The Hard Tackle

Premier League heavyweights Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly enquired about 18-year-old Vasco da Gama attacking sensation Rayan Vitor Simplicio Rocha.

According to a report by Brazilian outlet Vascaino, Rayan Vitor Simplicio Rocha is the subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur. The North London giants are scouring the market for a versatile attacker. So, the 18-year-old Vasco da Gama attacking sensation has emerged as a target for the Premier League outfit.

The rise and rise of Rayan Vitor Simplicio Rocha

Rayan Vitor Simplicio Rocha, better known as Rayan, is the latest highly-rated prospect to rise in prominence in his homeland. A native of Rio de Janeiro, the South American wonderkid has spent his formative years in Brazil, progressing through the ranks at Vasco da Gama since joining the club as a six-year-old in 2012.

The 18-year-old broke into the first-team squad at Vasco da Gama last year and has been a regular for the club this season. The youngster has turned out 37 times thus far for Gigante da Colina while chipping in with three goals and one assist.

While Rayan’s output can improve, his exploits have not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several well-known clubs across Europe. Premier League outfits, in particular, have shown interest in the Brazilian attacking sensation, with Tottenham Hotspur among his prospective suitors.

London calling?

Tottenham Hotspur’s interest in Rayan Vitor Simplicio Rocha is understandable. The North London giants have reduced the squad’s average age under Ange Postecoglou as the Australian tactician looks to mould the group in his image. In addition, Tottenham will likely part ways with Richarlison next year.

Furthermore, Tottenham will unlikely complete a permanent move for Timo Werner in the 2025 summer transfer window, while a winter departure is also possible. So, the Premier League outfit should invest in a young attacker, with the Vasco da Gama attacking sensation emerging as a viable target. In addition, the South American wonderkid will be available for a cost-effective sum.

While Rayan’s contract with Vasco da Gama has a hefty release clause, the Brazilian club will be open to selling him for around €18 million. So, with Tottenham enquiring about the 18-year-old, it will be interesting to see if a deal worth €18 million for the youngster sees the light of day.

Tottenham Hotspur are expecting loan offers for their summer signing Archie Gray when the window reopens in January.

According to a report from GiveMeSport, Archie Gray could be subject to a lot of offers during the winter transfer window. The Tottenham summer signing has only had limited game time under Ange Postecoglou and multiple clubs could look to test Spurs’ resolve with loan offers when the transfer window reopens.

Gray became the talk of the town following an impressive campaign with Leeds United last time out. He made over 50 appearances and featured in his preferred midfield role as well as a right-back.

Tottenham were one of the clubs that closely monitored his progress and since Leeds failed to secure promotion to the top flight, the North London club managed to sign the 18-year-old wonderkid for just £30 million.

The English youth international is a huge prospect and he is quite highly rated by people at Spurs. But, the teenager hasn’t been able to get regular first-team action under Postecoglou.

So far he has featured in nine matches and has been on the pitch for less than 500 minutes. More importantly, he is yet to start a game in his preferred position. Gray finds himself behind Yves Bissouma in the pecking order and the lack of minutes has resulted in a lot of talk about his future.

Spurs could receive loan offers for Gray

Spurs consider him an important part of their long-term plans and his future is well secure with a £75,000-per-week contract that runs until the summer of 2030. But, he could be on the move in the near future as clubs are monitoring his situation at Tottenham and they could knock on their doors to sign him on loan.

The North London club are expecting admirers to test their resolve by submitting loan bids when the window reopens in January. Spurs are in a strong position when it comes to negotiations and a permanent move is off the table but they could sanction a temporary departure as it will help Gray get regular first-team action and continue his development. But, as things stand they do not seem to be open to a loan move for their teenage sensation.

Tottenham Hotspur will host Manchester City in the EFL Cup round of 16 on Wednesday night, looking to book their place in the next stage of the competition.

Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to end their wait for trophies this season, and the EFL will be one of their best opportunities to win Ange Postecoglou’s promised silverware as they get set to welcome Manchester City to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs are coming into this game on the back of a shock defeat against Crystal Palace this past weekend, and they will be desperate to announce back strongly. Postecoglou will expect a strong reaction from the players, and it will be interesting to see if they can step up and deliver.

Meanwhile, Manchester City are in impressive form right now, and they picked up a comfortable victory over Southampton on Saturday. The reigning Premier League champions will look to continue their recent run of form and grind out a positive result here.

Pep Guardiola’s will certainly fancy their chances of beating any team in the country, and that should be no different against Tottenham. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Tottenham Hotspur

Djed Spence and Son Heung-min are ruled out with groin and thigh injuries, respectively. Wilson Odobert will miss out with a thigh issue as well. Tottenham Hotspur are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Manchester City, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal.

Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will start as the full-backs, and they will look to keep things compact at the back and hit Manchester City on the break. Cristian Romero will start alongside Micky van de Ven at the heart of the defence.

Yves Bissouma will start alongside Pape Matar Sarr in the midfield double pivot. The two players will look to shield the back four and break up Manchester City attacks. James Maddison will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his side in the final third.

Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester City on Wednesday.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Richarlison; Solanke

Manchester City

Manchester City will be without newly-crowned Ballon d’Or winner Rodri because of an ACL injury. Kevin De Bruyne has a groin issue, Oscar Bobb is out with a leg injury, and Kyle Walker misses out due to a knee injury. Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku are ruled out with undisclosed problems as well.

Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Tottenham, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol will be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Manuel Akanji will start at the heart of the defence alongside Ruben Dias.

Ilkay Gundogan will start alongside John Stones in the midfield double pivot. The England international will look to protect the back four and break up the opposition attacks, while Gundogan will look to add creativity and control.

Phil Foden will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities with his passing and vision. Savinho and James McAtee should feature in the wide areas against Tottenham, with Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Gundogan, Stones; Savinho, Foden, McAtee; Haaland

Key Stats

Manchester City are unbeaten in four of their last six matches against Tottenham.

Tottenham have picked up four wins from the last six matches in all competitions.

Manchester City are unbeaten in their last six matches in all competitions.

Player to Watch

Erling Haaland

The Manchester City striker is our key player to watch out for. He has been in exceptional form this season, scoring 14 goals in all competitions. Haaland will look to get on the scoresheet here and send his side through to the next round. Spurs will have to be at their best defensively to grind out a win here and keep the Norwegian international quiet.

Prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Manchester City

Both teams are capable of picking up a win here, and this is likely to be a close contest. It will be difficult to separate the two teams, but Manchester City have more quality in the final third, and they should be able to edge out a positive result.

Pep Guardiola’s men have more depth in the squad, and they are likely to field a full-strength side here. A narrow win for the visitors is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Guardiola and his charges.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly likely to part ways with 28-year-old German international Timo Werner after the end of the 2024/25 season.

According to a report by Give Me Sport, Tottenham Hotspur will not sign Timo Werner permanently, and the 28-year-old has been quite underwhelming for them.

Werner is currently earning £200,000-a-week wages at Tottenham. However, his performances have been mediocre. He has not been a regular starter for the club as well. Tottenham are now looking to get him off their books, a winter exit has also been mooted.

It will be interesting to see if Spurs can find a way to terminate his loan deal in January. Werner has not been able to prove himself with the North London club, and he needs a fresh start. Leaving the Premier League would be ideal for him. His move at Chelsea did not work out in the past, and it seems that the transfer to Tottenham is not working out either.

It will be interesting to see where he ends up. He has proven himself in the Bundesliga, and perhaps a return to Germany would be ideal for him. The 28-year-old is a versatile attacker who is capable of slotting anywhere across the front three, and he will add goals and creativity to the side.

Werner could prove to be a quality acquisition for the right team. It remains to be seen whether he can find a suitable destination. The German international will look to sort out his long-term future and focus on his football once again. He Is unlikely to succeed at Spurs, and it will be interesting to see if both parties decide to go their separate ways when the transfer window reopens in January.

Spurs need a versatile attacker

Meanwhile, Tottenham are looking to sign a quality winger as well, and they are unlikely to be able to do so without offloading Werner first. The German international is one of the highest earners at the club at £200,000-a-week wages, and Tottenham simply cannot afford to have an underperformer on wages like that.

Tottenham have endured a mediocre start to the 2024/25 season so far, and they need the right additions in January to finish the campaign strongly. They must look to get rid of their fringe players as well.

AC Milan will reportedly look to sign 24-year-old Tottenham Hotspur mainstay Dejan Kulusevski next year, with the North London club valuing him at around €50 million.

According to a report by Italian outlet Juve Live, Dejan Kulusevski is the subject of interest from AC Milan. The Serie A giants are eager to reinforce their offensive department in the 2025 summer transfer window. The Tottenham Hotspur mainstay has thus emerged as a target, with the North London club demanding around €50 million to part ways with the Swedish attacker.

The Dejan Kulusevski story

Dejan Kulusevski has established himself as one of the best players in the Premier League since joining Tottenham Hotspur from Juventus. A native of Stockholm, the Swede spent most of his formative years in his homeland and graduated from the youth division at Atalanta.

The 24-year-old rose in prominence during his spell in Serie A, making his mark for Juventus. Tottenham signed Kulusevski on an initial loan deal in January 2022 and completed a permanent move in July 2023. The player has turned out over 100 times thus far for Tottenham while chipping in with 17 goals and 21 assists.

The Swedish international has reinvented his game under the tutelage of Ange Postecoglou and has excelled as a midfielder in the first few weeks of the 2024/25 season. Meanwhile, Kulusevski’s progress at Tottenham has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several high-profile clubs across Europe, including AC Milan.

Serie A return on the cards?

AC Milan’s interest in Dejan Kulusevski is understandable. The Serie A giants are keen on bolstering their offensive department in the 2025 summer transfer window amid uncertainties surrounding the long-term future of Rafael Leao. While the Portuguese international has been excellent thus far for the Rossoneri, they might lose him next year.

The Serie A giants hope to recoup around €100 million from Leao’s sale next year. Meanwhile, Kulusevski has emerged as a viable target to replace Leao at AC Milan next year. However, the Swedish international will not come cheap, with Tottenham Hotspur valuing him at around €50 million.

It is unclear if AC Milan will be open to coughing up €50 million to sign Kulusevski from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old Swede has emerged as a viable target for the Serie A giants.

Antoine Semenyo could land a new deal, according to Mick Brown, amid recent reports linking him to clubs like Tottenham.

According to Mick brown on Football Insider, Antoine Semenyo could be in line for a new deal at Bournemouth amid heavy interest from Premier League rivals. Tottenham are one of the sides eager to land the Ghanaian winger, which could see the Cherries offer him an improved deal to ward off suitors.

Antoine Semenyo has been linked to a move elsewhere in transfer stories after an impressive start to the new season. Before this term, Semenyo only had average performances, although the departure of Dominic Solanke has given the Ghanaian more importance in the team.

He has three goals and an assist this season, and talk of a move away in January has ramped up. Newcastle United are interested, while Tottenham are also keen, as both sides are looking at a wide attacker ahead of the next market.

Some reports have stated Bournemouth will demand a significant price point as they have the luxury to do so, considering Semenyo only signed a new deal back in the summer. Hence, for clubs to take him away, they will have to pay what’s necessary to move forward.

Considering the level of interest from big clubs, Bournemouth might be powerless to stop Semenyo from leaving. However, in light of the reported interest, Mick Brown has suggested that the Cherries might look to ward off suitors by offering Semenyo a bumper new deal, although he also strongly hinted that it could be a big strategy from the 24-year-old Premier League star’s agents.

Mick Brown said, “I’m told a lot of this talk is agent-led.” “They’re putting out the word to their client to drum up interest in his signature. That could land him a new deal at Bournemouth because it’s a two-way thing.”

“I know the club think highly of him and don’t want to see him leave so they could discuss a new contract to put off interest. But the agent will be saying that if they don’t offer a contract, there’s now interest from other clubs, so it’s a win-win situation for them.”

Does Tottenham hope to end with the Semenyo deal?

Semenyo might have signed a new deal back in the summer, which reportedly lets him pocket £50,000-a-week in wages, and he has five more years left on the agreement. A new contract to ward off suitors so soon might be fantasy talk, although it remains a possibility, which would undoubtedly kill all reports linking Semenyo with a move away.

Crystal Palace will host Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on Sunday, desperately looking to pick up their first win of the season.

Crystal Palace are on a losing streak, and they will need to raise their performance levels to grind out of victory when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

On the other hand, Tottenham are coming into this game on the back of five wins from the last six matches in all competitions. Spurs will be reasonably confident of grinding out a good result here. They will be desperate to finish in the top four and win a trophy this season. They must win these games to secure Champions League qualification.

Tottenham have won their last five matches against Crystal Palace in all competitions, and they should be able to get the job done here as well. The home team are currently struggling, and they are completely devoid of form and confidence. Tottenham should be able to pile further misery on them.

Team News & Tactics

Crystal Palace

The Eagles will be without Chadi Riad due to a knee injury. Chris Richards is out with a thigh injury, Cheick Doucoure has an ankle issue, Matheus Franca is out with a groin injury, and Rob Holding is indefinitely unavailable.

Crystal Palace will shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation against Tottenham Hotspur, and Dean Henderson will start in goal for Crystal Palace. In the back three, Trevoh Chalobah will start alongside Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi.

Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will start as the wing-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Spurs on the counter. Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada will add defensive cover and creativity to the side in the middle of the park. Eberechi Eze will add creativity and goals to the side from the central areas. Jean-Philippe Mateta will lead the line for the Eagles alongside Eddie Nketiah.

Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Henderson; Chalobah, Guehi, Lacroix; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Eze; Mateta, Nketiah

Tottenham Hotspur

Djed Spence is unavailable because of a groin injury here, while Son Heung-min misses out with a thigh injury. Tottenham Hotspur are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal.

Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will start as the full-backs, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Cristian Romero will start alongside Micky van de Ven at the heart of the defence.

Yves Bissouma is likely to start alongside Pape Matar Sarr in the midfield pivot. The two players will look to protect the back four and break up opposition attacks. James Maddison will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to create chances for his side in the final third with his passing and vision.

Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Tottenham Hotpsur against Crystal Palace.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Odobert; Solanke

Key Stats

Tottenham have won their last five matches against Crystal Palace in all competitions.

Tottenham are unbeaten in five of their last six matches in all competitions.

Crystal Palace are winless in five of their last six matches in all competitions.

Crystal Palace have failed to score against Tottenham in three of the last five meetings.

Player to Watch

Dejan Kulusevski

Embed from Getty Images

The Tottenham attacking midfielder is our key player to watch out for. He has been a revelation for the North London club ever since his change of position. Kulusevski has helped create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates from the central areas, and his technical ability and vision will be crucial for the away side as they look to break down the home team. The Swedish international will look to add goals and creativity in the final third.

Prediction

Crystal Palace 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Crystal Palace will look to bounce back strongly and pick up their first win of the season. They will look to make life difficult for the away side, but Tottenham are in better form and they have the confidence and momentum with them.

The North London club will look to grind out a positive result away from home. This is likely to be a close contest, but the visitors have enough quality to find a way past the Crystal Palace resistance. An away win is on the cards here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Ange Postecoglou and his charges.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro has been linked with a move away from the North London club and Manchester City are reportedly on him.

The 24-year-old right-back has been a key player for Tottenham and his performances have attracted the attention of the defending champions. However, former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes that the North London club will do everything in their power to keep him at the club.

“[I] Wouldn’t like to see it from a Tottenham point of view,” Robinson told Football Insider.

“He’s certainly one that is on the radar for Manchester City.

“From Tottenham’s point of view, they are fighting tooth and nail to keep him.

“If they want to be competing in those Champions League places, you need players like that and you certainly don’t need to be selling, I’m going to say, to ‘rivals’.

“Now Tottenham aren’t really title contenders are they? So they’re not really a direct rival, but actually a player like Poro would fit into that Manchester City team.

“When he plays in that hybrid role, he’s a player who often finds himself isolated up the pitch, high up the pitch, but his quality lies in the final third with his delivery, with his visions, with his passes.

“And he’s got great delivery as well and he’s not afraid to shoot.

“He’s definitely a player that you could see working in that Pep Guardiola system, as much as that pains me to say it.”

Real Madrid are keen on the Spanish international as well, and it will be interesting to see if can get a deal across the line. They are hoping to bring in a quality long-term replacement for Dani Carvajal. As for Manchester City, they are looking for a quality replacement for Kyle Walker. Both players are in the twilight stages of their careers and they will need to be replaced adequately.

The Spanish defender could be attracted to the idea of joining clubs like Real Madrid or Manchester City. They will be able to provide him with the platform to push for major trophies in the coming seasons.

Tottenham must keep their best players

Tottenham will be hoping to compete in the UEFA Champions League regularly and they will look to win a trophy as well. They must hold onto their best players in order for that to happen.

The defender has a contract with Tottenham until 2028, and he is unlikely to be a cheap acquisition. Any club hoping to sign him will have to pay well over the odds.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has a reputation for being a difficult negotiator and the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid will struggle to reach an agreement with the English club. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops.

Radu Dragusin’s agent, Florin Manea, insists the defender is not keen to leave Tottenham amid links to Serie A leaders Napoli.

Radu Dragusin was a big-name arrival last January for Tottenham, but there are concerns about whether he will be able to fulfil his talent here in north London. Since his arrival, Ange Postecoglou has mainly selected the Romanian as a cover player for one of Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero.

The duo remain Postecoglou’s primary central defensive pairing, and that is not about to change unless either suffers an unfortunate injury or suspension. Dragusin has seen an odd game from the starting eleven, while most of his appearances have come off the bench.

There were reports that he was considering an exit in the summer, but those stories ended up being nothing. Dragusin remains one of Postecoglou’s trusted defenders, although he is finding it difficult to break into the starting eleven.

Another recent story speculated that Tottenham might consider offering him to Inter Milan for their defender Yann Bisseck. Then, taking into account the fresh links to Napoli, his agent, Florin Manea via Calcio Napoli 24, has quashed rumours about a potential move to join Antonio Conte’s side. Instead, he reiterated his client’s stance and insisted Dragusin was happy at Spurs.

“I haven’t spoken to anyone in months, 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 so many teams are following him, but I’ve also told the others who have called me that – as of today – we’re not interested.

“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’ll play and we’ll evaluate. At this moment it’s premature to think about a transfer.”

“In football there are always so many possibilities, it changes from one moment to the next. Conte is an important coach, Napoli is a great team, but we are happy in the Premier League. Radu, at the moment, is not interested in moving. I don’t even think that Tottenham would let him go easily, let’s remember that they paid €30 million for him and if they let him go – in any case, they would have to buy another defender. “

Those comments are an early indicator that Dragusin is willing to fight for his place and not looking at the easiest way out of the club. Napoli are an important club in the context of this season, as joining them would potentially give the defender a shot at the Serie A title challenge.

However, Dragusin wants to explore the Premier League level further, which would see him stay at Tottenham. Moreover, he will be on wages that Napoli may not want to pay at the moment, and as his agent suggested, Spurs may have to find a new defender as his replacement, which will be a huge task and an unwanted distraction in their plans for the current season.

Tottenham Hotspur will host AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, looking to continue their impressive run of form in the European competition.

Tottenham Hotspur have picked up two victories in the UEFA Europa League so far, and they will be confident of grinding out another positive result when they host AZ Alkmaar at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Dutch outfit are coming into this game on the back of a win and a defeat from their two games in the European competition. It will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly and pull off an upset upset here.

On current form, Tottenham are certainly the favourites. They have picked up five runs from the last six matches in all competitions. On the other hand, AZ Alkmaar are coming into this contest on the back of four consecutive defeats in all competitions.

The Cheeseheads will have to raise their performance levels massively, and they will need a slice of luck to grind out all three points. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham will be without Wilson Odobert, who is ruled out with a hamstring injury. Son Heung-min missed training today, and he is a major doubt as well. Spurs are likely to rotate their squad ahead of a packed schedule. They are expected to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Fraser Forster in goal.

Archie Gray and Djed Spence are likely to be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at the back and create goalscoring opportunities going forward as well. Radu Dragusin will start at the heart of the defence defence alongside Ben Davies.

As for the midfield unit, Rodrigo Bentancur will start alongside Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall. The Uruguayan international will add defensive cover and drive to the side. Sarr will look to protect the back four and break down opposition attacks. Bergvall will add creativity to the side. Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Tottenham here, with Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner on either side of him.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Forster; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Spence; Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall; Johnson, Solanke, Werner

AZ Alkmaar

The visitors are without Bruno Martins Indi, Mees de Wit and Lequincio Zeefuik. AZ Alkmaar are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Tottenham, with Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro in goal.

Seiya Maikuma and David Moller Wolfe will start as the full-backs. They will look to protect their side defensively and hit Spurs on the break. Alexandre Penetra and Maxim Dekker will start as the central defenders.

Peer Koopmeiners and Jordy Clasie will start in the midfield pivot, and they will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Sven Mijnans will be deployed in the number ten role, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates in the final third with his passing and vision.

Ibrahim Sadiq and Ruben van Bommel will start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair from the flanks. Troy Parrott will lead the line against his former side.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Owusu-Oduro; Maikuma, Penetra, Dekker, Wolfe; Koopmeiners, Clasie; Sadiq, Mijnans, Van Bommel; Parrott

Key Stats

AZ Alkmaar have lost their last four matches in all competitions.

AZ Alkmaar have conceded four goals in the last two Europa League games.

Tottenham have picked up five wins from six matches in all competitions.

Tottenham have scored five goals in two Europa League games.

Tottenham have scored 17 goals in their last six outings.

Player to Watch

Dominic Solanke

Embed from Getty Images

The Tottenham striker is our key player to watch out for. He will look to build his confidence and add to his goal tally here. AZ Alkmaar have been quite poor recently, and the Tottenham striker will fancy his chances of getting on the score sheet. He could cause all sorts of problems for the defence with his physicality, link-up play, aerial prowess, and goalscoring ability.

Prediction

Tottenham 2-0 AZ Alkmaar

Tottenham are the better team here and they should be able to grind out all three points. They are in much better form compared to the opposition. They have the confidence and the momentum with them. They should be able to pick up a comfort victory at home. Meanwhile, the away side are completely devoid of form right now. They are struggling and Tottenham are likely to pile further misery on them.