FootballFanCast

For the first time since March 2023, Tottenham Hotspur will be playing in the Champions League tonight and looking to kickstart their European campaign with a win.

The Lilywhites enter the clash against Villarreal in excellent form, winning three of the four Premier League games since Thomas Frank took the reins during the off-season.

He will be looking to build on the club’s recent impressive form in Europe, with the side currently on a 20-game unbeaten run at home - dating back to the 7-2 triumph over Maccabi Haifa in October 2020.

Frank’s men are taking on Marcelino Garcia Toral’s side, who, like the Lilywhites, have only lost once to date in 2025/26, with such a defeat coming in the recent clash with Atlético Madrid at the weekend.

However, if the Dane is to extend such an impressive European record against the Yellow Submarine, he may need to drop one player from his starting eleven tonight.

Why Frank may need to drop Kudus against Villarreal

Mohammed Kudus joined Spurs in a £55m transfer from West Ham United this summer, looking to add further quality to the first team’s attacking department.

The Ghanaian made an immediate impact for his new outfit on the opening day of the new campaign, registering two assists in the triumph over Burnley in North London.

However, in the three games since, the 25-year-old has failed to manage a single goal or assist, with the likes of Lucas Bergvall outperforming the right-winger.

Despite his lack of tangible success, he did manage to thrive against his former employers last weekend, notching the most chances created and dribbles completed of any player on the pitch.

It has been an impressive start to life for the Lilywhites for Kudus, but he may be dropped from the side ahead of the meeting with LaLiga side later this evening.

The Spurs player who could be their next Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale is a household name to many fans around Europe, which is understandable, given his impressive form for both Spurs and Real Madrid throughout his career.

The Welshman started out as a left-back in the early days of his career, but rapidly transitioned into a winger - especially after his display against Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Back in 2010, Bale’s Lilywhites career catapulted into life after he netted a second-half hat-trick at the San Siro - a feat that catapulted him to huge stardom in North London.

His superb display made him a fan-favourite with the fanbase, allowing him to be a consistent figure within the first-team side after a stop-start first few years in the capital.

Such a situation could be repeated by his compatriot Brennan Johnson, with the winger having the ability to replicate his success in this year’s Champions League campaign.

The Welshman, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by one analyst, has already showcased his talents for the Lilywhites - netting 18 goals in all competitions last campaign, including the winner against Manchester United in the Europa League final.

The 24-year-old has also made an impressive start to the 2025/26 campaign, scoring twice in his first four outings and more than deserving of a start in the Champions League.

Despite his impressive record, he’s followed a similar route to success to his compatriot, struggling to make an immediate impact after his £47.5m transfer from Nottingham Forest.

Johnson was subject to huge abuse 12 months ago, leading to the attacker deactivating his social media accounts, but it’s safe to say he’s silenced his doubters.

However, adding a Champions League goal or two to his record could be the perfect platform to allow him to cement his place in the side and lead Frank’s men to new heights.

Whilst it would be a somewhat harsh decision to drop Kudus from the starting eleven, Johnson is more than deserving of a recall - especially considering his recent goalscoring tally in 2025/26.

If the 24-year-old can match Bale’s feat in Europe’s most competitive competition, he will certainly have the platform to build on and take his career to new heights in North London.

In one of his final acts as chairman, Daniel Levy signed Mathys Tel in a cut-price £30 million deal for Tottenham, but it's been far from plain sailing for the Frenchman thus far.

Initially, Spurs agreed a £45 million buy-option in the January loan deal which saw him join from Bayern Munich. However, Levy managed to re-negotiate a lesser fee to make Tel the Lilywhites' first signing of the summer bar Kevin Danso.

The arrival of Bayern's former prodigy brought plenty of excitement with it, especially after Julian Nagelsmann once tipped the 20-year-old to bag 40 goals a season one day.

"He's seen as one of the best young strikers in Europe," said a Sky Sports panelist back in January, when Chelsea were also linked with him.

"He can play left-hand side, he can play up front as well, I think he's got the physical presence to play up front, when you see him play he's lean, he's mobile, he's got good pace, which is why most of his opportunities have come from the left-hand side.

"His problem, I guess, is that Harry Kane is 'the' striker given how much Bayern spent on him. Last season, he was a real consistent player coming off the bench for Thomas Tuchel, but this season his opportunities have been stunted a little bit.

"When Julian Nagelsmann was there, he said that he was capable of scoring 40 goals a season, they know how good a player he is."

Whilst Tel garnered a fearsome reputation as a hot commodity during his time in Bavaria, it's been a mixed start to life in north London.

He grabbed back-to-back Premier League goals against Southampton and Wolves in April last season, and an assist against both West Ham and Brighton, but is yet to get off the mark since Thomas Frank took charge.

Tel also missed a penalty in the UEFA Super Cup shoot-out against PSG, with Frank ultimately sacrificing the forward for Europe by omitting him from Spurs' 22-man Champions League squad alongside the likes of Yves Bissouma, Kota Takai, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski.

He therefore won't be eligible to make a single Champions League appearance until after the league phase, if they even get that far, with pundit John Wenham suggesting that the north Londoners may be regretting the type of deal they've secured for Tel.

Tottenham could be regretting Mathys Tel deal as "frustrating" claim made

Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham hints that Tottenham will be looking back on the permanent deal for Tel with hindsight, asking themselves whether they should've just gone for another loan.

“Is there a feeling of hindsight that maybe they should have approached Bayern to take him on loan for a second season rather than committing to the purchase?” Wenham said.

“Is there a feeling that the characteristics and style he’s got are quite similar to what we already have in Wilson Odobert, who we’d committed to buy the year before?

“So Tel will have to just knuckle down and work hard now, but obviously, the frustration was there with the level and quality of those finishes for France. And then you watch the disappointing penalty in the Super Cup. It’s frustrating.”

Of course, there is still time for him to come good, and that is far more likely than not.

Why Mathys Tel could prove people wrong at Tottenham

Tel is still raw, but Frank has been very impressed by the attacker since his Champions League snub, not least for a hard-working display against West Ham.

The France Under-21 starlet's main strengths lie in his athleticism and versatility. Comfortable through the middle or out wide, he gives Frank multiple options in attack. His pace allows him to stretch defences, while his ability to play with his back to goal offers a different profile to Spurs’ other forwards. That adaptability will be key in a side competing across several competitions this season.

His finishing, movement and composure are still maturing, but those are qualities that can sharpen with experience.

West Ham United boss Graham Potter is walking on increasingly thin ice after a lacklustre start to the campaign, with pressure on the tactician at an all-time high after their London derby defeat to Tottenham on Saturday.

Potter's side put in an impressive performance away to Nottingham Forest just prior to the international break, winning 3-0 at the City Ground courtesy of goals from Lucas Paqueta, Callum Wilson and Jarrod Bowen, but were on the receiving end of the same scoreline against Spurs.

Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven rounded off a routine win for Thomas Frank's men at the London Stadium, whilst piling the misery on Potter, who has recorded the second-worst win percentage of any West Ham manager in Premier League history.

Since the former Chelsea and Brighton boss was appointed on January 9, West Ham also have the worst top flight record of any Premier League side outside Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich Town — who were all relegated last term.

They've also conceded 11 goals already, the highest number of any West Ham side at this stage of a Premier League season since Avram Grant's Hammers were relegated in 2011.

The numbers make for extremely grim reading, and reports suggest that West Ham are internally discussing replacements for the under-fire Potter.

Nuno Espirito Santo is allegedly being considered by West Ham and chairman David Sullivan is a fan of the Portuguese, according to journalist Alan Nixon, with the ex-Wolves and Tottenham boss readily available after leaving Forest.

It is also claimed that West Ham have approached Coventry City boss and ex-player Frank Lampard, who has resurrected his managerial career in the West Midlands and came close to promotion from the Championship last season.

Even serial winner Jose Mourinho has been linked with a move to east London after departing Fenerbache, but this trio of intriguing names have now been joined by Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna on West Ham's managerial target list.

Kieran McKenna emerging as frontrunner for West Ham job

That is according to journalist Wayne Veysey and Football Insider, who report speculation is mounting that McKenna is emerging in pole position for the West Ham job after a development.

Veysey writes that McKenna was a surprise guest in the West Ham boardroom during their 3-0 loss to Spurs after being invited to attend.

It is unclear right now what the 39-year-old's stance is on leaving Portman Road for the English capital, but there is reason for West Ham to consider him as an option.

Why Kieran McKenna could be a good appointment for West Ham

Ipswich's boss guided them to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, before they were unfortunately relegated last campaign, and reports suggest that McKenna was actually a top Chelsea target to replace Mauricio Pochettino before they hired Enzo Maresca.

The coach, who once played for Tottenham reserves and the Lilywhites youth teams before hanging up his boots due to a hip injury, is regarded as one of England's most promising young managers.

It's been a slow start to 25/26 for the Tractor Boys, who've just recorded their first win of the Championship season with a 5-0 win over Sheffield United, and McKenna may well be tempted by the prospect of an immediate switch back to the top flight.

Tottenham Hotspur kick off their Champions League campaign later this evening as they prepare to welcome Spanish side Villarreal to North London.

The Lilywhites beat West Ham United 3-0 in the Premier League at the London Stadium on Saturday, thanks to goals from Micky van de Ven, Pape Matar Sarr, and Lucas Bergval.

Thomas Frank will have to make at least one change to his starting line-up for this clash with Villarreal, though, because Mathys Tel was not included in the squad for the Champions League.

The former Bayern Munich forward started in the number nine role for Spurs against the Hammers at the weekend, but failed to register a shot on target or a chance created for his side, per Sofascore.

This means that he may well have been dropped from the starting XI even if he had been included in the Champions League squad. Either way, he will not be involved this evening.

Interestingly, the player selected by Frank to replace Tel in the team may have to face off against former Tottenham central defender Juan Foyth tonight.

How Juan Foyth has fared since leaving Spurs

The Argentina international joined Spurs from Estudiantes LP in 2017 and only played 32 times in all competitions before his permanent move to Villarreal in the summer of 2021, after spending time on loan with the Spanish side the season before that, per Transfermarkt.

Foyth did not have much of an impact on the pitch for the club, playing just 16 matches in the Premier League in total, but Villarreal did pay £13m to sign him permanently from them.

At the time of writing (16/09/2025), Transfermarkt value the central defender at roughly £12.9m. This suggests that Spurs and Villarreal got good value out of that deal, as he has not significantly improved or declined in the last few seasons.

Foyth, who scored against Real Madrid back in March, has found a home in Spain, playing 139 appearances in all competitions for Villarreal to date, per Transfermarkt, and appears to be settled since moving on from England.

The Argentine central defender started 17 of his 19 appearances in LaLiga for Villarreal during the 2024/25 campaign, but he was not shy of making the odd mistake.

As you can see in the table above, Foyth made three errors that led to shots or goals for the opposition, and his team only kept five clean sheets in his 19 outings.

This shows that Spurs can get joy out of their former defender if they put pressure on him and put a team out that can consistently test him with balls into the box and in behind the Villarreal backline.

With this in mind, Frank could totally embarrass the former Tottenham centre-back by unleashing Richarlison in Mathys Tel's place in the number nine position this evening.

The Brazil international played 19 minutes off the bench in the 3-0 win over the Hammers on Saturday. Now, he should be named in the starting line-up for the first Champions League match of the season.

Why Richarlison should start for Spurs

Richarlison should come into the team because he is a striker who has the physical and technical attributes to totally embarrass Foyth if the Argentine defender is not at his best.

In terms of being able to test the centre-back physically, the Brazilian forward is a willing runner who can stretch play by running the channels and making darts in behind to cause problems for the entire backline.

The centre-forward has also won 2.3 aerial duels per game, at a success rate of 45%, per Sofascore, which shows that he can hold his own in the air against physical Premier League defenders.

Richarlison is far from just a physical lump who will cause Foyth problems with his running and pure power, though, because he can also be very effective with the ball at his feet when at his best.

The former Everton and Watford attacker won the club's Goal of the Month award for August, for example, with his stunning strike against Burnley on the opening day.

Richarlison has scored two goals and provided one assist in three starts for Spurs so far this season in the Premier League, per Sofascore, which shows that he has had a strong start to the campaign in front of goal.

In fact, his form over the last 365 days suggests that he has all the tools and form to cause real issues for Foyth in this Champions League clash this evening.

As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old number nine ranks highly among his positional peers across the best leagues in Europe when it comes to both scoring and creating goals.

Richarlison was once described as a "goalmouth monster" by Ange Postecoglou. These statistics back that claim from the former Spurs manager up, as the striker has outperformed his xG over the last year.

The Brazilian forward is efficient in front of goal and can punish opposition defenders when they make mistakes, which is why he could embarrass Foyth if the former Tottenham man makes any 'errors' this evening.

Richarlison is a striker with the finishing quality to turn 'errors that led to shots' into 'errors that led to goals'. It is now down to Frank, though, to select the forward and to set the team up in a way that can get the best out of him, and to put him in positions to press Foyth into making mistakes.

Tottenham Hotspur continued their impressive start to life under Thomas Frank with a 3-0 win over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday.

Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergval, and Micky van de Ven scored the goals for the Lilywhites to claim all three points against their London rivals, taking them to three wins from four matches.

One thing Spurs have not had so far this season, though, is an academy graduate playing any minutes in the Premier League, as they are still looking for their next Harry Kane.

Why Spurs need to find their next Harry Kane

Not every supporter will feel this way, or as strongly as others do, but it can be a source of pride to have a player from the team's academy shining week-in-week-out. One of their own.

Kane was the ultimate version of that. He burst through the academy and loan systems to emerge as an incredible performer, moving on from North London in 2023 with a club-record 280 goals in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

As well as being one of their own, England's all-time top scorer was also the king of derby day for Tottenham with an impressive goalscoring record against Arsenal.

Kane achieved all of this, though, after he scored two goals for Leicester City, five goals for Leyton Orient, nine goals for Millwall, and no goals for Norwich City on loan before his first-team breakthrough, per Transfermarkt.

With this in mind, Spurs may be brewing their next version of Kane in one of their current young talents who are struggling out on loan at the moment, Mikey Moore.

Why Mikey Moore is the next Harry Kane in the making for Spurs

The 18-year-old winger was sent out on loan to Glasgow Rangers during the summer transfer window, but has not had the best start to life north of the border.

In five appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, Moore has yet to find the back of the net and his only assist came against Alloa Athletic, a lower league outfit in the League Cup, per Transfermarkt.

The England youth international has not hit the ground running for Russell Martin's team at Ibrox, particularly in the Scottish Premiership, since completing his first loan move away from Spurs.

As you can see in the table above, Moore has struggled in his first three league outings for Rangers, with no shots on target and no 'big chances' created for his team.

The 18-year-old talent is still finding his way at first-team level, though, and these are negative experiences that will provide the harsh lessons that he will need to learn from to kick on and progress, as Kane did after struggling in his loan spells away from Tottenham.

Moore, who analyst Ben Mattinson claimed has "superstar potential", caught the eye at academy level for Spurs with a return of 19 goals and 13 assists in 24 matches for the U19s, per Transfermarkt.

These statistics show that the English youngster has the potential to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis, but it is down to him to start to show that in the first-team when he returns from Rangers next summer.

Spurs will be hoping that Moore, who has scored one goal for Tottenham's first-team, uses the 2025/26 campaign as a big learning experience to teach him what to and what not to do at senior level as a regular starter.

Kane used his time at Millwall, Norwich, Leyton Orient, and Leicester to propel him to glory in the first-team, and Moore may well be on his way to following the England captain's footsteps.

At the age of 18, the winger has so much time left ahead of him to grow and develop. Hopefully, he will eventually be able to star for Spurs as their first-choice left winger in the future.

Does Tottenham's summer business leave them in a position to challenge towards the very top of the Premier League?

Spurs' two major summer additions came in attacking positions, recruiting Mohammed Kudus from fierce rivals West Ham for £55m, as well as bringing in Xavi Simons for £51.8m from RB Leipzig.

On the pitch, after swatting aside the aforementioned Hammers 3-0 on Saturday evening, Thomas Frank's team have now won three out of four in the Premier League.

Next up, Spurs will commence their Champions League campaign with Villarreal the visitors to North London, set to feature in UEFA's top-tier competition for the first time in three years.

However, would Frank's team be even more imposing and imperious had Spurs not allowed a 16-year-old academy kid to leave a few years ago. As it happens, he may not be better than the aforementioned Kudus.

Mohammed Kudus' start to life at Spurs

Kudus was certainly the central figure of Saturday's clash with West Ham, not exactly receiving a warm welcome back to the London Stadium, having become the first player to make the controversial switch since Scott Parker in 2011.

The Ghanaian is yet to score in five appearances for Tottenham, but did register two assists during the opening day victory over Burnley.

So, let's assess his statistics from the start of this season.

As the table documents, Kudus has certainly been one of Spurs' most dangerous players this season, ranked first for assists, key passes, shot-creating actions, dribbles and big chances created.

Thus, there is no doubting his quality, but did an even better winger move in this transfer window for a very similar amount, one that Tottenham had on their books, but let go?

Former Spurs winger starring elsewhere

Born in Barnet, Noni Madueke actually spent four years in Tottenham's academy, making one appearance for the club in the U18 Premier League, before leaving in 2018 due to a lack of first-team opportunities, making the bold decision to join PSV Eindhoven as a 16-year-old.

Well, over in the Netherlands, he scored 20 goals in 80 first-team appearances for the Eredivisie giants, including a brace during a 4-0 Johan Cruijff Schaal victory over Ajax in Amsterdam, earning a £28.5m move back to London in January 2023, joining Chelsea.

After netting 20 times for the Blues, Chelsea's continued relentless spending under Todd Boehly's ownership saw Madueke deemed surplus to requirements this summer, thereby making the surprise move to Arsenal, the Gunners paying £52m for his signature.

This, largely due to the fee involved, raised a few eyebrows, but the 23-year-old has certainly impressed since swapping West London for North.

Last Tuesday, Madueke scored his first-ever England goal, on target as Thomas Tuchel's team annihilated Serbia 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Stadion Rajko Mitić in Belgrade.

Then, the winger's performance during Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday earned even greater plaudits.

Speaking during TNT Sports' coverage, former Spurs striker Peter Crouch labelled him "unplayable", while ex-Manchester United defender Paul Parker has gone so far as asserting "I actually think he’s better than Bukayo Saka", a bold claim indeed.

In fairness, in the Premier League last season, Madueke ranked fifth for touches in the opposition box, fourth in terms of shots per 90 and third for both progressive carries as well as carries into the attacking penalty area, so no one should actually be surprised by the level of his quality.

Nevertheless, he has seemingly gone to another level since joining Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, which has surely got to sting for Spurs supporters.

Thus, of course, Tottenham are pleased to have Kudus in their ranks, but perhaps Frank's side would be even better if Madueke was the man operating on the right flank, which he could well have been, had he not departed for Eindhoven seven years ago.

There are plenty of reasons for Tottenham Hotspur supporters to be excited right now.

On Saturday, Spurs swatted aside London rivals West Ham 3-0 away from home.

Cristian Romero controversially had a first-half header ruled out, but it ultimately mattered not, because Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergall and then Micky van de Ven were all on target during a 17-minute scoring spree after the interval, while Tomáš Souček was sent off for the hosts during this time frame.

That makes it three wins out of four in the Premier League for Thomas Frank, ahead of Spurs' Champions League opener against Villarreal on Tuesday, proudly returning to Europe's premier club competition as Europa League winners of course.

Tottenham's latest big-money signing made his debut at the London Stadium, but it remains to be seen just how good he will be in a lilywhite shirt, given that an ex-Spurs player, who is actually his compatriot, has scored more goals since the start of last season.

Xavi Simons' Tottenham debut in numbers

Having been presented on the pitch prior to the 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth before the international break, Spurs supporters were eager to witness Xavi Simons' debut at West Ham, having joined from RB Leipzig for around £51m.

The Netherlands international was deployed off the left, with the table below documenting his match statistics.

As the table documents, Simons made a decent if unspectacular start to life at Tottenham, showing glimpses of what he can produce, but will be hoping for more end product come Tuesday in the Champions League.

So, is there actually a former Tottenham attacker, of the same nationality, who has been outscoring Simons in recent times?

Forgotten Tottenham attacker on fire

Steven Bergwijn joined Tottenham Hotspur from PSV Eindhoven in January 2020 for a reported fee of £26.7m.

Well, they say first impressions are the most important, and he certainly made a good one, opening the scoring during a 2-0 home victory over Manchester City just a few days later, named man of the match that afternoon too.

Given the Covid-19 lockdown, this would be Spurs' last home league win, in front of supporters, for 560 days, which is surely part of the reason why it remains ingrained in the memory.

Overall, however, the Dutch winger actually scored just eight times in 83 appearances for Spurs, but he certainly timed them well, synonymous with the famous comeback at Leicester, scoring in the 95th and then 97th minutes to turn a 2-1 defeat into a 3-2 victory at the King Power in January 2022.

Upon his arrival at the club, short-lived manager Nuno Espírito Santo stated that Bergwijn possessed a "unique" skillset among his squad, adding that he is a "very talented player.... he’s fantastic in one v ones, offensive, he’s fast, he gives us speed”.

Nevertheless, deemed surplus to requirements by Antonio Conte in the summer of 2022, he was sold to Ajax for £26.4m.

During two seasons back in Amsterdam, the city of his birth, Bergwijn bagged a respectable 29 goals in 80 appearances, including netting against both Rangers and Napoli in the Champions League.

However, in September 2024, he made a left-field career choice, leaving his homeland to sign for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, who paid around £20m for his signature.

A month earlier, the forward had started two matches at Euro 2024, included in the XI for knockout ties against Romania and Türkiye.

However, following his move to the Middle East, Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman publicly declared during a press conference that Bergwijn would no longer be called up so long as he is in charge, citing a "lack of sporting ambition".

Well, despite this continued snub from his national team, the 27-year-old was excellent last season, scoring 13 Saudi Pro League goals, a key figure as his team won the title.

To start the new campaign, Bergwijn has been on fire, bagging four goals in three games, on target as Laurent Blanc's side were beaten 2-1 by Al-Nassr in the Super Cup semi-final in Hong Kong, before netting twice during Friday's 4-2 win over Al-Fateh.

This means, since the start of last season, he has scored 17 club goals, five more than compatriot Simons has managed.

The obvious caveat, that Koeman himself would be sure to point out, is that Bergwijn is playing at a significantly lower level, with the Saudi Pro League ranked as the 32nd strongest in the world, according to Global Football Rankings, thereby placed below the Cypriot First Division, the Ecuadorian top-flight and Italy's second-tier Serie B.

Nevertheless, Bergwijn still knows where the back of the net is, and could've been a useful player at Spurs had he stayed, even if Simons' ceiling is exponentially higher.

A Tottenham Hotspur star was left furious, despite his side picking up a 3-0 victory against West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Spurs back on track after comfortable West Ham victory

Spurs suffered their first Premier League defeat of the Thomas Frank era prior to the international break, with AFC Bournemouth emerging as surprise 1-0 winners at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but they managed to get back on track against West Ham United last time out.

Frank's side ran out 3-0 winners at the London Stadium, with Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven getting on the scoresheet, and the manager was left impressed by his side's display.

Frank said: "It was a very good win. I thought we performed very well in big spells of the game. The first 15, 20 minutes were even-ish but after that, I think we got more and more hold of the game.

"In the second half, we just kept going and we scored good goals from Pape, a well-drilled corner, the second goal maybe even better, a fantastic ball from Romero to Lucas, really good and we just kept going."

Ultimately, the north Londoners emerged as comfortable winners, but there was a controversial moment in the game, with captain Cristian Romero seeing his goal disallowed for an alleged foul on Kyle Walker-Peters in the build-up.

Jamie O'Hara was left fuming with the decision from referee Jarred Gillett, and the former Tottenham man was not the only one, with £170k-a-week star James Maddison also taking to X to lambast the refereeing performance.

Maddison said: "Honestly the referees & VAR have had an absolute shocker of a start to the season. If that goal is disallowed for a foul you will never ever see a corner be taken without referee blowing for something ever again."

VAR under heavy scrutiny after just four games

We are only four games into the new Premier League campaign, but VAR is already under intense scrutiny, with Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer for the PGMOL, admitting an error was made in disallowing Josh King's goal for Fulham against Chelsea.

Fortunately for Spurs, they went on to pick up all three points, despite Romero's goal being disallowed, but the Cottagers weren't as lucky, with Chelsea ultimately going on to record a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

As such, it is evident that refereeing standards must improve, and the PGMOL are lucky that Spurs went on to win the game with ease regardless, courtesy of a fantastic second-half performance.

The games are now starting to come thick and fast for Frank's side, with the Lilywhites set to return to Champions League action against Villarreal on Wednesday night.

Before the international break, Tottenham Hotspur's fast start to the season was stunted at home to Bournemouth, who claimed a 1-0 win down N17.

But fears of that same plague of inconsistency have been pushed aside after an emphatic 3-0 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium, shifting Spurs into second place in the Premier League ahead of Liverpool's clash against Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

Three wins from four marks an impressive start to life for Thomas Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in the summer after the Australian coach slumped with his side down to a 17th-place finish in the Premier League.

Even the Europa League triumph couldn't save him, but in spite of all the upheaval - including the shocking exit of Daniel Levy - Tottenham are reshaping into a force to be reckoned with.

The exciting signing of Xavi Simons bears testament to that.

Xavi Simons' Spurs debut

Simons, 22, looked Chelsea-bound for much of the summer transfer window, but Tottenham ended up winning the race and now they boast one of the most exciting playmakers in the business.

Against West Ham, the Netherlands international impressed across his 71 minutes on the field, making the assist for Pape Matar Sarr's opening goal after the interval, curling a corner in and over the rabble and onto the unmarked Senegalese's head.

Then the Lilywhites' task was made easier by Tomas Soucek's red card after a reckless challenge on Joao Palhinha. Two more goals ensued, and while Simons didn't land a debut strike for himself, he looked very much at home on the Premier League stage.

Finer displays will follow, but this was very promising indeed, especially when considering he was deployed out wide instead of his natural berth at number ten.

Simons has what it takes to effectively replace the injured James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, maybe even rivalling such stars as being Tottenham's finest attacking midfielder since the days of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen in their pomp.

Spurs' new version of Dele Alli

In January 2024, Tottenham beat off fierce competition from Barcelona to sign teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall. In fact, all the pointers previously claimed the Sweden prospect would join La Blaugrana, but he was convinced by the Lilywhites project after a hijack.

An elite talent, Bergvall has since settled into life as a Tottenham senior, and he's still only 19 years old. In this regard, he's somewhat like the aforementioned Dele, and might even come to be Frank's own version of the fallen England sensation.

Dele, now 29, is clubless after being released by Como in Serie A, but it's not hard to remember those days of old when he played with such rarely-seen gusto, a true wonder-kid after joining Spurs from MK Dons in League One in 2015.

His first three seasons in the Premier League were beyond spectacular, and had he continued in that thread of form throughout his career, Dele would surely be hailed now in conversations similar to that of the division's greatest.

Bergvall is not the same as Dele, but his athleticism and intelligence and movement and application all bespeak the skill set of a top-level talent.

And against West Ham, the Scandinavian's goal-and-assist performance carried shades of Dele back in his heyday.

Cristian Romero arced an aerial pass through to Bergvall moments after Soucek's red card, and the youngster's success in timing his run and turning the ball beyond the hapless goalkeeper with a precise header underlined his Dele-esque performance.

Because, after all, such headed goals were staples of the Three Lions star's skills when he was in his prime at Tottenham. Who remembers that performance against Chelsea back in 2017, for example?

But the similarities don't stop there. Bergvall's success at such an early age is bringing him into direct comparison with a young Dele, and it's something Spurs can now use to deepen their connection with the fanbase as this new era gets up and running.

After all, at 19 years and 223 days old, Bergvall is Tottenham's youngest scorer in the Premier League since... You guessed it, Dele, who was 19 years and 205 days old when he scored in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa in November 2015.

There's no question that Tottenham landed one of Europe's prized up-and-coming midfielders when beating Barcelona to his signature, and now, with Frank at the helm, there's a sense that Bergvall is coming into his own.

He's a European champion, and he's now showcased his ability to produce a rounded display in the Premier League, with data from Sofascore revealing that he won five duels, made two tackles and created a key pass against struggling West Ham.

He also completed 100% of his dribbles, demonstrating a progressiveness that will help Tottenham to no end.

Football.london handed him an 8/10 match rating, drawing attention to his neat interplay and clever touches, as well as his intelligent involvement in the build-up to Tottenham's third, when Van de Ven sealed three excellent points for the north Londoners.

Bergvall remains a young midfielder making his way in the Premier League, but already, he is so accomplished within Tottenham's squad.

He has featured 50 times for the Londoners and is starting to show in Frank's system an ability to stand out among his peers, something Dele did with such prodigious aplomb during the early days of his time in a Tottenham shirt.

Tottenham Hotspur are already set to feel the effects of their exciting new start under Thomas Frank, with Spanish giants Real Madrid setting their sights on another of the manager's key players alongside their well documented interest in Cristian Romero.

Simons fit for Tottenham debut vs West Ham

The international break is over and so could be the wait for Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani to make their Spurs debuts. With a London derby against West Ham United set to take place tonight, both are in contention to take Frank's frontline to a whole new level.

Simons is one that will particularly excite Spurs fans and rightly so. The Dutchman looked almost certain to head to Chelsea before the Lilywhites hijacked their rivals' move to welcome an incredibly impressive talent. With 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions for RB Leipzig last season, fans in North London can expect quite the impact from their new star.

"Both of them are looking good. Both are in contention for the squad. Xavi, for natural reasons, is further down the line as he has played for Holland and a few games for RB Leipzig. Randal hasn't played since the Club World Cup and didn't really train at PSG so he is not as fit as Xavi.

"I have some ideas. It is still a team I'm learning. It's one thing to look from the outside - it's another to feel them. Xavi, I see mainly as a 10 or a left-side player. Kolo, I see as a striker or he can play on either wing." (Frank on Kolo Muani & Simons)

Whilst there was plenty of good news to enjoy during the summer transfer window, there are still some concerns on the horizon. Romero's future is one of them. The Argentine is still attracting interest from Real Madrid despite recently signing a new contract and could yet be joined by another one of Frank's key men in the near future.

Real Madrid now targeting Micky Van de Ven

According to Football Insider, Real Madrid are now targeting Micky van de Ven in what could be a major blow for Tottenham. The centre-back, who has returned to full fitness this season, has got off to an impressive start under Frank and has attracted interest from one of Europe's biggest clubs as a result.

Reports have indicated that a move is unlikely at this stage, but Van de Ven is on Madrid's list. The Spanish club have seemingly commenced their search for central defenders with the contracts of Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba set to expire next summer. As such, names such as Ibrahima Konate have emerged as top options as well as Romero and now reportedly Van de Ven.