Football London

Tottenham Hotspur are gearing up for this weekend's clash against Brentford, who face Arsenal on Wednesday night

Tottenham could be set to receive a boost tonight when Arsenal host Brentford in the Premier League.

Spurs are gearing up for this weekend's clash against the Bees and while club analysts will be keeping a close eye on what happens at the Emirates, two of Keith Andrews players are also walking a disciplinary tightrope.

Both centre-back Nathan Collins and forward Kevin Schade, who has been linked with a transfer to Tottenham in recent months, are currently on four top-flight bookings.

It means if either player was to receive another yellow tonight, they would be forced to sit out of this weekend's trip to Spurs, who drew 2-2 at Newcastle on Tuesday evening.

The prospect of a one-match ban following the accumulation of five yellows is wiped after 19 games which is the halfway point in the Premier League season.

But Collins and Schade are both sailing close to the wind as Brentford look to cause an upset against the league leaders.

Last April, the two sides played out a 1-1 draw in north London as Arsenal's slim hopes of toppling Liverpool went up in smoke.

Now they head to the Emirates with a different boss in Andrews and while their home form has been excellent, Brentford have largely struggled on their travels.

Only basement boys Wolves have picked up less home points (one) than Brentford's three which came when they were 2-0 victors at West Ham in late October.

Igor Thiago is expected to be fit for the meeting and he is one of the division's most in-form players having struck 11 times in 12 Premier League appearances this term.

Thiago bagged a brace in the 3-1 win over Burnley last Saturday and he'll be looking to shake up Arsenal centre-backs Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie in the absence of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

While Arsenal are renowned for their potency from set-pieces, Mikel Arteta has also warned his players that the Bees carry huge threat from dead-ball situations, referencing Michael Kayode's huge long throws.

The Spaniard said ahead of the meeting: “A massive weapon, that’s it. Everybody knows that.

“They certainly have that weapon like Stoke had and other teams are trying to build (that) as well, because of the difficulty of the organisation of the teams, to score goals and to create big chances is decreasing.

“They have that opportunity every time the ball goes out of play.”

The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper has endured a rollercoaster couple of days with the north London club's supporters

Destiny Udogie has paid tribute to the Tottenham supporters for getting behind Guglielmo Vicario during the 2-2 draw at Newcastle.

The Italian goalkeeper had found himself on the end of first half boos from his own fans for a period whenever he touched the ball during Saturday's home defeat to Fulham after an early mistake. Vicario was then cheered sarcastically the next time he kicked the ball out of play.

The 29-year-old's team-mates had rallied around him and Spurs boss Thomas Frank had called the mocking cheers unacceptable and declared that those who did it were "not true Tottenham fans".

On Tuesday night, as the north London side scrapped to a point at St James Park, Vicario made a string of saves. His name was sung by the travelling fans throughout the game as well as in its aftermath, with the Italy international enjoying a moment alone with the supporters after the final whistle as he applauded in return for their chants.

His compatriot Udogie was happy to see his team-mate get the respect he deserved after another performance in which he had helped Tottenham avoid defeat.

"It's always good to have the fans behind you and we're really happy for Vic. We just keep going," he said.

"As a group we are always together. Every day we go to the training ground and work together with the staff. We just have to stick together and keep going."

The Tottenham supporters chanting from high up in the stands for Vicario had not been lost on Frank either.

"I think our fans, exceptional, travelling, 3,000 up here, the way they supported us throughout the game, singing, we also heard them singing and praising Vic throughout the game. That's togetherness," said the Dane.

"You could hear them here and it's a difficult place to come as away fans and be loud enough but we could hear them. They put so much effort into it, matched the effort from the team and that togetherness drove us forward and it gave us a more than well-deserved point."

Udogie hopes that amid a run of just three wins in 14 games, Cristian Romero completing his brace with a dramatic 94th minute overhead kick at Newcastle, a place where Spurs have struggled in recent seasons, could be a turning point to kick on their campaign.

"Yeah definitely [we hope it can be]. I think it's a good point to start from. Every game is difficult. It's up to us now to keep going and just stick together every game," said the 23-year-old left-back.

"It can still be a big season for the club. Every game is important and we're looking forward to it."

Cristian Romero and Bruno Guimaraes have never seen eye-to-eye and the Tottenham and Newcastle stars clashed again at St James' Park

Cristian Romero reignited his age-old feud with Bruno Guimaraes following Tottenham Hotspur's dramatic 2-2 draw with Newcastle United. The Lilywhites captain salvaged a crucial point for Thomas Frank's side at St. James' Park on Tuesday night as they look to make up ground in the race for European football.

Guimaraes, who replaced Sandro Tonali at the break, fired the Magpies into the lead midway through the second half. The Newcastle skipper smashed his effort past Romero, and he wheeled away in celebration, cupping his ears.

A few moments later, the Tottenham defender levelled proceedings, darting ahead of Dan Burn to head the ball into the bottom corner. Anthony Gordon restored the Magpies' lead after they were controversially awarded a penalty.

Then, in the dying embers of stoppage time, Romero scored a bicycle-kick, and he was desperate to rub salt in the wounds of Guimaraes – a rival for club and country. Mocking the Newcastle midfielder, he also cupped his ears.

Following the full-time whistle, Romero directed a few words at Guimaraes, igniting a brawl in the middle of the park. Mathys Tel held the Argentine back as he and the Brazilian went back and forth.

It wasn't the first time the pair had locked horns; red mist descended when they faced one another in a pre-season friendly earlier this year. When Tottenham played Newcastle in Seoul, South Korea, Guimaraes grabbed Romero by the throat.

Shortly before the break, the Tottenham defender clashed with the Newcastle midfielder on the edge of the box. After falling to the ground in a heap, Guimaraes leapt to his feet and charged towards Romero.

The Brazilian grabbed the Argentine by the throat, and both sets of teams rushed to separate the duo. Things had hardly cooled down; a few moments later, Joelinton threw fuel on the fire when he elbowed Archie Gray.

Romero hasn't beaten Guimaraes in a competitive fixture since Tottenham defeated Newcastle 4-1 in the Premier League in December 2023. That said, the Argentine holds the bragging rights on the international stage.

Romero helped Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in the group stage of the Copa America in November 2023. The Spurs captain went on to win the tournament, a year after lifting the World Cup in Qatar.

Funnily enough, speaking after the Newcastle clash on Tuesday, the centre-back suggested that he had learned how to score such a bicycle-kick from Lionel Messi. As quoted by the Mirror, Romero said: "Every day with Leo Messi in the national team I watch him and it is a beautiful goal."

Meanwhile, Frank said: "The perfect bicycle kick, hit the shin, aiming for the bottom corner. I think let's start praising Cuti, I think he deserved that for all of the top performance, defending, on the ball, coolness, calmness, duels.

"And then getting up there and scoring two goals I think the bicycle kick will most likely get a little bit more praise, but I think the header is more exceptional, the way he does that is better than many strikers.

"That said, I think I really liked the character, the mentality in the team, what they showed after three tough games, I think it's been. To go here, the fourth game in 10 days, the third away game, very difficult place, going down two times, being behind two times, and come back, it shows everything about the willingness and the mentality in the team."

Spurs were held to a draw by Newcastle at St James' Park on Tuesday evening in a match filled to the brim with drama, and Thomas Frank has seen his future with the Lilywhites cast into speculation

Everything you need to know about Thomas Frank's future with Tottenham Hotspur, after Spurs were held to a 2-2 draw by Newcastle

Newcastle 2-2 Spurs: Tottenham Hotspur came back from behind twice in their clash with Newcastle United on Tuesday evening. Bruno Guimaraes opened the scoring in the second-half before Cristian Romero levelled matters. Anthony Gordon then converted from the spot before Romero scored an overhead kick to square up once more. Read the full story here.

Penalty drama: Thomas Bramall's decision to award a penalty in Newcastle's favour came in controversial fashion. The official initially opted not to give a spot kick as Dan Burn was held by Rodrigo Bentancur during a corner, before VAR intervened and asked him to take a second look. After review, the referee changed his decision. Read the full story here.

Thomas Frank slams VAR decision: Speaking after the match, Thomas Frank questioned VAR's decision to intervene after Bramall had made an initial decision. He said: "It was an absolute mistake from the VAR. The referee did good to do the ref call and they encourage the refereeing call on the pitch. For me, that is never a penalty."

How things stand for spurs: At the time of writing, Spurs currently sit 11th in the Premier League standings with five wins, four draws and five losses from their opening 14. The side have also lost three of their last five in the English top flight.

Frank sees future questioned: While he only took over this summer after the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou, Frank has already seen his future with Spurs called into question as a result of the club's form. And Jamie Carragher named Fulham boss Marco Silva as a good fit ahead of the Newcastle clash. Speaking on The Overlap, Carragher said: "I’ve always seen Silva at Tottenham."

Frank makes Tottenham sack prediction: Elsewhere Frank is very confident that Tottenham's owners will stick with him. Speaking recently, the Dane said: "I'm very confident. I think the ownership - of course I'm just starting to know them - but it seems like they're good guys, intelligent people."

Up next for Spurs: Spurs now prepare to play host to Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, December 6. They then take on Slavia Praha in the Champions League come Tuesday, December 9.

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Cristian Romero scored both goals for Tottenham Hotspur during their 2-2 draw with Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has made his feelings perfectly clear with his reaction to the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United. Spurs were forced to settle for a point in their showdown against the Magpies at St James' Park on Tuesday night in the Premier League.

Bruno Guimaraes had handed Newcastle the lead in the 71st minute, only for Romero to equalise soon after for Thomas Frank's side.

Anthony Gordon then put Newcastle in front, once again, from the penalty spot in the closing minutes, only for Romero to score for a second time, this a dramatic overhead in stoppage time, to rescue a point for Tottenham.

Spurs were unhappy with the awarding of a penalty for Newcastle, which was given following a VAR check at St James' Park.

Tottenham star, Rodrigo Bentancur, was penalised for holding Newcastle defender Dan Burn during a corner, with the incident going unnoticed before referee Thomas Bramall was instructed by the VAR officials in Stockley Park to look at his pitch-side monitor.

The U-turn has, naturally, been one of the main talking points from the game, with Romero making his frustration clear after the final whistle. On X - formerly known as Twitter - Romero reposted a tweet from Rio Ferdinand, who criticised the decision to award Newcastle a penalty.

"Disgraceful decision to reward [Newcastle] penalty," Ferdinand wrote. "Whoever is controlling the VAR should be ashamed [and] the ref then reviews and should be also. Well done Newcastle."

Romero reposted the message from Ferdinand, while also going on to write a post of his own on the social media platform to his 318,000 followers.

"It's all about working hard, getting better, and pushing forward," wrote Romero on X.

"Especially now, when things aren't going our way, we've got to stick together. Thanks for all the support as always fans see you at home on Saturday."

Frank also explained why he did not think Newcastle should have been awarded a penalty - with Tottenham's head coach stating that VAR shouldn't have intervened.

"And also, the second one is very disappointing to concede because for me it's never a penalty," said Frank.

"Even speaking to some from Newcastle, who didn't think it's a penalty.

"And we need the consistency. Because that penalty, that would be given two times a game.

"And I think the referee call on the pitch nailed it. And VAR can only be if it's clear and obvious."

Tottenham drew 2-2 against Newcastle United at St James' Park, with Spurs captain Cristian Romero rescuing a late point for his side thanks to his staggering acrobatic effort

Cristian Romero's stoppage-time celebration sparked a bust-up at St James' Park after he had mimicked Bruno Guimaraes, having just scored a stunning bicycle-kick equaliser. The Spurs captain scored both of the goals for the visitors.

Bruno Guimaraes broke the deadlock in the 71st minute, but Romero quickly hit back. Spurs looked destined for back-to-back defeats until a moment of magic from the defender rescued a point in the 95th minute.

Romero then walked behind the goal, replicating Guimaraes' celebration - placing his hands over his ears before pointing to his name on the back of his shirt.

The celebration prompted a fierce reaction from Newcastle players at the full-time whistle, which saw plenty of pushing and shoving take place. The players were eventually separated, with Joelinton and Guimaraes having made their feelings known to Romero in particular.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank's main focus, though, would have been on the result which will have helped to ease the tension for a few more days. He told football.london afterwards: "The perfect bicycle kick, hit the shin, aiming for the bottom corner.

"I think let's start praising Cuti, I think he deserved that for all of the top performance, defending, on the ball, coolness, calmness, duels.

"And then getting up there and scoring two goals. I think the bicycle kick will most likely get a little bit more praise, but I think the header is more exceptional, the way he does that is better than many strikers."

Romero later praised the team's mentality to keep fighting until the end, while admitting they have underperformed in recent games.

"The first goal was very important," Romero told Sky Sports after the game.

"In the last three or four games the team weren't good enough. It has been a difficult time but especially in this game I love the mentality."

Meanwhile, co-commentator Jamie Carragher hailed Romero's effort.

"Wow! Wayne Rooney would be proud of that! It isn't the greatest connection," he said on Sky Sports.

"Almost comes off his shin, as Rooney's did that time!

"How has that gone in? Newcastle will be kicking themselves. They'll be furious, Newcastle. Tottenham: two shots on target, two goals."

Romero missed Spurs' defeat to Fulham after serving a suspension for accumulating yellow cards.

Here's every single word the Tottenham Hotspur boss said after the 2-2 draw at Newcastle in the Premier League on Tuesday evening

Thomas Frank had more to be happy about in his press conference following Tottenham's 2-2 draw at Newcastle in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Joelinton hit the left-hand post with a low effort in the first half as the hosts had chances while Spurs made it four games in a row without getting a shot on target in the first period of a game. They did improve after the interval only for Bruno Guimaraes to curl home an effort from the edge of the box on 71 minutes.

Captain Cristian Romero, back from suspension, levelled for Tottenham seven minutes later when he dived in to head home Mohammed Kudus' cross.

Then at the other end, referee Tom Bramall was sent to his monitor to look at a grapple between Rodrigo Bentancur and Dan Burn from a corner and the official awarded a penalty to the hosts which Anthony Gordon slammed home.

Romero was not done though as he leapt like a salmon to hook home an overhead kick goal in the 94th minute and grab the north London side a share of the spoils.

Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank after the game. Here's the full transcript from the press conference at St James' Park.

Did you expect Cristian Romero to be your two-goal striker tonight and to score an equaliser like that?

The perfect bicycle kick, hit the shin, aiming for the bottom corner. I think let's start praising Cuti, I think he deserved that for all of the top performance, defending, on the ball, coolness, calmness, duels. And then getting up there and scoring two goals. I think the bicycle kick will most likely get a little bit more praise, but I think the header is more exceptional, the way he does that is better than many strikers.

That said, I think I really liked the character, the mentality in the team, what they showed after three tough games, I think it's been. To go here, the fourth game in 10 days, the third away game, very difficult place, going down two times, being behind two times, and come back, it shows everything about the willingness and the mentality in the team.

And also, the second one is very disappointing to concede because for me it's never a penalty. Even speaking to some from Newcastle, who didn't think it's a penalty. And we need the consistency. Because that penalty, that would be given two times a game. And I think the referee call on the pitch nailed it. And VAR can only be if it's clear and obvious.

But, I want to speak about us, and the mentality coming back. And a great point away from home, I'm happy with that. I think our fans, exceptional, travelling, 3000 up here, the way they supported us throughout the game, singing, we also heard them singing and praising Vic throughout the game. That's togetherness.

How much does that mean to you, to hear them singing to the team and Vicario?

You could hear them here and it's a difficult place to come as away fans and be loud enough so we can hear them. So they put so much effort into it, matched the effort from the team and that togetherness drove us forward and it gave us a more than well-deserved point.

Do you think, given that the team's been in a difficult run recently, it makes such a difference to have that kind of individual leadership, individual heroism from Romero?

Yeah, of course. I think we can set everything nice tactically up and good principles and all that and try to do it, and that's the foundation and hopefully we can make a great team. But you know sometimes it's decisive actions from key players and Cuti definitely did that today.

Can you explain about how important it was for the team to show that spirit today?

Yeah, I think it's hugely important. I think the PSG performance was good. I think the team gave everything against Fulham. It was just a nightmare game in some ways because you're down 2-0 after six minutes, and then keep going and also get something out of it. But that's the only way forward, we know that. If you're a tough runner, there's only one way, and that is to work hard and keep going. And the team did that very well today.

Can I just double-check on Destiny Udogie at the end, he seemed to be limping a little bit, is he OK?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I haven't heard anything.

The perfect bicycle kick, hit the shin, aiming for the bottom corner. I think let's start praising Cuti, I think he deserved that for all of the top performance, defending, on the ball, coolness, calmness, duels. And then getting up there and scoring two goals. I think the bicycle kick will most likely get a little bit more praise, but I think the header is more exceptional, the way he does that is better than many strikers.

That said, I think I really liked the character, the mentality in the team, what they showed after three tough games, I think it's been. To go here, the fourth game in 10 days, the third away game, very difficult place, going down two times, being behind two times, and come back, it shows everything about the willingness and the mentality in the team.

And also, the second one is very disappointing to concede because for me it's never a penalty. Even speaking to someone from Newcastle, who didn't think it's a penalty. And we need the consistency. Because that penalty, that would be given two times a game. And I think the referee call on the pitch nailed it. And VAR can only be if it's clear and obvious.

But, I want to speak about us, and the mentality coming back. And a great point away from home, I'm happy with that. I think our fans, exceptional, travelling, 3000 up here, the way they supported us throughout the game, singing, we also heard them singing and praising Vic throughout the game. That's togetherness.

Here are our Tottenham player ratings after they grabbed a point at Newcastle in the Premier League on Tuesday evening

Tottenham battled to a 2-2 draw at Newcastle in the Premier League on Tuesday night and here are our Spurs player ratings.

Spurs came into the contest having won just three of their previous 13 matches off the back of another underwhelming performance at home at the weekend as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at home against Fulham. They arrived to take on a Newcastle side in fine fettle with seven victories from their previous nine matches while St James' Park has not been a happy hunting ground for the north London outfit in recent seasons.

Frank made four changes with captain Cristian Romero back from suspension alongside Kevin Danso, with Micky van de Ven getting a rest after playing three games in a week. Brennan Johnson came into the team on the left of attack while Pape Matar Sarr also brought in with Rodrigo Bentancur.

The first half brought plenty of pressure from Newcastle and Joelinton hit the left-hand post with a low effort. Spurs made it four games in a row without a shot on target in the first half, but they did improve after the interval only to be hit by a sucker punch on 71 minutes when Bruno Guimaraes curled home an effort from the edge of the box.

The returning Romero levelled for Spurs though seven minutes later when he dived in to head home Mohammed Kudus' cross.

However, the drama was not done as the referee Tom Bramall was sent to his monitor to look at a grapple between Bentancur and Dan Burn and he awarded a penalty to the hosts which Anthony Gordon slammed home.

Romero was not done either though as he leapt to send home an acrobatic overhead kick goal in the 94th minute and grab the north London side a share of the spoils.

Here are our Spurs player ratings.

Guglielmo Vicario

Had his name chanted repeatedly in the first half by the travelling Spurs fans after an early low save from Miley. Saved well from Barnes early in the second half. Couldn't get anywhere near Guimaraes' curling shot on 70 minutes. 7

Pedro Porro

Put Spurs in danger with one early loose backheel and despite a hard-working display had some tough moments down his flank. 6

Cristian Romero

Back from a suspension for accumulated yellow cards and he picked up a booking within 25 minutes here for a late challenge on Joelinton. Got skinned by Barnes for the Newcastle man's chance soon after the break. Then he turned striker to spin the game on its head with a diving header and then an acrobatic overhead kick. His defending was mixed on the day but he scored the goals the attackers couldn't. 9

Kevin Danso

Spurs' best defender in the first half and headed Woltemade's effort off the line after the interval. Gave a good account of himself throughout. 8

Destiny Udogie

Sloppy moments alongside some good runs and like Porro on the other side, Newcastle got plenty of joy down the flanks. Looked to be limping late on. 6

Pape Matar Sarr

Worked hard in the centre of the park without too much quality in his play. 6

Rodrigo Bentancur

Mixed sloppy moments with good ones and was very hard done by for the penalty award. 6

Mohammed Kudus

A great cross from Romero to score his first goal and a low cross for Bergvall early on, but otherwise he struggled to find a way through at times and put Spurs in trouble on a couple of occasions outside his own box. Gets bumped up for the assist. 7

Lucas Bergvall

Played in a number 10 role and did really well with his pressing around the pitch and chasing back. He backheeled an effort over the bar from Kudus' cross. 7

Brennan Johnson

Made a couple of good first half runs that were not spotted by Kudus or Porro. Made a goal line clearance from Livramento in the second period. His touch wasn't always on point but he kept trying to stretch Newcastle's backline and got past Livramento a few times. 6

Randal Kolo Muani

Worked hard, pressed around the pitch and put in the dirty work without the rewards. 6

Subs

Richarlison

Came on and tried to cause problems up front. 6

Xavi Simons

Got the ball into the box as much as he could. 6

Mathys Tel

Some sloppy moments on the ball that enraged Frank when Spurs were chasing the game. It was his corner though that led to the late leveller. 5

Archie Gray

Came on late in the game and made some important little touches. N/A

Wilson Odobert

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has fumed at one Tottenham player after he received a yellow card, despite only just returning from a one-game ban

Jamie Carragher slammed Cristian Romero after the Tottenham captain picked up a needless yellow card during Tuesday's trip to Newcastle.

Romero, who missed Saturday's defeat to Fulham after serving a one-game suspension for five bookings, was cautioned for the sixth time this season at St. James' Park.

In the 23rd minute, the Argentina international rushed in and caught Joelinton late, leaving the midfielder on the floor. Referee Tom Bramall was in no hesitation but to give Romero a yellow card.

Reacting to the incident, Carragher wasn't impressed. He said while on co-commentary for Sky Sports: "Romero is not going to change is he? I love aggressive players but he's not going to get the ball there.

"You'd think with age and maturity he'd stop doing it but apparently not."

Should Romero receive four more yellow cards prior to the conclusion of Tottenham's 32nd Premier League game, he would then get a two-match ban.

The most yellow cards Romero has collected in a Premier League season is nine, when he averaged one booking every three matches in the 2022/23 season under Antonio Conte.

Across his top-flight career, Romero has picked up 33 yellow cards in 111 appearances. He has been sent off twice in that period, though his most recent one came over two years ago in the defeat to Chelsea in November 2023.

Thomas Frank's Spurs made the trip to the North East looking to end a three-game losing run and record their first win in the Premier League since October.

Although Tottenham were second best throughout the first half, they went into the break with the score goalless. Lucas Bergvall had Spurs' best chance as he flicked on Mohammed Kudus' cross but his effort flew just over.

Meanwhile, Newcastle went close on a number of occasions during the first period. The closest the Magpies came was when Joelinton hit the base of the post after crashing a low effort across the face of goal.

Newcastle had more shots, shots on target and created a higher expected goals (xG) than Tottenham during the first half. Frank will be hoping for more from his side in the second period.

After Newcastle took the lead through Bruno Guimaraes, Tottenham responded and it was Romero who scored the leveller for Frank's side. He powered home a header following an excellent cross from Kudus.

Tottenham then fell behind once again as Anthony Gordon scored from the spot to put the Magpies 2-1 ahead. However, Spurs bounced back with Romero scoring his second of the night to rescue a valuable point.