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Tottenham Hotspur failed to secure victory against Aston Villa in their last Premier League fixture, and a worrying pattern involving Cristian Romero has now begun to emerge.

It was a second defeat for Tottenham Hotspur under Thomas Frank when Aston Villa visited the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 2-1 scoreline summed up an afternoon where Spurs could not capitalise on their bright start, with Rodrigo Bentancur’s early strike proving to be their only reward.

The result leaves Tottenham in sixth place in the Premier League table, with hopes of an immediate response when they next take to the pitch.

Cristian Romero’s absence exposes Tottenham struggles

Thomas Frank was without Cristian Romero for the league fixture against Aston Villa, with the Argentine ruled out after picking up a knock during the warm-up.

The Tottenham manager later confirmed that Romero’s injury is not expected to be serious, but the Argentine’s absence was glaring as Spurs struggled to contain the Villans’ attacking threat in his absence, with statistics now showing a worrying trend.

According to available data, Tottenham have managed to win just 23% (6 out of 26) of their Premier League matches without Romero since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

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However, with the defender in the starting lineup, that figure jumps to 50% (29 out of 58) – a stark contrast that underlines his influence on the team’s stability.

Romero’s presence at the heart of defence brings both structure and aggression to Tottenham’s backline, qualities that were sorely missed against Aston Villa.

Spurs need Romero back for vital run of fixtures

Thomas Frank will be hoping that Romero’s injury does not keep him out for long, given how pivotal he remains to this Tottenham side.

The Argentine will be crucial over the next six fixtures, which are set to come in quick succession over less than three weeks, making consistency and leadership at the back absolutely vital.

Tottenham’s defensive lapses against Aston Villa were evident in both of the goals conceded, with neither long-range effort being effectively closed down by surrounding players.

It is the sort of defensive scenario Cristian Romero typically snuffs out with his anticipation and intensity – his numbers back that up, with 1.98 tackles per game (Top 19%) and 1.58 interceptions (Top 10%) according to recent statistics.

An extremely worrying Premier League stat has come to light after Tottenham’s home loss against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Spurs’ struggles to win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium continue as Aston Villa came back from a goal down to take all three points on Sunday.

Ahead of the game, Frank had spoken about the need for Spurs to make their stadium a fortress, but it is proving anything but at the moment.

The Lilywhites are now winless at home in the Premier League since their opening day 3-0 win against newly promoted Burnley, and Spurs fans will be shocked by one stat.

Only three sides have a worse home record than Tottenham this season

Following their loss on Sunday, Tottenham have now secured just four points out of a possible 12 at home this season.

According to the Premier League’s website, that means that Spurs rank 17th when it comes to home form across the division so far this season.

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In fact, the only three teams that have worse home records than Tottenham are the three teams that currently occupy the relegation zone: Nottingham Forest, West Ham, and Burnley.

That certainly does not make for pretty reading, and although it is a small sample, it means that Spurs are showing near-relegation form at home, which was also the case for much of last season.

Thomas Frank defends Spurs’ home form

After Sunday’s defeat, the Tottenham boss acknowledged that his side have to improve some aspects of their game at home.

However, Frank insisted that Spurs’ performances at home have been better than their results suggest this season. He suggested that a draw would have been a fair result against Villa and claimed that Tottenham could have even won on a different day.

“I hope I can. Maybe I don’t think it’s that simple. I think it’s about looking into the performances.

“I think we performed well against Burnley, I think we performed well again today. I think we had one very good first half against Wolves and then we had a bad game against Bournemouth.

“So, that’s probably the reason I think it’s a game that is a draw, a clear draw and we could easily have won it instead of Villa and then it would have been a different narrative. So, I look at the performance on the pitch, we did well, and look at the bits we need to improve.”

Opta’s Supercomputer has revised its prediction on where Tottenham Hotspur will finish this season after their latest Premier League loss against Aston Villa.

According to Opta, Tottenham were marginal favourites to beat Aston Villa going into Sunday’s game, but it was the Villans who walked away with all three points from N17.

The result means that Spurs are still winless at home in the Premier League this season since their opening day victory over Burnley.

Ahead of this weekend, Opta had predicted that Tottenham would finish in eighth place in the Premier League this season, but that has now been revised.

Tottenham drop down Opta’s prediction table

Opta’s algorithm has now been updated since the weekend’s results, and Spurs have now dropped two places in their revised prediction.

Following Villa’s win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Supercomputer now predicts Thomas Frank’s men will finish in 10th place, accumulating 54.61 points.

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As per the website’s calculations, the likes of Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brighton and Newcastle are all expected to finish above Spurs.

How likely are Spurs to qualify for the Champions League?

Even more worryingly, after this weekend’s result, Tottenham are given just a 10.3 per cent chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Tottenham’s opponents on Sunday, Aston Villa, have been deemed twice as likely to do so, being handed a 20.3 per cent chance of securing Champions League qualification.

Opta put Spurs’ chances of qualifying for either the Champions League or the Europa League at just 16.5 per cent cumulatively, which means that they have deemed the Lilywhites huge outsiders for a top-six finish.

Thomas Frank has made an interesting observation about Tottenham Hotspur’s home form after their latest loss against Aston Villa.

Ahead of Sunday’s clash, Frank admitted that Spurs needed to improve their results at home, but his players once again failed to produce the goods in front of their supporters.

The evening started perfectly for the Lilywhites, with Rodrigo Bentancur putting them 1-0 up in the fifth minute, but the home side struggled to convert their dominance into clear-cut chances.

They were punished as Villa scored with two brilliant strikes, one from Morgan Rogers in the first-half and the other from substitute Emi Buendia, thus managing to steal all the points.

Thomas Frank reflects on Tottenham’s performances at home

After this loss, Spurs have only got four points at home out of a possible 12, which is in sharp contrast to their away form, where they have won three and drawn one.

While Frank acknowledged that Tottenham have to improve at home, he insisted that it was more about assessing the performances than the results, suggesting that his side has played better at home than their record suggests.

However, fans may be worried that Frank insisted Tottenham ‘performed well’ against Villa, despite conceding two and struggling to create chances of their own.

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When asked if he could explain why Spurs cannot win at home, Frank responded (via the club’s official website): “I hope I can. Maybe I don’t think it’s that simple. I think it’s about looking into the performances.

“I think we performed well against Burnley, I think we performed well again today. I think we had one very good first half against Wolves and then we had a bad game against Bournemouth.

“So, that’s probably the reason I think it’s a game that is a draw, a clear draw and we could easily have won it instead of Villa and then it would have been a different narrative. So, I look at the performance on the pitch, we did well, and look at the bits we need to improve.”

Spurs can take positives from the performance against Aston Villa

One can certainly understand why Tottenham fans are concerned about the team’s inability to create chances at home.

However, these performances have to be judged in a broader context of what is an extremely tight Premier League campaign, with all sides being very difficult to break down.

Man City struggled to break down Everton for the majority of the game despite winning 2-0 on Saturday, while Liverpool also lost at home this weekend.

The days of expecting home sides to dominate the opposition and pepper the goal with shot after shot are well and truly over in the Premier League, as most teams have strong squads and are well coached.

Villa are a very well-drilled side, who were restricted to barely any chances by Tottenham, and Frank is right in saying that on another day, the Lilywhites could have won the game.

NFL reporter Charlie Wilson has reacted to suggestions that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could play host to the Super Bowl within the next five years.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium plays host to two NFL matches per year, being the only stadium outside North America that is purpose-built to host the sport.

The tie-up with the NFL is part of the reason why Spurs represent such an attractive investment opportunity for many across the globe.

It was suggested recently by Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones that Tottenham’s home ground could play host to the Super Bowl within the next five years.

Tottenham’s chances of hosting the Super Bowl played down

However, Charlie Wilson has now explained that the venues for the next five Super Bowls have already been decided and that the showpiece event of the NFL will not be coming to London.

He further pointed out the logistical and commercial issues that may arise from playing the game in the UK, suggesting that it is not a realistic idea at the moment.

When asked about Jerry Jones’ comments on the Super Bowl being played at Spurs, Wilson told Football Insider: “The next five years is highly unlikely. I would say 98 per cent it’s not going to happen because this year it’s in San Francisco, they’ve already got Los Angeles in 2027, 2028 is in Atlanta, Dallas is being lined up for 2029, and I believe 2030 is one of the new stadiums being built.

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“I mean, it’s possible in the future. The NFL UK really wants to do it. I’ve spoken to Henry Hodgson, who’s the general manager of NFL UK, quite a few times, and he’s always told me that’s something they aspire to get, but the logistics of it almost make it impossible, I think it’s fair to say.

“The thing is with the Super Bowl is it’s basically a holiday in America. It’s kind of like Thanksgiving. It’s kind of like Halloween. It’s something the whole nation looks forward to, and having it in the UK, what time would it be on? Say it starts at 8 pm, that’s 3 pm on the East Coast and 12 pm on the West Coast.

“Financially, you think about things like adverts. For example, companies pay about $7million (£5.2m) for a 30-second advert. Is that going to change because of the time it’s on? Probably. So, you’re talking about the NFL losing multi-millions to go abroad, which isn’t going to be celebrated by teams or players. It doesn’t make a lot of sense right now, I would say.”

NFL UK know Super Bowl is not coming to London

According to Forbes, last year’s Super Bowl generated an economic impact of $1bn (£740m) for Las Vegas as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Sin City.

Wilson suggested that the economic footprint of the game is another reason why it will not be moved out of the United States anytime soon, adding that the NFL UK are aware of that.

He continued: “It brings the said city an insane amount of money, not only that, but for the team hosting it and the use of their facilities. It’s such a money-maker for the cities, so why would they want to take it abroad? What’s the upside for the NFL to play a Super Bowl in London apart from the game, which they’re already doing at an insanely good rate anyway?

“You look at the games in London this year. They’re at an all-time high on the attendance list. Is a Super Bowl really going to push it over the edge? The pros and the cons just don’t seem to make it likely for it to happen anytime soon, and I think the NFL UK acknowledge that. They know the NFL don’t want to take the Super Bowl abroad.”

Tottenham Hotspur have now missed out on the signing of one 15-year-old youngster dubbed as the next John Stones.

While signing established footballers often brings instant quality to a side, securing the future of emerging youngsters remains just as vital for long-term sustainability.

Tottenham Hotspur are currently feeling the strain in that regard, with Thomas Frank only able to register 22 players for this season’s UEFA Champions League campaign instead of the full quota of 25 due to a shortage of club-trained players.

Tottenham desperately needs young academy players to eventually meet European squad quotas, but they have just failed to sign a talented teenager who could help fill that gap in the future.

Newcastle beat Tottenham to Josh Kenchington

According to TBR Football, Newcastle United appear to have secured the services of highly-rated Barnsley youngster Josh Kenchington, a 15-year-old defender already capped four times by England’s under-15 side.

Kenchington currently features for Barnsley’s under-18s, but reports suggest that he has chosen to make the switch to Tyneside despite interest from several Premier League clubs, including Tottenham and Leeds United.

Dubbed the next John Stones, Kenchington is regarded as one of the most gifted prospects to emerge from Barnsley’s academy in recent years.

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His decision to join Eddie Howe’s side comes after a competitive chase involving Manchester City, Manchester United, Leeds, and Spurs, with Newcastle seemingly winning the race for his signature.

TBR Football’s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey provided further insight into the situation, revealing Barnsley’s disappointment at losing one of their most prized prospects.

Speaking to the outlet, Bailey said: “Josh Kenchington is a player held in huge regard, probably the best since John Stones. Barnsley really hoped he would stay to make his debut, but he is heading out.

“He has spoken to a number of clubs, but Newcastle believe they have won the race to land him – his family were very happy with their visit to Tyneside and think it is a good fit. Barnsley sources say they expect Newcastle to confirm his arrival.”

Spurs still have Luka Vuskovic for the future

Despite missing out on Kenchington, Tottenham will not be overly concerned, with Luka Vuskovic still viewed as a key defensive talent for the future.

The Croatian youngster officially joined Spurs at 18 and, if kept on the club’s books until the age of 21, will count as a club-trained player for UEFA registration purposes – a significant long-term boost for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tyrese Hall continues to enjoy his loan spell at League Two side Notts County, finding the back of the net once more as his impressive run of form carries on.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Tyrese Hall has been making the most of his time away from North London with League Two outfit Notts County.

The 20-year-old midfielder has been in fine goalscoring form in recent weeks, already notching five goals in all competitions this season.

Hall was once again on target in Notts County’s latest fixture, continuing to showcase his ability to find the back of the net.

Tottenham’s Tyrese Hall nets late winner for Notts County against Barnet

Notts County faced Barnet in matchweek twelve and came away with all three points thanks to a last-gasp strike from Hall.

It was a well-taken goal, and it proved decisive as Notts County climbed to ninth in the standings, sitting just six points off the top with a game in hand.

The goal arrived in the dying moments when Hall reacted quickest after a teammate’s shot took a deflection, calmly side-footing past Barnet goalkeeper Evans to seal the victory.

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Watch Hall’s strike here:

Hall impresses with another strong performance for Notts County

It was a top display from the youngster, who registered a match-high 8.4 FotMob rating for his efforts. The 20-year-old managed two shots during the encounter and was unfortunate not to have scored twice, with one of his efforts striking the woodwork.

Hall also impressed off the ball, registering seven defensive contributions, completing one of two dribbles, and making four passes into the final third from his 40 touches.

He showed his work rate throughout the game, winning five tackles, making two clearances, and recovering possession twice.

Tottenham Hotspur are still adjusting to life without long-serving icon Heung-min Son, but Yang Min-hyeok is showing signs he could one day fill that void.

Tottenham Hotspur are still trying to adapt to the absence of long-time serving club legend Heung-min Son, who departed this summer after lifting a piece of silverware for the club.

Son is without question irreplaceable and remains a huge miss for Tottenham, but there is quiet optimism that fellow youngster Yang Min-hyeok can rise through the ranks and eventually pick up from where the former captain left off.

The young talent, however, must first learn his trade away from Hotspur Way, and he appears to be putting the right building blocks in place during his loan spell.

Tottenham’s Yang Min-hyeok grabs first assist for Portsmouth

Yang Min-hyeok is currently on loan with Portsmouth this season, having secured a move to the Championship side in search of regular first-team football and valuable experience.

The teenager has already netted two goals in five league fixtures and has now added a fine assist to his growing goal involvement tally.

Portsmouth, who sit 14th in the table, faced Leicester City, who occupy fourth place, and managed to secure a 1-1 draw after initially going behind.

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Yang was the orchestrator of Portsmouth’s equaliser, with the Korean winger driving through midfield, gliding past his marker with sharp footwork before laying the ball off to John Swift, who finished superbly to bring the game level.

Watch Yang’s assist here:

Yang Min-hyeok’s performance breakdown for Portsmouth

Yang Min-hyeok’s display against Leicester was both lively and efficient, as he capped his performance with a lovely assist and several promising contributions throughout the contest.

He hit the woodwork once from his only shot in the match, ending with a 7.7 rating – the joint-highest of any player on the pitch.

The Tottenham winger completed 20 of his 22 passes (91%), created one clear chance, and made three notable defensive contributions while maintaining strong involvement in both halves of the pitch.

Across 39 total touches, he registered four touches in the opposition box, five recoveries, and two tackles, while winning five of his eleven ground duels (45%) and one of his aerial duels (100%).

Tottenham Hotspur have been keen to hand several of their brightest prospects valuable first-team experience this season, but one of their youngsters now looks set for a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

Tottenham Hotspur sent out several fringe players on loan this summer to help them gain crucial minutes at the senior level and prepare for potential roles in the first team.

George Abbott is one such player, currently on loan with Wycombe Wanderers, where he has made 14 appearances so far, including his latest outing in their 1-0 win over Wigan Athletic on 11 October.

However, the promising midfielder has now suffered an untimely setback while on duty with Wycombe, one that will significantly affect his playing time over the coming months.

Wycombe boss Michael Duff confirms injury to Tottenham’s George Abbott

Wycombe Wanderers manager Michael Duff has confirmed that Tottenham loanee George Abbott will face an extended period out of action after sustaining a serious injury.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Duff revealed that the youngster had been struggling with an issue before scans confirmed the extent of the problem.

The Wycombe boss explained that Abbott is now set for a lengthy layoff and could even require surgery.

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“George felt something in his quad in the week. It is not good news, he is looking at four months and probably some sort of surgery,” Duff said.

“He had a scan a couple of weeks ago because he has been feeling something but that showed there was nothing. It is a real blow for him and it is a blow for us because he is a good player.”

Blow for Abbott and Wycombe as Spurs loanee faces long recovery

It is undoubtedly a major setback for Abbott, who could end up missing the remainder of the season, though his focus will now be on returning fully fit and stronger than before.

The 20-year-old has found the back of the net once this season, and his influence in Wycombe’s midfield has been clear, having featured in ten of their 13 league matches when fit.

The Chairboys currently sit 17th in League One and will now need to find solutions without the Tottenham man, whose energy and work rate have been vital to their midfield balance.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered yet another defeat at home in the Premier League as Aston Villa stunned them with two brilliant goals after an early opener.

Tottenham Hotspur fans would’ve been quite happy to finally watch their team play again after the two-week international break, but had they known what kind of football they were about to witness, they would probably have wished the break went on for a few more weeks.

Even before the afternoon turned sour, it had already started badly. Destiny Udogie wasn’t in the matchday squad for what Thomas Frank described as a “minor irritation”, and Cristian Romero was pulled out of the starting eleven just minutes before kick-off after picking up an injury during the warm-up, forcing Kevin Danso to start in his place.

First half: Tottenham 1-0 Aston Villa

It took Tottenham less than five minutes to open the scoring. Mohammed Kudus whipped in a dangerous cross to the back post, where Joao Palhinha headed it across goal, and Rodrigo Bentancur was on hand to smash it in from close range.

Barely two minutes later, Spurs thought they had doubled their lead when Kudus finished smartly from a tight angle after being released by a long ball from Micky van de Ven, but the flag was up for offside.

Aston Villa struggled to pass Tottenham’s very physical midfield, with Palhinha everywhere and Xavi Simons surprisingly involved defensively, even going on to register the most defensive actions of any player before the break.

But all it took was one lapse for Villa to punish them. No one in a Spurs shirt wanted to close down Morgan Rogers on the edge of the box, and the Villa midfielder made full use of the space, curling a dipping effort past Guglielmo Vicario to level the score.

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Tottenham should have restored their lead before half-time, but Mathys Tel failed to tap into an open net after Kudus sent in a brilliant low cross. Both sides went into the interval level at one apiece.

Second half: Tottenham 0-1 Aston Villa

Many Spurs fans expected changes at the break after sloppy displays from Wilson Odobert and Tel, but Thomas Frank stuck with his starting eleven.

At first, it looked like he might have been right as Spurs started the second half with a bit more energy, creating a flurry of half-chances.

Kevin Danso’s long throw caused chaos in the Villa box, and Odobert’s shot was blocked by Ezri Konsa, before Emiliano Martinez produced an acobatic save to deny Palhinha’s long-range strike seconds later.

But the momentum didn’t last long. Villa began to find their rhythm again, with Donyell Malen hitting the side netting before the visitors finally took the lead through a slick move.

A long pass from Matty Cash found Lucas Digne on the flank. The Frenchman’s first touch was excellent, and he squared the ball for Emiliano Buendia, who cut inside and guided a low finish into the far corner beyond an idle Vicario.

FT: TOTTENHAM 1-2 ASTON VILLA.

Spurs Web man of the match: Joao Palhinha

What’s next for Spurs?

Tottenham have now won just three of their last 18 Premier League matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a run that feels somewhat unfair on the home crowd.

The midfield pair of Palhinha and Bentancur were solid defensively, but both struggled to create anything going forward. Simons had to drop deep to help, which meant Spurs lacked someone to link play in attack.

It’s worth remembering that this is only Thomas Frank’s second defeat in twelve matches in charge, but performances like this will test the patience of the fans.