Tottenham Hotspur

"How do Arsenal fill the Gabriel-void, which Spurs left-back will be tasked with stopping Bukayo Saka and will Thomas Frank switch up formation at the Emirates?"

Rob Daly, official club commentator, presenter and pundit

Stopping Saka...

If Spurs are to claim a first win at the Emirates since 2018, the threat of Saka has to be nullified. Prior to the international break, he’d scored three in four – while across his last four north London derby appearances, the England winger has two goals and four assists. Saka’s form puts even more importance on the decision as to who starts at left-back. Destiny Udogie is back from injury and had an excellent impact against Manchester United, setting up the equaliser for Mathys Tel. Having not gone away with Italy, he should be fresh – as will Djed Spence who, despite a call-up, didn’t feature in either of England’s two World Cup qualifiers.

Set-piece show...

The late headed goal from Matthijs de Ligt in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United before the international break was only the second time Spurs have conceded from a set-piece this season in the Premier League. In fact, that’s the best defensive record – one that will be put to the test by Arsenal this weekend. The Gunners have scored 10 times from set-pieces, a league high, accounting for 50% of their goals. Declan Rice’s deliveries are extremely problematic, but he’s lost one of his main target men – after Gabriel picked up an injury on duty with Brazil.

The loss of Gabriel...

The numbers reinforce the idea of Gabriel’s importance to Arsenal, given he tops their defensive stats like blocks (17), shots blocked (13), clearances (65), while he’s their only outfielder to have played every league minute this season. Arsenal’s win percentage drops from 64% to 40% in the Premier League without him going back to September 2020, while at the other end he’s got two goals and three assists. Gabriel grabbed the winner at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season – and even those back-post runs to head the ball back across goal will be a major miss for the hosts.

Who replaces him?

Riccardo Calafiori could move in from left-back, as that’s his comfortable side, but he withdrew from Italy’s squad this month – and Mikel Arteta confirmed he hadn’t trained as of Friday. The Gunners brought in two new centre-backs in the summer in Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié, with the latter perhaps the more likely of the two to play the position after so much game time on the left-side of defence at Bayer Leverkusen. Myles Lewis-Skelly could then come in for a first league start of the season at left-back.

Will Spurs switch it up?

Mikel Arteta is aware of the potential for Spurs to switch formation – although the Super Cup is the sole match so far this season that has seen Thomas Frank start with three centre-backs. Arsenal have only had less than 50% possession in two games this season (the 1-0 win at Manchester United and the 1-0 loss at Liverpool) – so expect them to try and dominate the ball, as PSG like to do. In Pedro Porro, Destiny Udogie and Djed Spence, Spurs already have three players well accustomed to playing a wing-back role, while injured centre-backs Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies and Kota Takai have been training too. If it is 5-3-2, Kevin Danso would likely come in, which also arms the team from long-throws, and while Arsenal are strong from set-pieces, so are Spurs – ranking third in the Premier League for goals from them (6). Micky van de Ven caused David Raya problems from corners in the 1-0 friendly win over the summer – something to keep an eye out for – especially after his double at Everton last month.

Last time at the Emirates...

First-half goals from Reiss Elliott-Parris and Oliver Boast proved enough to give our Under-18s victory over Derby County and send us through as group winners in the Under-18 Premier League Cup on Saturday.

Elliott-Parris finished off a good move involving Malachi Hardy and Miracle Adewole in the opening moments at Hotspur Way, before fellow striker Boast doubled our lead just prior to the interval of what was our third and final Group H fixture in the competition.

Derby pulled one back through Charlie Smith’s free kick in a scrappy second half, but we rode the game out to secure a 2-1 win and book our place in the quarter-finals.

With only the first-placed side from each four-team section progressing to the knockout stages, we knew we needed maximum points against the Rams to advance after Reading’s high-scoring win against Burnley earlier in the day – there had been a potential scenario at the start of the weekend where we could have finished level with Derby and possibly Reading too in all metrics had our match ended all square, with the clubs’ disciplinary records called upon to decide the winners in that eventuality.

But while Israel Green threatened on a handful of occasions in the first period for Derby – Blake Irow saving everything the winger threw at him – and with a large portion of the second period played out in our half, we were able to dig in and secure the victory.

Our opening goal after four minutes was a thing of beauty as centre-back Hardy – just back from England’s Under-17 World Cup campaign – struck a fine diagonal pass out to Adewole on the left, who took a superb first touch before delivering for Elliott-Parris to convert from close range. Boast dragged a shot across goal and wide just afterwards while Armend Muslika and Elliott-Parris also threatened, but we allowed the visitors to get a foothold in the contest and Green made inroads down their left flank on a handful of occasions, firing off-target before being denied three times by Irow before the first half was out.

Thankfully for us, though, a second goal on the stroke of half-time strengthened our position, Muslika and Tye Hall combining to set up Boast, who scored with a shot-on-the-turn from inside the box on the right.

The second period was gritty and Derby’s goal in the 66th minute – a low free-kick around the wall from Smith – represented the first real action of note at either end. The Rams had tried a handful of shots from distance before that, but a few minutes later it needed a superb save from Irow diving away to his right to prevent James Ward from firing the visitors level. Our defence remained firm, though, and with the rain closing in on a gloomy day, we made it to the final whistle to win the group with seven points from a possible nine.

‘We were up against it at times’

Interim Under-18s Coach Joe Staunton admitted the Rams gave us a tough examination, but was delighted to get through to the last eight.

“We’re really pleased to have qualified from the group – it’s one of the objectives that we set for the players, so we’re really pleased over the course of the three games we’ve managed to get ourselves into a position where we can have further matches in the competition,” he told SPURSPLAY.

“We started the game really well and scored a terrific goal which was testament to the start that we had. There were periods within the first half where we had to defend the penalty box quite well to keep ourselves in a 1-0 lead and to score a second goal so close to half-time gave us the best opportunity to go and take the game forwards. We were up against it at times in the second half and we had to ride our luck at times, but all credit to the lads because we’ve headed, blocked, tackled, defended set-pieces and managed to see the game out in the end.”

Our Subway Women’s League Cup group phase concludes on Sunday with a trip to Women’s Super League 2 side Bristol City.

Following last night’s result between Aston Villa and Birmingham City – which ended in a draw before the Blues won the penalty to claim the bonus point – we’ll need just a point from our visit to Robins High Performance Centre to progress to the quarter-final of the competition.

Here’s everything you need to know about the game…

What time does the match start?

We get underway at 3pm UK time.

How can I watch the game?

If you’re unable to attend the game, then supporter can watch action live on SPURSPLAY – make sure to subscribe to SPURSPLAY here.

Our Match Centrehere on tottenhamhotspur.com and the Spurs Official app will bring you full live text and audio commentary throughout the match.

Ahead of our clash with the Robins, we’ll be bringing you all the build-up via our live blog with any pre-match content.

Video highlights will be available on club channels after the full-time whistle, along with all post-match reaction.

Martin on his reflections on the Arsenal game after looking back this week…

“I thought we were good in the first half. We broke through their pressure well and progressed up the pitch effectively. There were moments where we could have been a little cleaner, but compared to previous performances against them, we knew we needed a reaction - and I certainly got that with and without the ball. In the second half, we could have been more proactive at times. We had chances where we needed to be more ruthless. We also need players to be braver and take shots instead of always looking to assist, but that comes with confidence and belief. Overall, I think we deserved a point and maybe could have nicked it at the end with a couple of chances and breakaways. But I was pleased with the response and felt the performance warranted something from the game.

On the record-breaking attendance at Brisbane Road and the strong following away from home…

“The fans have really bought into what we’re trying to do and the direction we’re going. Even away from home they’ve supported us well. London City was a big turning point - from start to finish, we out-sang and out-cheered the home team. Then, against Arsenal, having over 7,000 in the ground was a great feeling for the players and for me. The visibility and connections are there, and we want to keep bringing those fans back and attracting new ones. It’s important for pushing the team and women’s football forward, and for generating bigger attendances.”

On Bristol City and what to expect…

“They’ve done well and recruited extremely well over the summer, and I expect they’ll strengthen again in January. I’ve worked with Charlotte (Head Coach) before, and many of her players have either been at WSL level or have been successful elsewhere - players like Sophie Ingle and Vicky Losada. They have young, hungry players in their frontline and they’re pushing the top end of the Championship. They’ve had a good run and they’ll want to derail us in this competition.

“Charlotte’s [Healy] teams are well organised and efficient. They like to play forward and be direct. Defensively, they’re resilient and tough to break down. They’ve played in two systems this season, so we need to be aware of that. It’ll be a tough game; she’s a good coach with good players and staff. We need to be prepared and take the game seriously.”

On whether he will rotate the squad for the competition…

“I’ll always put out the team I believe can win the game. I don’t take any competition lightly. I’m a serial winner - I want to win. Rotating for the sake of it doesn’t show respect to the opposition. The team that I feel will win the game will play. That builds competition within the squad and strengthens belief. If opportunities arise in the game for players to start or come on, I’ll take them - but only when it’s right.”

On whether he will be watching the Men’s north London derby after the game…

“Yes, absolutely. I watch all of the Men’s games and get to a lot of them in person. I have a lot of time for Thomas [Frank], his staff, and the players. They’re in a good position, and I think they’ll go into the derby with belief and confidence.”

On working with Charlotte Healy together at Manchester United…

“Charlotte is still early in her career in England, but she has huge potential. She’s hardworking and committed, and I respect her a lot. She sees the game well and understands how she wants to play. She can go a long way in the game.”

On Olivia Holdt’s recent performances…

“Olivia is very important - as is every player - but she brings something different. She’s a maverick: technically gifted, tactically smart, with outstanding vision. She draws pressure and creates space for others. She’s been a real force going forward and has created many chances. We need to keep helping her evolve. I believe in her ability and hope she continues to progress, including with the national team.”

On what difference winning this competition would make for the team…

“It would be huge. It would give belief not only to the players but also to the club, staff, supporters, and community - reinforcing that we belong at the latter stages of major competitions. Winning breeds confidence, and confidence can take you far. Whether it's this competition, the FA Cup, or the league, they all matter. If we’re willing to do the hard yards, we put ourselves in the best position to reach finals and win.”

Signe Gaupset First Day  Tottenham Hotspur

New signing Signe Gaupset spoke of her excitement for the next step in her career – and the role that Head Coach Martin Ho played in her move.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder will join us from SK Brann on 1 January, 2026, embarking on a new chapter in the early stages of her career - albeit one that is already very storied with success in both domestic and international football.

Since making her senior debut for the Bergen side at 16-years-old, she has gone on to win the Toppserien twice as well the Norwegian Cup, while shed was named the league’s Player of the Year for 2025.

Now she is set for a new challenge as she becomes a Lilywhite player this winter and reunite with Martin, who was her Head Coach at Brann for two years before his move to north London in the summer.

“When I have been speaking to people at the Club, the project and everything around it, it just seems really good. This is a good place for me to be a better footballer, to develop more and be as good as possible.

“I know him [Martin] as a coach and he is really good, so it has been important for me, and I kind of know what to expect. We worked really good together. He demands a lot, but I like that. I think he can get even more out of me.”

Asked about what we can expect from her on the pitch, she added: “I would say I’m an offensive player. I like to create in the final third, scoring goals and creating assists. But I just want to have fun. I feel it comes naturally – all I want to do is score and help the team to win, so you have to play forward.”

A creative and goalscoring playmaker, she has shone on the international stage, notably in Euro 2025, where she bagged a brace and registered an assist in a 3-0 win over Iceland – a moment which propelled her into the European spotlight.

“That was a really huge moment,” she told us, reflecting on her two goals at the tournament. “I would have never dreamed of doing something like that. It was really fun and great to have my family in the stands – it was special.

“The first one was from a corner. I wasn’t marked and it was a good corner, so I volleyed the ball into the bottom corner. The second one was more shooting and hoping for the best. It was such a good experience to help the team as well.”

Our Premier League campaign resumes after the international break on Sunday afternoon with a trip to Arsenal (4.30pm UK).

Here's all you need to know ahead of the first competitive north London derby of the campaign...

What time does the match start?

The game begins at 4.30pm UK time.

How can I watch the game?

Supporters in the UK will be able to watch the action live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event.

If you’re following us from overseas, check out our Spurs on TV page 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, while video highlights will be available on club channels from two hours after the full-time whistle, with a full match replay on SPURSPLAY from midnight.

What is the team news?

Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani and Pape Matar Sarr are all back in training and available for the derby on Sunday.

Lucas, Archie and Mo all missed game time prior to the international break while Randal was forced off against Manchester United last time out with a jaw injury, which will require him to wear a protective mask for a while.

Pape took a knock on international duty for Senegal but Thomas Frank reported on Friday that all five would be available to face the Gunners.

Dominic Solanke, Radu Dragusin, Ben Davies, Kota Takai, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma remain sidelined.

After picking up an injury on duty for Brazil, defender Gabriel Magalhães misses out for Arsenal, joining Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres in the treatment room.

Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt after returning early from international duty with Italy.

Who is the referee?

Michael Oliver will referee the game on Sunday, assisted by Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring.

Michael Salisbury will be the fourth official, with Stuart Attwell and assistant Constantine Hatzidakis on VAR duties.

We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement for Signe Gaupset to join us from SK Brann on 1 January, 2026, subject to international clearance and work permit.

The highly rated 20-year-old Norway international has agreed a long-term contract and will wear the number eight shirt.

Signe Gaupset, said: “When I have spoken to people at the Club, the project and everything around it, it just seems really good. This is a good place for me to be a better footballer, to develop more and be as good as possible.

“I know Martin [Ho] as a coach and I know what to expect. We worked really well together. He demands a lot, but I like that, I think he can get even more out of me.”

Our Head Coach Martin Ho, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Signe to Tottenham Hotspur and to bring a player of her calibre into our environment. She is a terrific person before anything else, and an exceptional footballer whose professionalism, ambition and personality will strengthen our squad.

“Signe offers genuine invention in possession, explosiveness in duels and a top-level ability to shift momentum in 1v1 moments. She has the intelligence to connect the game, the athleticism to drive forward with purpose, and the mentality to influence the standards around her. These are qualities that align fully with the identity we’re building and the demands of our style.

“A player with her potential naturally attracts attention, so we’re incredibly proud she chose our project and believes in the direction this team is going. We’re excited for everything she will bring to Tottenham Hotspur Women.”

An attacking midfielder that can operate centrally and in wide positions, Signe’s youth career was spent at Rival and Molde before joining IL Sandviken in 2021 – now known as SK Brann – where she made an instant impact in senior football, scoring on debut at 16 in a 2-0 win over Asane in the Norwegian Cup, and played 10 times in her maiden campaign.

Signe’s breakthrough moment came in 2022 when she inspired the Bergen side to claim the Norwegian Cup with a brace in a 3-1 win over Stabaek. The following season, under Martin Ho’s leadership, the young midfielder shone in the UEFA Women’s Champions League at just 18 years old, notably scoring a last-minute equaliser in a draw with Lyon in the group stage to help Brann progress to the knockouts for the very first time.

Comfortable operating with both feet, Signe contributed with seven goals in the 2024 season as Brann finished second in the table. Her best goalscoring campaign came this term in the Toppserien, netting 15 goals and registering 12 assists in 26 appearances to help them claim their second league title, and was named the league’s 2025 Player of the Year for her standout displays.

On the international stage, she made her senior debut for Norway against Croatia in February, 2024, before being named in Gemma Grainger’s squad for EURO 2025. She made three appearances in the tournament and bagged a brace against Iceland in the group stage, with her performances seeing her nominated for the Golden Girl Trophy.

Our Premier League campaign resumes on Sunday afternoon with a trip to Arsenal (4.30pm UK).

Here's how you can watch the first competitive north London derby of the campaign....

What time does the match start?

We get underway at 4.30pm UK time at Emirates Stadium.

How can I watch the game?

Sunday's match will be televised live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

Supporters based overseas are advised to check our Spurs on TV page to see if the game is live in your area.

As always, our Match Centre here on tottenhamhotspur.com and the Spurs Official app will bring you full live text and audio commentary throughout the contest.

Video highlights will be available on club channels from two hours after the full-time whistle, with a full match replay on SPURSPLAY from midnight.

All Season Ticket Holders can now apply online or by submitting an application form, which can be obtained from the Ticket Office, no later than 5pm on Monday 24 November.

Digital Tickets

For this fixture we will be issuing our allocation as digital tickets.

As for home games, a link will be sent to the assigned supporter via email to download their ticket to their Apple/Google Wallet. This link will be sent to the individual successful Season Ticket Holder and not to the lead applicant.

Any supporter who is successful with their application and who does not have a compatible device will be able to submit a request to receive a paper ticket. These requests will be monitored, and the ticket may only be available to collect on the day of the fixture at Selhurst Park on production of photographic ID.