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Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke scored this past weekend in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United, rescuing a point with a header in the second half of stoppage time. But he did not earn many plaudits from the Spurs faithful despite the backing of the manager Roberto De Zerbi, as Solanke messed up two golden opportunities to score in the first half. And had he been more sharper in the final third, Spurs would have beaten a listless Man United at Old Trafford.

Everything but the goals has been there for Tottenham, who are one of the worst teams in the Premier League table yet again after six Matchdays but are regularly outplaying their opponents since two rough Matchdays to start the season against Brentford and Newcastle United.

Solanke has not been the only failure in the Spurs attack, as new signing Omar Marmoush has also been sub standard in the starting 11. But Solanke has had lower lows than Marmoush without the same creative spark, struggling with his all around play.

Tottenham can only wonder if they'd be better with Will Lankshear

Tottenham Hotspur fans can't help but wonder if Will Lankshear would be doing a lot better even with a jump up in competition in the Premier League. Spurs sold him for a hefty fee to Middlesborough this summer transfer window, and while they were not initially thinking about a permanent sale, they realized that 10 million pounds with a potential 10 million pounds in add ons was too much to pass up on.

Now, though, Tottenham are regretting the sale, and Lankshear scored again, putting another crucial goal past an EFL Championship keeper in a 3-2 win for Middlesborough over Stoke. Lankshear has been showing up Solanke all season long in terms of his clinical nature, and even though the EFL Championship is obviously not the Premier League, the traits he is showing with his finishing and instincts are that of a true No. 9 - something that Spurs very obviously lack.

Dominic Solanke is on his last legs as a starter for Tottenham. Roberto De Zerbi banished Richarilson out of the squad after a late transfer window squabble, and he has even foregone blockbuster signing Omar Marmoush for the 2024 transfer flop. But unless Solanke scores and scores soon, he is going to have to sit on the bench, no matter what De Zerbi wants to think.

And Will Lankshear now sitting on 8 goals in 10 Championship games does not reflect well on Big Dom either. Lankshear's latest goal is another shot across the bow for Solanke, and he has no excuses if he starts next week vs. Coventry.

Tottenham Hotspur have not won a single game this season despite outplaying all of their opponents since Matchdays 1 and 2, as they drew this past weekend against Manchester United 1-1. But they are no longer 20th out of 20 Premier League teams after Matchday 6, as local rivals Fulham lost 2-1 to newly promoted Ipswich Town to stay on two points and move behind Spurs after previously being just barely ahead on goal difference.

Spurs are recovering from the disastrous reign of Thomas Frank, who took over a team that was already in 17th in the Premier League from the 2024/25 season but had won the Europa League. And he made Spurs demonstrably worse. He was definitely hurt by terrible recruitment, but Frank had even Spurs best players doubting themselves and hating football, with stars like Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro looking like shells of themselves.

Roberto De Zerbi came in and saved the day, sparing Spurs relegation blushes after Frank did his best to bury them into the sand. And the difference between how Tottenham Hotspur play under De Zerbi and the awful, negative football they played under Frank is so apparent that any self respecting Spurs fan has to remember to give De Zerbi that credit for the turn around. Because it was not easy.

Fulham are looking at Thomas Frank

But the media and other clubs do not pay attention to the plight of Tottenham and seem to think that everything is Spurs fault. So Thomas Frank continues to have backers and admirers, even as another old club of his, Brentford, are also clearly better off without him.

According to a new report from Alex Crook of talkSPORT, talented young manager Alvaro Arbeloa of Real Madrid fame is already facing pressure of his own at Fulham after six matches, which is to be expected since the Cottagers are dead last in the Premier League after previously being European sleepers under Marco Silva. And the leading candidate to replace Arbeloa is Thomas Frank.

But any Tottenham fan can tell you that just looking at the results after a few weeks is misleading. For example, Frank had a great start to his career at Spurs and turned out to be a total dud. De Zerbi and Arbeloa are struggling, but anyone can see that they have great ideas tactically compared to Frank.

Fulham hiring Frank would be a gift to Spurs, because he was beyond awful last season at N17. If Fulham hire him, that could be another rival joining West Ham United in being gone from the Premier League and vindication for Spurs fans as to how terrible Frank is if that happens. They will be rooting, out of pure schadenfreude, for Fulham to make this misstep.

Tottenham Hotspur star attacking midfielder Xavi Simons is unmistakably the team's most talented player and was legitiamtely a Bundesliga Player of the Season caliber midfielder for RB Leipzig before his move to Spurs, and in the brief period of time he and Roberto De Zerbi worked together at the end of the disastrous 2025/26 Premier League season, he looked like he was well on his way to becoming one of the best attacking midfielders in the league before an untimely ACL tear during the relegation fight.

Simons is expected to be out until the winter as he rehabs from the injury. After the terrible Dejan Kulusevski knee injury, Tottenham fans are especially wary about all updates regarding their latest star playmaker's knee issue, so they were on the alert when a report from the Netherlands began to circulate with some pessimism regarding his injury status and a potentially delayed recovery course.

Xavi Simons is not having issues thus far

That rumor, however, does not appear to be substantiated. Because a far more reliable source of Tottenham Hotspur news is saying something different. Alasdair Gold of Football.London is reporting that while Xavi Simons will not be traveling with the rest of his Tottenham teammates for the bonding trip to Marbella, Spain, he is recovering well. He has been working "at speed" on the grass with his boots on over the past two weeks. Gold says that he is still on track for the usual return timeline from an ACL tear in late January.

So as per usual, an outsider's information on a Tottenham player appears to be uninformed and much ado about nothing. There is no need to be playing the sirens or fretting about Simons, though Spurs fans have built up enough cynicism over the years regarding injuries that there will still always be worry about a star player until they are back on the pitch.

Simons and Dejan Kulusevski, who is inching closer and closer to his return after 18 months out with an even more serious knee injury than an ACL tear, are two players Tottenham fans are begging to see in the attack to add creativity, quality, and even goal scoring to a Spurs side desperate for end product. And soon, James Maddison will also be able to start for the first time since his own torn ACL at the end of the 2024/25 season. Tottenham's playmakers are healing, and that includes their young Dutch international.

Despite signing three new centre-backs in the summer, Tottenham seemingly regard Brazilian teenager Arthur Dias as a talent they simply can't pass up.

Dias made his first international appearance for the Seleção during the recent international break, marking a key milestone in his rise to mainstream prominence back home.

An imposing presence, given that he stands at 6’5", Dias possesses throwback attributes but is blessed with enough talent on the ball to appease the archetypal modern-day coach. A breakout 2026 in Brazil means plenty believe it's time for Dias to take the plunge and showcase his talent to European audiences.

And it looks like there will be a fierce battle for his signature next year.

Barcelona among clubs Spurs competing against for Arthur Dias

Spurs shouldn't be actively in the market for a centre-back, but Dias, as a result of his sky-high potential and meagre valuation, is one the club is keeping an eye on. Reports out of Brazil suggested the Lilywhites made a move for the teenager in the summer, but had an £18m offer rejected by Athletico.

Now, Dias is being linked with a £10m move to Barcelona in 2027. Spanish outlet SPORT writes that Barça are just one of several clubs monitoring the defender's situation at Athletico, with sporting director Deco looking at an array of option to bolster the left side of Hansi Flick's defence.

The back-to-back La Liga champions curiously opted against signing a centre-back in the summer, having failed to replace Iñigo Martínez the previous year. Gerard Martín has filled in ably alongside the outstanding Pau Cubarsí, but Flick would surely want greater security in reserve.

If Spurs are in the race for the 19-year-old, which I'm quite skeptical about, it may take a drastic surge up the Premier League table to catch Dias' attention. The Brazilian recently spoke about his desire to play at the highest level in Europe, and Champions League football is something we currently can't guarantee him.

“Every player dreams of playing in the Champions League one day, of competing in a massive tournament," the young defender said.

“I’m very happy that there are clubs interested in me. That means I’m doing a good job on the pitch, but I always say that without my teammates and coaches, I wouldn’t be where I am."

Dias insisted he's content at Athletico, but the teenager certainly wouldn't be the first or last to be smitten by a major European proposal.

The pressure on Roberto De Zerbi's back from the national media has eased after the likes of Gary Neville watched Tottenham Hotspur play against another one of the biggest clubs in English football, and even though Spurs barely drew 1-1 with Manchester United, anyone could see that they were playing the better football, with even United fans booing their own at the half after watching Spurs own them in possession.

Despite all the positives Tottenham have shown in terms of their ability to dominate the ball and move it up the pitch tactically, Spurs are still 19th in the Premier League, just one point ahead of Fulham, because they cannot score. Dominic Solanke missed a few sitters, as did Mohammed Kudus, and Spurs did not score until the 92nd minute to tie the game despite having way more opportunities on the ball.

The match against Manchester United was a reminder that if De Zerbi has a problem and will ultimately face pressure for his job if results do not improve, then it will have nothing to do with his actual coaching. Because the Italian international's tactics and ideas are largely phenomenal, which is why Spurs are so dominant and have improved greatly in terms of how they play from their last managers, including polar opposites Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank.

Roberto De Zerbi left something on the table in the transfer market

But as a general manager, Roberto De Zerbi leaves a lot to be desired. The players he signed were not necessarily bad. Savio is awesome. Mateus Fernandes is a future star in the making, while Jan Paul van Hecke, Omar Marmoush, and Sandro Tonali are good footballers. And as far as veteran free agent signings go, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi aren't terrible either.

The thing is, Tottenham Hotspur spent a lot of money and have nothing to show for it so far in terms of tangible improvements in the table. If anything, they are literally worse, and while it's too early to make that sweeping statement on how they will do this season, it is enough to state that the additions haven't really helped enough so far.

At the crux of it all, Tottenham knew they needed goals and a top striker. They did not sign the right personnel to score more, and De Zerbi had the carte blanche to do whatever he wanted with the players he signed; hence why Spurs signed so many of his personal favorites for admittedly inflated fees like Sandro Tonali and Jan Paul van Hecke. So De Zerbi's undoing may ultimately be his lack of ability on the transfer market, rather than any coaching flaw.

Tottenham Hotspur signed teenage winger Yang Min-hyeok from Gangwon FC in South Korea during the 2024 summer transfer window, and while most of the attention among young attacking midfielders and wingers at Spurs has gone to Mikey Moore, who is now on loan at FC Koln after a very successful 2025/26 season with Rangers, the now 20 year old South Korean youth international is also a player definitely worth watching.

Another potential Johan Lange gem from out of left field, Min-hyeok played really well for Portsmouth last season and earned a new loan to a more attacking Coventry during the 2025/26 EFL Championship season, but the ambitious move to join a bigger side in the second division - one that has now been promoted to the Premier League and will be facing Spurs very soon - did not pay off. Min-hyeok only played in three games and totally fell off the radar after his loan to Coventry proved to be a bust.

Now, Min-hyeok is getting experience in a top flight league, and while it is not a top five league, the Belgian division is becoming an even bigger haven for top talents - just look at what Christos Tzolis is doing immediately after joining Tottenham's arch rivals Arsenal from Club Brugge.

Yang Min-hyeok scored a worldie for Westerlo

Min-hyeok isn't playing for as big of a club, but the U21 winger is already make a statement at Westerlo that he deserves far more minutes than what he got at either Coventry or even Portsmouth. In his third substitute appearance of the 2026/27 Belgian season - he has not started yet - Min-hyeok scored this incredible left footed goal to the far post from the edge of the box on the counter with an insane Cristiano Ronaldo style chop.

Westerlo already had the game, a 5-1 win over Royal Antwerp, in the bag, but the moment of magic itself from Yang Min-hyeok was one of the best goals by a winger in European football this week and displayed a level of skill, composure, technical quality, speed, and finishing that Tottenham Hotspur are desperate to see.

The comparisons to a certain South Korean Spurs legend are inevitable, but it is best to temper them. That being said, Min-hyeok is a serious talent whom Spurs signed for a reason, and with Luca Williams-Barnett and Mikey Moore having strong moments so far this season, Min-hyeok looks like he is telling everyone that his time is next. Watch out.

Antonín Kinksy's redemption in north London culminated in the young Czech goalkeeper receiving full backing from Roberto De Zerbi.

Kinsky, infamously withdrawn after 17 minutes at the Metropolitano in February, got a second chance after Guglielmo Vicario underwent hernia surgery. While some called for Brandon Austin, De Zerbi trusted the technically proficient Czech to bounce back.

And Kinsky seized that opportunity with both hands. Sure, the end of last season wasn't perfect, but the nature of his renaissance pointed towards a mentally resolute goalkeeper whose career with the Lilywhites was far from over, as it'd been suggested after his horror show in Madrid.

There had been a time when the transfer rumour mills were laden with goalkeeper links. Vicario's demise meant a summer reset made sense, and unless Kinsky proved himself to be devoid of mental scars, it seemed likely that Spurs would acquire a new No. 1.

Among those linked was then-Freiburg shot-stopper Noah Atubolu.

Tottenham should have no regrets about goalkeeper decision

Spurs have had a pretty wretched start to the season, even if the expected is more impressive than the actual. The 1-1 draw at Manchester United was another contest we'd ought to have won, and Kinsky played a role in our late surge, denying Bryan Mbeumo a second on the counter-attack.

Kinsky's numbers are underwhelming through six games, but few would suggest that he ranks highly among our concerns. Anything but. Plus, the Czech has performed with a stoic swagger in possession, elevating our build-up play in tandem with Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi.

If there was a goalkeeper Spurs could've signed to usurp Kinsky in the summer, it certainly shouldn't have been Atubolu. Spurs were scouting the highly-rated German goalkeeper towards the end of last season, amid Atubolu's impressive campaign with Freiburg. The Bundesliga side finished seventh in the table and were beaten in the Europa League final by Aston Villa.

Atubolu was courted by the likes of Spurs and Juventus, but would end up on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt for 2026/27. However, the young shot-stopper has not had the start to the season he would've wanted.

Frankfurt are down in 14th and defensively woeful (again). Atubolu's 16 concessions are the second-most in the league, and he was particularly awful in Saturday's 6-0 beatdown at the hands of RB Leipzig. He's saved just 61% of shots faced, but does stack up pretty well on the goals prevented front. Given the quality of the shots he's so far encountered, Atubolu has been expected to concede 16 times. Still, he hasn't yet elevated a Frankfurt team that was a tumultuous, porous mess last season.

While the penalty-saving record is remarkable (Atubolu has saved six straight in the Bundesliga), this quirk appears to be no more than an exciting novelty for a goalkeeper who's struggling to fulfil his enormous potential.

I'm more than happy we stuck with Kinsky.

Tottenham Hotspur have played well this season under Roberto De Zerbi, but their first win of the campaign still eludes them. They drew this past weekend 1-1 with Manchester United, overcoming a controversial red card decision, but they are having trouble putting the ball in the back of the net despite their dominance.

Next week on Monday Night Football, the Lilywhites will take on newly promoted Premier League side Coventry, and many view that as their best chance at picking up their first win of the season. Coming into Matchday 6, Coventry had lost four games and had not scored more than one goal in any match, and, on paper, they are far less talented than Spurs.

But Spurs got another reminder that things are not always as they seem on paper, as Coventry had a field day on Monday Night Football this week to close Matchday 6. They absolutely trounced the same Newcastle United side that defeated Tottenham 2-0 on Matchday 2, somehow scoring four past the Magpies in a 4-1 victory that has sent a shocking statement to Spurs.

Coventry are not a certain victory at all for Spurs

All of a sudden, Tottenham Hotspur's best shot at snagging their first win of the campaign before they face rivals Chelsea on Oct. 24 is far less than a certainty and looking maybe even like a potential doubt, especially since Spurs struggled against that same Newcastle side that Coventry owned.

Coventry were great as a team on both ends of the pitch, defending with all of their hearts and attacking fluidly as a unit. They looked better in the spotlight against Newcastle as the underdogs than Tottenham have at any point this season, and they made Newcastle look as overmatched as the time Charlton Athletic from the EFL Championship played to Spurs in the League Cup opener this season.

Tottenham are going to have to bring their "A" game against Coventry next week on Monday Night Football, and while it's not as if Roberto De Zerbi and his crew were planning on doing anything else, what Coventry did to Newcastle on Matchday 6 is a reminder that you just cannot take any opponent for granted in the Premier League. With Coventry in this form, they are going to be so difficult for Spurs to beat, and Spurs attack may not be able to match them if they don't really start to step it up with their creativity and finishing on Matchday 7.

Tottenham are currently blessed with one of Europe's best left-backs, and no, I'm not referring to the once-outstanding Andy Robertson entering his twilight.

The former Liverpool stalwart joined the club as a free agent in the summer, having come close to arriving in January. Robertson's signing divided the fanbase, with those in favour pointing towards the Scot's intangibles and those against taming expectations given the left-back's body of work over the past couple of years.

He's certainly lost a step, and in truth, the 32-year-old has been more of a hindrance than a help on the field at the start of his Spurs career. Still, Robertson is an easy character to admire, and his blossoming friendship with fellow old head Ben Davies has been one of the wholesome subplots of the season so far.

And Roberto De Zerbi will continue to call upon him, even with an outstanding first choice atop the pecking order. Why? Well, as superb as Destiny Udogie is when fit and firing, the Italian's injury woes have a knack for undermining a majestic groove.

We can only hope the bug stays away from Udogie moving forward.

Destiny Udogie's fitness is a crucial sub-plot in Tottenham's season

De Zerbi has been forced to carefully manage Udogie's minutes so far this term, and he again didn't complete 90 minutes on Saturday. He was withdrawn after Bryan Mbeumo's opener, with Micky van de Ven proving that he can offer an alternative solution when Robertson's not available, which was the case in Manchester.

Udogie was excellent at Old Trafford. It was the sort of performance we grew familiar with at the start of Ange Postecoglou's tenure—those utopian opening 10 games.

The Italian is such an imposing figure who can overwhelm attackers physically and surge gloriously when he has the ball. He's a clever runner in the final third, but also combines well with teammates. I thought he was brilliant in the Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool, and this showing was of a similar ilk.

It just feels like he's a sustained run of form away from once again being recognised by the masses, not that it matters. We're the only folk who'll enjoy the fruits of his labour, and thus need to appreciate him.

Whether he can stay fit is the million-dollar question. Since his arrival, Udogie has suffered 11 different injuries and missed 46 matches for club and country, per Transfermarkt. We can only hope that De Zerbi's cautious management, encouraged by an overhauled medical team, aids Udogie in the long run.

It's night and day between a purring Udogie and his veteran reserve.

Life has just been that little bit bleaker without Xavi Simons donning Lilywhite.

The Dutchman's debut season in north London was ultimately imperfect, yet there were multiple glimpses of just how bright our future could be with Xavi functioning as the creative heartbeat. Our No. 7 quickly grasped what it meant to wear the shirt, endearing himself to a fanbase that expected so much.

An absence of playmakers has hindered the start of Roberto De Zerbi's first full season in charge, with Xavi unavailable due to the ACL tear he sustained in April, James Maddison struggling for fitness and Dejan Kulusevski still awaiting his return from a complicated patella injury sustained a lifetime ago.

Reports suggest Xavi is making swift progress in his recovery from a long-term setback, and is expected to be back fit in the new year.

In the meantime, the Dutch maestro will be keeping himself busy back at school.

Xavi Simons enrols at esteemed Harvard University during injury recovery

The 23-year-old confirmed over the weekend that he's enrolled in a business course at the esteemed Harvard University.

“During my recovery, I’ve been trying to use my time in the best way possible,” Xavi wrote on LinkedIn. “Football is still my main focus, but I also want to keep learning and improving away from the pitch. I’m happy to share that I’ve been accepted onto the Crossover Into Business Program at Harvard Business School."

The Program describes itself as a “semester-long program in which professional athletes develop their business acumen by working with MBA student mentors.” An array of NBA and NFL athletes have previously enrolled, as well as women's tennis star Victoria Azarenka.

Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga was also briefly a Harvard student, taking a short course in the 'business of entertainment, media and sports' after he was left out of France's World Cup squad.

Simons added: “I’ve always been interested in more than just football. I want to understand the business side of the game better, learn from people in different industries, and keep developing as a person.

“Getting back on the pitch is still my number one priority. At the same time, I want to use this period to keep learning and invest in myself beyond football.”

Xavi has spent time out in the States during his recovery, spending time with the Baltimore Ravens and Boston Celtics as part of his specialised rehabiliation programme. He was back in the United Kingdom at the weekend, though, watching on in the stands at Old Trafford as De Zerbi's 10 men claimed a late point.