Tottenham Hotspur

Our UEFA Youth League campaign came to a disappointing end with a 5-1 defeat away to Real Betis on Wednesday.

Heading into the match in Andalusia as the competition’s top scorers and leading after only five minutes through Luca Williams-Barnett, the outlook had initially been brighter amidst rainfall and high winds at Ciudad Deportiva Luis Del Sol.

But the Spanish domestic champions came roaring back, Morante, Rodrigo Marina (2) and Jean Emmanuel N’Angoran all on the scoresheet before half-time, with skipper Marina subsequently completing his hat-trick after the restart.

Goalkeeper Dylan Thompson will have been disappointed with two of the first-half goals, particularly Marina’s second on the stroke of half-time, which in truth took the game out of our reach. We played some nice stuff on the drenched pitch at times, but Betis used their rapid pace down the flanks and physical prowess to progress comfortably into the round of 16.

We showed our own nous in the opening exchanges and deservedly took the lead, Tynan Thompson bursting down the left and delivering a good low ball with Reiss Elliott-Parris tussling with defender Curro Macias to make some space in the middle, allowing Williams-Barnett to arrive at the edge of the box and slide home.

Centre-backs Malachi Hardy and Elijah Upson had to be strong to withstand the hosts’ advances at the other end, both producing some solid defensive moments at key times, but after goalkeeper Thompson thwarted Ivan Corralejo from distance with a sharp low save, Morante equalised on 22 minutes, advancing into space down the right before cutting inside and finishing cutely inside the near post.

Morante was a whisker away from doubling his tally with a free-kick after keeper Thompson had been cautioned for handling the ball outside his area, but after Marina’s stooping front-post header squirmed through the latter’s grasp on 26 minutes and N’Agoran smartly volleyed a falling ball into the top corner in the wake of a corner six minutes later, we suddenly had it all to do.

Elliott-Parris put a big chance wide as he latched onto Williams-Barnett’s cut-back on 39 minutes but our hopes of working our way back into the contest were dealt a big blow just before the interval when keeper Thompson came out to meet the ball at the edge of his area but missed his kick, allowing Marina to stroll through and slot into the empty net for 4-1.

Williams-Barnett produced a couple of mesmerising solo runs upon the resumption but couldn’t make them count, with Betis instead adding to their advantage just prior to the hour mark when a corner from Ruben De Sa Abreu caught us out, allowing Marina to fire home and complete his treble. Our misery was compounded when hard-working left-back Harry Byrne was unfortunately forced off injured, Williams-Barnett also departing the action at the same time after shooting wide with another solo effort, with substitute Ellis Lehane – unmarked on the far side – swiping our final chance high over the bar in the last few moments as our journey in the Under-19 competition came to a halt.

Live blog: Real Betis U19 vs Spurs U19 | UEFA Youth League  Tottenham Hotspur

Julie Blakstad can’t wait to step out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

This weekend, our Women’s team make their 2025/26 bow at the world-famous home of the Spurs as we look to continue our impressive campaign in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

Under the stewardship of Martin Ho, we have gone from strength to strength in the top flight, having already sailed past our points tally from last term with all eyes focussed on securing our best-ever finish in the WSL.

With eight games still remaining this season, just seven more points on the board will see us break our record for most points achieved in single season (32 in 2021/22) while we sit just one point behind the Champions League places.

Sunday’s visitors Chelsea are the side that currently occupy that final European place and victory in N17 this weekend would see us leapfrog them.

However, recent recruit Julie knows how tough a test we face – especially as we still to beat them in the WSL – and that is why she is looking forward to seeing a bumper crowd of the Spurs faithful will be right behind us when we come toe to toe with the Blues.

“I'm really looking forward to it and hopefully it will be a good crowd that can cheer for us,” the defender said as she previewed the clash. “It's a big game. It's a good opponent in Chelsea. I think it's also a really good time to face them now that we won our last game and they're probably in a tougher period after their loss last week against (Manchester) City.

“We’ve played some big games previously at the bigger stadiums. The atmosphere is definitely different. I think because we are home with a big crowd, that will be very helpful for us. I like those big games where there's a lot of people cheering. Hopefully, that can help us out on the pitch as well.

“I don't know if (the fans) understand how much they mean to us, but playing in front of big crowds and having that deeper meaning with what you do (and seeing) that it actually means something to other people as well is really important and helps us a lot out on the pitch. Hopefully I'll see a lot of (fans) on the weekend.

“It's going to be a really good game. Obviously, a tough one, but I'm really ready to give everything."

Watch Julie's interview

A first-half double from Grace Breen after an early opener from Jhanaie Pierre was enough to give our Women’s Under-19s a 3-2 victory in the Professional Game Academy League at Crystal Palace on Wednesday afternoon.

Pierre made an instant impact on her return to Under-19s action as she opened the scoring with just three minutes played before Breen, who wore the captain’s armband, rounded off an excellent first period with two fantastic strikes – curling home a low free-kick before driving home from distance.

A flat performance in the second half allowed the home side back into the contest, who pulled back two goals to create a nervy finish to the game, but we managed to hold on to an important win in our league campaign.

More details to follow….

Johan Lange reflects on the January transfer window

Technical Director Johan Lange sits down with presenter Ben Haines to reflect on the January transfer window…

Ben: Johan, thank you for sitting down with us so quickly after the window closed. I think it's so good to be able to have this dialogue with fans and actually be able to let them in a little bit into the transfer window. I think their understanding is that the summer is where the bulk of deals get done and January is a very, very different window. With that in mind, could you give us a little bit of insight and your summary of how we got on over the course of the last month?

Johan: “Yes, firstly, this is always an issue I enjoy doing because I think this gives me and us a great opportunity to communicate directly with the fans around the transfer periods. I saw this window here as one of the quieter January windows across not only the Premier League, but across football in general. I think there were, including free transfers, 33 transfers across the Premier League. That is a result of especially the new format in Europe. Now we have clubs competing in either Champions League or Europa League during December and of course during the last part of January as well - 48 teams progressing further in the European competitions after the window. I think we saw that a little bit last year and I think we saw even more this year that have changed the dynamic a little bit of the January transfer window, with just less business is being done. Of course, a knock-on effect of the increased fixture schedule is also that not only us, but a number of clubs would say that they have too many injuries. That meant that there were simply not many available players across the whole marketplace during January.”

Ben: As you mentioned, there were a lot of injuries in January and we're definitely a club suffering with those at the moment. Can you give me an insight into how that affects your planning and how that changes things? I'm sure there'll be a number of fans that would have been hoping to see something potentially in light of the fact that we have so many players out.

Johan: “Yeah, of course, when we go into January, we didn't anticipate that we'll have seven injuries during the month of January. So, that of course changes things during the course of the window. It's very important, even though that is highly frustrating with all the injuries, to remain disciplined because, A, the players are coming back and, B, if you then, can you say, go in and make a stress purchase of any football players, then yes, the immediate feeling gives you is nice, but there's no point in signing players that have not helped us in the short term, in the medium term, or even in the long term. So, even though that is highly frustrating with all the injuries, the majority of the players will return this season here, hopefully a few very soon. It is important as a club to remain disciplined and make sure to do our best, our ability only to sign players that can generally help the team now or in the future.”

Ben: It's really interesting, even in the face of what we're going through at the moment with injuries, that you still have to maintain that discipline…

Johan: “Again, it's for a number of reasons. First, a lot of our injured players, they will return in this season here, hopefully a number of them quite shortly. There are also some limitations to how many players you can have in a squad to register them, but even though that our financial situation under the rules are better than most clubs, and we have owners who are very willing to invest, it is important that we are under those rules. So, it is important that we sign the right players. I think also Thomas has been quite clear on two players we wanted to bring in, but it wasn't a lack of willingness for the club to make the investment to support the team.”

Ben: Is it a case of perhaps there are not that many players of that level of quality available in this window, or is it a case of wanting to ensure that it's a long-term strategy?

Johan: “It's a bit of both, because we were very clear before the window that if there were players available that we were able to sign in this window that could help the team now, but of course also in the future, then we were ready to go. But when during the window you can see that some doors remain open, like, for instance, with Conor, some other doors close, then it's very important that you don't, can you say, force yourself in to make a stress purchases, because that normally doesn't end well for anyone.”

Ben: Can we talk a little bit about Conor? He is the epitome of what you mentioned, right? Ready now, comes straight into the team, has already had an impact. You can see that he's a great cultural fit too. What did you like about him? Can you tell us a little bit about his profile as well?

Johan: “Conor is a player that we have followed for a number of years. Obviously, he comes with a fantastic pedigree, his experience both with the Premier League, his period in La Liga have definitely also helped him to grow as a human being, as a player. Of course, he has played a number of times for England as well. So, he's a player that, of course, can come in and help us on the first day - his energy, his quality in midfield, his work rate, the way he can drive a team forward is something that I'm sure will help us. We've already seen that from day one. Then, of course, as a character, he's a fantastic human being. He's a leader. He has been captain earlier in his career and he's somebody that really will be an important voice in the dressing room this season and in many seasons to come."

Ben: Let's talk a little bit about Souza as well, and I want to broaden this out because it's been a part of the philosophy and part of the plan for a long time for you now to make sure that we're bringing in some of the best young players from around the world. Can you just tell us a little bit about Souza and what the plan is for him?

Johan: “Souza is a player we've followed for quite a long time in Brazil, in Santos, for the Brazilian youth national team. So, he's a player with a very high ceiling. Of course, it will take a period for him to adapt to English football, as it does for most players coming here, but again, a player with a very high potential and a player we're looking forward to develop in the years to come.”

Ben: I always think it's so interesting hearing about that pipeline and the way that we're managing talent. Can you tell us a little bit about the squad profile at the moment? Are you happy with the current profile of the squad and what we have at Thomas' disposal?

Johan: “Yeah, there's no hiding away, we have too many injuries at the moment. We have, you can say, over the last period here, brought in players who are more ready from day one. Obviously, Palhinha, big Premier League experience, Kudos, big Premier League experience, Kolo Muani experience for the highest level, Xavi, great experience for Champions League with Leipzig and now Conor coming in. So, we have, can you say, recruited players who can make an immediate impact in the team. Then we need to find the right balance because we also need to have players in the pipeline as well, and that is what you see in every club. It's a combination of buying players who are ready here now is buying those, can you say, younger players and then, of course, your own Academy players as well. If you take some of the first team starters now, Udogie came in and was on loan and Pape Sarr came in and was on loan and Lucas came in from Sweden… so it's something that we do at our club and it's something that all clubs do across the Premier League.”

Ben: Just finally, Johan, I'd love to get into the summer, because fans want to know what the strategy is, what we're potentially looking at in terms of the summer window and the types of players that you're looking for this summer...

Johan: “The summer market is where eight or nine out of 10 players, they move clubs, so we will go into the summer window with big ambitions of strengthening the team. We know there'll be more movements, we know there'll be more opportunities, so the plans are already, can you see, drawn up. We have a clear picture of which position and also which profiles. Could we have brought one or two more in this January window? We would have been delighted to do so. but that was not a possibility. So, we are looking forward to the summer, now we focus on the rest of the season and that is very, very important as well because we have big objectives. We're still in the Champions League. We want to, of course, be higher in the Premier League and then myself and others will have our eyes already now directed towards the summer transfer window.”

Fans joining us at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday for Barclays Women’s Super League London derby can get involved with plenty of activities in and around the ground.

A London derby always provides a fantasticating encounter and it will be no difference this weekend, as we sit fifth in the table - level on points with Arsenal - and just one point behind our opponents.

Supporters can still grab their tickets for the clash in N17 online via our eTicketing platform – secure your seats now.

Alongside the main event on the pitch at 2.25pm, we also have a host of activities taking place before the match for supporters to enjoy.

Around two hours before kick-off, Barclays will be giving away foam fingers to supporters inside the concourses at doors four, six and seven, while musician James Black will also be blasting out the tunes pre-match in the concourse to get supporters in the matchday atmosphere.

Supporters can get in the mood for the London derby with face painters and a DJ inside the Tottenham Experience, where you’ll also get 30% off Spurs merchandise.

Inside the bowl, BBC Radio 1 DJ Jess Iszatt will be on the decks to deliver the pre-match music and, from 2pm, our Official Back of Shirt partner E.L.F cosmetics will be providing a surprise for supporters in the stands.

Having joined the WSL fan pilot scheme earlier this year and rolled out in our Brisbane Road fixtures last month, supporters will also have the opportunity to drink alcohol in view of the pitch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Just after warm-ups are complete, we’ll also be presenting midfielder Eveliina Summanen with a special frame to recognise her reaching 100 appearances for the Club, while there will be an exclusive interview with defender Ella Morris from 1.50pm, where she’ll be speaking about her journey back from an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury (ACL).

Plus, our official matchday programme will be on sale from several points in and around the stadium. Don’t miss Sunday’s edition which includes a main feature interview with Eveliina inside, plus a catch-up with motorsport driver and F1 Academy champion Abbi Pulling.

And, for the first time, we’ll have an exclusive pull-out poster inside our programmes, so make sure to grab your copy.

A reminder that all of our matchday programmes can also be purchased online here.

Wayne Burnett sees Wednesday’s match against Real Betis in Spain as another exciting test for our young players.

Our Academy has made the trip to Seville to take on the reigning Spanish Under-19 champions in our first knockout game in this season’s UEFA Youth League (kick-off 5pm UK time, 6pm local time in Spain).

With the competition now splitting off into its own standalone knockout pathway and no longer mirroring clubs’ fixtures in the senior Champions League, there’s a lot at stake in the round of 32 clash, with coach Wayne eager to see how his young charges fare.

“The boys are excited, they’re relishing the opportunity to go and play and we’re certainly looking forward to it,” he said after training at Real Betis’ Academy facility, Ciudad Deportiva Rafael Gordillo, on Tuesday.

“These European games, I think they’re essential. It gives us the opportunity to play best-v-best and, you know, coming and playing Europe’s best teams gives us another opportunity to gauge where our players are at.

“Real Betis are Spanish champions at this level, so they’re obviously a very good team with some very good players. I think it will be a good game with some very exciting players on show but as I keep emphasising, they’re going to have some good players, but so have we. It will certainly be a game of high quality.”

With a mixture of Under-21, Under-18 and Under-16 players in the squad, Wayne has been pleased with how the group has acclimatised since touching down in Spain.

“It’s important for us to come out and familiarise ourselves with the surroundings,” he said. “We’ve done that in each game that we’ve played in this competition, so we’ve just tried to keep consistent with that. As I said, it’s an opportunity for our players to play against some of the best players in Europe. We’ve done a lot of preparation, the players are fully understanding of what’s required and we’re certainly looking forward to the game.”

Supporters will be able to watch the match live in the UK on TNT Sports 4, or online via UEFA TV.

As he emerged from the changing room and looked out over the freshly rain-drenched pitch after Tuesday afternoon’s Academy training session in Spain, James Rowswell was his usual focused self.

One of the comparatively more senior players in our young squad that’s travelled out to Seville to take on Real Betis in the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday, the 19-year-old had just taken part in our final on-pitch session before our eagerly-awaited round of 32 tie and, much like the field in front of him, was just soaking everything in.

The sun had been out earlier in the day when the players went for a pre-breakfast walk through the area’s colourful streets and during the first part of training at Ciudad Deportiva Rafael Gordillo – Betis’ Academy training complex on the southern outskirts of the city – but by the end of the session, during which James had worked through a series of defensive drills with Assistant Coach Troy Archibald-Henville, the rain was falling as had been forecast.

Grabbing his food parcel from our nutritionist and sitting down under a sheltered area of the facility to take part in a pre-match interview, the rainfall now set in, the versatile defender insisted that, much like with the weather, the players are prepared for all eventualities when kick-off time arrives on Wednesday evening.

“We’re ready for whatever comes our way,” he declared, looking ahead to the start of the competition’s knockout phase, where the fixtures no longer dovetail with first team matches. “For me personally, I’m very excited about the game and I think the whole team are. We’re buzzing to play here. It’s a massive opportunity for all of us to show what we’re capable of on such a big stage.

“The hotel since we arrived has been lovely, the support and everything around us has been perfect – we couldn’t really ask for much more, so we just need to perform now. The place is lovely but we’re all so focused to win. There’s a brilliant vibe around the squad right now – we all just want to progress in the competition.”

Wednesday’s match takes place six miles further into the city at Real Betis’ other training ground, Ciudad Deportiva Luis Del Sol, where their first team are based. James underlined how the opportunity to travel out to Seville before the match and acclimatise to the area with a training session – on the way to which, incidentally, the team bus passed the facilities of Betis’ fierce La Liga rivals Sevilla – is hugely beneficial.

“It gives us a sense of knowing what we’re playing on, so we’ve got an idea what the pitch is going to be like and so it won’t be a surprise for us, giving us the best opportunity to perform and win,” he said, quickly circling back to his and the team’s main objective on the trip.

“The teams abroad probably have a different playing style compared to us in England but it’s been a good test for us in the competition so far and I think we’ve done really well. We’ve scored the most goals and we want that to continue. Like I said, we’re ready for whatever comes our way from the opposition.”

A decent portion of our chart-topping 28 goals in the league phase of the tournament came from James himself. The Welwyn Garden City-born teenager has scored in four of our six European games so far this term – not bad for a defender!

“I probably didn’t expect to get this many, but I’ve just been trying to get into the right areas and it’s been working really well, so hopefully that continues,” added the right-footer, who has seen duty at right-back and centre-half in the initial phase of the competition, and who last month scored his first league goal at Under-21 level in a 1-1 Premier League 2 draw at Burnley. “I want more goals and so does the rest of the team.”

Always a sensible head on young shoulders, James has taken on captaincy duties for our Development Squad in recent weeks, having also skippered us in the UEFA Youth League trip to Paris Saint-Germain back in November. After earning a place on the first team bench on six occasions so far this season, he says he wants to bring some of the things he’s learned from being around our senior players into his own game, which in turn he hopes can aid our European quest at this level.

“It’s been an unbelievable experience to be around the first team in Europe, in the Premier League and the Carabao Cup,” he said. “Through all of these experiences and opportunities, I’ve just been taking little bits, little details from the first team habits and I’ve tried to bring that into my game as much as possible. I watch and learn specific players to see what they’re doing, and it’s about trying to put that into my game. Hopefully that rubs off on the players around me as well.”

Kick-off on Wednesday is at 5pm UK time (6pm local time in Spain). Supporters can watch the match live in the UK on TNT Sports 4 or online via UEFA TV.

Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons need your help if they are to be named the Premier League's Player of Matchweek!

A new initiative by the Premier League this season, each week, eight players across the competition are shortlisted for the title following their performances in the matchweek.

And this week, we've had two of our players nominated with both Dom and Xavi shortlisted after our stellar second-half fightback against Manchester City on Sunday - coming from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

First up, Dominic Solanke is nominated for the prize after he bagged both of our goals in the draw with the Citizens.

Having shaken off any rust that might have built up over his six months on the sidelines, our number 19 is quickly finding his feet back on the pitch with four goals in his last four games.

His first against the Citizens was superb number nine play, running off the shoulder of the defender before chopping back inside and finishing through a crowd of players.

His second... well, words can't really do it any justice. So why not watch it again below...

Xavi meanwhile continues to grow in a Spurs shirt.

A major acquisition in the summer from RB Leipzig, the attack-minded midfielder is looking stronger, quicker and more relentless with every game. Plus, he is a real maverick on the ball, able to beat a man or find that killer pass.

He did just that on a number of occasions against City. Not only did he break a record in the Premier League this season for the most defence splitting passes from a single player in a single game as we drew with Pep Guardiola's side, but he also grabbed another assist with the key pass for Dom's opener.

But the midfielder is so much more than brilliant on the ball. He is combative and determined, not easily shaken off the ball and ever-eager to win the ball back. And, generally, he does just that.

For this latest prize, our duo are up against six other players - Manchester United's Casemiro, Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike, Chelsea's Joao Pedro, Arsenal's Noni Madueke, Sunderland's Habib Diarra and Brentford's Caoimhin Kelleher.

To be named Player of Matchweek, Dom and Xavi are relying on your help as it is fans votes which decide this one - the link to vote is below...