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LONDON -- Ange Postecoglou has said that Erik ten Hag has done a "great job" at Old Trafford and that criticism of the Dutchman's time as Manchester United manager should be expected as Premier League coaches are "always" under pressure.

Spurs travel to face United on Sunday with both sides sitting mid-table and searching for a result that could kickstart their respective seasons.

Despite winning the Carabao and FA Cup since taking over at United in 2022, Ten Hag's management has been the subject of regular criticism, with the club ending last season in eighth place for their worst finish in the Premier League era.

"I mean there's always some manager under pressure," Postecoglou told a news conference on Friday. "I think there must be a sort of -- what do they call one of those spinning boards with all our faces on it and whatever it lands on -- he's the one that cops it for a week or two.

"But I think Erik's in a real tough job. He's done really well. He keeps mentioning he's won two trophies and he has, so I don't think that's insignificant. Everyone keeps telling me that's all I have to do, but obviously it's not all you have to do because when you do that then there's more, there's always more. So I think he's done a great job and like I said, a difficult job and at Old Trafford, it's tough there.

"You look at their record irrespective of the managers, it's still a fairly compelling record there and they've got some real quality players. So, we had a really good game there last year. We ended up 2-2 and it was a cracking game and yeah, it's one we're going to be ready for."

Spurs haven't won at Old Trafford since their 6-1 demolition of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team in October 2020.

Son Heung-Min scored twice on that win, but Postecoglou said that Spurs will make a late call over the forward's availability for Sunday after he received treatment on the pitch and was subsequently substituted during Spurs' 3-0 win over Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday.

"Fair to say the boys are fairly tired, the ones who put in the shift. I think apart from Sonny, everyone's OK, and I don't think he's too bad, he wants to train tomorrow so we will obviously see how he goes at training tomorrow and make a decision from there," Postecoglou said.

With Wilson Odobert and Richarlison unavailable through injury, Postecoglou has limited options to choose from on the left wing if Son proves unable to recover in time.

Spurs' 17-year-old academy product Mikey Moore has been generating excitement among the team's fanbase and Postecoglou said that it is not too early to hand the teenager his first Premier League start.

"No, I wouldn't say that," Postecoglou said. Yeah, look, we will see with Sonny, but obviously with Wilson out, we're kind of limited, and with Richy [Richarlison] out, because Richy can play there as well, we're kind of limited a little bit, but Timo [Werner] and Mikey certainly come into the frame.

Gabriel's second-half header earned Arsenal a crucial 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur in a feisty North London derby on Sunday to keep pace with early Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Spurs started sharper and David Raya was forced into early saves, turning Dejan Kulusevski's first-time effort behind before he clawed away a dangerous cross from the Sweden winger.

Record signing Dominic Solanke, making his home debut, squandered a good opening in the 14th minute after Arsenal lost possession deep in their own half, taking too long on the ball and allowing William Saliba to recover.

Arsenal were missing captain Martin Odegaard through injury and Declan Rice through suspension, but dug deep impressively despite an under-strength midfield.

"It was difficult because we have lost a lot of important players for us," Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told Sky Sports.

"Those who waited for the chance trained and behaved in the right manner. This is the result."

Arsenal fought their way into the contest, with Guglielmo Vicario tested by a Kai Havertz header before Gabriel Martinelli scuffed his shot with Bukayo Saka waiting centrally.

Jurriën Timber was perhaps fortunate to avoid a straight red card in the first half for a reckless challenge on Pedro Porro as he tried to retain possession.

His studs landed on Porro's ankle, but referee Jarred Gillett deemed the incident was not serious foul play and VAR declined to intervene, much to Spurs fans' dismay.

Gillett handed out seven yellow cards in the first half, a Premier League record for a first period, just a day after the full game record was broken in Chelsea's win over Bournemouth.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, with the hosts on top as Micky van de Ven tested Raya with a glancing header, before Arsenal again got a foothold in the game.

The game had been breathless but low on quality in front of goal until Arsenal punished Spurs from a corner, having done so twice in last season's 3-2 away win in April.

Gabriel escaped far too easily from Cristian Romero, who pleaded for a foul in vain, and powered a header past Vicario from close range in the 64th minute.

Arsenal withstood some late pressure from Spurs, who created few real chances and were left shooting from range as the Gunners seemed happy with a one-goal lead.

The win, their third in a row away to their bitter rivals, puts Arsenal on 10 points from four games, two behind champions Manchester City ahead of their trip to the Etihad next Sunday.

Arsenal first play Atalanta away in the Champions League on Thursday and will hope Saka, who was substituted late on, can recover in time to play a part.

"I don't know exactly what it is but he could not continue," Arteta told reporters.

Spurs, once again left to rue missed chances, have four points from four games, their worst return after four matches since the 2015-16 season.

Their head coach Ange Postecoglou told reporters: "I still think we had some good opportunities but we could've had so many more.

"We just wasted some of our good play, similar to the other games where we just haven't really had that conviction in the front third."

Postecoglou, who has previously been dismissive of concerns about Spurs' defending at set pieces, said his side were punished for a momentary lapse.

"I thought we handled them well ... but it only takes one," he said.

Tottenham Hotspur host Arsenal in the first north London derby of the season on Sunday in the latest instalment of one of the Premier League's fiercest rivalries. The visitors will likely have to do without captain Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori for the crunch clash, while Spurs are looking to record their first win in the fixture since May 2022.

Ange Postecoglou's team will be hoping to put a dent in their near-neighbours' title credentials while re-establishing themselves as contenders for a spot in next season's Champions League after managing just one win from their opening three games and losing both star summer signing Dominic Solanke and Richarlison to injury in August -- more details on team news, how to watch, the form guide and more below.

Key details:

Date: Sunday, Sept. 15 at 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. E.T.)

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Referee: Jarred Gillett

VAR: Stuart Attwell

How to watch:

The game will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and NBC Sports in the United States. You can also follow along live with ESPN's live updates.

Team news:

Tottenham will be hoping £65 million summer signing Solanke can return to the starting line-up after he missed their win over Everton and defeat to Newcastle with an ankle blow he suffered during the team's opening-weekend fixture against Leicester.

Micky van de Ven did not travel with Netherlands for the international break after hurting his knee in the Everton match and should be fit after he too missed the game at St. James' Park, though Richarlison is set to miss a few more weeks after picking up a knock in training before the break. Yves Bissouma is a doubt for the match after picking up an injury in the second half of Mali's win over Eswatini on Tuesday.

Arsenal's build-up to their biggest game of the season so far has been dominated by confirmed and potential absences from the clash, with Declan Rice's controversial red card in the second half against Brighton ruling him out, while Calafiori and captain Ødegaard both suffered injuries while away with Italy and Norway respectively over the international break.

Calafiori, 22, who joined Arsenal from Bologna this summer, was hurt when Ousmane Dembélé caught him on the back of the leg with his studs after being tackled by another player during Italy's victory over France.

Ødegaard, meanwhile, covered his face with his hands while being treated on the field midway through the second half of a 2-1 Nations League win over Austria. He appeared to turn awkwardly on his left ankle in a tough challenge with Austria midfielder Christoph Baumgartner as both chased and stretched for a loose ball.

Ødegaard limped out of the game two minutes later and was consoled by his teammate Erling Haaland.

The news of both injuries will not be welcomed by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta who has already lost another new signing, Mikel Merino, to injury during his first training session.

Merino, a €32.5 million ($36m) addition from Real Sociedad, sustained a fractured shoulder when colliding with centre-back Gabriel Magalhães during practice at London Colney.

In his Friday news conference, Arteta did not confirm whether Ødegaard and Calafiori would be absent for the game, saying the club's medical team were continuing to evaluate both players and waiting on more test results.

Latest news:

Arteta signs three-year Arsenal contract extension

ESPN reported the news earlier on Thursday, with sources adding that Mikel Arteta will receive a significant increase on his existing £9m-a-year salary.

Arsenal home shirt deemed 'too white' for north London derby

Arsenal will wear their away kit against rivals Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday due to their red-and-white home kit featuring "too much white," the club said on Tuesday.

Both sides traditionally wear their home kits when they play each other, with British media reporting that Arsenal last wore their away kits in the fixture 38 years ago.

Bentancur charged over offensive Son comment

Spurs midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged by the Football Association for saying that all South Korean people "look the same" during a television appearance.

The Uruguay international apologised on June 20 in a post on Instagram for the remark that he said was a "very bad joke." Five days later, Son, Tottenham's captain, said that he had accepted his teammate's apology.

England boss Lee Carsley tells Ben White: Three Lions role up to you

Lee Carsley said he has no plans to contact Ben White over a possible England call-up and believes the responsibility lies with the Arsenal defender to make himself available.

Carsley's predecessor Gareth Southgate said in March that the Football Association's technical director John McDermott was told in a phone call from Arsenal sporting director Edu that White did not want to be considered for England.

Manager talk:

Both head coaches gave their thoughts on a range of issues during their respective news conferences on Friday.

Postecoglou on rivalling Arsenal: "Not specifically Arsenal -- we want to be a club that can challenge everyone. That's what we are trying to aim to become. To do that, you've got to perform at a certain level, at a consistent basis, the squad's strong enough to do that. We've started the season fairly solidly, from a performance perspective. The results haven't reflected that but I think we're in a good place to push on from last year and improve on all areas. There's no reason why we can't this year."

Postecoglou on what winning would mean for the rest of the season: "It's hard to say. I've never felt like there is an easy way to success, I don't think one thing can change the trajectory to a great effect. It helps, a win in a big game, in a derby, but it's a game against one of the top sides so that gives you more belief and confidence and potentially that can inject some real momentum into our season."

Postecoglou on what makes Arsenal difficult to play against: "Consistency and approach and mentality. The last two years they've had a real relentlessness about them. They haven't had to change their team too much. They have this confidence in themselves that they can challenge over the course of a Premier League season."

Arteta on Raheem Sterling's adaptation to the club and potential to play on Sunday: "He looks great! First of all, because he's got a big smile on his face, a lot of energy. He's at it and wants to prove a point. When someone has got that in their belly, you sense it straight away. Obviously, I don't need to discover anything about his quality and what he can bring to the team."

Arteta on wearing the away kit for this game: "It's not ideal -- we wanted to play with our home kit and our colours, but it's not our decision. We'll adapt, we did it against [Aston] Villa and won, so hopefully it's going to bring good luck as well."

Arteta on Martin Ødegaard's injury: "We need some more tests so let's see what happens in the next day or so, this afternoon probably, and see what happens, what the extent of the injury is and how quickly we can get him back. He's super positive about everything. We know Martin -- he wants to be there every single day but we have to wait and see."

Arteta on Postecoglou's management style: "I admire him. I respect him. I think he's been an inspirational coach because he's done things in his own way in various contexts and in various countries. He has a really unique way of thinking about the game and his philosophy, and I love it. He stands by it and I think he represents himself and the club in a really good way."

Form guide:

Arsenal won both of their opening two matches to start the season before being held to a 1-1 draw with Brighton ahead of the international break.

Their most resounding result came away against Aston Villa, where Leandro Trossard scored with his first touch after coming on as a substitute to set the Gunners on their way to a 2-0 win, aided by some heroics from David Raya.

Jarred Gillett, the Australian referee assigned by PGMOL to this weekend's game, has already angered Arsenal fans this season after failing to show a card to Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Yerson Mosquera after he appeared to grab Kai Havertz throat during an altercation between the pair in the first game of the season, a 2-0 home win for Arteta's side.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have been more inconsistent, opening with a draw to Leicester and a convincing win over Everton before falling to a defeat away at Newcastle in their last game before the hiatus owing to a late winner from Sweden international Alexander Isak.

Cutting edge has proved to be Spurs' downfall so far this term as the team has enjoyed a league-high 68.5% of possession on average but failed to convert that into meaningful chances.

That issue reared its head most obviously during the 1-1 draw with Leicester where they could have been out of sight after an impressive first-half showing, only to be pegged back by a Jamie Vardy equaliser that buoyed the King Power.

Key players:

Son Heung-Min: The South Korea star has scored eight times in 19 appearances in all competitions against Arsenal since joining Spurs in 2015 and will be confident of adding to that tally on Sunday.

Bukayo Saka: Arsenal's talisman has scored or assisted in all three of their games to start the season -- the Gunners have only lost one of the last 15 games in which he has contributed.

Key questions:

Can Ange Postecoglou's daring style of football withstand Arsenal's attacking prowess?

Postecoglou earned a plethora of plaudits for Spurs' high line and swashbuckling brand of attacking football in his debut season in the Premier League, but he also came in for criticism when that style played a role in heavy defeats -- most notably the 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea.

Arsenal's forward line will no doubt be hoping to exploit that shape with the likes of Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and new signing Raheem Sterling all posing a considerable threat on the counter attack.

Will Arsenal's midfield be able to cope without Declan Rice?

Debate around whether Chris Kavanagh was right to send Rice may still be rumbling on in the red corner of Islington, but on the pitch, focus now shifts to whether Thomas Partey, Jorginho and co. can adequately step in for the England international as he serves his ban.

Rice featured in all 38 of Arsenal's Premier League games last term, starting all but one, so whatever combination Arteta selects in his absence will be relatively untested.

Stats:

Sunday's game marks the 196th contest between Tottenham and Arsenal, and the 65th in the Premier League.

Arsenal have won 82 of the meetings, with Spurs winning 61.

Arsenal have won five of the last seven meetings between the sides since the start of 2021, losing just one.

Arsenal have won the last two games at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium; another away win would mark their longest such run since 1987.

What happened last year?

The last time Arsenal made the short trip to their north London rivals was a five-goal thriller as the away team kept pace with Manchester City in the 2023-24 season's title race with a 3-2 win.

Arsenal will wear their away kit against rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby on Sunday due to their red-and-white home kit featuring "too much white," the club said on Tuesday.

Both sides traditionally wear their home kits when they play each other, with British media reporting that Arsenal last wore their away kits in the fixture 38 years ago.

"Both teams will be wearing their away strips in the fixtures this campaign, after [referees' body] PGMOL and Premier League ruled that our 2024-25 home kit features too much white, thus clashing with Tottenham's traditional colours," Arsenal said in a statement on Tuesday.

Arsenal will wear their black away kit on Sunday while Spurs, 10th in the league, will also wear different colours when they visit in January, Arsenal added.

Mikel Arteta's team will be looking to earn all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in order to maintain the pressure on league leaders Manchester City.

Arsenal drew 1-1 at home with Brighton before the international break in a match that saw midfielder Declan Rice shown a controversial red card during the second half.

The Premier League's Independent Key Match Incidents KMI Panel has unanimously supported referee Chris Kavanagh's decision to send off Rice.

Tottenham are 10th in the Premier League after earning four points from their first three matches of the new season. Ange Postecoglou's side will endeavour to win their first north London derby since May 2022 when the two teams meet on Sunday.

The transfer deadline may have passed across Europe's top five leagues but there is still business to be done this summer. And, with only four months until the January window opens, the rumour mill keeps on turning! Transfer Talk brings you all the latest, and you can check out our list of all the major done deals.

Newcastle United's striker Alexander Isak secured a 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur with a simple tap-in as they weathered a second-half storm from the visitors to secure the points in an entertaining Premier League clash at St James' Park on Sunday.

Harvey Barnes' first-half opener for Newcastle was cancelled out by a Dan Burn own goal after the break as Spurs dominated the chances in the second period but spurned numerous openings and were beaten by a lightning-quick break from the hosts.

Joelinton's defence-splitting pass was perfect for Jacob Murphy who, after drawing out keeper Guglielmo Vicario, laid the ball on a plate for Isak to secure the three points for manager Eddie Howe's side, who remain unbeaten at home since January.

Adding to Newcastle's delight, midfielder Sandro Tonali made his first league appearance since being handed a 10-month ban for a breach of betting rules and received a rapturous reception from the home supporters.

Newcastle now have seven points from their first three games, while Tottenham remain on four.

"Generally we weren't expecting to have too much of the ball," Isak told Sky Sports. "We wanted to be dangerous on the counter-attack. It wasn't the most beautiful game from our side but we defended really well and scored two so that's good.

"You always have to be concentrated. It's easy to get frustrated. It was a tough game and tough for me -- I wasn't at my sharpest."

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou was left to rue the scoreline but not the performance as his side had complete control of the contest for long periods.

"It got away from us unfortunately," Postecoglou said. "We had the chances to win the game, probably comfortably, but we walk away with nothing so it's a bitter pill to swallow."

Isak struck the woodwork with an early chance before Newcastle took the lead against the run of play after 37 minutes.

A quick throw-in allowed Lloyd Kelly to fire in a low cross from the left which was superbly guided into the far corner by Barnes.

The visitors levelled when Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope failed to deal with a James Maddison shot and pushed the ball to Brennan Johnson, whose effort was cleared into his own net by Burn.

Tottenham continued to pepper the Newcastle goal but it was the hosts who found the winner thanks to the vision of Joelinton and composure of Murphy to set up Sweden international Isak.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's error and Son Heung-min's brace helped Tottenham Hotspur to a comprehensive 4-0 victory over hapless Everton in the Premier League on Saturday.

Yves Bissouma and Cristian Romero were also among the goals as Tottenham eased to their first win of the campaign in a game they dominated against a visiting side who have conceded seven times in two games this season and are yet to score themselves.

Pickford carelessly miss-controlled a simple back pass in the first half, allowing Son to snatch the ball from him and score Tottenham's second goal into an empty, as the home side produced an accomplished display.

Everton, without several first-choice defenders due to injury, were unable to put pressure on their hosts and manager Sean Dyche will be seeking a quick improvement when they host Bournemouth next week in what is already looking like an important game for his struggling side.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou was left frustrated after they let a lead slip at Leicester City in the season opener, but they were in control of this match throughout.

"I think we thoroughly deserved it. We dominated and we felt we should have had three points last Monday (at Leicester)," Tottenham midfielder James Maddison said.

"The performance was there on Monday. It was a case of not putting our chances away. It's important you try and put into practice what the manager wants. It's about us trusting him."

Bar set-pieces opportunities, Everton offered little attacking threat and the home side made them pay for poor defending.

Tottenham took the lead as Bissouma scored his first for the club when the ball fell to him on the edge of the box and he thrashed it home off the underside of the crossbar.

They doubled their advantage after Pickford was sloppy in controlling the ball on the wet surface and Son's pace and anticipation of the error enabled him to score his first of the afternoon.

England number one Pickford lifted his hand in apology to the Everton fans and teammates.

Tottenham appeared to take their foot off the gas after that, though they remained in control of the game, and it was not until the 70th minute they scored a third.

Romero powered a header into the net from a corner as Pickford stood statuesque on his goalline when he might have come to collect the ball inside his six-yard box.

Son double eases Spurs to 4-0 win over Everton

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's error and Son Heung-min's brace helped Tottenham Hotspur to a comprehensive 4-0 victory over hapless Everton in the Premier League on Saturday.

Aug 24, 2024, 12:37 pm - Reuters

Veteran striker Jamie Vardy earned newly-promoted Leicester City a 1-1 draw with a profligate Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League season opener on Monday.

Spurs dominated the first half but Pedro Porro's opener in the 29th minute was the only time they could make one of a host of good chances count.

Further clear-cut opportunities came and went after the break, with the visitors' wastefulness proving costly when Leicester skipper Vardy headed an equaliser into the net with 57 minutes gone.

Brazilian Richarlison missed a golden opening to win it at the death and Spurs had to settle for one point in a match they really should have taken all three from.

"Disappointing night for us," Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou told Sky Sports. "First half excellent and controlled the game but wasteful in front of goal. Second half was the same.

"We started off well and once Leicester scored, the crowd lifted and we lost our composure. It was an issue we had last year as well, we need to keep working hard and be a bit more ruthless in front of goal. At times we made poor decisions.

"It's not our football or effort. To get results you need to be a lot more ruthless in the final third. If we don't we won't get the rewards our football deserves."

Spurs' evening went from bad to worse when midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was carried off on a stretcher after an eight-minute stoppage in the second half, following a nasty collision.

The Uruguay international was given oxygen as he was surrounded by medical staff, but was later reported to be recovering.

A poor end to last season saw Spurs miss out on a top-four finish in Australian Postecoglou's first year in charge.

The north London club have invested in several new signings in the close season to challenge for the Champions League qualification places once again, with striker Dominic Solanke the biggest outlay.

The former Bournemouth forward, playing Premier League football again after a year back in the second tier, should have opened his Spurs account in the first half at the King Power Stadium.

Some wayward finishing from Solanke ensured Leicester were let off the hook early on, before Porro arrived on the end of a James Maddison cross to guide home the opening goal.

The second half appeared to be a matter of how many Spurs would score, with Solanke again guilty of wasting gilt-edged opportunities.

Vardy, however, made no mistake when presented with his chance to snatch a point for Leicester and the 37-year-old collected the eighth Premier League opening-day goal of his career, a tally bettered only by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

"I see age as just a number," Vardy said. "As long as I keep looking after myself and my legs keep feeling great, then I will carry on for as long as is physically possible.

"I wouldn't say I am doing anything differently playing-wise. Probably adapted a bit by dropping in but I think the main thing is I am looking after myself recovery-wise to the maximum."

Tottenham Hotspur have signed winger Wilson Odobert from Burnley on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club said on Friday.

Odobert was 18 when he became the youngest Premier League goalscorer for Burnley, scoring against Chelsea in a 4-1 loss last October.

He made 29 top-flight appearances for Burnley and scored three goals before the club were relegated.

"Everyone here would like to wish Wilson all the best and thank him for his efforts during his time at Turf Moor," Burnley posted on X.