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Richarlison was among the Tottenham players to react to news of a new contract being signed by highly rated gem Jun’ai Byfield.

Tottenham announced via their official website on Wednesday evening that the young defender has signed his first professional contract with the North London club.

The news is hugely exciting for Tottenham, with Byfield described as “the best defender of his age in the country” by Spurs youth expert Lilywhite Rose.

And it’s not just supporters who are excited by the news, either.

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Tottenham players react to Jun’ai Byfield contract news

Indeed, Byfield is also catching the eye for England’s Under-17s and is set for, on his current trajectory, superstardom.

The teenager posted an image on his personal Instagram account signing the contract, along with the caption: “Happy to have signed my first professional contract for this club.”

Spurs forward Richarlison was quick to comment with a clapping hands emoji, while Dane Scarlett posted a red love heart.

Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Guglielmo Vicario were among those to ‘like’ the post, meanwhile.

Why is Byfield so highly regarded at Tottenham?

It says it all that Byfield was part of Frank’s senior squad for pre-season and has been named among the substitutes six times this season.

That includes a place on the bench for Tottenham’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup in August.

While Byfield may not have featured yet, the fact he is being named in matchday squads shows he’s very much in Frank’s thoughts.

After captaining Tottenham’s Under-17s to Premier League Cup success last season, while also representing the U18s, he has since become a regular for the U21s.

As a reminder, he was 16 until a few days ago. Byfield is very much on his way to the top, and it’s great that this deal has now officially been signed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham Women have received a huge boost after it was confirmed that midfielder Drew Spence has signed a contract extension at the club.

Spence made the move to North London from Chelsea in the summer of 2022 and has scored 10 goals in 75 appearances for the Lilywhites.

The Jamaican international has been a mainstay in the starting lineup since Martin Ho’s appointment at Tottenham back in July.

So far this season, Spence has missed just one Women’s Super League game for Spurs, a 1-0 defeat to her former side Chelsea in matchweek six.

Drew Spence signs long-term Tottenham contract

While the specific length of Spence’s new contract hasn’t been disclosed, the club revealed in an announcement on its official website on Wednesday that it is a “long-term” deal.

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The midfielder was set to become a free agent next summer, after penning a two-year extension back in July 2024, but has now committed her future to Tottenham once again.

Spence has over 17 years of experience in senior football, making her debut for Chelsea back in 2008.

The 33-year-old was the Blues’ longest-serving player at the time of her departure in 2022, and has developed into a very important part of the Tottenham side since the switch.

Speaking after the new contract was announced, Ho said: “Drew has fully earned this new contract. What sets Drew apart is not just how she plays, but how she behaves.

“She leads by example every single day. Her work ethic is unwavering, her competitiveness is infectious and her willingness to take responsibility has become a benchmark for others.

“Her personality carries weight in this group, she brings experience, honesty and a calm authority that strengthens the entire environment.

“She adds huge value to our young players who look to her, and equally to our senior players who respect her presence and consistency.

“Drew is a connector in the dressing room, a driver on the pitch and a person who embodies what we want this club to represent.

Spence is a major part of Tottenham’s success

Tottenham are flying in the WSL this season, sitting fifth in the table after picking up 19 points from their first ten games.

Last term, Spurs only managed 20 points across the whole 22-match campaign, but Ho has helped transform the North London outfit into European challengers.

Spence was praised for her performance in Tottenham’s recent 0-0 draw with rivals Arsenal, and that display was indicative of her overall form this season.

She has been an important figure in the middle of the park, often breaking up opposition attacks and protecting the defence.

Tottenham will hope that after penning a new deal, Spence can continue her good form for the rest of the campaign.

Xavi Simons’ Tottenham career burst into life against Brentford and James Maddison has revealed what sparked the Dutchman’s superb performance.

Simons scored the second goal of the afternoon as Spurs cruised to a 2-0 win over Keith Andrews’ side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Richarlison had opened the scoring for Thomas Frank’s side, with Simons providing the assist, before the former RB Leipzig man cut through the Brentford defence and finished beyond Caoimhin Kelleher.

The result leaves Tottenham 11th in the Premier League table, but the North London side are just four points adrift of fourth-placed Crystal Palace.

Xavi Simons has been ‘working hard’ for Tottenham success

Simons has had a mixed start to life at Tottenham, but the 22-year-old now has the chance to really kick on after taking early criticism.

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Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, James Maddison was full of praise for his new teammate and also revealed just how much effort the attacker was putting in behind the scenes.

He said: “There’s no doubting Xavi’s quality and I’m really happy for him because he’s been working so hard, not just expecting it all to happen for him, he’s training hard, working hard, and doing the hard yards for the team.”

Maddison is currently out with an ACL injury, but the former Leicester City man is clearly delighted for the Dutch international.

After scoring his first Tottenham goal, Simons posted a photo of his celebration on Instagram, with the caption: “Trust the process. COYS.”

Maddison was quick to show the midfielder some love, commenting: “They’ll come like buses now, son.”

Xavi Simons’ hard work now paying off for Tottenham

Simons’ performance against Brentford was the first sign that his hard work behind the scenes is now paying off.

Frank utilised the young star in the number ten role, and Simons flourished, having four shots and maintaining an 84 per cent pass accuracy across the 90 minutes.

With only one unsuccessful touch out of a mammoth 60 in the game, it is clear that he is ready to explode after getting used to the new physicality and speed of the Premier League.

However, he also showed another side to his game, putting in the effort off the ball to help his side secure a much-needed three points.

Simons made seven recoveries in total against the Bees, and that defensive work will not go unnoticed by the Tottenham fans.

The Premier League has been warned, Spurs’ new star has finally arrived.

Richard Keys has slammed Yves Bissouma after his recent antics at Tottenham.

An investigation is underway over Bissouma’s alleged use of laughing gas again, something he was previously guilty of.

It seems the beIN Sports broadcaster is hinting that the Mali international will never play for Spurs again following the latest developments.

Thomas Frank didn’t seem to want Bissouma in the summer, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him leave off the back of another potential misstep.

West Ham United cancel Christmas party amid Premier League struggles

While Keys has taken a swipe at the Tottenham player in his recent blog, he has hailed West Ham United’s decision to cancel their Christmas party.

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The Hammers are in the relegation zone at the moment, with Nuno Espirito Santo picking up some much-needed points in recent weeks.

Despite some decent displays of late, the Irons are still 18th in the Premier League after 15 matches, and alarm bells will certainly be ringing at the London Stadium.

In his blog on 8 December, Keys wrote, “Goodbye, Bissouma. Idiot. But he’s not alone.” The beIN Sports broadcaster added, “The staff at West Ham have made a good decision. They’ve cancelled the Christmas party. I hope the word ‘staff’ includes the players. Nobody at West Ham should be celebrating anything at present.”

Frank has his own problems to worry about at Spurs, who are 10th in the table after some disappointing results of late.

The Danish manager is losing faith with some sections of the fanbase due to his defensive approach to games, but the 2-0 win over Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 6 December was a bit encouraging.

Tottenham Premier League prediction could be end of Thomas Frank

Frank is being linked with getting sacked at Tottenham, and that’s something that could potentially happen sooner rather than later.

Opta’s supercomputer currently predicts Spurs to finish 10th in the Premier League, which is nowhere near good enough.

The reason for sacking Ange Postecoglou was the North London outfit’s abysmal league form, and Frank would’ve indeed been told to fight for a Champions League place this season.

As the former Brentford boss continues to face questions about his future in N17, his dismissal wouldn’t be surprising if Tottenham aren’t in the conversation to finish in the top five positions.

Tottenham face Slavia Prague on Tuesday evening as they look to get their Champions League campaign back on track.

Tottenham were beaten 5-3 by Paris Saint-Germain last time out in the competition – a result which leaves them in danger of an early European exit.

Thomas Frank’s side led twice at the Parc des Princes but came away empty-handed, and they now sit 16th in the Champions League table after five games.

Tottenham beat Brentford 2-0 at the weekend, so they should be full of confidence for the visit of Slavia Prague, as they look to move a step closer to the knockout stages.

Tottenham are big favourites against Slavia Prague

Tottenham have had a mixed start to their Champions League campaign, picking up just eight points so far.

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However, they are still five points clear of Tuesday night’s opponents Slavia Prague, so will go into the contest as big favourites.

According to the Opta supercomputer, Frank’s side have a massive 63 per cent chance of winning, while Slavia Prague are given just a 17 per cent shot at coming away with the victory.

The odds are stacked in Spurs’ favour, but there is still a 20 per cent chance that the game ends in a draw.

A win for Tottenham would all but confirm their place in the top 24 of the group phase, which would see them enter the Champions League play-offs at the very least.

Tottenham have history on their side against Slavia Prague

Tottenham have not lost consecutive games in a major European competition since March 2020, so they will fall to a five-and-a-half-year first if they are beaten by Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

However, as well as the Opta supercomputer, Spurs have history on their side and will be expecting to secure all three points in North London.

Tottenham are unbeaten in their previous four meetings with Slavia Prague, winning three and drawing one.

The Czech outfit have also won just two of their last 16 games against English opposition in Europe, and have never beaten a Premier League side in the Champions League.

Thomas Frank’s options have dwindled further ahead of Tottenham’s Champions League game against Slavia Prague.

Frank is already in the midst of a major injury crisis, with the likes of Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski still out with long-term issues.

On a positive note, Tottenham beat Brentford 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, so they will go into Tuesday night’s game in good spirits.

After struggling to create chances in recent weeks, Spurs were much better offensively against the Bees, and will look to continue that trend as Slavia Prague come to town.

Thomas Frank restricted by more injuries

Tottenham’s injury crisis has taken another turn for the worse, with defender Destiny Udogie ruled out until January, while Brennan Johnson also missed training on Tuesday.

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It means that Frank doesn’t have the option to rotate Djed Spence, and the English international is almost certain to start on Tuesday.

Archie Gray impressed against Brentford and should keep his place, while Pape Matar Sarr will likely come in for Rodrigo Bentancur to help manage the Argentina international’s minutes.

Xavi Simons grabbed his first Tottenham goal last weekend, so looks set to keep his spot, but may be pushed out wide so that Lucas Bergvall can come into midfield.

Bergvall, once hailed a “generational talent” by Tottenham’s head of scouting Robert Mackenzie, missed out against Brentford but is set to return here.

Out wide, Wilson Odobert is often favoured in Champions League games by Frank, which would see Richarlison drop to the bench.

Xavi Simons deserves a run in the Tottenham team

There is an argument for keeping Simons in the number 10 role, where he performed so well on Saturday, but Frank may opt to give Bergvall some minutes.

Simons is more than capable of showing his class out wide though, and will expect to continue his good form from the weekend.

The Dutchman sparkled against Brentford, picking up an assist for Richarlison’s opener before driving from his own half and doubling Spurs’ lead.

Across the 90 minutes, Simons maintained an 84 per cent pass accuracy, as well as firing off four shots, two of which hit the target.

The 22-year-old now needs to kick on and show some consistency in order to realise some of the obvious potential that he holds.

Tottenham still have plenty of work to do even after securing victory against Brentford.

Spurs beat Brentford 2-0 last time out as Thomas Frank picked up a home win in the Premier League for the first time since August.

The Lilywhites have gone nearly three months since Tottenham scored three against Burnley to keep three points in North London.

The icing on the cake came as Xavi Simons scored his first Tottenham goal with a stunning solo effort as he marched forward the halfway line.

Simons’ strike was certainly a boost in N17, but may not be the end of the issues Frank has faced since taking over as head coach.

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Xavi Simons doesn’t cover up Tottenham concerns

Spurs signed Simons after missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White, but the Netherlands international has largely struggled since coming in.

The RB Leipzig star was seen as a real coup for the Lilywhites, but he has failed to live up to the expectations surrounding him.

Simons now has three goal involvements in 12 Premier League matches, and there is hope that he can help drag Spurs out of the mire.

Former Spurs scout Bryan King isn’t sold quite yet, suggesting that Frank still needs to find a stable side before his team can push on in the Premier League.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, King said: “Let’s remember that they played Brentford, not Manchester City.

“I’ve said all along that Simons is a good player, and I think he proved it.

“Talk about goal of the season, there won’t be many better than that.

“The fans have been begging for a win. Tottenham need their 11 players; Simons isn’t going to win games on his own.

“They need a settled team to put in settled performances, and from that, they’ll get results. They’ve got quality players, but they’ve been playing like individuals.“

Simons can turn the tide under Thomas Frank

The former PSG youngster has been a reason for additional frustration at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, but may now be over the hump.

Simons was on target against Brentford, and everyone associated with the Lilywhites will hope he can finally kick on moving forward.

The Dutchman needs to be given the platform to succeed, and King is right in suggesting that Frank needs to find his best 11 and stick by it.

Chopping and changing won’t have a positive impact and is something that needs to change.

Cristian Romero wrongly escaped being sent off in Tottenham’s weekend victory over Brentford, according to Dermot Gallagher.

Tottenham beat Brentford 2-0 on Saturday to ease pressure on Thomas Frank against his former side, and finally record another win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Xavi Simons overcame his struggles since signing for Spurs to be instrumental vs the Bees, with an assist for Richarlison and a wonderful solo goal.

But captain Romero, fresh from scoring twice in the 2-2 draw at Newcastle, almost made the day much more uncomfortable mid-way through the first half, yet escaped with a booking.

Dermot Gallagher expected Romero red card

Romero scythed down Igor Thiago from behind with a scissors-style tackle during the first half of the Tottenham win, but was only shown a yellow card by Rob Jones.

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Former PGMOL boss Keith Hackett told Tottenham Hotspur News it was close but Romero only deserved the booking.

However, speaking on Sky Sports Ref Watch, Gallagher disagreed, while ex-England forward Jay Bothroyd also bemused that the challenge was punished more heavily.

Gallagher said: “I think this is a red card. I expected a red card. He comes in at speed. He can never win that ball because Thiago has put himself in between.”

Bothroyd then added: “Definitely a red card. He’s lunged, left the floor, it’s a two-footed challenge from behind. What else does he have to do to get a red card? You can’t tackle from behind let alone lunge.”

New injuries for Frank vs Slavia Prague

Having wrested some momentum together off the back of a miserable November Frank and his men absolutely have to keep building on it in a winnable home game against Slavia Prague next up.

A home game in the Champions League could be the ideal occasion to continue breeding new-found confidence, which was arguably started almost single-handedly by Romero at St. James Park last week.

He might have been the most likely to throw it away with his rash challenge back in North London at the weekend, but escaped.

And Frank is facing new selection issues with Brennan Johnson and Destiny Udogie both missing training ahead of the Tuesday European fixture, so the Dane may have to switch things around to keep the run going.

Richarlison currently has the highest xG overperformance in the Premier League after his goal against Brentford on the weekend.

Tottenham beat the Bees 2-0 on Saturday, with the Brazil international netting the opener.

This took the 28-year-old’s goal tally to six this season in the Premier League, his second-highest total yet for Spurs, despite not being halfway through the season.

Now, it has become clear how good Richarlison has been this season under Thomas Frank.

Richarlison is overperforming his xG by 2.83 in the Premier League

Richarlison had often been criticised last season at Tottenham for his lack of goals.

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Throughout the 2024-25 season, he had only managed to find the net five times in all competitions, which was an awful return.

However, under Frank, these performances have become a thing of the past, with the Brazilian now becoming a reliable goalscorer for Spurs.

According to Opta on 8 December, Richarlison has netted six goals in the Premier League from a 3.17 xG.

This gives him an overperformance of 2.83, the best in the Premier League.

As a result, stars such as Ryan Gravenberch and Phil Foden are lower than the Brazilian international, with the duo sat on an overperformance of 2.38 and 2.17.

Therefore, it is clear that Richarlison is back to his best, and could easily go on to score 15 plus goals for Spurs in all competitions this campaign.

If he can manage this, it would no doubt give Frank an excellent chance of keeping his job.

Richarlison’s stats this season explained

According to Fotmob on 8 December, Richarlison has been excellent in multiple areas so far this season.

On top of the goals, the striker is also picking up assists, averaging 0.20 a match.

Therefore, it is clear that Richarlison has become a real asset this season as Spurs look to regain their place in the top half of the Premier League table.

Hopefully, the striker can continue this form going into the rest of the season.

Lord Alan Sugar is under no impression about the struggles Tottenham have faced this season.

Thomas Frank has faced scrutiny of the sack at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after what has been a hugely frustrating start to life in N17.

Pressure has lifted on the Dane somewhat after Tottenham secured a 2-0 win against Brentford last time around in North London.

Xavi Simons got on the scoresheet against Brentford as the summer signing finally got on the scoresheet for the Lilywhites.

Three points against the Bees hasn’t stopped Sugar from slamming the North London club, just days after hitting out at Piers Morgan on social media.

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Lord Alan Sugar slams Tottenham for Premier League position

Harry Redknapp can’t see Frank facing the sack just yet, even after what has been a hugely frustrating start to life across the capital.

The ex-Brentford boss may be in a precarious position right now, but he appears to have saved himself with a win against his old side.

That hasn’t truly benefited Spurs’ position in the Premier League, with the Lilywhites sitting 10th after 15 games and at risk of dropping further if Manchester United beat Wolves on Monday.

Arsenal are sitting top of the tree by contrast, and it is little surprise that their fans are poking fun at their North London rivals.

One supporter took to X on 6 December ahead of the Brentford clash and responded Sugar, after he addressed Morgan directly, sharing an image of the table with Tottenham cut off.

They said: “Where are Spurs?“

Something that was met with a sharp response from Sugar that simply reads, “I know we are terrible.“

What did Lord Sugar say to Piers Morgan?

The former Spurs chairman has always been known for his social media activity, especially for his football opinions.

With Sugar being a Tottenham fan and Morgan being an Arsenal supporter, the outspoken duo are always bound to clash on social media.

After the Gunners fell to a late defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday, it was no surprise that Sugar would reach out to the broadcaster publicly.

He said: “Piers Morgan, it’s that time of the season where you have to ask yourself if Arsenal will bottle it. For me, it’s the only excitement of the season as Spurs are hopeless. Comment Piersy!“

Responses from Arsenal fans have flooded in, with Sugar taking the opportunity to reply to the one above and put his own side down in comedic fashion.