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Tottenham fans will not be encouraged by what is being said about one of their midfielders, who had a horror show in an international friendly on Tuesday night.

It has been a positive international break for the Spurs contingent, with 17 Tottenham players booking their spot in next summer’s World Cup.

However, one senior Spurs man had an outing to forget on Tuesday night in the United States while on international duty.

Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off in Uruguay’s 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the USA for a dangerous challenge, and the 28-year-old has not been spared by his national press.

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur blasted by the Uruguayan press

A report by El Pais has given the former Juventus man a rating of just two out of 10 for his performance in Florida.

Bentancur, who wore the captain’s armband, is said to have struggled from the start and failed to bring any control in the middle of the park for Uruguay.

The Tottenham star’s part in the second US goal has been highlighted, with the midfielder losing his marker in the move, which opened up space for the finish.

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The outlet says that the performance exposed the defensive issues in Bentancur’s game, and the gaps he left in midfield were exploited with ease by Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Bentancur’s form has become a concern for Spurs

Thomas Frank has continued to show faith in the Bentancur-Joao Palhinha midfield pairing despite the criticism about the duo’s lack of creativity.

With Pape Sarr a doubt to be fit for the Arsenal clash, one would expect the same double pivot to start the North London derby.

Bentancur’s form is undoubtedly becoming a big concern, with the Uruguayan’s performances tailing off after a decent start to the season.

The 28-year-old cannot afford to be lax in his marking or positioning against the Gunners as Mikel Arteta’s side will punish Spurs.

Former Tottenham Hotspur scout Bryan King is convinced that one Spurs winger is on his way out of the club in the January transfer window.

As the January window draws closer, there has been a lot of speculation on who Tottenham will bring through the door.

However, more than one player also appears likely to head through the exit door, with Yves Bissouma’s time at Spurs potentially about to run out.

Another Tottenham man who does not appear to have a future under Thomas Frank is Manor Solomon, who is expected to be recalled by Spurs in January, after struggling for minutes on loan at Villarreal this season.

Tottenham winger Manor Solomon backed to join Leeds United

Solomon was heavily linked with a permanent switch to Leeds in the summer on the back of his successful loan spell at Elland Road last season.

However, Daniel Farke’s men did not make a move, with the player heading to Villarreal in the final hours of the window after Crystal Palace pulled out of a loan deal for Solomon at the last moment.

Former Tottenham scout Bryan King expects the Israel international to be sold by Spurs in January, and he suggested that a return to Leeds is very much on the cards for the 26-year-old.

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King told MOT Leeds News: “If he isn’t going to stay at Villarreal, then I could certainly see him being sold in January. He definitely won’t get a game for Tottenham; there are three or four people in front of him in his position.

“He did well at Leeds; he was a key part of their team that got promoted. I would have thought he’d be a very good option for Leeds. They haven’t exactly set the Premier League alight, and it looks as though they need more options.”

Leeds could face competition from Premier League club

Farke’s men are not the only Premier League side thought to be eyeing a move for the Tottenham winger.

It has been reported over recent weeks that West Ham United are also plotting a January move for Solomon.

The Hammers reportedly want to rebuild their attack for Nuno Espirito Santo in January, and they have identified the Spurs winger as someone who can add firepower to their forward line.

Following the two-week international break, Tottenham Hotspur visit the Emirates to face North London rivals Arsenal on Sunday, hoping to avoid a fourth successive derby defeat.

It does feel a little odd seeing a North London Derby placed so deep into the season, all the way in November, but if anything, the wait has only added an extra layer of anticipation.

Tottenham Hotspur went into the break off a dramatic 2–2 draw with Manchester United, where Matthijs de Ligt’s last-second header couldn’t stop Spurs from extending their 2-season unbeaten run against the Manchester club.

However, it still added to a poor home record of just 5 points from 6 league games as their position in 5th has been carried almost entirely by their form on the road, with Spurs boasting the best away record in the Premier League.

Joined by only a handful, including names like Bayern Munich and AC Milan, who share a similar unbeaten away record domestically, Tottenham’s run is about to face its toughest test yet.

Arsenal look as complete as they ever have under Mikel Arteta, and they’re arguably Europe’s best team right now. After 3 consecutive 2nd-place finishes, this finally feels like the season in which they’re primed to go all the way.

Their 8-match winning streak, with 8 clean sheets, ended just before the break as Sunderland held them to a 2–2 draw, but they still lead the Premier League table by 4 points.

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What time does Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur kick off?

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur: Head-to-head record

Tottenham’s perfect away record faces a serious threat simply because they haven’t won a Premier League match at the Emirates in 15 years.

If you stretch it across all competitions, you can just about sneak in a win: the 2-0 Carabao Cup victory in 2018, with that defeat being 1 of the only 2 Arsenal have suffered to Spurs in their last 32 meetings in all competitions.

Even ignoring the away-day curse, the numbers still do not get better for Spurs as they have lost 5 of the last 6 North London Derbies in the Premier League (1D).

Last season, Arsenal managed to complete the double: a 1-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium followed by a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture against an injury-hit Spurs side.

The sides did meet once already this year in a pre-season friendly in what was the first overseas North London Derby which Thomas Frank’s men were able to win 1-0, courtesy of a long-range rocket from Pape Sarr.

Tottenham team news

The two-week break was supposed to help Spurs welcome a few players back, but that hasn’t quite materialised.

After Randal Kolo Muani’s jaw injury against Manchester United, Thomas Frank would have had hoped to have Dominic Solanke back available, but there’s still no sign of him returning to full training. Dejan Kulusevski was spotted doing light work on the grass last week, but is still at least a month away from a return.

Mohammed Kudus missed the last two matches with what was initially described as a knock. He later withdrew from Ghana duty, making him a doubt. Lucas Bergvall also returned from Sweden’s World Cup qualifiers after failing a fitness test following a concussion earlier this month, so he too remains doubtful.

Pape Matar Sarr was taken off four minutes into the second half in Senegal’s 2–0 loss to Brazil. Their head coach insisted it was only precautionary, but his availability is still uncertain.

On the positive side, Radu Dragusin finally returned to football after almost a year out, featuring in two behind-closed-doors friendlies during the break.

As for confirmed absentees: Archie Gray, Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma and Kota Takai all remain out.

Arsenal team news

Just when it looked impossible to find flaws in this Arsenal side, injuries were the only thing that managed to make them look worse as they too head into this derby without some key players.

In the same friendly that saw Pape Sarr withdrawn, Arsenal were hit with a heavier blow as Gabriel picked up a thigh injury. With 3 man-of-the-match displays against Spurs in the past, his absence for the next month is a significant loss.

He joins Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines although the latter has returned to training, but remains some way from being match-ready.

Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres are all major doubts, and we’ll get more clarity from Mikel Arteta tomorrow.

Predicted Tottenham line-up

Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Bentancur, Simons, Palhinha, Kudus, Richarlison, Odobert.

There’s very little debate about the back four and even less about the midfield, where Frank only has those 3 fully fit options.

If Kudus isn’t fully ready, Brennan Johnson is the most likely to slot in on the right. Mathys Tel could also start up front in place of Richarlison, though that feels unlikely, and he’s expected to come off the bench.

Our North London Derby prediction

Keep an eye on Eberechi Eze as he will be getting plenty of boos from the away end after his last-minute switch from Tottenham in the summer transfer window, and you can bet he’ll be desperate to score and rub it in with a cheeky celebration.

But his replacement, Xavi Simons, might be an even bigger story on the day. He’s slowly growing into his role and looked sharp during international duty, even scoring in his latest outing. He hasn’t found the net for Spurs yet, and he’ll be itching to put that right in a game of this magnitude.

Spurs haven’t tasted a win in a London derby for a while now, and Thomas Frank will be aware of what it would mean to the supporters.

The form guide, head-to-head stats, and the Emirates record all favour Arsenal, but derbies have a habit of ignoring logic, and this season Tottenham have saved their best football for away days.

Predicted score: Arsenal 1-2 Tottenham

Up the Spurs!

Harry Redknapp has given his score prediction for this weekend’s north London derby, and Tottenham Hotspur fans will not like it.

Club football is finally back after the final international break of the season, and the tempo is expected to stay relentless from now till March, with very little room for sides to breathe in what has already been a chaotic Premier League campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur are currently fifth in the Premier League table. However, only three points separate fifth from 13th-place Everton, which sums up just how tight and unforgiving the league has been this term.

A couple of slip-ups in the coming run of fixtures could easily drag Spurs into the bottom half of the table, and their next assignment in the league is far from a walkover.

Harry Redknapp backs Arsenal in north London derby clash

It is the big one, with Tottenham taking a short trip across north London to take on rivals Arsenal at the Emirates, in what is already shaping up to be one of the most significant derbies of the campaign.

The Gunners are sitting at the top of the Premier League table, and eight points separate them from Tottenham, which leaves little margin for error for Thomas Frank’s side as they attempt to close the gap.

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It is a huge game and Spurs supporters will be hoping their team can take all three points from the Emirates, although Harry Redknapp does not share that optimism.

The former Tottenham manager weighed in on the derby, and he touched on Arsenal’s recent draw, Tottenham’s mixed display in their stalemate against Manchester United, and where he believes the balance of the match will tilt.

Redknapp said to Bet Victor: “A fascinating one. Arsenal drew at Sunderland but these things happen, and they were going to drop points at some point. I know they have got some tricky games coming up and they picked up an injury or two during the international break, but I am not overly concerned. This squad should be big enough to make things work.

“Spurs drew against United but I cannot say I was overly impressed. I think Spurs are superb defensively, they have got some top players back there, as good as anyone in the league. Going forward though, they just seem to lack some ideas and a bit of creativity.

“Spurs suit these types of game, we saw them go to the Etihad and win earlier in the season. They will frustrate Arsenal, but I still have to lean towards Arsenal.”

He concluded with a scoreline prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Spurs.

Spurs’ away form is strong but Emirates record leaves doubts

Indeed, an away fixture in the league suits Tottenham better this season, because their performances on the road have been far more assured and consistent.

Spurs are unbeaten away from home in the league, with no team having collected more points on their travels than Frank’s side, which highlights a resilience that will be needed again at the Emirates.

However, Tottenham’s recent visits to the Emirates offer little encouragement for supporters, because Spurs have not taken a victory there in their last ten trips across north London.

In fact, across their last six league meetings with Arsenal, Spurs are winless, which leaves Frank with plenty to address before Sunday evening’s derby.

One of Tottenham’s London rivals have entered the race to sign a player who has not made a single appearance for the Lilywhites this season.

Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of speculation on the players Tottenham will bring in January, but we know that there is at least one player that the Lilywhites will be looking to offload.

Yves Bissouma’s proposed move to Turkey only fell through in the summer due to his fitness issues, and the midfielder has not kicked a ball for the Lilywhites this season after suffering another injury setback last month.

It appears that the race for the 28-year-old’s signature is now heating up ahead of the January transfer window.

Fulham exploring move for Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma

Previously, it emerged that several Serie A clubs are plotting a move for Bissouma in January, while some Premier League clubs are also showing interest.

Back in September, Football Insider claimed that West Ham are ready to make a move for the Tottenham midfielder when the transfer window reopens in the winter.

Now, a report in The Daily Mail has claimed that the Hammers have been joined in the race for the Mali international by another London club, Fulham.

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The Cottagers are said to be keen on strengthening their midfield in January, and the 28-year-old is one of the players they are monitoring.

Spurs have Bissouma fail-safe option

Apart from the previously mentioned clubs, it has been suggested that Galatasaray are set to reignite their interest in Bissouma in January after deciding against signing him in the summer.

There is a risk that Tottenham may not be able to offload the midfielder if he fails to overcome his fitness issues before January.

However, the Lilywhites reportedly have a fail-safe option in that event. Spurs are expected to activate a one-year extension in Bissouma’s contract if they fail to find a buyer for the player in January.

The former Brighton man’s current deal is set to run out next summer, but the North Londoners can trigger an option that extends it until 2027.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge surprise boost ahead of the North London derby, with a key player potentially in line to make a shock return.

Tottenham have a bloated injury list at the moment, and the North Londoners suffered another potential blow a couple of days ago after Pape Sarr picked up an injury while playing for Senegal.

While Spurs fans are still sweating over the 23-year-old’s fitness ahead of the big showdown on Sunday, the Lilywhites may now have been handed a huge boost.

Randal Kolo Muani was expected to spend a lengthy spell on the treatment table after fracturing his jaw against Man United two weeks ago, but it has now been suggested that the Frenchman could return much sooner than expected.

Randal Kolo Muani has been training wearing a face mask

The Telegraph have revealed that Randal Kolo Muani has trained in a specially fitted mask during the sessions at Hotspur Wayn in a bid to protect his jaw.

Initial assessment showed last week that Muani does not require surgery on his jaw, which came as a big boost to Spurs, and the fact that the forward has been training means that he could return much sooner than expected.

In fact, The Telegraph add that ‘it remains to be seen’ if Tottenham believe that he could play against Arsenal with a face mask, which suggests that he has not been ruled out of the North London derby entirely as of yet.

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Spurs fans have pleasant memories of strikers with a face mask against Arsenal

Tottenham fans will have pleasant memories of the last time that one of their strikers wore a face mask in the North London derby.

Harry Kane famously scored a brilliant goal with a face mask in 2016 in the penultimate North London derby played at White Hart Lane before celebrating by taking off his mask and running to the corner flag.

Heung-min Son also played in a mask for Tottenham in 2022 after suffering a fractured eye socket.

Dominic Solanke has revealed the Tottenham Hotspur team-mate he rushed to before even greeting his own family on that unforgettable Europa League night.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph over Manchester United last season is a moment that will always remain in the hearts of those connected to Tottenham, and it still stands as a defining point in the club’s modern era.

It marked the end of the so-called “banter era” for Spurs, with tags like being “Spursy” slowly fading from conversations surrounding Tottenham as the club finally secured long-awaited silverware.

It was not just special for the club and supporters alone, but for the players who were on the pitch and lived every second of that final, which is why many still cherish that night with real pride.

Dominic Solanke shows his appreciation for Heung-min Son

Heung-min Son finally got his hands on a piece of silverware after a decade of service to Tottenham, giving him the crowning moment he had chased throughout his time in north London.

Speaking about that famous night in Bilbao, Dominic Solanke has now opened up on the Spurs player he congratulated before his own family.

Speaking to The Athletic, the Tottenham striker explained what went through his mind as the referee confirmed the match was over.

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“Manchester United had a goal kick and I asked the referee, ‘What is going on?,” Solanke recalls.

“He said, ‘It is done.’ So when Andre Onana kicked the ball I said to myself, ‘Damn, we did it.’ I was so happy we won and then I realised Sonny, who had been at the club for so long, actually did it, so I went over to congratulate him.

“After that, I went to see my family. They have been through everything and it was nice to share that moment with them.

“It was the best feeling I have ever had in my life. Even this season, I keep thinking back to it because I want to have that feeling again. Going through football, you never know if you will actually win a trophy. When you do, the feeling is crazy.”

Tottenham’s chances of silverware this season

Heung-min Son later departed Tottenham in the summer, but it was the perfect end to his story at Spurs.

He left as a club legend, the club captain who ended a 17-year wait for silverware in N17, and several Tottenham players have found ways to keep last season’s memories close to them.

Brennan Johnson had the Europa League trophy tattooed on his leg, while Pedro Porro also recently followed suit.

Tottenham will now be hoping to build on last season’s Europa League triumph by adding more silverware to their cabinet this campaign.

The FA Cup, the Premier League and the Champions League are the route to silverware for Frank’s side this season, following their exit from the Carabao Cup in October.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed what his sources are telling him about where Tottenham Hotspur target Antoine Semenyo is likely to end up moving to in January.

The speculation over the Bournemouth winger’s future has gone into hyperdrive since it emerged earlier this week that Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his contract.

Tottenham are among the clubs at the front of the queue to Semenyo, but the Lilywhites will face a difficult task in getting the deal over the line.

It has emerged over recent days that Spurs are fearful of competition from Liverpool for the Cherries star, which is why the North London club are also identifying other alternatives.

Liverpool may have one advantage over Tottenham

Fabrizio Romano has now weighed in on the 25-year-old’s future, revealing that the winger’s release clause drops from £65m to slightly above £50 next summer.

He named Tottenham, Man United and Liverpool as the three clubs circling over the Ghana international, and suggested that the Reds may have an advantage due to their good relationship with Bournemouth.

Romano said about Semenyo on his YouTube channel: “The clause is going to be valid in January and also the summer transfer window. The value is different. For the January transfer window, the value is £60 million plus £5 million in add-ons. For the summer transfer window, it is slightly above £50 million.

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“Bournemouth hope to keep the player, but if a club triggers the clause or tries to negotiate the value of the clause, that can be different, and in that case, Bournemouth would have to let the player go. Manchester United were interested last summer, and Tottenham also called for Semenyo last summer.

“These two clubs have been following the player for a long time. Liverpool are interested and keen in a potential deal for Antoine Semenyo. From what I am hearing, Liverpool are considering this possibility.

“They are following the player and have a very good relationship with Bournemouth (after signing Milos Kerkez last summer and Ben Doak heading the opposite direction). Let’s see what is going to happen in the next month, so let’s see what is going to happen, there could be another club to add, from what I am hearing.”

Spurs not backing down in Semenyo pursuit

This information about Romano was also backed up by another recent report in TEAMtalk, which claimed that, as things stand, Liverpool are ahead of Tottenham in the race for Semenyo.

However, the outlet claimed that Spurs are not backing down from the race and are not prepared to let the Bournemouth man go to Anfield without a fight.

Tottenham Hotspur have decided on the future of their forward, who is attracting interest from Italy.

Thomas Frank has had to deal with a plenty of headaches with his attacking players this season, given Dominic Solanke’s and Randal Kolo Muani’s injury issues.

Neither Richarlison nor Mathys Tel have managed to make the number nine spot their own, although Tel has shown some signs of promise of late.

It emerged last week that AS Roma are plotting a move to sign Tel in January after watching him struggle for regular game time in North London, and Spurs have now made a decision on the forward’s future.

Tottenham will not be selling Mathys Tel

A few days ago, a report from Italy claimed that Tel is keen to leave Tottenham in January with the striker said to be unhappy with his lack of game time together with the decision of being left out of Spurs’ Champions League squad.

However, a new report by Gazzetta dello Sport have now claimed that the Lilywhites are not willing to sell the Frenchman on a permanent basis in January.

The Italian news outlet suggests that a loan move to the Stadio Olimpico for the 20-year-old could instead be ‘the best option’ for all the parties involved.

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Why Spurs are unlikely to send Tel out on loan

Randal Kolo Muani could be out of action for the foreseeable future after fracturing his jaw in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Man United.

Thomas Frank has not sounded confident regarding Dominic Solanke’s return timeline, with the centre-forward still recovering from his ankle surgery.

Instead, it would be likely that Frank will not be too keen to let Tel leave on loan unless the club manage to bring another forward through the door during the January transfer window.

Dominic Solanke has now lifted the lid on his early experiences under new Tottenham boss Thomas Frank, offering a glimpse into what it has been like working with the Dane since his arrival.

Thomas Frank has had a mixed start to life as Tottenham Hotspur manager since his move from Brentford last summer.

The Dane enjoyed a solid opening spell, securing four wins in his first five matches as Spurs manager, including a strong victory over Manchester City in the Premier League.

Tottenham also pushed hard in the UEFA Super Cup before their opening league fixture, only losing on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain after giving them a proper contest.

But recent displays have been inconsistent, with some Spurs supporters even booing Frank’s decisions during league fixtures against Manchester United and Chelsea.

Solanke praises Tottenham boss Thomas Frank

Dominic Solanke, however, believes that Frank is a strong manager who has already made a clear impact at Tottenham.

Before sharing his full thoughts, the Englishman made it clear that the early signs have been overwhelmingly positive.

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Speaking to The Athletic, Solanke highlighted how quickly the squad has bought into Frank’s methods.

“I have not had the chance to work with Frank too much but he is a great man manager,” Solanke said.

“All the players are loving having him around. He speaks with us all and has meetings every day. Even with the coaching staff he has brought in, everyone gets on so well. It is a great environment.

“We have had a good start to the season. When a few of us come back from injury and strengthen the squad, hopefully we can do some big things.”

Spurs injuries and Thomas Frank’s tactical options with Dominic Solanke

Solanke is right in his assessment, where he states that Thomas Frank has not had a full squad of players to work with.

Since the Dane took charge, he has had to deal with a significant number of injuries, and at the moment, over ten players are sidelined for Tottenham.

With that many players out, inconsistency is only bound to happen as players struggle to build rhythm, and with key players missing in important areas, the challenge becomes even harder.

Of course, if everyone is fit at the club, Frank will have more tactical options, allowing him to set up his team in a variety of ways, an asset he has not had the chance to fully utilise just yet.