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Tottenham Hotspur have discovered the referee who will take charge of their Premier League clash against Leeds United, but history suggests Spurs may not fancy their chances with him in the middle.

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action this weekend with an away trip to Elland Road, where Thomas Frank’s side will be eager to steady themselves after a frustrating spell in the league.

Spurs have collected just two points from their last two matches, which is hardly the form expected from a side with top-four ambitions, and the pressure is on to turn performances into victories once more.

However, there is reason for encouragement as Tottenham boast the best away record in the division this season, with two wins and a draw on the road, leaving them with seven points from a possible nine when away from north London.

Tom Bramall appointed referee for Leeds vs Tottenham

As Frank’s men prepare for their league clash, the Premier League has confirmed the match officials, with Tom Bramall named as referee for the Tottenham versus Leeds encounter.

The 35-year-old only made his Premier League debut as a referee in August 2022, and for this fixture between Tottenham and Leeds, he will be assisted by Ian Hussin and Andrew Dallison.

Rob Jones has been appointed as the fourth official on the touchline, while in the VAR room, Jarred Gillett will take charge, supported by Akil Howson.

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Spurs’ history with referee Tom Bramall

While Thomas Frank will be hoping for strong officiating from Bramall, recent history does not inspire much confidence for Spurs.

The referee has only been in charge of one Tottenham match to date in the Premier League, which came in last season’s heavy 5-1 defeat away to Liverpool at Anfield.

On that occasion, Bramall showed just three yellow cards in the entire fixture, two to Liverpool players and one to Tottenham, though the manner of Spurs’ defeat meant officiating decisions were never likely to change the outcome.

According to WhoScored’s metrics, one Tottenham Hotspur man has been more consistent than any player in his position across the entirety of the Premier League in the first six games of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur made seven new signings in the summer transfer window, but the jury is still out on many of them.

Xavi Simons is yet to deliver a statement performance for Spurs, while Randal Kolo Muani is still waiting for his Premier League debut for the Lilywhites due to injury.

Joao Palhinha has been praised by Thomas Frank for his impact, but there are question marks over whether the Portuguese midfielder offers enough on the ball, particularly against sides who defend in a low block.

However, one man, who was one of the first signings to arrive through the door at Hotspur Way this summer, has been a clear hit, and the numbers back it up.

Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus has outperformed every other Premier League winger

Mohammed Kudus has played almost every minute of every game for Tottenham in the Premier League and the Champions League so far, and he has looked the Lilywhites’ most consistent attacking threat.

The Ghanian is still waiting for his first goal in a Spurs shirt, but he has already registered four assists.

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WhoScored have revealed that, according to their metrics, Kudus has been the best-performing winger across the division this season, with an average performance rating of 7.45.

Thomas Frank has revealed what makes Kudus so special

It is not hard to see why the Tottenham boss likes the former West Ham man so much, as apart from his qualities in attack, he is also supremely fit and always puts in a shift for the side.

While the winger’s one-v-one qualities are there for all to see, Frank has also praised Kudus’ strength and hold-up play.

The 25-year-old offers Tottenham an out-ball all game, often relieves the defence of pressure, and his first touch is almost always spot on.

Tottenham Hotspur continued their winless run against Wolves last weekend but they are far from Spurs’ only bogey team in England.

Tottenham Hotspur were the clear favourites to wrap up all three points on Saturday night. Wolves were bottom of the Premier League table and had failed to secure a win or draw in their opening five league fixtures.

Despite this, the visitors managed to get a point from the game and would have won, had it not been for a stoppage-time equaliser scored by Joao Palhinha. This means that Spurs have now failed to defeat Wolves in six consecutive fixtures and are without a win against them since August 2022.

This confirms Wolves’ status as Tottenham’s latest bogey team, but they are by no means the first. Here are five other teams Spurs have struggled against over the past decade.

Spurs have been tested by West Ham

Tottenham fans like to joke that playing them is West Ham’s cup final. Barring their most recent meeting, it certainly appears true that the Irons always turn up in this London derby.

Spurs have won 13 times against West Ham in the past 10 years, while their rivals have accumulated seven victories.

Tottenham, therefore, hold the bragging rights, but West Ham have been an obstacle in the past, even when it would not be expected based on their position in the Premier League. The last few games between the teams indicate that the Hammers may not be as much of a problem these days.

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Tottenham have a mixed record against Leicester City

Like they do with West Ham, Spurs beat Leicester more often than not. However, the Foxes have not always proved to be easy prey.

Despite Leicester’s decline in recent years, they have won two of their past three matches against Tottenham, including a surprise win away from home in January.

Leicester have got the better of Spurs seven times in the past decade, although they have been the losing opposition in some memorable Tottenham victories. The last-minute win in January 2022, thanks to Steven Bergwijn’s two injury-time goals, comes to mind, as well as the 6-1 thrashing at the King Power Stadium just two years after Leicester won the league.

Newcastle United are a tough opponent for Tottenham

Newcastle United have won five of their past six meetings with Tottenham, with 6-1 and 4-0 wins included. Spurs have battered Newcastle by heavy margins too on a few occasions, but it is the club from the north that have dominated the fixture recently.

Tottenham have been beaten three times in a row by Newcastle. The most recent competitive fixture between the sides took place in January this year and ended in a 2-1 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs have a chance to make things right in the Carabao Cup at the end of October, and it appears Thomas Frank is taking the competition seriously. Making a midweek trip up to St James’ Park and winning will be far from easy, but it’s something Tottenham must do to progress in the domestic cup, which they have looked most likely to win in recent years.

Spurs have a terrible record against Chelsea

Chelsea have won 16 London derbies against Tottenham in the past 10 years. This has included a run of five consecutive matches and two lots of four straight games.

Spurs have not defeated their bitter rivals since February 2023, when Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane were on target. The last win in the Premier League before this result came in November 2018.

Stamford Bridge in particular has been a problem for Tottenham and in April 2018, they won there for the first time in 28 years. This wait for a victory should have ended a couple of years earlier during the ‘Battle of the Bridge’ clash, when Spurs blew a two-goal lead to end their title hopes.

Chelsea are on a four-match winning streak against Tottenham and won 1-0 in their most recent clash.

Liverpool are Tottenham’s ultimate bogey team

Tottenham are without a win at Anfield since May 2011, and based on recent history, this will not be changing any time soon. Spurs conceded four goals during the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg last season and went on to lose 5-1 in the Premier League clash at Anfield, which handed Liverpool the title.

There was a particularly rough patch just over a decade ago when Tottenham lost 5-0 at home to Liverpool and were defeated 4-0 and 3-0 in the two fixtures which followed. These results were part of a 10-match streak where Spurs failed to beat the club from Merseyside.

It ended with a 4-1 Tottenham win at Wembley in 2017, but this was followed by 12 consecutive games where Spurs were unable to defeat Liverpool. This was concluded with the controversial 2-1 victory on this day two years ago, when Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were both sent off.

Recent fixtures between the teams have seen Spurs regularly concede a high number of goals, including letting in six at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Of all the fixtures on their calendar, Liverpool is the team they must dread playing the most

Tottenham Hotspur have been credited with interest in Antoine Semenyo, and a new report has shed light on whether a January deal is on the cards for the Bournemouth star.

Semenyo was mooted as a target for Tottenham in the summer, but the North London club did not come close to securing a deal for the winger.

In fact, the Ghanaian signed a new contract at the Vitality Stadium, and he has made an outstanding start to the season, arguably being the best attacker on show in the Premier League so far.

Some sources have explored the possibility of Tottenham going back in for Semenyo, but a new update has revealed whether the Lilywhites have any chance of landing the 25-year-old in the winter.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has now spoken to TBR Football about the Cherries star, naming Spurs and Man United as the clubs who are after the winger.

However, he made it clear that Andoni Iraola’s men will not consider selling any of their key players in January after losing some of their biggest stars in the summer.

Bailey said: “Semenyo is one of the Premier League’s form players. He had Man United and Tottenham showing interest in the summer and now some of Europe’s top clubs are looking.

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“As it stands, Bournemouth are intent on making progress this summer and that means no sales. They have lost the likes of Huijsen, Kerkez and Zabarnyi in recent months and they are insistent Semenyo won’t be following them through the exit doors in January.”

Interest in Semenyo is growing

Even if the Bournemouth man became available, Tottenham will find it hard to strike a deal as competition for his signature is growing.

TBR Football say that Manchester City and Aston Villa have also been keeping an eye on the Ghanaian this season.

Additionally, across Europe, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and Atletico Madrid are all keeping tabs on the winger’s progress in the South Coast.

Tottenham’s pursuit of a teenage attacking starlet has become a lot more difficult, amidst news that Chelsea and Brighton want him too.

Despite leaning towards signing experienced, readymade players in the summer transfer window, Tottenham showed with their acquisition of Mathys Tel and Kota Takai that they are still keeping an eye on the best young talents in world football.

It now appears that the Lilywhites have turned their attention to a 19-year-old winger who is turning heads with his performances in the Brasileiro Serie A.

According to reports from Brazil, Tottenham’s scouts made the trip to South America to watch Vasco Da Gama winger Rayan over the weekend, and the winger did not disappoint, scoring the opening goal for his side as they emerged 2-0 winners over Cruzerio.

Tottenham face competition from London rivals for Rayan

While Spurs’ scouts may have been impressed by the winger, they have now found out that their pursuit of the player may not be easy.

This is because BolaVip has now claimed that Tottenham may have to battle two other Premier League sides for Rayan, including a fierce London rival.

The outlet says that Chelsea and Brighton have now become the latest clubs to enter the race for the winger

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The competition for the teenager is now heating up between the Premier League trio, but the Seagulls and the Blues are not the only ones that Thomas Frank’s men have to worry about.

Two other European clubs also want to sign Rayan in January

Bolovip confirms what we have heard from other sources about the 19-year-old, revealing that Zenit Saint Petersburg and Barcelona are also interested in the winger.

In fact, it is alleged that the Russian side have already submitted an offer for the Vasco winger.

According to reports, Rayan has a release clause of €40m (£34.3m) in his contract, but his current deal at Vasco runs out at the end of 2026.

Tottenham Hotspur are starting to explore a work permit for one of their transfer targets after scouting him last week, and the North London club have received some very good news on this front.

Reports first emerged at the start of the summer that Tottenham were fans of Vasco Da Gama winger Rayan.

It emerged a few days ago that Spurs scouts were in attendance to watch Rayan in Vasco’s 2-0 win over Cruzeiro, with the 19-year-old winger finding the back of the net in front of the Tottenham officials.

That was the 12th strike of the season for the teenager, who is reported to have a release clause of €40m (£34.3m) in his contract.

Tottenham get good news ahead of potential January move for Rayan

A new report in Papona Colina has now confirmed that Spurs are indeed keen on landing the Vasco starlet.

In fact, the outlet says that Tottenham Hotspur are laying the groundwork for a deal by exploring the process for a work permit for Rayan.

The North Londoners have received some good news as they have information suggesting that there is a ‘big chance’ of the winger being called up to the Brazil squad for the upcoming international break.

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If Rayan makes his debut for the Selecao, that will prove crucial in facilitating the work permit process required for non-EU players.

What Rayan has said about potential national call-up and transfer

The 19-year-old has chosen to keep his cards close to his chest when asked about interest from Europe, insisting that he is fully focused on doing well for Vasco.

When asked about the speculation over his future, Rayan told the outlet: “I leave that with my agents. I prefer to focus here at Vasco, on my work, day by day. That I leave to my father and my agents.”

The attacker was also philosophical over the prospect of breaking into the Brazil squad, insisting he is not preoccupied with that.

When asked about murmurs that he is about to be called up by Carlo Ancelotti, the rumoured Spurs target responded: “About the national team, I leave it to God’s time. I am doing my work here, giving my best. If God wants, one day I will be there.”

Dominic Solanke has delivered a personal message to Tottenham fans, sharing an update on his recovery after a difficult start to the new season.

It is only the second season for Dominic Solanke at Tottenham Hotspur, and while he enjoyed a decent first year, scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists in all competitions, his second campaign has not begun smoothly.

The Tottenham number nine has been managing an ankle problem that has sidelined him since pre-season. Although he has featured sparingly, having played just 49 minutes of football so far this term.

Thomas Frank has maintained a positive outlook on the forward’s situation, yet Solanke is still waiting for his first start of the season and has not been included in the matchday squad since the second gameweek.

Solanke has now taken to social media to break his silence on his recovery and reassure Tottenham supporters after what has been a frustrating few weeks.

In a post, the striker admitted that the process has been mentally challenging and revealed that despite his efforts to manage the issue, surgery was the only way forward.

He explained, via his official Instagram account: “Hi everyone, quick update about my current situation. The last few months have been very frustrating as I have tried everything possible to try and push through my ankle issue before taking the option of surgery.

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“None of this managed to solve the problem, so we had to go ahead with minor surgery which I underwent this morning. It was all successful so hopefully I will be back on the pitch in the very near future! Thank you for all your love and messages.”

Spurs are missing Solanke’s presence up front

Thomas Frank has had to cope with Solanke’s absence by relying on Richarlison, who has so far managed to stay fit this season despite his poor injury record in previous campaigns.

The Brazil international has enjoyed a solid start, registering four goals in all competitions, but there is little doubt that Solanke’s hold-up play and physical presence would have offered the side another dimension in attack.

Luka Vuskovic’s Hamburg teammates are in awe of the young Tottenham defender on the back of his latest performance against Union Berlin.

If Vuskovic’s special talents were not already clear from the rave reviews that he got during his loan spell in Belgium last term, they were certainly clear for all to see during pre-season.

The 18-year-old impressed in Tottenham’s friendlies, and it turns out that Thomas Frank wanted to keep Vuskovic at the club, but the defender preferred to leave in search of regular game time.

Many at Spurs expect big things from Vuskovic, and if one needs any more evidence of why the teenager is a one-of-a-kind talent, one needs to look no further than what his Hamburg teammates are saying about him.

Hamburg players in awe of Tottenham’s ‘monster’ Luka Vuskovic

Vuskovic broke a new record in Hamburg’s 0-0 draw with Union Berlin on Sunday, winning more aerial duals than any player has in a single game across Europe’s top-five leagues over the last five seasons.

His teammates are in disbelief at the dominance that the teenager is showing, and have showered praise on him after that performance.

Hamburg left-back Miro Muheim told Hamburger Morgenpost about the on-loan Tottenham Hotspur man: “He’s a monster, for sure. I don’t think he lost a single header. He’s doing a great job. The boy is a superb footballer and is helping us tremendously.

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HSV goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes said: “When you see Luka, how he always went for headers as a flexible player. That was something you need in games like this. This aerial dominance he has, this presence. It’s simply something that’s good for us.”

Opposition coach admits Vuskovic was the difference

It is not just people from the Hamburg camp who were singing the Tottenham man’s praises after Sunday’s game.

Even Union Berlin assistant manager Sebastian Bonig identified the Croat’s aerial dominance as the reason for his side’s struggles to create chances.

Bonig said after the 0-0 draw: “Vuskovic simply won a lot of headers. That also meant we couldn’t get into our game.”

Now that the date of Tottenham’s Carabao Cup fourth round fixture has been confirmed, Thomas Frank will dread the nightmare schedule his side have been handed in late October and early November.

Following their 3-0 win over Doncaster Rovers last week, Tottenham were drawn away at Newcastle in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

On Monday morning, Spurs found out that their trip to St James Park will be on October 29, with kick-off at 8 pm.

Beating the Magpies in St James Park for a place in the quarterfinal is no easy ask, and what makes it even more challenging for the Lilywhites is that the fixture is sandwiched in a busy period.

Why Thomas Frank will be dreading Tottenham’s schedule in October

Tottenham now know that their Carabao Cup clash will be sandwiched between two tough Premier League fixtures.

The game comes just three days after Spurs make their first-ever trip to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium to take on Everton on October 26.

To make matters worse, the Lilywhites then have a London derby against Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 1, three days after their trip to the North East.

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Things do not get any easier for Frank’s men after that as they play a Champions League fixture against Copenhagen on November 4 before hosting Man United in the Premier League on November 8.

That means that the North London club will have five matches across just 14 days, with their squad set to be seriously tested.

Thomas Frank may have no choice but to de-prioritise the Newcastle clash

Frank has been more than happy to rotate his midfield and forward options, but the big question is which of these matches he will rotate his centre-back pairing in.

There is no chance that Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero will both play all five games across those 14 days.

The Carabao Cup clash against Newcastle might be the tie to rest the pair, which will make progression to the quarterfinal even harder.

However, Newcastle are in a similar boat to Spurs, and one would expect Eddie Howe to also ring the changes for the clash.

French media are reporting that Randal Kolo Muani has had an interesting discussion with Thomas Frank, and have revealed what the striker is thinking about his Tottenham role following those talks.

The 26-year-old has made just one substitute appearance since his move to Tottenham Hotspur on transfer deadline day and is still waiting for his Premier League debut.

Kolo Muani remains sidelined due to a dead leg, with the injury taking longer to heal than many at Tottenham first thought.

Some reports have indicated that Thomas Frank wants to use Kolo Muani on the left wing this season, and it has now emerged that the forward has spoken to the Tottenham head coach about his role.

Thomas Frank has reassured Randal Kolo Muani about his Tottenham role

According to a report in L’Equipe, the France international has now had a fresh conversation with the Danish coach and has been left reassured by his plans for him.

The outlet explains that Kolo Muani is now training alone due to his injury, which has a silver lining for the striker as he is now getting some fitness work done after joining Tottenham with no pre-season under his belt.

The on-loan PSG man has had a detailed conversation with Frank, which he did not get the chance to do before signing for Spurs on deadline day.

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The former Brentford boss has assured the forward that his plan is for him to compete with Richarlison for the number nine role, although he may also be used as a winger on the right at times.

Muani was left convinced by the chat and is now determined to prove his worth at Tottenham.

Details of Kolo Muani’s frustrating injury

L’Equipe explains that the Frenchman’s injury is proving to be more problematic than initially imagined. Kolo Muani is still feeling some pain in his thigh and is thus unlikely to make the trip to Elland Road this Saturday.

The striker picked up the injury due to an accidental clash in training with Pape Sarr two weeks ago, and it was initially thought that he would not even miss a single game.

In fact, the forward was included in the matchday squad the very next day, but he felt discomfort while ‘accelerating and lengthening his stride’.

The Spurs medical staff then ‘performed a puncture of the hematoma’ before sending the striker for imaging tests, which confirmed that there was no serious problem.

The striker has currently been put in a modified training program and hopes to return as soon as possible.