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Tottenham will almost certainly be without Cristian Romero for one of their upcoming encounters.

Even through the struggles over the last 12 months, Romero has been a consistent performer for Tottenham.

Micky van de Ven has earned his plaudits recently, though the Argentinian’s defensive capabilities have allowed him to thrive alongside him.

Romero suffered a slight injury scare in Spurs’ latest clash, but it is for a different reason that he looks set to miss one of their upcoming fixtures.

Suspension looms for Cristian Romero ahead of Arsenal clash

Providing Romero is deemed fit enough, he is nailed on to start when Tottenham travel to face Arsenal after the international break.

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His aerial presence will be crucial when it comes to defending set pieces, given that it is the style of play adopted by Mikel Arteta’s side.

However, after Romero picked up his fourth yellow card of the season in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Man United, he is now just one card away from a one-game suspension.

Should that card arrive in the North London derby, which is quite likely, it would see him miss their next Premier League encounter at home to Fulham.

With Tottenham winless in their last six league fixtures at home, that clash is shaping up to be a crucial one for the future of Thomas Frank.

Cristian Romero must be on best behaviour vs Arsenal

On paper, Tottenham should have enough to beat Fulham with or without Romero, but given the pressure that is on Frank to deliver results at home, they can’t afford to take any risks.

So far this season, FotMob has recorded Romero averaging 1.32 fouls per game, so to have picked up four yellow cards may be seen as harsh.

Given the fact that the North London derby is up next, officiating may be slightly more lenient, but anything more than two fouls would almost certainly see him receive a suspension.

Last time out against the Gunners, Romero only committed one foul and escaped a booking, but given the clash will be at The Emirates this time, the atmosphere may play on his mind.

Luka Vuskovic could be on his way back to Tottenham in January.

Tottenham had some key decisions to make in the summer, and a lot of them revolved around their youth players.

Mikey Moore joined Rangers on loan, Will Lankshear moved to Oxford for the season, and Vuskovic joined Bundesliga outfit Hamburger.

The former two are almost certainly set to see the campaign out with their current clubs, but after what Vuskovic did in Hamburger’s clash with Dortmund at the weekend, his loan could be cut short.

Luka Vuskovic is making his mark in the Bundesliga

Vuskovic is one of Tottenham’s brightest prospects, but given the form of Micky van de Ven in particular this season, it was decided early that he would leave on loan for the season.

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Since making the move to Hamburger, the Croatian centre-back has made nine appearances for the German outfit, with one goal to his name.

However, his defensive performances have been crucial, and it was no different against Dortmund as his side held them to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Via FotMob, Vuskovic completed 96 per cent of his passes, which was the most accurate of anyone on the pitch at Volksparkstadion.

The 18-year-old made 10 clearances, nine of which were in the air, with a 100 per cent aerial duel win rate.

With three interceptions and two blocks in the game, Vuskovic was outstanding.

His performances are improving each week, and should that continue, Tottenham may look to recall him to utilise him this season.

Luka Vuskovic best in Europe for key stat

Vuskovic has shown a level of maturity in his game that is almost unseen for someone of his age.

His composure on the ball is remarkable, but his physicality is often lauded as his biggest attribute, and that is showcased by the fact that he averages the most aerial duel wins out of any centre back in Europe’s top five leagues.

The teenager averages 6.72 per game, with Sunderland’s Dan Ballard the closest to him with 6.04.

Spurs have solid defensive options, but Vuskovic could bolster them even further should he return.

Tottenham have retained a small chance of making the Premier League’s Champions League spots after drawing to Manchester United on Saturday.

Two stoppage-time goals saw Tottenham draw 2-2 with Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to make it consecutive games without victory in the Premier League.

Richarlison‘s 91st-minute header looked to have completed a miraculous turnaround for Thomas Frank‘s side, but Matthijs de Ligt rose highest to head in a 96th-minute equaliser.

Tottenham’s home form was again criticised after the draw with Manchester United, with the Lilywhites now without a win in their last five Premier League fixtures at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Since moving in 2019, Tottenham have lost 41 Premier League games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – an appalling number.

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Supercomputer predicts 11th place for Tottenham

Frank would have been happy to see his side come out swinging in the second half, fighting back from a goal down to take the lead.

But ultimately, it was a soft goal that saw De Ligt equalise, and it will go down as more points dropped in the Premier League this season.

At fifth place, Tottenham are not necessarily in a bad position, but such are the margins tight between second and even 12th, just one bad weekend could see Frank’s side drop as many as seven places in the table.

Opta‘s supercomputer will update throughout the season, and after Saturday’s draw, it has predicted that Tottenham will finish 11th in the league this season.

Frank’s side have just a 0.21 per cent chance of winning the title at this stage, while they retain only an 8.48 per cent chance of making it into the Champions League qualification spots.

The stats behind Tottenham’s poor start

Tottenham fans may, understandably, question why their team has been predicted to finish so low down the table and behind the likes of Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, despite currently sitting well above them.

But it is the underlying stats behind the performances which are flagging up on the supercomputer’s model.

Just five teams in the Premier League have produced fewer expected goals (xG) this season than Tottenham, who have scored 19 goals from just 11 expected.

And only six teams have conceded fewer expected goals against (xGA) than Frank’s side, who have conceded just 10 goals from 15.2 expected.

The stats are just that, for now. But xG often has a way of catching up throughout the season, and Tottenham may well find themselves in trouble should they not dramatically improve.

Randal Kolo Muani has pulled out of the France international squad after tests revealed a serious injury to his jaw.

Didier Deschamps called up Muani for next week’s international camp, rewarding the 26-year-old for breaking into the Tottenham team.

The on-loan from Paris Saint-Germain striker was injured at the start of the season, but has started through the middle in four of the last five games for Thomas Frank‘s side.

Muani started on Saturday, as Tottenham drew 2-2 with Manchester United, but was withdrawn at half-time.

It emerged after the game that the forward was substituted after taking a blow to the jaw, although no real concern was exercised at the time.

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Randal Kolo Muani suffers serious jaw injury

Dominic Solanke underwent surgery on an ankle issue in October, and is not expected to return until the middle of December.

In his absence, Frank has explored his options, giving minutes to Mathys Tel, Muani and Richarlison through the middle.

Richarlison has been slammed for his performances this season, however, with the striker failing to follow up his superb form at the start of the season.

Both the Brazilian and Tel scored against Manchester United on Saturday, however, which may make Tottenham’s latest injury blow slightly easier to swallow.

Fabrice Hawkins reported on Sunday that further tests on Muani’s jaw have revealed a fracture, with the injury “more serious than expected”.

What will Tottenham miss in Muani absence?

Muani has not exactly set the world alight since taking the starting role for Tottenham. The striker has taken just one shot across four Premier League games, and has created just two chances.

Incredibly, in 191 minutes of league action, the Frenchman has enjoyed just three touches in the opposition’s penalty area, emphasising just how little of the ball the 26-year-old has seen.

Muani does offer a presence up front, and has completed 83 per cent of his passes, but in truth, much of the concern surrounding his injury may be directed at the likeliest replacement for him.

Richarlison has taken huge criticism for his performances in recent weeks, with Saturday’s match seeing him miss another huge chance before scoring late on.

Still, the forward has scored four goals from an expected 2.16 in the Premier League this season, and gets shots away at a far higher rate than his alternatives.

Richarlison’s pressing numbers are also strong, with the Brazilian winning 38 duels so far this season, and making 18 recoveries.

At a time in which Tottenham desperately need results, Frank may well be forced to turn back to the 28-year-old, although the hope will be that Muani can return soon after the international break.

Thomas Frank remains in the shadow of Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham.

Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham over the summer despite leading the Lilywhites to Europa League glory in Bilbao.

Many believed this was the right decision and were happy to see Frank appointed as Tottenham manager, following the Australian’s departure.

There have already been plenty of ups and downs under the Dane, with Spurs’ 2-0 away win over Manchester City being a particular low point.

Frank still has some way to go to become a success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as he remains statistically well behind Postecoglou.

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Ange Postecoglou had an electric start at Tottenham

The ex-Celtic boss had some shining moments in North London, but has gone on to have some tricky times in his career.

Nottingham Forest sacked Postecoglou after just 39 days in charge earlier in the season, leaving him without a role at this stage.

The negativity surrounding the 60-year-old has continued to grow, but that certainly wasn’t the case when he took over at Spurs.

The new head coach racked up 26 points in his opening 11 Premier League games after joining from the Scottish Premiership, leaving his side in second in the table behind Man City.

Things may have turned sour in his second season, but there is no getting away from how excellent his start was in N17.

Frank can only look at the start Postecoglou made with envy after what’s gone down since the Dane was appointed.

Thomas Frank well behind Postecoglou record at Tottenham

The man hired from Brentford has had some positive moments as Spurs head coach, but he has certainly left fans frustrated at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Home fixtures have caused problems for the Dane, and that has taken a knock on his early points tally in the Premier League.

Frank has clocked up 18 points in his opening 11 league games in charge of the Lilywhites, eight fewer than Postecoglou in his debut campaign.

The irony is that the Aussie boss would be sitting joint top of the division alongside Arsenal if he had replicated that output this year.

The new Tottenham head coach certainly has work to do if he is to prove himself and leave a similar legacy to Postecoglou in North London.

Spurs are breaking all the wrong records at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2025.

Tottenham’s 2-2 draw to Manchester United on Sunday represented another missed opportunity to secure a win against a top-four rival.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been anything but a fortress, and Thomas Frank has adapted poorly to life at his new home.

Frank has been under scrutiny for the quality of performances, despite his side sitting fifth in the Premier League table.

The latest result has them down as the team with the worst home record in the Premier League in 2025.

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Tottenham’s home record reaches new low

Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Chelsea sparked demands for an improvement at home, yet they started the game against Man United incredibly poorly once again.

Despite conceding a last-minute equaliser, Spurs were arguably fortunate to be in a winning position given their performance for the first 80 minutes.

Tottenham have only collected 14 points from their past 20 home games. No top-flight side has a worse record than that.

Spurs have lost 60 per cent (9/15) of their home matches this year, which is the highest they’ve ever recorded in the Premier League.

Tottenham can match a 22-year record if they lose another game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the calendar year, with 1994 and 2003 marking the only years they have lost 10 league games at home.

Their three remaining games of the year are against Fulham, Brentford, and Liverpool, and there’s every chance that another loss could be on the cards.

It’s staggering to think that Spurs have the best away record in the league at the moment, and if it weren’t for those results in N17, they could be in a title race.

How Spurs can improve at home?

It’s important to note that Ange Postecoglou has been in charge for the majority of Tottenham’s games in 2025, yet Frank has done nothing to improve on that.

It’s clear that they need more incisive play in the final third, and Wilson Odobert’s starring performance on Saturday has given Frank a selection headache.

The injuries to Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison have hampered creativity, whilst both Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani are constantly being rotated in and out of the team.

Spurs have found it incredibly tough to break down teams who sit back, and Frank must find a solution in their upcoming games against Fulham and Brentford.

Of course, Frank faces no real pressure, but he needs to find a way of playing fluid football in front of the 60,000 Tottenham fans rather quickly.

Cristian Romero has been criticised for his lack of recovery runs by Stuart Pearce during Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

In a chaotic match, there were plenty of talking points as Spurs were robbed of a win at the death thanks to a late Matthijs de Ligt.

Despite many underperforming on the day, Romero was easily one of Tottenham’s best players against the Red Devils.

Yet, Pearce believes it is only a matter of time before the captain will cost Spurs as the former England international blasted the Argentine.

Stuart Pearce: It’s horrific what Cristian Romero is doing

So far this campaign, the importance of Spurs’ captain has been clear to see.

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When Tottenham have not had Romero, they have been dreadful, with the clash against Bodo/Glimt being a perfect example.

However, when he has played, the defender has been key to ensuring that Spurs remain secure and do not go back to their leaky ways from last season.

Yet, Pearce was horrified by Romero’s display when watching the match on talkSPORT on 8 November.

Highlighting his lack of recovery runs, the pundit insists that if this doesn’t change, it will cost Spurs in the future.

He said: “I tell you what, it’s absolutely horrific what Romero’s doing at the moment.

“I don’t want to pick on one individual, but he loses the ball in midfield, and there’s no recovery run at all.

“When you’re a defender, you need to have a defensive mindset that you get back goalside of the ball, and he doesn’t.

“That’ll be costly to his team not just today but going forward if he plays in this manner.”

While Romero is a fantastic player, Pearce may have a point, and Thomas Frank should look to have a word with the defender.

No player is perfect, and if there is a way to improve his game, the manager should look to do this.

What were Romero’s stats against Manchester United?

According to Fotmob on 8 November, Romero had a great game against Man United.

The defender won 64 per cent of his ground duels, while also performing five tackles and eight recoveries.

His passing accuracy was also on point at 93 per cent, on top of producing a 0.35 xG.

Now, Romero will need to ensure these types of displays do not drop off going into the international break, as he will be vital for the upcoming festive run-in.

Everything Alan Shearer said about Tottenham after draw vs Manchester United

Alan Shearer has provided some insight on why Tottenham are struggling at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.

Spurs drew 2-2 with Manchester United on Saturday, marking a fifth consecutive Premier League game without victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Frank‘s side were behind before the break, but fought back and looked to have won the game through Richarlison before Matthijs de Ligt headed home a last-gasp equaliser.

Wilson Odobert was hailed for his impact against Manchester United, with the winger providing an assist after coming off the bench.

But Frank was slammed following the draw to Manchester United, with his side now having won just one of their last four matches across all competitions.

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Alan Shearer explains home form failures

Tottenham have lost 41 Premier League games since moving to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019, just seven fewer than Arsenal have at the Emirates Stadium, where they moved in 2006.

But Saturday’s match looked as if it could catalyse a turnaround in mood at home for Frank’s side, with the stadium exploding into life after Richarlison scored.

The striker took off his shirt and slid towards the home fans, who roared in response at the Brazilian.

Just five minutes later, however, that same feeling of disappointment would seep back into the stands as De Ligt rose highest to nod home from a late corner.

Tottenham are now without a Premier League win at home since the opening day of the season, when they beat Burnley.

Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, Shearer said: “Well, I think what they have to get used to now under Thomas Frank is that teams are going to come to their stadium, and they’re going to sit and defend, and then they’ve got to try to find and work their way out.

“Whereas when Tottenham are going away from home, teams will attack them and that suits them better.“

The stats behind Tottenham’s terrible home form

Tottenham away and Tottenham at home this season are two completely different teams.

Consider only points picked up at home in the Premier League, and Frank’s side sit 18th in the table -consider only away, and they top it.

Shearer‘s comments certainly provide something to think about. Tottenham have 19 goals in the league this season, but they have registered just 11 expected goals – a tally bettered by 14 Premier League sides.

And many of those chances do come on the counter-attack, explaining the ability to find the net more frequently on the road.

It is a crucial issue that Frank must fix because soon, some sides may well think to sit back and let Tottenham come onto them, even if they are at home.

Theo Walcott was full of praise for the impact Wilson Odobert enjoyed off the bench against Manchester United on Saturday.

Spurs drew 2-2 with Man United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Matthijs de Ligt’s stoppage-time header levelling the scores just minutes after Richarlison had put Thomas Frank‘s side ahead.

Brayn Mbeumo had opened the scoring for the visitors, with the Lilywhites forced to wait until the 84th minute to get back on terms through Mathys Tel.

Joao Palhinha put in an impressive performance against Manchester United, with the Portugal international proving dominant in the midfield battle.

But after a fifth consecutive Premier League match at home without victory, Frank was slammed for his impact at Tottenham.

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Wilson Odobert was ‘absolutely outstanding’

James Maddison was among the plaudits for Odobert after his performance off the bench against Manchester United.

The winger completed 100 per cent of his passes, created two big chances and bagged an assist for Richarlison’s goal in his 45 minutes on the pitch.

It was a faultless performance from the 20-year-old, who also won all four of his duels and completed two successful dribbles.

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day on Saturday, Walcott said: “Odobert was absolutely outstanding when he came on.

“A player who has to be able to take risks and play with that freedom and the energy, and that’s what you have to be able to do as a substitute, you need to be able to commit bodies.

“What I like about him, he likes to put the ball in when you have space, he likes to change his game – and this is what I talk about when I talk about not being predictable – when you give players, who are ball-carriers, in this amount of space, Manchester United start dropping.”

Thomas Frank’s decision pays off

It was a woeful first half from Tottenham yet again on Saturday. Frank’s team could not even muster a shot on target and fell behind.

The Dane turned to his bench, bringing on Odobert at the break, Destiny Udogie on in the 67th minute, and Tel on in the 79th.

All three players would finish the game with direct goal contributions as Tottenham fought back, despite ultimately being forced to settle for just a point.

“Trust the manager’s process,” Walcott said. “I think that’s one thing, as fans, you watch games, you’re frustrated in the moment, but look, they’re there for a reason.

“Thomas Frank’s a good manager, he knows exactly what he’s doing and he’s made the right decision there.”

It’s about time we see a 90-minute performance from Spurs at home; it surely can’t be far away.

Xavi Simons’ substitution against Manchester United on Saturday brought controversy.

Tottenham were left heartbroken after drawing 2-2 to Manchester United in the Premier League, right after the Lilywhites thought they had stolen all three points with Richarlison’s late goal in north London.

Wilson Odobert changed the game for Tottenham off the bench, as there were finally plenty of positives for Thomas Frank to take from an attacking point of view on 8 November.

Simons has struggled so far at Spurs and has taken to social media to share a message with fans after being caught in a confusing moment.

Tottenham fans booed Thomas Frank for taking Xavi Simons off

Simons cost Tottenham a lot of money, and with that comes high expectations.

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So far, it seems like the Dutchman is taking a step forward in one game and another step back in the next, as he’s failed to string together any consistency.

After a promising performance in Tottenham’s 4-0 demolition of FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Thursday, Simons went back to square one against Man United.

Frank decided to substitute Simons in the 79th minute for Mathys Tel, who scored five minutes later.

When Simons’ name was said over the tannoy, there were boos, as some thought the frustration was aimed at him.

However, it was actually Tottenham fans booing Frank’s decision to take him off, interestingly, as Simons shared a message on X.

Simons said: “Our time is coming.”

There’s no doubt that Simons has shown glimpses of his high potential, as his own time may be coming, but the midfielder needs to show his talent more regularly.

The international break comes at a perfect time for Spurs and Simons

There were moments against United where Simons picked up the ball in dangerous areas, but most of his positive contributions against the Red Devils came in the defensive aspect.

Tottenham’s next game in the Premier League is a North London derby against current league leaders Arsenal, the perfect time to finally explode into life.

The international break is probably coming at the best time for Spurs, as their form since the October break has not been great.

Tottenham’s form (all competitions) since returning from the October international break:

Simons could also do with a break away from Tottenham, as he is set to feature for the Netherlands in their upcoming final World Cup qualifier fixtures.

The Dutchman will hope to make an impact against Poland and Lithuania, as Tottenham will pray he comes back on top form.