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According to GiveMeSport, Ange Postecoglou is keen on giving an opportunity to Luka Vuskovic and Ashley Phillips next season, and he is thus unlikely to enter the market for another defensive addition in January.

Tottenham’s defensive options

Postecoglou currently has three natural central defensive options at his disposal in Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dragusin, while Ben Davies has also shown that he is capable of doing a decent job in the heart of defence.

Some might wonder whether that is an area that Spurs might look to add reinforcements to in January, but that is unlikely to be the case according to GiveMeSport.

The outlet says that Postecoglou will only entertain signing a defender on loan as he wants Phillips and Vuskovic to eventually compete for a first-team place.

Postecoglou rates Vuskovic and Phillips

The Australian allegedly is ready to hand both young defenders opportunities to break into the first-team picture during the 2025-26 season.

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The 59-year-old reportedly feels that they can both get minutes and does not want to block their path by spending big on another defender.

Vuskovic is currently on loan with Jupiler Pro League side Westerlo while Phillips will spend the campaign with Championship outfit Stoke City.

Spurs Web Opinion

We do not know how true this report is but it does tie into how we have seen Ange operate so far.

The Australian evidently prefers working with younger players over experienced ones, as the former come with no baggage and will be able to implement his ideas without fear.

Tottenham Hotspur’s fifth-place finish in the Premier League last season was only enough to secure them a place in the Europa League this term, but there are better odds on there being five Champions League spots for English teams this year.

Law of UEFA averages

UEFA’s coefficient ranking system offers countries the chance to gain an extra spot in the Champions League based on how well that nation’s teams fare in European competitions throughout the season.

So, for example, if English teams were to make it out of the group stages and into the latter stages of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League in a season, there is a good chance the Premier League would end up with five places in the top continental competition for the following year.

That didn’t happen last year, though. Italy’s Serie A took top spot in the coefficient rankings by quite some distance, helped largely by Atalanta’s Europa League win.

Although the Premier League had the second-highest points haul, they were beaten to the extra qualification place by the Bundesliga, on account of the fact that England had eight teams in competitions while Germany had just seven, thus earning a higher average.

That meant that Aston Villa in fourth place was the final team to join the Champions League for the 2024/25 season, and Spurs in fifth were left to compete in the Europa League this season.

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The tables have turned this year

It’s all different this year, though, as England now have just seven teams in European competitions. Meanwhile, Germany and Italy have eight teams, making it harder for their respective leagues to rack up a strong average, unless they were to produce cup winners in each of the tournaments.

Spain also have seven teams in continental competitions, meaning the English teams taking part will need to ensure they go far in their respective competitions if the Premier League is to win the extra spot this year.

Spurs Web Opinion

None of this matters, for two reasons. First of all, Spurs are going to finish in the top four this year anyway, thus guaranteeing Champions League football for next season.

On top of that, we are going to win the Europa League, too, just to make it even more certain that we get into the Champions League. Simple!

Ian Wright believes that being without Declan Rice for the North London Derby is a huge blow for Arsenal, given the midfielder’s importance to the side.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal

The derby game after the international break has taken even more significance for Spurs and Arsenal after their results this weekend.

Ange Postecoglou’s men will be desperate to bounce back after falling to a defeat at St James’ Park, in a game they will feel they should have won.

Meanwhile, the Gunners will also want to get back to winning ways after being held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton.

Declan Rice red card sees him miss the derby

Mikel Arteta’s men will be without Rice for their trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the England international was sent off at the start of the second half against the Seagulls.

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Since Rice got two yellow cards instead of a straight red, the decision cannot be appealed, with the former West Ham thus having to sit out the big game against Spurs.

When asked about Arsenal being without their midfielder for their trip to N17, Wright told Premier League Productions (31/08/24 at 2:40 pm): “Yeah, it’s a big blow. I think it’s a big blow for us simply because he is so integral to everything that we are doing.

“If Declan (Rice) is on the pitch for the second half (against Brighton) then we would probably win that game. He is a big miss. I think you could see that in the way that we played in the second half. But to get a point is such a big point now.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Arsenal are certainly a weaker side without Rice but they still arguably go into the derby as favourites as they are expected to challenge for the title.

Postecoglou and the Tottenham players will be keen to win the fans over and prove that they can go toe-to-toe with one of the best sides in the league.

The Athletic reveal (using stats from Opta) that Tottenham Hotspur have been one of the most wasteful sides in front of goal across the Premier League so far this season.

How are Tottenham only on four points?

Ange Postecoglou will be scratching his head about how his side only have four points to show from their matches so far, having dominated all three.

The Athletic point out that Spurs took a whopping 48 shots in their first three games, which is the second-highest across the league.

The Lilywhites also have the second most shots on target and are joint second for shots from outside the penalty area.

Tottenham are shooting but not scoring

However, the outlet points out the quality of chances that Tottenham created at St James’ Park were quite low, with Postecoglou’s men only registering an xG of 1.3, with the average xG value of each shot being just 0.06.

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This is because 11 of Tottenham’s 20 goal attempts came from outside the box on Sunday.

Spurs Web Opinion

We might have only created a couple of big chances on Sunday but we did create many big opportunities, which we failed to convert into a chance.

For example, our low crosses inside the box that no one got on the end of do not register on xG since we never got a shot away but those were huge opportunities.

It is undoubtedly the lack of composure and ruthlessness in the final third that is letting Spurs down.

TBR Football have suggested that the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could emerge as a potential contender to host the 2027 Champions League final as the San Siro is expected to be dropped as the host stadium.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The move to the new stadium has certainly been a game-changer for Spurs in terms of revenue, with the 62,850-seater arena significantly boosting the club’s coffers.

TBR Football explain that the Lilywhites earned £118m in gross matchday revenue last season, which put them second to only Manchester United in that metric.

This number is further boosted by the fact that Spurs’ home ground is also hosting an increasing number of non-footballing events.

It has now emerged that Daniel Levy and co are setting their sights on the biggest game in the European football calendar.

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Could Spurs hold the Champions League Final?

TBR Football relay a report from Sportcal that says the San Siro is expected to be dropped as the venue for the 2027 Champions League final, and they then suggest that this could open the door for Spurs to host the match.

The publication adds that as the most modern 60,000-plus seater stadium in Europe, Tottenham remain poised and ready to step up to hold the marquee event.

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Plenty of clubs from around Europe would be keen to host the Champions League final, given the number of eyeballs on that game.

Getting the chance to do so would undoubtedly be huge for Spurs’ brand, particularly given that the stadium is still known by its generic name ‘Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Standard report that Ange Postecoglou is hopeful of having Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke back for the North London Derby in two weeks.

Tottenham missed two key players against Newcastle

Van de Ven and Solanke both missed the clash against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, with the latter also not available for the 4-0 win over Everton after being sidelined with an ankle injury.

Richarlison would have hoped to impress in Solanke’s absence but he too picked up an injury that ruled him out of the trip to the North East.

According to the Standard, Van de Ven only sat out the clash against the Magpies as a precaution, having trained before the game. This was because Postecoglou did not want to risk the Dutchman.

Even though the 23-year-old has pulled out of the Netherlands squad for the international break, he is expected to be fit for the big derby game.

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Solanke could be back for the North London Derby

The report adds that there is also hope at Hotspur Way that Solanke will fully recover in time for Arsenal’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, one player who might not make it is Richarlison, whose potential return date remains unknown at the moment. Meanwhile, Will Lankshear will be sidelined for another couple of weeks.

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Having Solanke and Van de Ven back will make us a much stronger side in both boxes, which will be needed against a really strong Arsenal side.

But one has to feel for Richarlison, who has had terrible luck with injuries since making the big-money move to Tottenham a little over two years ago.

Girona boss Michel is pleased with the impact that Bryan Gil has made since joining the club on loan, admitting that the La Liga club have been after the Tottenham man since last year.

Bryan Gil is thriving at Girona

After enduring a few difficult seasons at Spurs, where he struggled for game time under different managers, Gil now has an opportunity to get his career back on track at Girona.

What’s more, the winger now knows that he can seal a permanent move away from Hotspur Way next summer if he impresses at the Estadi Montilivi as a £15m release clause can be activated at the end of his loan spell (Paul O Keefe – Last Word on Spurs).

Gil has certainly made a bright start at the new club, delivering a Man of the Match performance in his debut against Real Betis (Mundo via Sport Witness) and following that up with a well-taken goal in Girona’s Osasuna 4-0 at home last week.

Girona wanted to sign Bryan Gil in 2023

The 23-year-old also played 89 minutes on Sunday on his return to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium as Girona emerged with a 2-0 win from Seville.

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Speaking after the game, Michel told Estadio Deportivo about the Spain international: “He’s a player that we were already talking about last year about the possibility of him helping us, this year he really wanted to come.

“You can see that he is very focused, and I have the feeling that he is very comfortable. So, we just ask that those physical data you have become numbers that have already made a goal, have made an assist and we want that to go further.”

Spurs Web Opinion

It is good to see Gil enjoying his football after a difficult few years at Spurs, with the winger never really getting a sustained run in the team at the North London club despite showing some glimpses of promise.

If he can play well enough to convince someone to pay £15m for him in the summer, it will be a win for all parties involved.

Dejan Kulusevski played a number of different roles in Tottenham’s defeat to Newcastle United at the weekend, but was unable to help his team get a positive result. The Swedish star has now discussed the disappointment of that game.

Spurs deserved more

Despite controlling the game for large portions of the meeting at St. James’ Park on Sunday afternoon, Tottenham were unable to convert their many chances and ended up being suckerpunched by a late Alexander Isak goal from a counter-attack.

The Lilywhites’ dominance, particularly in the second half, has left many fans frustrated that they didn’t get more from the game after wasting a number of good opportunities in front of goal.

Speaking to Football.London, Kulusevski has commented on the nature of the defeat and how his team feel about the poor result.

He said: “Very disappointed with the result. I thought the performance was good first half and even better in the second half, so very disappointed not to win the game but I think the team did very well and we’re on the right move.

“I thought we played really well and killed their energy in the arena and we were very calm with the ball, everyone showed that they wanted the ball. So it was a big test for us and I think we did very good and I think it is the right way. We’re on the right road to what we want to become.”

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Striker role for Kulusevski

With Dominic Solanke and Richarlison both out injured, Kulusevski was chosen to lead the line for Spurs in the first half, before dropping into the number 10 role in the second half.

Discussing the number of chances he and his teammates got in that game, Kulusevski said: “We had [chances] but I think the last passes were not perfect in too many circumstances or maybe a couple of shots that got blocked. Of course, we can be more dangerous.”

Kulusevski perhaps hinted at his favourite role at Tottenham in a later comment, stating that the Lilywhites dominated the game once he dropped into midfield and found more space.

And, on his role as a striker, he added: “It was different, of course it’s different. The second half I went back to the midfield where I had much more space and we dominated the game. It was a really good game and I feel very good but I’m not happy I couldn’t win the game but we move on and head up.”

Spurs Web Opinion

We definitely should have gotten something from that game. The finishing was poor, and the decision-making was even poorer. Players have got to be braver and get themselves in better positions for those balls across the box. Hopefully, Solanke and Richy would be making those runs.

UEFA have this evening confirmed the details surrounding the fixtures of Tottenham Hotspur’s UEFA Europa League group stage campaign.

Spurs are back in the Europa League for the first time since 2020-21 after missing out on Europe completely prior to Ange Postecoglou’s appointment.

The North Londoners learned of their opponents during yesterday’s draw which was held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

All 36 teams were manually drawn using physical balls and then a designated automated software was randomly draw eight opponents from Pots 1 to 4.

The traditional group stage has been replaced by a new opening league phase, with 36 teams playing eight matches – four at home and four away – with the top eight progressing directly through to the last 16 and the clubs that finish between ninth and 24th facing a two-legged knockout play-off round in the New Year. The teams that finish 25th or below will be eliminated from European competition altogether.

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Tottenham’s Europa League Group Stage Schedule

Thu 26 Sep – Qarabağ (H) – 8pm UK

Thu 3 Oct – Ferencváros (A) – 5.45pm UK

Thu 24 Oct – AZ Alkmaar (H) – 8pm UK

Thu 7 Nov – Galatasaray (A) – 5.45pm UK

Thu 28 Nov – Roma (H) – 8pm UK

Thu 12 Dec – Rangers (A) – 8pm UK

Thu 23 Jan – Hoffenheim (A) – 5.45pm UK

Thu 30 Jan – Elfsborg (H) – 8pm UK

This year’s final will take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the Estadio de San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain.

The winners gain a place in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, if they have not qualified via their domestic competition. They will also earn the right to play against the winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League in the 2025 UEFA Super Cup.

Birmingham City are believed to have seen a loan move for Alfie Devine collapse with a new update suggesting there remains plenty of interest in the midfielder who could still make a late move.

Devine’s move for Birmingham has fallen through

Last summer, Tottenham sent Alfie Devine on his first loan move since joining the club as a 15-year-old from Wigan Athletic. The promising midfielder performed so impressively at Port Vale that Spurs subsequently handed Devine a January loan move to Plymouth Argyle.

Devine made brief cameos in pre-season for Spurs, displaying flashes of the talent that was expected to earn him a loan to Birmingham City.

However, Football Insider reported on the morning of deadline day that Alfie Devine’s proposed loan deal to Birmingham City, managed by former Tottenham assistant coach, Chris Davies, had fallen through.

A loan move for Devine could still happen

Despite Devine’s loan deal to Birmingham collapsing on the final day of the window, Alasdair Gold on X has revealed that the highly-rated 20-year-old could still depart on loan with various sides interested.

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Gold explained that Tottenham initially told clubs that the plan was to keep Devine at the club this season, but that stance was changed earlier this month with a number of sides in Germany and across Europe believed to hold an interest in Tottenham’s young star.

Swansea City, Blackburn Rovers and Parma were just a handful of the sides revealed by Alasdair Gold to be chasing a loan deal for Devine, although time is ticking with the transfer window shutting in less than twenty-four hours.

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A loan deal for Devine should ideally be sorted after the midfielder proved last season that he is more than capable of performing in senior football after many years of impressing in Tottenham’s youth sides.

The key thing to any loan deal should be whether or not Devine will be given at least a chance with no Spurs fan wanting to see a mirror of Alejo Veliz’s disastrous loan to Sevilla last season where the Argentinian was hardly given a chance, even off the bench.