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A London derby takes place in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime as Tottenham host West Ham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Tottenham will be looking to get back to winning ways on Saturday lunchtime against West Ham after their five match winning streak came to a disappointing end against Brighton a fortnight ago, in which Spurs gave up a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2.

The defeat saw Ange Postecoglou's side drop back down the table in ninth place after an initially slow start to the season which saw them win just one of their opening four matches.

The north London side will be looking forward to being back at their home stadium for the first time this month having played three consecutive away games, with Spurs having won three of their four matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.

They take on a West Ham side who earned just their second league victory of the season in their last outing before the international break, which saw them beat newly promoted Ipswich 4-1 at the London Stadium.

Julen Lopetegui hasn't got off to the blistering start he'd have liked since taking over from David Moyes in the summer, with the Hammers having picked up eight points from their seven matches in the Premier League so far, winning just one of their last six matches in all competitions.

The side from east London make the trip to the north of the capital not having won any of their last three matches on the road, with three defeats in their last six outings, and just one win in their last six against Spurs.

West Ham will take confidence in their recent matches against Postecoglou's men though, having earned four points from their games with Spurs last season, including victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

How to watch Tottenham v West Ham

Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Date and time: Saturday 19th October 2024, 12:30pm

How to watch: TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate

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Jordan's verdict

Simon Jordan believes that England have appointed an elite coach in Thomas Tuchel despite his issues with clubs in the past.

The German is known for falling out with people at every club he's been at, often over transfers.

But with that issue removed, Jordan can see how Tuchel will work.

Speaking on talkSPORT, he said: "We know that Tuchel is a bag of trouble. We know that in a domestic situation, he would fall out with his mother.

"There are constant reminders that he can't manage up.

"But you've got a manager here who is a brilliant coach, but he hasn't managed up very well.

"He has got to manage for 15 meaningful games for 18 months - that his remit.

"This man wins football matches. This man produces football teams, and that's all I am worried about.

"The worst thing that can happen is we put an elite coach in and find out our players aren't good enough to achieve what we think they are capable of achieving."

'Several candidates'

The FA have revealed that they spoke to plenty of potential successors to Gareth Southgate before opting for Thomas Tuchel.

The ex-Bayern Munich manager has penned an 18-month contract, which will start in January, meaning it's clear his remit is to win the World Cup in 2026.

He also signed his contract more than a week ago.

The FA don't mention who they had spoken to, but Pep Guardiola, Eddie Howe and Graham Potter were all people linked with the job, so you would expect the candidates to have been high calibre.

The process to find the next permanent England manager started in July, and it was decided that Tuchel is the man to lead the Three Lions.

This is sure to please Harry Kane, who has a big admirer in Tuchel.

Speaking about the England captain last year, the new Three Lions boss said: "It's just a gift, I feel very privileged to be his coach. The guy is super humble, he's the first out there on the pitch every single day and anything you ask of him, he will do it.

"He's a huge personality who becomes a shark on the field, because he wants to score, he wants to win, and he does it on a daily basis. He doesn't only score on a daily basis, he trains well, he does what is needed, he shows his quality.

"He calms everyone down around him and makes everyone better by his pure presence. It's the highest level, I can put it like this, as a human being but also as a footballer. He's a very different profile to all of my other players. He can play as a nine, a fox in the box like no other with outstanding finishing, but he also assists."

Anthony Barry

Thomas Tuchel is set to be joined by Anthony Barry as his assistant manager for England.

The Englishman worked with Tuchel at Chelsea and Bayern Munich, and he will form part of the backroom staff that the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager will assemble.

Barry first met up with Tuchel when the German became the Blues' manager during the 2020/21 season.

He impressed Tuchel so much during their time together that he took him to Bayern with him in 2023.

The 38-year-old from Liverpool previously worked as the assistant manager for Wigan Athletic before heading to Stamford Bridge to work with Frank Lampard.

But while with Chelsea, Barry also joined up with the Republic of Ireland to work alongside Stephen Kenny before briefly working with Roberto Martinez and the Belgian national team.

Tuchel then came calling, and Barry headed off to Bavaria for a year, and he will now get the chance to help lead his country of birth to glory.

Details on Tuchel's appointment

Now that the dust is settling on Thomas Tuchel becoming England manager, it's time to look at the details of his appointment.

The former Bayern Munich boss is set to be the first German to manage the England national men's team, while he will start work in January 2025.

He has also signed an 18-month contract with the Three Lions, meaning it's clear his remit is to win the World Cup.

But what's really interesting about Tuchel's appointment is that the FA confirmed he signed the contract on Tuesday, October 8, which was before England played Greece and Finland.

This would massively explain Lee Carsley's comments about basically not wanting the England job.

But Carsley will take the last two Nations League games of the campaign before handing the reigns to Tuchel.

And Mark Bullingham, the FA's CEO, is very happy with the appointment of Tuchel.

He said: “We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him. Our recruitment process has been very thorough.

"Before the EUROs we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we would be looking for in a coach. Since Gareth resigned, we have worked through the candidate pool, meeting a number of coaches and evaluating them against that criteria. Thomas was very impressive and stood out with his vast expertise and his drive. Anthony is a top English talent and also has international experience with Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.

"Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.

"I would like to thank Lee for stepping up and doing everything we asked of him – he is a very talented coach and a major part of our England pathway. He will now focus on retaining the U21 EURO title in the summer. These are exciting times for England fans at senior and MU21 level, and we look forward to welcoming Thomas and Anthony when they begin work in January."

Tuchel to speak

So, it's confirmed that Thomas Tuchel is the new England manager.

The German has signed an 18-month contract and will earn between £6-7 million a year.

And you will be able to hear from him live today on talkSPORT at 1:30pm.

He will speak to the media at Wembley along with the FA's CEO Mark Bullingham.

talkSPORT will have Faye Carruthers there asking questions, and we'll have all the best of his press conference right here.

To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

Klopp's approval

Thomas Tuchel is the new England manager.

He has signed an 18-month contract and will start in January, and it's his first time as an international manager.

But as a club boss, he has never faced a manager more than Jurgen Klopp, meeting him 19 times across their career.

Both started off coaching in Germany before heading to England and taking charge of Liverpool and Chelsea, respectively.

Klopp actually boasts a very strong record against Tuchel, beating him 11 times, but the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager is a huge fan.

Speaking about his fellow German in 2022, Klopp heaped a load of praise on Tuchel.

He said: "My respect for Thomas was already as high as you could imagine. Then add in what he has had to contend with off the pitch in recent weeks and months and this respect makes even more sense.

"What a magnificent leader he is for his club. No surprise for those of us who competed against him in Germany. But I think his status as one of the very best coaches and managers in the world is rightly recognised throughout the game."

So, if Klopp's opinion is anything to go by, England have the right man in charge.

Tuchel time

England have announced the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as the new Three Lions boss.

The FA have released a statement confirming the German's appointment to permanently replace Gareth Southgate.

He will be joined by Anthony Barry and will start work on January 1, 2025 and has signed an 18-month contract.

Tuchel worked with Barry at Chelsea and Bayern Munich, winning four trophies in their time together.

talkSPORT understands that he will be one of the highest-paid managers in England's history, earning between £6-7 million a year.

In a statement confirming the news, Tuchel said: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team. I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already. To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.

"Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud. I want to thank the FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”

Tuchel ball

How will England play under Thomas Tuchel? German football expert Raphael Honigstein suggested it may not be much different to how they played under Gareth Southgate.

“His playing style used to be interesting. He used to be the biggest fan of Pep Guardiola and his football was very much Pep inspired

“And then when he went to PSG, he already had to adjust because he realised, ‘I can't play pressing football, I can't play hugely tactical football with the likes of Mbappe and all these guys. I have to keep them entertained, I have to give them freedom.’

“And it was already something very different. And then he went to Chelsea, as you know, and played, I don't wanna say defensive football, very pragmatic football, wasn't very expensive, lots of 1-0 wins, lots of clean sheets.

“And that kind of continued into the Bayern reign as well. So I couldn't tell you that, I would never say that Thomas Tuchel is a negative manager because his start, his first 15 years of management weren't like that.

“But in recent years, he seems to become more pragmatic. And that's why it's gonna be fascinating to me to see how he's gonna fit all this array of talent.

“England have all their best players in the final third of the pitch. How is he gonna fit all of that into perhaps a more pragmatic line-up? That's gonna be interesting.”

Match made in heaven

The role of England manager is a 'dream move' for Thomas Tuchel, believes German football expert Raphael Honigstein.

“He's an avowed Anglophile," Honigstein told talkSPORT.

"He loves English football, loves English players. Of course, worked with Eric Dier, worked with Harry Kane at Bayern, tried to bring in a couple more English players.

“He was forever talking about how much he enjoyed working in England, working in English dressing rooms or a dressing room at Chelsea.

“And just, I think, wanted to come back to England full stop. There was no secret that he had discussions with Man United. I think one or two other clubs were looking at him. I think Spurs were looking at him not so long ago.

“So for him, I think it's a bit of a dream move. As I said, a real passion for English football.

“I think he sees himself as somebody that can take a team that's come close. That's one decisive step further and maybe deliver the trophy and not just become a hero for winning stuff, but becoming a German hero in England. I think that has a special kind of fascination for him.”

A Chelsea seal of approval

Chelsea stars Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are seemingly happy to see the news of Thomas Tuchel's pending England tenure.

The duo both played under the German during his spell at the Blues, with James part of their Champions League winning side in 2021.

Chalobah, who is currently on loan at Crystal Palace, was handed his senior Chelsea debut by Tuchel in their UEFA Super Cup final win over Villarreal.

And it seems as though both would be keen to work with him again should they receive England call-ups in the coming months.

James and Chalobah have both liked an Instagram post from football journalist Fabrizio Romano regarding Tuchel agreeing to become England manager.

The former hasn't played for the Three Lions since March last year whilst the latter is yet to earn a senior cap for the Three Lions.

Isak on the way out?

Alexander Isak has put clubs including Arsenal on red alert as he continues to stall on signing a new contract at Newcastle.

Isak has been in talks over a new deal at St James' Park for several months but there is no obvious sign of progress in negotiations.

talkSPORT has been told the Swedish international is demanding a pay packet that would make him the club's top earner, as well as a release clause, in order to commit his future.

Arsenal have a long-standing interest in Isak, 25, and are expected to push to sign a new No.9 next summer with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko also on their shortlist.

Isak, who hit 21 Premier League goals last season, is under contract at St James’ Park until the summer of 2028.

You can read more of the latest transfer news in Alex Crook's Transfer Notebook below...

Doesn't fit the blueprint

Former England captain Stuart Pearce has some concerns over whether Thomas Tuchel would be fully committed to all parts of the Three Lions job.

Pearce doesn't think that Tuchel fits the 'blueprint' of being an England manager like Gareth Southgate did.

Speaking earlier this afternoon, he said: "Firstly I've got no reservations in regard to a foreign manager.

"I didn't when Sven got the job when he was the first foreign manager to come in and take the role I had no reservations in regard to that or no objections.

"What I would say is I think the blueprint of what a manager should look like for England has been what Gareth Southgate's done an individual that cares about the whole process cares about all the age groups not just the senior team and wants to take an interest in benefiting those lower age groups. I don't know whether Tuchel would be that person.

"If I'm being honest with you I think he'd come in, he would do the job and just do the job and I think we've seen a manager that has done wonders over the last eight years. That's my personal opinion."

He added: "If you go in the marketplace to recruit somebody and you feel as though I would give priority to an English manager if you felt as though there was someone with the credentials good enough to do the job. If there isn't then I wouldn't restrict myself.

"I'm talking on behalf of the FA. I wouldn't restrict myself saying right OK we can't have a German but we can have a Frenchman we can't have a Scot I wouldn't do that."

When asked who he'd want instead, Pearce said: "Probably Eddie [Howe]."

All aboard the Tuchel train

Thomas Tuchel has emerged as the leading candidate to become England's new manager after the FA stepped up talks with his camp.

talkSPORT understands that while Tuchel is yet to discuss the terms of a contract, the former Chelsea boss is very keen to replace Gareth Southgate.

There is a hope on both sides that an agreement can be reached swiftly for Tuchel to become only the third foreign appointment in England's history.

As reported yesterday, FA chiefs also sounded out Pep Guardiola after Southgate quit in the summer, but have been given no firm indication the Manchester City boss is willing to accept the job.

In fact, City are remaining hopeful Guardiola will extend his stay at the Etihad beyond the end of the season when his current deal expires.

Neither Newcastle boss Eddie nor Graham Potter have received any formal approach from the FA, leaving the door open for Tuchel.

In the Nic of time

Salford City have announced that former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt is set to step down as Chief Executive Officer.

The Class of 92 member will still remain part of the club as an active shareholder and will still be on the board of directors.

However, not being CEO means he will be taking a less hands-on-role with Salford, and he wants to get re-involved with coaching.

Butt became the club's CEO in October 2022, replacing Gary Neville.

In a statement on the club's website confirming his decision, Butt said: "Whilst I have enjoyed the day-to-day responsibilities of the Chief Executive role and discovered a huge amount about the challenges an EFL club faces away from the football pitch, I have recently realised how much I miss the coaching and development of players, and this has increased my desire to get back into that side of the game.

"Over the past few months, there have been several exciting opportunities put forward to me that have put my focus back on coaching and on the grass.

"That being said, I have always wanted to put Salford first, and we now have experienced executives within the senior management team here which means that I can step away from my current duties without any impact on current operations and it will be very much business as usual."

'No Van Dijk'

Former Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart has criticised Micky van de Ven for his performance against Germany in the Nations League last night.

Virgil van Dijk was suspended for the Netherlands and has returned back to Merseyside.

This handed Tottenham centre-back Van de Ven his chance to star for his country at the heart of defence.

However, Ronald Koeman's team lost 1-0, and at half time, Van der Vaart tore into the Netherlands, while also pointing out that Van de Ven is not on the same level as Van Dijk.

He said: I don't easily get ashamed of the Dutch team, but today I did.

"We attribute so many qualities to them, but it's completely wrong. You can analyse it, but everything just goes wrong.

"Then we have doubts about the absence of Virgil van Dijk, of course you miss him. All well and good, Micky van de Ven, but this is no Van Dijk."

Tommy on the radar

talkSPORT understands that formal talks between Thomas Tuchel and the FA over the England role are yet to take place.

The German has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich in the summer and has made it clear he would be keen on returning to work in England and taking the job.

Tuchel enjoyed a successful spell at Chelsea in which he won the Champions League in 2021, and he enjoyed life in Great Britain.

He has been heavily linked with Manchester United in the past, but he's now under consideration to become the next England boss.

Lee Carsley is currently filling in as interim manager, but he made it clear after the Finland match that the Three Lions should be managed by someone with who has won plenty of trophies, and Tuchel fits that bill.

Chelsea's clash against Brentford and Tottenham's trip to Southampton in December will kick-off at the unusual time of 7pm.

The Premier League have confirmed the changes to their schedule for December and January, with the busy Christmas period adapted to fit in a number of mouth-watering fixtures.

Chelsea take on west London rivals Brentford on Sunday December 15, with the original date being the day before at 3pm.

This has now been changed to Sunday 15 at the uncommon time of 7pm.

This is due to the Blues' participation in the Europa Conference League the Thursday prior.

However, Enzo Maresca's side have little time to breathe after their match against the Bees.

Another European game, this time against Shamrock Rovers, comes on the following Thursday at Stamford Bridge at 8pm.

Southampton and Tottenham's meeting has also been moved.

Saints will host Spurs at the same time as Chelsea vs Brentford, on Sunday December 15 at 7pm.

This match had again originally been scheduled for Saturday 14 December with a 3pm kick-off time.

The Premier League have detailed the reasoning for this change as it being 'live on TNT Sports'.

Sundays normally see games played at 2pm and 4:30pm.

There have been 8pm kick-offs in the past, too.

Unlike last season, there will not be a Christmas Eve game.

Last term, Chelsea travelled to Wolves on the festive date - but this fixture slot has been slashed this time round.

The final fixture before Christmas day is on Sunday 22 - Tottenham's clash at home to Liverpool, which kicks off at 4:30pm.

Boxing Day, meanwhile, has eight fixtures scheduled in.

Dejan Kulusevski has revealed that insight from Cristiano Ronaldo has been the catalyst for his recent upturn in form.

The winger has shined this season having featured in all ten of Tottenham’s games across all competitions.

His inspired form also saw him handed the captain’s armband for Sweden in last month’s Nation’s League clash with Azerbaijan.

And the playmaker was at it again on Monday night, providing an assist in his country’s 3-0 win over Estonia – his fourth consecutive match as skipper.

The 24-year-old offers a greater attacking threat than any other time during his Tottenham career and boasts a higher consistency in his game.

And that is in part due to some words of wisdom from former teammate and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo.

The pair spent one season together at Juventus before the Portuguese made a return to Old Trafford but before his exit, Ronaldo spoke to the Swede on the subject of understanding your body.

Ronaldo’s longevity in football has been a result of keeping himself in optimal shape by looking after himself both on and off the pitch, something Kulusevski did not appreciate to its fullest, until now.

"I’m getting to know my body,” he told Fotbollskanalen. “When I was younger, I didn’t understand when Ronaldo told me: ‘You will get to know your body’. Because I didn’t know my body then. But now I’m starting to understand my strengths and weaknesses, how I can improve. So I feel like everything is getting easier."

Ronaldo’s guidance now appears to be paying off with the Swede at the top of his game and Spurs on a good run of form before their defeat at Brighton last time out.

Ange Postecoglou’s side mustered up a run of five-straight victories but since suffering defeat in the north London derby on September 15.

Pressed on his current form, Kulusevski said: “I have worked incredibly hard to be able to play at that level. I’m not shocked. I’ve just been waiting for it. Every match has felt good, but that one (in the recent 3-0 win at Manchester United) was perhaps extra good.”

Spurs are back in action on Saturday lunchtime when West Ham visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hoping to get back to winning ways.

Kulusevski and his Spurs teammates came under fire for their collapse at Brighton earlier this month.

Having led 2-0 at half time, Tottenham slipped to a 3-2 defeat which saw Postecoglou’s side slip to ninth in the table.

Tottenham return to action after the international break against West Ham hoping to bounce back from their embarrassing collapse.

Spurs were 2-0 up against Brighton and cruising in the first half of their clash at the Amex two weeks ago but were humiliated in the second and lost 3-2.

Ange Postecoglou was left raging as the result rendered an impressive 3-0 away win at Manchester United pointless and kept them ninth in the Premier League.

After a break, he will now be desperate to get back to winning ways and regain some belief that his squad are good enough to compete with the top four.

West Ham, on the other hand, come into this game in a more positive mood following a convincing win over Ipswich.

It was much-needed three points for Julen Lopetegui who was already starting to feel the pressure only a few games in his first season in charge.

Tottenham vs West Ham: Derby day

Both sides will have some extra fight in their bellies on Saturday as they meet in a London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

But it’s West Ham who may feel the more confident of the two.

The Hammers are unbeaten in their last three away London derbies in the Premier League, with all of those games coming this campaign.

For Spurs it’s a different story, as they have lost four of their last six meetings against local rivals, only winning one of them.

That win was against Brentford in September which was their most recent derby.

It’s going to make for an interesting clash and all eyes will be on what could be a feisty affair in north London.

Tottenham have only won more Premier League games against Everton (31) and Manchester City (28) than they have vs West Ham (26).

West Ham came from behind to win this exact fixture 2-1 last season – they’ve not won consecutive league visits to Spurs since doing so in April/November 1966.

This will be the eighth time Tottenham and West Ham have faced each other in the first Premier League matchday back after an international break, with Spurs so far unbeaten in the previous seven (W4 D3).

Tottenham vs West Ham: Predicted line-ups

Tottenham have been without captain Heung-min Son for the last couple of games.

The Spurs skipper has a thigh issue, but he’s been able to rest it over the international break and will be eyeing a return in this one.

It may be too soon for him and Timo Werner could keep his place on the wing.

But academy product Mikey Moore is pushing for a start and may be trusted to come in, with Postecoglou potentially making changes.

Brennan Johnson will certainly be in the team as he is in fine scoring form while James Maddison continues to be the creative hub for Tottenham.

Elsewhere in midfield, Dejan Kulusevski should start but there could be change in the deeper role with Yves Bissouma competing with Rodrigo Bentancur.

Dominic Solanke will lead the line as Richarlison continues his recovery.

In defence, it’s unlikely that any switches will be made from the last game with Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro, Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie starting.

As for West Ham, their best XI has taken shape over the last two fixtures.

Alphonse Areola will start in goal while Aaron Wan-Bissaka has claimed a starting right-back spot over Vladimir Coufal.

The former Man United man will be joined by summer signings Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman and left-back Emerson Palmieri.

Guido Rodriguez, Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta have become a solid midfield three while Edson Alvarez has lost his place.

And there’s no doubt about the wingers with captain Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus providing goals and creativity every week.

Ex-Leeds man Crysencio Summerville is yet to break into the side while Carlos Soler provides some backup if needed.

Up front, Niclas Fullkrug is nearing a return from injury but Michail Antonio’s performance against Ipswich is likely to see him start again.

Brennan Johnson has scored in each of his last six games in all competitions for Tottenham, with his six goals in these games more than he’d netted in his first 38 appearances for the club (5).

Captain Jarrod Bowen has been involved in 34 shots this season (15 shots, 19 chances created), more than any other West Ham player. Indeed, last time out against Ipswich he became the first Hammers player to have 5+ shots and create 5+ chances in a single Premier League match since Michail Antonio against Arsenal in March 2021.

Tottenham vs West Ham: What has been said?

Tottenham manager Postecoglou labelled the defeat to Brighton as the worst of his time at the club.

He said: "Yeah, that's disappointing.

“I'm frustrated, I'm absolutely gutted with that, it's probably the worst defeat we've had since I've been here.

"Unacceptable second half, we weren't anywhere near where we should be, maybe we just got carried away with how we were going."

When asked if there was a problem with his side's mentality, he said: "Yeah I think so.

"Second half, I just don't think... we kind of accepted our fate, which is a bit hard to understand because we haven't done that since I've been here, we've usually followed through everything.

"But when you don't, you pay a price and we paid the price."

Including crosses, no player has played more passes into the opposition box in the Premier League this season than Tottenham’s James Maddison (64). Maddison’s next goal will be his 50th in the competition, with the midfielder netting in two of his last three league games.

West Ham beat Ipswich 4-1 in their last Premier League match – they’ve not won consecutive league games since March.

Tottenham vs West Ham: talkSPORT coverage

This Premier League clash will take place on Saturday, October 19.

Kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is scheduled for 12:30pm.

talkSPORT will have EXCLUSIVE live coverage of the game presented by Reshmin Chowdhury.

Commentary will come from Sam Matterface and former England captain Stuart Pearce.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM

Cristiano Ronaldo makes an impact with whatever he does on the pitch and whatever he says on it.

It might be more than three years since he last played alongside Dejan Kulusevski but the Tottenham Hotspur still remembers his words.

The Swedish star has had a transformational season so far, going from talented by inconsistent right winger to a dominant and creative attacking midfielder.

His stunning performance against Manchester United in a 3-0 Tottenham win left fans and neutrals purring.

And his displays are rightly earning him plaudits.

The same has happened on international duty with another stellar showing in a 2-2 draw with Slovakia, whilst wearing the captain's armband.

And as he continues a breakout season, he's revealed exactly what's changed for him mentally.

"To not be satisfied with being good, but to be the best every day," said Kulusevski, per Fotboll Skanalen.

"That's the only thing that matters. As hard as it is to try to be the best.

"I think that you learn over time, that you begin to understand much more about how the world and the brain work. You can't be 17 and know everything.

"Yes, I always change. I'm starting to get to know my body. When I was younger, I didn't understand when [Cristiano] Ronaldo told me: 'You will get to know your body'. Because I didn't know my body then.

"But now I'm starting to understand my strengths and weaknesses, how I can improve. So I feel like everything is getting easier.

"I know how to train the day before a match, two days before a match, what to do when I'm tired and so on. All the little details that in the end make a big difference."

Kulusevski has played in a number of roles in his time at Tottenham but finally appears to have found the place where his future lies - and the display against Manchester United was the culmination of hard work and belief.

“It [being a protagonist] came out in that match, but I have worked incredibly hard to be able to play at that level. I’m not shocked. I’ve just been waiting for it. Every match has felt good, but that one was perhaps extra good,” he explained.

“I want to try to maximize this career as much as possible and never be one of the crowd. It has been the whole season. I really feel that I am stronger mentally and physically this season.

"I have changed the 'mindset' a bit. I think that is to my advantage. I have grown off the pitch as well. The plan is to get better every day, and I feel that I am becoming that.”

The hearts of a thousand Tottenham fans were broken when Manchester United recalled Grace Clinton from her loan at the end of last season.

And when the midfielder returns to Leigh Sports Village on Sunday 13 October at 12:30pm - dressed this time in red instead of white - she will have the chance to break them all over again.

Seventh-place Tottenham travel to an unbeaten Man United for a crucial mid-table WSL clash which could prove decisive when it comes to the fight for Champions League football.

For Clinton, it marks a first fixture against the club who nurtured her rise to greatness during one of the most remarkable loan spells the league had ever seen.

Spurs fans much have watched on with bittersweet emotions last term, knowing the better the young Lioness got, the less and less likely it was that they would be able to keep her in North London.

Few players have had the kind of impact Clinton had during her year with Spurs, securing a comfortable top-half WSL finish for the club and helping them to their first ever Women's FA Cup final.

The midfielder had scored four goals and collected four assists in her 20 appearances, as well as earning herself the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year award.

Her performances for Spurs had also caught the eye of Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman, who handed Clinton her first England call-up.

It took the 21-year-old just 19 minutes on the pitch to score her first international goal.

And so, hoping against hope, Tottenham fans hung onto the slim chance they might just be able to keep hold of a player who promises to be one of the biggest stars of women's football.

In his most recent press conference, Spurs manager Robert Vilahamn confirmed that was exactly what the team had tried to do.

Of course, Man United had finally glimpsed exactly how good Clinton could be and unsurprisingly, they did not want to let her go.

"We were pushing to go really hard, but – when a club does not want to sell – we do not have any power," Vilahamn revealed.

"No matter what we want to pay for her, when the club does not want to sell, it's useless.

"The board was ready to push the button and buy her, but they were not winning to sell. We need to respect that and I totally get it. She's a great player; I would not sell her if I was Man United."

So in the end, the Red Devils took Clinton back off Tottenham - much as they had taken the Women's FA Cup trophy off them in a ruthless 4-0 victory in the Wembley showpiece final last season.

Clinton had been ruled out of that match in an agonising twist of fate for the youngster, ineligible to face her parent club and forced to watch from the sidelines as her loan side crumbled.

But if her showings for Man United this season so far are anything to go by, she will be anything but inactive in this next fixture.

Clinton has already scored in both her first two WSL appearances for Man United, helping them to a resounding 3-0 win over West Ham and then an equally strong 2-0 victory over Liverpool.

If she continues her 100% WSL scoring rate against Tottenham, she will also break an impressive club record.

Clinton would become the first ever Man United player ever to score in her first three WSL appearances.

It is a run which has inspired immense praise from manager Marc Skinner, who has done well to deal with the pressure on his side so far this year.

"Forget her having the ball, that’s her super strength," he said of Clinton.

"Off the ball, I have been really impressed and that is something I will judge her game on. When she does that properly as second nature, that is when we will really see the footballer she is."

But while Tottenham may be loathe to face a player in such fine form, - especially fresh off the back of their 4-3 loss to Liverpool last weekend - their manager Vilahamn is confident their experience of Clinton can help them out.

"She's scored goals in both games and is shining," he said. "I knew that was [going to] happen. It's just great for her.

"This game is going to be tough for us because we're going to play against her, but – on the other hand – we play against good players every week.

"We're going to have a strategy on how we're going to play and we also know her well, so we also know perhaps how to stop her."

Chelsea are still mocked for letting future Premier League superstars Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah walk right out the door.

But in another world perhaps it's Tottenham who could have made the same grave mistake, with Luka Modric initially struggling to settle at the club after his move from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008.

Modric arrived in a £16.5million deal as Spurs beat the likes of Manchester City and Newcastle to the highly-touted Croatian's signature.

However, six losses in the opening eight games of Tottenham's 2008/09 Premier League season may have had Modric wondering if he had made a grave mistake in moving to England.

Juande Ramos, the manager who brought Modric to the club, was sacked in October and replaced by Harry Redknapp.

At first, Redknapp deployed Modric out on the left flank before transitioning him into a central midfield role.

Modric would end his debut Premier League season with ten assists as Tottenham finished eighth.

But Jake Livermore, who was on the fringes of Tottenham's first-team as a budding academy prospect when Modric first arrived, knew the club had a gem on their hands.

All the Croatian needed was time.

"I'm not sure about that [Modric leaving], but sometimes players like that, they need the rest of the players to bounce off of them," Livermore said in an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.

"I think maybe in his first season he struggled because the team didn't realise what he had and I think it soon became apparent after that... we had to give him the ball, feed him the ball and make runs off of him.

"I think once he started to gel with the rest of the team and the rest of the team started to see what he could do, I think then he obviously came into his own."

As they say, the rest is history.

Modric went on to establish himself as one of the Premier League's best central midfielders and helped Tottenham to their best league finish in 20 years.

The Croatian's sparkling form attracted interest from Europe's biggest clubs and prompted Real Madrid to part with £30m to sign Modric in 2012.

It proved to be an incredibly shrewd acquisition.

With Modric bossing their midfield, Madrid have won the Champions League a staggering six times.

Modric even beat out Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to football's top individual gong, the Ballon d'Or, in 2018.

The Croatian has proved himself to be one of modern footballer's finest midfielders, with Livermore fortunate enough to play with the Croatian 26 times.

Livermore has also lined up alongside other electric talents to come through at Tottenham, including Gareth Bale and Harry Kane.

Bale became a teammate of Modric once again when he joined Madrid in 2013 for an eye-watering £85m, while Kane stands alone as Tottenham's all-time leading goalscorer.

Safe to say, all three have gone on to reach incredible highs in football, albeit Kane has been rather luckless in his pursuit of a team trophy.

Yet there's only one name out of the trio that stands out for Livermore as the best he played alongside.

"I think being a midfielder myself, Luka Modric is probably the pick of the bunch for me," he said.

"Gareth was immense for a couple of seasons, two in particular. Everything he hit just turned to gold.

"But I think being a midfielder myself and playing alongside him and trying to learn from him, I think Modric is probably the pick of the bunch for me."

At the age of 39, Modric remains a key part of Madrid's midfield despite the arrivals of Aurelian Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham in recent seasons.

Modric, Madrid's captain, has started five LaLiga games for Los Blancos this season and has one assist to his name.

It could be his last campaign in the iconic white shirt as his contract expires in June next year, but he and Los Blancos will hope he has a golden send-off with even more glory.

Wojciech Szczesny may have left Arsenal seven years ago - but he remains a firm fan favourite at the Emirates.

The 34-year-old came through the club's famous Hale End academy, where he made 181 appearances - winning two FA Cups.

His breakthrough season came in the 2010/11 campaign, where he capitalised on injuries to Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski to establish himself as the Gunners' No.1.

And while he was partly at fault for Obafemi Martins' dramatic winner in the League Cup final in February 2011, he quickly endeared himself to the Arsenal faithful.

Szczesny, who has recently joined Barcelona on a deal until the end of the season, flattened Gareth Bale twice - much to the delight of Gooners.

His first north London derby against Tottenham came in April 2011, and he certainly left a lasting impression - on both fans and Bale.

Both incidents involving the two players came in the first half of the six-goal thriller at White Hart Lane, which finished honours even at 3-3.

Their first tussle came in the 37th minute as Bale looked to get on the end of a bouncing ball inside the box - only for Szczesny to come out and claim it.

But in doing so, he left Bale on a heap in the floor after making contact with the Welshman as he jumped high above him, before accidentally elbowing his head after landing on the forward.

It forced a delay in stoppage with the winger requiring medical attention, who he would also need just before half-time.

In the second incident - which lives long in the memory of Arsenal fans - Szczesny reacted brilliantly to deny Bale from getting on the end of a pass.

Rafael van der Vaart, who scored twice in the encounter to rescue a point for Spurs, floated the ball in beyond Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna.

Out like a flash having sensed the danger, Szczesny sprinted to palm the ball away for a throw-on just as Bale looked to shoot - completely wiping him out in the process.

It saw Bale somersaulting over the Poland international following the coming together, where he landed on his head, leading to huge appeals from the Spurs fans for a penalty.

Knowing he got the ball, Szczesny calmed walked back to his goal where he gave teammate Johan Djourou a wry smile and cheeky wink.

It was the moment that cemented himself as an Arsenal cult hero.

While Szczesny was accidentally whacked by Bale as the duo went for the ball, it was the latter who came out second best.

For the second time in under ten minutes, the Spurs medics were out on the pitch to tend to the former Southampton starlet.

A stretcher was even brought on, though Bale was able to gingerly walk off following the half-time whistle.

But he failed to make it out for the second half, which saw Arsenal fail to hold onto their lead in what was a typically classic end-to-end north London derby.

After Szczesny riled up the Spurs faithful following his hefty collisions with Bale, he began to make it a regular occurrence by winding them up on social media.

Following Arsenal's 1-0 win over Tottenham in September 2013, he shared a video of himself playing the piano to the tune of 'When the Saints Go Marching In'.

The tune is used for Spurs' famous chant, with Arsenal fans having their own version referencing their two league title wins won on enemy soil.

Even during his loan spell at Roma in 2016, he mocked Spurs following their 5-1 defeat at Newcastle on the final day of the season, which saw Arsenal pip them to second spot.

It meant that Arsenal finished above their rivals in the league for the 21st consecutive season.

This time uploading a video of himself singing, Szczesny chanted: 'It’s happened again, it's happened again, Tottenham Hotspur, it's happened again."

Even after his permanent Arsenal exit in 2017 to Juventus, he still couldn't help but poke fun at Tottenham.

After the Old Lady knocked Spurs out of the Champions League in 2018, he gestured to the fans to 'keep their chins up', before posting 'North London is Red' on X.

While Szczesny may never have lived up to his full potential at Arsenal, he will be forever remembered fondly.

And he's living proof that you may take the man out of Arsenal, but you can never take the Arsenal out of the man.

Ryan Mason is staying at Tottenham after holding talks with Anderlecht over becoming their manager, talkSPORT understands.

Mason, assistant coach at Spurs, and Anderlecht decided mutually not to proceed with his potential appointment.

Mason was one of the club’s leading names to succeed Brian Riemer after Dutchman Mark van Bommel dropped out of the running.

Mason, who had had a stint as interim Tottenham head coach in 2021 following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho, became the youngest manager to take charge of a Premier League game aged just 29 and led Spurs to a seventh-placed finish in the 2021/22 campaign.

Anderlecht are currently fourth in the Belgian league but parted ways with Dutch boss Reimer last month.

The move would have seen Mason become the second former Tottenham midfielder to manage in Belgium following Scott Parker’s ill-fated six-month spell at Club Brugge in 2023.

It would have also seen him reunited with former Spurs teammate Jan Vertonghen who joined the club from Benfica in 2022.

Mason came through the ranks at the north-London club and made his debut in 2008 before undergoing loan spells at various club’s including Yeovil, Doncaster, Millwall and French club Lorient.

In 2016, he made a £13million switch to Hull City however his career came to a premature end when he suffered a fractured skull in a collision with Chelsea’s Gary Cahill.

Thankfully, Mason recovered but was forced to hang up his boots on medical advice.

Tottenham handed Mason the opportunity to carve out a coaching career by appointing him as a youth coach before later taking up the role of head of the club’s academy.

Following the sacking of first-team boss Jose Mourinho in 2021, he was given the reins as interim boss with his first game being a 1-0 League Cup final defeat to Manchester City at Wembley.

Mason has since continued his coaching development with stints working under Antonio Conte as well as his current role as part of Ange Postecoglou’s backroom team.

The 33-year-old is highly regarded in coaching circles but has yet to secure a permanent managerial role.