Tottenham Hotspur

Martin Ho spoke to the media at Hotspur Way on Friday afternoon, ahead of our Barclays Women’s Super League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at Brisbane Road on Sunday (11.55am UK).

Here are some key points on what he had to say..

On what we’ll do for Black History Month…

“The players will decide what they want to do as a collective. Me and the Club will support them. I’ll let the players decide – it’s their game and it’s what they want to do. They have to make that decision and whatever they do, they’ll make me aware of it and I’ll support it.”

On what to expect from Brighton this weekend…

“Dario’s [Vidosic] done a wonderful job there. They’ve done really well in terms of building the team and their performances are getting better and better. They have a really nice playing style, very front footed, very aggressive off the ball and they want to contest possession. We know it’s going to be a tough game, but one we’re excited for.

On how he would rate the start of the season…

“I know there’s still a lot more to come from us. We’ve had some ups and downs, some dips in performance, but we’ve had some really solid performances too. We’ve got to continue to build momentum, keep building, evolving and taking the right steps. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

On Cathinka Tandberg being nominated for the WSL Player of the Month award for September…

“She’s had a big impact, personally and professionally. A very infectious player around the group and a really good individual. She adds a lot of quality to us as a team, she gives us different dimensions as a player, in terms of how we want to attack and defend. Her goal against Everton was wonderful, instinctive, very creative and very aware of her surroundings. Someone shooting from just inside the opposition’s half is very brave – I’m glad it went in.”

On the importance of Drew Spence and Eveliina Summanen in midfield…

“There’s Drew, Eveliina, Maite [Oroz], Olivia [Holdt], Kit [Graham], Olga [Ahtinen]… there’s quite a few in there (midfield options). At the start of the season, we had a couple of injuries, so Drew and Eveliina played together. I think they built a good relationship. They both have international experience, and both their skillsets and characteristics complement one another. They’re both good with the ball but have different ways of playing. Eveliina is really intelligent at breaking up play, identifying those moments, while Drew’s really combative in one-v-one scenarios, gets up close and makes sure people know she’s there. They have a really good relationship. It’s something we’ve used in the games we’ve played.”

On how we’ll set-up against Brighton…

“I look at the opposition and what they present to us and what are the best players to execute the game plan, the best players to be in certain spaces we feel we can get into. If that’s Olivia, Cathinka, anybody else… it’s how we do that. We’ve trained today, we’ll assess as staff when I come away from the press conference and see what I feel is right. We’ve trained certain aspects we feel we can exploit. It can be different for different games – you don’t want to become predictable.”

On the players he has been impressed with…

“Every one of them. I wouldn’t single anyone out. The effort and commitment they’re showing day in, day out on the training pitch, but also in the game… they’re outstanding. They’re doing what I ask them to do. I thought the players did exceptionally well. I’m really big on that – you start with one 11, but you never finish with the same. Since I’ve been in, anyone who’s come into the game has impacted well.”

On the appointment of Lawrence Shamieh…

“I’ve known Lawrence for a long time. I’ve worked with him at Everton and Man Utd, we’re really good friends. More importantly, he’s a really good coach. His knowledge and understanding of the game is one of the best I’ve worked with, his tactical intelligence is high – he knows this league inside-out. He’s a wonderful coach and I think he’s going to add a lot to these players in terms of knowledge, but I think he’s going to add a lot to the staffing team moving forward. He’s going to be valuable for finding those fine margins in games and tactically evolving in game. His knowledge is second to none. It’s a massive coup for us to get him in.”

On Ashleigh Neville returning…

“I’ve seen Ash a lot when I was at my previous Clubs. Obviously she’s been back in training, so it was nice for Ash to get some minutes in the game after some time out. She’s been unfortunate with some of those injuries, but now she’s fit, healthy, competitive and wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s aggressive off the ball and has the ability to carry the ball through the pitch when we have it. Ash added a lot in that game against Leicester. Her experience of the league helped us, she slowed the game down and took the sting out at times when she needed to. I was delighted to see her back on the pitch.”

Our Premier League campaign resumes with a trip to Leeds United in the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday (12.30pm UK) where we'll be looking to continue our impressive record in this fixture.

In our last 11 league games against the West Yorkshire outfit, we have secured nine wins (D1, L1) and are currently on a four-game winning streak in the top flight - our longest such run in the league against the Whites.

Unbeaten on the road so far this term (W2, D1), we travel north to Elland Road where we have tasted success in our last two league visits and scored four in each - 4-0 in February 2022 and 4-1 in the final game of the 2022/23 season. We could become the first side to score four goals in three consecutive away league matches at that ground.

However, since then, Leeds have now gone a full year without losing a home league game, with their 23-game unbeaten run at Elland Road beginning on 28 September 2024 against Coventry City in the Championship. They’ve drawn their last two at home (0-0 vs Newcastle United & 2-2 vs Bournemouth) whilst we've come away with a point in our previous two league outings.

Richarlison could bring up a landmark this weekend with his 250th Premier League appearance if he were to feature on Saturday. He would become only the fifth Brazilian to achieve that milestone in the division.

Cathinka Tandberg and Olivia Holdt have been shortlisted for Barclays Women’s Super League Goal of the Month award for September.

Joining us last month from Hammarby IK, ‘Tinka’ open her account in our colours in outrageous style in our 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.

Making her full debut in the WSL, she collected the ball just outside the centre circle in Everton’s half before sending a wonderful lob, from around 40 yards out, over the back-peddling goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan and into the back of the net.

Later in the month, Olivia threw her name in the hat for the nomination with an exquisite chipped finish in our 2-1 victory over Leicester City.

Racing on to Eveliina Summanen’s through ball, the Denmark international was tasked with a one-on-one with Foxes’ shot stopper Janina Leitzig but she showed complete composure to scoop it over Leitzig to score in consecutive WSL games.

Also in the running are Olivia Smith (for Arsenal vs London City Lionesses), Ornella Vignola’s first goal in Merseyside derby (for Everton vs Liverpool), Ebony Salmon (for Aston Villa vs Chelsea), Jayde Riviere (for Man Utd vs London City Lionesses), Rosa Kafaji (for Brighton vs West Ham), Hinata Miyazawa (for Man Utd vs Liverpool) and Aggie Beever-Jones (for Chelsea vs West Ham).

As usual, fan votes help decide the winner, so cast your vote to support Olivia and Tinka. Voting is now open and will close on Monday 6 October at 11am.

"Leeds United have added power to their squad upon their return to the Premier League. Points picked up against Newcastle, Everton, Wolves and Bournemouth have made for an encouraging start - while a former Spurs man remains crucial..."

Rob Daly, official club commentator, presenter and pundit

Making a new midfield...

The summer transfer window was busy for the Championship title winners, with 10 signings. Two notable acquisitions were midfielders Sean Longstaff, £12m from Newcastle, and Germany’s Anton Stach, sold by Hoffenheim for £17m. Longstaff didn’t actually start the season in the team, but upon an injury to fan favourite Ao Tanaka, he came in and cemented his place. An excellent strike last weekend in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth showed he can be a goal threat too, as he was in 23/24 for the Magpies scoring eight goals. Longstaff and Stach, who is standing up well to the physical demands of the Premier League, play either side of Ethan Ampadu - as part of a beefed-up midfield three.

The striker situation...

This means Leeds operate without a conventional number 10 and given they play with one striker, this has been bad news for last season’s top scorer, Joel Piroe. Despite getting 19 goals and earning a place in the PFA Championship Team of the Season, Daniel Farke moved to sign two big, strong strikers in Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha. Calvert-Lewin has been first choice of late and is likely to start on Saturday, having scored his first goal two weeks ago in a win at Wolves. A trial of using Piroe as a number 10 with Nmecha as the striker, in a Carabao Cup loss to Sheffield Wednesday, didn’t work. “It's tough, especially when you have a player like Joel who is giving his everything.” said Farke on Thursday. “For me, the best finisher I've ever worked with.”

Less dominant...

The Leeds manager hinted at the idea in his press conference, that things are different back in the Premier League - aware his side won’t dominate and create as much due to the step up in quality. They scored 95 goals in the 24/25 Championship season – the team closest to that was Burnley on 69. The idea he was going to change some things was expressed early. “We stay true to our DNA – proactive, lots of possession – but we also have to be able to defend in a structured way,” Farke explained back in August. “Romanticism mustn't obscure our view of reality. That requires tough decisions, even with deserving players. It's never easy, but it's necessary.”

The role of Rodon...

Despite the changes, Joe Rodon continues to play a crucial role at the heart of Leeds’ defence and scored his first Premier League goal last week against Bournemouth – a header from a corner. The Wales international made 24 appearances for Spurs before leaving, initially on loan, in the 23/24 season. Like in other positions, Leeds strengthened their squad signing centre-backs Jaka Bijol (Udinese) and Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolfsburg). Some expected they’d come straight in - but Rodon, who played in all 46 Championship games last season, has held his spot in the team alongside Pascal Struijk.

Goalkeepers and goal threats...

It will be interesting to see if Leeds go with the same XI for the fourth league game running. The club clearly felt the goalkeeper position needed addressing in the summer having signed Lucas Perri from Lyon, however, he misses the game through injury. Karl Darlow finished last season so strongly having replaced Illan Meslier and will almost certainly start again. They’ve also freshened up the left-side with full-back Gabriel Gudmundsson (Lille) brought in as Junior Firpo headed back to Betis. Noah Okafor, in from AC Milan, plays in the front three - in place of Manor Solomon, who scored 10 goals while on loan from Spurs. including the final day strike that won them the Championship title.

Last time at Elland Road...

Continuing our '60 seconds on...' preview feature, where we take a closer look at our next opponents with the people who watch them week in, week out.

Next up, it's a trip to Elland Road for Saturday's early kick-off against Leeds United (12.30pm) and that meant a call to Graham Smyth - @GrahamSmyth - Chief Football Writer at the Yorkshire Evening Post, co-host of the YEP's Inside Elland Road podcast, covering the Whites for the YEP since 2019...

What have you made of Leeds’ season so far? The last couple of results (3-1 win at Wolves, 2-2 draw against Bournemouth) suggest the team is playing well...

Graham: "Leeds have been competitive, which is more than can be said for last season's newly-promoted trio even at this early stage. They have built a physical side who give themselves a chance of taking points in almost every game. Their performances against Newcastle, Fulham and Bournemouth all arguably deserved more than the two points they earned from the three games combined. Daniel Farke is pleased with the start and so should he be."

Which of the new signings have caught the eye?

Graham: "Two spring to mind. Sean Longstaff was a clever bit of business. He has so much Premier League nous, he looks after the ball well and he runs all day. His mobility is key to the midfield making games such a battle for the opposition. At left-back Gabriel Gudmundsson has also stood out. Left-back has been a bit of a longstanding problem position for Leeds but he has been defensively sound and offensively effective. His ball carrying style is easy on the eye and helps Leeds escape from pressure in their own half."

Anything different tactically from Daniel Farke from last season?

Graham: "It's a very different approach given that in the Championship they sought to dominate possession and territory completely. He's moved from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3 and they are much more compact, hard to play through and very physical. They still seek to get a foot on the ball and pass it but when they need to go direct to Dominic Calvert-Lewin they can do."

Who would be your ‘one to watch’ on Saturday?

Graham: "Noah Okafor is just starting to hit his stride and I would expect Leeds to try and be dangerous on the break against Spurs. His dribbling has been an exciting feature in recent games and he scored a lovely goal against Wolves. He's getting fitter and sharper as the matches stack up."

Is the atmosphere at Elland Road as loud as ever?

Graham: "If the team gives them a performance worth shouting about then Elland Road remains a bear pit. As long as Leeds are in the game, the atmosphere will be as loud as ever."

Finally, how do you expect the game to pan out on Saturday?

Graham: "Leeds can make life difficult for opposition sides at Elland Road. I expect them to be as physical and combative as they were against Newcastle and Bournemouth and that's their route to a point. A draw would be a fine result."

Last time at Elland Road...

Cathinka Tandberg has clinched the September Goal of the Month award for her long-range stunner at Goodison Park.

Stealing the show in Everton Women's first Barclays Women's Super League match at the storied stadium, 'Tinka' lobbed goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan with an effort from 40 yards to get us under way in a 2-0 win last month.

A signing from Hammarby IK in the summer, the goal was her first in our colours as she enjoyed an impressive debut month in Lilywhite, scoring twice as well as providing an assist.

It was such a fine September that the forward has also been nominated for the WSL's Player of the Month award.

'Tinka' took 44 per cent of the vote to claim our Goal of the Month award, seeing off Harry Byrne's UEFA Youth league strike at Bodo/Glimt (33%) and Lucas Bergvall's header against West Ham United - a goal which has been nominated for the Premier League's Goal of the Month award.

Martin Ho’s excellent start to his maiden Barclays Women’s Super League campaign has been recognised with a nomination for WSL Manager of the Month award for September.

Joining us from SK Brann in July, 2025, after two seasons with the Norwegian side, our Head Coach has enjoyed a bright start to life in north London.

Impressing in the forward areas with some stunning goals while being resilient at the back, Martin’s integration of his new style of play has seen us sit fourth in the table with nine points out of 12 from our four opening games of the season.

Beginning the season with a 1-0 win over West Ham United at home, we followed that up with an impressive 2-0 victory at Everton, keeping clean sheets in our first two games in England’s top flight for the first time in our history.

Despite a disappointing defeat to Manchester City at home under the lights, we bounced back last weekend to return to winnings ways in the WSL with a 2-1 win at Leicester City.

Also in contention for the award are Chelsea’s Sonia Bompastor, Man City’s Andree Jeglertz and Man Utd’s Marc Skinner.

As usual, fan votes will help to decide the winners – so cast your vote via the link below to give your support to Martin. Voting is now open and will close on Monday 6 October at 11am (UK).

Thomas Frank spoke to the media at Hotspur Way on Friday afternoon, ahead of our Premier League trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United on Saturday (12.30pm).

Here's what he had to say...

Can you give us the latest team news - Romero, Solanke, Kolo Muani?

Thomas: "Romero is fit and available and he will start tomorrow, so that's promising news. There was contact to the foot and medical did a good job to get him turned around, he's trained and ready for tomorrow. As I said in Bodo, the time frame we will know more when we come back from internationals. Kolo Muani has been on the pitch the last two days, so that's very positive."

Good news this morning that Rodrigo Bentancur has signed a new contract - how happy have you been with him since you've been here?

Thomas: "First and foremost, I think it's fantastic news that the club have managed to first extend Romero's contract, but also now Rodri Bentancur's contract. That's a big sign that both of them believe in the project and the future here and hopefully the fantastic journey we are going to be on together. That's a big signal. It would be the easiest thing in the world for Rodri to run down his contract and do something different. So, that's a fantastic signal to the fans, to everyone. Of course, I'm extremely happy that we have managed to sign him. I think he's been a top player. No, he is a top player. He's been a top player for Tottenham. I also think we can get even more out of him and there's an even higher level in him."

Are there individual reasons for the players who have been selected for the leadership group? Bentancur is also a leader and Pedro Porro recently captained the team against Doncaster...

Thomas: "First and foremost, there is quite a few with a leadership potential in them and the more we can have that want to speak up and take responsibility for the bigger picture, the better. That's what I think creates the best teams. I agree with Rodri and Pedro, the two of them really want to take a lot of responsibility, and I think they do very well, but I also think this group, how can you say, also covers the squad to make sure we get around to everyone, make sure that all the groups - even though we're one big group - are touched and in sync. There are lots of factors."

When will you get the chance to speak to Vinai, Johan and the board in terms of looking ahead even to January, because it goes so quickly...

Thomas: "Yes, to be fair, it goes quickly. Everyone is well organised, they will probably a week after the window shut, or two weeks maximum, they will start preparing the next following windows. So, Vinai and Johan are on top of that, preparing that and then we will have a meeting, relatively soon, where we will start to talk about it and progress the plan from there."

Can I ask you about the recent record of coming back in games? Micky van de Ven said it's a sign of resilience in the squad. Also, how wary are you of it not becoming a pattern?

Thomas: "We can start tomorrow and try to get up 1-0 up first! It's football, and in football there is a relatively big risk that the opponents will score and you need to manage to overcome that. If you see the amount of games different teams are playing, I don't know what the percentage is of how many times you get 1-0 down compared to 1-0 up, but you definitely need to have the ability to come back from setbacks. The mentality and the foundation we are building, I think it's very important that you are able to do that. I'm very pleased we've managed to do it three times in a row, because it's a big thing. Of course, it would be nice just to run over teams and win 3-0 easy, but very few teams do that. This is the Premier League, the most competitive league in the world. It's impossible. Everyone is beating each other, left, right and centre, more or less, except maybe two or three teams. Then we're playing Champions League, which is the best club competition in the world. So, we need to have that ability, and keep building on it. Of course, it's not that we're not working on trying to get in front, which we also have done."

How much are you working on trying to improve chances created on the left, because the right side is doing well at the moment...

Thomas: "I want it balanced. I want to think about that, because if they're creating chances, then the other side are finishing it. So, that's not too bad, if you just look at the stats. I also think it's fair to say that Mo and Pedro, let's say that relationship is really well and it seems like there's a little bit of consistency they've found each other. So that's good. There's probably been a little bit more with two different left backs, both Djed and Destiny, and different wingers. So, how can we get a little bit more of that consistency in there? That links a little bit to the little bit more in sync and flow we've tried to work on the final third, but I'm relatively positive around that. Wilson is showing promising signs. Xavi is showing promising signs. Richy has scored three goals and been fit the whole period. Lucas is showing promising signs."

So, not too much of a concern for you?

Thomas: "No, not for now."

Leeds haven't lost at home in the league for more than a year - Spurs have the best away record in the Premier League this season. Where do you think this game could be won and lost?

Thomas: "First and foremost Leeds. They have done very well since they got promoted. Daniel Farque and his staff have done well. I've big respect for Daniel. I've known him for many years, he's a good colleague and friend in the game. We battled against each other quite a few times in the Championship and in the Premier League. I'm so happy that he's doing well and that they got a good start. Elland Road, I always admire as one of the best stadiums to go to, because the atmosphere is fantastic. It's a game we're looking forward to. I'm very aware that they haven't lost once in more than a year so, clearly, and we know that because of their fans and their home ground, they've been very good. I think the way they started the Premier League gives them a lot of confidence. They defend extremely well. They give very little away in open play. So, we need to really be aware of that and really know that this is a game that can be 90 minutes back and forth. Small setbacks you need to overcome, but we're ready for it, we ;ook forward to it and we'll do what we can to go for three points."

Will Randal Kolo Muani be able to play a part tomorrow and how far is Kota Takai away from being available?

Thomas: "Kolo Muani will not be available. He's not in the squad tomorrow. Kota is better and better. He's trained fully with the team for 10 days, a little bit more than that, so that's promising, definitely."

You said Rodri can still improve - what areas are you looking at?

Thomas: "One thing I've seen... I'm very happy with him as a player and as a character and I think when he plays at his best level, he's at a top level as a midfielder here in the Premier League. I need to see a little bit more consistency there and I want him to be a little more - and I've told him myself, so I'm not saying anything I haven't told him - I want him to be a little bit more dictating the game, getting a little bit more on the ball when it's tough. He's so good on the ball, he's so composed, he's so good to get the ball in tight areas and get out of situations and that I'd like to see a little bit more. That's the first bit. Then I agree, I think he can easily add goals to his game. But the more we can control that middle of the pitch with him, the better."

Archie Gray is heading back to Leeds this weekend - how much do you think he's developed over the last 18 months since he left Leeds?

Thomas: "I didn't follow him with laser focus because he was in another club last year, but he played a lot of Premier League minutes, which is always good for development. No matter what, if you play right-back, centre-back or midfielder - so many minutes, so many experiences, some tough moments as well. And it's the tough moments that develop all of us, we know that. That I like, I like what I've seen from him pre-season. I really, really like him as a player and sometimes you just need to keep doing what he's doing. He's trained well, especially last month, probably. I just see signs of good bits in training. He came on against Bodo, part of making a difference. I think he did good against Doncaster, learned a lot, they played a way where they took the eight out to man mark, so it was a little bit more difficult to shine, if that makes sense. I like everything about him."

Martin Ho provided a positive update on Molly Bartrip while Matilda Vinberg is back in contention for our Barclays Women’s Super League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday (12noon).

The Sweden international, who returned for our home fixture against Manchester City last month after recovering from a slight knock, missed last weekend’s 2-1 win at Leicester City due to illness.

However, the forward has since recovered and could be available to feature in Sunday’s match at Brisbane Road.

Meanwhile, our Head Coach provided a positive update on Molly but admitted that the fixture with the Seagulls will come too soon for her.

Giving us a team news update on Friday afternoon, Martin said: "Molly Bartrip has been back in training in the back end of this week, but this game probably comes too soon for her.

"She will be in full training from Monday. Apart from that, alongside Luana [Buhler] and Ella [Morris] everyone else is fit."

Luana and Ella remain long-term absentees.

Cathinka Tandberg has been nominated for the Barclays Women’s Super League Player of the Month award for the first time.

A summer arrival from Hammarby IK, the forward has enjoyed an impressive first month in England’s top flight as she helped us to pick up nine points in four games with two goals and one assist.

Making her debut in our WSL season opener against West Ham United, the Norway international opened her account in outrageous style with a 40-yard stunner in a 2-0 win at Everton, a game where she also assisted Olga Ahtinen’s goal on Merseyside.

To cap off the month, the 21-year-old was back on the scoresheet away at Leicester City as she poked home our opening goal in the 2-1 win over the Foxes.

Watch | Tandberg's 40-yard stunner against Everton