Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs U18 vs Birmingham U18 | Highlights | 2025/26  Tottenham Hotspur

Thomas Frank was happy with our first half display but felt we lost our 'structure and coolness' after Wolves took the lead in our 1-1 draw in the Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Santiago Bueno fired home from close range to open the scoring for the visitors on 54 minutes. It looked like it was going to stay that way before Joao Palhinha's fine finish to salvage a point four minutes into added time.

As Thomas suggested, it was a tale of two halves as we had the better of the first and only the combination of Sam Johnstone, the woodwork and a bit of luck going our way stopped us going in front, with Mo Kudus particularly influential.

However, it was a struggle to carve out chances after Bueno's opener until Palhinha's late, late finish.

Speaking on our Review Show, Thomas told us: "First of all, I would love to win. The expectations beforehand are we're playing against a Wolves team which I clearly said before the game that we haven't been able to beat them last five times, now six, and that's disappointing. It also shows the Premier League is relentless, so difficult. You don't know what you're going to get.

"I'm happy with the first half. I felt that was a good performance, we were on top of the game, controlled it, gave nothing away, created two or three chances, disallowed goal, maybe a penalty. We also got into dangerous situations without creating two or three more chances or getting that goal.

"The second half, the start was okay, but after their goal, I felt we lost structure and coolness to get more on top of the game. The effort and mentality, I need to praise the players for that. I think that was very important.

"It was also important that the fans kept pushing us forward. In the end, we get a deserved point and, yes, we'd love to win, but if we can't win, don't lose and keep a little bit of momentum."

Thomas Frank made seven changes from the team that started against Doncaster in midweek and two from last weekend's 2-2 draw at Brighton - Djed Spence and Xavi Simons replacing Pedro Porro and Wilson Odobert.

The first half of the first half was a cagey affair, punctuated only by Sam Johnstone's incredible point-blank save to deny Mo Kudus, who stole in at the far post to meet Xavi Simons' cross on 15 minutes, his header touched onto the crossbar by the goalkeeper.

We grew into the game with Kudus the central figure. It looked like he'd opened the scoring with a beauty on 28 minutes, whipping into the far corner from Lucas Bergvall's backheeled pass, only for the offside flag to go up. Kudus' cross was then met with a spectacular flying volley over from Bergvall - think Richarlison against Burnley - on 41 minutes and the winger then pinged in a shot from the right angle, parried away by Johnstone. Palhinha got to the rebound ahead of Marshall Munetsi and went down - penalty appeals waved away. Richarlison was then inches away from Kudus' cross.

Wolves, tidy and well-drilled, only really offered Jhon Arias' lash wide from the right angle until the fourth minute of added time, when Arias' corner was flicked on and met on the half-volley by ex-Spur Matt Doherty, his effort clipping the top of the crossbar.

The second half was a different story. Wolves took the lead with a touch of fortune when Guglielmo Vicario parried out Ladislav Krejci's header from a corner, only for the ball to hit Palhinha and fall at the feet of Santiago Bueno, who tucked away from close range, 54 minutes on the clock. Vicario denied Hugo Bueno with his feet on 74 minutes as we huffed and puffed, but struggled to create chances.

Richarlison headed wide from Pedro Porro's cross and a couple of long-range efforts from Cristian Romero and Palhinha looked to be it - until the fourth minute of added time. Mathys Tel's cross was touched into the path of Palhinha by Pape Matar Sarr, the midfielder spotted a gap to the far corner and found it in style with a crisp, low finish from 22 yards.

Thomas Frank has made seven changes from our Carabao Cup win over Doncaster Rovers on Wednesday.

Guglielmo Vicario returns between the sticks while Pedro Porro is given a rest with Destiny Udogie returning to the starting line-up.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de ven also return in defence, while Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison are all back in the starting XI.

Our full line-up is as follows...

Starting XI: Vicario, Palhinha, Xavi, Richarlison, Udogie, Bergvall, Romero (c), Kudus, Spence, Bentancur, Van de Ven.

Substitutes: Kinsky, Danso, Tel, Gray, Johnson, Pedro Porro, Odobert, Sarr, Scarlett.

Four second-half goals gave our Under-18s a 4-0 home win over Birmingham City on Saturday lunchtime.

Following a frustrating first period, Oliver Boast got us off the mark with a superb header three minutes after the restart and we pushed on to win comfortably from there, Under-16s midfielder Toju Wellspring opening his account at this level before Ronny Moncur’s first goal of the season and a late penalty from debutant Phoenix Offiah – one of four Under-16s players on the pitch by the end of the game – rounded off a good day’s work.

Back in the Under-18 Premier League after a couple of seasons away, the visitors struggled to test Dylan Thompson between the sticks too much, although the goalkeeper did make a superb save one-v-one from Kian McCusker just beyond the hour mark to preserve our first home clean sheet of the season at this level.

Captain Miracle Adewole twice tested Birmingham goalkeeper Szymon Terenowicz in the early going before the latter also denied Wellspring following a good dribble and shot. Louie Rea’s downward header with half-an-hour gone was easy for Thompson in the visitors’ only real opening of the first period, while Ezra Agyekum hit the side netting and Wellspring saw another shot turned away by Terenowicz as we continued to search for a breakthrough.

Having gone in goalless at the interval, we began the second period well and duly opened the scoring on 48 minutes, Boast sending a flying header from Armend Muslika’s excellent right-sided cross into the top corner of the net. Five minutes later, it was 2-0 as Leon Myrtaj’s corner was met by Wellspring, whose goalbound header went in via the fingertips of Terenowicz and the goalpost – just reward for the young central midfielder after an impressive start to the campaign with the Under-18s.

Rea squandered a good chance for the Blues when he arrived onto Nikolai Degtiarev’s cross at the back post but hooked his effort over the bar before McCusker robbed Under-16s defender Solomon Olajide and went through on goal, only to be denied by an excellent save from Thompson.

That was about as good as it got for the visitors, though, and we extended our lead mid-way through the second half with Oscar Sandiford playing the ball down the right for substitute Moncur, who took a touch before drilling inside the near post. Substitute Offiah then marked his Under-18s bow with an emphatic strike from the penalty spot two minutes from time, having himself been dragged down in the box by Salif Bamba.

‘A much-improved second half’

Interim Under-18s Coach Joe Staunton explained how the players took on board the instructions given to them at half-time to push on and win the game.

“It was a much-improved second half,” he reflected. “In the first period, we managed to have a lot of the ball without creating any clear-cut opportunities – most of our opportunities came from crosses – but the boys applied some of the things we spoke about at half-time and we were able to score four good goals in the second half.

“There were four Under-16s players involved today and they’re deserving of their opportunity. We will always push the players who are working hard in training and developing with their performances, and they were rightly given an opportunity today. Toju stepped up and scored a goal and Phoenix scored on his debut as well, so I’m really pleased for all four players who continue to make an impact, whether that’s with the Under-16s or the Under-18s.”

Dear Supporter,

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you following my recent appointment as Non-Executive Chairman of this great Football Club.

Many of you may have questions as to what my role entails and what it means in terms of how we run the Club moving forward.

Firstly, it’s important to point out that I am not entirely new to Spurs. I joined as a Non-Executive Director back in March and I have therefore already gained an understanding as to what this Club is all about.

Our Europa League victory in Bilbao demonstrated the impact of winning trophies and what it means to our fans both here and around the world. It’s something the Board and I want you all to experience on many more occasions.

I have had the pleasure of knowing the Lewis family for many years and can speak to how passionate Viv, Charlie and the family all are about seeing this Club truly reach its full potential.

I see my role as Non-Executive Chairman to be about empowering our teams at leadership level and throughout the organisation to deliver on our stated objective of long-term sporting success.

Over the last six months I have had the privilege of meeting the many talented people within our Club driving us forward every single day – both on and off the pitch. This includes our Head Coaches, Thomas and Martin, who have shared with me their drive to develop winning Men’s and Women’s teams. My focus is on providing them with all the necessary tools to create a winning culture, with the aim that this will translate to success on the pitch.

In Vinai, we have a CEO who is a fantastic leader and figurehead for our Club, and I will support him in delivering on our vision, developing talent within the organisation and ensuring supporters are at the heart of our decision-making.

In terms of you - our fans - I am extremely proud of the inclusivity of our Spurs family and how we as a Club engage with the various supporter groups that make up our rich, diverse, global fanbase. I am keen we listen to our fans and understand different perspectives from all sections of our support, and I look forward to meeting with our Fan Advisory Board for the first time in the coming months to learn more about what matters most to you.

I’ve attended various games and experienced the special atmosphere our fans create in the stadium first-hand, working with independent groups such as THFC Flags, who designed the incredible Tifo display we saw at last Tuesday’s Champions League game with Villarreal.

I look forward to sharing many more special occasions like these with you all in the years to come.

Peter

We take on Wolves in the Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening (8pm UK) - turn the clock back 117 years, and Wolves provided the opposition for a major milestone in our history...

Our first Football League game | 1908

Wolverhampton Wanderers were our first opponents after joining the Football League back in 1908. A crowd of 20,000 were at the Lane for a Thursday afternoon fixture in the old Second Division (now the Championship) on 1 September, 1908. We kicked-off a league journey now into a 117th season with a 3-0 win. It was a result to make everyone sit up and take notice - Wolves were the FA Cup holders and founder members of the Football League 20 years earlier. Legendary former striker Vivian Woodward - the Harry Kane of his day - registered our first Football League goal after six minutes and added a second soon after the interval. Tom Morris rounded off the scoring. A copy of the one penny match programme issued that day - Volume 1, Number 1 - would fetch a pretty penny today!

Highbury high

We enjoyed a few highs (and suffered a few lows!) at Arsenal's old Highbury home over the years - but few matched the feeling fans would have felt in the red half of north London on 15 April, 1981 - and we didn't even play Arsenal! It was our FA Cup semi-final replay against Wolves, on the way to that memorable 'Ossie's Dream' final replay win against City. The North Bank was packed with lilywhite and blue as a double strike from Garth Crooks - track down the second on YouTube, if you can - put us in the driving seat before a thunderbolt from Ricky Villa saw us home. Ricky, of course, would then write his name into Spurs folklore at Wembley...

Our Women’s Under-19s return to FA Women’s National League Cup action with a trip to MK Dons on Sunday afternoon (kick-off 2pm UK).

Our clash with the Dons at Stadium MK will be our final game of the group phase, with qualification to the FAWNL Plate still on the cards as one of the 20 best third-placed sides.

Facing senior opposition, who are currently competing in tier three and four of Women’s football pyramid, we’ve yet to pick up a win after defeats to Luton Town and Oxford United. The Dons are also winless in their last two games in the group.

Head Coach Sabiha Jamal will be able to call upon a number of players who are currently out on dual registration with FAWNL sides, with Ruby Gaitely, Erin Radbourne, Kendra Brown and Cruz Fuller-Fagan all available.

The match takes place at Stadium MK and supporters will be able to attend the game, with tickets available online here or on the day at the stadium’s ticket office.

Tickets are priced at £8 for adults, £4 for Over-65s and Under-18s, and £2 for Under-12s.

"Despite losing all five league games so far, Wolverhampton Wanderers clearly have faith in Vitor Periera having just given him a new contract. Could a formation change, trialled midweek, pave the way for improved results?"

Rob Daly, official club commentator, presenter and pundit

Notable summer departures...

Wolves are bottom of the Premier League and, having failed to score in three of the five matches so far, there’s no doubt Matheus Cunha’s departure is being felt. The team coped well when the Brazil international was absent through suspension last season, but he did score 17 of the club’s 54 goals - form that earned him a big money move to Manchester United. Rayan Ait-Nouri, now at Manchester City, is a big miss at left-wing-back, not only for his defending, but his attacking output - five goals and seven assists last season. In fact, both scored in the 4-2 home win over Spurs last term. Coupled with the departure of captain Nelson Semedo on the right, perhaps it’s no surprise the team is taking some time to adjust.

Formation change...

Despite the league form, Wolves did enjoy a Carabao Cup victory midweek against Everton. Interestingly, it came after Pereira switched from his usual 3-4-3 formation to a 4-3-3. “I’m not here to please myself, but to find solutions,” he said of the tweak, speaking about the need to put his players, 'in a comfortable position'. "At this moment, we can use both formations. Of course, we just had one day (of training) to change. But the intention of the game is the same.” At the very least, the win lifted the mood at Molineux - will they be bold and implement their trialled system in N17 today?

Which Wolves?

The next big decision for Pereira is who to play. The manager, so far, has been unable to settle on his preferred XI. Midweek rotation was understandable in the Carabao Cup as he made nine changes from the team that lost 3-1 at home to Leeds a few days earlier. Some of those who came in impressed, like the tireless Marshall Munetsi who struck the opening goal against Everton. Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone played well in the narrow league loss at Newcastle and made some good stops against the Toffees. But midfielder Andre was, perhaps, the best player on the pitch with his range of passing and ability to protect the defence. Note that the Brazilian international had been dropped for the last two league games - has he earned his place back in the team?

Norwegian fire power...

Jørgen Strand Larsen was handed a start on Tuesday too - making a return after an Achilles issue. The Norway international striker scored 14 times in the Premier League last season, including goals in both games against Spurs. Unsurprisingly, Wolves moved to make his loan move from Celta Vigo a permanent one. The towering striker is an aerial threat in the box, as his goals against West Ham showed recently, and can link play extremely well with his back to goal. Perhaps it’s no surprise that other clubs wanted him this summer before he signed his new deal in September.

Frank decisions...

Thomas Frank went with seven changes midweek against Doncaster handing starts to, Antonin Kinsky, Kevin Danso, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel. A group of players were rested completely - Micky van de Ven was an used sub while none of Guglielmo Vicario, Mohammed Kudus or Cristian Romero were in the matchday squad. One would expect all four to come back into the XI this evening. Pape Matar Sarr wasn’t involved due to a 'little stretch to the thigh', according to the head coach - meaning that Spurs were without nine players through injury on Wednesday.

A trip to King Power Stadium to face Leicester City awaits on Sunday in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

The Foxes have picked up three points from three games so far this season while putting in a strong performance against league champions, Chelsea, last weekend as they suffered a 1-0 defeat.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game…

What time does the match start?

The match will start at 12noon UK time.

How can I watch the game?

Supporters in the UK will be able to watch the game on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports’ YouTube channel, while it will also be available on WSL YouTube.

If you’re following us from overseas, check out this link here to see if the game is live in your area.

Our Match Centre here on tottenhamhotspur.com and the Spurs Official app will bring you full live text and audio commentary throughout the match. Video highlights will be available on club channels 10 minutes the full-time whistle.

What is the team news?

Molly Bartrip is back on the pitch and training well, as reported by Martin Ho, but she will miss the trip to Leicester this weekend.

Ashleigh Nevile is in contention to feature after recovering from an injury while Ella Morris and Luana Buhler remain long-term absentees.

As for the Foxes, Rick Passmoor confirmed that Missy Goodwin remains unavailable for the clash this weekend.

Forward Noemie Mouchon returned to action in their Subway Women’s League Cup victory over Ipswich Town on Wednesday night and is in contention to feature on Sunday once again.