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Panting as he sprinted back towards the Manchester City goal, Ilkay Gundogan gestured towards James Maddison.

Unable to keep up with the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Gundogan could only watch with anguish as Maddison made it beyond John Stones to guide the ball with his left foot into the bottom corner.

At that stage of the game, Spurs' clinical break felt something of a fluke. It had begun with Radu-Matei Drăgușin's hopeful long ball, which was crafted into a chance by the guile of the exceptional Dejan Kulusevski, who played the inch-perfect pass for Maddison to convert.

However, once the City net rippled, it was as if the Tottenham Hotspur team collectively realized that bypassing their opponent's midfielder was far easier than their minds had let them believe.

White shirts flooded forward in attack after attack, and Gundogan looked every one of his 34 years. Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma repeatedly outmuscled or outpaced him in what became a humiliating 0-4 collapse.

It's unfair to single out the legendary German international as being to blame for Manchester City's current woes. But his floundering presence in the centre of the Etihad pitch is emblematic of the club's struggles.

Gundogan was Pep Guardiola's first signing when he arrived in North West England eight years ago. He is also his most recent addition, having re-signed for the club this summer.

In his defense, when he returned, there was little suggestion he'd be relied upon as Manchester City's first-choice defensive midfielder for most of the season. He reinforced a midfield engine that has had sparse investment in the past five seasons.

The season-ending ACL injury to Rodri has left a gaping hole, which meant that on Saturday evening, Guardiola had to bank on the teenage Rico Lewis, Bernardo Silva, and Gundogan to resist the energetic Spurs midfield.

If City's issues were confined to the area where they were missing Rodri, that would feel manageable.

But as the game reached its conclusion, there was another moment that drove home an equally concerning issue.

Bernardo Silva lost the ball by halfway, and it was played to Timo Werner, who faced down Kyle Walker.

As he had done so many times before with players like Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, the English right-back offered his opponent the opportunity to race.

Usually, the result is that Walker turns on the afterburners and wins the duel.

But against Spurs, Werner showed the Manchester City captain a clean set of heels as Walker pumped his arms and puffed his cheeks.

And like that, the magic trick for foiling counterattacks Guardiola's team has relied on for years is gone.

The question is, how on earth does the Catalan coach address these cracks in the foundations of his team?

A Man With Solutions

There was no getting around the fact that Tottenham Hotspurs win was historic.

The margin of victory, 0-4, which came after four successive defeats, set new records for both Guardiola and Manchester City.

But when he faced down the media, the Catalan coach remained philosophical when faced with the milestones.

"When you lose 4-0 there is not much to say," Guardiola said post game," in eight years we never lived this. I knew sooner or later we would drop.

"I never expected to lose three Premier League games in a row but we have been incredibly consistent again and again and again. Now, we cannot deny the reality that sometimes happens in football and life is here."

Any observer of Guardiola knows that the coach is likely to become more dogmatic in the face of such adversity.

All his successes have been delivered when he's found a new way to control the game, whether with a false nine or a centre-half playing in midfield.

In his postmortem, it was the lack of control he chose to focus on.

"We are a bit fragile right now, that is obvious," he added "We struggled to score goals and after when they arrived they scored.

"We are playing with a little bit of negativity in our thoughts but this is normal. Football is a sense

of mood.

"We were always a consistent team conceding few chances. Our game was about control.

"This is not a team created to do box-to-box 40 times in a game - we are not good at that. We were always a team who conceded few, but now we concede more. I would like there to just be one reason but there are many."

You wouldn't bet against Guardiola finding a solution to this issue; he has demonstrated that he can craft answers to seemingly impossible questions.

But the stark reality is that his tools on some parts of the pitch have never been more limited.

It’s often said that the Premier League table starts to take shape after ten games. That’s not the case this season.

With eleven matches played heading into the November international break, there’s only one point separating Chelsea in third from Aston Villa in ninth.

Over the past five seasons, that gap after eleven games has been an average of 6.4 points.

Further down the table, Manchester United, whose miserable start to the season led to head coach Eric Ten Hag losing his job, are only four points behind Chelsea. Incoming boss Ruben Amorim certainly won’t be writing off this season just yet!

That gap in previous seasons was around ten points.

With almost nothing separating the sides between third and 13th, other factors could be more useful in analyzing where in the table a team might be at Christmas, let alone at the end of the season.

Based on Opta’s statistics for the first ten games, out of the teams from third to 13th, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion had the toughest fixtures. Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Manchester City had the easiest first ten fixtures.

Given that the next run of fixtures will be roughly opposite as the teams who’ve had easier games will have the hard games coming up, it is likely that Newcastle will rise up the table at the expense of Forest, while Chelsea could emerge as Liverpool’s main title contender if the Blues keep up their early season form.

Expected goals is often criticized as games are won and lost by actual goals, but when the league table is as close as it is, xG does have a role to play in looking at who is overperforming or underperforming.

The current table based on expected goals has Fulham in second place behind Liverpool. Fulham’s strong performance is down to having a solid backline, which has the second-best expected goals against. Currently seventh in the league, Fulham’s xG suggests it could be a season to remember at Craven Cottage, especially if Fulham’s strikers can start converting their chances.

Nottingham Forest’s high position in the table might be partly down to an extremely kind run of fixtures at the start of the season, but the types of goals scored and conceded is positive reading for the Tricky Trees. Forest’s weakness last season was set pieces – the Reds scored just 7 goals and conceded 22 from set plays, but has already managed five set piece goals so far this season, conceding just two. Forest had the most goals from counterattacks last season but has just one counterattack goal this campaign. Expect this number to increase as Forest uses counterattacking tactics against the league’s stronger teams over the coming weeks.

Chelsea’s goalkeeper Robert Sanchez is often seen as a weak link in the team, but based on expected goals, the Blues’ defense would have conceded at least four more goals than it actually has this season, so perhaps Sanchez deserves more credit than he’s been getting. Head coach Enzo Maresca will have to cut down on the number and quality of chances conceded for Chelsea to maintain its strong start to the season.

Spurs are fourth based on the xG table, often coming out on the wrong side of close games this season. Ange Postecoglou’s side has had the second-most shots per game this season, and has conceded the second fewest shots per game, so there is hope for the North London side, although a tough run of fixtures means it’ll be hard for Tottenham to gain much ground before Christmas.

Manchester United’s revival appears to have already started. With a new head coach coming in, it would be meaningless to make predictions based on United’s current statistics, but should United get good results against Ipswich Town and Everton in the next two Premier League games, then the league table will look a lot more positive for the Red side of Manchester.

Dejan Kulusevski shone as brightly as any player on the pitch as Tottenham Hotspur defeated Manchester City to send the English champions crashing out of the Carabao Cup. It was a statement result and performance by the North London side and helped prove Ange Postecoglou is still pointing Spurs in the right direction.

Kulusevski assisted both of Tottenham’s two goals and was a creative force through the centre of the pitch. This has been a common sight at various points this season with the Swedish international back in favour having been a peripheral figure earlier in his Spurs career. Now, Tottenham need Kulusevski for his unique skillset.

Last season, Postecoglou favoured Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr as a pairing in central midfield. This gave Tottenham structure and defensive fibre, but sometimes limited what it could do in a creative and attacking sense. This is what presumably led Postecoglou to look for different solutions in the middle of the pitch.

This season, Postecoglou has shifted into a midfield three with Kulusevski part of the trio. Previously, the 24-year-old has been viewed as a wide player or someone to be deployed in behind a central striker. Now, Kulusevski has responsibilities on both sides of the ball. He is growing with almost every match he is playing this season.

Some criticism came Kulusevski’s way after his underwhelming performance in Tottenham’s recent defeat to Crystal Palace. The 1-0 loss was yet another momentum-halting moment in Spurs’ stop-start season and many supporters pointed the figure at Kulusevski.

Against City just a few days later, though, he was outstanding. Alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Sarr in the midfield trio, Kulusevski was an effective valve as Tottenham moved from defence into attack with ease throughout the match. Manchester City couldn’t get a grip of him. Kulusevski is learning lessons game-to-game.

“I think Deki is growing but I think that’s kind of where we are as a group,” said Postecoglou. “A lot of them are growing and growing through experiences. I think for Deki at the weekend was another growth period because he got hurt pretty early and wasn’t happy with it. In many respects, he lost a bit of his composure after that and that’s another growth for him.”

Postecoglou is right to point out that Tottenham as a whole is in a development phase at this moment in time. The Australian has instilled a set of principles that he hopes will allow Spurs to continue to build for the future and Kulusevski is a player responding well to the guidance of his manager.

One of the most remarkable features of matchdays at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is how many fans travel to North London for one player.

From the hospitality suites to the nosebleed seats, supporters who travel from overseas to watch Spurs overwhelmingly do so for Heung Min Son.

Wearing cardboard Son face masks and jerseys with his name on the back, the South Korean contingent has become a permanent fixture over the past decade, cheering whenever the forward gets the ball.

Son, the greatest South Korean soccer player ever, was the first star from Asia to win the Premier League Golden Boot and play in the UEFA Champions League final.

Named Asian Football Confederation international player of the year a record four times, not even the trailblazing Park Ji-Sung comes close to the stardom the Tottenham Hotspur striker has achieved.

On the field, his performances for Spurs have been so consistently brilliant that we almost take for granted how good a player he is and how incredibly down-to-earth he is.

Back in South Korea, Son has rightly earned the status of a national hero and wears the lofty honor with admirable modesty.

As former team-mate and friend Moussa Sissoko told the BBC when Son reached 100 goals in the Premier League: "He always finds it easy to laugh and talk with people.

"He tries to motivate everyone. When the dressing room is sad for some reason, he's always there to make you smile again.

"Sometimes you come in after training, or after a game, when you've had a bad moment, and to have someone like him is very important. Sonny is this type of player. If you ask anyone, they'll tell you the same. He's a top man, a top player, a top human being."

He's also incredibly loyal, remaining with Tottenham Hotspur through good and bad moments.

Even when his close pal and foil on the field, Harry Kane, pushed for a move away, Son stayed in a manner that may have been to his detriment when he looks back on his career.

As former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood once said, "No one ever questions his loyalty to Tottenham; no one ever does because he is a humble boy. Long may it continue."

While it is easy to appreciate his dedication as a player, it is harder to quantify his value as an asset to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, a new report by the sports blockchain, Chiliz, revealed the extent Spurs owe Son for putting the club amongst the elite of overseas fanbases.

Son Powered Spurs

Spurs had the sixth-most fans globally, ahead of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich, according to the 'The Global Fan' report, which surveyed 8,000 soccer fans across the UK, USA, Brazil, South Korea, Nigeria, Japan, Italy, and Turkey.

Unsurprisingly, Tottenham Hotspur's high standing came from the scale of its Son-inspired fandom in South Korea, where a whopping 42% cited the North London side as their favorite team.

Commenting on the research, the club's chief revenue officer, Ryan Norys, said the club had been leaning into the popularity in Asia.

"Regardless of location, it is of paramount importance to us that all fans feel they are part of the Spurs family," he said.

"One region that has truly become a hotbed for our support is South Korea. We're immensely proud of our strong following there, which has grown significantly in recent years.

"Our aim is to build a long-lasting and meaningful relationship with our South Korean supporters to ensure we keep them connected to our club for years and generations to come.

"We have actively engaged with our fans in the region, making multiple trips for preseason tours. These visits have been essential in not just strengthening our fan base but in laying the foundations of a solid support network.

"But it's never just about playing matches - we know fans desire more than that. We've had a clear focus on interacting with the fans, understanding how they connect with football, and tailoring our approach to deepen that connection."

Playing matches is essential, though. As Tottenham Hotspur has visited Asia every summer a preseason tour has been possible with travel restrictions for the past five years.

But what's so interesting about Tottenham Hotspurs' success is that it demonstrates the power of the individual player to win a fanbase.

Although it plays in the most popular league on the planet and has challenged at the top of the division for spells in Son's tenure, nobody would describe it as a particularly glorious period in the club's history. As rival fans relish pointing out, a trophy has yet to arrive at the club in close to 15 years.

An explanation of sorts can be found in the regional differences the Global Fan report uncovered.

Chiliz found that in Asia respondents to the survey cited individual players as a primary reason to support their overseas team, with 58% of South Koreans and half of Japan's fan base stating that's why they'd picked their club.

This trend was demonstrated in Brighton and Hove Albion being ranked the 8th most popular side in Japan, ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea, possibly because it possesses exciting local talent, Karou Mitoma.

The question for Tottenham Hotspur is whether it can maintain this level of support amongst Koreans when Son leaves or retires.

A decade spent in North London has established strong ties with supporters in Asia. Still, it remains to be seen if that will translate into families encouraging their children to follow the club on the other side of the world.

Norys and the rest of the Spurs hierarchy will hope that is the case, but the truth is, we don't know.

Regardless of how long-lasting Tottenham Hotspur's popularity in South Korea is, one thing is abundantly clear: the club would not be in the top ten rankings for any global fan survey were it not for the steadfast loyalty of their continental superstar Son.

There’s no doubt Ange Postecoglou has made Tottenham Hotspur a more entertaining team to watch. The Australian arrived in North London not long after the end of the Antonio Conte era at Spurs with supporters keen to see their side play a dynamic, attack-minded brand of soccer. This is something Postecoglou has achieved.

However, there are growing questions over his ability to deliver the sort of tangible success Tottenham wants. Spurs doesn’t just want to be entertaining - it wants to win titles and trophies. It wants to compete for silverware at the top of English and European soccer, and this is where Postecoglou’s approach is still to be proven.

In essence, Postecoglou wants his teams to take risks. He adopts a high defensive line to facilitate the counter-pressing of the players further forward and takes his chances that this will result on high-percentage opportunities to find the back of the net. Tottenham fans have seen this over the last two seasons.

In some matches, though, that high defensive line has been exposed. There is space in behind for opposition attackers to exploit and this has given Spurs a soft underbelly. Many believe it will be difficult for them to challenge for the biggest prizes until this weakness has been shored up, either through a change of approach or a change of personnel.

Cristian Romero has allowed mistakes to creep into his game. The Argentina international was at fault for Brighton’s winner before the international break, losing Danny Welbeck as he attacked a cross into the box, and this sort of thing has become the norm for the central defender. Postecoglou must find a way to get better out of him.

Set pieces have also been a weakness for Tottenham. Guglielmo Vicario has been targeted for his lack of physicality from corner kicks, but many argue Postecoglou and his coaching staff should be doing a better job of organising his team when defending their own box. Spurs is simply too weak at the back.

Nonetheless, Tottenham has embarked on a long-term project with Postecoglou in charge and the team is still on an upward trajectory in a broad sense. Spurs’ performances this season have been better than the results the team has registered. In many ways, Tottenham should be higher than ninth in the Premier League table. It remains the case, though, that Postecoglou still has a point to prove.

Tottenham Hotspur needed a win to prove its progress under Ange Postecoglou and the North London club got one in the comprehensive 3-0 away victory over Manchester United on Sunday. While most of the post-match focus will be on United and Erik ten Hag, Spurs deserves a lot of credit for the manner of the performance at Old Trafford.

There were standout performers all over the pitch. Dominic Solanke gave Tottenham cutting edge in the attacking third while Micky van de Ven was a colossus in defence, also contributing an incredible solo assist for the first goal of the game. Many, however, would point to Dejan Kulusevski as the best player on the pitch.

Kulusevski has arguably been Tottenham’s best and most consistent player this season. While the Swede previously lacked a clear role in Postecoglou’s team, he has become a central pillar for Tottenham this term. The 24-year-old demonstrated this in the eye-catching win over Manchester United.

Postecoglou has remoulded his midfield this season with Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison now being used in a central trio alongside Kulusevski. Last season, Kulusevski was largely deployed on the right wing, but his role this season has been a central one with the Swede showcasing plenty of quality on both sides of the ball.

Maddison also looks back to his best with Kulusevski sharing some of the creative burden with the England international who was desperately missed when he was sidelined through injury for a lengthy period of last season. The two midfielders compliment each other well with Bentancur behind them as a pace-setter.

“They are both really good intelligent footballers,” Postecoglou said about Kulusevski and Maddison after beating Manchester United. “The way we play suits their characteristics because Maddison does so much damage with the ball and Kulusevski does so much damage with his running. It’s a good balance for us in that attacking third.”

Spurs is still a work-in-progress, but the performances of Postecoglou’s team have been better than the results registered. The Australian coach has made this point several times and now he has the 3-0 win over Manchester United to prove Tottenham is moving forward under his stewardship.

The summer transfer window saw Solanke signed with Tottenham’s other business focusing on signing high-potential youngsters. In Kulusevski, though, Spurs has a player that is now being used in a new way. The Swede is finally proving himself as an important figure for the North London outfit.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has pleaded for more time to revive the club in the aftermath of yet another disappointing performance.

United suffered a humiliating 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday to prompt speculation Ten Hag could soon lose his job.

The defeat left United slumped in 12th place in the Premier League table with just seven points from their first six games, and a goal difference of minus three.

“I am not thinking about this,” Ten Hag replied when asked if the club’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his executives could make a change of manager.

“We all made in the summer the decision to stay together, as an ownership, a leadership group. Also we made the decision from a clear review what we have to improve and how we want to construct a squad. But we knew it will take some time, how the window went, some players late in like Manuel Ugarte.”

“Also we have to make some improvement in organisation, we still have some injuries, we need some time. We are all on one page or in one boat together, the ownership, the staff and the players as well. I don’t have that concern.”

The scoreline was bad, but the performance was even worse from United, who went behind after only three minutes and allowed Tottenham to have 61% possession and 24 shots on goal.

It was only the performance of their goalkeeper Andre Onana that prevented an even worse scoreline for United.

“What I saw in the first 30 minutes is below the level of what we can expect from a Manchester United team and even when you concede so early you should stay calm and just stick together and stick to the plan then you would have a foothold in the game and we didn’t have this.”

"You saw that we were stressful on the ball from that moment on the opening goal. We had too many mistakes. The press was no good in the first half. We conceded some counter-attacks after we countered and we made some very bad decisions when we had a lot of space. It was a bad start to the game.”

“Tottenham were dominant. We couldn't get the right press. We also made mistakes in possession. We couldn't find the spare man, we couldn't pass over the press."

United also had their captain Bruno Fernandes sent off three minutes before half-time for a late tackle on James Maddison. "The referee gave him a red card and I've got my opinion, and I don't think it's a red card,” said Ten Hag.

United must now quickly regroup as they face difficult fixtures away to FC Porto in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the Premier League over the next week.

"It is always a new day,” Ten Hag said. “I told them, just in the dressing room, to come on. Tomorrow is a new day. We definitely have to learn, we have to do things better. We have to be better in the pressing and also better on the ball. There were situations where we could have played better, found the spare man and kept the ball and we didn't, which was so disappointing.”

“I just focus on Porto. We close this game down, deal with it and then we move on. We will turn this around. Tomorrow, we will start all over again. The season is still very young, with many games to play."

Old Trafford was largely empty for the final exchanges of Sunday’s match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. The game was long settled before the full time whistle and so many of the home supporters felt they’d seen enough. This is a feeling they have grown accustomed to with Erik ten Hag as United manager.

Ten Hag had to fight to keep his job over the summer. Manchester United finished a lowly eighth in the Premier League table, but victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final hinted at the team’s potential. Nonetheless, ten Hag was made to wait weeks as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS assessed other candidates.

Ultimately, ten Hag was given another opportunity to prove himself, but Manchester United’s dreadful start to the season shows INEOS made the wrong call. Ten Hag should have been replaced in the summer. For all their big talk since entering the club earlier this year, the new leadership botched the biggest decision they have had to make so far.

On the pitch, Manchester United is making the same old mistakes. Ten Hag’s team has no clear identity or structure. At times, United wants to play a chaotic style of play that opens up space and moves from back to front quickly. At other times, it attempts to play a possession-orientated game. It does neither well.

In the past, ten Hag has pointed at the number of injuries to explain Manchester United’s poor performances. It’s certainly true that the Old Trafford team was decimated by injuries for much of last season. Now, though, those injuries have cleared. Ten Hag was able to start a full-strength team in the 3-0 loss to Tottenham.

More than once, ten Hag as pointed to the two trophies Manchester United has won during his time in charge. The reality of modern soccer, however, is that success and failure is judged on league performance and United is grossly underperforming. Ten Hag is running out of excuses to explain away his team’s failures.

INEOS has stated its aim to return Manchester United to the top of English and European soccer, but the club is a long way from that level right now. Ten Hag certainly isn’t the only issue that needs resolving at Old Trafford. There are deep-rooted problems that have been evident for years. Ten Hag, however, might be the easiest issue to solve.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off as his side lost 3-0 to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou looked on throughout from his technical area, which at Old Trafford is further away from the dugouts than is usually the case, and saw his team open the scoring following a buccaneering run from Micky Van de Ven to set up Brennan Johnson in just the third minute of the game.

In truth, Spurs should have scored more in the first half. It looked like it was setting up to be a game where the dominant team would later be made to rue their missed opportunities, but the sending-off just before halftime narrowed the chances of that narrative playing out.

Fernandes slipped as he tried to tackle James Maddison and, in his desperation to still make a challenge, clumsily caught the Spurs midfielder high on his leg.

It was not a controversial decision, but Fernandes was maybe unlucky to lose his footing as he did.

There were boos in Old Trafford as the halftime whistle went, and though some of those were for referee Christopher Kavanagh, there had been general disappointment from the stands about the way their team played in the opening 45 minutes.

Spurs had also dominated the game when it was 11 versus 11, having 61% possession even before the red card to Fernandes.

With a man extra, the visiting team looked to turn the screw. Just two minutes into the second half, Tottenham doubled its lead.

Ten Hag had replaced his center-forward Joshua Zirkzee with defensive midfielder Casemiro at halftime, presumably in an attempt to shut up shop and try to nick a goal on the break, but Spurs’s second goal, from Dejan Kulusevski, left this looking even more unlikely.

It looked like United had nowhere to go, but it found something from somewhere and Old Trafford really got behind the team for a spell of the game from around the hour mark. It looked like they might well nick a goal after all.

Casemiro came closest, sending a shot just wide from Lisandro Martinez’s lofted pass over the Spurs defence.

Though they had voiced their discontent at halftime, the United fans cannot be accused of abandoning their team. Quite the opposite, in fact, as they tried to rouse the players against the odds.

But when Dominic Solanke added Spurs’ third on 78 minutes, the stands began to empty as the rain poured down.

Spurs fans celebrated in the corner of Old Trafford that houses the away supporters, having had a good view of both second-half goals at that end.

Solanke had a chance to make it four in the 90th minute but his shot was saved by Andre Onana, and substitute Mikey Moore sent a shot from distance just past the far post.

The scoreline could have been much more embarrassing for United if not for Onana, who saved two attempts from Timo Werner when the Spurs forward was through on goal.

"We were outstanding," Postecoglou said of his players after the game. "There was a belief and conviction in our football today.

"We were really aggressive with everything with and without the ball, and a fantastic all round performance."

United remain in the bottom half of the table, dropping to 12th below Brentford, while, Tottenham will be looking up the table once again.

Amid the sea of Son Heung-min jerseys, there was another piece of clothing that was popular among fans at Tottenham Hotspur’s preseason games in Seoul: Hello Kitty scarves.

Often Premier League preseason tours are seen as a chance to sell shirts, but this year, Spurs’ local opponents in South Korea, Team K League, have decided to play Spurs at their own game.

The K League has teamed up with Japanese entertainment company Sanrio and convenience store 7Eleven to create keyrings, umbrellas, mousemats and other merchandise combining Sanrio’s popular cartoon characters with K League clubs.

Last season’s champions Ulsan HD, who will be taking part in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, are represented by the cute white dog Cinnamoroll, Daegu FC and Pohang Steelers are represented by rivals My Melody and Kuromi respectively, and gear for the capital club FC Seoul is covered with images of Hello Kitty.

The collaboration has been timed to coincide with Tottenham’s match against Team K League, an all-star team made up of players from each K League club.

Tottenham Hotspur won that match against Team K League 4-3 on Wednesday night, with Son Heung-min scoring twice in the first half. But while most preseason tours seem to benefit the touring team commercially, possibly at the expense of local sides, this year, the K League has done what it can to make sure Spurs’ visit benefits Korean soccer too.

As well as selling Spurs merchandise outside the Seoul World Cup Stadium, the league also had its own products, from the Team K League shirts used for the match, to the Sanrio collaborative items. It also set up a pop-up shop selling those items at the city’s Lotte World Mall, including photo sticker booths and a giant inflatable Hello Kitty in a soccer jersey.

It is capitalizing on a boost in popularity this season. Some of that might be explained by FC Seoul signing former England midfielder Jesse Lingard, but that doesn’t explain the higher attendances in games that haven’t involved FC Seoul.

Lingard is currently injured and couldn’t take part in the Team K League match, but was spotted at the stadium talking to former Nottingham Forest teammate Brennan Johnson.

Instead, the player that fans were focusing on for Team K League was Yang Min-hyuk, who signed for Spurs just before their preseason tour and is set to join the London-based side in January – a monumental rise for a player who was only on a semi-professional contract at the start of the season.

Yang is currently at Gangwon FC, where he has kept them in the title race midway through the K League season.

Korea’s soccer league runs through the summer, which has made it difficult for some European sides to do preseason tours in the country as local clubs have complained that fixture clashes would take the spotlight off K League games on those dates. That, combined with Juventus’ disastrous trip to Seoul in 2019, have meant that the K League and touring European sides have not always seen eye-to-eye.

But this summer at least, Korea’s local soccer league has found a way to benefit from Spurs’ visit.

Tottenham Hotspur finish their trip to Korea with a match against Bayern Munich in Seoul on Saturday.