Football London

Ben Davies and Son Heung-min are both waiting to see what lies ahead for them either at Tottenham or not in the weeks ahead.

The two close friends have reached the same crossroads in their Spurs careers. Davies is the first team's longest-serving player with 11 years under his belt while Son has now completed a decade in north London. Both players are now in the final 11 months of their contracts after Tottenham took up the option this year to extend them both by another season.

Davies has been linked with a late window move to Leeds United to link up with compatriot and former Spurs team-mate Joe Rodon and some reports have suggested a step down to join Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham as the Disney+-featured side seek a third straight promotion.

The experienced Welshman has become part of the furniture at Tottenham and has been loved by every one of the long string of managers he has worked for, along with his team-mates, thanks to his versatility, intelligence and willingness to put his body on the line for the team.

Ask anyone inside the club and they will all say that nobody has your back quite like Ben Davies does. Even at 32, he retains the hunger to learn and improve that he arrived with in 2014 when he flew across the USA from Swansea's pre-season tour to join up with Tottenham's.

When football.london asked Davies in Hong Kong on the club's latest pre-season tour if he was expecting to see out his contract to make it 12 years in N17 or if there was a chance he could depart this summer, the Welshman said: "That one is not necessarily under my control. I reported for pre-season and I’m excited to be here.

"My focus is now on how I can help this club this year and if something changes I’m sure I will be picking up that phone call but right now I don’t see anything else."

Few are closer at Tottenham than Davies and Son, with the South Korean godfather to the Welshman's son Ralph and the former Premier League Golden Boot winner having proudly watched on at his wedding to his now wife Emily.

So it is somewhat fitting that the two men are going through the same situation at the same time.

Son is open to leaving Spurs this season after finally realising his dream of lifting a trophy with the club. MLS side Los Angeles FC, where former Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris plays, are keen on taking him across the Atlantic.

Davies chuckled when asked whether he had given Son any advice over his current situation.

"He's older than me, so when it comes to advice, he needs to be the one leading it, to be honest!" he said. "But look, footballers, we go through different moments in our careers all the time and he has one year left.

"There's definitely some uncertainty around what's going to happen with him, but all I can say about him is he's been nothing but professional since he's come back in the last few weeks. He's trained hard.

"If there was none of the talk in public about what was happening, I don't think you would know. So it's probably the biggest testament I can give is that he's kept his head down. He's worked hard and what will be will be."

After 10 years spent in each other's company, Davies' favourite memory of the Spurs captain was not one on the pitch. It was a private meal to celebrate something special.

"Me and him are really good friends so we've had a lot of times together, so most of my memories do seem to probably fall off the pitch, but I think it's probably when he got his 100th goal in the Premier League," said the defender.

"That was a big moment for him and something that he'd been striving for for a long time. And I remember after he got that we had a little celebratory dinner at my house with just a few of his mates and stuff. It was really nice to see someone put so much effort in to get that."

A new memory was formed in May when Davies got to see his friend do what so few had dome before him at Tottenham and lift a trophy as captain alongside him.

"I was very proud, very proud. Like I said, he's put so much effort in and probably is one of the people that it takes a toll on the most is when he so focused on success and such a talented player as well," he said.

"Probably in his career he would have deserved to have won more, but I can probably imagine he felt pretty similar to me. It was probably a big sense of relief for him to get that over the line and it was something that he really deserved. I was very, very happy for him."

On winning that Europa League trophy as a squad, Davies added: "It was relief more than anything. We have been there a few times. I’ve played a lot of games for this club. It got to the point where it was that longing and desire, that desperation.

"We just wanted to win something no matter what it was. We have come close, we have fought, we have lost games where we could have won and been in better situations. When that final whistle went it was just relief and happiness that we knew we were going into a new season as champions of a European competition. It was a special memory."

The man who scored that winning goal in Bilbao was Brennan Johnson. Despite being Spurs' top scorer last season with 18 goals, the attacker found himself the subject of plenty of criticism from the club's fans. The abuse he was getting on social media led to him withdrawing from Instagram for a time.

Davies has seen a lot of players come and go through his time at Tottenham so he knows what someone can bring and he believes that many often don't see what his international team-mate does for the side.

"Brennan's a really, really good guy. He came into the Wales squad when I'd been there quite a while and you could see instantly we had a very likeable character, very down to earth, but also someone that when it comes to the nitty gritty of tough football that we knew what we had then and he's been brilliant through the years that I've been with him at Wales and I was delighted when he joined this club, to be honest," he said.

"It was a shrewd signing and he's someone who knows where the goal is, someone who does a lot of stuff that maybe a lot of people don't pick up on, but he's always one of them that's in the thick of the action and knows where the goal is."

He added on whether a lot of the criticism was unjustified: "Definitely. I think that all through the season he was playing a role where there might have been times he wasn't getting on the ball all the time and ultimately a big part of his game was just being in the right place at the right time and he's one of the best at that.

"As you could see in those crucial moments in the big games, he stepped up and no more so in the final and for someone like him, I was delighted for him, for his family. They're big supporters of his, but they're always around that Wales set up and I see them always at Spurs. So just a great family that deserved that success and I was very happy for them."

Now Davies is part of yet another era at the club with his sixth permanent manager in 11 years as well as a string of caretaker head coaches that have been and gone.

So does this summer feel different in that not only is there a new man at the helm in Thomas Frank but also Spurs and their players are now champions?

"In one aspect yes, in other aspects no. It’s new faces, new environment and new ideas that are coming in. It’s always exciting when that does happen because as I said you learn new things," he said.

"Even when you’ve been around the game as long as I have, you see things from a different perspective. It’s always good to learn from the new guys coming in, especially Thomas who had an amazing time at Brentford and I think one of the things you saw from that team was how intelligent they were. How they properly fought against the odds at times to succeed. I’m looking forward to working and learning under him."

Davies has got used to the conveyor belt of managers that comes with the territory in the Premier League.

"It’s part and parcel of being a footballer in this day and age. You are going to have a lot of managers and it’s just the transient nature of how the game has become," he said. "Having someone like Pochettino like I did for five years is not really happening at many clubs anymore.

"That’s not to say that it’s not strange when it happens and as players you feel partially responsible for that but it’s something you have to get used to. With a new manager it’s a chance to learn more and develop as a player."

While Ange Postecoglou will go down in history for leading Tottenham to their first European trophy in 41 years, he also oversaw one of their worst league seasons as the club finished 17th in the Premier League amid injuries galore, disappointing defeats and a switch in focus to the Europa League midway through the campaign.

"It was probably one of the strangest seasons of my career. There were struggles. It was tough at times," said Davies. "In the league we were probably lucky to be in that situation we were in because we weren’t anywhere near the level we knew we could be.

"At the end of the season you could see where the priorities had shifted. Ultimately, if you look back in the history books I don’t think too many people are going to care."

Now there is a new face in the dugout and the Dane has quickly tried to get his ideas across to the squad. Davies said there has been work on building more of a structure within the team than the fluid style under Postecoglou.

"When we all came in we had a sit down meeting and it was basically about what was expected this year and where he thinks we can improve as a team and where the low-hanging fruit is for us to be better in the league than last year," said the Welshman.

"We have been working on that in pre-season, some different tactical aspects, a bit more structure in the team. I think hopefully we will see the results of that pretty quickly.

"The thing he said to us which is more important than anything is that we are in four big competitions this year and we have proven we can be up there with anyone. We have to have a go in each and every one of them."

He added: "Early doors it is just about trying to get everyone to buy into the ideas. There has not been anything which is too in depth so far. There are little nuggets you can pick up here and there.

"Everyone from working with these guys, you can see the value that they put on certain aspects of the game. How, as I mentioned before, there is low hanging fruit where you can pick up goals which turn into wins which can turn into a lot of points come the end of the season for minimal effort if you are in the right headspace for it.

"Without going in to too many details of what that is, I feel like I have picked up a few things."

Davies will have been watching Frank and the coaching staff closely for more than just his improvement as a player. The defender has been proactive in preparing for his career after he hangs up his boots, earning a degree in economics and business as well as studying for coaching qualifications for when it's time to step off the pitch.

There are no concrete plans though for what will come next for the affable Welshman.

"Not yet, not yet. It's definitely something that I've thought about and I've had to think about putting things in place. While I've been here, I've done my coaching badges, so I've got my A licence, which is pretty rare," he admitted.

"I don't think many football players, current players have got that right now. I've done quite a bit of work with the academy at Spurs and I've really enjoyed that. So that's definitely one avenue that I think I will end up pursuing, whether it's at Tottenham or elsewhere.

"I don't know, but I'm hoping to play for a few years longer. The body feels good. So I'll see where it goes and then, on the other hand, I've definitely have an interest in the business of sport as well, and we will see.

"I think there's a lack of athletes involved in the other side of the game. So let's see where that takes me."

When Davies' time at Tottenham does come to an end, it will be done without the headlines, pomp and external emotion that his best friend Son's exit will bring.

Yet the Welshman has been as important a contributor to life at Tottenham Hotspur over the years and you will find few who have had the best interests of the club and his team-mates at heart quite as much as him.

Thomas Frank's first North London Derby at the helm of Spurs was not quite what anyone imagined.

It was the first such game to be played outside of the English capital and if anyone expected a pre-season encounter between Tottenham and Arsenal to be a friendly affair, then that idea was dispelled within minutes in front of a record crowd of 49,975 inside the air-conditioned Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong with its roof closed.

Tackles flew in from both sides, Cristian Romero nutmegged the diving Kai Havertz who in turn crashed into Djed Spence, Pedro Porro pushed Mikel Arteta away so he could take a throw-in and Richarlison did...well you know what Richarlison does.

And for those who assumed that Arsenal would steamroll Spurs with some of their £200million-plus summer spending on show including Frank favourite Christian Norgaard starting and Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi all coming off the bench, then they would have been mistaken.

Spurs always look better when they can get Romero and Micky van de Ven in the centre of the backline together and those two, allied with a strong defensive unit around them with the 4-2-3-1 formation, kept Arsenal's Saka, Havertz, Martinelli, Odegaard and Rice at bay to such a degree that Guglielmo Vicario did not have a save to make.

Instead it was Spurs who had the better chances, hitting the woodwork three times in the first half alone.

Porro's corner curled past everyone and hit the right-hand post with David Raya watching helplessly. Then Wilson Odobert drove into the box and his ever so slightly deflected low shot struck the same upright before the subsequent corner bounced against the left-hand post, then hit Richarlison and deflected up and over off the crossbar.

Then came the winning goal, which was a pre-season beauty, albeit one that probably would have been ruled out in the Premier League.

There was what looked like a foul in the build-up from Richarlison on Myles Lewis-Skelly, but that did not detract from the perfect technique of Pape Matar Sarr's finish from just over the halfway line as he clipped the ball up and over David Raya and into the Arsenal net after spotting the keeper off his line.

It brought back memories of Harry Kane's halfway line pre-season strike against Juventus years before.

Neither side created much in the second half as the changes came but if anyone should have added another to the scoreline it was Spurs after the hour mark. Following some quick feet from substitute Mathys Tel down the left, the Frenchman swung in a cross that Micky van de Ven managed to head wide from a good position.

Under Frank, the Spurs players have been put through individual training drills where they have to deal with a series of shots from all angles sent towards mini goals in a small space. The aim is for them to react, slide and stop everything that comes their way and prevent any shot from any angle reaching the back of those nets.

It has become something of a competition and it's not just the defenders but also the midfielders and attackers who take part. Everybody in Frank's team must be willing to throw their body on the line at a split-second's notice to keep the opposition out.

That was on full display against Arsenal and football.london asked the new Spurs head coach whether those sessions had already reaped their rewards in a game like this.

"Yeah, that is very pleasing of course. I think we have been very clear that this was not a friendly. It felt like a competitive match," he said. "I think you saw it was competitive and if you played in it it was competitive.

"Some of the bits we have been working hard on is the combination of defensive organisation so high pressure, middle, low so there are clear principles and that desire to keep a clean sheet because that gives you a bigger opportunity to win matches."

Frank banged the table with his hand midway through that answer to fully underline the need for defensive organisation.

"I think for the team we are building together, all the positive results or performances you can get just reinforce the messages we try to get into the players and the team feel that," he added.

"That desire to defend was good. First half in general we played very good overall. Second half I felt we defended a bit too much. But that was good and the set-pieces I think were good as well. We defended very well but were also very dangerous."

This was another disciplined 1-0 victory for Tottenham that brought silverware, albeit the pre-season Herbalgy Trophy rather than something on the level of the Europa League they lifted in May.

The Spurs players looked somewhat awkward about this one, not entirely sure how much to celebrate it, they had beaten Arsenal after all but this wasn't exactly the kind of final to remember.

Captain for the day Romero had to essentially wrestle Son Heung-min as he put the armband on the South Korean ahead of the trophy lift. It was probably a combination of respect for the club skipper but also not really wanting to be the one who decided just how vociferous or low key the lift was amid the ticker tape.

Frank admitted that he is still to decide on the captaincy for the season ahead. Romero at this point is more likely than not to be a Spurs player for the season ahead but Son's future remains unclear.

The Tottenham boss said he would make his decision on who wears the armband by the time the first competitive game rolls around.

"Yeah that is to be confirmed. I haven't taken the decision yet," admitted the Dane. "I'd like to understand the group of players a little bit more. I know I need to make a decision before the first official game against PSG in the Super Cup so I will do that. It's natural that both Romero and Son are captains so we kept it likewise."

There were various positives from Tottenham's performance on this night in Hong Kong. The patterns of play are now starting to show in the way the team gets the ball out of defence and into attacking situations.

The 4-2-3-1 formation protects the backline more although there were occasions when the space between the midfield and the front four was too big and gave Arsenal room to operate in. The movement of the number 10 is going to be key in Frank's system.

Former Arsenal coach Andreas Georgson's work on the set pieces at both ends of the pitch was clear to see.

Spurs never looked like conceding at their end against a team renowned for their ability from such situations. At the other end of the pitch, Tottenham in contrast always looked a threat from their corners and two of those woodwork moments came from them.

Individually and as a unit the back four all looked sharp. Romero led the line and has been a very vocal presence on this tour so far, rather than someone desperate to get away. Van de Ven appears to be in a good place physically in this moment while Porro looked comfortable with his defending in a system which has less need to bomb on constantly for the full-backs.

With another problem for Destiny Udogie, as he deals with a knee injury, Djed Spence again looked the part at left-back as he dealt well on the whole with Bukayo Saka. football.london understands talks are in the early stages between the Spurs full-back and the club over a second new contract within 12 months and it's testament to his hard work during that time to grab his Tottenham career out of the bin.

Rodrigo Bentancur also looks to be playing for his new contract to replace the current one he has with 12 months remaining and there is Sarr, who Frank told football.london had caught his eye since he arrived.

"An unbelievable goal. Fantastic, well taken. All the credit to Pape. He has impressed me I must admit. He has been really good in the last four weeks," said the Dane.

Mohammed Kudus again showed that he's going to be a handful for opposition defences and will bring a bit of magic to Tottenham's attacking play. Arsenal looked concerned every time the Ghana international got on the ball as he ran this way and that, proving increasingly difficult to get the ball off.

"I think he was really good today, Kudus. His hold-up play, the way he takes hold of the ball in tricky situations," said Frank. "His one-vs-one skills, his creating opportunities for the team was top class. On top of that I think he's working extremely hard and there was a recovery run from a set piece when he was straining all the way back and he won the ball back.

"That's how he can help the team so much. He will make a lot of the fans excited with his offensive actions and he will also help the team defensively."

The 24-year-old is certainly going to get the Tottenham supporters off of their seats. The key for him will be consistency in the end product once he has bewitched the opposition as well as others making the most of the space he creates as he draws defenders to him.

The same goes for Wilson Odobert who had a couple of positive moments, including hitting the post, but was replaced by the stronger, more direct Tel who fashioned that big chance for Van de Ven.

Richarlison looks to be pain-free which is all that anyone wants for a player who makes an impact when available.

Lucas Bergvall was pushed into the number 10 role and got caught sometimes between being too deep or stuck high up the pitch and leaving space in behind him, When on the ball though, the Swede - one sloppy pass aside - constantly gave Arsenal something to think about.

Frank was repeatedly speaking to his players both as a group and individually during breaks in play and explained some of what he was saying afterwards.

"A few different bits. It could be in our phase one building up, we wanted Micky a little bit lower so there was an out-ball that way or it could be if we go a little bit longer we want Lucas higher. So more tactical instructions," he explained.

There is still plenty to do at Tottenham though and the need for increased quality is clear for the heavy schedule ahead while also removing those around the edge of the squad, an Achilles Heel for Spurs for years.

There are a number of players out injured, including Dominic Solanke who Frank told football.london will return from his ankle injury if not for Sunday in South Korea against Newcastle then the Super Cup against PSG the following week.

Despite the absences the squad was so big and the need to give most players 75 minutes or the full 90 that younger players like Will Lankshear, Jun'ai Byfield and Luca Gunter were not even in the matchday squad, having done their own intensive session in the heat on Thursday to ensure they were kept ticking over.

Back at home, Mikey Moore is set to move to Scottish giants Rangers on loan to give him the regular football he needs to develop, with further European experience to boot. A new contract will arrive for the youngster when he turns 18 this month.

Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett will also join him in leaving the club and their own current contract situations with two years left each means a decision is coming in the not-too-distant future over their long term future.

A new face is set to arrive at Spurs in the shape of Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha to add a specialist in the number six role Frank wants rather than more all round midfielders taking on the position. Palhinha is not expected to join up with the final days of the tour and instead meet them before.

As with Josh Keeley taking on Spurs immediately after leaving for Luton, so Palhinha's first game for Tottenham could be against Bayern.

Spurs were always keen to strike a loan deal for the 30-year-old rather than a big fee up front for a player who did not start a lot of matches last season for Bayern in the Bundesliga, with injury among the reasons.

It is similar to the deal for Tel with the Bavarian giants in being a try before you buy offer with a 30million euro option for Spurs at the end of the season.

If Tottenham get the Palhinha who shone for Fulham in the Premier League then it's going to look like a bargain. The Portuguese, who will have his wages covered by Spurs, is a tough tackler with the composure on the ball to start attacks and he could prove to be a strong, disciplined and experienced presence to allow the likes of Bentancur, Sarr and Bergvall to roam.

Norgaard, who Frank embraced at the final whistle, would likely have been the Dane's first choice for the role as he adores his compatriot, but Palhinha will bring a lot of the same qualities as the former Brentford man.

Along with Kudus, Palhinha is also another Premier League proven player ready to hit the ground running.

With his age and the potentially shorter-term nature of the deal it also allows Archie Gray another year to develop into that position. The 19-year-old could probably do with a loan move to aid that but his versatility and the aesthetics of loaning out your second-biggest signing of last summer is not a good one. It's essentially admitting a £40million signing wasn't ready.

Palhinha's arrival suggests Tottenham are confident of moving Yves Bissouma out of the club as the Mali international is now in the final 11 months of his contract. Frank has made it clear that Bentancur is someone he really likes and the incoming Palhinha, along with Sarr and Bergvall's ability leave Bissouma as the odd man out.

Spurs also must start filtering out players who cannot be registered in their Champions League squad due to them only having 21 spots available for non club-trained players and they will accept reasonable bids for Bissouma.

The need for another full-back also looks clear, particularly with Udogie's increasingly concerning amount of time in the treatment room over recent seasons.

A number 10 is also required after the failure to land Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest and the absence of Dejan Kulusevski beyond the first month of the coming season. James Maddison only played his first handful of minutes in pre-season after returning from his knee injury so will need to be broken in gently.

The loan deal for Palhinha keeps the money bid on Gibbs-White available for an advanced playmaker.

At this stage Frank has publicly ruled out the need for another attacker and the renewed links to Randal Kolo Muani are believed to be wide of the mark.

What happens next with Son and potentially Richarlison will decide whether the north London club do yet dip into the market for another front man.

There is an awareness around Tottenham that those at the top of the Premier League have spent far more than them so far, even if the failed Gibbs-White deal would have closed that gap somewhat.

That transfer would have put them in a stronger, earlier position with Frank's squad and now they are having to play catch-up and move to other targets with the money there and available.

There is also the need for the Dane to continue to appraise his squad which could make for more later deals than would have been required for a manager not in his first summer at the club.

For now though Frank has started to get Tottenham playing an early version of how he wants them to play. It brought a first trophy lift even if everyone concerned knows that it was nothing to celebrate.

There is something though about lifting a cup that can become instinct. In a corridor at Spurs' luxurious hotel in Hong Kong, between the players' rest and dinner areas and a conference room, was a replica of the Europa League trophy.

Visitors to that secure area gazed at the gleaming piece of silverware in awe while some reporters might just have taken a photo with it while waiting to interview a group of players.

During that moment, Micky van de Ven emerged from one of the doors, marched over to the trophy, grabbed it and held it above his head, mimicking a crowd roar with his mouth. When football.london pointed out that this scene all felt very familiar, the Dutchman grinned proudly, fully aware of that night in Bilbao and the subsequent party in N17.

For winning trophies does become a habit if built upon and that is exactly what Thomas Frank and Tottenham need to do in the weeks, months and hopefully years ahead.

Thomas Frank had plenty to say in his press conference after Tottenham's pre-season victory against Arsenal in Hong Kong on Thursday.

In the first North London Derby to be played outside of the UK, Spurs struck the woodwork three times in the first half at the Kai Tak Stadium. First right-back Pedro Porro's corner curled all the way through and hit the right-hand upright. Then Wilson Odobert's slightly deflected low shot struck the same post and the subsequent corner bounced against the left-hand post, before hitting Richarlison and bouncing over off the Brazilian.

Pape Matar Sarr scored what would be a wonderful winning goal just before the break to give Tottenham the lead after picking up the ball just over the halfway line and clipping it back perfectly up and over David Raya and into the Arsenal net.

At the other end, Arsenal huffed and puffed but never gave Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario anything to do. In fact it should have been 2-0 to Spurs after the hour mark following some great movement by substitute Mathys Tel down the left to get in a cross only for Micky van de Ven to head wide from a good position.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was in Hong Kong and among those putting the questions to Frank. Here's everything the Dane said during the press conference at the Kai Tak Stadium after Spurs lifted the pre-season Herbalgy Trophy.

We have seen training videos of players throwing themselves in front of mini goals to block the ball in specific sessions, does that all pay off in a game like this?

Yeah that is very pleasing of course. I think we have been very clear that this was not a friendly. It felt like a competitive match, I think you saw it was competitive and if you played in it it was competitive. Some of the bits we have been working hard on is the combination of defensive organisation so high pressure, middle, low so there are clear principles and that desire to keep a clean sheet because that gives you a bigger opportunity to win matches.

What did you make of Pape Matar Sarr's goal?

An unbelievable goal. Fantastic, well taken. All the credit to Pape. He has impressed me I must admit. He has been really good in the last four weeks.

A big moment for the squad and you psychologically to beat Arsenal?

I think for the team we are building together all the positive results or performances you can get just reinforce the messages we try to get into the players and the team feel that. That desire to defend was good. First half in generally we played very good overall. Second half I felt we defended a bit too much. But that was good and the set-pieces I think was a good as well. We defended very well but were also very dangerous.

What were you telling the players during breaks in play?

A few different bits. It could be in our phase one building up, we wanted Micky a little bit lower so there was an outball that way or it could be if we go a little bit longer we want Lucas higher. So more tactical instructions.

Would you come back to Hong Kong for another pre-season tour?

Yeah definitely. It would be a yes. I would definitely consider that. Everyone who has arranged this has been top. To see the sellout crowd tonight, fantastic fans, everybody making it feel like an extreme competitive match was very important for everyone. So all the things that had to be arranged well have been perfect. So very pleased.

What did you make of the facilities?

I think that was good. Very good hotel. Training pitch has been good which is important and of course the stadium.

Have you now got a better idea of the size of the job you've taken on?

Definitely. I think I had a good idea but you don't really know until you step into it and I think seeing how important it is for the fans. The fans have been waiting every day for us, every morning and evening, and the fans that came to open training and were at the game. You understand more and more, first and foremost how big a club Spurs is and the importance of the club.

Can you tell us a bit more about Mohammed Kudus and what he offers you in a game like this?

I think he was really good today Kudus. His hold-up play, the way he takes hold of the ball in tricky situations. His one-vs-one skills, his creating opportunities for the team was top class. On top of that I think he's working extremely hard and there was was recovery run from a set piece when he was straining all the way back and he won the ball back. That's how he can help the team so much. He will make a lot of the fans excited with his offensive actions and he will also help the team defensively.

How close is Dominic Solanke to coming back?

It's getting closer. We'll see if it's close enough for Newcastle if not I'm positive for Bayern.

You embraced Christian Norgaard at full-time, how happy are you to see him get an opportunity at a Champions League club?

It was a little emotional. I've known him since he was 15. He's 31 now and I've been training him for 12 years so I can say that I've known him for a pretty long time. This is the first time I've played against him. He played for me more than 300 games and it was a bit strange to see him on the other team. He's a top player and I can understand why Arsenal went for him. I'm so happy that he got this great opportunity late in his career.

Romero put the captain's armband on Son after the final whistle, have you decided yet on your captain or is it TBC?

Yeah that is to be confirmed. I haven't taken the decision yet. I'd like to understand the group of players a little bit more. I know I need to make a decision before the first official game against PSG in the Super Cup so I will do that. It's natural that both Romero and Son are captains so we kept it likewise.

Thomas Frank is holding his press conference in Hong Kong after Tottenham's pre-season victory against Arsenal on Thursday.

Spurs struck the woodwork three times in the first half. First Pedro Porro's corner curled all the way through and hit the right-hand upright. Tottenham then hit the right-hand post again as Wilson Odobert's slightly deflected low shot hit the woodwork. Somehow the subsequent corner then bounced against the left-hand post, before striking Richarlison and bouncing over.

Pape Matar Sarr then scored a wonderful goal just before the break to give Tottenham the lead after picking up the ball just over the halfway line before sending it back over David Raya and into the net.

It should have been 2-0 to Spurs after the hour mark after some great work by substitute Mathys Tel down the left only for Micky van de Ven to head the Frenchman's cross wide from a good position. At the other end, Arsenal huffed and puffed but never gave Guglielmo Vicario anything to do.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold is out in Hong Kong among those putting the questions to Frank. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at the Kai Tak Stadium.

Mikel Arteta is speaking to the media in Hong Kong following Arsenal's 1-0 pre-season friendly defeat against Tottenham at Kai Tak Stadium.

The Arsenal boss made five changes to his team to take on Spurs but there was no place for new signing Viktor Gyokeres in the starting XI.

Arsenal did go close in the opening exchanges as Martin Odegaard and William Saliba threatened in a fast start.

Tottenham had chances of their own as Pedro Porro and Wilson Odobert both hit the post before Pape Matar Sarr opened the scoring seconds before half-time with a lob from distance.

The sides traded chances after the break as Gabriel Martinelli prodded the ball over and Micky van de Ven headed wide at the back post when he really should've scored.

Gyokeres was introduced for his bow in the closing minutes but he couldn't mark it with a debut goal as Spurs held on for victory.

Tottenham beat Arsenal 1-0 in the first North London Derby to be played outside of the UK and here are our first half player ratings from the pre-season friendly victory in Hong Kong.

The first half saw the Gunners start the game brighter only for Thomas Frank's Spurs side to strike the woodwork three times. First Pedro Porro's corner curled all the way through and hit the right-hand upright. Tottenham then hit the right-hand post again as Wilson Odobert's slightly deflected low shot hit the woodwork. Somehow the subsequent corner then bounced against the left-hand post, before striking Richarlison and bouncing over.

Pape Matar Sarr then scored a wonderful goal just before the break to give Tottenham the lead after picking up the ball just over the halfway line before sending it back over David Raya and into the net.

It should have been 2-0 to Spurs after the hour mark after some great work by substitute Mathys Tel down the left only for Micky van de Ven to head the Frenchman's cross wide from a good position. At the other end, Arsenal huffed and puffed but never game Guglielmo Vicario anything to do.

Here are our Spurs player ratings from the pre-season victory at the Kai Tak Stadium

Guglielmo Vicario

The Italian had very little to do other than marshal his defence and make one low comfortable save late on from a central effort. 6

Pedro Porro

A busy half with a corner that curled all the way through and struck the right-hand post before making a good tackle on Rice as the midfielder burst on to Romero's header. Had the energy to play the full 90 minutes and looked good in Frank's system without the need to bomb on. 8

Cristian Romero

Sent a header into the path of Rice for a dangerous moment for Arsenal. Looked in good form other than, including a cheeky nutmeg on the sliding Havertz in his own box. Only that header knocked him down a mark and he continued his good work until coming off on the hour mark. Led the line well against the local rivals. 8

Micky van de Ven

Resumed his partnership with Romero as if they hadn't left each other after the Europa League final. Very little got past the flying Dutchman. He should have sent a header into the net though from Tel's cross midway through the second half but made a good save soon after. Came off with 15 minutes to go, seeming to hold his back. 8

Djed Spence

A tough task on the left up against Saka but he handled it well on the whole and continued that after the England man went off as he completed a full 90 minutes. 8

Rodrigo Bentancur

Picked up a yellow card for bringing down Saka on the run but played a strong role in the engine room for a good 85 minutes. 7

Pape Matar Sarr

An energetic first half capped by a wonderful goal over Raya from just over the halfway line. Moved into the number 10 role for a while after Bergvall went off before coming off himself with five minutes to go. This could be a big season for the Senegal international under Frank. 8

Mohammed Kudus

Always a threat to Arsenal with his runs forward and had a couple of blocked shots on the edge of the box. Came off after the hour mark following a less effective start to that period. Still another promising performance on the whole. He's going to be fun to watch for the most part. 7

Lucas Bergvall

Playing in the number 10 position, other than one sloppy pass, the young Swede was effective in most of what he did as he often made up another number in midfield. Suffered from cramp in the second half before coming off with 15 or so minutes to go. 6

Wilson Odobert

Struck the right-hand post with a slightly deflected shot. Drifted in and out of the game after that with some moments of threat but others when he ran into defenders. 6

Richarlison

Had a header blocked in front of goal after Porro's corner hit the post and was unfortunate that the rebound after Kudus' corner hit the other post bounced against him and over the crossbar. Worked hard for an hour and got another pre-season game under his belt. 6

Subs

Kevin Danso

Replaced Romero for the final half an hour and helped keep the clean sheet. 7

Mathys Tel

Some great work after coming on to find space and put in a cross that Van de Ven should have headed on target. Ran for everything in the central attacking role. 6

Brennan Johnson

Didn't see much of the ball down the right in the final half hour. 5

Ben Davies

Replaced Van de Ven in the centre of defence and helped keep Arsenal out in the final 15 minutes. 6

Son Heung-min

Came on for the final 15 minutes, presumable with a start to come in his homeland on Sunday. Made one strong run down the left and almost got the ball to Tel for a late chance. 6

Yves Bissouma

Came on to give the midfield some energy. 6

James Maddison

His first minutes of pre-season late on after returning from that knee injury. N/A

Archie Gray

Made an important late clearance on the run into his own box. N/A

Tottenham took on Arsenal in the first North London Derby outside of the UK and here are our first half player ratings from the pre-season friendly in Hong Kong.

Thomas Frank named a strong team only missing Dominic Solanke, who had a minor ankle injury, and Son Heung-min, who was on the bench perhaps with Sunday's match against Newcastle in his homeland South Korea in mind. Rodrigo Bentancur, who was ill at the weekend, was back in the team.

The first half saw Arsenal start brighter only for Tottenham to hit the woodwork three times. First Pedro Porro's corner curled all the way through and hit the right-hand upright. Spurs then hit the right-hand post again as Wilson Odobert's ever so slightly deflected low shot struck the woodwork. Somehow the subsequent corner then bounced against the left-hand post, before striking Richarlison and bouncing over.

Pape Matar Sarr then scored a wonderful goal just before the break to give Tottenham the lead after picking up the ball just over the halfway line before sending it back over David Raya and into the net.

Here are our Spurs player ratings from the first half in the Kai Tak Stadium

Guglielmo Vicario

The Italian had very little to do other than marshal his defence. 6

Pedro Porro

A busy half with a corner that curled all the way through and struck the right-hand post before making a good tackle on Rice as the midfielder burst on to Romero's header. 8

Cristian Romero

Sent a header into the path of Rice for a dangerous moment for Arsenal. Looked in good form other than, including a cheeky nutmeg on the sliding Havertz in his own box. Only that header knocked him down a mark 7

Micky van de Ven

Resumed his partnership with Romero as if they hadn't left each other after the Europa League final. Very little got past the flying Dutchman. 8

Djed Spence

A tough task on the left up against Saka but he handled it well on the whole. 7

Rodrigo Bentancur

Picked up a yellow card for bringing down Saka on the run but played a strong role in the engine room. 7

Pape Matar Sarr

An energetic first half capped by a wonderful goal over Raya from just over the halfway line. 8

Mohammed Kudus

Always a threat to Arsenal with his runs forward and had a couple of blocked shots on the edge of the box. 7

Lucas Bergvall

Playing in the number 10 position, other than one sloppy pass, the young Swede was effective in most of what he did as he often made up another number in midfield. 7

Wilson Odobert

Struck the right-hand post with a slightly deflected shot but was quiet at most other times. 6

Richarlison

Had a header blocked in front of goal after Porro's corner hit the post and was unfortunate that the rebound after Kudus' corner hit the other post bounced against him and over the crossbar. 6

Arsenal trail Tottenham 1-0 at half-time in their pre-season friendly in Hong Kong. The game at Kai Tak Stadium is a first for both clubs as it is the first ever North London Derby to be held outside of the UK.

Fresh from securing two wins from two on their tour of Asia so far, Mikel Arteta made five changes to his Arsenal team to face Spurs. Jakub Kiwior, Martin Odegaard, Christian Norgaard, Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli were the players to come in, with Viktor Gyokeres named on the bench after completing his move from Sporting CP last weekend.

Arsenal made a fast start to the contest and went close early on through Odegaard and William Saliba. The Frenchman was then needed to clear a Richarlison header off the line in Spurs' first attack of the contest.

Tottenham were to hit the post again on 28 minutes as Wilson Odobert's low effort took the slightest deflections off Ben White and went wide for a corner. Spurs were to take the lead on the stroke of half-time as Pape Matar-Sarr chipped David Raya from distance, although Arsenal wanted a foul on Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Here is how we rated the players in the first half at Kai Tak Stadium:

David Raya

Looked unsure a couple of times from dangerous Tottenham corners that hit both posts. Tottenham never really forced him into action before he was caught off his line for Sarr's excellent strike from distance. 4

Ben White

Had a test on his hands against the speedy Odobert and the tiniest of deflections from him stopped the Frenchman netting as hit attempt kissed the post. Bit of a mixed bag against the winger. 6

William Saliba

Made a vital intervention on ten minutes as he stopped Richarlison's header from going in. Also went close with a header early on. 7

Jakub Kiwior

Named at centre-back with Riccardo Calafiori joining Gabriel Magalhaes on the sidelines and had a test with Richarlison troubling him on a few occasions. Produced a key block midway through the first half as Mohammed Kudus found himself in space in the area. 6

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Made sure his opponent knew he was in for a match as he put himself about in the North London Derby. Took a knock in a challenge in the first half but managed to play on. Wanted a foul for Sarr's goal as the Tottenham midfielder took full advantage when he was on the ground. 5

Martin Odegaard

Involved right from the off as he saw a shot deflected wide for a corner and then another attempt fell Saliba's way for a header. Bright showing from the captain. 7

Christian Norgaard

Handed his second start of the pre-season tour and put in a decent shift in the middle of the park. 6

Declan Rice

Really got stuck in and saw a shot deflected wide by Pedro Porro after taking advantage of a poor Cristian Romero header. 7

Bukayo Saka

Had a couple of decent runs with one seeing Rodrigo Bentancur booked for fouling the England international. 6

Kai Havertz

A lack of chances on goal and didn't get enough on one effort to trouble Guglielmo Vicario, although the flag did go up for offside on that occasion. 6

Gabriel Martinelli

Viktor Gyokeres started on the bench for Arsenal's final pre-season match of their Asian tour. Taking on Tottenham Hotspur, Kai Havertz began the match as the team's No.9 for the third game in a row.

Gyokeres has participated in a couple of training sessions since his arrival from Sporting CP was confirmed at the weekend. He was watched by thousands of Arsenal fans in Hong Kong and delighted those watching with a couple of goals during the drills.

Speaking after Sunday's win over Newcastle, Mikel Arteta was coy about whether he would be involved in the game. He cited that if the striker passed the right checks, he could be involved.

"Well I think he hasn't had a single training session with the team since the last game with Sporting when they became champions," he said. "So we will assess him tomorrow; he's done all the medicals, everything is looking good but to get him up to speed with the right levels of fitness I think is very important.

"So we're not going to stop him, we want him with us as quick as possible but we'll have to assess and the medical team will do that."

Viktor Gyokeres has been named on the Arsenal bench for today's pre-season friendly against Tottenham in Hong Kong. Last Saturday finally saw the Sweden international complete his move to the Gunners from Sporting CP after so much talk regarding a switch to the capital.

Arsenal's showdown against Spurs is the first ever North London Derby to take place outside of the UK. The game at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong is sold out and both teams have held open training sessions in front of bumper crowds leading up to the fixture.

Arsenal go into the match on the back of two wins from two on their Far East tour. Mikel Arteta's men defeated AC Milan 1-0 in their first game courtesy of Bukayo Saka's winner, before then getting the better of Newcastle United last Sunday with a 3-2 victory.

For their third and final match of the tour, Arteta has switched things about and brought the likes of Jakub Kiwior, Christian Norgaard, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli into his XI. That means David Raya starts in goal as ever, with Ben White, William Saliba, Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly making up the back four.

Norgaard, Odegaard and Declan Rice are Arsenal's midfield three, with Saka, Kai Havertz and Martinelli the front three Arteta has selected. Gyokeres is joined on the bench by fellow new signing Cristhian Mosquera, while Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori remain out.

Here is the Arsenal team to take on Tottenham:

Confirmed Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Norgaard, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.