The New York Times

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank has refused to comment on allegations of Yves Bissouma inhaling nitrous oxide.

Frank said instead that the club are internally “dealing with” Yves Bissouma after The Sun published footage of the midfielder on Saturday.

This is not the first time that Bissouma has come under scrutiny for similar allegations as last year, Bissouma was given a one-game suspension by the north London club following him posting a video on his social media of him appearing to inhale laughing gas. He apologised after the incident at the time and called it a “severe lack of judgement”.

When asked about the Mali international on Monday, Frank said: “It’s an internal matter that we are dealing with at the moment, and when we have dealt with that, then I will have a comment on it.”

After the previous occasion where Bissouma was punished by the club for the act, Tottenham’s then-head coach Ange Postecoglou said: “He has made a really poor decision. “You want to understand that and try to help him through that, and as a club (see) what we can do to make sure he doesn’t make those kinds of choices and decisions in the future.

“He has a responsibility to his team-mates, to our supporters and to everyone associated with the club — and he failed in those duties.”

The recreational use of nitrous oxide — a Class C drug in the United Kingdom — has been a criminal offence since 2023, carrying a maximum two-year prison sentence.

Bissouma was dropped for Tottenham’s opening game of the season in the summer for the second year in a row, sitting out the European Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain as a punishment for repeated lateness under new head coach Thomas Frank.

After being considered likely to leave in August, he is yet to make a competitive appearance for Tottenham this campaign.

Frank also confirmed that left-back Destiny Udogie will be out until January with a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old missed his side’s 2-0 victory over Brentford on Saturday due to the issue.

“Destiny I said after the game, he picked up a hamstring injury at the end of the Newcastle game,” Frank said on Monday before his side’s Champions League game against Slavia Prague on Tuesday. “So, he’s out until January, unfortunately.”

The Danish coach confirmed that Brennan Johnson is “touch and go” for Tuesday’s game after the Wales international missed training on Monday and also entertained the idea of replacing Dominic Solanke with Mathys Tel in the team’s Champions League squad.

Solanke, 28, has only made three appearances this season, all off the bench, and has only played 59 minutes in total while dealing with an ankle injury. The issue caused him to miss all of Spurs’ preseason and he was forced to undergo minor ankle surgery on October 1, while Tel, 20, was omitted from the squad in September.

Frank said: “Of course, if I knew back then, what I what I know now, is maybe would have changed the decision. No doubt about that. Of course, it’s something we can have into consideration. We need players that are fit and available, so we have enough players to shoot with from the bench.”

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur will participate in next summer’s Sydney Cup pre-season tournament, with Chelsea Women taking on the Women’s A-League All Stars.

The men’s teams of Chelsea and Tottenham will play each other outside England for the first time on August 1 at the 83,500-capacity Accor Stadium, four days after Chelsea take on Western Sydney Wanderers at the same venue with Spurs playing Sydney FC in the city’s Allianz Stadium on June 29.

Two weeks later, on August 12, an A-League Women All-Stars side will face Chelsea Women at the Allianz Stadium, capacity 45,000, in a match likely to feature Chelsea’s Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter facing their Matildas team-mates.

Steve Kamper, Minister for Jobs and Tourism and Minister for Sport, said: “These four matches will give visiting fans the chance for an extended stay in our beautiful harbour city, taking in our iconic natural attractions and vibrant cultural experiences in one of the world’s premium sporting destinations.

“As we work towards our goal of a $91billion (£45.3bn) visitor economy, major events like this are crucial to create memorable experiences that inspire visitors to stay longer, return again and explore more of our great state.”

Spurs head coach, Thomas Frank, said: “Sydney is one of the world’s most iconic locations for sport and I’m excited to be able to take the team there to play two matches, including one against one of our biggest rivals.

“I’ve heard all about our passionate fanbase in Australia and it’s something the club is very proud of. I can’t wait to experience that for myself and I know the supporters will love the opportunity to watch us take on Sydney FC and Chelsea in their home country.”

A huge amount of pressure was placed on Xavi Simons’ shoulders when he joined Tottenham Hotspur from RB Leipzig for €60million in August.

The 22-year-old was expected to instantly provide Spurs with creativity while Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison recovered from long-term knee injuries. All while adapting to a new league, country and a squad coming to terms with the arrival of Thomas Frank as head coach.

Simons showed flashes of his quality over the first few months of the season but failed to score and, at times, looked too lightweight for the Premier League. He had been left out of the starting XI by Frank for four consecutive matches, including the 5-3 defeat by his former club Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, before Spurs beat Brentford 2-0 on Saturday. The Netherlands international will hope his exceptional solo effort in the 43rd minute ignites his campaign.

Simons was a victim of circumstances outside of his control after moving to north London. Spurs failed to sign Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze in the summer. The fanbase was excited by Simons’ arrival but frustrated Spurs missed out on their first-choice targets.

Simons is younger than Gibbs-White (25) and Eze (27) but has more caps (32) than the England pair combined (22). He grew up in Barcelona’s academy and finished his footballing education with PSG.

He scored against England from outside the box in the semi-final of last year’s European Championship and directly contributed to 35 goals in 58 Bundesliga appearances for Leipzig.

Simons’ quality has never been in doubt, he may even evolve into a better player than Eze and Gibbs-White, but he lacked Premier League experience. Spurs required someone to hit the ground running in Frank’s first season. None of that was Simons’ fault.

Last week, Frank compared him to Florian Wirtz. They excelled in Germany’s top-flight before earning moves to England. Wirtz has started more league games (10) than Simons (seven) and recorded more minutes (920 to 712). Wirtz cost Liverpool more than double the amount of Simons (€136.3m) and they are the perfect examples of players who need time to adapt to English football.

Simons appears to be further along in his development even though Wirtz benefitted from joining Liverpool in pre-season. There is evidence which suggests Simons is becoming stronger. He always works hard off the ball and is unafraid to jump into challenges but he won multiple duels, including with Brentford’s athletic right-back Michael Kayode, by cleverly using his body.

It was the majestic nature of Simons’ goal which should convince Frank this was a genuine turning point and he should start consistently. Simons miscontrolled Cristian Romero’s pass but won the ball back from Mikkel Damsgaard with a firm slide tackle.

Simons slipped away from Damsgaard in the centre circle before accelerating beyond Sepp van den Berg and Yehor Yarmoliuk. He calmly rolled the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher before his trademark celebration. It was a breakout out goal for Simons which his team-mates, Frank and the entire stadium desperately craved too.

It ensured Spurs won at home in the league for only the second time this season. Simons was signed to produce those match-winning moments and this needs to be the first of many.

Brentford’s head coach Keith Andrews said it was “difficult to fathom” Simons scoring six seconds after winning the ball in his own half and that “it was a goal that was very much avoidable”. Andrews was understandably irritated after Brentford lost for the second time in four days but his comments discredit the poise and sharp-thinking Simons displayed.

Simons had already set up Richarlison’s opening goal too. He tricked Van den Berg with a clever piece of movement before firing a first-time cross towards the back post.

Frank used a 4-2-3-1 system against Brentford which seemed to suit everybody. Randal Kolo Muani prefers to play centrally but linked up well with Djed Spence on the left wing. Simons drifted across the pitch and supported Mohammed Kudus on the right. Tottenham’s attack has looked disjointed in a lot of their home games but they played with freedom and fluidity.

Frank said he was “extremely happy with the offensive performance” and the team’s structure “just looked more right”. He praised Simons too and said the attacking midfielder “had that extra bit of lightness in his step” after scoring.

“Every player needs that extra good performance, so I’m happy for him,” Frank said. “He’s been working very hard. He’s a top pro, he’s so determined, he wants it so badly in every aspect of his game. And it’s just a little bit of adaptation, also that the team is a little bit out of sync. For example, Kudus after a great start, (had) a little dip because of the little injury, and a lot better today as Xavi is in a good place. Kolo (Muani) is in a better place, Richy. So everything is just coming more and more together — we need to build on it.

“That’s what I believed from the beginning, that Xavi can produce that out of nothing. Everything just needs a little bit of adaptation sometimes. This was a very good step. Now it’s the next thing to do it again and again and again.”

Look, I may as well be honest: I was here for the bloodletting.

Go to Tottenham, they said. Go and see the anger, the anguish. Get tanked up on boos. Be a neutral witness. I’m not a Spurs fan, nor a Spurs correspondent, but that was the point. The whole gig was to be an outsider, to have my innocent mind blown by the negativity. It was an anthropology assignment.

So off I went, decked out in my best hazmat suit, Britney Spears’ second-most famous song ringing in my ears. I was primed for it, my big day out in the vipers’ nest. Let’s get toxic, baby.

And then… nothing. What did I get? Something like a love-in.

On a mild, oddly serene north London afternoon, Tottenham played themselves some of the way out of their funk. In doing so, they also laid the groundworks for a rapprochement with their public after an emotionally charged few weeks.

Whether or not they can make it stick is an open question. For now, though, they should celebrate being in a position to ask it.

Even if you had gone with no prior knowledge — not heard the abuse aimed at Guglielmo Vicario last weekend, not read Thomas Frank’s response, not followed the back-and-forth about applauding the fans — you would have had an inkling before kick-off that there was something going on here, that the milk was on the turn.

The stadium announcer urged supporters to “get behind the team” — a rallying call you would never hear in the good times. Frank’s programme notes followed the same pattern. “We know our home form has to improve,” he wrote. “We are working hard to do that and together, we can build some momentum and make Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a fortress.”

There were, in the early offings, what felt almost like performative gestures, attempts to will a sense of communion into being. Pedro Porro, critical of fans after the 2-1 defeat against Fulham, made a point of applauding them before taking a corner. Xavi Simons whipped up the crowd after outmuscling his man on the touchline.

At half-time, the Spurs players again formed a little huddle before leaving the field. Against Fulham, this had the look of a defensive formation; they may as well have had shields raised, pikes poking through the gaps. On this occasion, they could lap up warm cheers. A healthy 2-0 lead will do that for you.

This, really, is the crux of it. Whatever you think of fans turning on their own players, whatever the optics or the ethics, however the manager seeks to deflect, soften or counter the blows, there really is only one reliable path out of these situations. You get supporters onside by doing things on the pitch.

Sometimes that’s as simple as taking a few shots. When Richarlison converted a Simons cross, 24 minutes in, it wasn’t just the first goal Tottenham had scored in the first half of a Premier League match since late October. It was their first shot on target in a first half since the defeat against Chelsea on November 1.

Sometimes it’s about playing with heart. Sometimes it’s about playing with intent. Tottenham ticked both of those boxes against Brentford, winning the physical battle and zipping the ball around. Mohammed Kudus and Simons were both at it. Richarlison ran his lungs out. Rodrigo Bentancur made more interceptions than peak Bletchley Park.

Mainly, of course, it’s about winning. This victory came a full 16 weeks after the last home league win, far too long by any possible metric. Of course it lightened the mood. As Tottenham repelled a few cursory Brentford attacks in the second half, the sense of relief was palpable.

It bled into Frank’s conciliatory post-match press conference.

“There are ups and downs in football and life, but I like how the team responded,” Frank said. “I like how the whole stadium responded. Maybe it was me, but I noticed when Vicario’s name was announced (before kick-off), I think there was an extra high roar. I love that. That makes me warm inside. Today, there was a fantastic energy between the team and the fans.”

Frank will be well aware we’re not yet in utopia territory. Brentford were not at the races here. Even then, Tottenham let the second half drift a touch. It will take a string of positive performances to properly erase the memory of that awful home run.

Nor will the bigger-picture issues be dispelled in a hurry. There is still structural angst among fans, a feeling that the club’s hierarchy is not quite pulling in the same direction. There have been justified grumbles about ticket prices, about the loss of the right to transfer seats to friends and family. The stadium is a marvel in so many ways but it can feel transactional. I can’t think of another football ground at which I have been advertised quite so vigorously.

This stuff is easier to digest if the on-field product is excellent. When you pay top dollar, you expect top quality. The squad, though, is not as strong as it was a couple of seasons ago. The departure of chairman Daniel Levy — not always popular but at least broadly public-facing — means there is no longer a convenient lightning rod for all this frustration.

Beating Brentford won’t change this. The underlying ennui is not going anywhere. What Frank and his players can do is dampen it down in the short term, hope to harness what goodwill there is, create a snowball effect. This is the first step, a hand extended across the void.

Fans like winning football matches. So do footballers. This game showed that this particular shared interest is as good a basis as any for synergy.

Now: does anyone want to buy a brand-new toxicology textbook?

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino says he is aiming to return to and win the Premier League.

Pochettino, 53, has been in charge of the U.S. since November 2024 and previously coached Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in the English top flight.

The Argentine’s contract takes him through to next summer’s World Cup on home soil, where his side will face Paraguay, Australia and a European playoff winner following Friday’s draw in Washington, D.C.

Having enjoyed success with Southampton, Pochettino was appointed as Tottenham boss in May 2014, where he remained for just over five years. In that period, Spurs twice finished third in the league (2015-16, 2017-18), as well as finishing second in 2016-17, their best-ever Premier League campaign. They also reached the Champions League final in 2018-19, losing to Liverpool.

After an 18-month spell as Paris Saint-Germain head coach, Pochettino returned to England with Chelsea but lasted only the 2023-24 season before mutually departing.

Pochettino was linked with a return to Tottenham after Ange Postecoglou’s departure in the summer, but said that was “not realistic”. Thomas Frank later took the job.

Asked by the BBC about still keeping an eye on the Premier League, Pochettino replied: “Yeah, I watch a lot. The Premier League is the best in the world. Of course I miss it.

“I am so happy in the USA, but I am always thinking about returning one day. It is the most competitive league, and of course I would love to come back again.”

Several of Pochettino’s USMNT stars play in the Premier League, including Bournemouth’s Tyler Adams, Fulham’s Antonee Robinson and Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards.

“Talking about the Premier League, and we are in London… to win the Premier League and the Champions League,” Pochettino said when asked to choose only one thing to achieve in his career.

“We were so close in Tottenham. I want to achieve this. I am still young, I have the energy, experience and motivation to try in the future. Outside, to make my family feel proud — my sons, my wife, my dog, my horses, my mum and dad, my granddaughter.”

Destiny Udogie has no interest in dwelling on the past.

For Udogie, even Tottenham Hotspur’s historic Europa League triumph in Bilbao in May, the mention of which still makes him grin with pleasure, has to be reluctantly consigned to history now that the 23-year-old has developed a taste for winning.

“It was a dream come true, honestly, because it was my first trophy and to win for Tottenham is a big achievement for everyone,” Udogie tells The Athletic, speaking at the launch event for Puma’s new store on London’s Oxford Street.

“Honestly, I’m still happy right now because it’s something that stays forever.

“But the past is gone, I’m just looking to go forward, I’m just looking for the next challenge.

“(When you win) you become more confident in yourself. It makes you feel like, ‘OK, I can do this again’. That’s what happened to me.”

Udogie’s determination to look ahead is a driving force in his career, and has been important in another sense during an unsettling period for the defender and his young family.

On November 3, The Athletic reported that a Premier League player had allegedly been threatened with a firearm by a football agent in London. The city’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that a man, 31, had been arrested, and Udogie was later named as the footballer by an Italian media outlet.

Speaking about the incident publicly for the first time, Udogie says he is deeply grateful for the support of his club, who said in a statement on November 4 that they were assisting the Italy international and his family, but he wants to put the incident behind him.

“The club showed me good support and was next to me every day,” Udogie says. “I’m really grateful to them for what they have done and for keeping me and my family safe. It’s really good for me.

“Obviously, it was important (to feel that support). Because it’s a new city for me. It’s my third year (at Spurs), but London is a big city.

“So to be here with my family and my daughter, it’s good to have the club around me.”

Asked if he was shaken by the incident, Udogie says: “Yeah, of course. It was not something I’d wish on anyone. It was a shock. But it’s OK, now we look forward.”

The pillars of Udogie’s support system at Spurs are two fellow Italians, “big brother” Guglielmo Vicario and “big father” Fabio Paratici, the club’s co-sporting director.

Paratici, who officially returned to Spurs in October, identified Udogie’s potential during his first spell at the club, when the defender was still a raw teenager coming through for Serie A side Udinese.

“He (Paratici) told me it’s the best league, he said it’s never going to be easy, but he prepared me for it. And I think it’s going well,” Udogie says. “He’s like a big father because we speak every day. When he signed me, I stayed at Udinese (on loan) for one year, so we didn’t speak that much, but as soon as I came to the club, we became close and he’s helping me a lot today.”

Vicario, Tottenham’s No 1 goalkeeper, is also a team-mate for the Italian national team and the pair and their families are close. They share a connection with Udine, where Vicario was born and Udogie played for two seasons before arriving at Spurs in a deal worth an initial £15million ($20m) in summer 2023.

It has been a testing week for Vicario, who was booed and jeered by sections of Spurs’ long-suffering home support after a mistake leading to Fulham’s second goal in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat in north London. Udogie says Vicario, 29, has reacted well to the situation, and underlined his quality with a solid display in the 2-2 draw at Newcastle United on Tuesday.

“Obviously, it’s never easy when the fans turn against you,” he says. “It’s always a big challenge, but obviously he’s a grown man and an experienced goalkeeper.

“So he was really strong. Against Newcastle, he showed he’s a great ’keeper. He’s old enough (to deal with it).

“He’s a good guy, incredible. We live close to each other and every day we speak. He’s really like a big brother to me.”

Udogie may be replaced in the Spurs team by another close friend, Djed Spence, for the home game against Brentford on Saturday after starting against Fulham and Newcastle, but he says he feels back in “rhythm” following a series of niggling injuries since undergoing hamstring surgery in April 2024.

The operation ruled him out of Euro 2024 with Italy and, in common with just about every player at Spurs, he missed periods of last season with muscle injuries.

After starting in Bilbao, a knee complaint ruled him out of the start of this term under new head coach Thomas Frank, and Udogie missed another two weeks at the end of October with a similar issue.

“I think I’m in my best spell right now where I feel strong, I feel really good, I feel healthy,” he says. “I just want to stay fit, keep going and help the team. I feel like I’m getting to a rhythm. I just have to keep going and take care of my body every day.”

While Ange Postecoglou typically instructed his full-backs infield, Udogie has been deployed in a more traditional role by Frank, which he says he prefers.

“Last season I was more like an inverted full-back,” he says. “This season, I’m wide. It’s different, but I feel more comfortable now because it’s my natural position. So that’s good.

“I feel more like now I understand the league now, I understand the game,” Udogie adds. “The rhythm, the quality of the players, the intensity. I think almost everything (about the Premier League) is hard. Every year, you have to be ready. It’s never easy, but I’m getting there.”

Son Heung-min will return to Tottenham Hotspur for their home game against Slavia Prague on December 9.

Son, 33, left Spurs to join Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC over the summer, bringing down the curtain on a decade at the club which culminated in last season’s Europa League win.

The forward’s final appearance for Spurs was the pre-season friendly against Newcastle United in his native South Korea on August 3 and he has since said he would return to London to say goodbye to supporters.

The club confirmed on Wednesday that Son will take to the pitch before the teams walk out ahead of the Champions League fixture, and he will have an opportunity to address the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Further details and timings will be communicated before the game.

Son said in a statement: “When I announced my difficult decision to leave Spurs in the summer, it was in Korea and I never got a proper chance to say goodbye to fans at the stadium.

“Now I am so happy because I am going to come back to London on 9th December, for the Champions League match, and be able to tell the Spurs fans in person just how much their support and love over ten years has meant to me and my family. It will be emotional, but it’s important for me and the club that this happens.”

Spurs also confirmed work had begun on a street mural for Son on Tottenham High Road, “further celebrating the legacy that Sonny has left in this part of North London”.

Son scored 173 goals for Spurs, leaving him fifth on the club’s list of all-time scorers, and captained Ange Postecoglou’s side to the club’s first trophy in 17 years last season – although he started the 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao, Spain on the bench.

“Obviously I will go back to London and see all the Spurs fans,” Son said in October in an interview with YouTube channel Shoot For Love. “I deserve to say goodbye in front of them and they deserve to see me physically to say goodbye. It’s going to be very emotional but I definitely can’t wait to go back to London and see all the Spurs fans.”

He has scored 14 times in 13 appearance for LAFC following his summer move to the United States.

Spurs, meanwhile, have struggled since Son’s departure, with Thomas Frank’s side winless in their last five, having won just three times at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.

All season, Tottenham Hotspur fans have just wanted something to believe in. Something to buy into. Something to get behind. Anything to make them feel like Spurs are alive, fighting, rewarding their own commitment and passion with equal energy of their own.

And on Tuesday night at St James’ Park, it came to them in the form of the comic-book hero Cristian Romero.

Twice here, Tottenham were heading for defeat. Twice, they were rescued by Romero. First, 1-0 down with 12 minutes left, Romero threw himself into a diving header at the near post to turn in Mohammed Kudus’ cross, a goal of striker’s instinct, timing and athleticism. Thomas Frank thought it was his best goal of the night and from a technical perspective, it is hard to argue.

But then four minutes into stoppage time, with Spurs 2-1 down, Romero did something more surprising, more spectacular, more dramatic, ultimately more fantastical.

Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale punched Mathys Tel’s corner up into the air. Romero was down on the ground after colliding with Rodrigo Bentancur and Malick Thiaw. He leapt up and ran away from the goal, towards the path of the falling ball. He might have just headed the ball backwards, towards Richarlison or Kevin Danso.

But he leapt up and hit an overhead kick. The Newcastle defenders looked frozen in shock at something so audacious. Thiaw, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Nick Woltemade were rooted in place. The only thing moving was the ball, cutting through the four of them, rolling into the bottom corner.

It was the last thing you would expect from a centre-back, in stoppage time, with his team 2-1 down, with nine black and white shirts and Ramsdale between him and the goal. But then Romero is not an ordinary centre-back. He is not even an ordinary footballer.

There has always been something special about Romero. There is his uncompromising will to win, a fire that burns brighter in him than in almost any other player. There is his technical skill, not just in defending but in using the ball, darting forward passes through the opposition lines. There is physical aggression, putting his body on the line, and any other bodies that get in his way. And, at his best, there is an icy rationality, even on the biggest stages, in the biggest moments.

Put it all together and you might even call it “main character energy”. That is what Romero has shown throughout his career, from his two Copa America wins, to his integral role in the 2022 World Cup, to the way that he took control of the Europa League campaign, ending in glory in Bilbao six months ago. Spurs would never have lifted that trophy without Romero guiding them through, on and off the pitch.

Tottenham have been desperately lacking that individual force in recent years. Harry Kane left in 2023 and Son Heung-min this summer and neither man has been replaced. Romero — with a nod to Micky van de Ven — is the only Spurs player who could reasonably claim to be one of the world’s best in his position. And, like Van de Ven, but unlike anyone else at the club, he is an individual match-winner, someone who can imagine things and execute them, beyond the capacities of normal players.

And this was precisely the sort of night and performance when Spurs needed that individual magic. It has been a tough time recently. They have not won in the Premier League since October. Since the November international break, they lost 4-1 at Arsenal, 5-3 at Paris Saint-Germain, and then found themselves 2-0 down to Fulham after six minutes. The booing during and after that game pointed to a fanbase on edge, anxious about performances, and a team whose confidence was bruised.

Spurs came to Newcastle knowing that they would have to dig in and fight to get anything. It was not pretty — it has not been all season — but Tottenham slowly got a foothold in the game. What they did not have, what they have lacked all year, was quality or firepower in the final third. One Lucas Bergvall flick over the bar in the first half was as good as it got.

Sure enough, Spurs tired, gave up space, and went 1-0 down. But then Romero got them level, Spurs’ first shot on target of the game. They conceded a second to a very debatable VAR penalty decision, and then Romero got them level again, their second shot on target. Newcastle ended with seven.

The point itself is not to be sniffed at. Spurs lost their last three league games here. They lost 6-1 under Cristian Stellini in April 2023 and 4-0 under Ange Postecoglou that December. There were moments early on where it felt like they might get overwhelmed again by Newcastle’s physicality and momentum, but they clung on and rode it out.

But at this stage in the season, at this stage in the Frank project, there are more important things than a point here or a point there. What really counts are the intangibles. Do the players believe in what they are doing? Are the fans behind the new coach and the team? Are those bonds — between the fans, the players and the manager — strong enough to pull everyone together? No one who was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night could have been optimistic about any of that.

What Tottenham desperately needed was a moment, a spark, a bolt of lightning, just something to remind everyone that they are all in this shared enterprise together. Frank admitted afterwards that at moments like this, individuals taking responsibility can make all the difference. “We can set up everything nice tactically, good principles and all that, and that’s the foundation, and hopefully we can make a great team,” he said. “But sometimes it’s decisive actions from key players. And Cuti definitely did that today.”

The real challenge is to turn this from one good moment into something Spurs can build on. They need to hope that the bright light of Romero’s heroics in Newcastle can guide them further down the road, starting with Brentford on Saturday.

Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur played out a dramatic 2-2 draw at St. James’ Park on Tuesday night.

Newcastle came close to breaking the deadlock in the 34th minute. Joelinton broke down the right and fired a shot across the Tottenham goal, beating Guglielmo Vicario but only managing to find the post. However, neither team was able to open the scoring in what was a tense first half.

The hosts did eventually go ahead in the 70th minute. Anthony Gordon burst down the left flank before playing in Bruno Guimaraes, who was introduced as a half-time substitute. Guimaraes lined up his strike and fired past Vicario to put his side into the lead. Tottenham equalised within 10 minutes, though. Mohammed Kudus made space on his left foot before crossing into the box. Cristian Romero dove and headed the ball past Aaron Ramsdale to make the score 1-1.

Newcastle, though, would go ahead again in the 85th minute courtesy of a penalty from Anthony Gordon. Referee Tom Bramall gave the spot kick after an on-field review showed Dan Burn was pulled to the ground by Rodrigo Bentancur during a corner. However, Romero would level the match for a second time after hitting a brilliant overhead kick from a corner in the 95th minute.

Here, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh and Jack Pitt-Brooke break down the game.

How important was captain Romero?

Tottenham needed a saviour at St James’ Park.

They have had a difficult time of it recently, and Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham was a painful night, driving a wedge between the fans and the team. Step forward, Cristian Romero, Tottenham’s talismanic captain, to deliver a remarkable performance, scoring two late goals to help Spurs rescue a point.

First, it was a diving near-post header from a Kudus cross to make it 1-1. And then, three minutes into added time, a quite brilliant overhead kick through a crowded penalty area to make it 2-2.

He celebrated with passion and energy down below the travelling Spurs fans. It felt as if he was reminding them what a special player and leader he is.

And given how painful another defeat would have been, it felt like a potentially significant moment for Tottenham’s season.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Newcastle fail to win without Bruno Guimaraes starting (again)

Newcastle do not win Premier League matches when Bruno Guimaraes does not start. That has been the case since he made his full top-flight bow for the club at Southampton in March 2022, and it remains the case now.

Across the previous 139 matches, Guimaraes had started 130 of them, with Newcastle winning 69. Compared to the nine matches in which Guimaraes has been absent from the XI, Newcastle’s win percentage (53.1 per cent to 0 per cent), average goals for (1.9 to 0.6), goals against (1.2 to 1.6), and points per game (1.8 to 0.6) all significantly improved whenever their captain started. There had been five draws and four losses, including a stalemate at Bournemouth in September.

Having rested Sandro Tonali at Everton on Saturday, Howe restored the Italian in place of Guimaraes, with the head coach determined to protect his best players as Newcastle navigate a hectic fixture schedule.

After a relatively bright start for Newcastle, the game became scrappy and the first half was drab. At the interval, Tonali departed, which was a worrying sign, and Guimaraes was introduced, with his first contribution being a crossfield ball out of play.

But he soon grew into the game, delivering a couple of delicious set pieces, before playing a sublime pass in behind the Spurs defence to release Jacob Murphy on the counter.

Then, in the 71st minute, Anthony Gordon burst down the left, centred to Nick Woltemade, who flicked the ball back. A late-arriving Guimaraes curled a gorgeous shot into the bottom right-hand corner for his 12th goal involvement in his last 20 Premier League home games for Newcastle.

For the first time, Newcastle appeared destined to win a Premier League match Guimaraes had not started, and courtesy of the Brazilian himself. Yet Romero’s equaliser thwarted that quirk from becoming reality, and their inability to win without their skipper starting remains.

Chris Waugh

How did Tottenham’s fans respond to Vicario?

The defining moment of Saturday night — indeed, one of Spurs’ season so far — was fans in the south stand booing Guglielmo Vicario after his mistake allowed Harry Wilson to score for Fulham from distance.

Thomas Frank said afterwards how disappointed he was with that behaviour, which appeared to drive a wedge between the crowd and the team. But here at St. James’ Park, the Spurs away end were clearly behind the Italian goalkeeper, repeatedly chanting his name.

It helped that Vicario played well, making a save from Lewis Miley in the first half and then reacting well to save from Harvey Barnes early in the second half. This led to another chorus of his name from the Spurs contingent high up in the Leazes End, and another after a good save from Tino Livramento from distance.

It was a reminder perhaps that even after the frustration of Saturday night, Vicario, now in his third season at Tottenham, still has some credit in the bank, especially with the die-hard away support.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Was this Gordon’s best performance of 2025?

Neither of Newcastle’s goal scorers started. Both came on and changed the direction of the match.

Gordon was introduced in the 66th minute alongside Anthony Elanga, with Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy replaced as Howe switched his wingers.

It has been a curious calendar year for Gordon, who has had two brainless red cards that have contributed to his stuttering form. The 24-year-old had not scored or assisted in the Premier League since January, yet has four goals and an assist in five Champions League appearances this season.

This was his ninth Premier League appearance of the campaign and, having also been left on the bench against his former club Everton at the weekend, Gordon looked bright from the moment he was introduced. He played an influential role in Guimaraes’ opener, before scoring the winner from the spot.

Having argued with Woltemade over taking a penalty at Union Saint-Gilloise in October, Gordon initially held on to the ball after referee Tom Bramall awarded a spot kick for a foul on Dan Burn following a VAR review. Woltemade then assumed possession of the ball temporarily, before giving it back to Gordon, and the winger dispatched it emphatically.

Frustratingly, Newcastle conceded a second equaliser, so Gordon’s goal did not prove to be a winner, but having the England winger providing goal contributions again can only be welcomed. A greater end product is required from Gordon.

Chris Waugh

What did Eddie Howe say?

He admitted his disappointment, saying: “I think we’re hugely frustrated with ourselves really. That was a game where we had to work really hard for the first goal.

“I thought we were the dominant team and knocking on the door all through the first half, the goal came when it came, and I felt then we were in a strong position, having been relatively comfortable defensively, to then concede the two goals in the way that we did, in the manner that we did. It’s hugely disappointing because we pride ourselves on being better than that defensively.”

What did Thomas Frank say?

Frank heaped praise on Romero, initially joking: “The perfect bicycle kick, hit the shin, aiming for the bottom corner.”

He continued: “I think let’s start praising Cuti, I think he deserved that for all of the top performance, defending, on the ball, coolness, calmness, duels. And then getting up there and scoring two goals. I think the bicycle kick will most likely get a little bit more praise, but I think the header is more exceptional, the way he does that is better than many strikers.”

And Frank added: “That said, I think I really liked the character, the mentality in the team, what they showed after three tough games, I think it’s been. To go here, the fourth game in 10 days, the third away game, very difficult place, going down two times, being behind two times, and come back, it shows everything about the willingness and the mentality in the team.”

What next for Newcastle?

Saturday, December 6: Burnley (Home), Premier League, 3pm UK, 10am ET

What next for Tottenham?

“I’ve always loved Thailand and I have always really wanted to represent the country, so it was amazing to do it. It was a very honourable and surreal moment.”

Former Chelsea academy forward Jude Soonsup-Bell was reflecting on a whirlwind week, during which he made his debut for the Thailand national team.

It was certainly an eventful first two matches, as he missed a penalty after coming on for his debut in a friendly against Singapore in Bangkok, before scoring two goals in a 4-0 victory away to Sri Lanka in Asian Cup qualifying.

Soonsup-Bell played for England’s under-15s, under-16s, under-18s and under-19s but his mum, Hannah, was born in Thailand and spent the first 10 years of her life there before moving to the United Kingdom. He explained how he had been in contact with the Football Association of Thailand for a few years about making the international switch.

FIFA approved his eligibility and, following that, the 21-year-old received his first call-up to the Thailand squad at the start of November.

“My mum’s side of the family are all Thai heritage, so I’ve always wanted to go out there and experience it,” he told The Athletic. “Someone who works for the FA in Thailand contacted me and said it was a great opportunity to come out, because they had a game in the Asian Cup, a must-win. They also want the next generation of Thai players to come through. I enjoyed every minute of it, it was really fun.”

Soonsup-Bell, who still has family living in Thailand, said he had regularly visited the country when he was young, and had spent the past three summers there too.

His Thai family are based in Bangkok, so Soonsup-Bell’s international bow, the 3-2 friendly win over Singapore, was something of a homecoming.

The occasion may have been tainted slightly by that penalty miss, but Soonsup-Bell made amends days later, scoring twice in Colombo.

“It was a really big moment for me and a really proud moment for my family too,” he said.

Soonsup-Bell, who is learning Thai, said his integration into the squad had been made easier by other players holding dual nationality — such as midfielder Ben Davis (previously of Fulham and Oxford United) and former Norway youth international Nicholas Mickelson. Anthony Hudson, Thailand’s head coach, is English.

Hudson, who played for West Ham United’s youth team, began his managerial career aged just 27, the start of a journey that has taken him from Newport County to Bahrain, New Zealand, the United States, Qatar, and now the Thailand national side.

“He was very welcoming, and it made my experience easier that he could speak English too,” said Soonsup-Bell.

Soonsup-Bell, who has two older brothers and a younger sister, said there had been excitement and expectation from Thai football fans dating back to his time in the Chelsea academy, where he had a prolific record in their youth teams.

“I’ve seen the support since I was young, it’s always been a big thing out there to see a player with Thai heritage play for Chelsea,” he said. “It meant there was a bit more weight on my shoulders, going out there to prove myself and show what I can do.

“I’ve always known the football following out there is crazy, but going out there and seeing it first-hand was such a good experience.

“You can see from the FIFA world rankings, it’s a national team on the rise,” said Soonsup-Bell of his new national team, who have climbed to No 95, their highest position since 2008. “The aim is to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia but then after that, it would be a massive thing for the Thai national team to qualify for the World Cup. They’ve never done that before.”

He said Curacao, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde and Haiti reaching the 2026 World Cup in the new expanded 48-team format had given fresh hope to countries such as Thailand.

And as a bonus for Soonsup-Bell, his time on the international stage presents him with another chance to get his career back on track after a mixed period at club level.

Soonsup-Bell, who started his football academy journey at Swindon Town after being spotted at local side Calne, moved to Chelsea aged 12, where he was one of their outstanding players in their youth setup.

He had an impressive record for the club’s under-18s — once scoring four times in an FA Youth Cup game against Barnsley — and he scored six goals in seven matches for England’s under-16s.

He made his Chelsea debut under Thomas Tuchel, in their 2-0 victory away at Brentford in the Carabao Cup in December 2021, alongside fellow academy graduates Xavier Simons and Harvey Vale, when several first-team regulars were missing with injuries and Covid-19. However, that was his first and last showing in the Chelsea first team.

As The Athletic previously reported, he struggled after making the step up to the development squad from the under-18s and there was a feeling at Chelsea that his game hadn’t progressed as much as hoped.

Now at Grimsby Town in League Two, how does he reflect on his time with Chelsea?

“I’ve got relationships there that will last a lifetime and also amazing memories,” he said. “I managed to make my senior debut, that’s something I’ll always remember. It was a surreal experience, especially to do it with Xav and Harvey, two players I’d grown up with and been through the academy with. You work so hard for it — being away from your family is always difficult and not being able to see your friends as much, you sacrifice a lot.

“So just to get to that moment, it’s a massive weight off your shoulders for you, your family and all the people that helped you get there.”

Can he pinpoint why he could not push on at Chelsea?

“It’s not like after playing that game, you expect to play week in, week out,” he replied. “It’s more difficult than that. You’re competing against players that are getting bought for £100million. When you get into senior football, you have players competing against you who are in their prime, they have a lot more experience than you and it’s sometimes difficult for managers to trust the younger players.

“It’s more about it being a proud moment and something to push you on, depending on where you go in your career. If I had any advice for young players, it would be to keep going and never stop, because you don’t know when your next opportunity is going to come.”

After struggling to break through at Chelsea, Soonsup-Bell left to join Tottenham Hotspur’s development squad in January 2023, where he was part of the team that won Premier League 2 in May 2024.

“I really, really enjoyed Tottenham,” he said. “They were my favourite kind of years because they had such a good support network there.”

But still finding first-team opportunities hard to come by, he decided to step out of his comfort zone, joining Cordoba CF in Spain’s Segunda Division.

“I thought it would be a great experience,” he explained. “And, if I did well there, the world is your oyster as a young player playing in Europe and in the second league in Spain.”

However, he found it tough going, as he made just seven substitute league appearances, failing to register a goal.

“I didn’t play as much as I wanted to,” he said. “The style of football is very different out there. The players are technically very, very good, they have all come from top academies.”

Yet he still felt it was an invaluable experience.

Following his Spanish sojourn, Soonsup-Bell, who idolised Cristiano Ronaldo growing up, joined Grimsby in the summer, where he is still waiting for his first start and goal.

“It’s a different kind of step,” he said. “It’s a more physical and demanding league than I’ve played before, but it’s a decent standard as well.”

Soonsup-Bell said he was continuing to learn and develop as a player under manager David Artell and enjoying the convivial atmosphere among the Grimsby squad, who are aiming for promotion this season. At Grimsby, he has linked up with fellow ex-Chelsea youth players, George McEachran, the younger brother of Josh, and Neo Eccleston, who is on loan from Huddersfield Town.

One of Soonsup-Bell’s first matches at Grimsby was the club’s victory over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, where Ruben Amorim was filmed tinkering with a tactics board in the pouring rain and then sat in the dugout rather than watch the 12-11 penalty shootout.

“It was a moment where you realised that in football, anything can happen,” Soonsup-Bell, who was an unused substitute, said.

It’s with that mindset that Soonsup-Bell is now looking forward, buoyed by his Thailand experience.

“I’m still only 21, so I want to gain as many minutes as I can and try to climb up the leagues,” he said. “I want to fulfil my potential and talent. The main thing is working hard every day to get to where I want to be.”