VAVEL.com

Tottenham Hotspur played out a fantastic 3-0 win at Old Trafford against top-six rivals, Manchester United.

Spurs started the game off strongly, scoring within three minutes, courtesy of Welshman Brennan Johnson who has started to hit extreme heights in his performances.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off shortly before halftime, which caused a shift in the nature of the game.

Nevertheless, Tottenham still played out their attacking football and scored two more in the second half, courtesy of Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, sealing a strong victory.

Here are my Tottenham Player Ratings from the match.

Tottenham Player Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario - 8/10

Spurs' man between the sticks played a great game away against such a tough opponent.

The Italian made a few good saves and doing so earned him a clean sheet at the Theatre of Dreams.

Destiny Udogie - 6/10

Unfortunately for the young left-back, he came off injured at half time, so he didn't get to show his full class.

However, in his 45-minute spell, he caused problems down the left-hand side and was solid in his game.

Micky van de Ven - 9/10

The second best player on the pitch today was Spurs' Dutch speedster, Van de Ven.

Van de Ven played brilliantly, defending well and creating the first goal by running three-quarters of the pitch to assist Johnson.

A deserved Man of the Match award was given to him at the end of the game.

Cristian Romero - 7/10

The Argentine was also solid at the back, defending well against Joshua Zirkzee in the first half, and helping stop any other attacking threat for the rest of the game.

Nothing overly special, however, but did his job very well.

Pedro Porro - 7/10

Porro mainly showed his class in the game in the final third, creating a few chances for the team and getting forward well.

He had very minor problems against Marcus Rashford on the right-hand side, but ultimately not too problematic as he earned the clean sheet.

Rodrigo Bentancur - 7/10

The Uruguayan handled the midfield brilliantly, showing his class once again.

He dominated his national teammate, Manuel Ugarte, who seemed lost throughout the 70 minutes he was on the pitch.

James Maddison - 8/10

Yet another key performance from Maddison, who in the last few games has regained his best form again.

Maddison created many chances and skipped past the United players with ease, and even was the one who got Fernandes sent off.

Dejan Kulusevski - 9/10

The best player on the pitch today was Spurs' number 21, Dejan Kulusevski, who showed what he can do from a central position.

Kulusevski created nine chances throughout the game, which is the most from a visiting player at Old Trafford since the 2003/04 season.

His performance was topped off with a goal, but the Sweden international captain could've had a few assists too.

Timo Werner - 6/10

Despite the overall good game from Spurs, Werner disappointed in the attack.

Werner had a few chances in the game, but his final product was very lacklustre.

Brennan Johnson - 8/10

Johnson hit the back of the net once again, making it his fourth consecutive game he's scored in now for Spurs.

Despite his confidence knocks a few games into the season, the young winger has really hit new heights and is vital for the team now.

Dominic Solanke - 8/10

Another great performance by a man who was criticised quickly by some fans over concerns about his fitness at the start of the season.

Solanke worked tirelessly to help the team out, and in doing so earned a goal for himself from a corner.

Substitutes

Djed Spence - 7/10

Spence was the player who came on for the injured Udogie, but he filled his role well despite being out of position.

The full-back defended well against Alejandro Garnacho and helped provide for the team in attack too.

Mikey Moore - 6/10

Spurs' standout youngster this season got a nice spell at the end of the match for himself.

Moore even came very close to getting a goal with a chance the narrowly missed the target.

Lucas Bergvall - 6/10

Bergvall also came on for 10 minutes and impressed well.

Bergvall has shown his quality on set-pieces for Spurs in his cameos, and he did that again by taking the corner that led to Solanke's late goal

Pape Matar Sarr - 6/10

Sarr calmed down the midfield well in the final 10 minutes.

He also provided the assist for the third, as he flicked it on from the ball in from Bergvall.

Radu Dragusin - 6/10

Dragusin may have been sent off in midweek against Qarabag, but in his short cameo on the pitch, he helped Spurs seal the clean sheet.

Both Manchester United and Tottenham will be eager to get their Premier League campaigns back on track, with both teams finding themselves adrift of the European spots after disappointing starts to the season.

Erik Ten Hag's side were ridiculed for their lacklustre performance against Dutch side FC Twente on Thursday, with Ten Hag criticising United's work ethic, "They [Twente] fought for every yard and we didn't."

Tottenham, meanwhile, will have increased in confidence, having won three consecutive games after their demoralising home defeat in the North London derby a fortnight ago.

At the forefront of this revitalised form is Dominic Solanke, who has now netted in consecutive matches after picking up an injury on his Spurs debut.

The last outing between the two sides in January saw the visitors come from behind twice to earn a point. Since then, Ange Postecoglou's side have picked up just two league wins on the road.

The consensus between both sets of fans is that a draw this time around would not be adequate enough, given the ambitions to secure Champions League qualification.

Despite this only being the sixth match so far this campaign, there is no doubt that defeat for either side would see intense increase in pressure from fan bases who are growing ever more impatient and frustrated with their team's lack of consistency.

Team News

Manchester United

Erik Ten Hag has no new injury concerns, but Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Leny Yoro remain sidelined for the Red Devils.

United are expected to make numerous changes after multiple fringe players failed to capitalise on their Europa League opportunity, given the underwhelming performances displayed in midweek.

Matthijs de Ligt, Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund and Casemiro may all be recalled to the starting lineup.

Tottenham

Postecoglou suffered an injury scare involving captain Son Heung-Min, after the South Korean was forced off in the 71st minute, with what looked like muscular cramp caused by fatigue.

Tottenham fans will be hoping that this was just a precautionary measure and that Son won't be joining the absentee list that features Richarlison and summer signing Wilson Odobert.

The visitors will also be able to recall the services of Cristian Romero, who was unavailable against Qarabag due to suspension.

Likely lineups

Manchester United

Andre Onana; Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui; Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo; Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo; Rasmus Hojlund.

Tottenham

Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie; Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison; Son Heung-Min, Dominic Solanke, Brennen Johnson.

Key Players

Manchester United - Matthijs de Ligt

A player that made a name for himself and thrived under Ten Hag has recently been asserting his dominance in the central defensive position for his new side.

When United signed Raphael Varane in 2021 it appeared to be the signing that answered the prayers of so many fans, as United had struggled to form a resolute defensive pairing since the era of Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, Varane's three-year spell was somewhat underwhelming after failing to live up to expectation, but now the recruitment of de Ligt, who has so far played alongside Lisandro Martinez, seems to have sparked hope into a revitalised United defence.

The Dutchman has helped United keep consecutive clean sheets in their last two games and also registered his first goal, away at Southampton with a clinical, cross-goal header.

United's defence seems notably reassured with the presence and composure of de Ligt and this will be vital if they are to keep the high-pressing attack of Tottenham at bay.

Tottenham - James Maddison

The attacking midfielder, who was "devastated" to be dropped by Gareth Southgate from England's recent European Championship squad, has so far shown glimpses of the scintillating form he produced prior to picking up a long term injury in the early stages of last season.

Maddison's relentless energy has injected hope into the Spurs fans, with positive performances which have been far contrary to the lack of points so far picked up by his team.

Maddison picked up his first goal of the season in Spurs' last league outing against Brentford, with a sublime, left-footed chip to round off a fantastic performance, in which he seemed to be involved with every attack Tottenham constructed.

Match Details

Where is the game being played?

The match will take place at Old Trafford.

What time is kick off?

Kick-off is at 16:30 BST.

How can I watch?

The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports from 4pm BST.

Tottenham excelled in the face of adversity as they beat Qarabag 3-0 in North London despite having 10 men for almost the entire match.

Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke scored again to extend their respective goalscoring runs, whilst Senegalese midfielder Pape Matar Sarr recorded his first goal of the campaign to make a potentially dire situation look fairly comfortable for the Lilywhites.

Spurs went a player down early on, as Radu Dragusin was given his marching orders in just the eighth minute for fouling Qarabag striker Juninho whilst being the last man.

But Ange Postecoglou’s men defended valiantly and rode their luck at times to start their Europa League campaign with a triumph.

Qarabag were extremely wasteful as they missed a number of golden opportunites, including Azerbaijan international Tural Bayramov skying a penalty off the crossbar.

The resilience Tottenham players displayed will please Postecoglou and here’s how we rated each individual performance.

Tottenham Player Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario – 9

The Italian stopper had a virtuoso performance guarding Spurs’ net as he made several smart stops to preserve the clean sheet.

The 27-year-old was called into action early on as Ben Davies was dispossessed just inside Tottenham's half and the keeper showed a surprising turn of pace to block the ball 35 yards away from his goal-line.

With Spurs legs tiring, Qarabag had the large portion of the possession in the second period and they peppered their opposition's goal, but their efforts were thwarted by the body of Vicario, who deservedly received the Player of the Match award.

His splendid day at the office was made even better when he was given the captain’s armband for the final stages of the contest after captain Heung-min Son had been substituted.

Archie Gray – 7

The teenager really grew into the game after a shaky opening half hour.

In the first period, the former Leeds United man showed flashes of brilliance going forward but looked fragile defensively.

It also seemed as if the full-back was carrying a knock which hampered his ability to track back and deal with the demands of playing attacking football with one less player.

But after the interval, the Englishman shook off the injury concern and played with maturity beyond his years to help his team keep a clean sheet with a numerical disadvantage.

Gray, who is equally adept in midfield, operated at right full-back and due to Djed Spence’s omission from Spurs’ 25-player Europa League squad, the £40 million summer signing could prove to be a regular fixture in these European contests.

Radu Dragusin – 0

The Romanian jeopardised his team’s chances of getting anything from the game as he got sent off extremely early.

A lapse of concentration saw a simple pass from his centre-half partner Micky Van de Ven roll under his foot which allowed the lively Juninho to pounce and pick up the loose ball.

With the Brazilian bearing down on goal, Dragusin instinctively pulled on the attacker’s jersey to hinder his progress, but the forward went down and referee Willy Delajod had no choice but to send him off.

A moment of madness from the defender, which earns him a suspension for their next European game away at Ferencvaros next week.

A zero is the best we can offer him.

Micky Van de Ven – 8

The Dutchman stepped up for his side when they needed him the most to command the backline and cover acres of space with their defence stretched.

Van de Ven never looked fazed and utilised the bursts of acceleration he has in his locker to stop several potential Qarabag attacks from materialising.

Furthermore, he didn’t just win the ball back but also showed composure to retain possession on what was his first European appearance in Lilywhite.

Ben Davies – 7

An ever-reliable member of the squad, Davies once again put in a solid shift.

However, the Welshman was bailed out by his goalkeeper during the first half after being caught dawdling on the ball as his blushes were spared by heroics from Vicario.

Ignoring that slight mistake, the defender maintained a high level throughout the rest of proceedings and helped organise a makeshift backline under pressure.

Yves Bissouma - 6

Bissouma was introduced back into the fold from the start after being unavailable for sizeable minutes since the international break due to injury.

On the whole, the Malian controlled the tempo effectively and his ability to protect the ball in dangerous areas was key to keeping his team in front.

But his performance wasn't perfect as his mistimed tackle on Elvin Jafarquliyev gifted Qarabag a penalty and a chance to get back into the match.

Fortunately for Bissouma, the spot kick was missed.

Pape Matar Sarr – 7

Sarr capped off an accomplished performance with his first goal of the season to double the Lilywhites’ advantage.

The Senegalese international peeled off from a Dejan Kulusevski corner shortly after the break and after Qarabag keeper Mateusz Kochalski’s flimsy punch fell to the midfielder, he sorted his feet out well to stroke in Spurs’ second to afford his side a little bit of breathing room.

It has been an unconvincing beginning to the campaign for Sarr after his breakthrough season last year, but the 21-year-old showed glimpses that the highly-regarded form of old is making it's return.

Lucas Bergvall – N/A

It would be completely unfair to give the Swede a rating, due to the fact he was the unfortunate player to be sacrificed after Dragusin’s early red card.

Bergvall visibly looked emotional after seeing his number flash up on the fourth official’s board on the tenth minute and it’s a big blow for the 18-year-old in what was a fantastic opportunity to showcase his talents.

Brennan Johnson – 8

The Welshman is in scintillating form as he netted for the third consecutive game in a third different competition.

After being teed up by Solanke, the winger coolly slotted the ball into the far corner to give his side the lead. Most importantly, it was great to see a smile return to the face of a man who has been unfairly treated in recent times.

Johnson was then taken off at halftime - a wise decision from the manager to protect the forward’s fitness ahead of a busy schedule.

Dominic Solanke – 8

Solanke displayed the attributes that made Postecoglou want him so badly this summer and Spurs' new striker looks to have rediscovered his prolific form.

After recording his first goal for his new club on the weekend against Brentford, the striker finished in a very similar manner to wrap up the three points.

But his defensive contribution particularly stood out, with the Englishman consistently tracking back to help his teammates in defence.

Heung-min Son – 7

Spurs' captain also put in a admirable defensive shift and the South Korean's leadership skills helped to iron out his team's sloppiness.

It was Son's curling effort that was parried by Kochalski into the path of Solanke for Tottenham's third and the winger also helped dictate the flow of the game by slowing it down when necessary.

The South Korean's first ever goal for Tottenham Hotspur was scored against Qarabag and he would have been gutted to miss out on scoring his 165th under the lights on Thursday night.

Substitutes

Destiny Udogie – 8

Despite not starting the match, Udogie ended up playing almost the full game as Postecoglou opted to bring the Italian into the fold following Dragusin's dismissal to restore balance to the backline.

It was an all-encompassing display from the full-back, as he used his athleticism to cover every blade of grass whilst providing a creative outlet when necessary.

Dejan Kulusevski – 8

Kulusevski is a vital part of this Tottenham squad and situations like tonight are exactly why he is a necessity for Postecoglou.

The Swede offers the unique ability to wriggle out of tight spaces and keep hold of the ball in precarious spaces, which is always a huge asset, especially when his team are numerically disadvantaged.

He was substituted on at halftime and his lung-busting runs, neat footwork and exemplar work ethic was crucial in controlling the game.

Credit should also be given to Kulusevski for Spurs' second, as he whipped in a dangerous corner into the six-yard box which forced Qarabag's goalkeeper into an error which subsequently lead to Sarr netting.

Timo Werner – 5

The German's 15-minute cameo was a quiet one as the hosts looked to conserve energy.

Rodrigo Bentancur – 6

With Bissouma still returning to full fitness, Bentancur came on to sure up the midfield and the Uruguayan provided an injection of energy.

Mikey Moore – N/A

Came on with roughly ten minutes to go to gain some experience in senior football. The 17-year-old needs to be nurtured appropriately if he is to flourish and reach his full potential and small cameos such as these will be perfect for his development.

Tottenham returned to winning ways in the Premier League this weekend with an accomplished 3-1 home victory over Thomas Frank’s Brentford.

Ange Postecoglou’s players came back from behind to claim three points in North London after falling to consecutive league defeats.

It was a shaky start for Spurs as a chorus of groans reverberated around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after Bryan Mbuemo opened the scoring inside 22 seconds with an instinctive volley into the top corner.

But, they did not take long to respond as record signing Dominic Solanke netted his first goal in Lilywhite with a classic poacher’s finish on the rebound after James Maddison’s effort was saved.

Tottenham’s press was too much for the Brentford defence to cope with as they were consistently wasteful in possession and gifted their opponents with multiple opportunities.

After his late winning goal in the Carabao Cup against Coventry City on Wednesday, Brennan Johnson got himself on the scoresheet again with a low arrowed finish which sailed past Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

After the break, the game was played at a frenetic pace with both sides exchanging blows trying to find

Guglielmo Vicario was forced into a couple of smart stops to deny Brentford from restoring parity as that equalising goal proved to be elusive for the West Londoners.

With five minutes to go, James Maddison wrapped up the victory for his side with a delicate chip over the onrushing Flekken to ensure there would not be any late drama.

As Tottenham picked up their second win of the season, here is some of the talking points after that victory.

Son thrives in a more central area

Saturday’s game saw Ange Postecoglou make a slight tactical adjustment to the positions of his players in possession and it paid dividends for Spurs.

Typically, we have seen the Australian manager demand that his wingers keep their width and hug the flanks, but the slight tweak meant attacking midfielder Maddison drifted over to the touchline whilst Son, who usually plays on the left-wing, moved into a more central position.

Not only did this allow Son to get more involved in the play, it also gave him the license to make darting runs in behind the Brentford defence, a movement the South Korean has thrived on during his career.

Despite not converting any of his chances, on another day Tottenham’s captain easily could have bagged a brace and still contributed with an assist for Johnson and Maddison’s goals.

Kulusevski and Maddison is the perfect midfield pairing

Brentford are renowned for making life difficult for any team they face, by setting up with a low block which stifles the creativity of their opponents and prevents players from finding pockets of space.

Recently we have seen Postecoglou choose to play with one natural holding midfielder and two more attack-minded midfielders in Maddison and Kulusevski.

The Swede and the Englishman complement each other so well, with the former able to use his strength and athleticism to contribute with the defensive work as well as covering every blade of grass.

Whilst the latter profits off Kulusevski occupying the attention of defenders as it unlocks more space from him to exploit and it halves the burden of the creative responsibility.

Cristian Romero is an 'attacking' defender

The phrase above might come across as confusing as it is a clear oxymoron, but it can be explained.

In the early stages of this campaign Romero has rightfully been scolded for being at fault for several goals they have conceded due to the vice-captain switching off.

His lack of concentration has been exposed on numerous occasions as he lost his marker Gabriel in the North London derby last weekend with the Brazilian thumping in the winner and Jamie Vardy ghosted in behind him to score Leicester City’s equaliser on opening day.

However, offensively the Argentine offers a lot. He’s always a threat from set-pieces having already scored against Everton this term and he constantly is looking for a forward pass, as he did for Spurs’ third goal.

After Yves Bissouma’s crunching tackle sparked a counter attack for the home side, Romero picked up the ball and played an incisive through ball to Son who set up Maddison for his first goal of the campaign.

There has been murmurs around the Tottenham fanbase that Romero should play in that holding midfield position due to the aforementioned qualities and his defensive frailties.

Also, when you consider that an accomplished and highly sought-after defender in Radu Dragusin is warming the bench most weeks in does make sense to at least experiment in shifting Romero’s role.

Brennan Johnson continues to prove people wrong

The Welshman’s confidence has ameliorated over this past week as he has found the net in consecutive games.

Johnson opted to delete his Instagram account last week after people inappropriately voiced their displeasure over the winger’s performance in the North London derby.

The 23-year-old has used the abhorrent abuse he received on social media as fuel for self-improvement and he has taken the criticism in his stride and proved the doubters wrong.

Johnson looked lively right from the first whistle and threatened to ripple the net earlier than he did but his shot drifted just wide of the post.

His goal was taken with conviction and the Spurs faithful broke into song praising Johnson because the character he has shown is admirable.

Consistency is the key now for the winger and if he can continue this form in front of goal Spurs could have a game changer on their hands.

Spurs progressed into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup for the first time in three years. Two late goals courtesy of Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson saw the Lilywhites scrape through against Championship outfit Coventry City.

It was a Tottenham performance that resembled a group of players low on confidence as they were dominated by the Sky Blues who ran their opposition ragged.

After bombarding Fraser Forster’s net, Brandon Thomas-Asante finished a flowing counter-attack midway through the second period to give Coventry a deserved lead.

James Maddison, Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski were introduced into the fold with their team in dire need of an injection of quality. The trio certainly provided that in an abundance.

Cute and clever interplay from Maddison and Kulusevski saw the latter slip through the advanced Spence, who crucially got to the ball first to poke in Spurs’ equaliser with less than sixty seconds of the ninety to go.

That goal knocked the wind out of Coventry's sails and their misery was compounded when Rodrigo Bentancur played through Johnson, who showed a tremendous amount of composure to delicately dink the ball over the onrushing Ben Wilson to complete a late comeback.

But there will be a lot to analyse for Ange Postecoglou after his side looked the inferior team for the large majority of the tie, here are four things we learnt.

A potential turning point for Brennan Johnson?

The Welshman’s relationship with the Tottenham fanbase reached an all-time low last weekend after social media abuse directed to the winger after his North London derby showing made him resort to deleting his Instagram account.

Johnson didn’t start the game but was a very early substitute for the injured Wilson Odobert and he came on with a point to prove.

The 23-year-old silenced a lot of doubters as he proved to be Tottenham’s saviour with a cool, calm and collected chip in the dying embers which prevented the Lilywhites from yet another untimely exit in a domestic competition.

Despite the fantastic finish, it was evident that Johnson’s affinity with the fans is fractured and it was a damning indictment that the former Nottingham Forest man not only didn’t celebrate in that jubilant moment, but showed little joy at full time and his applause to the travelling fans was brief.

That 93rd minute winner to save Spurs from a dreaded penalty shootout showed Johnson has resolve and the minerals to be a heroic player for the North Londoners, and everyone involved with the club will be hoping he can use that decisive goal as a platform to revive his confidence.

Djed Spence deserves more minutes

Spence was a surprise non-inclusion in the starting lineup but came on at the interval for Destiny Udogie and operated on his less natural left side.

The defender gave Spurs a lifeline in the last minute of allotted time when he burst into the box and showed desire to latch onto Kulusevski’s intricate pass before the onrushing Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson to restore parity.

The most stirring aspect of Spence’s goal was how he dictated the play leading up to the equaliser, as he commanded his captain Heung-min Son to make a run down the left flank to draw the defender away and create space before darting through and pointing to Kulusevski to show exactly where he wanted the ball.

You would have been forgiven for mistaking Spence as an established member of the squad, but that was only his second competitive appearance in almost two years for Tottenham.

Not only was Spence not included in the starting eleven, but he has also been omitted from Spurs’ 25-man squad for the Europa League group phase, a competition many were expecting him to get a chance to impress in.

The 24-year-old demonstrated he can be a valuable asset amongst the players Postecoglou has at his disposal, and it will certainly give the Australian food for thought over the coming weeks.

Was Dominic Solanke the right man for Tottenham?

The Lilywhites splashed roughly £65 million on securing Solanke’s services this summer, a fee which made the Englishman the most expensive acquisition in Spurs history.

However, the 27-year-old’s displays have been underwhelming thus far and the striker has really struggled to impose himself on any of the games.

Against Coventry he was kept very quiet by Mark Robins’ defence and did not prove to be an outlet for Postecoglou and was subsequently axed on the hour mark for the skipper Heung-Min Son.

In fairness to Solanke, the service by his teammates has been virtually non-existent and an ankle injury on his debut against Leicester City has understandably halted his progress and fitness.

This midweek game was an opportunity to announce himself to the Spurs faithful and build some belief that he is the man to build the team around.

But the sharpness and potency appear to be lacking at the moment and if the former Bournemouth man does not show any flashes of potential in the near future, the pressure could start to mount.

Ange needs to hold a more serious approach towards the domestic cups

Spurs’ lack of trophy success in the last two decades is one of the most well-documented narratives in English football and the domestic cups seem to be the most viable avenue of lifting some silverware.

Postecoglou made eight changes to the starting eleven and as much as squad rotation is necessary, Tottenham simply couldn’t afford to crash out of a domestic competition at an early stage again and they were very close to.

As soon as some more senior players entered the pitch, the momentum completely shifted and they did end up looking like a Premier League team against Championship opposition.

The performance from his players poses a lot more questions than it answers and the 59-year-old will have a lot to digest in a short space of time as the visit of Brentford to N17 is less than 72 hours after their Carabao Cup game.

It will be interesting to see how much the manager rotates for their first Europa League game at home to Qarabag next week after Wednesday's game being worryingly close to a debacle.

The Australian manager has stated that he always wins things in his second year, but for that statement to remain true, he may have to sort out his priorities.

It was another disappointing outing for Tottenham as they fell to a third consecutive defeat at the hands of north London rivals Arsenal.

A singular goal from Gabriel saw the Gunners head back to the Emirates Stadium with three points.

Here is how the Spurs players performed:

Tottenham Player Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario - 4

The Italian stopper looked vulnerable at set pieces once again and his failure to command his box adequately put his side in trouble. He was also booked for sparking a melee after confronting Jurrien Timber for a risky challenge on Pedro Porro.

Destiny Udogie - 5

Udogie still does not look back to full fitness and he has not imposed himself as he consistently did last campaign. Defensively, he kept Bukayo Saka relatively quiet, but the 21-year-old offered very little going forward.

Micky van de Ven – 6

The only Spurs player who looked prepared and ready for the occasion. His pace and athleticism is so useful for the way Postecoglou wants to play and he mopped up any raking long passes that Arsenal’s front three were chasing.

Cristian Romero - 3

The Argentine was at fault for Arsenal’s goal, as he left Gabriel unmarked from a corner to power home the winner. His awareness has been highlighted as a big issue so far as he has gone to sleep to Spurs’ detriment against Leicester and Newcastle.

Pedro Porro – 5

Despite the Spaniard usually looking like a defensive liability, his positioning was on point and intercepted several cross-field passes towards Gabriel Martinelli. Like the majority of his teammates his final cross hit the first man far too often.

Rodrigo Bentancur – 5

Bentancur was chosen to operate as a lone holding midfielder after Yves Bissouma was ruled out after picking up a knock during international duty with Mali. And with a potential lengthy suspension imminent, the Uruguayan did not put in a performance to remember.

James Maddison - 4

The Englishman hasn’t rediscovered the form he was praised so highly for at the start of last season. He looked to make things happen but his final pass lacked accuracy .

There is a lot of pressure on Maddison to be Spurs’ creative outlet but his displays are far too inconsistent at the moment.

Dejan Kulusevski – 4

The frustration with the Swede is that he often struggles to pick the correct pass and it prevents a lot of potential attacks from materialising.

Postecoglou is choosing to play him in a more central area after a strong pre-season through the middle, but the 24-year-old hasn’t made the desired impact.

Brennan Johnson – 3

Johnson got himself into promising positions, but the Welshman was very wasteful and lacked that cutting edge. He lashed over a couple of presentable opportunities and the large majority of his crosses did not meet their intended target.

Heung-min Son – 5

Spurs’ captain found it difficult to show his strengths against the low block of Arsenal. In the first half, the South Korean linked up well on the left flank with Udogie. However, after the interval Arsenal managed to nullify Son and he could not conjure up any magic.

Dominic Solanke – 4

Tottenham’s record signing was kept extremely quiet by the defensive duo of Gabriel and William Saliba. In fairness to the striker, it was his home debut and being flung into the North London Derby this early into his Spurs career is an extremely tough way to begin.

Substitutes

Pape Matar Sarr - 4

The Senegalese was brought on to provide some security with Bentancur on a yellow card, but his arrival into the game changed very little.

Sarr is usually at his best when he has a midfielder partner to him to complement him and he struggled to deal with the responsibility of being Spurs’ lone midfielder with the Lilywhites chasing the game.

Timo Werner – 4

Came on for Maddison and hugged the left touchline. Never really looked like a threat and Ben White kept him at an arm’s length.

Wilson Odobert – 5

The teenager was introduced into the fold with roughly twenty minutes to go and looked lively. However, the Frenchman still looks raw and Timber never looked too concerned with the winger’s presence.

Ange Postecoglou has stated he thinks Tottenham Hotspur can quickly bridge the gap to the best teams in the Premier League.

Tottenham finished fifth last campaign with 66 points, 25 behind champions Manchester United and 23 below rivals Arsenal.

Ahead of the North London Derby tomorrow, Postecoglou, 59, was asked about how Spurs can close the gap to the best teams in the competition, with the Australian believing it is a 'combination of things'.

"I really do think it will be a combination of things. Real success cannot lie in just one little match or thing. There needs to be more substance in it. Everything I’ve earned in my career I’ve worked hard for. I haven’t found an easy way to do it. If one thing does exist, maybe somebody will pass that on," he answered.

"But it’s a whole range of things you need to improve. These aren’t small differences in the cold light of day. You have to acknowledge it. That’s the starting point. If you think there isn’t a massive gap then it kind of defeats the purpose.

"That shouldn’t be daunting. It shouldn’t make you think it’s insurmountable. I certainly don’t think it is.

"I think the gap that exists between us and the top teams we can bridge and we can bridge very quickly if we stay disciplined and focused on what we’re trying to do, improve our squad, improve the way we play our football, allow our group to learn to win on a consistent basis and what that requires – and that sometimes means missteps along the way.

"I’ve always felt that anything you get in this game is hard-earned. We have to earn that. It’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be a challenge for us."

"It's not just about winning"

Tottenham have failed to beat Arsenal since May 2022, losing three of their past four encounters.

It's the one match Spurs fans mark on the calendar every season, knowing the local bragging rights are always at stake. It leads to a 'win at all costs' mentality for fans, but Postecoglou – from a professional point of view – sees it differently.

Naturally, the 59-year-old desperately wants to walk away with victory against Arsenal, but he also wants to make sure the performance matches the result.

"It’s a great measure but it’s not just about winning. You can win a game like this and walk away knowing they played us off the park in reality. I’ve always said to go out there against the best and perform, that’s the best measure," he outlined.

"Then hopefully you will win the game as well, because ultimately that's what you want to do. If we go out on Sunday, dominate this game, create more chances, really nullify them, then I think, irrespective of the result, the players will walk off thinking 'okay next time we’ll have another crack at it'.

"That’s where the real belief comes from. They’re a good measure for us, not just in winning the game, but can we play our football against them and walk off the pitch saying we really took it to a top team?"

The Gunners go into the North London Derby as favourites, despite missing Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice. They are further down their project compared to Spurs, but Postecoglou believes his side are already one of the best pressing teams in the league.

"I don’t really line us up against a specific opponent, but I think there are certain things we are already close to being the best in the competition at – the way we press and counter press. I don’t think there’s many teams that do that better than us at the moment," the former Celtic coach stated.

"The way we can play through pressure is right up there as well. That gives us an area to focus on at the weekend to make sure we really bring our 'A game' for that part of the game and then hopefully the other stuff kicks in as well."

Ange Postecoglou reiterated his winning mentality ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s derby clash against Arsenal on Sunday.

“I just want to win, mate,” the Australian, 59, said during his pre-match press conference, with his comments forming after he was asked if he feels more pressure following the saga that developed with Arsenal at the end of last campaign.

The 59-year-old struggled to understand fan reactions in May when some suggested they wanted to lose to Manchester City to prevent the Gunners from winning the title.

Despite the Australian's mentality, they lost 2-0 that night, but he does not feel any more pressure now due to it.

Postecoglou wants to win every match just as much; the level of pressure does therefore not change. “I don’t feel any more pressure because there was pressure in that game [against City]. I want to win every game. It doesn’t change anything,” he outlined.

Tottenham have not won a North London Derby since May 2022. It means the world to fans of both clubs, but the former Celtic manager continued to reiterate that it is just another match on the calendar.

“I hate to think, I really would hate to think there are players in the dressing room who want to win this game more than any others or prepare differently or try harder in this game than any other. Because that’s not the way forward,” he said.

“We understand the significance of it, because, if we do win, our supporters will be over the moon. I understand that. If we don’t win, they are going to be devastated. If we prepare this game differently than any other, then I’m disappointed because I want to win every time.

“That’s the only way you can be successful. I make no apologies for that. I’m not going to prepare any different for this game than I did against Newcastle or I will against Coventry.

"I want to win all the time and I want our club to win all the time. If you beat your rivals in a big derby game, then everyone gets excited and everyone feels great. But I want more than that. It’s not what I am after.”

A big win needed to restore faith?

In the trivial world of football, rivalries define emotions. Win and fans go away delighted. Lose and it’s the end of the world.

They are the first fixtures fans look towards when the calendar is released during the summer, with the rollercoaster journey they go on – particularly true with Spurs – sometimes causing long-lasting stress.

Although Postecoglou wants his staff and players to treat the North London Derby the same as any other match, he does not ask the fans to do the same. “I have said a million times – fans can feel the way they want to. It’s their club,” he quickly highlighted.

“They can be as happy, as disenchanted, as optimistic or as pessimistic as they want. My role is to try and give them a team that gives them hope, belief and joy. That’s it.

“But I am not going to tell them how to feel. If they want to win this game more than any other game, then good on them. But it’s not me; it’s not who I am.”

The perspective of fans changes regularly, especially after a derby win. With Spurs failing to win a single derby last season against Arsenal, West Ham or Chelsea, it has been suggested that a win on Sunday could restore some faith in the fanbase. But Postecoglou does not care about that narrative.

"If people have lost faith in what we’re doing, I cannot let that be my guide to what we’re doing. My guide is what I see on a daily basis, the way we play our football, the way the team is growing and I’m as optimistic and as bullish as I’ve ever been,” he made clear.

“Is it important to win big games? Absolutely yes, I want to win big games. But we won big games early last season. It doesn’t mean it’s going to get you to where you want to get to. There’s got to be a consistency in approach.

“There’s nothing I’ve seen to make me waver in my belief about what we’re doing. Whether that externally is reflected by people’s faith or belief, there’s only one way to change that... perform and win.”

“I don’t think we’ve been terrible defensively”

Spurs’ defensive fragilities were well-documented last campaign. They suffered whenever they lost the ball – and they only looked like a well-formed group when all four star defenders were fit and ready.

The same concern has spread into the new campaign, with Spurs conceding ‘poor’ goals against Leicester and Newcastle. However, Postecoglou admitted he has not been worried about their defensive performances.

“I don’t think we’ve been terrible defensively so far this year. We’ve conceded three goals and limited the opposition to fairly few chances. We’ve just had a couple of lapses, obviously. It’s the nature of football,” he believes.

“If you’re going to be more attacking, you’re going to have more gaps the other way. I get it, people are going to say: 'We want to be more attacking, but we want to be really solid defensively.' We’re talking about perfection; that doesn’t exist with anyone.

“We are airing on the side of being more attacking and aggressive, which is going to mean we concede more than others. But that’s fine. I’m comfortable. The key is to score more goals than the opposition which we haven’t done so far.”

Ange Postecoglou has confirmed both Dominic Solanke and Micky van de Ven are available for Tottenham Hotspur's match against Arsenal on Sunday.

Solanke missed Tottenham's past two matches through an ankle injury picked up on the opening weekend of the season against Leicester. He is fit for this game, whilst Van de Ven was unavailable for their match against Newcastle according to Postecoglou.

"Micky van de Ven has trained pretty fully through the international break. Dom is back after this week. He joined in with the first team and he trained today. We've got training tomorrow, so if they make it through, they will be available," the Australian outlined.

However, midfielder Yves Bissouma returned from the international break with a knock and Postecoglou, 59, confirmed he faces a late fitness test.

"Bissouma is the only one with an issue. It is not serious, but he's getting treatment today. We will see if he can train tomorrow and make a decision there."

Dealing with North London Derby expectations

Postecoglou understands the significance of rivalries through his spell at Celtic – but his success in Scotland is yet to be replicated south of the border.

Tottenham have not beaten Arsenal since May 2022, losing three of their last four encounters. After not winning a single match against rivals West Ham or Chelsea last campaign, pressure is building on Spurs to finally deliver on the biggest occasion.

When asked to sum up the rivalry, Postecoglou outlined that "every derby is a bit different."

"It's fairly intense between the two clubs. Geographically, they are situated in the same part of town – trying to defend the same turf. I thought both games last year were very entertaining," he stated.

"We played well at their place and really matched with them. We could have even won on the day.

"At our place, we got blown away in the first half. We tried to make a game of it in the second half. [There were] plenty of goals. We know what it means to our supporters and the club. We have got to go out there and perform. Irrespective of the rivalry, they are a top side."

Tottenham's North London Derby struggles are well documented, but Postecoglou insisted he will never try to manage expectations.

"I would hate to think I would go into any game trying to get people to manage expectations. You go into every game hoping to win. I do not think you should walk into a stadium fearing anything or [be] scared to dream and be successful.

"I have never done that in the past. It's not the way I coach or lead my life. Every game you have is an opportunity to do something special. That's the way you should approach it."

Postecoglou expected Bentancur's FA charge

Rodrigo Bentancur was charged by the FA on Thursday, with a statement from the organisation stating he acted in an improper manner and used abusive words.

It came after he made a racist joke in the summer, stating: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.”

The Uruguayan could be in line for a six to 12-game ban under the FA's rules, but Postecoglou admitted he expected the charge.

"Not unexpected from our perspective. We knew it was something the league would look at. We need to let the process play out now. Rodrigo is aware of the ramifications, but we will wait and see what they come out with," he stated.

Postecoglou later added: "In terms of Sonny and Rodrigo, they had a discussion about the whole incident. Both players understand and respect each other's position.

"He's already apologised for what he said. Sonny has accepted that and the fact one of his teammates and a person he is close to made a mistake.

"Whether you are a footballer or anyone down the street, we all live in the same world. We understand the ramifications of our actions.

"Ultimately, we represent ourselves as people. We try and do the right thing all the time, but we all make mistakes. For me, it's not just about punishment; it's the opportunity for people to learn. If you are talking about having a society that is understanding and tolerant of anything, we must show that to people who make mistakes.

"We know him very well – a lot better than most because we spend every day with him. He's a great guy and fantastic teammate who has made a big error this time – and he's got to take the punishment. But, we need to give him the opportunity to learn from it. Hopefully, others learn from it as well."

Three defeats on the spin in the North East does not make for pretty reading for Ange Postecoglou's side.

Despite dominating proceedings, Spurs squandered countless of presentable opportunities and were punished for their wastefulness by Newcastle's proficiency in front of goal.

Harvey Barnes opened the scoring in the first period, with an instinctive half-volley that flew beyond the despairing reach of Guglielmo Vicario, to give the Magpies the advantage going into the break.

Tottenham came out after the interval with a renewed sense of endeavour and an onslaught of chances on Nick Pope's net ensued.

Eventually, Eddie Howe's defence succumbed to the pressure, with Dan Burn inadvertently smashing in Brennan Johnson's effort into his own goal.

The North London based club had a flurry of chances to grab the winner, but they themselves were undone with roughly ten minutes to go.

Jacob Murphy raced clear and squared the ball to Alexander Isak on a silver platter and the Swede had the simple task of rolling the sphere into the untended net.

Spurs attempted to restore parity again, but failed to test the makeshift Newcastle backline, which resulted in them making the trip back down to London empty-handed.

Postecoglou needs to turn their losses into learning, and here are some things we learnt.

Radu Dragusin is a man you can trust

Radu Dragusin was a surprise inclusion in the starting berth, after Micky van de Ven was ruled out due to injury. The Dutchman's pace and athleticism makes him a valuable asset, especially in this system, so his replacement had big shoes to fill.

Dragusin ended up being Spurs' best player on the day, with his last-ditch interventions preventing Newcastle from turning a slender win into a rout.

The Romanian offers different qualities to van de Ven, with Dragusin being blessed with more vigour and strength. That robustness was a necessity in dealing with the height that this Newcastle team possess, which makes them a threat from set-pieces.

With Tottenham's schedule being congested with Europa League and domestic fixtures, Dragusin will end up being called upon several times this campaign, which Postecoglou will not be afraid to do considering the attributes he provides.

Solanke's return cannot come soon enough

Tottenham made a statement this summer with the club record signing of Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth.

Many aspects were considered by Postecoglou and technical director Johan Lange when analysing forward options, but Solanke's fitness particularly stood out.

The 26-year-old is a tireless presser and his availability for his old side was crucial last campaign as he appeared in all 38 Premier League matches for the Cherries.

So, it is ironic that Solanke has already missed two of Spurs' opening three league games.

He was desperately missed by his new teammates on Sunday, as his stature and aerial ability would have been key against the low block of Newcastle.

They were crying out for a natural poacher to latch onto the countless of crosses being smashed across the six-yard-box, and if Solanke had been available it could've been a very different story at St. James' Park.

It doesn't help when the other natural striker in Tottenham's ranks, Richarlison, was also unavailable through injury.

Brennan Johnson does not get the praise he deserves

The Welshman regularly gets flung into the negative limelight after a defeat and has frequently been treated as a scapegoat since his arrival from Nottingham Forest last summer.

Johnson is a polarising figure amongst the Spurs fanbase, with many regarding him as a potential world beater one day whilst others consider him a weak point in the system.

In his first season at the club, the winger registered five goals and ten assists in the Premier League with Cole Palmer, Michael Olise and Bukayo Saka the only players under the age of 23 notching more goal involvements in English football's top flight.

The 23-year-old started the game on the substitute's bench, but his introduction into the fray at the interval sparked a change in his team's attacking impetus and completely changed the face of the game.

He terrorised Newcastle full back Lloyd Kelly on multiple occasions and it was his shot that forced the own goal that got Spurs back into the contest.

You never really know what you've got until it is gone, and the difference Johnson made on the pitch on Sunday proved that old adage.

Trust the process

Despite only collecting four points out of a possible nine, Tottenham fans should try to not let the disappointing results cloud their judgement.

Based on the statistics and performances, Spurs should have collected the maximum complement of points so far.

Whether it is down to a lack of potency, poor decision making or just simple lady luck going against them, Tottenham find themselves with an underwhelming points return after three games played.

But football is a fickle, fragile game and Postecoglou's and his players' fortunes can change in an instant.