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The only reason why you would think Leicester have a chance here is because we are coming off an international break. Chelsea would have had players involved with their national teams and their travel could have been tiring. But I would still have to go with Chelsea in this one. They are playing alright and I have a feeling this could be an easy win.

The game against Arsenal was quite even and it shows Chelsea are on the right track under Enzo Maresca. Four years ago, Chelsea would have lost that game after conceding first but they ended up grabbing a point.

I would be shocked if Chelsea finished above Arsenal though. Their squad is really young and I doubt they can get third place this season. If they win the Europa Conference League and finish inside the top four, that would count as a successful campaign. It will also make them the first club to win all three European trophies on offer now.

Leicester are not expected to cause Chelsea a lot of problems here. I’m predicting an easy win for the Blues.

Prediction: Leicester 0-3 Chelsea

Wolves got a massive result before the international break when they beat Southampton. But this is a really difficult game for them against Fulham. After the game at Craven Cottage, they face Bournemouth, Everton, West Ham, Ipswich Town and Leicester. Gary O’Neill has to look at those fixtures and believe they can put on a bit of a run.

If Wolves are not six points clear of the relegation zone by the end of December, they will get relegated!

Fulham are underrated in my opinion. Marco Silva is doing a great job there. Over the years, we have had teams like Brighton and Brentford who can upset big teams. Fulham are in that category now. They are expected to get some good results this season and cause problems along the way for the big boys in the league.

I don’t think Fulham will qualify for European football though. There are stronger teams than them that are competing for it and they could come up short. However, this game against Wolves shouldn’t be a problem for them.

Prediction: Fulham 2-0 Wolves

Everton need to start winning football matches. It’s becoming a bit of a five-horse race to avoid relegation now and I will not count Everton in that. But if they do what they did against Southampton a few weeks ago, they will be pulled back into that conversation!

It’s because of the way Everton play that I feel they will always somehow get out of trouble in the end. Make no mistake, this is a hard game for Everton and I don’t think they will win. I look at this game and Brentford are a team that score a lot of goals, Everton don’t. So I have to back Brentford to win here.

Who need a player in January? Bryan Mbeumo is a good choice. One thing that was missing from his game was goals, but now he has brought that to the table as well. It depends on who wants to sign him though. I don’t see a mid-table club spending £40-50million to get him in January. So it’s a question of whether one of the big boys want him, I doubt that. He has to keep doing what he is doing for the rest of the season. If he does that, he will be bought by someone, one million per cent sure.

Prediction: Everton 0-1 Brentford

It is a tricky game for Arsenal because they have no more mistakes left in them now. They have to keep winning, it’s as simple as that. Nottingham Forest are actually a better team away from home. But that defeat to Newcastle is a sign of their good start slowly wearing off now.

I feel Arsenal’s midfield will be too much for Forest in this game. The likes of Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey will dominate them. Forest are always a threat on the counter-attack, but I’m not sure if Chris Wood can cause many problems to the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

This is a cup final for Arsenal, a must-win game. Mikel Arteta and company have some lovely fixtures coming upand will be hopeful of putting on a solid run. I back them to win their next six or seven games and it starts with this one.

Except Liverpool, they have now already played away games against all the teams that finished in the top six last season. And we’re only 11 games into the season! That shows how tough a run they’ve had and now it’s time for them to enjoy some of the relatively easier fixtures. Arsenal have to keep winning and if they win their next six or seven games, they will be back in the title race and will have every chance to win it.

If it becomes a 12-point gap between them and the league leaders, then Arsenal have no chance. They are nine points behind Liverpool now,. that’s why it’s a cup final from here on.

Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Nottingham Forest

What a game we have on our hands here, this will be good. Brighton beat Manchester city, they should have beat Liverpool too in my opinion. There’s not a lot wrong with this tea, just like their opponents Bournemouth. That’s why this is one of the most entertaining games of the week in my opinion, there will goals in it too.

If I had to pick one standout players from Bournemouth I would choose Evanilson. To come into this league and play, it’s really difficult. But he looks lively and a real threat. He has surprised me with how well he has been playing after coming here. I would even say he’s doing better than Dominic Solanke at the moment, which is crazy considering he is the replacement for the latter at Bournemouth.

Evanilson has scored four goals in his last six appearances and that includes some important goals like the one in the win over Manchester City and the late equaliser away from home at Aston Villa. Not many players from Portugal come here and do that well, Cristiano Ronaldo is an exception!

I would like to say some things about Danny Welbeck as well. He has been outstanding for Brighton this season. He plays every week, virtually every game and stills scores goals at this age. Barring the last two games, he had four goals in five matches. They were big goals too, especially that one in the comeback win over Tottenham. I have to give him a special mention, his goal returns have improved so much.

Prediction: Bournemouth 2-2 Brighton

Big game for both teams. Aston Villa have to get back to winning ways. Form-wise they have dropped off a bit and they must turn that around quickly. Villa are without a win in their last five games across all competitions having lost four on the trot after the draw with Bournemouth.

During this wretched run of form, Crystal Palace beat Villa in the EFL Cup round of 16 clash. But Palace are still in a bit of trouble in the league in my opinion. After this trip to Villa, they have some huge games coming up where they face Newcastle, Ipswich, Manchester City, Brighton and Arsenal. That’s a tough run.

I’m backing Villa to get back on track with a win here. They are ninth in the league now and if they don’t win again, they will drift away from the big boys quickly. I know they are only one point away from third place but there are a lot of teams in front of them. Their goal difference is zero, which is madness. Tottenham are actually behind Villa and Spurs’ goal difference is +10!

Goal difference acts as an extra point in this league, so Villa must be careful and work on improving it. They also have Juventus coming up in the Champions League and like I always say, they must not get caught up with that playing on their minds. It has to be one game at a time.

Prediction: Aston Villa 2-0 Crystal Palace

If someone would have said to me at the start of the season that Manchester City would lose four games in a row, I would have said never in a million years! Yet, here we are. It doesn’t get any easier for them this weekend, Tottenham are a tough opponent.

But then again, Tottenham are Spursy. Who would have thought they would get beat by Ipswich? Still, it wouldn’t shock me if Spurs get a result here, simply because Manchester City have not been Manchester City for a while now.

Since the draw against Newcastle, barring the wins over Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague, City have not wiped the floor with anyone like we are used to seeing. I just can’t imagine them losing five in a row, that’s why I’m going for a City win here. But I can assure you it won’t be an easy win.

Tottenham have history of getting results against City, it goes back a long time. I remember them getting a result under Harry Redknapp to qualify for Europe, thanks to a goal from Peter Crouch. So it’s a tricky game. There is no pressure on Tottenham this week and if they click, I think they have a chance. That’s why I say I wouldn’t be shocked if Spurs get a result.

Manchester City not being their usual self is entirely down to Rodri’s absence and not because Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan aren’t firing. Rodri moves the ball quickly and that opens up space, City are missing that now. But I certainly think Gundogan looks nowhere near the player he was before, he is struggling.

Prediction: Manchester City 2-1 Tottneham

I can’t see anything but a Liverpool win here. The only game they lost this season was after the international break in September, but I doubt that will happen again. I can’t see Southampton passing the ball around like they do for 90 minutes and not shoot themselves in the foot. I have a feeling Southampton will score though. But over the 90 minutes, they will get hammered. If Liverpool can take their chances, it could become a rout!

Liverpool have the easiest fixtures among the top three this weekend. If they win and the others slip up, the title race is over. We’re on thin ice with these teams at the moment.

The contract situation is getting a bit nervy, isn’t it? I get this feeling that one of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk or Mohamed Salah will sign a pre-contract agreement with another club in January. We might not see it in public, but they might just do it. If you’ve got just six months left on your contract and you get injured, what happens then? Better safe than sorry.

I’m not sure if Van Dijk will do it, but one of the other two might. I think it could be Alexander-Arnold, especially with talk about Real Madrid as well.

Everything is perfect at Liverpool now, so no one is talking about this situation. But if they start losing games, it could get a little bit toxic with fans calling them out. I might be wrong, but the fans will be angry, especially with someone homegrown like Alexander-Arnold if he doesn’t sign and they start losing. When you think of it, it’s actually quite unbelievable. They are probably the first three names on the team sheet at Liverpool and yet they are out of contract in six months!

Prediction: Southampton 0-3 Liverpool

It’s a good first game to be in charge if you’re Ruben Amorim, but it’s also a dangerous game and I’ll tell you why. Manchester United cannot lose this game, that would be catastrophic. But if they win, people are going to be like, “It’s only Ipswich, of course you had to win”.

This is certainly a tough game for Manchester United. I’m backing them to win but I don’t think it will be easy. Amorim will want to play three at the back, this is a good game to test that out. Even though I feel United will win against Ipswich, I have a sneaky feeling about this game.

Marcus Rashford was clearly not the first-choice in attack under Ruud van Nistelrooy. So he has to turn things around under Amorim. If he is unable to do that, I think United have a big problem. Rashford’s wages are going to become an issue if they want to move him on. I don’t know who buys him at the moment. It will be interesting to see how he performs under Amorim, certainly something to keep an eye on.

Prediction: Ipswich 1-2 Manchester United

Newcastle are starting to pick up pace now. They have won three in a row and sit just a point off third place. I can see them winning this game. If they start this game well, they will run riot.

West Ham got absolutely rinsed by Nottingham Forest a couple of weeks back. I don’t even know how they beat Manchester United! I worry for West Ham, but I still think they will give Julen Lopetegui a lot more time. If they weren’t going to back him, they would have got rid of him after the draw with Everton before the international break.

If you are counting on Lopetegui to turn it around against Newcastle here and Arsenal next, you are delusional! I don’t think he will be there long-term but he still has time. West Ham have a clash against Leicester coming up in two games’ time, that’s a cup final and if he does not win, he won’t be in the job.

I’d be shocked if West Ham get anything out of this game. It has Newcastle written all over it. I’m backing the hosts to slaughter West Ham and become a strong candidate in the race for the top four.

Prediction: Newcastle 3-0 West Ham

Ruben Amorim could make an attempt to sign Tottenham defender Pedro Porro for Manchester United, according to reports in Spain.

Having replaced Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, Amorim will take charge of his first game against Ipswich Town on Sunday.

The Portuguese coach is expected to implement the 3-4-3 formation that served him so well in his homeland which is expected to eventually lead to major changes in personnel.

While the tactic didn’t serve his predecessor well, United have been strongly linked with moves for a host of Amorim’s former sporting stars. Goal machine Viktor Gyokeres has quickly emerged as a transfer target for next summer with 17-year-old Geovany Quenda and centre-half Ousmane Diomande also reportedly being considered.

Porro spent two-and-a-half years working under Amorim at Sporting before joining Tottenham in January 2023 – an initial loan which included the obligation buy in the summer for €40m.

The Spain international has starred in north London but reports in Spain suggest he could be convinced to leave Spurs should United and Amorim come calling.

AS report people close to Porro are ‘convinced’ Amorim will push for United to try and sign the right-back, describing the relationship between the two as ‘excellent at all levels.’

United would appear to be well stocked at right-back with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui both natural options on that side of the pitch. But Amorim’s plans for the team will become clearer in the coming weeks and months.

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Porro has been a key figure in Ange Postecoglou’s side but there is interest growing in the full-back.

Real Madrid are considering him as a viable alternative to Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

AS report Porro is considered a more balanced option at right-back in their bid to find a long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal.

But Tottenham’s valuation could scupper any interest with the Premier League side demanding €70million, a fee Real are not prepared to meet.

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Tottenham are planning to appeal Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-match ban for his racist remark about Spurs captain Son Heung-min.

The Football Association handed Bentancur the suspension, plus a £100,000 fine, earlier this week after he suggested that all people from South Korea ‘looked the same’ during an interview in June.

Bentancur denied the charge but a statement from the FA on Monday read: ‘An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.

‘It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.

‘It was further alleged that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

‘Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing.’

What did Rodrigo Bentancur say to Son Heung-min?

In an interview on Uruguayan Television programme Por La Camiseta, Bentancur was asked by reporter, Rafa Cotelo, to see one of the football shirts in the midfielder’s collection when the following exchange occurred:

Cotelo: ‘Your shirt… well, what about the Korean’s shirt?’

Bentancur: ‘Sonny?’

Cotelo: ‘Or a champion.’

Bentancur: ‘Or one of Sonny’s cousins as they all look more or less the

same.’

Tottenham are not appealing Bentancur’s guilty verdict but the club want the midfielder’s seven-game ban to be reduced.

In 2019, the FA increased the minimum ban for anyone found guilty of racist abuse to six matches.

Bentancur was given an additional match to the minimum six-game suspension as his comments were considered as an ‘aggravated breach’.

A statement from Tottenham read: ‘We can confirm that the Club has appealed against the length of Rodrigo Bentancur’s FA suspension, issued earlier this week.

‘While we accept the guilty finding against Rodrigo by the independent regulatory commission, we believe the subsequent sanction is severe.

‘Rodrigo will remain suspended from domestic competitions while the appeal is heard and the club will make no further comment during this time.’

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Bentancur apologised for his comments as he wrote on social media: ‘Sonny brother! I apologise to you for what happened, it was just a very bad joke.

‘You know I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you, brother!’

In his response to Bentancur’s apology, Son wrote: ‘He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologised.

‘Lolo would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all.’

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Juventus are targeting a number of Premier League players after Paul Pogba’s departure freed up some space on their wage bill.

Pogba is leaving the Turin side later this month by mutual consent and is free to play again in January afterhis doping ban was reduced on appeal.

Where the Frenchman will end up is not yet clear but it will not be with the Old Lady and they have got his hefty wages off their books in the process.

Italian publication TuttoSport report that Juventus are targeting a defender and a striker in January and they are looking to the Premier League.

Manchester United summer signing Joshua Zirkzee, Arsenal fringe player Jakub Kiwior and Tottenham centre-back Radu Dragusin have all been touted as possible signings.

None of the three players are in the first choice starting XI for their sides and if decent offers come in then there could be deals to be done.

However, Zirkzee only joined the Red Devils from Bologna over the summer and Dragusin signed for Spurs in January, so they would be very swift departures if they were to leave in the next transfer window.

Rasmus Hojlund is now first choice up front, although new manager Ruben Amorim is yet to pick his first starting XI, so we will see which players he fancies and which he doesn’t.

Dragusin is behind Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in the centre-back pecking order at Tottenham, but has been playing regularly in cup competitions, off the bench and covering for injury.

Kiwior has been a handy squad player for Arsenal since signing from Spezia in January 2023, but has made just four Premier League appearances so far this campaign, all as a substitute.

The Poland international suffered a nightmare outing against Bournemouth as he was brought on to cover for William Saliba after he was sent-off, but then was taken off after a mistake handed the Cherries their second goal.

Premier League icon David Ginola remembers not wanting to leave Newcastle United and only joining Tottenham because he was forced out of St James’ Park.

The Frenchman joined the Magpies from Paris Saint-Germain in 1995, joining Kevin Keegan’s famous ‘Entertainers’ squad.

While it was a memorable stint for Ginola in the North East it was only a short one as he departed after just two seasons.

The winger recalls Kenny Dalgish taking over from Keegan and quickly falling out with his new manager, who was keen to sell him.

In a new book, called The Entertainers, Ginola explained: ‘I didn’t want to leave the club but when Kenny Dalglish took over from Kevin it was a shock and it just wasn’t the same anymore. I argued with Kenny and he didn’t play me much after that.

‘He tried to get rid of all the foreign players Kevin signed. I was frustrated at the time and I said something in the newspapers that if things don’t change, I will have to leave.

‘The following day we had a row. He told me I couldn’t go to the newspapers and say these things. I said, “You treat me like I’m having an affair with your wife”.

‘He said, “How dare you talk to me like that”. I said, “At least I’m talking. You never look at me or talk to me.” He wasn’t the guy to take us to the top, as it was proved. He didn’t make the most of the players we had.

‘Under Kevin, it was such a pleasure every day in training and every Saturday away and at St James’ Park, where the atmosphere was magnificent. I miss those days. One day, those happy days will return.’

Ginola went on to have a good time with Spurs, winning the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year in 1999, with Tottenham winning the League Cup that season.

Ginola revealed back in 2021 that he narrowly missed the chance to join Arsenal before he moved to Newcastle, an opportunity he would have taken.

He told FourFourTwo: ‘I gave my word to Terry [McDermott] in the afternoon, then around midnight I got a call from David Dein at Arsenal. He asked, “Have you signed for anybody?”

‘I said, “Well… why?” and he said, “Because we want to sign you”. I said, “Actually, I gave my word to Newcastle, sorry – the deal is done”.’

‘Arsenal were one of the biggest clubs in the country, while Newcastle had just moved from the First Division to the Premier League and still had to prove they were a great side. The decision would probably have been different. But when I called my dad and said, “I’m signing for Newcastle and working with Kevin Keegan,” he was happy.’

Tottenham star Son Heung-min sat down to compare the best British and Korean snacks, and there was only one winner.

The South Korea international joined SPORTBible for Snack Wars, served up with treats from both countries to pick a winner.

First up on the menu was Jaffa Cakes and Korean treat Choco Pie. Trying the British classic however, Son wasn’t impressed. No. I’m so disappointed!’ he said as he forced it down. ‘What’s it inside? Orange? Why? I’m sorry.’ That’s such a disappointment, I’m devastated.’

Son was next served up another British classic in a jar of pickled onions. After giving it a few very tentative sniffs, the Spurs forward dug in, sticking the whole onion in his mouth.

Almost wincing, Son swiftly screwed the lid back on and called it quits. ‘I’m sorry. To be fair, the onion is not too bad. It’s the sauce… with some other food you maybe deal with it.’

After getting his bearings back, Son awarded Korean snack Kimchi the clear winner, ‘all day long’.

While picking a packet of Jellycious over Love Hearts, Son named Ben Davies as the teammate he would most likely share his sweets with.

‘I would say Ben Davies, he’s my best friend he is always next to me, pushing me. We have similar personalities, similar hobbies and we get on really well.’

There was one victory for British confection with Son opting for Tottenham cake over a Custard Pie from his homeland.

Son has scored three times and laid on three assists for Tottenham this season, missing six games through injury with hamstring and thigh issues.

He is currently on international duty, scoring for South Korea in the 3-1 win over Kuwait in their World Cup qualifier on Thursday.

South Korea take on Palestine on Tuesday in a match to be played at the Amman International Stadium in the Jordanian capital of Amman.

Son and Tottenham return to domestic action against Manchester City on Saturday evening.

Referee David Coote allegedly attempted to organise a ‘drugs party’ while he was officiating a match between Tottenham and Manchester City last month.

On Monday, Coote was suspended from domestic refereeing duty by the PGMOL [Professional Game Match Officials Ltd] after a video emerged of him making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp.

The 42-year-old appeared to call Liverpool ‘s**t’ and Klopp a ‘German c**t’ after a match in 2020.

Then on Wednesday, another video emerged appearing to show him snorting a white powder, which was supposedly recorded while Coote was on duty at Euro 2024.

UEFA have also suspended the Premier League referee and investigations have been launched into the two incidents.

Now, a report from The Sun claims that Coote contacted a friend just minutes before he was set to officiate a massive cup clash, trying to organise a ‘drugs party’ in a hotel for after the match.

The game in question was Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Man City in the Carabao Cup on October 30, where Coote was the fourth official.

The friend in question told The Sun: ‘On the day of the game he was messaging me repeatedly and wanting a drugs party after he’d finished at Spurs.

‘He didn’t book the Travelodge until just before kick-off, then sent a notification 11 minutes from the game starting. It was crazy.

‘City striker Erling Haaland was on the bench, so I was watching them on TV pretty much side by side. And moments before and afterwards he sent me messages.’

With kick-off at 8.15pm, it is said he booked a room at a Travelodge at 7.38pm and sent a booking notification to someone else at 8.04pm.

Coote then texted the friend again at the break, saying: ‘Hope you’re getting ready’.

‘When he messaged me at half-time I thought it was so surreal. Surely he should have been concentrating on the game, not arranging drugs parties,’ the friend added.

The party never occurred however: ‘I didn’t feel like meeting up in the end so told him I couldn’t make it.

‘He went mad and asked for the £73.99 total booking fee back.’

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Tottenham travel to Turkey for a Europa League match with Galatasaray hoping to exorcise some of their recent poor performances away from home.

Spurs have won nine of their last 11 matches in all competitions, beating both West Ham and Aston Villa 4-1 and knocking Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 success in N17, but their last two away days have been disasters.

First, they blew a 2-0 half-time lead at Brighton thanks to a terrible second-half performance in which individual errors led to a 3-2 defeat, then they made the shorter trip to Crystal Palace where a dismal team display led to the Eagles gaining a 1-0 win for their first Premier League victory of the season.

Top scorers in the top-flight, Spurs hold strong claims to be the most entertaining side in English football when they are playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium while being the most frustrating when they on are their travels.

They have taken a maximum nine points after opening their Europa League campaign with three wins, beating FK Qarabag, Ferencvaros and AZ Alkmaar – a tally only matched by Lazio and Anderlecht – but Galatasaray will be different gravy after also registering nine wins from 11 matches in all outings this term.

Ange Postecoglou is likely to shuffle his pack and will be without first-choice central defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven and although Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are decent replacements, a Tottenham side which could also feature young prospects Mikey Moore, Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and possibly Will Lankshear in attack may find the going tough in Istanbul if Galatasaray field their strongest line-up.

The Turkish League leaders lost over two legs to Swiss side Young Boys in the Champions League qualifiers but have beaten PAOK Salonika and Elfsborg at home either side of a draw at Latvian club Rigas in Europe’s second-tier tournament.

Galatasaray may be too strong on home territory and Victor Omishen, who has been trailed by numerous Premier League clubs, is 6/1 with Sky Bet to hit the first goal and 13/8 with the same firm to score at any time. Son Heung-Min is 11/4 to reply for the London club while both teams to score and Galatasaray to win is 5/2 with bet365 and Betway.

Even if they are beaten, Tottenham can reach the knockout stages with ease and are worthy favourites to win the Europa League at 4/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral.

• Manchester United fans revelling in new manager Ruben Amorim leading Sporting to a 4-1 Champions League success against Manchester City in Lisbon on Tuesday can rejoice further when their side convincingly beats Europa League opponents PAOK Salonika at Old Trafford.

Draws with FC Twente, Porto and Fenerbahce have left the hosts with work to do to reach the knockout stages but they can beat their Greek opponents by more than one goal at 4/5 with Unibet. Alejandro Garnacho is 23/4 to open the scoring with Unibet and BetUK and 17/10 with the former firm to find the net at any time.

• Chelsea can warm up for Sunday’s Premier League London derby at home to Arsenal by walloping Europa Conference League visitors Noah. The Blues will make sweeping changes to the side which drew 1-1 with Manchester United on Sunday but are still worth backing at 6/1 with bet365, Paddy Power, BoyleSports and Betfair to win 4-0. Have a saver on a 5-0 home victory at 9/1 with Paddy Power and Betfair.

Ange Postecoglou provided a worrying update after Richarlison and Cristian Romero both went off injured during Tottenham’s win over Aston Villa.

Spurs came from behind to defeat the Villans 4-1 on Sunday and move up to seventh in the Premier League table.

Goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison either side of a Dominic Solanke brace highlighted a brilliant second-half for the home side.

But their victory appears to have come at a cost, with Romero hobbling off on the hour mark after going down following a challenge on Villa’s goalscorer Morgan Rogers.

To make matters worse, Richarlison also had to come off after hurting himself while assisting Solanke’s second goal, lasting just 27 minutes having been subbed on for Son Heung-min.

Speaking after the match, Postecoglou couldn’t clarify how serious the injuries were but was clearly worried given the pair’s recent fitness issues.

‘Richy obviously felt something in the action of setting the goal up, his hamstring, so we’ll see,’ the manager said in his post-match press conference.

‘Romero, it was in that challenge again. He felt his foot was sore. I don’t have any sort of further information. Obviously, he’s a pretty tough cookie for him to come off, it must be sore, but yeah, look it’s not ideal.

‘But again it’s another game where we’ve had to reshuffle our back line. Radu [Dragusin] has played left centre-back, right centre-back, left centre-back, right centre-back.

‘Ben Davies has had to come in at different times and Destiny [Udogie] midweek and the boys are handling it really well. As I said it’s not ideal but, hopefully both are not too serious.’

Prior to the match, Postecoglou revealed Micky van de Ven would be out until after the international break and if Romero is also sidelined, Tottenham will be without their first choice centre-backs for the next few games.

Spurs have two more fixtures before the November break: Away to Galatasaray in the Europa League and at home against Ipswich Town in the Premier League.

Their first match back is a huge one however as they travel to Manchester City on November 23 having knocked them out of the Carabao Cup earlier this week.

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Ange Postecoglou said it was always the plan to sub Son Heung-min off early against Aston Villa despite the Tottenham captain raging at the decision.

Spurs went into half-time 1-0 down to Villa thanks to Morgan Rogers’ opener but equalised almost immediately after the break with Son teeing up Brennan Johnson.

But soon after, just 55 minutes in, Postecoglou hauled off his captain with Richarlison taking his place.

Son was visibly baffled when his number was shown and after briefly embracing his manager, vented his frustration on the subs bench for all to see.

Though the South Korea forward had just returned from an injury, it seemed a strange call to sub him off so soon after producing an assist.

Yet it paid off, as Tottenham went on to win 4-1 with Richarlison setting up Dominic Solanke for the third goal, though the Brazilian then had to be subbed himself because of injury.

Explaining the decision, Postecoglou said he always planned to bring off Son when he did, telling BBC Sport: ‘He was never going to play more than 55 minutes.

‘Last time he came back from injury he got to the 60-minute mark and got injured again. He got through unscathed.

The great thing was he made a pretty big contribution before that, a great ball in for our equaliser. Again, we’ve got more battles ahead and we’re going to need him.’

Asked about the 32-year-old’s reaction, the manager added: ‘No, no, I didn’t see any difference in Sonny [in the dressing room].

‘I’d be surprised if any player likes coming off when they feel alright but no I didn’t need to discuss it with him. What’s more important for us is the overall picture.’

The result moves Tottenham up to seventh in the table, just two points shy of Villa and Arsenal with a far superior goal difference.

‘I thought we had to match them in the first half. We conceded a goal but we made them work really hard in the first half,’ Postecoglou added.

‘The thing with us is we have another two or three gears in us. Credit to the players, after a massive effort on Wednesday night physically, to do that.’

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