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Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou believes he has been backed in the transfer window

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Ange Postecoglou believes he has been backed in the transfer window ahead of the market closing later today.

Spurs are not expected to sign anyone else this window, but they have already brought in Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, Wilson Odobert and Lucas Bergvall.

Postecoglou, who turned 59 this week, is happy with how the squad has been shaped this window, with the age demographic of the squad continually lowering.

"If nothing else happens — a couple will still be moving out — I think it's been another positive window for us. [Each window] you want to come out of it in a stronger sense. I certainly feel that," the Australian outlined.

"The players we brought in are making a short-term impact, but - even for the longer term - they will be really good contributors for us. We have a really well-rounded squad to deal with the extra games and whatever injuries we have. It's been a really pleasant window."

The former Celtic manager, who jokingly said he thinks will get a warm reception when Spurs travel to Rangers in the Europa League, continued that a lot of work has been done since he arrived.

"I'm very happy. I think we've done a lot of work in the last 12 months. No doubt the squad has changed — the demographic has changed and [for] the suitability of the style of football I want to play, we are certainly more adapted for that," he stated.

"We needed to do some fairly major work 12 months ago, but there's still work to be done. I don't think it should happen quickly. When it does happen quickly, I think you are more likely to get it wrong."

Postecoglou later added that he believes he has been backed, and that he always looks at the long-term plan when thinking about transfers.

"When you plan to rebuild a team, all managers hope they are here for the long term. But, the reality is that you do not know how long you will be there," the manager stated.

"I have always tried to build a team that will last over a cycle, which is three/four/five years. As a natural consequence of that, you are looking at a younger demographic — a team that will grow, improve and adapt to the challenges ahead.

"When I got here, it was a team that looked like it was at the end of the cycle. Players who had great careers but were ready to move on or getting to the end. That combination, with a different approach, was part of the plan to go younger."

Tottenham's poor record against Newcastle recently

Tottenham's last two trips to St James' Park have been journeys to forget. They lost 4-0 last season, whilst - a year prior - they were humiliated during a 6-1 defeat.

In both situations, they have crumbled under pressure, and the Australian has consistently talked about wanting his time to learn from previous experiences ahead of Sunday's match. In his pre-match press conference, he outlined what went wrong in the North-East in April.

"[There was] a bit of a contrast. Here at home, we did really well against them, but, up there, we didn't. It was a good learning curve for us. We started the game ok and then we conceded. We lost, our first time all year, our composure in the game and we allowed them to score quickly. We know what it's like up there," he said.

"The crowd created a brilliant atmosphere for their team and we did not handle it well. It was a good learning curve. We want to learn from that, but it's still a tough game any time you go up and play Newcastle.

"They have got some outstanding players in their team, they are well-coached and it's going to be a great challenge."

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Tottenham draw Coventry in Carabao Cup Third Round

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Tottenham Hotspur will face Sky Bet Championship opposition in Coventry City in the Third Round of the Carabao Cup, having been drawn away to the Sky Blues.

The tie will take place at the Coventry Building Society Arena and will be played the week commencing 16th September, with exact details to be announced in due course. The cup clash comes sandwiched between Premier League home matches with Arsenal and Brentford.

This will be Spurs' first trip to the CBS Arena stadium, having played and beaten Coventry at their old Highfield Road ground in September 2003 - a 0-3 victory in the League Cup.

In the past two seasons, The Lilywhites have failed to reach the Fourth Round of this competition, losing at Fulham on penalties in Round Two last time out, and at Nottingham Forest at this stage of the competition the season before that.

Throughout the previous four editions of the Carabao Cup, Tottenham have been drawn against non-Premier League opposition just once at this stage - that came in 2020. Spurs were pitted to face Leyton Orient, but the tie never took place, with the North Londoners given a bye due to The O's having COVID cases amongst the group.

Familiar face returning

James Maddison will be returning to his old stomping ground, having progressed through the ranks at the Coventry Building Society Arena as a youth player.

The Englishman made his City first-team debut in 2014, coming off the bench during a League Cup clash with Cardiff City, before making his first start, as an 18-year-old, two games later. During that game, he scored his first-ever professional goal and one month later, he put pen to paper on his first professional contract.

Two years later, after scoring four goals in 24 appearances, the attacking midfielder made the switch to Norwich City, although he was immediately loaned back to his boyhood club for the 2015/16 season.

Maddison has played against his former club on just one occasion throughout his career, and that came whilst in East Anglia, and funnily enough, in this exact competition too. During the 6-1 rout, the ex-Coventry man registered two assists.

Old foes reunite

Tottenham and Coventry have plenty of history in cup competitions.

In the 1987 FA Cup Final, the Sky Blues pipped David Pleat's men with an extra-time victory, following Gary Mabbutt's 96th-minute own goal, as 96,000 people crammed into the Old Wembley Stadium.

The Lilywhites went ahead after two minutes through Clive Allen but David Bennett equalised seven minutes later. Gary Mabbutt regained the advantage four minutes before the break, but just after the hour mark Spurs were pegged back for the second time as Keith Houchen scored for Coventry City. In extra time, Mabbutt was on the scoresheet again, but this time at the wrong end, meaning his side succumbed to a defeat.

These two sides last met in the cup eleven years ago, with the Premier League side winning 3-0 in an FA Cup Third Round tie - a Clint Dempsey brace and Gareth Bale strike enough to secure a safe passage through to the next stage.

Spurs' mixed League Cup fortunes

The Carling Cup was the last trophy the club won, way back in 2008 - a measly sixteen years ago.

A Jonathan Woodgate goal in extra-time saw Spurs beat fierce London rivals Chelsea by two goals to one after Dimitar Berbatov's 70th-minute penalty had cancelled out Didier Drogba's first-half opener.

Since the victorious run during the 2007/08 season, The Lilywhites have lost three finals in this competition, and have made it to within one step from Wembley on two other occasions. The final defeats came against both Manchester clubs in 2009 and 2021, and Chelsea in 2015.

However, one of the worst moments for Tottenham in this competition, and one of the most embarrassing nights in the club's history, came under Mauricio Pochettino in September 2019.

The Argentinian tactician fielded a heavily weakened side as Spurs made the trip to Essex to take on Colchester United, and the U's held their gargantuan opponents all the way to a penalty shootout. Christian Eriksen and Lucas Moura failed to score, meaning the League Two outfit produced one of the greatest shocks the competition has ever seen.

Spurs will be looking to avoid a potential banana skin at the Coventry Building Society Arena in September.

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Antonio Conte's leadership group: Where are they now?

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After one year of Ange Postecoglou's reign as Tottenham Hotspur Head Coach, the Australian has already disbanded the five-man leadership group which was set up by the previous permanent manager, Antonio Conte.

That group consisted of five players. Former club and France captain Hugo Lloris and England captain Harry Kane spearheaded the quintet, whilst Eric Dier, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Oliver Skipp were also involved.

However, after the latest transfer window advancements, not one of these players remains in N17, with the entire first-team department at the club looking extremely different.

Where are they now?

Hugo Lloris

New club: LAFC

Having held the post as club captain for eight years, the Frenchmen was stripped of his duties when Ange Postecoglou arrived in N17 in August 2023 - signing Guglielmo Vicario as his new number one and appointing Heung-Min Son as the new skipper.

Lloris failed to secure a move away during the Australian's first summer in charge, continuing to train with the first team until December when he made the switch to Los Angeles, joining LAFC ion a free transfer.

Having spent a measly twelve years in North London, the former Lyon shot-stopper was given a rousing send-off on New Year's Eve when Spurs beat Bournemouth 3-1.

Harry Kane

New club: Bayern Munich

Tottenham's all-time leading goalscorer would have stepped up from his role as vice-captain, had he not left the club on the eve of Postecoglou's first competitive game in charge.

Kane made the switch to the German giants after a lengthy saga, bringing an end to his record-breaking, fourteen-year career with The Lilywhites, although Daniel Levy has confirmed that there is a buy-back clause in the deal, so perhaps his fairytale with his boyhood side is not over, yet.

Eric Dier

New club: Bayern Munich

The defender, formerly of Sporting Lisbon, followed Kane's move to mainland Europe, linking up with his former teammate at Bayern Munich less than six months after the duo were split up.

Dier was a crucial part of Antonio Conte's side and was a mainstay in the back three throughout the Italian's reign, but was unfavoured by Ange Postecoglou. Often, the Englishman was not included in the match-day squad but did get two opportunities to feature during a defensive injury crisis, and he did well considering the circumstances.

Unfortunately, the damage was already done, and Dier moved on to pastures new in the January transfer window. He was presented with a commemorative gift, thanking him for his ten years of service to The Lilywhites, when the two sides met in a pre-season friendly at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in August 2024.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

New club: Olympique Marseille

Although he is yet to officially leave the club, the Dane's departure is all but confirmed after he joined Ligue 1 outfit Marseille on a season-long loan deal which entailed an obligation to buy.

The midfielder was a major contributor to the early success of Antonio Conte's side but was viewed as nothing more than a squad player under Ange Postecoglou. Playing second-fiddle to Yves Bissouma for the majority of the 23/24 season, Højbjerg has now left the club as he seeks regular first-team football, which a player of his calibre deserves.

Oliver Skipp

New club: Leicester City

The last man standing - Oliver Skipp was the final player of the five-man leadership group to leave North London.

A boyhood Tottenham fan, the 23-year-old made the permanent switch to the East Midlands on the day Spurs' new campaign got underway, as Postecoglou continues to overhaul his squad. It did, however, come as a surprising move, with Skipp often favoured by fans and the Australian Head Coach, and Tottenham suffering mass issues meeting the homegrown quota for the UEFA Europs League squad.

New Head Coach, new dynamics

The arrival of Ange Postecoglou, just over a year ago, has brought about many changes within the first-team squad at Tottenham Hotspur.

Firstly, he has overseen a mass overhaul of both the playing squad and his coaching team, whilst also making many different changes to the dynamics of the squad. From the get-go, the former Celtic boss touched on how he leaves the players to their own devices in the dressing room, with control solely resting on the shoulders of his leadership team

This was the first major change made, a new leadership group. Within his first two months, he had appointed three new captains - Heung-Min Son became club captain, whilst Cristian Romero and new £40m man James Maddison were given the duty of vice-captain.

Now, thirteen months later, all five of the players who took up senior roles within the group when Postecoglou put pen to paper have left North London.

Squad overhaul

Upon joining in June 2023, Ange Posteoclgou identified that key changes needed to happen if he was to bring success to the club.

In three transfer windows - with one of those still open - thirteen players have been permanently sold or released, including the likes of Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic and Tanguy Ndombele being offloaded, saving millions in the wage budget every week.

Amongst those outgoings are players such as Eric Dier, Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga and Emerson Royal, who have all previously been told they had no place in the plans. This is a change from recent years, where Daniel Levy had tended to hold out for higher prices, ending up being unable to sell the deadwood.

Since Postecoglou joined Spurs, a mass transformation has occurred. The annual wage bill is down from £144m to £107m, with the average age of the squad being reduced from 27.0 years old to 24.5 years old.

Having made sixteen senior signings too, there is further evidence of change and future growth. After Wilson Odobert's move from Burnley was sealed, the average age of those incomings was 21.8 years old. The Frenchman is also the sixth teenager to be signed, alongside the likes of the exciting Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, to name a couple.

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Tottenham Academy Roundup: Mixed results for young Lilywhites

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Having enjoyed a promising opening weekend of the season, which saw both Wayne Burnett's Under 21s and Stuart Lewis' Under 18s pick-up victories, the second game week of their respective campaigns possessed a different outcome across the board.

The Under 21s, who won both the Premier League 2 League Phase and Play-Offs last term, tasted their first defeat of the season against Newcastle United at Stevenage's Lamex Stadium on Sunday, as they fell on the wrong side of a narrow defeat.

As for the Under 18s, they beat Fulham in a goal-heavy contest to make it two wins from two at the start of their Premier League season

Under 21s - Tottenham 0-1 Newcastle

The Development Team fell behind due to an early strike from Magpies forward Ben Parkinson, after captain George Abbott was caught in possession in the middle of the park. The versatile Englishman - who made his first-team debut in a 1-4 victory at Leeds United in May 2023 - attempted to turn away from his marker but was dispossessed leading to a chance for Parkinson to go one-on-one, and he slotted past the onrushing Jack Keeley.

Last season's champions dominated the majority of the first half, with Damola Ajayi having the first chance of the game three minutes before the Young Lilywhites went behind. Despite trailing, the opportunities continued to flow and Leo Black tested Newcastle goalkeeper Aidan Harris in the 24th minute.

Following this, midfielder Callum Olusesi thought he had equalised shortly before the half-hour mark, but was denied by an offside from the assistant referee.

Plenty more chances fell Tottenham's way throughout the remainder of the match - Jaden Williams and Leo Black failed to capitalise in the first half, prior to half-time substitute Jahziah Linton coming agonisingly close just six minutes into his cameo.

Late on, Oliver Irow headed wide and then couldn't find the back of the net after Rio Kyerematen's inch-perfect through ball, meaning a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal cost the Under 21s from picking up a result at the Lamex.

Speaking to SPURSPLAY after the full-time whistle, Head Coach Wayne Burnett was 'disappointed', and said that his side "have to find a way and be better" after wasting several fine chances throughout the ninety.

Under 18s - Fulham 1-5 Tottenham

Another manic goal-fest followed the Under 18s 6-4 opening weekend victory against Crystal Palace, this time as they beat Fulham in a 6-goal thriller away from home.

Spurs travelled to Motspur Park, which has been an unhappy stomping ground in recent seasons, with a young side that included many first-year scholars. Two changes were made, with former Manchester City defender Romeo Egan-Riley and Ronny Moncur, grandson of John Moncur, displacing the suspended Malachi Hardy and Tynan Thompson.

Ellis Lehane had put Stuart Lewis' side ahead in the opening 45 minutes with his third goal in two games, but a goal from Basmil Lubega levelled the game up ahead of the interval.

After the break, we pulled away from the hosts, with a quickfire double from Moncur and Williams-Barnett, before further strikes from attackers Herbie James and George Feeney - his first Spurs goal - rounded off the scoring.

A brilliant victory away from home, with the Young Lilywhites now sitting top of their Under 18 Premier League South division, having scored eleven goals in just 180 minutes of football.

Young Lilywhites on loan

Tottenham have three youngsters who are plying their trade up and down the English football pyramid on loan - here's how they got on with their respective sides over the weekend.

Jamie Donley - Leyton Orient

The 19-year-old's home debut came against recently relegated Birmingham City, and saw the midfielder go up against former Spurs Senior Assistant Coach Chris Davies.

Donley completed the full ninety, creating three chances and making three recoveries, but was on the end of a 1-2 loss at Brisbane Road.

Matthew Craig - Barnsley

The Tottenham loanee was not involved in the squad as The Tykes drew 2-2 with Northampton Town.

Carey Bloedorn - Aveley

Goalkeeper Bloedorn was not involved in either of Aveley's losses against Eastbourne Borough and Slough Town, as The Millers played two games in three days on Bank Holiday weekend.

Up next

The Under 18s are next in action, hosting Leeds United at Hotspur Way on Tuesday 27th August.

Meanwhile, Wayne Burnett's Under 21 team will make the trip to Southampton's Staplewood training base on Friday, with league action under the lights awaiting them in a 19:00 kick-off (BST).

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Tottenham 4-0 Everton: Son doubles up in Spurs rout

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Goals from Yves Bissouma, Cristian Romero and a brace from captain Heung-min Son deservedly earned Tottenham their first win of the season and only their third clean sheet in the calendar year.

In addition to their 3-0 home defeat against Brighton last weekend, Everton, who only made one change, were humbled as Spurs began their season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in style.

Story of the Match

Ange Postecoglou's players came out of the traps with purpose and intent, and Jordan Pickford's goal was under siege from the first whistle.

Romero's half-volley was straight down the throat of the Englishman and James Maddison spurned a glorious chance after beating the offside trap, but Pickford was equal that too.

But, after a plethora of chances in the opening ten minutes, Tottenham opened the scoring through an unlikely source. Following his return from an internal club suspension, Bissouma recorded his first goal in Lilywhite in sumptuous fashion.

Neat footwork from Dejan Kulusevski created a yard of space for the Swede to tee up the Mali international, who connected sweetly to sweep the ball into the top corner off the crossbar.

Bissouma's celebration spoke a thousand words. An apologetic wave of the hand to the Spurs faithful and a grateful bear hug with his manager indicated his remorse following some social media controversy.

The advantage was doubled shortly after and it was a moment to forget for England’s number one. The incessant press of Heung-min Son and a combination of Pickford taking too long to release the ball resulted in disaster for the Toffees' stopper.

The South Korean consistently hounded the Englishman in moments leading up to the incident and Pickford eventually crumbled under the pressure, gifting Son the simple task of rolling the ball into the empty net.

It was an encouraging debut for latest signing Wilson Odobert, who was a surprise inclusion in the starting berth. The Frenchman asked several questions of his Everton counterpart and fellow debutant Roman Dixon.

In the closing stages of the first period, the visitors finally introduced themselves in the contest. A flurry of set pieces resulted in a goal mouth scramble, but Spurs defended bravely to ensure Sean Dyche's team did not get a foothold back into the game.

In the second half, the tempo dropped, with Spurs looking to control possession to avoid a repeat of the situation that occurred on Monday night against Leicester City.

But they reignited the impetus that they started with and eventually made one of their twelve corners count to put the game beyond doubt.

Maddison whipped a delightful delivery into the centre of the six-yard box, which was met by fellow vice captain Romero. His header kissed the crossbar on the way in, leaving Pickford with no chance.

The rout was completed with roughly a quarter of an hour to go and this one was the pick of the bunch.

Spurs broke at frightening pace with Micky van de Ven carrying the ball all of 60 yards from one box to the other. The Dutchman's sheer pace and athleticism transformed defence into attack in an instant.

After the slaloming run, van de Ven still had the presence of mind to find his teammate Son, who doubled his tally with typical potency. It looked as if the 32-year-old had taken the ball too wide, but he still managed to find a gap to round off the scoring from a tight angle.

There was a slight injury concern for Tottenham as full back Destiny Udogie was forced off through injury with a quarter of the match to go.

The Italian was instrumental in Spurs' unprecedented start to a Premier League campaign last year, so Postecoglou will be hoping his early departure was merely precautionary.

Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall were introduced into the fray in the closing stages of the game for their home debut and they provided that touch of composure to ensure the shutout was obtained.

Four goals, three points and a clean sheet. Afternoon's do not get much better than that for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham Hotspur.

Player of the Match - Yves Bissouma

It was a big game for Bissouma, having served a club sanctioned suspension for the opening match for filming himself inhaling nitrous oxide, but he showed excellent maturity to put in a starring role.

Recycling possession well and commanding the midfield, a first ever goal for Spurs goal was the icing on the cake in a performance he desperately needed. Consistency from here on in is next on the agenda.

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Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 Everton: Son doubles up in Spurs rout

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Goals from Yves Bissouma, Cristian Romero and a brace from captain Heung-min Son deservedly earned Tottenham their first win of the season and only their third clean sheet in the calendar year.

In addition to their 3-0 home defeat against Brighton last weekend, Everton, who only made one change, were humbled as Spurs began their season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in style.

Story of the Match

Ange Postecoglou's players came out of the traps with purpose and intent, and Jordan Pickford's goal was under siege from the first whistle.

Romero's half-volley was straight down the throat of the Englishman and James Maddison spurned a glorious chance after beating the offside trap, but Pickford was equal that too.

But, after a plethora of chances in the opening ten minutes, Tottenham opened the scoring through an unlikely source. Following his return from an internal club suspension, Bissouma recorded his first goal in Lilywhite in sumptuous fashion.

Neat footwork from Dejan Kulusevski created a yard of space for the Swede to tee up the Mali international, who connected sweetly to sweep the ball into the top corner off the crossbar.

Bissouma's celebration spoke a thousand words. An apologetic wave of the hand to the Spurs faithful and a grateful bear hug with his manager indicated his remorse following some social media controversy.

The advantage was doubled shortly after and it was a moment to forget for England’s number one. The incessant press of Heung-min Son and a combination of Pickford taking too long to release the ball resulted in disaster for the Toffees' stopper.

The South Korean consistently hounded the Englishman in moments leading up to the incident and Pickford eventually crumbled under the pressure, gifting Son the simple task of rolling the ball into the empty net.

It was an encouraging debut for latest signing Wilson Odobert, who was a surprise inclusion in the starting berth. The Frenchman asked several questions of his Everton counterpart and fellow debutant Roman Dixon.

In the closing stages of the first period, the visitors finally introduced themselves in the contest. A flurry of set pieces resulted in a goal mouth scramble, but Spurs defended bravely to ensure Sean Dyche's team did not get a foothold back into the game.

In the second half, the tempo dropped, with Spurs looking to control possession to avoid a repeat of the situation that occurred on Monday night against Leicester City.

But they reignited the impetus that they started with and eventually made one of their twelve corners count to put the game beyond doubt.

Maddison whipped a delightful delivery into the centre of the six-yard box, which was met by fellow vice captain Romero. His header kissed the crossbar on the way in, leaving Pickford with no chance.

The rout was completed with roughly a quarter of an hour to go and this one was the pick of the bunch.

Spurs broke at frightening pace with Micky van de Ven carrying the ball all of 60 yards from one box to the other. The Dutchman's sheer pace and athleticism transformed defence into attack in an instant.

After the slaloming run, van de Ven still had the presence of mind to find his teammate Son, who doubled his tally with typical potency. It looked as if the 32-year-old had taken the ball too wide, but he still managed to find a gap to round off the scoring from a tight angle.

There was a slight injury concern for Tottenham as full back Destiny Udogie was forced off through injury with a quarter of the match to go.

The Italian was instrumental in Spurs' unprecedented start to a Premier League campaign last year, so Postecoglou will be hoping his early departure was merely precautionary.

Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall were introduced into the fray in the closing stages of the game for their home debut and they provided that touch of composure to ensure the shutout was obtained.

Four goals, three points and a clean sheet. Afternoon's do not get much better than that for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham Hotspur.

Player of the Match - Yves Bissouma

It was a big game for Bissouma, having served a club sanctioned suspension for the opening match for filming himself inhaling nitrous oxide, but he showed excellent maturity to put in a starring role.

Recycling possession well and commanding the midfield, a first ever goal for Spurs goal was the icing on the cake in a performance he desperately needed. Consistency from here on in is next on the agenda.

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Tottenham 4-0 Everton: Post-Match Tottenham Player Ratings

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Tottenham Hotspur did not start the season on the front foot, drawing to Leicester City 1-1, but they absolutely turned things around with a strong 4-0 win against Everton.

The result means Spurs have picked up four points out of a possible six and are looking comfortable at the moment.

Tottenham saw attack after attack for the majority of the first half through a lot of wing play, with new signing Wilson Odobert looking lively whenever he got the ball.

A fantastic strike from Mali international Yves Bissouma, and Asia's finest Son Heung-Min stealing the ball off of Jordan Pickford, saw The Lilywhites head into the second half 2-0 leaders against The Toffees.

Tottenham dominated the ball in the second half too, with Cristian Romero and Son both scoring to wrap up a solid win, with the final score being 4-0 to the hosts.

Here are the Tottenham player ratings from the clash:

Tottenham Player Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario - 7/10

Vicario did his job well when needed, making a few good saves.

Overall, it was a very solid performance from the Italian, keeping a clean sheet in the process too.

Pedro Porro - 7/10

Porro did his job well when needed, a couple of good crosses here and there. Not much more to write home about for the Spaniard.

Cristian Romero - 7/10

Romero had a rocky first half, with a few mistakes and looked nervous.

However, the vice-captain turned it around in the second half with a powerful header showing his true quality.

Micky van de Ven - 8/10

Van de Ven hardly put a foot wrong all game, being the best defender of the match.

A fantastic run in the second half saw him assist Son and put the game to bed.

Destiny Udogie - 7/10

Udogie made a few powerful runs and looked solid in both attacking and defensive settings. No mistakes made from the young Italian.

Yves Bissouma - 8/10

After being suspended for disciplinary reasons, Bissouma needed to redeem himself.

And redeem himself he did with a fantastic strike for the first goal and a solid midfield performance.

James Maddison - 7/10

Nice and tidy on the ball and made a few chances for the team.

Did his defensive duties too, stopping an Everton goal with a clearance off the line.

Dejan Kulusevski - 7/10

A nice performance from the Sweden international who created the first goal.

A few good runs too, unfortunate not to get more during the match.

Wilson Odobert - 6/10

The new youngster through the door, Odobert made a solid debut against Everton.

He took on his man well and created a few good chances for the team. Still needs to settle in, but great glimpses so far.

Brennan Johnson - 6/10

Disappointing from Johnson today, his first touch let him down a few times.

Seems to be playing with a lack of confidence at the moment and was the same against Leicester too.

Son Heung-Min - 8/10

The South Korea star shone again, making up for his lacklustre performance against Leicester.

Two goals and a few chances created, Son stood out from the rest against Everton.

Substitutes

Richarlison - 6/10

Played with a lot of energy when he came on. Did well closing down the Everton defence.

No chances for the striker to redeem himself from the missed ones against Leicester.

Pape Matar Sarr - 6/10

A solid cameo from Sarr, did his job and was tidy and assured during his time on the pitch.

Djed Spence - 6/10

Spence seems to have redeemed himself in the Tottenham side this year, with Postecoglou putting trust into him.

He didn't have much to do when he came on, but prevented a chance when called upon.

Archie Gray - 6/10

Gray being the extra man in midfield for Tottenham allowed them to play with more freedom. Another good cameo from a substitute.

Lucas Bergvall - 5/10

Bergvall only came on for a 10 minute cameo, but did what he needed to do. Hardly anytime for the 18-year-old to impress.

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“He’s doing everything right, but there’s always temptation down the road” – Ange Postecoglou outlines Yves Bissouma’s path to redemption

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Ange Postecoglou has admitted that Yves Bissouma has “done everything right” so far on his road to regaining trust, but admitted “there’s always temptation down the road.”

Bissouma, 27, was suspended by the club for their opening match of the season after filming himself taking nitrous oxide.

The former Brighton star apologised for his actions and is now looking to return to the starting 11 this weekend, especially with Rodrigo Bentancur unavailable due to concussion.

Postecoglou outlined his road to redemption in his pre-match press conference, insisting that consistency is key for the Malian.

“You know what’s it like when you punish a child and they do everything right for the next two days?,” the Australian first joked.

"He’s first in the meetings and he’s doing everything right, but there’s always temptation down the road, so we’ll see. I’ve always believed in opportunity for redemption and learning, so we are still in that space with Bissouma, but obviously, that door closes after a while if it’s repeated.

“He’s been good, but I would’ve been surprised if he wasn’t. The key for Bissouma is consistency. Consistency of behaviour [and] what he does. It’s not that he’s doing a lot of bad things; the last transgression was obviously very serious, but it’s the little things along the way also — and I think that sometimes manifests in his game where he’s really good and then he will have a moment where he’s not.

“I think it all correlates, so from our perspective, it’s about trying to continually guide him. But, that’s up to him. He’s got to try to be the best version of himself he can possibly be.”

“I have just lost my key striker a week after buying him”

Dominic Solanke is unavailable for tomorrow’s match after he picked up an ankle injury against Leicester on Monday. The club-record signing impressed against the Foxes, often latching onto crosses and pressing from the front.

The former Bournemouth star, who is still in contention to play against Newcastle next week, has quickly shown Postecoglou how he can take Spurs to the next level, and the manager insisted his injury is just a bump in the road.

“It is [a big blow], but every story is written differently. They are not all fairytales where they make a debut and score a hat-trick. He was very good last week. I guess we’re just as disappointed because it’s really exciting to see that he’s going to fit into really well into what we’re doing,” the 58-year-old outlined.

“It’s just a small hiccup. He misses a game or two. It’s game one of 50+ games; he will have plenty of opportunities to recover from that. Just watching him in our team last week, I can see he’s going to be a really good fit.”

Later on in the press conference, Postecoglou insisted he has never been the type of manager to ‘put his arm around his players’ to make them feel better.

“He’s a big man. I think I have always said that to footballers. Nothing runs smoothly. I mean think of the poor old manager. Forget the player, what about me? I have just lost my key striker a week after buying him. What about me? Who puts an arm around me? I need an arm around me,” he joked.

“It’s all good. We did not sign Solanke for one match. He knows that. He’s here for hopefully for a long time to have a real impact at this football club [and] to bring success to it.”

Richarlison is “a really physical presence in the box”

With Solanke out injured, Spurs will have to fill a noticeable void left by him. Dejan Kulusevski had a prolonged stint as a striker during pre-season, but Postecoglou insisted he does not “think it’s his best area”, even if “he’s such a hard worker, runs a lot and can link up with the rest of the team in the build-up.”

Richarlison may be chosen to start upfront against his former side Everton. He will not be able to play the full match due to his fitness according to Postecoglou — and his manager outlined that it plays a major part in his inconsistency.

“That [injuries] are a big part. You talk about the Everton game last year, but that was part of a spell of him playing regularly. I thought last year, when he got a series of games, he looked better and better. But then an injury hit," he stated.

“I think that chance on Monday — if he had a full pre-season and played half a dozen games — he would probably have buried it, because he’s so good in the air. I remember last year against Sheffield United [at home], it was a very similar header, but he had a pre-season with us."

"That’s the thing with Richy. It’s just [about] trying to get him fit. Obviously, we have to be a little bit careful with him, because he has not played in quite a while, but I think I’ve said before, whenever he has been really fit and available, I have always chosen him because he’s a handful for the opposition.

"He’s a really physical presence in the box, a good finisher and works hard for the team, but hopefully now getting Solanke in, the whole idea was that we could share their workload and not be so reliant on one player.

"I think he’s still at an age where he can play some fantastic football for us and we have to make sure we keep him fit and manage his workload, so we can get the best out of him."

The Brazilian striker was heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, but he was not interested in the switch. He outlined Spurs as his 'home' on social media, whilst Postecoglou never wanted to lose him.

“Richy’s not going anywhere, but if he did leave, I would certainly sign another striker. We had that issue last year. We were really short in that area. In pre-season we played without a striker; Kulusevski was there as we had not signed Solanke and Richy was out," the 58-year-old coach stated.

"It makes a difference to the way we play when we have a striker there. It’s really important to us that we have two recognised strong strikers in the team."

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Ange Postecoglou confirms Dominic Solanke will miss Everton match

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Dominic Solanke is unavailable for tomorrow after picking up an ankle injury against Leicester.

Postecoglou, 58, said: "Dom picked up a knock in the last game. He got through the game, but it flared up after. He will miss tomorrow."

He later added: "It's an ankle injury. He picked it up really early and someone went across his ankle. He's definitely out tomorrow then it just depends on the recovery. There's next week then there's the international break, [but] it's not serious."

It's a major blow for Spurs ahead of a crucial match against Everton. Solanke failed to score on his club debut, but he impressed with his general and overall buildup play.

Tottenham will also be without Rodrigo Bentancur for the match against Everton. The Uruguayan midfielder clashed heads against Leicester, so - under concussion protocol - he is forced to watch from the sidelines on Saturday.

"With any head injury, we're going to be a little bit more consecutive. He's bounced back really well. He's done all the tests and he feels good. We'll take our time with Rodrigo and make sure he's 100%," Postecoglou outlined.

On Romero's 100th Spurs Appearance

If Cristian Romero plays against Everton, he will make his 100th appearance for Tottenham. Alongside Micky van de Ven, Spurs have created a strong defensive unit, despite keeping just three clean sheets in 30 matches.

Romero, who joined Spurs in 2021 from Atalanta, has impressed Postecoglou ever since they started working with one another — and the Australian outlined his praise pre-match.

"Outstanding. Obviously, with all these kinds of things, you have an image of a player from afar. Before I got here, I thought he was going to be a really important player to me. He's such a fantastic centre-back for club and country," Postecoglou stated.

"Being here now, watching him, the way he trains, the way he plays, unbelievably strong mindset [and] he's an absolute winner in everything he does. He's been really important. He will be really important moving forward, because he is one of the players within this squad that has achieved things from a team perspective.

"I've always said those kinds of things are transferable. He's won a World Cup and Copa America. I think he's a strong influence in the group — and it's great he plays his 100th game tomorrow. I know he'll perform at the level he always does; he's very consistent."

Wilson Odobert available for Everton clash

Tottenham announced the signing of Wilson Odobert from Burnley last Friday to the shock of everyone. In a move that went under the radar, the right winger bolsters Spurs' options in the final third.

He missed Spurs' opening match of the season due to not securing a work permit in time, but he is available for tomorrow. Postecoglou outlined his thought process in signing him pre-match.

"We went through the same sort of processes and he was one we identified really early on in the summer. It was no secret we were looking for a right winger and Wilson was one of the ones we highlighted.

"We had to go through certain steps to get it done. It's not as straightforward as saying: "That's who we want, go and get them.

"Getting Dom in was really important for us. We spent a lot of time working on that deal, but once Dom was done, there was one target and it was Wilson. It happened really quickly," he stated.

The former Celtic manager later outlined his qualities as a winger and how he provides something different compared to the rest of the squad.

"I really like the way he plays in the wide areas. He's different to our other wingers. He's a dribbler, likes to get into the final third and can play either side or centrally.

"He's had a really good development [as well]. You look at his trajectory from Paris Saint-Germain, to playing for Troyes in France and Premier League football before the age of 19. He ticked all the boxes for us and he's a fantastic, young bloke. Really happy to get him.

"I think with all the players we've signed - you've already seen - irrespective of their age, we sign them because we think they can make an impact — and we see that with Wilson. He's a year older than Archie and Lucas and they've already made an impact.

"We are still in that stage of building a team; I do not want to bring players here who I do not think can meaningfully contribute to what we're trying to do in the short term."

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Four things we learnt from Tottenham's frustrating 1-1 draw with Leicester

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Tottenham Hotspur were tied to a score draw at the King Power Stadium after Jamie Vardy's second-half equaliser was enough for Leicester City to secure a point on the opening day of the season.

The visitors started the game on top but failed to capitalise on several opportunities in the first half, and the opening fifteen minutes of the second half, leaving Vardy to pounce on a Cristian Romero mistake and cancel out Pedro Porro's opener.

It felt like the same old story for The Lilywhites in Leicester on Monday night, having been pegged back and left downbeat as they headed back to London - it certainly feels more like two points dropped, rather than a point gained, especially when you consider how the match panned out.

Spurs also lost Rodrigo Bentancur, who had impressed throughout his spell on the pitch, to a nasty head injury in the second half, and VAVEL wishes him a speedy recovery.

Here are four things we learnt.

Spurs left to rue missed chances

Despite dominating the majority of the affair, Tottenham were unable to take all three points from their opening day fixture.

In the first half, it was Ange Postecoglou's side who were in full control. They had registered ten shots at Mads Hermansen's goal, whilst having 73% possession, nine corners, seven successful crosses and 22 touches in the opposition box.

Compared to The Foxes, these numbers are staggering. The hosts had just one shot on target and one touch in the Spurs box, whilst not registering a single corner or successful cross.

With six minutes on the clock, Bentancur's near post flick was superbly cleared away by Wilfried Ndidi with Dominic Solanke lurking just behind the Nigerian, before Brennan Johnson saw his volley saved by Hermansen.

It was Spurs new £60m man who should have scored at least once on his debut. In the first 45 minutes, the former Bournemouth striker saw a free header at the back post comfortably saved by Hermansen, before he hit a shot straight down the throat of Leicester's Danish goalkeeper in the early moments of the second half.

Arguably the best chance of the game fell to substitute Richarlison, in the ninth and final minute of additional time. Lucas Bergvall delivered a sumptuous free kick to the front post, where the Brazilian was on hand to meet it. Many fans inside the away end believed the net was about to bulge, but they were wrong, as the forward headed over when all it needed was a glance towards the back post.

The squandered chances meant that maximum points were not taken on match day one, and it left fans with a familiar feeling of frustration, as Tottenham failed to win an important first Premier League game.

Plenty of positives to take

Although both the players and staff will come away feeling they should have done better to ensure three points, there were also many positives.

The North Londoners put on a good show on the opening night of the season. For large parts, they played the free-flowing, attacking, high-pressing football we saw at the start of Postecoglou's reign. That led to many chances, but unfortunately not enough were seized to take the game away from, Leicester.

Debutant Dominic Solanke looked sharp, and linked play well despite never playing a game with his new teammates before, whilst James Maddison also looked back to his best. The Englishman, returning to his old stomping ground, was a handful for Steve Cooper's defence, and it was his wonderful cross which saw Porro give the away side the lead on 29 minutes.

Dejan Kulusevski - who came on in the 79th minute - had the second most touches in the opposition box (11) of all players to play in the Premier League on the weekend, second only to Bukayo Saka, who played eighty minutes and registered 15.

The Swede impressed heavily during pre-season as he scored and assisted three times each, and he looked sharp off the bench as Spurs pushed for a winner. No doubt will he be pushing to be involved from the start when they face Everton on Saturday afternoon.

Bergvall bright on debut

Making his Premier League debut as a late substitute following a run of impressive cameos in pre-season, Lucas Bergvall, again, was a bright spark.

In his time on the pitch, Bergvall had 39 touches and completed 25 out of his 26 attempted passes, whilst the former Djurgårdens IF playmaker also made one key pass, created one big chance and successfully completed two of his three dribble attempts.

Every time the Swede got on the ball, he looked dangerous and you got the sense that if Tottenham were going to snatch a winner, he would be at the forefront of the attacking move. Whenever a defender had the ball at their feet, it was always Bergvall who came searching for possession as he looked to be the spark for The Lilywhites.

With Rodrigo Bentancur unavailable for Saturday's clash with Sean Dyche's Everton, perhaps the midfielder will be called upon as Postecoglou is forced to reshuffle his midfield three.

Wide players frustrate

It was a frustrating evening on the whole, but even more so for the players who featured in the wide areas for Tottenham at the King Power Stadium.

The visitors had plenty of joy down the flanks, getting to the bye-line on plenty of times during their dominant spells before the interval. Last season, we saw so many goals scored from these types of areas, thanks to the pinpoint low crosses from Brennan Johnson, Heung-Min Son and Timo Werner.

However, on Monday night, the attacking trio were completely ineffective in these positions. These crosses were either deflected out for a corner or cleared by the robust Leicester back-line, meaning a number of good opportunities came to nothing.

Brennan Johnson lost a physical battle up against former Leeds United defender Rasmus Kristensen and was subsequently replaced by loanee Timo Werner with eleven minutes of the ninety to go, but the German also had no success down the right wing.

Heung-Min Son was gifted a glorious chance late on, with the ball played across to where the South Korean international was waiting on the left-hand side of the penalty area, however, he took a poor touch and was tackled, wasting a golden chance to score the winner.

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