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‘Lots of energy’ – Lucas Bergvall praised despite embarrassing defeat away from Tottenham

Lucas Bergvall has continued to prove to be an exciting young player at Tottenham.

The midfielder no doubt has plenty of potential and has continuously showcased his ability at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Even after being dropped to a rotation role under Thomas Frank, a series of good performances have established Bergvall as a crucial player at Tottenham.

Now, with the young midfielder on international duty, the past week has been another chance for the 19-year-old to prove himself on the world stage.

Lucas Bergvall praised despite Sweden suffering defeat

Bergvall was one of many Tottenham players to be called up for international duty in October as the World Cup qualifiers continue.

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Sweden are looking to reach the summer tournament, boasting a team full of multiple Premier League stars, including Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres.

However, it has been a difficult month for the Scandinavian nation, with Bergvall being criticised as they lost 2-0 to Switzerland last week.

Now, their World Cup dreams are all but over, as they lost 1-0 to Kosovo on Monday, leaving them bottom of their group, six points off the playoff spot with two games left.

Yet, despite being subbed off at half-time, Bergvall was one of the few players to come out of the game with any credit.

Fotbollskanalen on 13 October gave the midfielder a 2/5, commenting: “Flashed a few times in midfield and was then difficult to take the ball away from.

“Best of the midfielders in the first half. Several good long throw-ins. Came off at half-time.”

In comparison, Expressen on 13 October put: “At least not one of the worst players on the pitch in the first 45 minutes.

“Lots of energy and some nice moves, but also lost a couple of unnecessary balls. Sacrificed at half-time when changes were necessary.”

How good was Bergvall in Sweden vs Kosovo?

According to Sofascore on 14 October, Bergvall was easily one of Sweden’s best players despite being hooked at half-time.

The midfielder was creatively sound, creating one big chance, while also having an 88 per cent passing accuracy.

As a result, he was awarded a 7.3 rating, the second highest of any Sweden player.

Hopefully, after the international break, Bergvall is able to build on this performance for Tottenham ahead of a tricky run of fixtures.

Radu Dragusin’s Tottenham future could be in doubt as he edges through the final stages of his return from injury.

The Romanian has been out of action since he sustained an ACL injury in the 3-0 Europa League victory over Elfsborg back in January, and has been working hard to return to full fitness in the near future.

Tottenham stood in the way of Dragusin’s international call-up recently, in a bid to try and help him successfully negotiate the final stages of his recovery.

The centre-back is yet to play any part under Thomas Frank so far, and his return to full fitness may not bring the increase in minutes that many people are expecting.

Tottenham won’t want to put immediate pressure on Radu Dragusin

Dragusin is now nearing a return for Tottenham, but Frank will certainly ensure that he isn’t rushed back into action immediately.

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ACL injuries can be notoriously difficult to recover from, and the fact that the 24-year-old hasn’t played any football for all of nine months will mean that he will still need to be managed carefully.

Tottenham will have high hopes of achieving something in the Premier League this season, but that brings additional pressure to every single league game.

With that in mind, ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes that Dragusin could be sent out on loan in January in order for the Lilywhites to gauge his fitness levels.

“I think Tottenham will be keen to farm him out somewhere and check on his fitness without him bringing pressure on their team,” King said.

“Spurs would be taking a chance on somebody who has been out with a long-term injury, and maybe it would be good for them to see him perform at another club, either in the Premier League or in Europe.

“I think they might try and put him out on loan in January to see how his fitness is, and they could always bring him back if he’s looking good. What he’s got to do now is prove his fitness. He needs more than reserve football to do that.”

Spurs’ young talents may cause a problem for Radu Dragusin

Luka Vuskovic is already hitting the headlines away from Tottenham, as he continues to make a name for himself during his loan spell in the Bundesliga with Hamburg.

The 18-year-old is a hugely exciting prospect for the N17 outfit, and if he continues to develop as expected, then he is surely a shoo-in to start in the Premier League within the next few seasons.

Kota Takai is also extremely highly rated, and if those two continue to develop as expected, then it will spell bad news for the likes of Dragusin and Kevin Danso.

Spurs will always need cover for the impressive pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, but those roles could quickly become filled by the youngsters if things go to plan.

Thomas Frank to sit up and take notice as remarkable Pedro Porro stat emerges

Tottenham have had a busy October so far as their return to Premier League action nears.

News of Joe Lewis’ £100m cash boost for Tottenham came as a delight to many connected to the Lilywhites, as plans have started to emerge for the January transfer window.

It hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Spurs as Thomas Frank was dealt a blow with Yves Bissouma being stretchered off while on international duty.

Tottenham have, however, had multiple stars perform for their respective nations, with one man’s performances not getting enough attention.

Pedro Porro leads chances created charts after performance for Spain vs Georgia

Pedro Porro is key for Tottenham, and has been a standout in the Premier League since arriving at the Lilywhites in 2023.

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Porro was hailed for his performance against Georgia on Saturday, but emerging stats are showcasing just how good the right-back actually was.

According to Squawka, no Spain player has created more chances (six) or more big chances (four) in a 2026 World Cup qualifying game than Pedro Porro against Georgia.

Porro now tallies a staggering 75 per cent pass accuracy in the opposition’s half so far in Spain’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, with an astonishing average rating of 8.0.

However, it’s not just stats for his country that are flattering, as data shows his excellence for Tottenham.

Porro only trails Mohammed Kudus in key passes for Spurs

There’s an argument to say that without Porro, Frank‘s start with Tottenham would never have been as good as it has been.

Porro has featured in six of Tottenham’s seven Premier League games, and conveniently, his side struggled without him on the field against bottom-of-the-league Wolves.

With Tottenham facing an in-form Aston Villa next in the Premier League, Porro will be at the top of his game for a crucial showdown.

Tottenham will look to continue their stunning start to the season when they play Aston Villa.

There was always a fear that Tottenham would suffer injuries over the international break, which has now proved true after Yves Bissouma was stretchered off for Mali.

There has been good news, though, as Tottenham star Wilson Odobert has been scoring for France, with Mohammed Kudus also on fire.

Thomas Frank has been hailed for his impressive Tottenham start, but a lot of the success has been due to one man, as he has continued his blistering form for his country.

Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus stuns in Ghana’s World Cup qualification triumph

Kudus has been Frank‘s star man so far this season, despite the winger only just grabbing his first goal in the 2-1 victory against Leeds last time out.

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Kudus has featured in 10 out of the 11 of Frank’s games in charge of Tottenham (including the Super Cup final), as the forward has emerged as vital for the Lilywhites this campaign.

Frank will be delighted to hear that not only did Kudus shine for Ghana against the Central African Republic, but he also starred in his game against Comoros on Sunday.

Kudus was at the heart of two important wins that have pushed Ghana over the line for World Cup 2026 qualification, as his goal was the winning one against Comoros.

More importantly, Kudus will be coming back to Spurs injury-free.

An injury-free Kudus is vital for Thomas Frank and Spurs

Kudus was tactically substituted in minute 76 for Ghana, as Tottenham’s star man has managed to get through his international duty without picking up an injury.

Tottenham now have a congested period of fixtures, and an injury to Kudus would have been detrimental for the Lilywhites’ quest for Premier League and Champions League success this campaign.

Kudus has started all of Tottenham’s seven Premier League games, and with five goal contributions to his name, he could be adding more to his tally after his impressive international form.

Frank will be delighted.

Supercomputer predicts Tottenham vs Aston Villa result

Tottenham return to Premier League action this weekend with a clash against Aston Villa.

The international break is almost over, with Spurs gearing up for their return to Premier League action against a struggling Villa side.

Tottenham beat Leeds United 2-1 at Elland Road last time out, while the Villans secured only their second win of the season at home to Burnley.

After just seven games, there are five points separating the two sides, with Spurs looking to add to that this weekend.

Tottenham could go top with a win vs Aston Villa

Thomas Frank has gotten off to an excellent start at Tottenham, with four wins from their opening seven games, and just one defeat.

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Only Liverpool and Arsenal are above Spurs in the table, though a win on Sunday afternoon could change that, given how tight it is at the top.

However, despite their impressive start to the campaign and Villa’s struggles so far under Unai Emery, Opta‘s supercomputer does not forecast a win for Frank’s side.

Instead, a draw is the most likely outcome, with Spurs having a 38.4 per cent chance of a win, and Villa at 53.1 per cent.

Depending on results elsewhere, that could still see Tottenham move above Liverpool in the table, though they would remain behind Arsenal, even if they suffer defeat.

Tottenham vs Aston Villa head-to-head

Dating all the way back to 1903, Tottenham have faced Aston Villa on 177 occasions, with the North Londoners having the last laugh on more occasions.

Spurs have won 79 of those encounters, while Sunday’s visitors have won 62, with a further 36 ending in a draw.

Tottenham have won just two of the last seven clashes with Aston Villa, with the most recent one ending in a 2-0 defeat in May.

Their last home win against the Villans was back in 2024, when a brace from Dominic Solanke and goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison secured a 4-1 win.

Tottenham have seen their goalkeeping situation come under scrutiny in recent weeks.

Guglielmo Vicario made crucial errors in the draws with Brighton and Wolves at the end of September, and that prompted critical eyes on the Italian once again.

Vicario has been relatively unchallenged at Tottenham of late, with Antonin Kinsky’s sole appearance of the season coming in the Carabao Cup victory over Doncaster Rovers.

With that in mind, it is no surprise to see that the Lilywhites are targeting a new addition between the posts during the January transfer window.

Tottenham will only sign Ter Stegen as second choice

Tottenham have been linked with Marc-Andre Ter Stegen recently, as the shot stopper has gradually fallen out of favour at Barcelona.

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The 33-year-old is currently out of action for the Blaugrana, but is not expected to take the place of the more youthful Joan Garcia when he returns to full fitness, after playing just nine games last season.

Nevertheless, Ter Stegen is a vastly experienced campaigner both in La Liga and the Champions League, and Tottenham have already made an enquiry over his services, according to Sport.

Ex-Spurs scout and former goalkeeper Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes that the German would only be brought in as cover, given his age, and would be used to help motivate Vicario.

“I think if they’re going to bring him (Ter Stegen) in, he’ll be coming in on the basis that he’s going to be a number two,” King said.

“His age is against him really. His experience will be useful, but he’s going to bring cover. I think that’s why he’d be brought in, no other reason.

“If you’re going to challenge for the title, your goalkeeper has got to be worth at least seven or eight points during the season. Vicario has been worth about three or four; he’s not yet up to that standard.

“If you’re going to bring in an experienced ‘keeper then that’s going to gee him up a bit, because he’s going to want to go out and prove that he is number one and should be in the team.”

Guglielmo Vicario discourse at Tottenham is bizarre

Vicario has become something of a scapegoat at Tottenham of late, in what is a bizarre narrative that has been created after a couple of relatively minor errors.

The 28-year-old isn’t costing his team points, and surely has enough credit in the bank by now that he can afford a somewhat difficult patch without being hounded out of the team.

The Italian ranks among the Premier League’s best glovemen in terms of saves inside the box and clean sheets, which highlights the fact that he has produced when his team needed him on a number of occasions.

He is perhaps lacking a little bit of confidence at the moment, but Spurs don’t really have a justifiable reason to try and replace him this winter.

Tottenham have had both positive and negative news during the international break.

Yves Bissouma’s Spurs career looks done after he was stretchered off while playing for Mali.

Mohammed Kudus has continued his good form for Ghana and has helped his country qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Tottenham had early team news on Monday afternoon with Thomas Frank looking to pick up where he and his side left off in the Premier League.

In the latest bizarre developments, one Tottenham gem has been called up to England’s first team, despite not playing a single minute for Frank yet.

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Dane Scarlett called up to England squad amid Latvia trip

Dane Scarlett is highly rated at Tottenham, but it now seems like he has been waiting a long time for his professional breakthrough.

The striker was loaned to Oxford United in the Championship last season, where he scored four goals in 20 games.

Scarlett was linked with a loan move in the summer, but nothing materialised, as he is yet to be handed a chance to impress Frank in a competitive setting.

According to The Mirror, Dane Scarlett has been called up by Thomas Tuchel to the England squad after Ollie Watkins picked up a knock.

England boss Tuchel must have been impressed with reviews of Scarlett, or from what he may have seen in person, of the youngster before.

England’s official X account on Monday shared an image of Scarlett with Tottenham hero Harry Kane

Scarlett is clearly talented, but Spurs need to fix the problem with him.

What should Tottenham do with Dane Scarlett?

The Lilywhites have been criticised for the lack of first-team talent coming through the ranks in the last couple of years, with the only notable ones being Harry Kane and Harry Winks.

There is undeniable talent in the youth setup at Hotspur Way, and Scarlett is one destined for a good future, but he needs to have an appropriate plan laid out.

He showed glimpses of promise while at Oxford last campaign, but couldn’t cement himself as a regular starter. Scarlett should drop to League One and try to find his form in professional football.

Stranger things have happened, and a strong loan spell from January could put Scarlett back in contention for the 2026–27 campaign.

Early Tottenham team news vs Aston Villa: Three stars in line for return, four already ruled out

Tottenham could be set to receive a significant boost ahead of their clash with Aston Villa on Sunday.

The Lilywhites will be hoping to continue their bright start to the Premier League season this weekend, after a two-week break since their last outing.

Several Tottenham stars have been away on international duty over the course of the last week, while others have remained in N17 as they continue to build their way back towards fitness.

Thomas Frank will be keen for his side to hit the ground running on their return to league action, and he could be boosted by the potential returns of up to three of his group.

Randal Kolo Muani among three who could return for Tottenham

Randal Kolo Muani’s arrival at Tottenham on deadline day prompted plenty of excitement from supporters, given his record in the top European leagues.

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The Frenchman had an extremely fruitful loan spell with Juventus last season, as he struck eight goals from just 13 starts in Serie A in the second half of the campaign.

The Lilywhites have had issues with Richarlison’s consistency yet again of late, and Kolo Muani’s eye-catching goal conversion of 31 per cent from that loan stint will be a welcome addition to the matchday squad.

He has played just 13 minutes for Spurs since his loan move from PSG was confirmed, but could now return this weekend, according to Premier Injuries, which is run by injury expert Ben Dinnery.

Richarlison has often been isolated at the top of the pitch, with Mathys Tel the only Spurs player who has played in over 50 per cent of the league games to average less than the Brazilian’s six accurate passes per game.

That will need to change if Kolo Muani is to have an immediate impact, but his likely return will at least provide another option to change the game from the bench.

Defenders Radu Dragusin and Kota Takai could also return to the matchday squad, with the pair both awaiting their first competitive outings of the season.

Dominic Solanke ruled out for Spurs vs Aston Villa

Dominic Solanke hasn’t played for Tottenham since the victory at Manchester City back in August, and although he had surgery on his ankle problem recently, he remains a significant way from a potential return.

The 28-year-old had the highest xG of any Spurs player last season, and his ability to sniff out chances inside the box is being sorely missed at the moment.

Solanke is not expected to return to action until the start of November, with long-term absentees Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison also joining him on the sidelines for the weekend’s clash with Villa.

Yves Bissouma suffered a serious injury on international duty with Mali, and looks set to be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Kulusevski could potentially be nearing a return, but Frank and Co. remain without him for now.

Micky van de Ven and Xavi Simons featured away from Tottenham on Sunday, as the Netherlands beat Finland 4-0 to continue their surge towards World Cup qualification.

Tottenham have had several stars on international duty, with the qualifying stage for next year’s competition drawing to a close.

Thomas Frank would have hoped his players would come out of the break fit and firing, but there was bad news for one player.

Yves Bissouma was stretchered off just seconds into his appearance for Mali, with the out-of-favour midfielder looking to have suffered a nasty injury to his ankle.

Tottenham had looked to sell Bissouma in the summer, but the 29-year-old’s proposed move to Galatasaray fell through.

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Micky van de Ven ‘strong’ vs Finland

Van de Ven admitted that he is providing support for Simons at Tottenham, and that support likely continues in the national team.

The defender started on the left of the defence against Finland, and remained fairly untested until he was substituted in the 71st minute.

Simons came on seven minutes after his Tottenham teammate had been substituted, and enjoyed an instant impact.

The midfielder linked up with Cody Gakpo and Nathan Ake, before finding the Liverpool man in space on the edge of the box.

Gakpo made no mistake with the chance, handing Simons his 10th career goal contribution for the Netherlands.

It was a clean sheet for Van de Ven, and Dutch football outlet Football Oranje gave the 24-year-old a 6.5/10 rating for his efforts.

“Strong but unremarkable performance again from the left-back, who was comfortable throughout,” they wrote on Sunday.

Simons was not on the pitch long enough for a rating, but he can be happy with his performance.

Xavi Simons faces fight for Netherlands role

Simons might have expected to play a more prominent role for the Netherlands during the international break, but Ronald Koeman instead opted for alternative options.

Tijjani Reijnders was deployed in the midfield against Malta, whilst Justin Kluivert played the full 90 against Finland, with Simons brought on for Donyell Malen.

Kluivert presents an issue for the Tottenham man, with the son of Patrick in fine form for Bournemouth.

If Simons is to catch Koeman’s eye, his performances at Tottenham must step up a level, with the 22-year-old still finding his feet in the Premier League.

Tottenham to go all out to sign Brazilian ‘diamond’ who could be about to match Neymar

Tottenham will be keen to strengthen their squad further when the January transfer window opens.

The Lilywhites have made a bright start in the Premier League, and they will be desperate to ensure that their early progress can be sustained across the full length of the campaign.

Tottenham are already being linked with Brentford’s Kevin Schade, but that may not be the only attacking addition of the winter window, if Thomas Frank gets his way.

The Dane is hopeful of providing a boost for his squad, and this eye-catching starlet could certainly provide it.

Tottenham must conclude Rayan deal amid impressive goalscoring

Tottenham are being linked with Brazilian starlet Rayan, who is continuing to make a name for himself at Vasco Da Gama.

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The N17 outfit are among the group of teams who are chasing the 19-year-old, and have already been in discussions with the Brazilian Football Confederation about the likelihood of him securing a work permit.

The attacker’s form has caught the eye of several Premier League sides, and he could be about to reach a milestone that will undoubtedly make everybody sit up and take further notice of him.

Rayan netted his 14th goal of the season as part of a brace prior to the international break, and has become the country’s joint-leading U20 goalscorer, according to Globo Esporte, who have identified the youngster as a “true diamond.”

Nine of those strikes have come from his 25 games of league action, and during that time, he has outperformed his xG by almost two whole goals.

He also has an impressive shot accuracy of 36% so far this season in Brazil’s Serie A.

The starlet is on course to send the season as Brazilian football’s highest U20 scorer, and if he achieves that feat, then it will place him in elite company alongside the likes of Neymar, Rodrygo and Richarlison.

Given what those players have gone on to achieve in the game, Tottenham should surely be doing everything that they can to get a deal done for Rayan, in a bid to add their own future superstar to their ranks.

Lucas Bergvall is perfect example of investing in youth

Lucas Bergvall has continued to improve at Tottenham in the early stages of this season, and he is a perfect example of the value that can be gained from investing in promising young players.

The Sweden international arrived as a virtual unknown in February 2024, but has arguably become one of the Premier League’s brightest prospects since then.

Bergvall’s ever-growing importance in the first team should provide Spurs with the ideal blueprint for how to handle future youthful signings.

Rayan is clearly a hugely exciting talent, and if Tottenham could secure his signature and nurture him effectively, then they could have another star on their hands.