache ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's clash with Aston Villa after Cristian Romero pulled out of the pre-match warm-up due to an injury.

Spurs headed into their encounter with Villa looking to move into second place, but were dealt a setback when Romero dropped out of Frank's team. They were already dealing with the absence of Destiny Udogie, who was joined on the sidelines by his captain.

Romero has made an excellent start to the season under his new manager and had started every game this season. He's appeared seven times in the top-flight, helping his side keep three clean sheets while providing one assist.

Tottenham Suffer Romero & Udogie Injury Blow

Romero was named in Frank's starting lineup, but a knock meant he played no part in the Lilywhites' home encounter with Villa. Injuries were a concern for the Argentina international last season as recurring fitness issues took hold.

Romero handed the captain's armband over to Micky van de Ven, and Frank turned to Kevin Danso to replace him in his backline. The North Londoners will be hoping the 27-year-old hasn't suffered a serious injury amid their participation in the Champions League.

Udogie was ruled out of the Villa game due to a knee injury suffered during the international break, although he didn't feature for Italy in their two games. He started the win over Leeds United on October 4, one of eight appearances he's made this term.

Frank confirmed the 22-year-old's absence to Sky Sports, saying: "He came back from international duty with a minor irritation." But the Dane was enthusiastic that it wouldn't be a long-term problem.

Romero was in action for Argentina during the break, captaining Lionel Scaloni's side to a 1-0 friendly win over Venezuela. He was left on the bench for a 6-0 thrashing of Puerto Rico.

The games come thick and fast for Spurs, who travel to AS Monaco on Wednesday (October 22) in the Champions League before heading to Everton in the league on Sunday (October 26). All eyes will be on Romero's fitness with a London derby against Chelsea on the horizon.

Thomas Frank has given Richarlison a lifeline since arriving at Tottenham Hotspur but the Brazilian striker will know he's playing for his future.

Richarlison started the season as Frank's first-choice number nine, and there have been highs and lows during that period. He netted a stellar brace in a 3-0 win over Burnley in August but came out of form and was particularly poor in a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth.

The 28-year-old has been with Spurs since the summer of 2022, arriving from Everton in a £60 million deal. He has failed to live up to that price tag, and with just over a year left on his contract, he'll soon need to repay his manager's faith in him.

Richarlison in Spurs' Last Chance Saloon

Richarlison's future was uncertain in the summer after playing a bit-part role under Ange Postecoglou, although he did start and impress in the Europa League final win over Manchester United. He struggled with injury issues, but also a lack of form looked to have pushed him to the exit door.

A potential move to the Saudi Pro League was thought to be mulled over ahead of the transfer window, but he stayed put and was given a new lease of life by Frank. That was thanks in part to Dominic Solanke's lengthy spell on the sidelines and the English striker has returned to give Richarlison competition.

Randal Kolo Muani also joined Spurs from Paris Saint-Germain on loan in the summer, and the Frenchman had shone at Juventus in the second half of last season. He'll be another option for Frank once he returns from a muscle injury, which has seen him make just one appearance.

Richarlison could be on the move next year as he is being eyed by MLS side Orlando City, as per GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Fabrizio Romano, who even revealed that talks between the player and club had taken place. He may well be preparing to be offloaded if he loses Frank's trust up top.

Frank confirmed in August that Richarlison was his lead frontman after an impressive performance in a 2-0 win against Manchester City. The Dane said, "Right now, he is my starting nine. He scored two fantastic goals. He had two top games."

That stance may change if the former Everton attacker doesn't show more consistency, with Solanke and Kolo Muani breathing down his neck. The North Londoners' decision-makers will be weighing up a potential sale next summer, as he'll have a year left on his £130,000-per-week contract.

Tottenham and Aston Villa will go head-to-head in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon as both teams look to continue their good form.

Thomas Frank's side earned an impressive 2-1 win over Leeds United last time out, while Unai Emery's side have won their last four in a row in all competitions, including a 2-1 win over Burnley in the top-flight in their last game.

Both sides have some injury concerns to deal with, and this is how GIVEMESPORT expects the teams to line up.

Tottenham Team News

Spurs are likely to be without striker Dominic Solanke for this game once again after he underwent minor ankle surgery before the international break, while James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain long-term absentees with knee injuries.

Radu Dragusin is closing in on a return after his ACL issue suffered last year, but Yves Bissouma is unlikely to be fit after being stretchered off on international duty. Randal Kolo Muani and Kota Takai are back in training and could feature, but Ben Davies is likely to miss out.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Frank shared an update on his squad ahead of the game.

"Kolo Muani has trained for two weeks with the team - he looks better and better - and he's in contention for the weekend.

"Dom [Solanke]'s progressed well post-surgery, he's moving forwards.

"He looks better and better. When he first came, he still needed a bit to get to a higher level. That's not to say he can't play a part tomorrow, but he needs time to get back up there."

"Bissouma unfortunately had a situation with the national team and has a ligament issue in his ankle so he'll be out for a few weeks.

"We all have an idea in our heads what the strongest team is with everyone available but I have to create the strongest team with what players are available now."

Tottenham Predicted XI

Tottenham Predicted XI: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Xavi, Odobert; Richarlison.

Tottenham Predicted Substitutes: Kinsky (GK), Udogie (DEF), Danso (DEF), Gray (MID), Bentancur (MID), Sarr (MID), Kolo Muani (FWD), Johnson (FWD), Tel (FWD).

Spurs will be keen to continue their winning momentum, but Frank could make changes from the clash against Leeds by bringing Djed Spence, Lucas Bergvall and Richarlison back into the side.

That could see £275,000-a-week duo Kolo Muani and Brennan Johnson named on the bench, alongside goalscorer Mathys Tel.

Aston Villa Team News

Villa will be hoping to have striker Ollie Watkins available after his goal for England in the break, after he injured himself crashing into the post and was forced to miss the game against Latvia as a result.

Youri Tielemans, Andres Garcia and Tyrone Mings all missed the win over Burnley but could return for this clash, while Emi Buendia was forced off in that game.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Emery shared an update on his squad ahead of the game.

"Tomorrow we will train again, and normally he [Watkins] will be ready for Sunday.

"Both of them [Buendia and Sancho] are training normally the whole week, and they will be available for Sunday if they are training well tomorrow.

“He’s [Mings] getting better, progressively. He’s training this week individually to add to us. Tomorrow we will see how he is.

“The idea tomorrow is for him to train with the team and, after the training session, to decide if he will travel with us or not to London.”

Aston Villa Predicted XI

Aston Villa Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Bogarde; McGinn, Rogers; Malen, Watkins.

Aston Villa Predicted Substitutes: Bizot (GK), Mings (DEF), Maatsen (DEF), Lindelof (DEF), Onana (MID), Buendia (MID), Guessand (FWD), Elliott (FWD), Sancho (FWD).

Emery is likely to continue with a team that has performing well, with John McGinn and Donyell Malen in good form in front of goal too.

Midfielder Nico Raskin could be tempted to leave Rangers if interest from Tottenham Hotspur materialises into something stronger, according to Football Insider.

In what was, by comparison to their lofty standards, a bleak 2024/25 season for Rangers, Raskin was one of the few bright spots. The Belgian international was an integral part of the first team, notching 16 goal contributions across all competitions and generally being involved in most positive moments for the Glaswegians.

Under Russell Martin, however, the midfielder struggled for first-team minutes, a stance that baffled supporters, who continued to view Raskin as one of their best talents. Martin has since been sacked after a turgid stint in charge of Rangers, who are still searching for their new permanent manager.

Due to his lack of minutes, rumours about Raskin's future have circulated for some time, with it now seeming that the midfielder could indeed depart Ibrox in the coming months.

Spurs Could Sway Raskin

As per Football Insider, Raskin is currently "content" at Rangers, having found his way back into the first team. There are "concerns," however, that interest from some of Europe's more elite clubs, such as Tottenham Hotspur, could prove too tempting for Raskin to ignore.

Spurs have made a strong start to life under the management of Thomas Frank, who replaced the Europa League-winning Ange Postecoglou in the summer. In the transfer window, the Lilywhites signed Joao Palhinha on loan from Bayern Munich, along with creative duo Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus.

Whilst the latter two of the trio can play in the number 10, Raskin, dubbed a "phenomenal" player, would offer further depth to their central midfield positions. Though already well-stocked with the likes of Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Yves Bissouma, it could be argued that Raskin would bring a different dimension to the club's midfield, were he to sign for them.

Paul Gascoigne, amid concerns about the Tottenham Hotspur and England legend's health, has provided a heartbreaking update about his personal situation as he admits that he can't stop drinking after a lifetime of fighting his addiction and says that he'll 'die as Gazza'.

Initial concerns were raised by viewers after Gascoigne, now 58 years of age, appeared on Good Morning Britain (GMB) to promote the retired midfielder's new autobiography, which is called 'Eight' and reflects on both the ups and downs of a career of great promise.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: When Paul Gascoigne signed for Rangers in 1995 for £4.3 million, he became the Scottish club's record signing.

Speaking to hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley, Gascoigne – widely regarded as one of the biggest legends in British football history – said: "I can go months and months without bothering and then have a two-day blip and then [feel] the consequences.

"And then I don't like myself for a few days. I just get miserable and then have to go to an AA meeting and just listen because you wonder what it is. It wasn't until I first went to AA meetings that I realised I was an alcoholic."

In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Gascoigne – who also turned out for the likes of Serie A side Lazio and Rangers of the Scottish Premiership between 1985 and 2004 – admitted to not being able to kick his drinking habit. "I have not changed. I cannot change, I would not know how to change," he said before adding:

"I will probably die as Gazza. But I have nothing to hide. The whole country knows what I have done now. I drank because I wanted to drink. I regretted the consequences afterwards."

Despite multiple stints in rehabilitation in an attempt to ease his addiction, Gateshead-born Gascoigne admitted that a relapse nowadays does not result in weeks and weeks of endless drinking like it used to.

"Now if I have a relapse, I do not go for weeks on end like I did before," he said before admitting the effect it must've had on his parents. "Looking back, I must have hurt my mum and dad. But you do not think about it. The person you hurt most is yourself."

Gascoigne, in his interview, also pointed to the likes of Jimmy Greaves and George Best; two British football icons that also struggled with their respective battles with alcohol. The Newcastle United academy graduate, however, admitted that his entire recovery is unique to him, and only him. "Jimmy Greaves stopped drinking, but that is Jimmy Greaves. I am not Jimmy Greaves, and I am not George Best," the former attacking midfielder said.

"I don't get drunk because I hate my mum and dad or I hate the public. It is not about that. I do it for the sake of it. I might regret it. But I don't think about yesterday, I don't think about tomorrow. I just think about today and live for today."

Gascoigne last played football in 2004 for Boston United but enjoyed a career full of moments. A 57-cap England international, he scored ten goals for the Three Lions – and that includes his iconic strike against Scotland at Euro 1996, which you can relive below:

At club level, the icon's most notable stint came between 1998 and 1992 in north London with Tottenham Hotspur, but he left Spurs to join Lazio as England's top flight turned into the Premier League. After winning nothing of note in Italy, he returned to British shores in 1995 to join Rangers before stints at Middlesbrough, Everton and Burnley followed.