TBR Football

One key Tottenham Hotspur player is enjoying a superb start to the new season and a new Erling Haaland statistic proves just how good he has been so far.

Tottenham Hotspur rescued a point against Brighton on Saturday as they came from behind to draw 2-2 away at the AMEX Stadium.

The draw means that Thomas Frank’s team are currently sitting third in the Premier League and looking like a strong contender for the Champions League spots.

Over the weekend, an impressive Erling Haaland stat emerged, and it shows that Harry Redknapp might have been wrong about one of Spurs’ top performers.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are the only defenders to stop Erling Haaland this season

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are the only defensive partnership to have stopped Haaland from scoring this season.

The Manchester City forward has netted in every game he’s played for both club and country, except when he faced Spurs.

The 24-year-old has made an incredible start to the season, netting 13 goals in eight matches combined for City and Norway.

Alan Shearer says Tottenham are so reliant on Van de Ven and Romero and can’t afford for the duo to get injured this season.

Last season, the pair played just 15 times together, with the duo both suffering long-term injuries, which really hampered their Premier League campaign.

Romero is desperate to play more with Van de Ven, with it becoming increasingly clear that the duo are one of the best partnerships in Europe.

Harry Redknapp was unfair in his criticism of Cristian Romero

Last season, Redknapp called Romero ‘unreliable’ and claimed he would take Spurs legend Michael Dawson over the World Cup winner.

But ever since Spurs won the Europa League, Romero signed his new Tottenham contract and was named captain of the team, he’s proved himself to be genuinely elite.

Currently, only Crystal Palace and Arsenal have conceded fewer than Spurs’ three goals this season, with Frank doing a great job setting his team up.

The North London club have made a great start to the season, and Romero has been integral to their upturn in form.

Tottenham Hotspur produced a spirited comeback to salvage a draw against Brighton on Saturday and one player in particular caught Alan Shearer’s eye.

Goals from Richarlison and a deflection off Brighton’s Jean Paul van Hecke helped rescue a point for Thomas Frank’s team on the South Coast.

Tottenham Hotspur did not start well against the Seagulls, but did well to earn a draw against a side who haven’t lost at home to a top-six club since the start of last season.

After the match, Alan Shearer has been raving about one of the North London club’s top performers and claimed he’s been impressed by his start to the season.

Alan Shearer impressed by Mohammed Kudus against Brighton

Shearer has admitted that he was once again impressed by Mohammed Kudus’ performance for Tottenham, and this time against Brighton.

The 24-year-old produced two assists at the AMEX Stadium to help Spurs’ fight back against the Seagulls, and the former Premier League striker called him a ‘real threat’.

Shearer said on The Rest Is Football: “Kudus did well again, he’s a real threat, isn’t he? Yeah, 2-0 down, they were always going to take 2-2, but I thought they were worthy of a point. Thomas Frank has made a really good start there.”

Meanwhile, Gary Lineker has been encouraged by Xavi Simons’ early displays at Tottenham, with the Dutch star impressing off the bench.

Tottenham fans hailed Kudus’ display against Brighton, as he continued to cause the hosts problems down Spurs’ right-hand side.

The winger managed six dribbles during the match, which was by far the highest of any player on the pitch at the AMEX.

Kudus, who cost Tottenham £55m, has so far proved himself to be one of the best signings of the summer following an explosive start to life in North London.

Gary Lineker on Tottenham playing Champions League before Brighton away

Lineker has also praised Tottenham for playing in the Champions League on Tuesday and then again against Brighton on Saturday.

Tottenham’s former striker believes that juggling with both competitions is not easy, so to come away with a point was a positive for Frank’s team.

“Also after a Champions League game as well, and playing on a Saturday, which is not that easy, so lots to be happy about for Tottenham fans at the moment,” added Lineker.

The North London club will have to learn to deal with playing in both competitions and the step up in having been in the Europa League last term.

Will Lankshear has been loving life in the Championship since making the loan move from Tottenham Hotspur to Oxford United.

Tottenham Hotspur will be well pleased with their decision to send the talented young striker on loan to Oxford, given his impressive start to the loan spell.

Some Tottenham fans wanted to keep Lankshear, but he appears to have found the perfect loan destination at the Kassam Stadium.

The Championship club’s supporters have now been discussing his latest showing for the team as they produced an impressive win away from home.

Oxford fans hail Will Lankshear’s display against Bristol City

Oxford fans were full of praise for the latest performance of Will Lankshear, who impressed in their 3-1 win over Bristol City.

Despite not being involved in the goals, the striker played a key role in helping the U’s secure a crucial win away at Ashton Gate.

The 20-year-old’s overall display was imposing once again, as he pressed well from the front and was unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet.

Lankshear, who scored on his Oxford debut, had four attempts at goal, making some great runs, but ultimately wasn’t picked out by his teammates.

During the game, Oxford fans took to X to share their thoughts on their loan striker and to hail what was an impressive display from the youngster.

One fan said: “Lankshear is looking dangerous as usual!”

“Definition of a complete performance! Lankshear is absolutely incredible,” added another supporter.

There was further praise for Lankshear: “What a great all-round team performance today. Proud of the boys. Lankshear is a beast.”

Finally, another added: “Shout out to Lankshear. Quality since the day we signed him. Plays like a seasoned pro. Great team performance today.”

Mikey Moore’s loan at Rangers hasn’t been going quite so well; therefore, Spurs will be pleased that at least one of their youngsters is having a top loan.

The striker has three goals in six Championship appearances and is set to play a key role for Gary Rowett’s side this season.

Mikey Moore struggles to make an impact for Rangers

Moore struggled to make an impact for Rangers once again, despite Russell Martin’s team returning to winning ways by defeating Hibernian 2-0.

The young winger was subbed off after 76 minutes, following another standard display from the teenager.

Moore faces competition from Djeidi Gassama and Oliver Antman in the team, so he will need to step up soon or risk being dropped.

Chris Sutton fears for Moore, given the poor form of Rangers this season and the pressure being placed on the players to turn things around.

It will be a great experience for the 18-year-old starting for such a big club, but given the team’s poor form, there will be concerns over his ability to deal with the criticisms.

Following his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, Xavi Simons is now three games into life at Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite only being 22 years old, Xavi Simons has already played for several big-name clubs across Europe.

Tottenham’s new number 10 actually began life in Barcelona’s academy before he made the switch to Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.

And following impressive loan spells at both PSV Eindhoven and RB Leipzig, the Dutch international has eventually found his way to Spurs.

As it stands, Thomas Frank is still deciding Simons’ best position at Tottenham – he’s played as both a left winger and in a number 10 role since his big-money move.

Gary Lineker is encouraged by Xavi Simons’ early displays at Tottenham

That being said, Gary Lineker has now provided his early thoughts on Simons’ start at Spurs on ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast.

Lineker praised Tottenham for their comeback against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, a match they drew despite being 2-0 down.

And after calling Mohammed Kudus a ‘real threat’ for Spurs, Lineker then briefly spoke about Simons, who had to settle for a spot on the bench initially at the Amex Stadium.

Simons was introduced in the second half in the number 10 role, and the former RB Leipzig man certainly had an effect on the game.

Sharing his thoughts, Lineker said: “I think Simons will do all right as well. He had a couple of opportunities where he perhaps could have done better with a finish, but he was busy and looked to be a threat as well.”

Of course, Frank does have several options to use in attack – both Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson were also on the bench against Brighton.

And when you consider that Randal Kolo Muani is still yet to get going for Spurs, the situation looks pretty healthy.

Thomas Frank might need to tweak his system for Xavi Simons

In terms of Frank getting the best out of Simons, it could be the case that the former Brentford boss eventually needs to adjust his system slightly.

Against Brighton, Spurs played with a relatively flat midfield – Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur were just ahead of Joao Palhinha.

But perhaps against teams who Tottenham expect to beat – just like Wolverhampton Wanderers at home next weekend, Simons could be deployed as a proper number 10.

In that scenario, one of Bergvall or Bentancur could be sacrificed, even if the pair have been performing so well.

But either way, the early signs suggest that Spurs fans can trust Frank to get it right, a manager who has started remarkably well in N17.

Spurs face Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Cup in midweek before playing Wolves on Saturday, and perhaps that will be the perfect opportunity for Frank to experiment with his side.

Summer signing Xavi Simons is now three games into life at Tottenham Hotspur, an attacking talent who Thomas Frank was very keen to bring to N17.

Tottenham paid a large sum to recruit Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, and perhaps he can be seen as the club’s alternative to Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze – two number tens they failed to sign.

But either way, the Dutchman should be a hit in north London, and Joao Palhinha has already praised Simons at Tottenham.

However, after starting on the bench during Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, Simons actually played in a different position for Frank after coming on.

During starts against West Ham United and Villarreal, Simons played as a left winger, but versus Brighton, the 22-year-old came on as the number 10.

Xavi Simons impresses in a new role for Tottenham against Brighton

That being said, Tottenham boss Frank commented on Simons’ display when speaking at his post-Brighton press conference.

And after lauding Simons’ efforts, Frank was then asked about Simons’ best role in attack.

Commenting on the midfielder’s impact from the bench, Frank said: “Very very pleased with that, I think Xavi came in and did exactly what we thought he could do in that ten position.

“I think he of course had a good pre-season and he played two games in Germany and all that, but he’s still coming into a team and all that, and I think on any other day he’d score a goal – he got a great finish on the first one – great save from Verbruggen.

“The other one he mistimes, and I think actually maybe he could have assisted Richy – where Lucas takes the ball, he doesn’t see him.”

The Tottenham manager was then asked if the number ten role was more natural for Simons, to which he replied: “I think he can play both.

“I think he can easily play as a left winger that can go more inside, I also think he can do the wide position, sometimes the playmakers they drift to the side because there’s no space in the middle.

“So I think he can do that, but [as a] ten I think obviously he can play there as well.”

Randal Kolo Muani might get his opportunity vs Doncaster Rovers

In terms of Spurs’ new signings getting chances against Brighton, on loan Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani failed to make the squad.

Speaking after full-time, Frank confirmed that Kolo Muani was missing owing to a slight injury, but he might be ready to take his chance in the EFL Cup in midweek.

Frank said: “Kolo Muani got a dead leg unfortunately – that kept him out of this game. He was actually struggling with it last week. Hopefully he will be available for Wednesday.”

Since signing for Spurs late in the window, Kolo Muani has been on the pitch for 13 minutes in a Tottenham shirt.

But as with Simons, there’s much more to come from the forward, who showcased his rich talent with Juventus on loan last season.

Luka Vuskovic made history on Saturday by becoming the first HSV Hamburg player to score in the Bundesliga in seven years.

Vuskovic joined Hamburg on loan from Tottenham for the season and in just his second match, scored the German club’s first goal since returning to the top flight.

The teenager has been thrown straight into the deep end in the Bundesliga, as Vuskovic’s debut came against Bayern Munich in a 5-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena.

But following a tough debut, the 18-year-old opened his account for HSV with a crucial goal in a 2-1 win over 1. FC Heidenheim.

Luka Vuskovic’s performance questioned despite first goal

However, the German media have questioned Luka Vuskovic’s performance against Heidenheim, despite him finding the back of the net.

The defender’s display was described as unconvincing by the local media, who criticised his ability on the ball and decision-making.

Vuskovic, who struggled against Harry Kane, found himself on the scoresheet, but overall, his impact on the game was questioned.

Assessing his display against Heidenheim, Hamburger Abendblatt wrote: “His goal was a great relief. Despite his goal, the new fan favourite didn’t have a convincing performance.

“He almost caused the equaliser in the counterattack, but he was unsure of the ball and made a few misplaced passes. In the end, he was a match winner.”

Hamburg’s manager, Merlin Polzin, admitted after Vuskovic’s debut that he was ‘lacking preparation’ and they would support him over the next couple of weeks.

Last season, the youngster made quite a habit of scoring goals, as he netted seven goals in 28 Jupiler Pro League matches for Westerlo.

He has now opened up his account for HSV and will be hoping to kick on after playing a crucial role in their first win of the season.

Luka Vuskovic breaks two fingers during HSV’s win

Vuskovic, who Tottenham rate highly, has revealed that he broke two of his fingers during HSV’s win after hitting the goalpost.

The Tottenham Hotspur loanee was reacting to a missed chance and, out of anger, hit the frame of the goal, breaking two fingers.

Speaking about the injury, Vuskovic told the media: “They’re probably broken. When I missed the chance, I stupidly hit the post.”

Next up for HSV and Vuskovic is an away trip to face Union Berlin, who are currently sitting 16th in the Bundesliga.

TBR Football understands that Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a potential deal to sign a player from Sunderland in the next transfer window.

Thomas Frank’s team enjoyed an impressive summer transfer window, but are already thinking ahead to January.

Xavi Simons, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani, Joao Palhinha and Kota Takai were the five new additions the Lilywhites made.

Spurs have now started planning to add to their squad during the January transfer window, and are looking at the Stadium of Light.

Exclusive: Tottenham could target Dennis Cirkin for homegrown purposes

Tottenham Hotspur could target Dennis Cirkin in January in a bid to bolster their UEFA Champions League squad, sources have told TBR Football’s chief correspondent, Graeme Bailey.

The 23-year-old came through Spurs’ academy at Hotspur Way and could therefore be added to the squad without needing to replace one of their current options.

Frank had to pick a 22-man squad, reduced from 25, given that the North London club couldn’t fill their homegrown quota.

Bailey told TBR Football: “You know, it was more of a logistical issue (Mathys Tel being omitted from Tottenham’s squad), and everyone forgets that because of the homegrown rules, Spurs lost three spots, which I think Newcastle also lost, if I’m not mistaken, down to 22. And when it’s only 22, it’s tight.

“Another reason I think they might go for Dennis Cirkin in January and bring him back from Sunderland is that he’s a homegrown Tottenham player, which would help with that situation.”

Back in November 2019, Jose Mourinho called Cirkin ‘quality’ when speaking about him, and he could now make his return to the club in a cut-price deal.

The youngster’s contract at the Stadium of Light expires in less than 12 months, which Spurs could take advantage of.

Mathys Tel has responded well to Tottenham Champions League omission

TBR Football has been told that Tel has responded well to missing out on Spurs’ Champions League squad and was rewarded with a start against West Ham United.

“He was disappointed, of course, but he understood the circumstances. If it had been a 25-man squad and he wasn’t named, that would have been different.

“But because they lost those three spots, it was just a tricky situation. I think he’s handled it pretty well, to be fair,” added Bailey.

The 20-year-old has had a tricky spell since joining Spurs, netting just three goals in 24 matches for the North London club.

Tottenham Hotspur have produced some serious young talents over the years, but the latest youngster coming through could be their most exciting talent yet.

Tottenham Hotspur host Doncaster in the EFL Cup next week and that could present Thomas Frank with the chance to cast his eye over players who don’t usually get a chance.

The tie could also present Spurs’ new boss with the chance to blood some of the club’s best academy talents, with several looking ready to be given their chance.

But there is one academy star in particular who has been on fire this season for the U-21 and should be considered for the cup tie on Wednesday.

Luca Williams-Barnett scores first hat-trick for Tottenham U-21s

Luca Williams-Barnett’s incredible start to the season continued on Friday as he scored his first hat-trick for Tottenham’s U-21s team.

The 16-year-old netted three times in the first 45 minutes, before adding an assist to his tally away at Leicester City.

Tottenham and England both rate Williams-Barnett as a ‘top prospect’, and the teenager is proving why he is so highly rated.

Spurs’ academy star has now produced six goals and four assists in six appearances for the club’s youth teams this season.

Speaking after the match, Williams-Barnett told SpursOfficial: “I think we dominated the game, I think we let a couple of easy goals go in, but we came back stronger.

“Very good start, I don’t know about the goal, but it came off me last, so I take it. I’m not used to close goals, normally very good goals, but a goal is a goal.”

Speaking about his aims for the next few weeks in the U-21s, the youngster kept it short and sweet by stating, “Win every game and score in every game.”

During midweek, Williams-Barnett made his UEFA Youth League debut and marked it with a goal and assist against Villarreal.

Over the summer, Williams-Barnett signed a new Tottenham deal, which will have been a big relief for the North London club, with several top clubs chasing him.

Luca Williams-Barnett deserves his Tottenham debut vs Doncaster

The next player to make his debut for Spurs will get the legacy number 900, so Tottenham fans would love it to go to an academy player.

Tottenham fans think Williams-Barnett is ‘the best academy youngster’ right now and are keen for him to make his debut soon.

Stuart Lewis’ promotion to first-team coach should help his case, given the forward has scored 22 goals in 30 appearances playing under him at youth level.

The 16-year-old has already faced senior opposition and scored plus assisted in a penalty shootout defeat to League Two side Bristol Rovers.

Given the likes of Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha and Max Dowman from Arsenal have both been given chances this season, now Spurs should hand their top academy star his first-team opportunity.

Joao Palhinha has made a rather impressive start to life in North London, and it continued against Brighton with another stellar display.

Richarlison and a Jan Paul van Hecke own goal allowed Tottenham Hotspur to come back from 2-0 to rescue a point on the South Coast.

But the display of Joao Palhinha was a real positive for Thomas Frank’s team and will reinforce their decision on a transfer.

Joao Palhinha has made more tackles than any other Premier League player this season

Joao Palhinha has now made more tackles than any other Premier League player this season, following another strong display against Brighton.

The Portuguese midfielder made seven tackles during the 2-2 draw at the AMEX Stadium, which was more than any other player on the pitch.

The North London club signed the 30-year-old over the summer on loan from Bayern Munich, and he is quickly proving himself to be one of the signings of the summer.

The former Fulham star completed ten defensive actions in total for the Lilywhites, with one clearance, two interceptions and seven tackles.

Tottenham fans were impressed by Palhinha’s cameo against Villarreal as the midfielder came off the bench to help get the 1-0 win over the line.

Now, the 30-year-old has looked very strong once again for Spurs and proved to be key in helping them rescue a point against Brighton.

Tottenham are ready to sign Joao Palhinha permanently

TBR Football has exclusively revealed that Tottenham are delighted with Palhinha and are already keen to make his signing permanent.

Tottenham can sign Palhinha for £27m, and are ready to set the wheels in motion to get the deal as of the January transfer window.

Micah Richards couldn’t believe Bayern allowed Palhinha to join Tottenham and hailed Spurs’ work to bring him to the club.

But against Brighton, the experienced veteran proved why the Lilywhites are keen to get the deal done as quickly as possible.

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a brilliant start to the season, but Thomas Frank still has several players to add to the mix.

Four wins from their first five matches means that morale at Tottenham Hotspur is very high right now, and Thomas Frank will be keen to build on that.

Wins over West Ham and Villarreal mean their domestic and European campaigns are off to a flyer.

Speaking ahead of Brighton, Spurs’ new boss was full of praise for one of Tottenham’s latest additions and is backing him to be a success.

Thomas Frank thinks that Randal Kolo Muani has looked ‘very promising’

Frank believes that Randal Kolo Muani has looked ‘very promising’ during the early stages of his Tottenham career.

The Frenchman made his debut for the North London club on Tuesday in the Champions League, coming off the bench against Villarreal.

Kolo Muani played just 13 minutes after replacing Richarlison, and he will be looking to break his way into the team under Frank.

Tottenham hope Kolo Muani will develop over the course of the season, with the sense that he is not the finished article as a player just yet.

When asked about the striker, Frank told the media: “The references we took before we signed him and everything I’ve seen so far is very promising, very good.

“I would like to say a bit more when I know him a bit more in depth, because that is a fair reflection; I’ve only been with him for two weeks. But promising, positive.”

Kolo Muani will be hoping for plenty of minutes in Spurs’ upcoming fixtures, with an away trip to Brighton and at home to Doncaster in the EFL Cup.

TBR Football understands that Frank plans to make use of Kolo Muani’s versatility at Tottenham, with the forward also able to play out wide.

Johan Lange also hailed Kolo Muani’s versatility following his arrival from PSG on loan, and he backs him to play a key role this season.

Dominic Solanke returns to training to compete with Randal Kolo Muani

Dominic Solanke has returned to training on an individual basis, and he will soon be able to compete with Kolo Muani for a starting spot.

Solanke had an ankle injury, which had seen him miss Spurs’ last three matches, but he is now close to making a return.

The striker will not be back for the next matches at least, but he will soon be available for selection again and hand Frank a nice dilemma.

Frank told the media: “The positive thing is he is back on the grass and has been for three or four days. He is progressing forward slowly, but forward.

“It is too early for tomorrow and Doncaster, but the positive thing is that he is on the grass and progressing forward.”