Sports Mole

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Gus Poyet has exclusively told Sports Mole how Lucas Bergvall can reach the next level after a stellar performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Spurs suffered their second straight loss - and fourth defeat from six in all tournaments - at the home of the European champions on Wednesday evening, succumbing to a 5-3 reverse at the Parc des Princes in the league phase.

However, the individual contributions of Bergvall - making his first start in nearly four weeks after suffering a head injury against London rivals Chelsea on November 1 - did not go unnoticed in the French capital.

The 19-year-old played a neat backheel to Archie Gray in the build-up to Richarlison's opening goal, and he also won both of his aerial duels while making one successful dribble in the eight-goal thriller.

Now, Poyet - who netted 23 goals in 98 appearances for Spurs from 2001 to 2004 - has urged the 2006-born talent to increase his goals and assists tally to take the next step in his Tottenham career.

Gus Poyet outlines how 'fearless' Lucas Bergvall can reach next Tottenham level

“I have been super impressed by Bergvall," Poyet told Sports Mole. "A really talented young player, he has a great engine, He is a clever player and is working really hard at his game.

“It’s not been easy at Spurs, but he has never not looked alive on the pitch. He always wants to get on the ball and play forward.

“He plays with no fear which is also great. Like any player going forward, he can improve by scoring goals and making more assists. This is his next step for sure.”

Bergvall has only managed two goals and seven assists in 61 appearances for Spurs since making the move from Djurgarden in the summer of 2014, including one strike and three helpers from 16 matches in the 2025-26 season.

However, only 34 of Bergvall's 61 matches for the Europa League winners so far have come from the first whistle, amid intense competition for midfield places from Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, Pape Sarr and Gray.

How Lucas Bergvall rated in Spurs' loss to PSG

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank labelled Bergvall's performance "positive" in the aftermath of Wednesday's loss, a sentiment that was echoed by national media in attendance at the game.

Respected Tottenham journalist Alasdair Gold awarded Bergvall an 8/10 for football.london and urged Frank to bring the teenager into the first XI in Spurs' upcoming matches, writing: "He was fearless from the first whistle.

"He played a couple of flicked backheels into Gray's runs and the second one led to the Richarlison opener. Like Gray, he came off with 15 minutes to go and he will have gained plenty of experience from this night. He just has to start matches from now on."

Bergvall has been tipped to make the starting lineup in Tottenham's Premier League London derby clash with Fulham on Saturday evening, where the Lilywhites will aim to improve on an underwhelming ninth-placed ranking in the top-flight table, but victory could take them level with fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Arsenal have reportedly joined the race for Porto and Spain youth striker Samu Aghehowa.

The 21-year-old is also supposedly of interest to fellow London clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea ahead of the 2026 transfer windows.

Samu has made an exceptional start to the 2025-26 campaign for Porto, who are competing on the Europa League stage this term.

The attacker has netted six goals and provided one assist across 10 Primeira Liga matches for the giants of Portugal.

Since making the permanent switch from Atletico Madrid during the summer of 2024, Samu has scored 36 goals in just 60 appearances.

Arsenal 'join' Chelsea, Tottenham in Samu hunt?

According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are in the market for another top-class striker following the summer arrival of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon.

The report states that the Gunners have joined the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham in the race for Porto man Samu.

It is understood that the 21-year-old has a release clause worth £88m written into his current contract, although the Portuguese side would be willing to accept an offer of £79m.

It is believed that the Premier League challengers are on the hunt for a new striker to replace Gabriel Jesus, who is expected to leave next year.

Newcastle United are supposed admirers of Samu, however Eddie Howe's side have cooled their interest following the summer signings of Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade.

Stockpiling top talent

Before this season, the narrative around Arsenal was that they required a world-class central striker to tip them over the edge and to major titles.

With Gyokeres now in the building, it appears that the Gunners are not halting their pursuit of elite attackers, especially with the futures of Jesus and Kai Havertz uncertain.

At just 21 years of age and already prolific in the Portuguese league, Samu could be a star of the Emirates stage for years to come.

Fulham head coach Marco Silva will be boosted by the return of a familiar face for Saturday's Premier League London derby with Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Cottagers eked out a 1-0 victory over Sunderland last weekend without the services of yellow-card magnet Sasa Lukic, who was serving a one-game ban for accumulated bookings, but the Serbian is eligible to return this weekend.

With Lukic back, Silva's only two concerns for this weekend are Rodrigo Muniz - out until February with a thigh injury - and Antonee Robinson, a major doubt with a knee problem.

Lukic should reprise his regular midfield partnership with Sander Berge in North London, in a move that would push Alex Iwobi further forward, almost certainly at the expense of Josh King.

Silva will surely also be tempted to throw Samuel Chukwueze into the starting lineup after the winger's dazzling display off the bench against Sunderland, where he created five chances - two of them big chances - and set up Raul Jimenez's winner.

Chukwueze could displace Kevin in the visitors' frontline, as Harry Wilson holds his spot on the right in support of Jimenez, who has failed to score or assist in any of his last six Premier League games against Spurs.

With Robinson likely to miss out, Ryan Sessegnon will start at left-back at his old home, where ex-Arsenal man Bernd Leno can expect a particularly hostile reception.

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Berge, Lukic; Wilson, Iwobi, Chukwueze; Jimenez

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank must find solutions to Cristian Romero's absence for Saturday's Premier League London derby with Fulham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Argentine defender was cautioned for the fifth time in the top-flight campaign in last weekend's 4-1 loss to Arsenal and will therefore serve a one-match suspension during the showdown with the Cottagers.

Romero will be one of five guaranteed absentees for the Lilywhites alongside Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (ACL), Dominic Solanke (ankle) and Yves Bissouma (ankle), while Kota Takai (thigh) and Radu Dragusin (ACL) are uncertain for the derby.

The latter two are both like-for-like replacements for Romero, but a fully-fit Kevin Danso can be pencilled in alongside Micky van de Ven in a back four for the Europa League winners, who may also have Destiny Udogie back in the XI too.

Joao Palhinha can expect to return from the first whistle too, potentially in place of Rodrigo Bentancur after Lucas Bergvall put in an eye-catching display in Wednesday's 5-3 Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons were only second-half substitutes in that eight-goal thriller, but the need for fresh legs should see both attackers return to the starting lineup this time around.

However, neither Richarlison nor Randal Kolo Muani - who scored three goals between them at the Parc des Princes - should be in danger of losing their starting spots.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Simons, Richarlison; Kolo Muani

At risk of a torturous third straight defeat in all competitions, a vulnerable Tottenham Hotspur host an inconsistent Fulham in Saturday night's Premier League London derby.

The Lilywhites were on the wrong end of an eight-goal extravaganza with Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, whereas the Cottagers came out on the right side of a 1-0 scoreline against Sunderland last weekend.

Match preview

Shipping goal after goal since the international break came to an end, Tottenham have conceded once every 20 minutes on average over their last two games of football, during which Arsenal and PSG have run riot against the leaky Europa League holders.

Thomas Frank's men did little wrong on the attacking front at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday evening, but they were outgunned by a Vitinha-inspired PSG side, as the Portuguese midfielder's hat-trick propelled the Champions League winners to a tremendous 5-3 victory.

Spurs' showing in the French capital was still a vast improvement on their previous Premier League affair - the 4-1 North London derby humbling at the hands of Arsenal - but four losses and just one win from their last six games paints a bleak picture indeed.

However, the ninth-placed hosts are only three points adrift of the top four in the Premier League table, and for all of the justified concerns about their build-up play - or lack of - 10 goals in their last four matches is nothing to be scoffed at.

Tottenham continue to fall flat in front of their own fans, though, as the Lilywhites have the second-worst home record in the 2025-26 Premier League season with just five points from six games on their own patch - only basement team Wolverhampton Wanderers (1) have performed worse on familiar territory.

Wolves are the sole side with a lower home points total than Tottenham, but the Old Gold are coincidentally the only team with a worse away record than Fulham, who head across the capital still waiting for their first road success of the season.

Five of the Cottagers' six Premier League away games in 2025-26 have ended in defeat - the one partially pleasing result being a 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening weekend - but home comforts are saving Marco Silva's bacon.

Fulham left it late to put another dent in Sunderland's European aspirations last week, triumphing in the dying embers courtesy of a Raul Jimenez toe-poke, which lifted the 15th-placed Cottagers three points above the bottom three.

The one-goal beating of the Black Cats continued a scoring trend for Silva's side; four of the visitors' last five Premier League matches has seen just one team find the back of the net, including each of their last three in the top flight.

Both teams did score in the last Spurs vs. Fulham game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - a 1-1 draw in December 2024 - but the Cottagers then triumphed 2-0 on home soil in March to extend their unbeaten run against their London rivals to three Premier League games.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Fulham Premier League form:

Team News

If Spurs' derby drubbing at the hands of Arsenal was not already crushing enough, the Lilywhites have now lost Cristian Romero to suspension after the Argentine collected his fifth yellow card of the season at the Emirates.

One of Romero's potential replacements - Radu Dragusin - could return to the squad this weekend after an ACL problem, but the Romanian is in no position to start, so Kevin Danso should partner Micky van de Ven in the backline.

Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (ACL), Dominic Solanke (ankle) and Yves Bissouma (ankle) are also absent, but Kota Takai is also in with a chance of making the matchday squad for the first time following thigh and foot problems.

As Spurs lose an integral cog to suspension, Fulham welcome one back, as Sasa Lukic is eligible for selection again after serving his own yellow-card suspension in the beating of Sunderland.

Expect Alex Iwobi to shift further forward with Lukic back in the side - likely at Josh King's expense - while Samuel Chukwueze warrants a start after a super-sub display in gameweek 12, claiming the assist for Jimenez's winner.

Antonee Robinson's knee injury is likely to render him unavailable again, while Rodrigo Muniz is out until February with a thigh problem.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Bergvall; Kudus, Simons, Richarlison; Kolo Muani

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Berge, Lukic; Wilson, Iwobi, Chukwueze; Jimenez

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Fulham

A terrible home team taking on an atrocious away team makes for a fascinating watch this weekend, when Fulham will surely capitalise on Spurs' rearguard weaknesses at least once.

The Lilywhites are also battling continental fatigue as well as their abysmal record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and we can envisage Silva's refreshed men claiming a point from this all-capital clash.

After losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Tottenham Hotspur will turn their focus back to Premier League matters for Saturday's clash against fellow London side Fulham.

Spurs are sitting in ninth spot in the table, while Marco Silva's side are four points worse off in 15th position.

Here, Sports Mole provides details of how to tune into the Premier League meeting.

What time does Tottenham vs. Fulham kick off?

The game will get underway at 8pm (GMT) on Saturday evening.

Where is Tottenham vs. Fulham being played?

Spurs will welcome Fulham to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which can hold up to 62,850 spectators.

The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in their most recent meeting at the venue in December 2024, when Tom Cairney cancelled out Brennan Johnson's opener, only for the Fulham midfielder to be later sent off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

How to watch Tottenham vs. Fulham in the UK

TV channels

Sky customers will be able to watch the game on the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League channels.

Streaming

Alternatively, the match will be available to watch on Sky Go or on the Sky Sports app. If you are not a Sky customer, you can purchase a NOW TV pass to tune into the fixture.

Highlights

You will be able to watch highlights of the contest on Match of the Day from 10:25pm on Saturday evening. There should also be a higlights package on the Sky Sports app.

What is at stake for Tottenham and Fulham?

Tottenham will be desperate to claim three points after losing four of their previous six competitive matches (W1, D1), including a 5-3 loss in Wednesday's entertaining Champions League encounter with Paris Saint-Germain.

Thomas Frank's side have shipped 11 goals in their last three outings, so they will be looking for an improved defensive display in Saturday's home clash.

Meanwhile, Fulham have won two of their last three Premier League matches, including a narrow 1-0 win over Sunderland last weekend.

However, the Cottagers are still searching for their first road win of the season, having taken just one point from their six away league games.

Tottenham and their French attack face Paris Saint-Germainthis Wednesday in the Champions League. However, the Frenchies are struggling this season.

It is rather rare to highlight, but PSG and Tottenham could both field an all-French attack that would be competitive in a fictional world. Indeed, we could very well imagine Paris with a Barcola-Dembele-Doue trio facing a London attack formed by Mathys Tel, Randal Kolo Muani and Wilson Odobert.

Luis Enrique could start all three Frenchmen this Wednesday (9pm) for this fifth Champions League matchday, if Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue were present and at 100 percent. However, Tottenham would certainly not trust this French attack for such an encounter. Indeed, the Spurs Frenchies are not in excellent form on the London side.

Mathys Tel not registered in Champions League

Thomas Frank firstly decided not to register Mathys Tel in the Champions League squad. And the France Under-21 international is not making his manager regret this choice as he is struggling at the start of this season. He has thus played 10 encounters between the Premier League and the EFL Cup, including four as a starter, for only two goals scored. The 20-year-old player is struggling to deliver at Tottenham, whilst he was very impressive as a super-sub at Bayern Munich. At the start of this season, he has not been able to take advantage of Dominic Solanke's absence to establish himself, just like Randal Kolo Muani.

In the Champions League, the Spurs manager had to make a difficult decision due to the problems the club encountered in promoting their young players, and Tel only managed to make a strong impression when he got his chance in the Premier League, scoring a goal against Leeds before producing a superb overhead kick against Manchester United. Tel does not yet seem to have found his best position within the Spurs team, playing both on the wings and as a centre-forward, but the player's age of 20 must be taken into account.

Randal Kolo Muani still searching for his first Tottenham goal

The striker on loan from PSG, who was hampered by a muscle contusion from late September to early November, is registered in the Champions League. However, he is also overtaken by Richarlison at striker. In nine matches played, he has still not found the back of the net for now.

It is therefore logical that Thomas Frank prefers the Brazilian - five goals, two assists in 19 matches - to the France international, who still does not seem to have found his feet in London. The former Nantes player must still regret the failure of his transfer to Juventus, which also made Nasser Al-Khelaifi lose his temper this summer.

It is difficult to properly assess Kolo Muani's start at Spurs so far. He arrived without having participated in pre-season and, whilst Richarlison was in great form, he suffered a thigh injury, then a painful jaw fracture. All of this has contributed to the PSG loanee playing just 345 minutes for his new club so far, including only four starts. Still waiting for his first Spurs goal and with just one assist to his name, Kolo Muani has fallen victim to Spurs' well-known problems building play from the back and creating chances, and he often finds himself isolated in attack. He needs a run of games, but with Dominic Solanke's return from injury, that seems unlikely.

Wilson Odobert, the most integrated Frenchman at Spurs

Ultimately, it is the least well-known French striker of the three who is faring best, namely Wilson Odobert. The left winger indeed has more playing time than his compatriots with 15 encounters played since the start of the campaign, including eight starts, for one goal and two assists.

A surprise transfer last summer, it is easy to forget that Wilson Odobert is still only 20 and that his first season at Spurs has also been disrupted by physical problems. The former Burnley player was only a substitute at the start of the season, but he showed flashes of his potential before the international break, scoring against Copenhagen before his shot against Manchester United led to a Richarlison assist. Odobert's progress earned him a starting spot against Arsenal ahead of Xavi Simons, but he and his teammates underperformed on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium (4-1 defeat). Nevertheless, the Frenchman is slowly but surely starting to generate excitement.

The 20-year-old player, who was trained at PSG, should thus have playing time this Wednesday evening on the Parc des Princes pitch, just like Randal Kolo Muani, but likely as a super-sub. And this, whilst Mathys Tel will be absent.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly planning to sign players in two positions in the January transfer window.

Spurs have dropped to ninth in the Premier League, having picked up just one win in their last five games.

Thomas Frank's side lost 4-1 against Arsenal in the north London derby in their previous match, and Spurs fans are a bit frustrated with their performances this season.

Tottenham have won just one home game this season, and Frank probably feels he needs more quality players in the squad to compete in the league.

Spurs transfer latest - big January addition?

According to a report from Football Insider, Spurs are making plans to sign a winger and a centre-forward in the January transfer window.

Spurs have major issues in their forward department this summer, despite signing attacking midfielders, Xavi Simmons and Mohammed Kudus.

The absence of Dominic Solanke has hurt them badly, while Richarlison has not been able to score enough.

Solanke has recently admitted that he does not know when he can return, while Randal Kolo Muani is also facing a spell on the sidelines.

Who could they target in January?

In recent weeks, Spurs have been linked with a move for AFC Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, who has been in cracking form for the Cherries.

Bournemouth could be forced to accept a bid in the region of £65m for Semenyo, but Spurs could face serious competition from Premier League rivals, Liverpool.

Adding a new centre-forward is another pressing issue, but they are most unlikely to lure Harry Kane, who looks confident to stay at Bayern for many more years.

Frank could be given funds to sign players of his choice in January, but his first target at the moment will be to get his team back to winning ways.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to commence contract extension talks with defender Luka Vuskovic.

The 18-year-old is currently spending the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga.

Vuskovic has impressed massively so far in the German top flight, starting nine matches and even finding the net against Heidenheim in September.

The centre-back caught the eye during pre-season for Spurs, scoring an excellent goal against Reading in a friendly fixture.

Vuskovic has also enjoyed a breakthrough calendar year on the international scene, earning two caps for Croatia on the senior stage.

Tottenham to tie down Vuskovic even further?

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham are in the mood to act decisively in order to secure the long-term services of Vuskovic.

The report claims that Spurs are preparing to open talks with the teenager over a new contract in the near future.

It is understood that the Lilywhites want to extend Vuskovic's deal past the summer of 2030, whilst also rewarding the defender with a pay rise.

Such bold intentions from the Europa League holders come following news of Borussia Dortmund's supposed interest in the prodigy.

Before securing a switch to the North London club in June, it is stated that Vuskovic had attracted admiring glances from Bayern Munich.

Spurs star of the future?

Turning 19 at the end of February, Vuskovic is already showing frightening potential in the top flight of Germany.

There is no doubt that the Croatian could be a star of the future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, given his recent performances for Hamburg.

It is believed that the newly-promoted Bundesliga side want to retain the talents of Vuskovic past the conclusion of this term, although they are likely to fail in that pursuit.

Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth are reportedly interested in signing Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin during the upcoming January transfer window.

The 23-year-old has not featured in a competitive sense for the Black Cats since the playoff final success over Sheffield United at Wembley on May 24, when he managed to full 90 minutes.

Cirkin has spent large chunk of 2025 battling with troublesome knee and wrist injuries, however the left-back is nearing a long-awaited return to first-team action.

The defender played 45 minutes for Sunderland Under-21s in Premier League 2 against Ipswich Town Under-21s on November 7, with head coach Regis Le Bris recently stating that the player could return to top-flight squads in a few weeks.

Since signing at the Stadium of Light during the summer transfer window of 2021, Cirkin has featured in 116 matches for high-flying Sunderland, scoring eight goals.

Tottenham, Bournemouth want Sunderland’s Cirkin in January?

According to SportsBoom, Cirkin could be waving goodbye to the North-East giants after four years in the very near future.

The report claims that Sunderland are willing to listen to offers for the 23-year-old if suitable bids arrive during the January transfer window.

It is understood that Europa League holders Tottenham are considering a swoop for Cirkin, who was once part of the academy setup at the North London club.

As well as Spurs, it is believed that Europe-chasing Bournemouth have made a ‘tentative approach’ for the left-back, who is yet to feature in a Premier League match.

Despite strong interest from elsewhere in the division, it is stated that Cirkin could yet earn a contract extension at Sunderland, given he returns to prominence in the first team following his injury setback.

Cirkin’s Sunderland competition

Playing 39 Championship matches for Sunderland last season on the way to promotion, Cirkin was undoubtedly the first-choice option in his position.

However, with the Black Cats splashing out over £160m on new talent during the summer, the 23-year-old will return to increased competition in the left-back role.