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Dejan Kulusevski is thriving at Tottenham after being moved into a central midfield role by Ange Postecoglou this campaign.

The Swede played primarily as a winger during his first two-and-a-half seasons in north London. And while he provided creativity from out wide, he has been even more influential since slotting into the middle of the park, where he started alongside Yves Bissouma and James Maddison against West Ham on Saturday.

With the freedom to drop deeper alongside Bissouma or venture forward with Maddison, Kulusevski was all over the pitch for Spurs. And his superb general play was rewarded with a well-taken equaliser, which squirmed in off both posts, while he played a key role in the Alphonse Areola own goal which increased the hosts' lead in a 4-1 win.

After the game, Kulusevski made it crystal clear to Postecoglou that he sees himself primarily as a central playmaker and would not be keen on returning to the flanks.

"That’s my position," he stated. "I’m taking huge steps and I feel free. When I feel free, I can do what I’ve been doing all my life - creating chances, scoring goals and assisting my team-mates."

Kulusevski showed flashes of huge promise during his early years in Italy with Atalanta, Parma and Juventus. Now 24 years old, the Stockholm-born talent is playing the best football of his career and leading Europe's midfielders in a range of creative metrics.

In terms of key passes, progressive runs, accelerations and deep completions, no midfielder in Europe can rival Kulusevski's numbers on a per-90-minute basis. And in terms of dribbles and offensive duels, he's currently the most prolific in the Premier League.

Spurs striker Dominic Solanke is one of the beneficiaries of Kulusevski's sparkling form, which has helped him make a smooth transition from Bournemouth to a high-pressure environment in north London following his £65million summer move.

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"He’s a great player," said Solanke. "This season he has been phenomenal for us. We need our players to be in top form, especially in the Premier League. We want to do as well as we can, so to have players like that in our team is definitely going to help.

"We’re so confident in each other and we know we’re always going to create chances with the way we play, so it’s just about sticking together and believing."

Ange Postecoglou may not feel 'comfortable' hiring a specialised set-piece coach but Tottenham's ineffectiveness from dead-ball situations should make him just as uneasy.

Spurs players and fans were right to rejoice in a thumping 4-1 win over West Ham on Saturday. The Lilywhites repeatedly carved open their east London rivals on the counter-attack and showed impressive game management to tighten up the midfield at half-time, which saw them run away with the three points.

But the truth is, the scoreline could have been even wider against a West Ham side who were more than happy to chance their arm against Tottenham from set-pieces.

The Hammers gave away 12 corners to Spurs before the interval, which is more than any one team has had against another in the first half of a Premier League game this season. And Tottenham were not particularly threatening from any of them.

Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke are both miles clear of the six-foot mark, while Cristian Romero is an animal in the box. But Tottenham are not finding ways to use them dangerously, and it's proving too easy for opponents to deal with them.

As of last month, Spurs ranked 13th among Premier League teams for set-piece goals scored since the start of the 2023/24 season, with 12.

Their cross-city rivals, Arsenal, lead the way with 23. And Mikel Arteta's dedicated set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, has become a well-known figure in his own right.

Spurs have their own team of coaches to look after that particular area with Mile Jedinak, Ryan Mason and Nick Montgomery all taking a more active role than their colleagues. But Postecoglou has made it clear that he does not want to recruit someone in the mould of Jover, who is solely dedicated to getting the maximum from dead-ball scenarios.

"I always think it’s better if that’s somebody who’s a part of the coaching staff because then that’s an extension of how we play our football," he said in March.

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"I don’t want set pieces to be separate from everything else we do, in terms of the team we want to be. It all hopefully links in. Some have gone down the specialised route which I understand. It’s just it’s not how I work. I wouldn’t feel comfortable bringing in specialists for one particular area."

Perhaps the spurned opportunities against the Hammers will push Postecoglou one more notch towards conceding defeat, following Arteta's lead and accepting an 'uncomfortable' situation could be in the best interests of his side.

Despite signing a new contract with Italian club Lecce, left-back Patrick Dorgu is still being pursued by Chelsea and Tottenham, according to the Mirror.

The 19 year old Danish international has been impressive in Serie A and has already earned three caps for his country.

His new contract with Lecce will run until the summer of 2029, but it's believed that his long-term future may still be away from Italy.

Both Chelsea and Spurs have shown interest in the young full-back, with the latter considering him as potential cover for Destiny Udogie.

However, Lecce's asking price of over £25million, which is expected to increase following Dorgu's contract extension, could prove a stumbling block.

Despite his limited game time, Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin has no plans to leave the club in January, according to the Mirror. The Romanian centre-back, who was signed by Spurs from Genoa last winter for £26.7million amidst strong interest from Bayern Munich, has only started one Premier League match this season.

His transition to life in north London was further complicated when he was sent off just seven minutes into the 3-0 Europa League victory over Qarabag last month. Despite Italian clubs like Napoli keeping a close eye on his situation, the 22-year-old remains dedicated to Tottenham and will not seek a mid-season departure, even if he continues to be left out of the team.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are still Ange Postecoglou's preferred centre-back duo, but there is optimism that Dragusin will get his fair share of game time in both Europe and domestic cup competitions this season. Sources close to the player suggest that the Romania international is solely focused on demonstrating his best on the pitch as he aims to secure a starting position.

This follows a warning from Dragusin's agent, Florin Manea, at the end of last season that his client would not be content with a permanent spot on the bench, urging Postecoglou to consider switching to a three-man defence.

Tottenham teenager Archie Gray was spotted in the tunnel having a lengthy conversation with a player he knows better than most after Saturday's victory over West Ham.

Julen Lopetegui closer to the sack.

Summerville will be keen to forget his trip to north London, but he did at least get the chance to reunite with a former team-mate. The Dutchman and Gray were spotted having a lengthy catch-up at full-time, which moved into the tunnel after the game.

Summerville was a force to be reckoned with in the Championship last season, scoring 20 goals and assisting nine more as Leeds United narrowly missed out on promotion. Gray, meanwhile, racked up a staggering 47 appearances despite not turning 18 until the latter stages of the campaign.

The pair, who spent two years in the first team together at Elland Road, each sealed big Premier League moves during the summer. The Hammers forked out £25million to snap up Summerville, while Spurs paid up to £30m for Gray's services.

And the length of their post-game chat proved that they had plenty to catch up on, with the former Leeds duo deep in conversation for around 10 minutes behind the scenes before exchanging a warm handshake and going their separate ways.

Summerville was not introduced by Lopetegui until just after the hour mark on Saturday. By that point, Tottenham had just rammed home their fourth goal of the afternoon as West Ham crumbled.

The visitors started well in north London, contesting an even game and hitting the front when Mohammed Kudus turned in Jarrod Bowen's low cross. But Dejan Kulusevski's long-range equaliser changed the complexion of the match and Spurs kicked on with intent after the break.

Yves Bissouma and Son Heung-min both got on the scoresheet, and an own goal from Alphonse Areola was symbolic of West Ham's miserable afternoon. Things went from bad to worse for the east London outfit when Kudus lashed out in the 86th minute and was shown a straight red card following a VAR review.

Gray's Spurs were up to sixth in the Premier League table by the full-time whistle as they hunt down a European place, while Summerville's West Ham are fighting a different battle down in 14th.

Tottenham punished West Ham's second-half collapse with a 4-1 win on home turf to temporarily go sixth in the Premier League table.

The Hammers hit the front through Mohammed Kudus but the brilliant Dejan Kulusevski levelled before the break. And Spurs upped the ante from there on, with strikes from Yves Bissouma and Son Heung-min compounding West Ham's misery after an Alphonse Areola own goal. Kudus was shown a straight red card late on for good measure.

Kulusevski's standout display means a comparatively shoddy performance from Pedro Porro will quickly be forgotten. Manager Ange Postecoglou will not let that affect his mood given that three more points are in the bag, and here, Express Sport brings you our Tottenham player ratings in full...

Guglielmo Vicario: 7

The keeper's big moment came just after 10 minutes, and his reflexes were razor sharp to palm away Kudus' powerful effort.

Pedro Porro: 5

Porro steadied the ship in the second half and was always hungry to have a pop at goal, but by that point his poor touch had already started an early West Ham counter-attack, a bad pass saw a Spurs move fall apart, and he lost Kudus at the back post for the Hammers' only goal. One to forget for the Spaniard, and a performance which, thankfully for him, will be swept under the carpet.

Cristian Romero: 7

A tough assignment against Michail Antonio but Van de Ven did most of the dirty work. Romero did make one eye-catching tackle just before the break.

Micky van de Ven (booked): 7

Nicked the ball off Antonio and powered forward to create a decent first-half chance for Spurs. Then used his pace in the opposite direction to stifle the West Ham forward, who had him beaten for power but not for speed.

Destiny Udogie: 7 (Gray, 87)

The Italian was run ragged by Jarrod Bowen in the early stages and he should have done better to defend the West Ham wide man for Kudus' opener. Udogie rescued his performance from then on, however, and his smart play laid Bissouma's goal on a plate.

Dejan Kulusevski: 9

Kulusevski set the tone from the very first minute, drifting past opponents effortlessly while enjoying the freedom to venture forwards and drop deep in his flexible imdfield role. His goal from outside the box hit the goalkeeper and both posts, and he played a significant role in Alphone Areola's own goal. A top performance.

Yves Bissouma: 7 (Bentancur, 81)

A solid showing all round from the Mali international and his goal was taken well.

James Maddison: 6 (Sarr, 45)

Started poorly, along with many of his team-mates. Maddison lost possession multiple times early on with bad passes and loose touches, then fired a corner straight into Areola's hands. The attacking midfielder only salvaged his display by playing the ball which preceded Kulusevski's equaliser, but he was still brought off at the break and had a face like thunder on the bench.

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Brennan Johnson: 6

A bit of a nothing display from the Welsh international. Most of the action went down Son's flank and the big chance that did fall to Johnson was headed wide from close range, as he failed to score for a seventh consecutive game.

Dominic Solanke: 5 (Richarlison, 81)

His energy was impressive, as always, but the former Bournemouth striker didn't offer much on a day when West Ham's porous defence was there to be got at.

Son Heung-min: 7 (Werner, 70)

A few wayward moments early on were forgotten in the second half, when he played a big part in Areola's own goal and then tore Jean-Clair Todibo to shreds before netting himself.

SUBS

Pape Sarr: 7

Only one half to affect the game but played a nice pass to set up Son for Tottenham's fourth of the afternoon.

Timo Werner: 6

West Ham were dead and buried by the time he came on and the German was unable to stamp his authority on the tie.

Richarlison: N/A

Rodrigo Bentancur: N/A

Archie Gray: N/A

West Ham star Mohammed Kudus was shown a straight red card for a moment of madness during his side’s defeat to Tottenham on Saturday afternoon.

The winger struck two different players in the face after tensions boiled over in the London derby, prompting VAR to intervene and request that referee Andrew Madley review the incident after initially brandishing a yellow card.

With his side trailing 4-1, Kudus attempted to break down the right wing but was easily dispossessed by Spurs defender Micky van de Ven. When trying to win the ball back, Kudus then brought down the centre-back but continued to kick out at the Dutch international after he had hit the deck.

After kicking Van de Ven twice, the Tottenham defender shoved Kudus away before rising to his feet and confronting the forward on his actions. The 24-year-old responded by shoving the defender in his face to spark both teams to clash, with Van de Ven falling to the ground clutching his eye.

Kudus then stepped backwards as Spurs players swarmed around him, which saw him accidentally bump into Richarlison with the back of his head after the Brazil international had looked to storm towards him.

Pape Sarr then rushed to the aid of his teammates and was shoved with both hands in the face by Kudus in another act of violent conduct from the ex-Ajax star as he allowed his frustrations to get the better of him.

After some of the calmer players on the pitch managed to separate the teams, referee Madley gave Van de Ven and Kudus a yellow card each. However, VAR then intervened to rule that the incident required an on-field review for violent conduct from the latter.

Madley watched the series of clips before changing his mind and giving Kudus his marching orders, in what was an unnecessary blow for the Hammers after what has already proved a tricky campaign so far.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has confessed he is "ready to explode" as his players return from international duty to Hotspur Way. Spurs were on a winning streak of five consecutive victories and seemed poised for a sixth win after leading 2-0 at half-time in their game against Brighton before the break.

However, Brighton staged a remarkable comeback in the second half, scoring three goals to clinch a 3-2 victory. In his post-match press conference, Postecoglou didn't mince words, describing the loss as his "worst defeat" since taking over as Tottenham's head coach.

The international break meant that there was no immediate opportunity to rectify things on the pitch. The Lilywhites are set to return to action this Saturday with a home game against West Ham.

With all his players back at Hotspur Way for training ahead of the weekend's London derby, Postecoglou is eager to vent his frustrations after "sitting on it for ten days".

In an interview with Optus Sport, Postecoglou said: "You never know if it's (the international break) good or bad. Maybe for the players it was good, but I don't like sitting on a loss. You want to get it out of your system and move on to the next challenge, so you're kind of sitting on it.

"There can be a tendency to over-analyse things. It wasn't a good one, it was a sore one. The first half was unbelievable against Brighton and probably as well as we've played all year, but I didn't like the second half and what we looked like.

"It wasn't the loss, which was painful enough, but it was the manner in which we kind of went about it that I wasn't really comfortable with.

"You know what it's like with international football as the game finishes, everyone goes and the dressing room after the game is not the time to analyse. So I've been sitting on it for ten days, I'm ready to explode once they get back in the building and that will be my therapy.

"I care about what I do and if I've upset one person that's enough for me. The scrutiny isn't the challenge. The challenge is the competition - you're playing against the best in the world. The demands of that are pretty dramatic in terms of where I've come from in terms of starting my journey."

"This club has its own unique challenges for sure. Are they more difficult than others? I don't know. When I was at Celtic I was expected to win. If you lose one game it's a major problem and not many can cope with that.

"It's just a different challenge for sure. I get why people would say it's the level and the scrutiny is the reason why you're not having success - I don't believe that. I believe we will have success and there's nothing here that makes me think that is insurmountable."

Dele Alli has reportedly hit a stumbling block as he plans to step his return to football, nearly two years on from his last match.

The former Tottenham and England man is out of contract after his Everton deal expired at the end of last season, but he has been working at the Toffees’ training ground in a bid to end his injury-ridden nightmare.

The Daily Mail claim that Sean Dyche’s outfit are prepared to offer Alli a new contract if he can prove his fitness. That is especially after Spurs’ gift to the player and club that they will not take up the £10million condition in a deal that took him to Goodison Park, which would have been paid out if he made 20 appearances.

Alli has played 13 times for Everton but whether he can add to that tally depends on whether he can rediscover his fitness.

However, having not signed a deal with Everton he is unable to be registered to play in Under-21 matches, where he would get a better chance in proving his health and durability.

He does not have the option to complete a programme of games, as opposed to someone on the club’s books, confining his recovery to the training facilities where he works at the Finch Farm gym.

Behind-closed-doors friendlies, where Alli would be viewed as a trialist, are thought to be an option.

Spurs are willing to write off the £10m they potentially could be viewed, but Everton still may end up paying Ange Postecoglou’s side further if he returns to the Toffees’ first team.

The north London outfit would insist on being compensated with performance-based bonuses and a sell-on clause if he were to leave Merseyside for a fee.

Lille are one of the clubs in Europe thought to be interested in signing Alli, where he would join the likes of England international Angel Gomes, Jonathan David and his former Spurs team-mate Nabil Bentaleb.

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But Alli’s focus will solely be on returning to match fitness, having spent over 18 months sidelined since his last appearance during an underwhelming loan spell at Besiktas.

Just last week he posted a photo of a pair of dirty boots on social media, captioning the image “brick by brick” in a reference to the hard work he is undertaking behind the scenes.

He made significant progress before being hampered by a recent muscle sprain, as explained by Dyche: “He’s just making sure he’s right. He’s had a little bit of a slip back with his fitness so he is just in that total recovery period.”

While matches with the Under-21s remain out of the question, Alli is continuing to build his fitness with the goal of competing for England at the World Cup in 2026.

Football stadium food or 'footy scran' as it is often affectionally referred too is always a hot topic amongst fans - particularly when visiting a new ground for the first time.

That was certainly the case for numerous Tottenham fans, who were left feeling hungry in Hungary after turning their backs on the menu at their Europa League opponents, Ferencvaros, earlier this month. The Hungarian club's take on cheese and onion toast proved a far cry from the cuisine back home at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in April 2019.

There, supporters can indulge in pie with mash and gravy or a beef lasagne with garlic bread and rocket salad at half time for a reasonable London price. Despite being more than moderately priced at 400 Hungarian Forint (around 85p), the dish offered little to satisfy the rumbling stomachs of those who took the two-and-a-half hour flight to Budapest.

In a snap shared by X account, Sports Scran (@SportScran) and captioned with a translation of "greasy bread" a Spurs fan's card container could be seen with a barely toasted slice of bread, melted cheese and several rashly chopped slices of red onion.

Thankfully, Spurs went on to win the game 2-1 thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson and Pape Matar Sarr, but it seems the food on their travels left an unwanted lasting impresion. Scores took to X to slam the "delicacy", with many admitting they'll never criticise food back in Britain again.

"Did a five-year old make this?" one disgruntled fan asked. "Hungarian food is too funny," commented a second "This is what my Hungarian friend gave me last year. He said it’s a Hungarian delicacy."

A third slammed: "It’s crazy how some places just don’t understand food." A fourth hit out: "Wouldn't eat this if I was starving in a zombie apocalypse."

Whilst a fan of Hibernian in Scotland enthused: "Will never complain about the a**e collapsing out a steak pie at Easter Road again." Others, however, explained the cheese on toast might go down well after several pints of beer.

"Plenty will mock this, but it'll save your life at the eighth pint," joked one X user. "I’d scran that," quipped another. "Really soak up the beers."

A third person penned: "Sorry to say but that’s scran. For that price? Those simple yet unmistakable flavours? You could do so much worse." And a fourth agreed: "I'd take four for that price."

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has amassed an impressive review score of 4.5 out 5 on TripAdvisor from more than 800 visitors, with many complementing the food and hospitality aspects. One reviewer hailed: "The Beavertown Neckoil is outstanding, a truly lovely pint.

"Really enjoyed the Margarita pizza, for commercial catering this was very tasty, really enjoyable. And highly recommended. Staff are all very friendly and helpful. Recommend you arrive well before kick off and enjoy the food and drink."