LondonWorld

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

look to see how the pundits are predicting the Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham fixtures this weekend.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Another big weekend of Premier League action awaits in the Premier League, and the three London clubs all have important games to take care of. Arsenal face Newcastle United in a tough-looking away clash, knowing they can’t afford to lose more ground in the Premier League title race.

Chelsea face Manchester United away from home as they look to get back into the top four, and Spurs could certainly do with a win against a solid Aston Villa side as they desperately search for consistency. Here we take a look at how Paul Merson has predicted the fixtures on SportsKeeda and how those predictions compare to those of Chris Sutton for BBC Sport.

Newcastle United vs Arsenal

Paul Merson

“This is a huge game for Arsenal. It's one where you look at and think, 'Arsenal must win this one'. Liverpool face Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend and they already beat them in the Carabao Cup in midweek, so we're expecting the same result again. You also expect Manchester City to beat Bournemouth so Arsenal cannot afford to slip up.

“Arsenal are sitting back too much in games now. I know they have key players missing out due to injuries, but they should've attacked more against Liverpool last weekend. Even if a draw is still a fair result for them, Arsenal weren't as free-flowing as they were before and that's a problem. The old Arsenal were entertaining, now they're just sitting back and counter-attacking. If you do that every week in this league, you will get found out soon. I hope this change in strategy is only due to the players they are missing at the moment. After the trip to Newcastle, they face Chelsea away from home. These two games are crucial for the Gunners, they must find a way to win both!

“Newcastle beat Chelsea during the cup game in midweek, but I doubt they can back it up with another win on Saturday. Alexander Isak seems to have returned to form and Anthony Gordon is always a threat with his pace. But I feel they are too open at the back and good teams can always pick them apart. When they have all their players in good form, Newcastle are a proper team but that isn't the case at the moment. Arsenal win for me in this one! Prediction: Newcastle United 1-2 Arsenal.”

Chris Sutton

“This is a bit of a grudge match after what happened when Arsenal came to St James' Park last season and lost to a controversial Anthony Gordon goal. Newcastle are on a run of five league games without a win, but they have been a little unlucky during that spell. They are creating plenty of chances, but just not scoring enough of them.

“I worry about Arsenal in the final third too, though, because they are wasteful as well. The Gunners really need a win here to cling on to the tail of leaders Manchester City, but my gut feeling is that Newcastle will get something out of this game, and it has got a draw written all over it. Prediction: 1-1.”

Tottenham vs Aston Villa

Paul Merson

“I thought it was a really bad result for Aston Villa when they lost to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup during midweek. I know they play in the Champions League and compete well in the Premier League, but they should also look to win the cup.

“That exit would have definitely been disappointing for Villa. I'm still going to back them to beat Tottenham though. Villa's high line could face problems against Spurs, but I just can't see them not scoring in this game. It's going to be a big blow for Tottenham in their attempt to qualify for the Champions League if they lose this game. Villa can open up an eight-point gap over Spurs if they win and that may well be curtains for the north Londoners' hopes about finishing fourth. I just think Villa have a bit more in them than Tottenham and fully expect them to win here. Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Aston Villa.”

Chris Sutton

“The away team won on both occasions when these two sides met last season, and you could make a case for Tottenham or Aston Villa coming out on top here. I do like the way Spurs play but they could do with having Son Heung-min fit - he has missed three of their past four league games - and they have a few other injuries too.

“Whoever is missing, though, Ange Postecoglou will not change his bullish approach. I admire that, and I find it amazing the way people view Spurs at the moment. They have won eight of their past 10 games in all competitions, which is pretty good I think, but there is always this underlying 'Spursy' or 'typical Spurs' label they get given whenever they slip up.

“That could happen here, of course. Spurs will dominate the ball this time too, but I have got no doubt that Villa will score, because they carry such a threat and their front players will definitely have their moments in this game. So, there will definitely be plenty of goals... but maybe there won’t be a winner this time - Tottenham have not had a draw since the first game of the season, and I think they will get one here. Prediction: 2-2.”

Man Utd vs Chelsea

Paul Merson

“It's true that Manchester United were not lucky during the defeat to West Ham. But this is Manchester United we're talking about, you can't keep living on excuses like that. They were all over the place, lost the game and are in the bottom half. So the decision to sack Erik ten Hag was justified, no point waiting around!

“I think Chelsea will win this game. I only say that because they'll play out from the back and the only way they can get beat is if teams get the ball from them high up the pitch by closing them down. I don't think United will do that up front, they're just lazy. So I have a feeling that Chelsea can play through them and win the game.

“Chelsea rested many of their players during the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle, but I didn't understand their decision to keep Cole Palmer on the bench. If you don't want to play him, why are you taking him all the way to Newcastle for the game? Just allow him to rest at home instead of asking him to take the long trip and sit on the bench all night. Chelsea should start Pedro Neto over Jadon Sancho in this game. Neto has pace and he can really hurt United. Sancho has this tendency to slow the game down a bit. Neto will be really useful when Chelsea beat United's press and play through them.

“United went and won 5-2 against Leicester in their cup game. I'm thinking if Ten Hag was still there, Chelsea would be huge favorites in this game. But with Ruud van Nistelrooy in charge now, there will be a change for sure. They still look at bit disjointed though, not what you expect from a proper team. The problem is that United don't have enough time to work on these things and beat Chelsea this weekend.

“I was in Portugal last year and they speak very highly of Ruben Amorim. He's a good manager, but what he's done there in Portugal, it's a three-team league at the end of the day. This will be a completely different challenge. Now they're talking of bringing Viktor Gyokeres in. This is what does my head in, honestly. He was playing for Coventry a while ago and no one wanted him. Now he goes to a lesser league, does well and suddenly you have to pay £40-50 million extra for him! Imagine if he was still at Coventry and United wanted him? Everybody will be losing their minds. Prediction: Manchester United 1-3 Chelsea.”

Chris Sutton

“It looks like Ruben Amorim will be the new Manchester United manager but will not be arriving for a few weeks. In the meantime, Ruud van Nistelrooy is in charge as interim boss and he enjoyed himself against Leicester in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

“The Chelsea players will be well-rested because their team that lost to Newcastle in the same competition on Wednesday was totally different to the side that beat the Magpies in the league on Sunday. But Newcastle did create chances against them last weekend and, when I saw Chelsea against Liverpool recently, they were brave at Anfield too.

“I see Chelsea as being the superior team here and my head tells me they will win, but if they are quite open again at Old Trafford then that could suit Manchester United and let them get something. Prediction: 1-1.”

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Spurs have been tipped to join Aston Villa in the race to sign a £15m Brazilian wonderkid

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in Aston Villa transfer target and Brazilian youngster Rayan, who currently plays for Brazil Serie A side Vasco da Gama. He is also being monitored by French Ligue 1 side Lyon.

According to Vascaino via Sport Witness, the 18-year-old has attracted attention from several international clubs and Tottenham are keen on landing him ahead of Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

The attacker can play either on the wing or as a striker and has made 29 appearances for Vasco da Gama this season scoring two goals and providing one assist. He came through the academy at his current club, but could be on the way out of Brazil sooner rather than later.

According to the report, Spurs have ‘sought information’ about Rayan as he fits the transfer model that Daniel Levy’s club are trying to develop in buying young players and building them into fully developed stars.

Vasco da Game accept the heavy interest in the winger who they currently value at around £15m, however, if Lyon, Spurs and Aston Villa all begin to make a move for the 18-year-old then a bidding war could drive his price higher and higher.

So far in his young career, the winger has made 37 appearances for Vasco da Gama, scoring three goals and one assist.

Tottenham looking to add attacking talent

Spurs have been linked to several attackers as they look to push themselves up the table to challenge for a top four and Champions League place. They have been reportedly linked to Middlesbrough attacker Hayden Hackney, however, Michael Carrick’s side have said that he’s not for sale in January.

Tottenham have also been linked to Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere who is also reportedly being monitored by Premier League rivals Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle and West Ham. The Belgian has so far scored two goals and three assists in 10 Serie A matches this season.

Spurs may look for new attackers to replace possible Son exit

Ange Postecoglu and the ownership at Spurs will have their attention on the fact that star attacker Heung-Min Son’s contract expires at the end of this season, meaning he will be free to negotiate an exit in January as he’ll have just six months left on his deal.

The 32-year-old’s contract does include a clause that could allow Tottenham to extend it for an extra year, keeping him at the club until June 2026 which Spurs may decide to do before not renewing his deal after due to the South Korean international then being 34-years-old.

They may be looking to the transfer market for future replacements for the attacker which Brazilian wonderkid Rayan could provide in the long-run.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham showed incredible strength of character to beat Manchester City in the League Cup.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has no choice this weekend but to start the £25million signing Radu Dragusin against Aston Villa after Micky van de Ven picked up what appeared to be a hamstring injury in Tottenham's match against Manchester City last night.

LondonWorld understands that van de Ven will undergo assessment, but he is expected to miss the game, which opens the door for Dragusin, who has been sparingly used in the league this season, with the Australian manager preferring Cristian Romero and the Dutch defender.

It’s remarkable that Dragusin, who has rarely put a foot wrong since Spurs beat Bayern Munich to secure his signature, hasn’t yet been considered a first-choice starter. However, his performance against Manchester City last night, where he was easily one of the best players on the pitch, means Postecoglou will be more than willing to give him the minutes he has been craving.

Dragusin has only started one league game all season, and sources close to him say there’s a plan in place to develop him into a world-class centre-back, part of which involves managing his game time carefully. Given that he’s already an established international for his country and is entering his second season at the club, he will likely feel this is his best chance to claim his rightful spot in the starting lineup.

The game against Villa this weekend is crucial for Spurs fans, who were disappointed by their team’s recent loss to Crystal Palace away at Selhurst Park. They’ll be desperate for a win, but Tottenham traditionally struggles against Unai Emery’s Villa side.

Spurs are also dealing with a few other injury issues, including their captain Son Heung-min, who has had a challenging start to the season, and Timo Werner, who picked up an injury in the City match, along with van de Ven.

Villa have become a formidable side and are enjoying another strong start to the season, vying for a top-four finish.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped to lose defender Pedro Porro who is being monitored by Manchester City.

Spurs defender Pedro Porro could be in line for a move away from north London, with reports suggesting Manchester City are eyeing up the defender amid growing concerns about 34-year-old Kyle Walker’s future under Pep Guardiola.

City have reportedly identified Porro as a possible long-term replacement for Walker, as the Argentine has impressed at Spurs since he signed in July 2023 from Sporting CP for £33 million after a successful six-month loan spell for Spurs.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

According to Football Insider, Porro is ‘definitely’ on Manchester City’s list of transfer targets. Speaking to the outlet, former Premier League scout Mick Brown said: “He’s definitely one of the names on their list. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them get that one over the line at some stage.

“They’re looking at strengthening in that position, and it’s an area they’ve identified as a potential weakness in their squad after Walker’s mistakes this season. Porro has been impressive for Tottenham over a long period of time now, not just recently. Those performances have caught the eye, and if Spurs aren’t going to be successful, he could move on.”

Pedro Porro could be tempted to re-join Manchester City

The Argentine is no stranger to the Etihad Stadium as he spent three years at Manchester City after they signed him from La Liga side Girona for £10m at the age of 20. However, Porro was unable to make much of an impact for City as he went on several loan moves during his time at the Etihad.

Porro ended up not making a single appearance for Manchester City during his time there before he was sold in 2022 to Sporting CP for a fee of £7.3m where he established himself as one of the most talented wing-backs in European football. He made 98 appearances for the Portuguese side scoring 12 goals and 20 assists.

The full-back has since become a regular in Ange Postecoglu’s squad at Tottenham making 64 appearances with eight goals and 10 assists in under a year and a half.

Champions League giants also keen on Pedro Porro

City aren’t the only Champions League winners to share an interest in the 25-year-old as Real Madrid have him as a target alongside Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold. As reported earlier in October, Carlo Ancelotti’s side are keen on signing Porro and may try to beat Manchester City to his signature if they fail to land Alexander-Arnold.

However, if Liverpool fail to extend Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract at Anfield, the England international will likely be their first choice at the position which is partially due to the relationship that Trent has with Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

The latest updates regarding Sunday’s Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur.

Crystal Palace host Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on Sunday with both teams in very contrasting form after the first weekend back since the international break.

Oliver Glasner is under pressure at Palace as they come off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Monday night, extending their winless start to the season to eight matches. Furthermore, Palace have lost their last three games.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Whereas Ange Postecoglu’s Spurs won 4-1 last time out against London rivals West Ham United in what was one of the Lilywhite’s better games so far this season. However, previous to that, Spurs threw away a 2-0 lead against Brighton to lose 3-2 before the international break. Tottenham faced a Europa League game midweek too as they narrowly beat Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Richarlison in the 53rd minute of the game.

Crystal Palace injury news

Palace have more injury concerns than their Sunday opponents. Firstly, Chadi Riad and Chris Richards are both expected to be out until after the November international break. Glasner spoke on the two recently and said: “Chris is now working on the pitch with his rehab, He’s getting closer. I don’t expect them to play before the next international break in November.”

Furthermore, Matthues Franca, who has not yet featured for Palace so far this season, is dealing with a groin injury. Glasner said at the start of the month: “I don't expect that he plays many games for us in 2024. We don't know exactly how long it takes but it will take several weeks.”

Defensive midfielder Cheick Doucoure could possibly return for the game against Spurs on Sunday. He was back in training this week, but it is expected that the Tottenham game will come too soon for the 24-year-old.

Crystal Palace players out: Chadi Riad, Chris Richards, Matthues Franca. Crystal Palace doubts vs Spurs: Cheick Doucoure

Tottenham Hotspur injury news

Spurs are in a much better position in terms of injury issues with just Djed Spence ruled out for Sunday’s game against Palace. He is recovering from a groin injury and has been training individually. However, there is a bigger concern for Spurs and that is the fitness of talisman Heung-min Son, who missed the midweek game against AZ Alkmaar after he picked up a knock against West Ham last weekend.

Ange Postecoglou said on Friday he woud not feature this weekend: “Sonny is still not right or feeling 100 per cent. He won't train today [Friday] and so unlikely for the weekend and we'll see how he is beyond that."

Lucas Bergvall is also a doubt for the trip to Selhurst Park as he suffered what looked like a cramp against AZ Alkmaar in midweek to his calf. He is expected to be available for selection on Sunday.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle are set to miss out on signing Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

Middlesbrough have reportedly made it clear that midfielder Hayden Hackney is not for sale in January which comes as a blow for Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United who were both said to be keen on signing him. Spurs have been circling around Hackney for some time as Ange Postecoglou would consider trying to strike a similar deal to the £40million signing of Leeds man Archie Gray.

However, GiveMeSport is reporting that Hackney will not be for sale as Middlesbrough have made it clear that there is no possibility that the 22-year-old will be let go in January despite the draw of possible big bidding from Spurs and Newcastle. Hackney is a key part of Michael Carrick’s Boro team who are currently eighth in the Championship, just two points off the play-offs. It may be that Boro don’t want to sell Hackney as they believe he can help them to promotion to the Premier League this season.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

The midfielder has started every game that Boro have played so far this season making 11 appearances and scoring twice. The most recent came in their 1-0 win over promotion rivals West Brom at the start of October.

Tottenham Hotspur looking at adding a midfielder

Ange Postecoglu tends to play a 4-3-3 with three central midfielders. His starting three are James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma, however Spurs’ depth in the position is slightly lacking which could be why the are so keen on Hackney.

Furthermore, at just 22-years-old, Hackney could develop into a star in the Premier League although he may have to wait until the summer to get his big move. During the summer Spurs had been linked with several top midfielders.

There was concrete interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze who plays a similar role to Hackney in that attacking midfield position. However, his price tag is hefty as a reported £68 million release clause will come into effect at the end of the season.

Hayden Hackney also monitored by Premier League rival

Spurs and Newcastle aren’t the only two Premier League teams to have their eye on the 22-year-old. Manchester United are also keen on Hackney, but would only pursue him in the summer rather than January.

United signed Manuel Ugarte in midfield this summer for a fee of £42m but they could move for Hackney in the summer which could put a spanner in the works for Spurs and Newcastle should they remain interested in the midfielder in the summer.

Assuming that Middlesbrough decide not to change their mind on selling Hackney in January, then Spurs may have to face both Newcastle and Manchester United to land his signature.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Arsenal are exploring the possibility of expanding the Emirates Stadium to boost their revenue.

Arsenal are reportedly looking at the possibility of expanding the Emirates Stadium as they aim to keep up with their rivals’ matchday revenue. The Gunners have called the Emirates their home since 2006 and it is currently the fifth-biggest stadium in the Premier League behind Liverpool, Spurs, West Ham and Manchester United.

The Emirates currently holds just over 60,000 fans which is an increase of over 20,000 from their former home at Highbury. However, the Gunners are now looking to expand again to boost their income. According to the Times, Arsenal want to expand the stadium to increase their revenue despite facing four consecutive years of increase in their matchday income.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

The Gunners earned £98.3m in matchday revenue according to Statista in the 2022/23 season which was an increase from the previous year of £20m. The 2022/23 season was the highest matchday-earning season since 2015/16 when the Gunners made £111.4m. It is likely that Arsenal’s recent challenges for the Premier League title have boosted their matchday profits, but the ownership wants even more looking to keep pace with North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur who have seen massive improvements in their matchday revenue.

Arsenal rivals Tottenham Hotspur a model for matchday revenue increase

Spurs saw a matchday revenue of £117.6m in the 2022/23 season which is almost £20m more than their North London rivals. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium not only holds over 2,000 more than the Emirates, but they have made more of a concerted effort to host events at the ground.

Hosting two of the NFL’s London games every year helps with profits with large concerts also a regular at the ground. Arsenal could look to hold more events whilst also expanding their capacity with the hope of catching up to Spurs’ numbers.

Expansion could solve the ticket waiting list at the Emirates

Many Arsenal fans will be aware just how difficult it is to land a season ticket for the Emirates Stadium. A possible expansion would allow the Gunners to sell more season tickets which is good news for both the fans and the club itself.

According to TicketCompare, around 100,000 people are waiting for a season ticket at Arsenal which gives an estimated waiting time of at least 20 years although the club doesn’t give an official waiting time.

There is a 98% renewal rate at the Emirates which means that only 800 of 40,000 season tickets became available this summer which means the waiting list is only likely to grow especially considering Mikel Arteta’s recent success with the club.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham Hotspur’s Radu Dragusin’s agent has addressed rumours of a possible move to Serie A club Napoli.

Speculation has emerged that Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin could be on the move in January, despite the fact he joined the club just ten months ago for a fee in the region of £27m from Serie A club Genoa.

However, the Romania international’s agent has said that the defender is not looking to move away despite reports suggesting that Dragusin could join Napoli in the January transfer window.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Italian media outlet Calcio Napoli 24 reported that Dragusin’s agent Florin Manea denied any chance of a move away for the 22-year-old. He said: “I haven’t spoken to anyone, and I don’t think Tottenham want to let him go. Radu is focused and wants to play his chances with Spurs.

“I’ve seen the news too, but – I repeat – I haven’t heard from anyone. We like that many teams are following him, but I also told the others who called me that – to date – we are not interested.”

The reports of a move away appeared amid rumours that the Romanian defender is unhappy over his lack of consistent game time for Tottenham, as he is behind Micky van de Ven and Christian Romero in Ange Postecoglu’s pecking order.

Manea continued: “No player is happy if he doesn’t play a lot, but he wants to fight for his place. We’ll see later how many games he plays, and we’ll evaluate, at this moment it’s premature to think about a transfer.”

Radu Dragusin’s lack of opportunity at Tottenham Hotspur

The 22-year-old defender will be disappointed with his lack of game time at Spurs so far as he has only made 13 appearances since he joined in January. This season, Dragusin has made just two Premier League appearances with the most recent coming off the bench in Spurs’ 3-0 win over Manchester United in late September.

The Romanian has been in Postecoglu’s starting XI just once in the Premier League this season and it came in a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle at the start of September.

The biggest issue for Dragusin is the fact that both Van de Ven and Romero have been fantastic for Spurs this season meaning that it is unlikely that Postecoglu will drop either in favour of the 22-year-old.

He may need to take a chance during a cup game or European match such as if he is selected for Tottenham’s clash with Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night in the Europa League. Dragusin’s contract at Spurs lasts until June 2030 when he will be 28-years-old, considering that the defender is on such a long-term deal, he must clearly be in Tottenham’s plans, but just maybe not in the near future amid the excellent form of Van de Ven and Romero this season.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham Hotspur and AZ Alkmaar could both be without two players each on Thursday night.

Tottenham Hotspur turn their attention away from the Premier League this week as they face a Europa League game against Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar at home on Thursday night.

Ange Postecoglu’s side come off the back of an impressive 4-1 win over London rivals West Ham on Saturday. They went 1-0 down to a Mohammed Kudus goal before Dejan Kulusevski equalised after 36 minutes.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Yves Bissouma and Son Heung-Min both scored two other goals for Spurs alongside an own goal from West Ham keeper Alfonse Areola. It gave Spurs the three points and now has them seventh in the league, four points away from the Champions League places. They face an AZ Alkmaar side who are fifth in the Eredivisie, but they have suffered three league defeats in a row and will be desperate to improve against Postecoglu’s Spurs team.

Tottenham Hotspur injury news

Spurs have a relatively healthy squad as there could be just two absences from the Europa League game on Thursday evening. There were fears over midfielder James Maddison who was subbed off at half-time against West Ham. However, this was understood to be a tactical decision by Ange Postecoglu.

Wilson Odobert is recovering from a hamstring issue and has been ruled out of the game against AZ Alkmaar. He is yet to rejoin training but is getting closer. The Spurs manager said: “Wilson has done some good work in the last couple of weeks and hopefully joins the main group at some point next week.”

He is expected to return at the start of November. Meanwhile, Djed Spence picked up a groin strain before Saturday’s game against West Ham which ruled the defender out of the game.

Spence is currently being assessed over a return, but his issue is not expected to be serious. Postecoglu said after the West Ham match: “He picked up a bit of a groin strain in training. Hopefully, nothing too bad, but he missed out today.”

AZ Alkmaar injury news

Much like their opponents, AZ Alkmaar has a relatively fit squad going into Thursday’s match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They also have two absentees but they are undergoing longer-term injuries.

Goalkeeper Sam Westerweld is dealing with a meniscus injury that he suffered in May at the back end of last season. The 22-year-old isn’t expected to return soon so it will likely remain that 20-year-old Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro will remain the starter.

Furthermore, central midfielder Lewis Schouten also remains out as he has been unavailable since July when he suffered an unknown injury that has kept him side-lined for over 100 days. He is expected to miss out on Thursday’s game too.

Tottenham Hotspur star Dejan Kulusevski has been named in Harry Redknapp’s Premier League Team of the Week

Former Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United manager Harry Redknapp believes Dejan Kulusevski has been a “revelation” in his new-found role under Ange Postecoglou this campaign.

The former Juventus player has been used in a more central position by his Spurs boss this season. He has two goals and one assist in eight Premier League games this term, including a goal in the 3-0 win at Old Trafford last month. His latest goal came as he grabbed the equaliser against West Ham United on Saturday, with Tottenham going on to win the game 4-1 after a stunning second-half display.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Speaking at the conclusion of another action-packed round of Premier League action, Redknapp named Kulusevski in his team of the week. He said: “I always thought Dejan Kulusevski was a good player, but he’s gone up a level this season, he’s been a revelation in that central position! I think he’s been by far Spurs’ best player this season and he’s dragged them through games with his energy and quality in there. I don’t see many players in the league who are playing better than him right now.”

Up next for Spurs as a Europa League conference clash with AZ Alkmaar in North London before they face Crystal Palace in another London derby on Sunday. Earlier this season, Kulusevski revealed some changes to his mentality, along with his new position, were behind his upturn in form.

He said in September: “It has been the whole season. I really feel that I am stronger mentally and physically this season. I have changed the “mindset” a bit. I think that is to my advantage. I have grown off the pitch as well. The plan is to get better every day, and I feel that I am becoming that.”

On his position change, he continued: “This is my position. I grew a lot because now I can defend. Before, maybe, I didn't defend as much and that was why I didn't play in the midfield. But now, I'm growing as a player and I can play to my strengths. I'm the best in the middle, I can score goals, I can find good passes and I play with (James) Maddison, who is unbelievable with the ball. We have (Rodrigo) Bentancur who, when he plays like he did against United, is an unbelievable player. It looks offensive on paper but it’s working really well.”

Spurs boss Postecoglou feels he can get even more out of the player this season, as he challenged the Sweden international to add more goals and assists to his game. He said: "He's got this ability to get out of tight spaces and he's a really strong runner.

“He is relentless in his running capacity and he also has the quality. In that final third I still think we can get more goals out of him, more assists but he is constantly in those threatening areas and he's been outstanding for us all year. Today he had to show some other facets of the game, some defensive work as well which I thought he did well but I thought the whole team did well."