Football FanCast

Tottenham Hotspur’s latest defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League was one of the worst of the Thomas Frank era, with the fans starting to get frustrated after the latest showing.

The Dane’s side have huge expectations to impress, especially after their European triumph last season and £100m+ spending spree sanctioned by the hierarchy.

However, his men fell to a 1-0 defeat against their city rivals last night, producing a measly xG of just 0.05 - the lowest in the club’s top-flight history since records began.

Such a result was the third time the Lilywhites fell to a defeat in the league, with all their losses coming on home soil - showcasing the struggles endured over the last few weeks.

However, one player massively failed to deliver in North London, which has led to numerous supporters voicing their concern over the form of one first-team member.

The stats behind Xavi Simons’ struggles at Spurs

Xavi Simons joined Spurs in a £52m transfer during the summer transfer window, with real expectations from the fanbase to provide the needed quality in the number ten position.

The Dutch international’s tally of 19 combined goals and assists last campaign only fuelled the excitement in North London, but his form over recent weeks has been nothing short of embarrassing.

He’s made a total of 12 appearances across all competitions to date, but he’s only been able to notch a single assist and has yet to find the back of the net since his big-money transfer.

Simons was named as a substitute for the defeat against Chelsea, but he was called upon just minutes into the encounter after Lucas Bergvall suffered a concussion.

He featured for a total of 66 minutes, but was hugely wasteful with the ball at his feet - as seen by his tally of 14 times possession lost from his total of 55 touches.

The 22-year-old also only registered two passes into the final third, subsequently failing to create any chances for his teammates - further showcasing his lack of impact against the Blues.

As a result of his showing, Simons was subsequently substituted in the 73rd minute, with the Dutchman enduring a moment to forget after being replaced despite being brought on himself.

However, despite the showing from the attacker midfielder, one of his teammates also had an evening to forget, with the talent now needing to be on borrowed time under Frank.

The Spurs star who should be on borrowed time under Frank

The 17th-placed Premier League finish under Ange Postecoglou last season was unacceptable for Spurs supporters and understandably so, given the huge money spent in recent years.

Frank has been the man tasked with turning the ship around in North London, with the Dane’s side showing glimpses but often letting dismal displays get the better of them.

Their tally of three league defeats in just five top-flight matches showcases the problem at present, especially considering their unbeaten record away from home - which is the best record of any side in the division.

It’s becoming apparent that the 51-year-old is still unsure of his best starting eleven, with numerous different partnerships being utilised within attacking areas of the pitch.

The centre-forward department has been one that has been brought into question, with the central midfield area also one that’s up in the air, as seen by Simons’ lack of form.

Rodrigo Bentancur is just one of the Lilywhites players who has been a regular starter since Frank’s arrival - as seen by his tally of eight starts in the first ten outings in the Premier League.

The Uruguayan international was selected to start against Chelsea alongside Joao Palhinha in a deeper role, with the duo often struggling to feature alongside one another.

However, the former of the duo once again failed to deliver in North London, showcasing why he should be on borrowed time under the current management team.

The 28-year-old featured for just an hour of the defeat, even being lucky not to have seen red for his ankle-high and late challenge on Blues star Reece James.

During his display, he only achieved a total of 39 touches, losing the ball on nine occasions - matching Simons in being wasteful when in possession in North London.

He also failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles, and was unable to create any chances - further showcasing his inability to impress with the ball at his feet.

Out of possession, he was just as ineffective, only making one interception and losing 50% of the duels he entered - leading to one journalist describing him as “terrible”.

After such a showing, it must be clear to Frank that he can’t rely upon Bentancur to produce the goods in midfield - especially in a trio with Palhinha and Simons alongside him.

He must be on borrowed time in North London, with the manager needing to consider other options at the heart of the side if they’re to be successful and transform their dismal home form.

Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the race to sign FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, with the Portuguese club willing to cash-in for a huge fee this winter.

Tottenham have struggled in front of goal at times this season, failing to score in three of their last four matches in all competitions, and the most recent result against Chelsea is likely to be particularly concerning for Thomas Frank.

Spurs fell to a 1-0 defeat at home against their London rivals on Saturday, failing to create a single big chance across the 90 minutes, which meant Randal Kolo Muani was limited to just 16 touches of the ball before being substituted in the second half.

Kolo Muani is yet to get off the mark in front of goal, while Mathys Tel has also struggled, scoring just one Premier League goal this season, and the Frenchman clearly hasn't impressed Frank, having lost his place in the starting XI in recent weeks.

With that in mind, it would make sense to bring in a new striker in the January transfer window, and the door could be open to sign a Liga Portugal star...

Tottenham leading race for Aghehowa

According to a report from Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are now in the lead in the race for Porto striker Aghehowa, alongside Chelsea, with the London rivals potentially set to do battle for his signature.

The Portuguese club are now willing to sanction the 21-year-old's departure for a fee of €80m (£70m) in January, despite the youngster having a €100m (£88m) release clause included in his contract.

A £70m offer is deemed 'irresistible', so a deal could be on the cards if Spurs are willing to eclipse the £65m fee they shelled out on Dominic Solanke and break their transfer record.

Journalist Zach Lowy believes the Spaniard, who has the same agent as Mohammed Kudus, could be destined for the very top, singling him out for very high praise on X back in June.

The Melilla-born marksman had a fantastic debut campaign in Portugal, scoring 19 goals in 30 league games, and he has since gone on to make an impressive start to the new season, finding the back of the net nine times in 11 matches in all competitions.

Aghehowa's goal record at such a young age indicates he could have what it takes to become one of the best strikers in the world, and with Tel and Kolo Muani struggling, it would make sense for Tottenham to pursue a move this winter.

Tottenham Hotspur have now submitted an enquiry to sign FC Barcelona defender Eric Garcia, with Thomas Frank personally an admirer.

Spurs lost their second game on the bounce on Saturday afternoon, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at home against Chelsea, and the overall performance was extremely disappointing, recording an xG of just 0.10, their lowest total on record.

They would've lost by a greater margin too, if it hadn't been for Guglielmo Vicario, with the goalkeeper putting in a top display, making seven saves from inside the box and preventing 2.17 goals.

Frank came out to defend two of his players after the match, saying: "We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence who are doing everything they can. They perform very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated."

Van de Ven has been particularly impressive, most notably scoring a brace in the 3-0 victory against Everton last month, but the manager is now looking to sign a new centre-back.

Tottenham make enquiry to sign Eric Garcia

According to a report from Spain, Tottenham have been enquiring about a deal for Garcia for the past few months, with Frank viewing the defender as perfect for his system, given that he is able to play the ball out from the back.

Chelsea are also in the race for the Spaniard, but he is now set to put pen to paper on a new contract with Barcelona to extend his stay beyond 2026, which is news that has come as a shock for the interested Premier League clubs.

With the 24-year-old committed to his boyhood club, Spurs will have to move on to alternative options ahead of the January transfer window.

The north Londoners will no doubt be very disappointed to have seemingly missed out on the centre-back, given that Frank is personally an admirer, while he has also received very high praise from Xavi in the past.

The former Barcelona manager said: "Eric is extraordinary. I value him a lot, he is important to us. He plays in a very complicated position because, at Barca, a centre-back is always exposed. But he is a role model in the dressing room and we value him a lot."

Tottenham have "one of the most exciting" teenage centre-backs

The 19-time Spain international has also performed very well over the past year, showcasing his passing, tackling and even goal-scoring ability on a regular basis.

Thomas Frank enjoyed a rip-roaring start to life as manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs looked a great deal more organised, shipping just four goals in their first six Premier League games and keeping five clean sheets in their first seven fixtures across all competitions.

Yet, despite maintaining their clean sheet against Everton a week ago, there is a sense that Frank still hasn’t got the fans on side.

They have kept a clean sheet in only two of their last eight games and have won just two of those encounters too.

While a more trigger-happy Daniel Levy may no longer be chairman, the pressure is still on Frank to improve.

The way in which the Lilywhites lost to Chelsea on Saturday, tasting a 1-0 defeat, was alarming.

The hosts only managed an expected goals tally (xG) of just 0.10, they gave the ball away on countless occasions and were subsequently booed off the pitch at the full-time whistle after making a mess of a late free-kick.

Guglielmo Vicario decided to take it short, much to the dismay of the home support and indeed Jamie Carragher who simply said: “You have been awful today Spurs”.

So, why are things going wrong?

Spurs' biggest underperformers against Chelsea

Despite his bizarre set-piece late in the fray, the only player in white to come away with any credit was that man Vicario.

Without him, the scoreline would have been far worse as he made a whopping eight saves, denying a combined xG of 2.17.

He was made to work hard due to the efforts of the players in front of him, notably the defence.

Both Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven combined in dismal fashion to give the ball away in the build-up to Joao Pedro’s goal.

The likes of Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso did not cover themselves in glory either. Porro notably gave the ball away in the first half which led to a Pedro chance, while Danso was also given a rough time by the Brazilian. It was no surprise to see Cristian Romero come on for him in the 60th minute as the centre-back made his return from injury.

Danso has had a few encouraging displays of late but this was not one of them, notably allowing Chelsea’s main man in attack to get past him easily towards the end of the opening 45 minutes.

In attack Spurs were dry. The defence didn’t do their bit but those in front of them failed to ever relieve the pressure.

They did not create a single big chance and had just 15 touches in the opposition’s box. For context, Enzo Maresca’s men managed 36.

It was a tale of woe for many of the club’s summer signings. Randal Kolo Muani cut an isolated figure up top but not much of the blame can be handed to the French loanee who was starved of service.

That fell at the door of Mohammed Kudus, who despite completing 96% of his passes, failed to create a goalscoring opportunity and failed with all six of his crosses.

Perhaps the biggest concern, however, was the display of marquee arrival Simons.

Spurs' biggest concern after Chelsea

Frank will have been hoping for a straightforward first transfer window at Spurs but it’s safe to say he did not get that.

With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison out long-term with injuries, the club’s hierarchy knew they needed to bring in more creativity. They tried extremely hard to do so.

For all the world it looked as though they were going to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

A secret release clause was allegedly activated only for Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, to threaten legal action against the north Londoners. Gibbs-White ultimately stayed at the City Ground and signed a new contract in the process.

Spurs moved on to Eberechi Eze but were again fruitless in their efforts. The England playmaker looked set to sign, a deal had been agreed with Crystal Palace only for Arsenal to gazump their rivals at the 11th hour.

An injury to Kai Havertz meant that the Gunners needed more cover in their attack and there was only going to be one ending once Eze’s boyhood club came to the table.

As a consequence, Frank and Co turned their attentions to Simons. Before arriving in England, the 22-year-old was seen as one of the most sparkling jewels on the continent.

Once of La Masia, Barcelona’s famed academy, Simons has long been highly thought of and had made a living off scoring and assisting goals regularly.

In his two seasons with RB Leipzig in Germany, the creative midfielder scored 22 goals and supplied 24 assists in 78 matches. At Spurs, however, that ability to influence games has waned.

Like another Bundesliga import in the shape of Florian Wirtz, he looks lightweight in the Premier League and has really struggled to get going. The Dutchman has a solitary assist and no goals to show for his efforts from 12 contests to date.

Simons’ worst performance to date arguably came in that 1-0 loss to Chelsea, so much so that he was substituted on and back off.

The Netherlands international initially wasn’t pencilled in to start but after young Lucas Bergvall suffered a first-half injury on just seven minutes, Spurs’ big-money summer signing was introduced to the action.

His influence on proceedings was near non-existent. Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold handed the midfielder a dismal 3/10 rating post-game, aptly summing up his performance by writing: ‘Other than a couple of nice touches the Dutchman was a passenger against the team he was linked with all summer.’

Simons gave the ball away on several occasions, 14 in total, and never really looked like providing a much-needed spark. He didn’t have a single shot and didn’t provide a key pass either.

His display was summed up abysmally when he was asked to defend. The former Leipzig man sold Van de Ven short in the build-up to the goal and was shown a late yellow for a desperate lunge on Alejandro Garnacho in the second period.

For a player who cost £51.8m in the summer, more is expected. At the moment, he’s heading into the Richarlison and Tanguy Ndombele categories.

Ndombele was another talented midfielder when he joined. The Frenchman had bags of talent but failed to ever extract it.

As the Daily Mail’s Dan Ripley put it in September 2020, he was a signing that should have ‘at the very least cemented Tottenham Hotspur's place inside the top four for another season.’

It was a signing that, after reaching the Champions League final, really excited Spurs fans.

The parallels with Simons are strikingly scary. Spurs’ big addition after getting to a European final and indeed winning the competition, the Dutchman is here to take Frank’s side up a level, just as Ndombele was supposed to do six years ago.

However, for whatever reason, he’s simply failed to do that. Like Ndombele, he’s enduring a nightmare first campaign in English football and it’s difficult to see him extracting his full potential anytime soon.

He is yet to play a full 90 minutes for his new club and hasn’t lasted past the 78th-minute mark in any game he’s played in.

Frank may well be struggling to get a tune out of the Netherlands star but he’s going to have to if Spurs are to cement themselves as genuine top four contenders.

Sadly at the moment, Simons is becoming another Ndombele. He’s a talented midfield player and was deserving of his price tag at the time. Unfortunately, he is not deserving of it right now.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank defended Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence after they appeared to ignore him and walk down the tunnel following a 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea.

Joao Pedro struck in the 34th minute to help Chelsea inflict more pain on toothless Spurs with a fifth consecutive victory over their London rivals and a 10th win in 12 meetings in all competitions.

Frank’s team were booed off after they produced only one shot on target all game, three in total and recorded their lowest ever xG (expected goals) figure of 0.05 since Opta records started in the 2012-13 campaign.

To compound another miserable match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with this a third home loss in seven matches under the former Brentford head coach, an eye-catching exchange occurred moments after full-time.

Stand-in captain Van de Ven and Spence headed towards the tunnel and despite Frank seemingly telling them to thank the home support, they walked past the Danish boss who stared in their direction before he turned to applaud the crowd.

“I think that is one of the small issues. We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence who are doing everything they can. They perform very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, so I don’t think it is a big problem,” Frank said.

“All the players are of course frustrated. They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that.

“I think it is about, which is difficult, to be consistent in good times and in bad times. That is why I went around to the fans as I did. It is more fun when we win, I can tell you that.”

This painful loss extended Spurs’ horrendous record against Chelsea and the end margin could have been greater. Pedro punished slack home defending – with Spence, Xavi Simons and Van de Ven culpable – to break the deadlock 11 minutes before half-time, but he could have walked off with a hat-trick after fine saves throughout by Guglielmo Vicario.

Tottenham finally mustered a response to the opener at the end of first half when Pape Sarr teed up Mohammed Kudus, but Robert Sanchez was equal to his curled effort.

"How bad is that?" - Carragher shocked by Vicario moment that "sums Tottenham up"

Spurs quickly ran out-of-ideas after the break and despite multiple changes by Frank, they failed to test Sanchez again and boos greeted full-time.

Asked if he understood that reaction, Frank said: “Yes, 100 per cent. We all sense the frustration and the emotions. That is part of football.”

Quizzed on Tottenham’s xG figure of 0.05, Frank conceded it hurt. “I would say that of course hurts massively. I have never been in charge of a team that created that little in one game. That of course I will look into,” Frank acknowledged.

This was only Chelsea’s third clean sheet in 12 matches, but boss Enzo Maresca declined to talk about being able to limit Tottenham.

“In any case I am happy with the 1-0, happy with the three points and especially because we kept the clean sheet, but it is something we need for the future. We know we are a team in the end who will score goals, but we need to do better defensively,” Maresca said.

“I think the performance was very good. On the ball and off the ball. For sure the way we press was very important.

“I also feel our game against Liverpool was very good. We know that almost always we score goals, but we need to try and concede less goals.”

It was far from a rip-roaring classic at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening between Chelsea and Spurs in the Premier League.

But, in the end, Enzo Maresca's Blues wouldn't care one bit, as a hard-fought 1-0 win was secured that sees the West Londoners jump into the top four positions temporarily.

Joao Pedro answered back to his critics with the winning strike in the tight clash, with the former Brighton and Hove Albion attacker now out of a ten-game streak of no goals, after placing a fierce first-half effort past a busy Guglielmo Vicario.

Pedro's redemption arc versus Spurs

In pre-season, Pedro looked every bit worth the £60m splashed out on his services in the summer, with goals galore coming his way in the Club World Cup.

However, in the bread and butter of the Premier League this season so far, Pedro has looked shaky, with only three strikes falling into his lap in the top-flight from ten games, before being handed a chance on a plate by a relentless Moises Caicedo against Thomas Frank's hosts.

He thumped home the resulting chance that did come his way, with the up-and-down Brazilian stating at the full-time whistle when speaking to Sky Sports that he really "needed this goal" to get his personal season back on track.

Hopefully, more and more goals come Pedro's way in the coming matches, as Chelsea aim to be nearer to runaway Premier League leaders Arsenal when another London-based rivalry is on the menu at the close of November.

While Pedro undoubtedly strengthened his grip on a first-team spot with this decisive winner, there is another Chelsea attacker - at this moment in time - who will sense they're on uneven ground when it comes to their own concrete position in Maresca's starting XI.

Chelsea star on borrowed time after Spurs

Alongside splashing the cash on some fresh recruits - such as their brand-new number 20 joining in the summer to up the entertainment levels in attack - Chelsea have also looked towards the next generation coming through in West London to steer the Blues to some captivating wins in recent weeks.

Indeed, both Marc Guiu and Estevao were recently on the scoresheet against Ajax, as the youthful attacking duo aim to be senior regulars down the line.

Guiu will feel knocked by Pedro looking revitalised away at Spurs, but Estevao will feel that he's even more deserving of first-team minutes down the right flank shortly, when analysing how poor Pedro Neto's below-par showing was on Saturday.

Neto ended up being replaced by the much-talked-about Brazilian for the final moments, after a dire day at the office saw the former Wolverhampton Wanderers forward only complete one successful dribble from six attempts, while also only registering one accurate cross as a gung-ho option that often lacked the killer pass, to back up his rapid pace.

Moreover, when Neto wasn't frustrating fans with an overhit cross or giving up the ball entirely - with possession given away a high 18 times - the £54m buy ended up just fading out of the contest entirely, with his tally of 45 touches even being beaten by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez at the end, who amassed 51 himself on the way to clinching a clean sheet.

Thankfully, Neto's dire afternoon didn't cost his team the three points in the end but Maresca would surely fancy giving the likes of Estevao more chances in the first team soon over the hit-and-miss number seven, with the exhilarating 18-year-old already on to three goals and one assist for the season, despite his limited first-team starts.

Are things in danger of unravelling at Tottenham Hotspur?

Let’s cast our minds back to the Ange Postecoglou era. It all began at a rip-roaring pace before the Aussies’ chaotic team were found out.

Is the same now happening to Thomas Frank’s team? The Dane was enjoying a pretty perfect first few months in the hot seat and with Daniel Levy gone, a promising new era beckoned.

Yet, in recent months, results have not been up to scratch. Spurs have won just two of their last eight games in all competitions, and since their impressive 3-0 win over Everton a week ago, have endured a wretched week.

The Lilywhites crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the expense of Newcastle and then turned in arguably their worst performance of the Frank era to date in their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.

So bad were Spurs that Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher simply said as the game neared its end that they had been "absolutely awful".

To make matters worse, clips emerged post-game showing two Spurs players walking straight past the manager at full-time.

That being said, at the front of their woes is the marquee summer signing, Xavi Simons.

Why Xavi Simons is struggling at Spurs

What a peculiar summer Spurs had. The big focus, particularly after James Maddison’s injury, was to sign a creative force.

They missed out on Premier League-proven talents in the shape of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze and were forced to turn their attentions elsewhere. How they must wish they’d got one of Gibbs-White or Eze.

Simons has been a wonderful talent out in the Bundesliga but much like fellow attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, has really struggled to make an impact in English football.

The Dutchman has failed to score across 12 outings in Spurs colours and has just one assist to show for his efforts.

While there have been flickers of brilliance, he is clearly struggling with the physicality of the league and is suffering from the lack of time you are given on the ball.

That was particularly notable during the 1-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday evening, perhaps the nadir of Simons’ time in north London to date.

The Netherlands international wasn’t initially selected to start the game but was thrust into the action after just seven minutes when Lucas Bergvall went off injured.

To sum up his woes, Simons was then withdrawn from the action with 17 minutes of normal time to go.

He trudged off the pitch having not completed a key pass or provided an accurate cross. He also gave away possession 15 times and completed a solitary dribble from three attempts.

Aged just 22, Simons does at least have time on his side but he will need to improve quickly. Another of Spurs’ big underperformers may not be quite so fortuitous as far as time is concerned.

Spurs underperformer is as big of a problem as Simons

While the summer signing has become a large issue for Frank in recent weeks, so has one of the club’s most experienced players; Pedro Porro.

Donning the captain’s armband, more should be expected of the Spaniard but the fact of the matter is that his form is waning under the new regime.

While Porro has never been the most awe-inspiring from a defensive point of view, it’s not just been that aspect of his game to let him down in 2025/26.

Handed a 4/10 rating post-game by football.london, they wrote that he ‘struggled to make things happen with his passing loose for much of the encounter’.

That was certainly showcased in the stats with the full-back not impressing in many of his duties at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

He dismally completed just 60% of his passes, ceding possession on 23 occasions. The Spain international also failed to complete a tackle or make an interception.

It’s safe to say he didn’t leave a strong impression on the fanbase with one Spurs content creator describing it as Porro's "worst performance in a long time." Quite.

So, as Frank’s side get ready to face Copenhagen in midweek, perhaps it would be advantageous to drop Porro, moving Djed Spence to right back and bringing Destiny Udogie back in at left-back.

Tottenham Hotspur will look to kick on once the January transfer window opens and could be willing to put their money where their mouth is to sign Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, but circumstances will need to align.

The Lilywhites have become a thorn in the side of many Premier League outfits this campaign due to their physicality and new-found ability to convert from set-pieces, making them a dangerous opposition to come up against on any given day.

Mohammed Kudus has shone in the forward areas and Spurs have earned a new lease of life after their domestic form last term, with Thomas Frank deserving of credit for managing to solidify the Lilywhites in all areas.

Despite his mixed start to life in North London, the Dane made clear before his side took on Chelsea that Xavi Simons is another figure he expects to come to life in the heart of his side.

He said: "Yes. No doubt about that. I’m not in doubt that Xavi will perform very well for us. That is down to him, to me, to the team, to everyone to get it done. The one thing you don’t have in football is time, but it will take time.

"It’s completely natural. Sometimes we can’t talk about processes and time and all that, but the reality is you need it, everyone needs it. I’m confident. I’m sure it will happen."

Frank's outfit appear to be solid from middle to front, that much is true, but there is always room for improvement when you are eyeing a slot in the Champions League places.

With that in mind, Spurs are now plotting a January bid for a star who they may be set to put their large transfer kitty towards.

Tottenham line up Scott McTominay amid huge Napoli demands

According to Football Insider, Tottenham will look to put their sizeable transfer kitty towards signing Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, who could be at the centre of an intriguing saga involving both parties.

Fabio Paratici has set his sights on the Scotland international and the money on offer could be a lure for the former Manchester United man to return to the Premier League. However, Pete O'Rourke believes it would take a 'huge' statement of intent from Spurs to push a deal over the line.

He said: "Napoli won’t want to weaken their squad by losing such an important player like Scott McTominay. He’s under contract until 2028, so, to even consider selling him would be a huge fee as well."

Intriguingly, the same report has floated the idea of Kobbie Mainoo joining Napoli, which could pave the way for movement to take place elsewhere, albeit that remains unlikely for now.

Tottenham are also eyeing another Serie A goalscorer

Still, McTominay has been a titan since joining the reigning Serie A champions in 2024 and has continued that form into this term, placing seven of his 16 shots taken on target, per Fotmob, hence why Frank is keen to do a deal.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action in the Premier League this evening as they prepare to welcome rivals Chelsea to North London.

The Lilywhites are looking to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the League Cup at St. James' Park on Wednesday night.

Thomas Frank may look to make several changes to the starting line-up from that loss to the Mapgies, which should include dropping Brennan Johnson.

Why Brennan Johnson should be dropped

The Wales international kept his place in the starting line-up after the 3-0 win over Everton in the Premier League, but he failed to justify his inclusion in the side.

Per Sofascore, Johnson produced no shots on target and no key passes in 65 minutes on the pitch against Newcastle, whilst he also failed to complete any of his four attempted crosses.

This shows that he had no impact at the top end of the pitch for the Lilywhites from a right wing position, as he failed to cause any problems for the Magpies in the final third.

That dismal showing came after he also played 89 minutes without registering a single shot or key pass against Everton in the previous game, per Sofascore, which means that the forward has failed to deliver much in the way of quality in his last two starts.

This is why Frank should ruthlessly drop him from the XI, after two ineffective showings, and unleash Mohammed Kudus in his place this evening.

Why Mohammed Kudus should replace Brennan Johnson

Unlike Johnson, the summer signing from West Ham United has provided plenty of quality and proven himself to be a consistent threat in the Premier League this season.

The £150k-per-week star, who Erik ten Hag claimed has "incredible potential", came off the bench to replace the Welshman for the last 25 minutes against Newcastle, and should now come back into the XI to face Chelsea tonight.

Kudus scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 win over Leeds United at the start of last month, but it has been his creativity on the ball that has made him a standout star for the Lilywhites in the Premier League.

The left-footed star has provided four assists in nine appearances in the top-flight, per Sofascore, and ranks highly at the club in a host of metrics as a creative force at the top end of the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, the former Hammers star has been the most influential attacking player in the Tottenham squad in the Premier League this season, leading the way for xG and in every key creative statistic.

Kudus, who was dubbed a "dribbling demon" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has averaged at least 2.3 more completed dribbles per game than any other player in the squad, which speaks to how integral he is to how Spurs bring the ball up the pitch.

Meanwhile, Johnson, who struggled against Newcastle and Everton, has no assists and no 'big chances' created in 14 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham this season, per Sofascore.

Kudus provides a level of creativity that means that Frank can rely on him to create something out of nothing with a moment of pure quality, which he cannot rely on Johnson to do, based on his form this season.

Therefore, the manager should ruthlessly ditch the former Nottingham Forest star from the starting line-up in order to bring the left-footed winger back into the XI.

Tottenham Hotspur crashed out of the League Cup on Wednesday night when they were beaten 2-0 by Newcastle United at St. James' Park.

Although it was a difficult away match against the defending champions of the competition, there was an opportunity for Thomas Frank to provide some young players with an opportunity to impress.

The Danish tactician had the likes of James Roswell, Luca Gunter, and Dane Scarlett on the bench, but did not hand a single minute to an academy graduate on the night.

Meanwhile, their local rivals, Arsenal, started four academy graduates in their 2-0 win over Brighton, with Max Dowman starting on the wing at the age of 15.

Tottenham's most valuable former academy players

Bringing through academy talent can save the club millions of pounds, as a young star emerging from the U21s prevents any need to buy a player in their position.

How much would it have cost to sign Kane, who scored 280 goals for Spurs, in his prime? Transfermarkt suggests his value peaked at £132m, which illustrates how beneficial it can be to provide young players with an opportunity to shine.

As you can see in the table above, there are not too many valuable players who have come through the Spurs academy and gone on to establish themselves at the elite level.

Madueke is the other most notable example, other than Kane, and he did not play a single game for Tottenham at first-team level before his moves to Chelsea and Arsenal.

Frank, now, can help Spurs to find their next big academy graduate by making Luca Williams-Barnett his own Max Dowman this season.

Why Williams-Barnett can be Tottenham's own Dowman

The Tottenham youngster is not quite as young as the Arsenal forward, as he turned 17 at the start of October, but he is still an incredibly young and promising talent.

Williams-Barnett, who was dubbed "special" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, played eight minutes off the bench against Doncaster in the League Cup earlier this season, but Spurs were already 2-0 up against the League One outfit when he came on.

A real show of faith in academy talent is to put them in difficult situations and positions to see how they fare; 15-year-old Dowman starting against Premier League side Brighton in the League Cup for Arsenal on Wednesday, for example.

Williams-Barnett, per Transfermarkt, has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 11 games in all competitions for the U21s this season.

Meanwhile, Micky van de Ven and Richarlison are the top goalscorers in the first-team at Premier League level, per Sofascore, with three goals each.

Williams-Barnett, who analyst Ben Mattinson claimed "scores bangers", also plundered 20 goals and 12 assists in 23 matches in all competitions at academy level in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

These statistics show that the 17-year-old attacking midfielder, who can play centrally or out wide, has the potential to deliver goals and assists for the first-team if he can carry his performances over to senior level, which may be needed given that Van de Ven is their joint-top scorer in the Premier League.

However, it is down to Frank to unearth his talent by unleashing him in the senior side this season, as Mikel Arteta has done with Dowman, to throw him in at the deep end and see if his ability allows him to swim.