TBR Football

Tottenham Hotspur got the job done against Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final in North London.

Neither Liverpool nor Tottenham managed to break the deadlock in the first half, but Spurs ended up triumphing with a goal late on in the second period.

Spurs had the ball in the back of the net in the 77th minute, but Dominic Solanke’s goal was chalked off due to offside following a lengthy VAR check.

This didn’t affect the outcome of the game as Solanke then outmuscled Ibrahima Konate and set up Lucas Bergvall to score the winner in the 86th minute.

Plenty of Tottenham players shone on the night, including Archie Gray, whose feats as an 18-year-old playing out of position in his maiden Premier League season are becoming staggering.

Gray’s impressive display led to fans of other Premier League teams singing his praises.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa fans praise Tottenham star Archie Gray

For instance, a Gunners supporter said: “I am an Arsenal fan but I will remember the names Archie Gray, Antonin Kinsky and Lucas Bergvall. 3 fantastic kids out there today they run Liverpool.”

Meanwhile, a Liverpool supporter wrote: “One can say refs helped Spurs but tbh the star man on their team was Gray.

“He had a brilliant game today. Tottenham have a gem on their hands.”

A Manchester United fan also commented on Gray, saying: “What a performance from him (Kinsky), Gray, Bergvall and Spence today. Exciting talents at Tottenham ngl.”

Meanwhile, a Chelsea supporter said: “I was at the game. Archie Gray was brilliant. Especially as he’s a DM playing CB. 18 years old with that responsibility. Incredible.”

And an Aston Villa fan wrote: “Spurs got some great youth talents in Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, and Antonin Kinsky.

“Definitely think they will all be big players in the future even if not at Spurs.”

Gray media ratings v Liverpool

Alasdair Gold gave Gray a rating of 9 out of 10 for his efforts against Arne Slot’s side.

He wrote on football.london: “Ridiculous that he’s an 18-year-old midfielder playing in defence every three days or so at the moment. So composed and so tactically aware.”

Meanwhile, the Evening Standard went with a 7 out of 10 rating and wrote: “You can see he is also a midfielder in the way he so bravely marauds out from the back. Brave.”

Likewise, GiveMeSport gave Gray a score of 7 out of 10 and wrote: “A very solid performance from the youngster despite once again being played out of position.

“Gray dealt with the Liverpool attack well and was valuable for his side bringing the ball out of defence also.”

Tottenham Hotspur lead Liverpool 1-0 in the Carabao Cup semi-finals after Lucas Bergvall’s late goal gave Spurs a first-leg win on Wednesday night.

In the 86th minute of the game, Tottenham forward Dominic Solanke outmuscled Ibrahima Konate to set up Bergvall for an easy finish past Alisson Becker.

Solanke had the ball in the back of the net nine minutes earlier, but his goal was chalked off due to offside after a VAR check.

Plenty of Spurs players impressed on the night, including debutant Antonin Kinsky, who had only joined Tottenham a few days earlier.

Indeed, Tottenham ace Guglielmo Vicario seemed impressed by his fellow goalkeeper.

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario congratulates Antonin Kinsky

The £12.5million signing from Slavia Prague had a debut to remember as he kept a clean sheet and made a superb late save to deny Darwin Nunez.

Tottenham fans raved about Kinsky during and after the game, while Solanke deemed his new Spurs teammate “phenomenal”.

Vicario, who is currently out injured, was also pleased with how Kinsky did on his bow for the Lilywhites, as per a video doing the rounds on social media.

Vicario was spotted putting his arm around Kinsky and congratulating him at the end of the match.

What Alasdair Gold said about Kinsky’s Tottenham debut display

Football.london’s Alasdair Gold gave Kinsky a solid 9 out of 10 rating and spoke highly of him in a lengthy post-match appraisal.

Gold wrote: ‘On his debut, his first test came with a difficult bouncing ball that Dragusin left for him and the young keeper knocked it up and over the onrushing attacker’s head before catching it in a calm bit of play

‘His distribution was excellent in the first half but he did fumble a shot just behind him which could have been disastrous had he been closer to goal.

‘Did make a big save with his arm to deny Nunez in the second half and again from his header. Overall a terrific debut and a clean sheet and the defence trusted him from the very first moments.’

Meanwhile, the Evening Standard gave Kinsky a rating of 8 out of 10 for his efforts on the night.

They wrote: ‘Very convincing debut from the Czech goalkeeper, whose distribution was an instant hit with the Tottenham fans and just what was needed.

‘Made a remarkable late save to deny Darwin Nunez.’

Tottenham Hotspur seemed like they were on a mission in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final as they earned a well-deserved 1-0 win against Liverpool.

Tottenham were the underdogs heading into the clash as Arne Slot has managed to transform his Reds side into the best team in the Premier League as well as arguably the most feared team in the world.

Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou would admit that based on Spurs’ displays in the Premier League this season, they have been far from impressive.

But plenty of Tottenham players impressed on Wednesday, with Lucas Bergvall stealing the headlines with a well-taken winner and Archie Gray stepping up against Liverpool at centre-back.

Dominic Solanke lauded Antonin Kinsky’s display against the visitors as well as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was treated to one of its most memorable nights in a while.

Lucas Bergvall, Antonin Kinsky and Archie Gray hailed for Tottenham vs Liverpool

In the aftermath of Tottenham’s narrow victory against Liverpool, Michael Dawson reserved special praise for Bergvall, Archie Gray and Antonin Kinsky for looking the part on such a big night for the Lilywhites.

Dawson said on Sky Sports: “

“I have to look at [Lucas] Bervall, 18 years old. [Antonin] Kinsky, 21 years of age, just come in. And Archie Gray. I thought the three of those players were absolutely magnificent.”

“Bergvall certainly, the way he pressed and made the opportunity for Pedro Porro. But it’s a performance from back to front they can be proud of.”

However, Michael Dawson warned Tottenham that Liverpool will not look as undercooked as they did in the second leg.

“It is only halfway and I don’t see Liverpool playing like this in the first week of February.”

Ange Postecoglou backed and Tottenham vs Liverpool shows why

Tottenham’s board are backing Ange Postecoglou, as are the players and their inspired performance against Liverpool.

If Spurs had sacked Postecoglou earlier or decided to cut ties with him before the contest, perhaps the squad could well have undergone a dip in morale heading into their fixture against Arne Slot’s juggernaut.

But whether it be Bergvall, Gray and Kinsky or any other Tottenham player, they looked right up for the fight against Liverpool.

Ange Postecoglou’s tactical ideas may split opinion but they seem to muster up assured performances out of his side like against the Merseyside-based club and when things click, this group of players entertain like not many teams can.

Tottenham Hotspur certainly gave a much better account of themselves in their 1-0 victory against Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Ange Postecoglou packed out his Tottenham midfield and it stifled a lot of Liverpool’s threat, something the home side were unable to do during Arne Slot’s last visit to N17.

Liverpool were arguably limited to the least amount of chances they’ve had in any game this season, something that should give confidence to Spurs were then eventually meet again.

Of course, new signing Antonin Kinsky deserves credit, his ability with the ball at his feet was instantly a harmonious fit with Postecoglou’s philosophy.

Kinsky’s passing range was night and day when compared to Fraser Forster, and he even looked more effective in that capacity than Guglielmo Vicario in truth.

Lucas Bergvall delivers crucial winning goal against Liverpool

However, it was Lucas Bergvall who stood out most for Tottenham, a £9m signing who has made a remarkably quick step up from Swedish football.

Just over six months ago, Bergvall was still playing in the Allsvenskan, now he’s starring and winning games against Liverpool in a semi-final, an incredible young talent.

Bergvall was guilty of one or two poorly timed challenges in the second half – he was very fortunate not to receive a second yellow.

But with a reprieve from Stuart Atwell, Bergvall then took full advantage and timed his run perfectly to meet Dominic Solanke’s excellent assist – a moment that will live long in the memory of the youngster.

Of course, it has to be pointed out that Bergvall’s job was made even harder in the middle once Rodrigo Bentancur needed to leave the field with a serious issue – a situation the young midfielder handled very well.

Lucas Bergvall can save Tottenham important funds in January

There is of course going to be a huge debate about the decision not to hand Bergvall a second yellow, but that’s not one that will concern Spurs fans.

And whilst the second leg won’t come until February, Postecoglou may even already be thinking about how he plans to mastermind a result at Anfield.

What is clear, Bergvall needs to feature on a regular basis for Spurs now.

The Sweden international has seen an increase in minutes, but there’s arguably no need to hold the all-action midfielder back any longer.

Antonin Kinsky was handed the daunting task of making his debut in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt against Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Kinsky was prepared to face Liverpool and that reflected in his assured display for Ange Postecoglou’s side, who won 1-0 after Lucas Bergvall’s winning goal.

The 21-year-old, who is Tottenham’s first signing of the winter window took Brandon Austin’s place in the side.

Ahead of the contest, Ange Postecoglou described Kinsky as “real quality” and he showed that, making crucial saves to keep Darwin Nunez’s efforts at bay from close range in the 68th minute and the 93rd minute.

The Czech goalkeeper’s distribution was brave as he often played ambitious passes, both at short and long ranges and gave Spurs a degree of fluidity that has been missing under Fraser Forster, whose distribution worries Postecoglou.

Tottenham fans rave about Antonin Kinsky’s display against Liverpool

Tottenham supporters took to X to express how impressive Antonin Kinsky looked against Liverpool.

One Spurs supporter said: “Kinsky can absolutely play, my God. Distribution incredible so far, makes us so much harder to press.”

More Tottenham fans lauded Kinsky’s distribution, with one fan writing: “But for real, Kinsky is amazing with his feet?”

One Tottenham supporter compared the youngster’s terrific passing to that of Toby Alderweireld in his pomp, saying: “Reminds me of prime Toby, pinging these passes over the top perfectly.”

A fourth Spurs fan wrote: “Kinsky, calmer and better on the ball than the majority of our squad.”

Tottenham beat four clubs to sign Kinsky and it seems like they signed a very self-assured goalkeeper, as one Lilywhiites fan observed.

“Kinsky has so much confidence and composure for his debut against a team that is on top of the Premier League right now. I love it.”

Another Spurs fan claimed: “Kinsky already convinced me. Personality for days, you can already tell.”

Finally, an eighth Tottenham supporter sarcastically claimed: “Kinsky looking confident, it’s almost as if signing players you need helps things.”

How Tottenham internally view Antonin Kinsky

Tottenham hugely rate Kinsky, who Johan Lange began scouting during his time at Aston Villa.

Spurs believe that in the former Slavia Prague shotstopper, they have a goalkeeper who is capable of providing heated competition to Guglielmo Vicario.

Johan Lange and his team conducted background checks on Kinsky’s family, character and background and they felt he was the right man for them.

Against Liverpool, the Spurs new-boy proved he has plenty of potential.

Although they started the season with differing aspirations, both Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham will be trying to claw their way into the Premier League’s final European places over the coming months.

Fulham are currently two points and one position behind Aston Villa in the table, with Tottenham further down in 12th position.

And whilst playing in Europe is something of a dream for Fulham, it’s an expectation for Unai Emery and Ange Postecoglou given the standards that they’ve set.

That being said, all three clubs are potentially looking at the signing of Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz this month, who only left Villa six months ago.

Villa and Tottenham were informed about Luiz’s situation, with his old club interested in bringing the Brazilian back on a temporary basis.

Now, journalist Eduardo Burgos is reporting that Spurs and Fulham are pushing hardest for his loan.

The journalist also shared that Luiz is not in favour of leaving Juventus, having only signed for the club in a £42m deal last summer.

The Brazil international is happy in Turin, and is likely to stay put even amid the growing interest in bringing him back to the Premier League.

Burgos said: “Despite informal inquiries, Douglas Luiz has a good chance of staying at Juventus in January.

“The player does not want a change of scenery at the moment. He is comfortable in Turin and wants to succeed in the team.

“Tottenham and Fulham are the ones pushing hardest for his loan.”

Douglas Luiz explains why he chose to leave Aston Villa for Italy

Speaking in an interview shortly after joining Juventus last summer, Luiz explained why he chose to join the historic Italian side.

Interestingly, the midfielder said he knew it wouldn’t be easy, with Luiz not struggling to play the minutes he may have hoped for under Thiago Motta.

Speaking after leaving Villa for Juventus, Luiz said: “Danilo and [Gleison] Bremer helped me a lot during the talks with the club.

“Every morning I woke up to them saying ‘Forza Juve’ and they told me all about the club.

“Having teammates with my national team who told me I could come here and make a difference definitely helped me to decide to join.

“Playing for Juventus is not easy, I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. The club also paid a lot for me, and that’s another reason to work hard every day.

“I want to be an example for the younger players while also knowing that I’m 26 and I still have growing to do.”

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Newcastle United are far from happy about the nature of one of their transfer negotiations.

Eddie Howe’s side seem to be looking to bolster their squad this month, as TBR Football recently uncovered that signing Evan Ferguson on loan interests Newcastle. Similarly, Newcastle admire Igor Jesus as a striker option as well, as reported by TBR Football.

At the end of last year, TBR Football also confirmed Newcastle opened talks to sign Abdukodir Khusanov.

Newcastle and Tottenham unhappy as Lens double Man City-bound Abdukodir Khusanov’s asking price

TBR Football’s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey can reveal that Newcastle as well as Tottenham Hotspur are “not happy” that RC Lens doubled Khusanov’s asking price from £16.6 million to £33.3 million plus add-ons — doubling their fee demands.

TBR Football understands that Lens would have happily taken a £16.6 million fee and proceed to sanctioning the 20-year-old’s sale.

The French club’s latest fee demands have ruled out both Newcastle and Tottenham out of the race to sign him, who are also dissatisfied by their sudden to decision to hike up their fee demands — TBR Football can now confirm.

Newcastle as well as Tottenham were worried about Manchester City eyeing Khusanov as TBR Football discovered that Pep Guardiola’s side had stepped up their efforts to sign him.

As Khusanov’s exit from Lens was confirmed by the club’s managing director Pierre Dreossi recently, TBR Football can now report that City have been discussing a prospective deal with the Ligue 1 side, who first asked about him in December.

Newcastle and Tottenham have been tracking Abdukodir Khusanov for months

TBR Football understands Real Madrid, Juventus and Bayern Munich all enquired about the youngster in January but Tottenham and Newcastle were watching Khusanov alongside Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Brentford as far as back in October.

Newcastle’s defending against Arsenal was praised while Tottenham have shipped as many as 30 goals in the Premier League this season.

Tottenham need some new defensive reinforcements through the door this month.

Spurs’ defence is a mess right now. Archie Gray and Djed Spence were Tottenham’s centre-back pairing at the end of the Newcastle game at the weekend, and you don’t need us to tell you why that is a problem.

Gray is a teenage midfielder and Spence is Spurs’ second-choice right-back, if those two are playing at centre-back together, something has gone horribly wrong.

Luckily, the transfer window is open, and Spurs do have some reinforcements in mind.

Tottenham have been linked with Ko Itakura recently, while Abdukodir Khusanov is a Tottenham target too.

Khusanov looks to be an exciting talent, but according to David Ornstein, speaking on The Athletic FC Podcast, Tottenham aren’t likely to look at Khusanov due to the pricetag attached here.

Tottenham unlikely to go for Abdukodir Khusanov

Ornstein shared what he knows about Khusanov.

The journalist says that the growing sense is that this defender will end up at Man City, claiming that the £35m+ pricetag will put Tottenham off.

“And that’s why you see them showing an interest in the Lens central defender, Khusunov, who is catching the eye of many. Newcastle have liked him for quite some time. Tottenham are aware of him too, but the level I think it’s going to go to financially, I don’t see Tottenham pursuing it right now,” Ornstein said.

“And that level, which Lens want is above 40 million euros. (£35m) They’ve put Jorge Mendes, the so-called super agent in charge for this window. They’ve given him a mandate to get the sale done.”

“And the more people I speak to, the growing sense is that he will end up at Manchester City, but they obviously have to go through the normal sort of dance and negotiations.”

How much have Tottenham spent recently?

Tottenham have been put off of signing Khusanov due to his pricetag.

However, £35m doesn’t sound all that steep for a defender who could potentially be a quality signing.

That said, Tottenham, just like every other Premier League club at the moment, need to keep an eye on their Profit and Sustainability numbers.

Indeed, Spurs have spent massive amounts of money over the past 18 months, and they may now be in a position where the cashflow is running a little more dry.

Tottenham were the biggest spenders in the Premier League over the summer, and they may not be in a position to replicate that spending in the January transfer window.

Spurs do need additions, but they may need to look for bargains this month rather than competing with the likes of Manchester City for these expensive young starlets such as Khusanov.

TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Tottenham Hotspur are now close to agreeing personal terms with Randal Kolo Muani.

The North London club’s sporting director Johan Lange has been working on a deal with the Frenchman’s representatives and is selling him an exciting project which he is now keen to join.

Kolo Muani is looking to leave Paris Saint Germain this month after his national team manager Didier Deschamps told him to secure regular game time away from the French capital.

TBR Football first reported back in early November that PSG were open to letting Kolo Muani leave on loan this month and the forward has not been left short of options.

Tottenham make strong push for Randal Kolo Muani

Tottenham are hoping to get a deal done for Randal Kolo Muani this week, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey.

Over the last 48 hours, Spurs have been pushing really hard to agree terms with the forward.

These discussions with the 26-year-old’s representatives have been fruitful as an agreement is all but sealed between the club and the player.

Lange has been driving a deal for Spurs to land the former Frankfurt striker as he believes Kolo Munai can lead this team into a new era.

Tottenham are yet to commence talks with PSG over a deal although as mentioned, the French champions are open to loaning the player out and ideally want an obligation to buy included.

The Lilywhites are open to such a deal but are keen for it to become an obligation only once certain targets based on his performance have been reached.

Other clubs also remain in the race with Manchester United and Aston Villa keen, whilst Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Juventus have all emerged as contenders.

Given the strong interest from elsewhere, the Premier League side are keen to get a deal done quickly, although the player’s people had been hoping to hold out to assess all options.

What Tottenham are offering Randal Kolo Muani could impact Son

TBR Football can also reveal that Kolo Munai’s arrival could have an impact on Son Heung-min as Tottenham have offered him a place in Ange Postecoglou’s lineup.

The French international can play anywhere across the frontline but he is most likely to challenge the South Korean for his spot on the left. He will also rotate with Dominic Solanke in the number nine role.

The 2022 World Cup Finalist’s main motivation for moving is to get plenty of minutes under his belt ahead of next year’s World Cup in North America.

Spurs believe that their project offer will be key for him coming to North London and have made it clear they want him to help lead their new era – which he is keen to do.

When it originally became clear that Marcus Rashford could leave Manchester United, very few would have imagined the forward heading to Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are lacking in attack, but Tottenham’s most glaring weakness, or lack of depth, has predominantly been in defence.

Archie Gray and Radu Dragusin haven’t proved to be a successful duo, even if Spurs’ summer signing from Leeds United has still impressed overall.

But with Son Heung-min not at his best, and the likes of Brennan Johnson also having his doubters, Spurs do need to add offensively too.

Now, Tottenham want Rashford on loan according to reports, a move that would be fascinating to watch unfold.

Ange Postecoglou insisted he had ‘no interest’ in Marcus Rashford ‘noise’

Of course, Postecoglou was questioned about Tottenham signing Rashford before the club’s Carabao Cup tie against Man United last month.

The Spurs manager was pretty clear that he had ‘no interest’ in getting involved with the saga, a stance that may have now changed if new reports are to be believed.

Postecoglou said: “There’s always noise about Manchester United, come on mate. Where have you been?

“No interest. Don’t care. Not interested. He is a Manchester United player. A very good player, they have plenty of good players, but I manage my players and other managers will manage their own players.

“In terms of Marcus’ situation, I have no real desire to examine it any further.

“If I looked at everyone we were linked to, I would have no time to do anything else to be honest. I have got other people to do that part of the process.

“For us, we’ve been pretty disciplined in what we’re trying to build here and we’ll continue to be so.

“That’s not on my radar (signing Rashford in January). You can ask me about Marcus but you can ask me about every single Premier League footballer and I’ll say the same.”

Would Rashford be a good fit at Tottenham?

In truth, were Rashford to move to a Premier League club, Spurs do seem pretty well suited for the England international.

Postecoglou’s 4-2-3-1 is ideal for Rashford’s skill-set, a player who could also be well suited to attacking the big spaces that Spurs exploit in quick transition.

However, any move away from United perhaps hinges on Rashford finding a good fit as a person, as well as a player.

And in that respect, Spurs could provide the United forward with a very good platform to succeed and reinvent his career, even if it is only a short-term loan.