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Gabriel is a doubt for Sunday’s North London derby after the Arsenal defender was forced off for Brazil against Senegal on Saturday.

Pape Matar Sarr was injured for Senegal in the same game, although manager Pape Thiaw has since calmed any fears of serious damage.

Speaking after the game, Thiaw spoke to the media and said that he does not think that the midfielder’s injury “is a big deal.”

Tottenham’s trip to Arsenal is expected to centre around set-pieces, with Gabriel‘s absence in that respect, huge for Thomas Frank‘s side.

Micky van de Ven was compared to Gabriel after scoring two headers against Everton, with the Brazilian building a reputation for his ability to dominate from corners.

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Arsenal lose huge set-piece threat

Much of the conversation surrounding Arsenal’s start to the Premier League has been about their production from corners and free-kicks.

The Gunners have created a huge 8.98 expected goals (xG) from set-pieces, more than any other team in the league.

Including penalties, 12 Premier League goals have gone in from set-pieces for Mikel Arteta‘s side this season – an incredible tally.

Much of that is down to the threat of Gabriel, who seems unstoppable when the delivery is right. It would appear that Tottenham will not have the defender to contend with on Sunday, however.

The Brazilian was forced off against Senegal, and is set to undergo tests on a muscular injury in the coming days.

Gabriel is always prominent in the North London derby

Tottenham fans will be extremely glad to see the back of Gabriel. The Brazilian has appeared in every one of the 10 North London derbies since his arrival at Arsenal in 2020, winning seven of them.

Last season saw the defender score the winner at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before having a huge involvement in Dominic Solanke‘s own-goal at the Emirates Stadium.

The contributions earned the 27-year-old the player of the match award in both games, his third in consecutive North London derbies.

Speaking after the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season, Alan Shearer said: “Gabriel, who I thought was absolutely fantastic, not only for the goal but for his overall performance. He was superb.”

Furthermore, Gabriel has a 90 per cent pass completion rate and is ranked in the top nine per cent of all centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals scored over the past 12 months.

Like many players on both sides of North London, the derby has appeared to resonate massively with Gabriel, meaning you can always expect the defender to have some involvement.

But not this time, it would appear, with Tottenham certain to be in even better spirits ahead of their trip down the road.

The January transfer window is fast approaching, and Tottenham’s main area of priority is investing in a new striker.

Spurs have made a solid start to life under Thomas Frank and currently sit one point behind fourth-place Sunderland, although a consistent source of goals has been a problem.

Tottenham are missing the injured Dominic Solanke, who fired 14 goals in all competitions last term, with the likes of Richarlison, Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani all failing to grab the number nine jersey.

That is why Spurs are eyeing a new striker in January, most notably Juventus centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic, and that isn’t the only position being targeted by Frank.

Mohammed Kudus could persuade Antoine Semenyo to join Spurs

Daniel Levy was left with egg on his face in the summer when Tottenham missed out on signing Antoine Semenyo.

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Bournemouth valued the 25-year-old at around £80million, with the Lilywhites choosing to splash the cash on Xavi Simons instead.

Semenyo recently signed a new five-year contract at Bournemouth, and while many thought that derailed their chances of signing him, one clause suggests otherwise.

It emerged that Semenyo has a £65m release clause in his contract, and that could be enough to persuade the Tottenham hierarchy to splash the cash.

The Ghanaian has been in incredible form for the Cherries this term, scoring six goals in 11 top-flight appearances, and international teammate Mohammed Kudus could persuade him to join.

Kudus and Semenyo play alongside each other for Ghana, and if Spurs do plan on launching a pursuit for the talented forward, then their relationship could play a part.

What Semenyo has said about Kudus

Spurs signed Kudus from West Ham during the summer, and the 25-year-old has made a decent start to life in North London.

A return of five goal involvements in 10 league appearances showcases his impact and Kudus’ pace and power will be key against Arsenal.

Unsurprisingly, Semenyo – who was dubbed ‘unique’ by Jamie Redknapp – has previously waxed lyrical over his Ghanaian teammate, labelling him a ‘starboy’ in January 2024.

“He [Kudus] is one of our best players. He is the starboy. He gets on the ball, creates stuff, and scores goals like he did today. It was a great addition to have him,” Semenyo said.

The thought of Kudus and Semenyo sharing a dressing room at Tottenham is mouth-watering, and the ENIC Group could make it happen.

Tottenham’s Premier League showdown against Arsenal will see many key battles emerge on the pitch, with one player holding the key to victory.

Spurs’ 2-2 draw against Manchester United saw them enter the international break in fifth position, only a point behind fourth-place Sunderland and eight adrift of leaders Arsenal.

When Tottenham travel to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday (November 23), Thomas Frank will be aiming to secure just his second victory in 10 attempts against Mikel Arteta and reduce the deficit in the table to just five points.

To achieve all three points against their North London rivals, every single player will need to perform at the highest level, including powerful winger Mohammed Kudus.

Mohammed Kudus beating Lamine Yamal for most dribbles completed

When Spurs signed Kudus from West Ham in the summer, the Ghanaian was brought to the club to produce magic, something supporters have witnessed.

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The 25-year-old has one goal and four assists in 10 league appearances this term, with Frank describing Kudus as ‘explosive’.

Impressively, the former Ajax man has completed the most successful dribbles of any player across Europe, even surpassing Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal.

Kudus is exemplary at taking the ball under pressure and driving past defenders and he’s supplied an extra dimension to the Tottenham attack.

Kudus vs Riccardo Calafiori

Frank will need Kudus’ ball-carrying expertise when his side face Arsenal this weekend, potentially creating a fascinating match-up between him and Riccardo Calafiori.

The Italian is part of arguably the best defence in Europe, with the Gunners only shipping five goals across 11 league matches.

Forming an incredible back line with Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Jurrien Timber, Calafiori has flourished as a left-back by combining his height, strength and defensive prowess.

But whilst he’s difficult to beat in one-on-one situations, Kudus will fancy himself against the 23-year-old when Spurs spring on the counterattack.

Kudus has given many full-backs a nightmare time this term, and if he can add Calafiori to his list of victims, Tottenham have a chance of upsetting the odds.

Tottenham have just received a potential boost in their pursuit of Antoine Semenyo, with the Bournemouth star having a £65million release clause.

The Athletic on 17 November have claim that the Ghanaian international had this inserted in his new contract in July.

While this does need to be activated on a specific date in the winter window, it is a surprisingly low price for one of the most in-form players in the division.

Tottenham have been linked with Semenyo for months and could now get him for a bargain.

Daniel Levy previously pulled out of the race for Antoine Semenyo

Tottenham’s pursuit of Semenyo is not recent and has been going on for many months.

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Spurs were linked with the winger in the summer, when the Cherries were demanding £70m to part with their star man.

However, Tottenham ultimately pulled out of the Semenyo deal in the summer due to Daniel Levy not being prepared to match their valuation.

While there was potential that the deal could be revived late in the summer, it never came to be, which turned out to be a massive blunder from the former chairman.

Yet, this could now save Spurs millions, with Semenyo’s valuation already dipping down by £5m.

On top of this, the report also explains that if not sold in January, the winger has another release clause once the subsequent transfer window opens, except at an even lower figure.

Therefore, despite leaving months ago, Levy’s blunder may have actually saved Spurs millions.

What has Thomas Frank previously said about Semenyo?

In the past, Thomas Frank has highly praised Semenyo.

Many may forget that the winger also had a brilliant campaign last season where he netted 11 Premier League goals.

Ahead of the Bee’s tie with Bournemouth, Frank highlighted the threat Semenyo posed to Brentford on 8 November 2024.

He said: “Semenyo can play wherever he wants to play – he’s a fantastic player.”

“I think he’s been the best individual player for Bournemouth this season.

“He is definitely a player we need to look out for and do our best to close down.”

Tottenham star remains in shadows despite topping impressive Premier League stat

Kevin Danso has made the most clearances per game in the Premier League this season.

Danso has been excellent for Tottenham when given the opportunity to start by Thomas Frank.

The Austrian international became a starter for Frank in Cristian Romero’s absence earlier in the season.

While Danso’s stellar performance against Everton would’ve had Romero sweating, the Spurs captain reprised his role once he had recovered.

Despite this, Frank will feel grateful that Tottenham have a rotational option as good as Danso on the bench, ready to be called upon.

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Kevin Danso tops clearances stat despite limited minutes

Danso has made the most clearances per game in the Premier League this season.

The Tottenham star has made 31 clearances, which totals to 10.8 per game.

Sunderland defender Dan Ballard has recorded the second-most clearances per game this period. He has made 59 clearances, which totals 9.20 per game.

For reference, Ballard has made nine appearances in the Premier League this season, started six and has played 580 minutes.

Meanwhile, Danso has made seven appearances in the first division this period, started three and has played 258 minutes.

The fact that the Austrian international has managed to top this statistic with minimal minutes demonstrates just how much of an asset Danso is for Frank and Tottenham.

Kevin Danso must work towards completeness

Save for a few controversial moments from Danso at Tottenham, he is a solid rotational option. However, that’s all he is at the moment.

The former Lens defender is far from complete:

Meanwhile, Romero has recovered 3.9 balls per game, has made 2.6 tackles and has won 65 per cent of his duels this season, according to Sofascore.

Danso may edge him on clearances, but Romero is ahead in almost every other defensive metric.

Indeed, Danso will need to work towards becoming a more complete centre-back if he wants to become a consistent starter at Tottenham.

Otherwise, he may spend the rest of his Spurs career in a peripheral role, which may not satisfy the defender or the club in the future.

Tottenham have been praised for their decision to move ticket prices for their UEFA Champions League game against Dortmund from Category A to Category B.

The Lilywhites earned Champions League football after lifting the UEFA Europa League with Ange Postecoglou last season.

Tottenham have had a good start to their European campaign. Spurs’ most recent 4-0 win against Copenhagen lifted them to 10th place in the standings.

But fans will be demanding more from their club’s performances on and off the pitch.

Dortmund vs Tottenham is now Category B

Tottenham saw several thousand vacant seats against Copenhagen, which reflected poorly on the club.

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Soon after, the Tottenham Supporters’ Trust blamed Spurs’ unaffordable ticket prices for the embarrassing turnout.

However, the club has since announced that their game against Dortmund will be moved from Category A to Category B.

Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Tottenham expert and Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham has welcomed the change.

“The club have obviously seen sense in the lower attendances due to the ticket prices for the Dortmund game from Category A to Category B,” Wenham said.

“I think that makes sense. There was no basis for Dortmund to ever be Category A. They’re not Real Madrid, they’re not Bayern Munich.

“So I’m glad that some sense has been seen there and hopefully we’ll now get a full stadium before that game in January against Dortmund, which will be one we probably need to win if we want to finish in the top eight.

‘Originally, they were charging a Category A for Dortmund, which would have been £80. I mean, that’s just obscene.”

Tottenham’s home atmosphere is a growing problem

Tottenham have won just three of their last 20 games, a record that Thomas Frank has been tasked with ending.

Guglielmo Vicario came under fire when he pointed out the lacklustre atmosphere in Spurs’ 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League.

Tottenham fans are not the type to jump up and down when their team are on the back foot.

As a result, a decrease in ticket prices and improved performances may be the only way to change their declining atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Either way, if such an atmosphere continues, the Lilywhites could be on track to extend their dreadful home game record.

This is why Brennan Johnson is the key to properly unlock Tottenham’s season

Brennan Johnson should start for Thomas Frank on the right wing over Mohammed Kudus despite his creative limitations.

Johnson has been demoted to a secondary role at Tottenham despite scoring the winner in the UEFA Europa League final last season.

This has seen Johnson linked with an exit from Spurs, given that his minutes have greatly decreased.

However, the right winger could be more important to Frank’s season than even he realises, with Kudus able to play in different roles, too.

The Mohammed Kudus problem

Kudus arrived at Tottenham over the summer and has since before Spurs’ starting right winger.

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After testing Johnson on the left wing for a couple of games, Frank opted to start Wilson Odobert, who is a natural left winger.

The issue is that while Johnson is a better goalscorer, Kudus is the far superior creator:

Meanwhile, 71 per cent of his long balls have been accurate, and so have 67 per cent of his chip passes, according to Sofascore. As a result, Kudus is untouchable for Frank.

This has seen the Welsh international accept a peripheral role in North London, despite being their top goal scorer last season.

Is Brennan Johnson the better option for Thomas Frank?

For months, fans begged Frank to get the best out of Xavi Simons, who had started poorly at Tottenham.

And it may not be a coincidence that Simons played his best football at Spurs while Kudus was sidelined.

The Dutch international is a final third action player and works best with a large volume of touches around the area.

However, he has averaged 45.1 touches in the Premier League this season. Kudus? 51.7 this period.

But with Kudus sidelined, Simons shone in Spurs’ 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League.

His assist came from a spectacular Johnson finish, who was excellent before being shown a red card in the second half.

Johnson is a runner. His whole game is centred around getting into good goal-scoring positions around the box. Johnson’s game is dependent on a creator, and Simons is a facilitator.

However, Kudus is an excellent creator who wants the ball at his feet in almost every situation. It doesn’t work because both Simons and Kudus are attempting to do the same thing on the pitch from different positions.

The verdict?

Frank should look to curate a system where every single one of these players can thrive.

The Dane prefers to attack in a ‘U’ shape, where the ball is progressed and chances are created through his wingers. This minimises Simons’ effectiveness on the pitch.

But this is where Johnson comes in. If Frank shifts Kudus to the left wing, where he has played many times before, and deploys Johnson on the right, Simons has his outlet and Kudus’ creative output isn’t lost.

It’s a win-win situation that Frank should consider before Tottenham face Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

Tottenham fans are searching for answers after Troy Parrott’s show-stopping performance for the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.

Ex-Lilywhite, Parrott, scored a hat-trick for Ireland in their dramatic 3-2 victory over Hungary in the World Cup qualifiers, with his country now just in need of play-off success to reach North America in 2026.

Parrott left Tottenham permanently in 2024, joining AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, where he’s found his feet with 33 goals in 61 games so far.

Ange Postecoglou has faced criticism over his handling of the striker, who Tottenham once knew had the potential to reach his current heights.

The former Spurs boss may have damaged the Lilywhites in the long run, with fans now asking questions over Parrott’s exit.

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Troy Parrott now labelled as Tottenham’s ‘biggest mistake’

Parrot has started the season on fire for both club and country, as the striker is making himself an Ireland legend already.

The striker is still just 23 years old, making Tottenham’s decision to cash in on him so early seem a massive mistake.

Troy Parrott this season:

Parrott gained regular attention while starring for Tottenham’s academy teams, scoring 14 times during the 2018-19 season at U18s level.

Now, Spurs fans are questioning why they even decided to let Parrott go on X, asking the question, “Do we have a buy-back option?”.

One Spurs fan said: “Do we have a buy-back option on Troy Parrott?”

Another Tottenham supporter claimed: “Parrot scoring goals left and right got kicked out of Tottenham, our main striker injured, the backup too, and the only healthy one is Richarlison.”

However, there is plenty of information on Parrott’s Tottenham departure, which reveals the truth in a potential return to N17.

Spurs can sign Parrott for a cut-price deal amid contract details

Tottenham sold Parrott in July last year for a reported fee of £6.7m, according to BBC Sport, which now looks a silly move following his goal-scoring antics over the past 12 months.

The Irishman was entering his final year as contracted as a Tottenham player at the time, and the Lilywhites clearly had no intentions of offering him a new deal.

Parrott’s contract runs with AZ Alkmaar until the summer of 2029, and Tottenham managed to squeeze a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal, according to football.london.

However, although the deal does not include a buy-back option for Spurs, the Lilywhites could still sign him for a cut-price deal, given the percentage they would be owed over a sale.

Tottenham could attempt to re-sign Parrott, with Thomas Frank in need of new strikers ahead of January.

Supercomputer predicts result of Arsenal vs Tottenham in Premier League

Tottenham will struggle to produce a favourable result against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United was the last bit of action fans had before the Premier League paused for the November international break.

The international break produced mixed results, with Guglielmo Vicario starring for Italy, while Djed Spence was benched for England.

However, all eyes will now be on Thomas Frank when he travels to the Emirates on 23 November.

Arsenal are overwhelming favourites

The last time these two teams faced off was during pre-season, where Tottenham celebrated a 1-0 win over Arsenal.

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Fans will be hoping for a more convincing win than a Pape Matar Sarr screamer to make the difference, but any victory would do to halt their greatest rivals.

But Spurs are not the favourites to win the confrontation, according to Opta’s Supercomputer.

Arsenal have a massive 69 per cent chance of claiming all three points, while Spurs have a 13.7 per cent shot of boosting their Premier League top four hopes.

There is a 17.3 per cent chance the North London derby ends in a draw.

With fans unimpressed with their recent performances, Frank won’t be a fan of their predicted odds heading into the match.

Tottenham fans won’t like Thomas Frank’s record vs Mikel Arteta

Frank has overseen nine matches against Mikel Arteta while manager and has won just once.

Six of the games ended in defeat, while the final two ended in a draw. It’s a record that most fans could’ve done without knowing about.

Spurs’ recent record against the Gunners isn’t much to rave about either:

The odds are far from the Lilywhites’ favour, and their recent injuries make a victory even more unlikely.

Indeed, as well as their long-term injuries, Tottenham will most likely be without Randal Kolo Muani against Arsenal after he suffered a jaw injury against United.

Meanwhile, Lucas Bergvall returned to Tottenham from the Sweden national team camp due to his concussion sustained against Chelsea.

As a result, it could take something big for Spurs to claim all three points against their rivals on Sunday.

Roma are interested in signing Mathys Tel on loan this winter.

Tel netted in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United before the November international break after coming on as a substitute deep into the second half.

The French international has had a difficult start to the season, having been excluded from Thomas Frank’s UEFA Champions League squad for the league phase.

As a result, the young striker could opt to spend the rest of the season elsewhere to continue his development plan.

Mathys Tel tipped for winter transfer

Roma are interested in signing Tel on loan for the rest of the season, according to Gazzetta dello Sport on 15 November.

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The French international is seen as a versatile option as he can play as a left winger and a centre-forward.

It is believed that Tel wants to depart North London after receiving minimal minutes under Frank.

This comes as the Italian side looks for alternative, cheaper options to Joshua Zirkzee, who is their main target for the winter window.

Tel is also seen as a more affordable option than their other targets, which include Said El Mala and Yuri Alberto.

But with both Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani sidelined for Tottenham, Frank’s handling of Tel will be of note over the next couple of months.

Loaning Mathys Tel would be a mistake

Tottenham have already been hit with several injuries this season, with Lucas Bergvall the latest to be sidelined for Spurs.

The Lilywhites are still alive in most competitions this season, and the Dane will need all the players at his disposal to guarantee sporting success.

With Tottenham dangerously thin in attack at the moment, it would be in Frank’s and the Spurs’ best interest to retain Tel this winter.

Otherwise, Tottenham could later find themselves in the most critical stage of the season with numerous injuries, a demotivated squad and no suitable options to make a difference.