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Manchester United head to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, having lost to the north London side four times last season.

The most notable of those meetings was the most recent one, when a Brennan Johnson goal secured Spurs a largely uninspiring Europa League final victory in Bilbao.

Now, United have a shot at revenge. But have either of these two sides, who underperformed so spectacularly in the Premier League last season, really turned a corner? Should we expect a better spectacle this time around?

The Athletic’s Spurs correspondent Jay Harris and Manchester United reporter Carl Anka look ahead to Saturday’s clash…

Why have Tottenham struggled so much at home this season?

Jay Harris: Spurs have lost three of their five home games in the top flight this season and only scraped a draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers due to Joao Palhinha’s stoppage-time strike.

This issue is not unique to Thomas Frank. Spurs have only won three of their last 19 home games, stretching back a year and taking in the last six months of Ange Postecoglou’s reign.

Postecoglou admitted he prioritised the Europa League towards the end of last season, which partially explains some of their bad results. However, they still lost to Leicester City and Ipswich Town, who both went on to be relegated, despite fielding a strong starting XI.

The leading theory is that Spurs struggle to break down opponents who set up to frustrate them. They prefer to be reactive rather than proactive, which might speak to their excellent record on the road. Tuesday night’s 4-0 victory over Copenhagen in the Champions League has restored faith in Frank’s project, but he could do with a big win on Saturday to truly connect with the fanbase.

How have Manchester United performed away from home?

Carl Anka: At the time of writing, United sit 10th in the away table. A position that owes a debt to the fixture list, some longstanding tactical issues, and a good old-fashioned case of the yips.

Curiously, United have played better this season in games where they register less than 50 per cent possession, but their direct style of play doesn’t yield more victories in away games, where teams are more inclined to push up and leave space in behind for United to exploit.

Last week, Ruben Amorim said United were a different team when they could not draw strength from their incredible support at Old Trafford.

“Because when we play at home, we are more intense, we are more focused. Our fans help us a lot. When we have an opportunity, you can feel the stadium helping us to control the game. When we play away, it’s different. The fans are not there for us.”

The head coach believes the issue is not a tactical issue or tactical weakness requiring training ground adaptations ahead of away fixtures. Instead, he wants his players to “to believe in the same way that we show at home”.

United recovered well from a second-half blip to draw 2-2 at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, and they appear to be working through the confidence issues that halted positive runs last season.

What does that mean for Saturday’s game?

Harris: Spurs need to win to avoid an uncomfortable international break where they are the focus of everyone’s attention. If they lose to Manchester United, it will be their third defeat in five league games.

Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence apologised to Frank for ignoring him after last weekend’s defeat to Chelsea as tempers frayed on and off the pitch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That Champions League win has drastically lightened the mood, but another poor performance here might prompt some awkward questions about the direction of this team.

Victory would give Spurs a confidence boost ahead of two difficult games against Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the month. It is important to remember that James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and club-record signing Dominic Solanke are unavailable for Frank’s side. Beating Manchester United without them would be a testament to Frank’s tactics and the quality within the rest of the squad.

Spurs beat United four times last season, but it is difficult to know how much that matters because Postecoglou is no longer in charge, and both of these squads look significantly different.

Anka: It means this fixture has the makings of a frustrating score draw. Both sides have come a long way since their meeting mired in mediocrity in Bilbao, but both sides have a long way to go before the scars of 2024-25 can fully heal.

United fans have had to retire the “Lads, it’s Tottenham,” line in recent months. They suffered four defeats to Spurs last season, and have not beaten them since Erik ten Hag’s side outclassed Antonio Conte’s 2-0 in 2022-23. They have not enjoyed victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since October 2021, when Edinson Cavani partnered Cristiano Ronaldo up front in a 3-0 victory.

Amorim’s men need a win to banish some bad memories, but also to maintain some league momentum and avoid another two-week storm in a teacup.

The defeated team in this fixture, along with the losing team in Manchester City vs Liverpool on Sunday, will have to endure an annoying international break holding the “crisis baton”.

What’s the best thing about Spurs right now?

Harris: Spurs were carved open by Chelsea last weekend – their opponents recorded an xG of 3.0 – but otherwise their defence has been pretty impressive. Frank has made them more compact and difficult to break down. They have the joint-second-best defensive record in the league and have conceded eight goals, which is half of the amount of Manchester United (16).

Van de Ven’s outrageous goal on Tuesday evening grabbed everyone’s attention, but his partnership with Cristian Romero has reached a new level. It is a rare event to see Van de Ven scampering after a striker at full speed this season because his positioning and reading of the game have improved, while Frank’s tactics are more conservative compared to Postecoglou’s.

They are exceptional at attacking and defending set pieces. Andreas Georgson left United after one season to become Spurs’ set-piece coach in the summer. Could one of the Swede’s clever schemes punch a hole in his former employers’ defence?

What’s the best thing about Manchester United right now?

Anka: United are still prone to the occasional defensive lapse, but they appear better at steering into the skid rather than going off the rails entirely. They are unbeaten in four, holding the second-longest unbeaten run in the league at the moment, behind Arsenal. Amorim has made a series of under-the-hood tweaks to his tactical system, giving the side added resilience.

They play in a faster, more direct manner than in 2024-25, and their summer purchases have all settled well. The headlines will be dominated by Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in a revamped attack, but equally important has been the deadline-day arrival of Senne Lammens in goal. Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir both endured shaky performances against Spurs last season. Lammens is a solid shot stopper who — hopefully — won’t get overwhelmed on corner kicks.

Which opposition player do you most fear?

Harris: I spent three years covering Brentford, so I know all about Bryan Mbeumo. However, I trust Djed Spence or Destiny Udogie to limit his influence. Spence produced one of his best performances last season in Spurs’ 1-0 victory over Brentford in February when he shut down the Cameroon international and won the player of the match award. It will be vital, though, that whoever starts at left wing — presumably one of Xavi Simons, Brennan Johnson or Wilson Odobert — tracks back to support the full-back and keeps an eye on Amad.

I’m more worried about Matheus Cunha. He can be devastating when he cuts inside from the left wing and shoots. It is crucial that Pedro Porro receives help from Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha in slowing the Brazilian down.

Anka: Forgive the oddity of my answer, but it’s Tottenham’s defenders that give the greatest reason for concern on Saturday.

From the outside looking in, Spurs have issues progressing the ball through central areas. Their midfield pivot of Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha is better suited to stopping attacks rather than creating them, while Xavi Simons is having difficulty adjusting to the increased physicality found in the Premier League. Injuries have robbed Thomas Frank of some of his best attackers, leaving Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani as a formidable counter-attacking threat, but players that can be halted by stubborn defensive displays.

Someone that’s harder to stop once he gets going, however? Micky van de Ven.

The Dutchman’s slaloming goal against Copenhagen on Tuesday night bore one too many similarities to his dribble and assist for Brennan Johnson in Spurs’ 3-0 win over United in September 2024. The centre-back has six goals in 15 competitions this season, and is developing into a real threat on set pieces. His sprint speed makes him phenomenal at stopping opposition counter-attacks, meaning Mbeumo, Cunha and others will have to ensure their use of the ball is excellent.

Given the upcoming international break, this will be a fixture Matthijs de Ligt will want to impress and outdo his opposite man. Ronald Koeman will be watching.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank says forward Mohammed Kudus is “touch and go” to feature against Manchester United on Saturday.

Kudus has been a regular for Tottenham this season after joining from West Ham United in a summer deal worth around £55million ($74.7m), recording a goal and five assists in 15 appearances.

However, the 25-year-old missed the 4-0 Champions League win over Copenhagen on Tuesday after sustaining a knock.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, Frank said a decision on Kudus’ availability for the lunchtime kick-off in north London was still pending.

“The ones that have been out for a small spell, Cuti (Cristian Romero) and Destiny (Udogie), responded well, so fit and available,” he said. “Kudus is touch and go for tomorrow, we’ll see.”

Brennan Johnson started on the right flank in Kudus’ absence on Tuesday and is likely to retain his position if the Ghana international is not fit to start.

Frank also said that the club are aiming for striker Dominic Solanke to return after the November international break.

Solanke 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.

“I think the international break will be the big decider, because we have two weeks there, to push with the next steps,” said Frank.

“It was clear that he was not ready before the international break, it’s more that we look after the international break, that’s what we’re aiming for.

“I think you always want to get it right, I think it’s important to get it right so he’s out there, can help the team, and we need him back.”

Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison all remain sidelined with long-term injuries, while Yves Bissouma and summer signing Kota Takai are also yet to appear this season. Lucas Bergvall will miss tomorrow’s game with a concussion sustained in the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea.

Spurs are sixth in the Premier League on 17 points after 10 games, eight points behind leaders Arsenal.

Tottenham Hotspur and INEOS, the petrochemicals company which owns a stake in Manchester United, have reached a settlement to bring to an end their legal dispute.

Both parties confirmed to The Athletic that they had reached an out of court agreement but declined to provide details or comment further. The Telegraph reported that INEOS, which is owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has agreed to pay Spurs an undisclosed sum.

In June this year, Tottenham filed a legal claim against the company’s subsidiary INEOS Automotive Limited after it after withdrew from a sponsorship agreement with the Premier League club.

In August, INEOS Automative counter-sued Tottenham.

The legal dispute centred on the ‘Official Partnership Agreement’ between Tottenham and INEOS that was signed in December 2022.

This agreement was intended to grant INEOS commercial sponsorship rights for almost five years, specifically relating to the ‘INEOS Grenadier’ brand in exchange for almost £17.5million in sponsorship fees, not including indexation.

Tottenham argued in their ‘Particulars of Claim’, filed to the High Court in June and seen by The Athletic, that they terminated the agreement on March 11 this year.

They cited INEOS’ failure to pay an indexation payment of almost £480,000, which was due by 16 August 2024, and a sponsorship fee of £5.1m, which was due by 1 December 2024, as well as another interest charge of almost £300,000. Tottenham’s claim described the failure to pay as a “material breach of the agreement”.

Tottenham also claimed damages of more than £5.2m for breach of contract. INEOS maintained their right to terminate the agreement.

In INEOS’ ‘Defence and Counterclaim’, also seen by The Athletic, they argued that the company wrote to terminate the agreement in a letter dated December 6 2024, in effect from 30 June 2025.

Their argument is that neither the indexation payment of almost £480,000 nor the sponsorship fee of £5.1m were therefore payable. INEOS further argued that Tottenham were “not entitled to terminate the Agreement”.

INEOS’ counterclaim argued that Tottenham “failed to grant” INEOS rights from 11 March 2025, when they wrote to INEOS to terminate the agreement, until 30 June 2025, “when the Agreement terminated pursuant to the INEOS Termination Letter”. For these 112 days, INEOS claimed damages of £1,073,972.60.

Micky van de Ven cupped his ears in front of the Tottenham Hotspur supporters he had shunned at the weekend, urging them to create more noise and marvel at the incredible goal he’d just scored. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate with his team-mates, two minutes after he had received medical attention on his left hamstring. Thomas Frank had a huge grin and pointed his finger to the sky before embracing his backroom staff.

Great goals have remarkable healing powers.

After that painful defeat to London rivals Chelsea on Saturday prompted the fanbase and members of the first-team squad to publicly vent their frustration, Tuesday night’s 4-0 victory over FC Copenhagen, as the league phase of the Champions League reached its four-game midway point, was exactly what Spurs and head coach Frank needed. Brennan Johnson’s red card for a careless tackle on Marcos Lopez was the only negative on an almost perfect evening.

The build-up to this match had been tense. Some fans were questioning the merits of summer appointment Frank’s project after his team recorded an xG of just 0.05 against Chelsea in what was their third home defeat of the season. Van de Ven and fellow defender Djed Spence ignored Frank and set-piece coach Andreas Georgson when they walked straight down the tunnel at full time. Tottenham were still sixth in the table after 10 Premier League games under their latest new head coach, but were cracks emerging?

Frank revealed that Van de Ven and Spence approached him separately on Sunday and both apologised for the scenes at the end of the Chelsea match. Even if the long-time Brentford manager had resolved any tension with the pair, he needed Spurs to produce a dominant performance at home to remind those chin-scratching supporters of his credentials and this team’s potential.

Johnson’s opening goal in the 19th minute was a superb finish after rounding the goalkeeper, but a chance for Randal Kolo Muani later in the half was the real indicator that something special was in the air.

Although the France international rolled a right-footed shot wide from the edge of the six-yard box, it came at the end of a beautiful, intricate passing move which featured flicks and tricks from Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Pape Matar Sarr. It is rare to see supporters applaud a striker for missing such an easy opportunity but it offered them encouragement and hope. Spurs have looked blunt in possession in other games since Frank succeeded Ange Postecoglou but they were carving Copenhagen apart even without summer signing Mohammed Kudus, who was absent after picking up a knock. For a team who have been over-reliant on set pieces this season, it was pleasing to see all four goals last night come from open play.

Kolo Muani should have scored with a headed chance a few minutes on from that first miss, but his assist for Odobert early in the second half made up for it. The 26-year-old chased down Pedro Porro’s pass, blocked goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski’s clearance and elegantly plucked the spinning ball out of the air before teeing up his team-mate. Odobert, who produced his best performance of the season, roared in delight.

Johnson’s dismissal on the hour mark threatened to ruin the evening. Copenhagen head coach Jacob Neestrup scrambled his players and assistants together to work out how to take advantage of the extra man. The impressive Simons was the Spurs player sacrificed for the midfield solidity of Joao Palhinha. Frank admitted afterwards that what happened next, with Van de Ven’s mesmeric strike and Cristian Romero’s assist for Palhinha three minutes later, was not part of his plans.

“That’s the beauty of football,” he said. “The players take initiative and do a lot of bits on their own. That’s fantastic to have players that do that.”

The entire crowd erupted. The fans, who were quiet in the first half, started loudly singing. Kolo Muani received a standing ovation when he went off for Richarlison. Academy graduate Dane Scarlett was serenaded for winning a penalty in stoppage time. Sure, Richarlison’s spot kick then crashed against the bar, but nothing could ruin the vibe.

Maybe it is premature to suggest that this result has brought Frank significantly closer to the supporters, due to the quality of the opposition Tottenham were facing, but it felt like an important stepping stone on that journey. At the halfway stage of the league phase, Spurs are unbeaten and have eight points, which puts them in a strong position to avoid the play-off round in February for those sides finishing ninth to 24th in the 35-strong competition.

To underline the sense of fun, and that their woeful performance against Chelsea will hopefully not become the norm, Frank joked afterwards about his Saturday altercation with Van de Ven. “It seems like we had Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, roaring down from his own goal all the way to the other end and scoring a fantastic goal,” the 52-year-old Dane said. “I think he’s our top scorer in all competitions, so he can keep going. He can keep walking past me if he’s angry after a game.”

Simons was unfortunate to be taken off because he had been excellent. Another of the club’s summer buys, he roamed across the final third, dropping into pockets of space so Copenhagen’s defenders and midfielders were confused about who should be marking him. Full-back Udogie also demonstrated why he is crucial to the team’s attacking balance by stretching the play and offering a crossing option with his left foot.

Copenhagen are fourth in the Danish top flight but have taken one point from four fixtures in the Champions League and were missing key players including midfielders Thomas Delaney and Magnus Mattsson and their first-choice right-back Rodrigo Huescas due to injury. Anything other than a convincing home victory here would have been a surprise.

Van de Ven is Spurs’ top goalscorer this season (six in all competitions), with Palhinha and Johnson joint-second (four). Richarlison has not scored since the 2-2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion in September. Newcomers Kolo Muani and Simons are still waiting to open their accounts. Frank was pleased by the performance of his attacking unit but said, “all of them have much more to come”.

Tottenham’s thrashing of Copenhagen was a step in the right direction after they suffered more misery against Chelsea, but this now needs to be backed up with a victory over Manchester United at home on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur beat Copenhagen to climb up to seventh in the Champions League table.

With 18 minutes on the clock, Brennan Johnson was played in behind by Xavi Simons. Goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski committed, but Johnson beat him to the ball before finishing from a tight angle.

In the 50th minute, Kotarski delayed when a ball was played in behind his defence. Randal Kolo Muani pressured him before nonchalantly bringing it down and playing in Wilson Odobert, who slotted home to double Tottenham’s lead. There was, however, a potential mishap for Spurs just over five minutes later when Johnson was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Marcos Lopez.

But those doubts were silenced emphatically when, in the 63rd minute, defender Micky van de Ven scored a superb goal. He picked the ball up outside his box before charging up the field, beating several Copenhagen players and then finishing brilliantly. There was then even more brilliance from Spurs in the 67th minute, culminating in Joao Palhinha giving the hosts their fourth after Cristian Romero found himself furthest forward for Spurs.

With the game already won, Spurs could have added a fifth in stoppage time after a lovely run from Dane Scarlett led to a penalty. Richarlison, however, struck the bar with his spot kick.

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke breaks down the key talking points from the game.

Van de Ven’s wondergoal not really a surprise?

We always knew that Van de Ven had this in his locker.

He is a unique athlete, implausibly quick and strong for such a talented footballer. At Tottenham, he has often run like this, cutting through opposition defences, but always ending with an assist for someone else. At the start of last season, he did it for Son Heung-min against Everton, and then did it for Brennan Johnson at Old Trafford.

When he started his run here, on the edge of his own box, Tottenham needed some fresh energy. They were 2-0 up but had just gone down to 10 men. They needed to stay on the front foot. Van de Ven started to burst forward, burning up the turf. The crowd stood up and held their breath.

What made this so special was that Van de Ven did not do this for anyone other than himself. He did not need to square the ball to another forward. He had so much momentum, so much belief, he could thump it past Kotarski himself.

It was the perfect climax to a thrilling few seconds, a goal reminiscent of Son’s famous run here against Burnley in 2019. But even more special for having been scored by a centre-back.

Are Udogie and Odobert the answer on Tottenham’s left?

One of the many problems Spurs have encountered this season has been on their left. With Djed Spence playing on his unnatural side, they have struggled to stretch the game and often get clogged up when they try to go forward. But finally, they looked expansive and dangerous again here when attacking down that side.

This was Destiny Udogie’s first start for a month, and it was immediately clear how much of a difference he made. With Odobert also back on the left wing, Spurs had two direct, dynamic, technical threats. Sometimes Udogie would stay wide and Odobert would attack on the inside. Sometimes it was the other way round. But Copenhagen never knew how to cope. Udogie had a shot saved in the first half, while Odobert played a beautiful flick for a move that Kolo Muani should have finished.

But it was in the second half when Odobert turned the game Spurs’ way. He scored the second soon after the break, turning in Kolo Muani’s pass. And then for the fourth goal, he had the confidence and speed to drive from deep, leading the charge himself, before finding Romero, who squared for Palhinha to finish.

Udogie and Odobert put in their best performances of the season, displays that fans will hope point to a brighter future.

Simons’ best showing in a Spurs shirt?

Every Spurs player needed a big performance tonight, but no one more than Xavi Simons. He is still on the learning curve in the Premier League — as we saw against Chelsea — but this was easily Simons’ best game for Tottenham.

With so many leading players out, there was a particular responsibility on Simons to create chances, but he could not have done that any better than this. Floating in that No 10 space behind Kolo Muani, he always wanted the ball and tried things when he got it. He made the opening goal with a perfect through ball to Johnson.

Just before the break, Simons could have made two more. First, there was a flick to Kolo Muani, who forced wide, and then a clever cross from the right, which Kolo Muani headed over the bar. But both of those misses were applauded by the crowd, who knew that they were watching Simons on song. And he received a standing ovation as he was taken off as a substitute.

The challenge, of course, will be replicating this in the more competitive Premier League. But this performance felt like a genuine lift-off.

What did Frank say?

Asked whether Van de Ven’s goal was the best he’d seen from a defender, he said: “I definitely need to think a little bit about that. But it seems like we had Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, roaring down from his own goal all the way to the other end and scored a fantastic goal. I think he’s our top scorer in all competitions, so he can keep going. He can keep walking past me if he’s angry after a game!”

What next for Spurs?

Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence apologised to Thomas Frank for walking straight down the tunnel after Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, the head coach has revealed.

Van de Ven and Spence headed towards the dressing room at the full-time whistle but Frank appeared to try to stop the defenders. The pair ignored him and continued to walk away, leaving Frank staring in their direction for several seconds. They also brushed off set-piece coach Andreas Georgson before heading down the tunnel.

Van de Ven, who was Tottenham’s captain against Chelsea because Cristian Romero was on the bench, and Spence spoke to Frank individually on Sunday about what had happened.

“Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday unprompted and said, ‘We want to say sorry for the situation,'” Frank said at a press conference before Spurs’ game against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

“They didn’t want it to look bad or disrespectful or all kinds of perceptions you can get in this strange media world. That was not their intention at all towards me or the club. They were just frustrated with the performance, the loss and the booing during the game.”

Frank was asked what he would have done if they had not approached him.

“If they didn’t come in, I would have asked them about the situation,” the 52-year-old said. “What they were feeling. Why they were doing it. We all have a perception. We are very good to have that (theory) of ‘that’s because their mum wasn’t well, or they didn’t like the head coach, or they were irritated with the performance or they lost or whatever.’

“We are very good at that but none of us know. That would have been my first question to them. How were they and why?

“Of course I’m happy, because I knew the question would come today, that they are coming in. That means they care. That means they care about the team, the club, in this case me. Happy with that. So that was very good.

“Then we just had a good talk about a lot of things. Like with everything, we keep it internally. Like I said to the players, it will be very, very, very unusual if I ever throw a player under the bus. We are all humans, but I will always protect them. Always.”

Frank’s side were booed off after managing a solitary shot on target against Chelsea and registering an expected goals metric of just 0.05 – their lowest total since such records began.

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who joined Frank at Monday’s press conference, suggested Spurs would have benefitted from “more help” from supporters.

“Probably when we are chasing (the game), we need to be a little more cool heads and if we have a little bit more help from some situations coming from the stands it could be, of course, better,” he said. “But we cannot control it.

“At the end, of course, everyone was disappointed. We had already lost a London derby so everyone was really frustrated. And we get the reaction of the fans at the end of the game … they can express their pain and we were of course in a big pain situation so that’s across every stadium in the world, in Europe, in the UK. So we get the point. We were just disappointed for the result.”

Frank also called for more help from home supporters.

“I think the fans were fantastic the first 30 and after the game if we perform badly and on top of that we lost the game, more than fair enough they boo us,” he said.

“But during the game, we need a little bit of help. And especially when it’s not going the right way. They can be the turning point. We are down 1-0 last 15, imagine they carry us over the line. We got a little of an unfair 1-1, what a feeling. That point can be the difference in a long season.”

Spence, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Bergvall were absent from Tottenham’s training session on Monday afternoon. Frank confirmed Bergvall suffered a concussion against Chelsea and will be unavailable until after the November international break.

Frank said Spence and Kudus both have knocks but “could and should be available” to face Copenhagen.

Welcome to The Briefing, where every Monday during this season, The Athletic will discuss three of the biggest questions to arise from the weekend’s football.

This was the weekend when Liverpool finally won a league match, Arsenal continued in supreme form at the top, Wolves sacked Vitor Pereira and Chelsea earned their annual victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

We’re asking what’s going on Spurs, why patience is a virtue when it comes to transfer fees and why the Premier League table makes little sense.

Should Frank bow to The Spurs Way?

The suffix ‘Football Club’ on the end of Manchester United has felt so appropriate in recent seasons, given that merely declaring the accepted shortened version of the club’s name hasn’t carried enough heft to portray the shambolic results and performances the team has produced.

It feels like we’re now going that way with Tottenham Hotspur. It can’t just be Tottenham, as they told us last season, and what’s happened there in the past few years feels like it goes way beyond the ‘Spursy’ tag. So, seriously, what on earth is going on at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club?

Even for them, the paradox of finishing 17th in the Premier League a few months ago while also enjoying their most memorable moment in decades after winning the Europa League, street parade and all, to now being fifth in the table while booing the team off, is just too, well, we said not Spursy, so let’s just call it absolutely nuts.

You don’t need xG to know which way the wind blows but the numbers do paint a grey, bleak picture of nothingness.

They mustered a pathetic total of three shots against Chelsea (one on target) yielding an xG of 0.05, their lowest since records began in 2012 (504 games since then).

It wasn’t a one-off, given their xG against Bournemouth a couple of months ago was 0.19, or 0.8 in their previous home match against Aston Villa.

The boos were booming and vicious. And, through the prism of that Chelsea performance and recent home form, fully merited. Yet on the road Spurs are the best team in the land, earning 13 points from 15, scoring 12 goals and conceding only three.

So how can the team currently on track to qualify for the Champions League again (if fifth place is good enough, like last season) be earning so much disapproval from their own supporters?

Well, Spurs are a special case. The Spurs Way™ is a thing; they don’t just want to win, they want to do so with style, panache and, above all, entertainment. You know, the kind Ange Postecoglou attempted to instil last season. The kind he completely abandoned when they came within sight of the winning post in the Europa League. And duly won it.

Thomas Frank has brought in the pragmatism Postecoglou pigheadedly failed to lean on during the majority of his Spurs tenure, but the Dane is probably using a bit too much of it.

The much-discussed double defensive midfield pivot of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur lends itself well to away matches; they can protect the defence while faster, more attacking players like Mohammed Kudus launch brisk counter attacks. Set pieces, trying to control matches without the ball, it’s nice enough away from home.

At home, though, with that same double pivot, and with only two attacking players in the XI against Chelsea (Kudus and the unfit Randal Kolo Muani), Frank didn’t just have the handbrake on, he had an anti-theft lock on the steering wheel and four heavy-duty wheel clamps on the tyres.

And yet, you wouldn’t exactly call Frank a defensive manager at Brentford. In fact, a year ago they were the league’s great entertainers, especially at home with scorelines like 5-3, 4-3, 4-2 and 3-2 between October and December.

Only Liverpool and Manchester City scored more than Brentford’s 40 home goals last season, and only Ipswich Town and Southampton conceded more than their 35 at the Gtech Community Stadium.

What’s the difference? Frank’s Brentford squad was perfected and honed over years of excellent recruitment. At Spurs, not only are his new signings like Kolo Muani and Xavi Simons still in the infancy of their Premier League careers (with Simons struggling to adapt), but injuries have deprived Frank of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke, while Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel are young and inconsistent.

Perhaps, even allowing for the alarming Steve McClaren-esque moment of being ignored by his players on the pitch at full time, we should wait for Frank to have more options at his disposal given that, rather than an overhaul of the playing style, is what Spurs need right now. Sorry, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Never a dull moment.

Do Caicedo and Rice show that judging transfer fees takes years?

Remember in 2023 when Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice both moved to new Premier League clubs for a combined total of more than £2oomillion and eyebrows were collectively raised above forehead height across the land?

Two-and-a-bit years on, those exorbitant fees are starting to look like reasonable value, at least in the nonsensical world of modern football finance.

As this list shows, spending huge money on a ridiculously talented footballer is absolutely no guarantee of success.

Every player on there (except Antony) did something decent, even Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba, but how many could say they, at any point, increased their monetary value?

Right now, if Caicedo or Rice were to be bought by, say, Real Madrid or a Saudi Arabian club, Chelsea and Arsenal could legitimately ask for more than the £100million plus (including add-ons) they each paid.

Caicedo, at 24, has blossomed into the best defensive midfielder not just in the Premier League, but perhaps in the world. Enzo Maresca said after the Ecuadorian’s latest man-of-the-match performance at Spurs that only Rodri could hold a candle to him, while goalkeeper Robert Sanchez went further and called Caicedo the “best player on the planet” in his position.

Rice was also man of the match on Saturday as Arsenal won again at Burnley, with more tackles and interceptions than anyone on the pitch, plus another goal. He’s been sublime for Arsenal for some time now.

They are different types of midfielders who you can imagine forming just about the most formidable midfield pairing in the world right now. They’re also, after winning player of the season at their clubs last season, in the very early running for the Premier League’s player of the season award this year. Probably only Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo can also lay claim to that billing, from the opening quarter of the campaign.

What their form over a long period shows is that transfer value is related to many years of performances. The sums paid for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak may look a little daft right now, with their one goal and four assists from a combined 22 appearances, but Caicedo, Rice and indeed Enzo Fernandez show that repaying those fees may take time and a little patience.

How true is the Premier League table?

There is an old adage that the league table isn’t worth looking at until teams have played 10 matches.

Well, the Premier League table is definitely worth looking at, if only to marvel at its ludicrousness. However, with nine points separating second and 17th, you can’t exactly call it settled yet.

What with little old Bournemouth in fourth, the aforementioned Spurs in fifth but not happy about how they got there and Forest in 18th but pretty happy and optimistic about their future under Sean Dyche, it’s all a bit lopsided.

Then you’ve got the three promoted teams going against the grain to earn 38 points between them so far (and Sunderland can go second tonight), while old powerhouses Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Everton are all in the bottom half.

To top off the league of unpredictability, Manchester United are in the top half and unbeaten in four.

It’s just a little shame that the top three and the bottom one are letting the side down by being exactly where we all thought they’d be. And Wolverhampton Wanderers’ solution to going winless in their opening 10 matches for the second successive season might be to hire the guy who achieved that for them last year.

Never change, Premier League.

Coming up

If you’d been told in August that when Sunderland met Everton in early November, one of them would go second in the table with a win, you would probably have had a little smirk and replied; “Yeah, second from bottom”. But hey, that’s the way of the world nowadays. Deal with it. The Black Cats v The Toffees kicks off at 8pm tonight.

The Champions League returns on Tuesday night with a couple of ties that are absolutely huge on paper but probably fairly inconsequential in real life in the world of the Swiss model; Liverpool versus Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich. Also on Tuesday, Spurs host a club you think Thomas Frank would probably have managed but actually hasn’t, in Copenhagen, while Arsenal will expect a comfortable victory away at Slavia Prague.

Newcastle United against Athletic Club is possibly the standout game on Wednesday night, although Manchester City hosting Borussia Dortmund has the potential for some fun. Chelsea are in Azerbaijan to play Qarabag.

If you didn’t quite get enough political posturing when it was announced there would be no Maccabi Tel Aviv fans at Villa Park, you’ll get a bit more this week when the game takes place on Thursday in the Europa League. Also that night; Sturm Graz host Dyche’s Forest, Rangers play Roma in a tasty tie in Scotland, while in the Conference League it’s Crystal Palace versus AZ.

Recommended reading

If players clap in a stadium full of boos, does it make a sound?

Do frustrated away fans — total spend: £30 on match ticket, £120 on trains, £30 on food and drink — ever walk away from a desultory performance with their heart lifted and eyes brimming with pride, burnished by the sincerity of their centre-backs applause?

Is regretful sorrow conveyed best by a rhythmic and solemn slowness, or a grim and strained intensity?

Does the players’ distance from the fans themselves — at West Ham’s Olympic Stadium, some 50 yards, at many lower league grounds, just five — have any correlation with the sincerity of their apologies?

Is a hands-up, heads-down mea culpa also allowed?

These are the questions that Tottenham Hotspur’s Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven will be asking themselves over the coming days, muscles sore, shins bloodied, but with hands unsmarting.

Among the unwritten rules and sacred cows that wander football’s pastures, defeated players clapping their own fans is held as beyond reproach.

The principle behind it is simple — fans have spent significant money, time, and energy in supporting their side. That, in itself, deserves gratitude, especially when fed into an algorithm that includes distance travelled, time of day, and severity of losing run.

On that scale, Van de Ven’s and Spence’s failure to clap the Tottenham supporters after their 1-0 home loss to Chelsea falls somewhere in the middle.

Some context: Spurs had played dreadfully, and despite still sitting fifth in the league, a run of successive dreary performances culminated in some of the loudest boos ever heard at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Cutting-edge acoustics work for negativity as well.

Walking onto the pitch at full time, new manager Thomas Frank — a man who admittedly loves a collective clap — pointed at his two retreating defenders with a single finger, before, somewhat theatrically, whirling it around to redirect them towards the Tottenham supporters.

The pair did not meet Frank’s eye, but appeared to greet him with words, striding off with gesticulations and slumped shoulders. They were also, visually, logically, self-evidentially furious.

There are a few ways to greet this reaction. One, the most immediate, is fan-focused — that at a stadium with some of the highest ticket prices in the country, the supporters’ contribution should be recognised.

Another surrounds the team dynamics. Just four months into Frank’s Tottenham tenure, is it concerning that his instruction was so obviously ignored?

And then there is the player perspective and the honesty that fans wish to receive. When a player claps the fans, an element of it, apologies aside, is a tacit implication that they care about the wider club.

So, taken in another way, by storming off after a frustrating defeat, are the players not demonstrating a genuine response that mirrors the feeling of many of those supporters? Or should the priority, instead, be to suppress those feelings and instead step forward, toe the line, and carry out a purely performative action?

This will not, by any means, be a universally held view, but it mirrors the nuances that a seemingly simple action carries within it.

The matter was deemed serious enough to ask Frank about in his post-match press conference — answer: “It’s just a small thing” — but this was by no means a media-manufactured storm. On Spurs fan accounts on social media, a fan-filmed video of the interaction received many thousands of retweets.

There is also, of course, another flipside. Vitor Pereira went down clapping, in a way, and what good did it do him or his team? Last Sunday, having lost 3-2 to Burnley, he approached the fans to applaud them, before quickly becoming embroiled in a confrontation with the home supporters, appearing to be held back by staff members.

“Two months ago, they sang my name!” he exclaimed afterwards.

But this is football’s double standard. The sport is allowed to be fickle. So are fans. Are the players and coaches? Absolutely not.

There is a fine line between taking supporters for granted and treating adults like adults — we’re talking about the scant matter of a 20-second clap, for goodness sake — but the entire discourse smacks of a creeping sense of the-customer-is-always-rightness, which, in many ways, is entirely unsurprising given football’s increasing commercial-led concerns.

But the laughable truth behind that phrase is its utter untruth, the knowledge, from everyone in on the gag, that customers are often fundamentally wrong. They may have wanted the pea and mint soup, but unfortunately, the word that left their mouth was tomato.

The majority of people would agree that there are clear red lines in this whole clapping charade.

In one hypothetical scenario, if a player received personal abuse about their family from hundreds of fans, for example, should they applaud? Most rational beings would say no.

So it follows that there are more nuanced scenarios. If a player feels that a crowd’s boos, midway through a game, has harmed their side’s chances of winning, should they still be bound to applaud that behaviour? Quite possibly not.

And ultimately, the right of personal refusal does matter. It is without doubt that a healthy dollop of empathy goes a long way. In an ideal world — given the difficulty of being a football supporter in a game beset by callous kick-off times and sky-rocketing prices — the knowledge that your side’s stars understand your frustration are clear stitches in the fabric of a club.

But what if the action is clearly performative? Does apathetic, glazed-over clapping move the needle in any sort of meaningful way? Apologies require sincerity, and so do thank-yous; more generally, they are contained in the intention rather than the action.

There is a future in which micro-behaviours are written into contracts, where applause becomes not just an expectation, but a demand. Does that lead to a healthier ecosystem around the sport? Does it really help that social fabric? No.

And if you disagree? By the same logic, an answer is at hand.

From the metaphorical centre-circle, I’ll respond dutifully to angry comments — to each and every one — with several emojis of some clapping hands. It’s from the heart. Divisions healed. Problem solved. Job done.

In the Premier League, if you are having difficulties in a certain phase of play, the top teams will always punish you.

This season, under Thomas Frank, Tottenham Hotspur have been experiencing some issues when progressing the ball up the pitch, leaving them overly dependent on long passes from Pedro Porro and Cristian Romero.

Despite a glimpse of positivity in some of Spurs’ recent away trips, Chelsea’s high press smothered them and exploited their ball-progression problems.

“The high pressure they came with, I don’t think we solved it well enough, even though we worked on it,” said Frank after Chelsea’s 1-0 victory against his side.

Chelsea’s press started from a lopsided 4-3-3, with Pedro Neto focusing on Micky van de Ven and Alejandro Garnacho keeping an eye on Porro. In midfield, Reece James and Enzo Fernandez marked Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha, but the orchestrator of the press was Joao Pedro.

The Brazil centre-forward started centrally and harried Kevin Danso when Guglielmo Vicario played the ball to his right centre-back. Joao Pedro pressed Danso from an angle that prevented the latter from going back to his goalkeeper, locking Tottenham down their right side.

There, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella were marking Pape Matar Sarr and Mohammed Kudus, while Garnacho, James and Fernandez’s pressing roles limited Danso’s passing options.

One of Tottenham’s solutions was Xavi Simons’ narrow position in midfield, but Malo Gusto tracked his movement when the ball was on the far side.

In the above example, Caicedo intercepts Danso’s pass to Sarr, but Palhinha wins the loose ball and squares it to Simons.

The Netherlands midfielder fails to control the ball and James wins it back. However, it’s important to notice Gusto’s pressing role which puts him in a position that prevents Simons from overloading the centre of the pitch.

In another example, Joao Pedro presses Danso from an angle that prevents him from going back to Vicario, while Garnacho, Fernandez and James are marking Porro, Palhinha and Bentancur.

Sarr drops to provide a passing option, but Caicedo can comfortably press him because Chelsea are covering the other choices. When Sarr plays the ball to Porro, the options are still limited because Joao Pedro is blocking the pass back to Danso, Cucurella is tight on Kudus, and Gusto is tracking Simons’ movement to defend the switch of play.

Porro tries to play the ball forward, but Garnacho’s block puts Joao Pedro in a one-v-one situation.

Chelsea’s out-of-possession approach varied when Tottenham were in a position to build down their left side.

With Neto pressing Van de Ven, Wesley Fofana had to push up and mark Simons to free Gusto. This way, Chelsea’s right-back can press Djed Spence without worrying about Simons’ narrow position.

Here, Gusto realises that Tottenham can circulate the ball towards their left side, with Simons in position to attack the space behind Fernandez and James, who are pressing higher up the pitch.

Gusto signals to Fofana to pick up Simons, before he dashes towards Spence as Tottenham circulate the ball towards the left side. By the time the ball reaches Van de Ven, Fofana is in position to track Simons and prevent him from overloading the midfield.

Meanwhile, Gusto is free to press Spence, who doesn’t have a clear passing option.

Palhinha tries to attack the space down the left wing, but Chelsea’s man-to-man locking means that James can track him and intercept the pass.

The most impressive thing about Chelsea’s press against Tottenham was that they covered the majority of Tottenham’s solutions.

Caicedo’s profile and pressing awareness meant that he can play a hybrid role depending on how Spurs were going to build up: jumping up to man-mark Sarr if Tottenham wanted to combine and defending the left side zonally if they went direct.

In this example, Chelsea’s press is operating as normal, but Caicedo drops to defend the second ball when Danso goes long towards Kudus. Unfortunately, it falls to Palhinha and Sarr is in position to attack the space, but Trevoh Chalobah is covering the depth and stops the attack.

Chelsea could afford this pressing approach when Tottenham went direct because their left-side press constantly left Spence unmarked, providing them with a free centre-back.

The reason Chelsea’s press differed from one side to another — man-marking on the right, and hybrid down the left — is because Tottenham are more likely to go direct through Danso, Romero or Porro.

Here, Enzo Maresca’s side are pressing down the left with Caicedo maintaining a distance from Simons. The Ecuador midfielder’s acceleration means that he can cover Simons if Porro goes short, while being in position to support the defence if Tottenham’s right-back went direct.

Porro tries to play a long pass towards Kudus and Richarlison, who are marked by Cucurella and Chalobah, but Caicedo intercepts it, with Fofana acting as the safety net in the back.

“The performance was very good on the ball and off the ball,” said Maresca after the match. “For sure, the way we tried to press was very important, but I also think our game against Liverpool off the ball was a top game.

“If you want to be close to the top, you need to be defensively solid.”

Maresca’s side prevented Tottenham from progressing the ball throughout the match, and restricted them to three shots worth 0.05 expected goals (xG) — Spurs’ lowest xG in a Premier League game since 2012-13.

The high press from Chelsea was a perfect illustration how, at the top level of the Premier League, weaknesses are exploited.

Tottenham Hotspur were twice beaten in comical circumstances on Chelsea’s previous visits to north London.

In November 2023, Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero were sent off in a chaotic 4-1 defeat. Last year, Spurs were leading 2-0 after 11 minutes but first-choice centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero suffered muscle injuries. Cole Palmer then inspired Chelsea to a 4-3 victory.

Both of those results were under Ange Postecoglou but the theory was that Thomas Frank would make Spurs much harder to beat. He might break the curse against Chelsea at the first attempt.

They only lost 1-0 on Saturday evening but it was the worst performance of Frank’s reign. If Spurs were guilty of being too cavalier during Postecoglou’s time in charge, then this was the total opposite. They made more substitutions (six) and racked up more yellow cards (four) than shots (three).

Spurs generated an xG, which measures the quality of their chances, of 0.05 compared to Chelsea who registered 3.03. It is the lowest amount they have produced in a Premier League game on record (since 2012-13). Guglielmo Vicario’s incredible saves from Joao Pedro, and a woeful miss from Jamie Gittens, were the only reasons why they did not lose by a bigger margin.

“That hurts massively,” Frank said. “I have never been in charge of a team that has created that little in one game. I will look into what we can do to make it better. That is one thing but I think everything is linked.”

Lots of supporters will argue that they went down fighting under Postecoglou even if they suffered some humiliating results. This meek performance prompted a furious reaction from the fanbase. In second-half stoppage time, they started booing when Vicario played a free-kick short to Djed Spence instead of lumping the ball into the box. Spence turned around and passed it straight back. Those boos continued at full-time.

Frank admitted that his side failed to match Chelsea’s energy and intensity. That is unacceptable in a derby against one of your biggest rivals. It felt like they pinned all of their hopes on scoring from a set piece but Robert Sanchez effortlessly claimed every corner. Pedro Porro kept trying to chip the ball over Marc Cucurella for Mohammed Kudus unsuccessfully. Xavi Simons, who replaced Lucas Bergvall in the fifth minute as a concussion substitute, was constantly shoved off the ball and made an awful back pass in the build-up to Chelsea’s winner.

Spurs have lost three games at home under Frank and only won once. This was the fourth home game in a row where they failed to register an xG above 1.0. Their home form has been dreadful for 12 months but he has found no solution to the problem. It is crucial that Spurs start winning in front of their supporters so Frank can build a positive connection with them.

To compound the feeling of anger and irritation, Micky van de Ven and Spence walked straight down the tunnel at full-time despite Frank and set-piece coach Andreas Georgson trying to stop them. It was only a week ago that Frank praised Van de Ven’s leadership after the centre-back scored twice in a 3-0 victory over Everton. Frank tried to downplay their actions by saying that it is “one of the small issues that we have” and “everyone is frustrated” but it was a concerning public display of dissent.

The strangest part of this situation is that Spurs are above Chelsea in the table on goal difference. Depending on how the rest of this weekend’s games go, Spurs might still be in the top four on Monday. They finished 17th last season and lost 22 games. Surely finishing in the top six would represent a successful season? Especially when you consider the new signings Frank is trying to bed in, injuries to key players and all of the change at executive level.

The problem is that it is becoming difficult to ignore the parallels between Frank and Nuno Espirito Santo. Nuno was appointed as Tottenham’s head coach in June 2021 after a protracted search which saw them rejected by multiple candidates. He earned his move to north London after guiding Wolverhampton Wanderers to promotion and stabilising them in the top-flight. Frank followed the exact same path with Brentford but, crucially, was the club’s first-choice following Postecoglou’s dismissal two weeks after winning the Europa League final.

Nuno won his first three games in charge and was named the manager of the month for August. Spurs lost five of their next seven fixtures and Nuno was sacked on November 1 — exactly four years ago. Nuno’s style of play during his brief tenure was pragmatic. That is not necessarily a bad thing but Tottenham supporters demand entertainment. They were pleased Frank tightened up the defence but want to be inspired and see the next stage of his evolution. He needs to find an attacking spark from somewhere to avoid being permanently viewed in the same way as Nuno.

Maybe the frustration that poured out from the players was positive. Bergvall was desperate to stay on the pitch after suffering a concussion and argued with the medical staff (who deserve praise for prioritising his health). Frank booted a water bottle when Joao Pedro scored. Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur threw their weight around in a few firm challenges. Spurs were emotional and erratic but nobody could accuse them of not caring.

This was always going to be a tricky period of the season. After a relatively kind fixture list, including Wolves, West Ham United and two of the promoted teams, Spurs play four of last season’s top six between mid-October and the start of December. Throw in Champions League away ties at Monaco and the holders Paris Saint-Germain too.

It has been a punishing couple of weeks with two defeats in the top flight and a premature exit from the Carabao Cup. The optimism about Frank’s project is quickly draining away, perhaps slightly unfairly, but this was a shocking performance and a brutal reality check.