3 Added Minutes

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

The latest Tottenham Hotspur injury news ahead of matches against Fulham and Roma.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur may have just earned one of their most impressive wins in recent memory with a 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City at the Etihad, but with two important home matches coming up this week, a recent spate of injuries remains a serious concern.

AS Roma are the visitors in the Europa League on Thursday while Fulham make the short trip across the capital at the weekend for Spurs’ next Premier League match, and Ange Postecoglou will once again be forced to make do without several key players – and will be left sweating on the fitness of centre-half Cristian Romero.

We’ve collected all of the latest injury news and updates for Tottenham below, along with the stricken players’ expected return dates when available.

Cristian Romero

The Argentine centre-back missed the big win in Manchester thanks to an ankle injury sustained on international duty – Romero was forced to leave the field early against Peru due to the swelling.

Ahead of Saturday’s win, Postecoglou confirmed that Romero would be unavailable but added that he would “hopefully” be back for the following weeks matches. He remains a significant doubt for both games, especially the European tie against Roma.

Micky van de Ven

Romero’s centre-back partner has missed the last three Premier League matches with a more serious hamstring issue, and won’t be involved this week as a result. He is back in light training but Postecoglou told the media on Friday that he would be out for “a good couple of weeks” and that it was hoped that he would be match fit again by mid-December. That means the Dutchman will likely be unavailable for at least four more games.

Richarlison

The Brazilian forward has endured an injury-ravaged campaign, and has only been able to start one game all season courtesy of multiple serious injuries – and while some reports had suggested that he could return in December, it now looks likely that he will have to wait longer to contribute, with Postecoglou saying that he would be “back in the New Year”. No more specific date is available, but the Australian head coach suggested that Spurs would take his return to first-team action slowly to avoid further problems.

Wilson Odobert

The former Burnley man hasn’t had an ideal start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – immediately after coming back from a hamstring injury sustained in September, Odobert suffered a recurrence which has required surgery. The procedure took place on 15 November and he is currently being monitored by the medical team. No return date has yet been set, and he is expected to miss significant time.

Mikey Moore

The young winger has had an impressive impact in his handful of appearances this season and may well feature against Roma if he can recover in time from the illness which kept him out of the game against Manchester City. Apparently he has been “hit pretty badly” by a virus, and while he is “back in the building” he remains a major doubt for this week’s fixtures, with Postecoglou emphasising that the club would “take our time” with his recovery.

Rodrigo Bentancur & Will Lankshear

Although not injured, both players will miss time this week – Lankshear is suspended for the Europa League game against Roma having been sent off in the previous fixture against Galatasaray, while Bentancur has served one match of a seven-game ban for the use of a racial slur. The club are appealing the severity of the ban. He will be available for the European match against Roma, however, as the ban only applies to FA competitions.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham head to the Etihad this weekend with their backs against the wall and needing a response.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Inconsistency has been a real issue for Tottenham Hotspur, and it's frustrating because when they are good, they are very good. The Lilywhites have somehow managed to lose to the likes of Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town, but have also beaten top teams like Manchester United and Aston Villa.

Last season, at this same stage, they were sitting second in the league table. Although their campaign eventually faltered due to injuries and players fading in form, no club has scored more goals than Ange Postecoglou's team this season - yet they find themselves in 10th place in the league table. They are as excellent as they have been poor. Now, Ange Postecoglou must find a way to get the team to produce one of its best performances. Ahead of the game, here is the line-up we anticipate he will choose.

Goalkeepers and Defenders

Guglielmo Vicario has returned from international duty and will need to be at his best to keep Manchester City from scoring. He has the ability, and the defense is likely to feature Cristian Romero, who, despite picking up a knock while on international duty, will be paired with Radu Drăgușin. It may come too soon for Mickey van de Ven, while the left-back position will likely go to the promising young Destiny Udogie, and Pedro Porro will keep his spot at right-back.

Midfield

This is where it gets tricky. Only one player is a certainty in the midfield, and that is Dejan Kulusevski, who has been by far Tottenham's best player this season. Beyond that, it’s difficult to predict. Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended, so he is out of the equation. This opens the door for Yves Bissouma, who will likely be supported by the energetic Senegalese youngster Pape Sarr.This is the midfield I think will give Postecoglou the best chance to win the game.

Forward

This is where the damage will be done. Brennan Johnson deserves his spot in the team, given his form this season. His pace and legs will be valuable, while captain Son Heung-min is always a threat against Manchester City. He will join Dominic Solanke, who is expected to lead the attack.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham head to the Etihad this weekend with their backs against the wall and needing a response.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Inconsistency has been a real issue for Tottenham Hotspur, and it's frustrating because when they are good, they are very good. The Lilywhites have somehow managed to lose to the likes of Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town, but have also beaten top teams like Manchester United and Aston Villa.

Last season, at this same stage, they were sitting second in the league table. Although their campaign eventually faltered due to injuries and players fading in form, no club has scored more goals than Ange Postecoglou's team this season - yet they find themselves in 10th place in the league table. They are as excellent as they have been poor. Now, Ange Postecoglou must find a way to get the team to produce one of its best performances. Ahead of the game, here is the line-up we anticipate he will choose.

Goalkeepers and Defenders

Guglielmo Vicario has returned from international duty and will need to be at his best to keep Manchester City from scoring. He has the ability, and the defense is likely to feature Cristian Romero, who, despite picking up a knock while on international duty, will be paired with Radu Drăgușin. It may come too soon for Mickey van de Ven, while the left-back position will likely go to the promising young Destiny Udogie, and Pedro Porro will keep his spot at right-back.

Midfield

This is where it gets tricky. Only one player is a certainty in the midfield, and that is Dejan Kulusevski, who has been by far Tottenham's best player this season. Beyond that, it’s difficult to predict. Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended, so he is out of the equation. This opens the door for Yves Bissouma, who will likely be supported by the energetic Senegalese youngster Pape Sarr.This is the midfield I think will give Postecoglou the best chance to win the game.

Forward

This is where the damage will be done. Brennan Johnson deserves his spot in the team, given his form this season. His pace and legs will be valuable, while captain Son Heung-min is always a threat against Manchester City. He will join Dominic Solanke, who is expected to lead the attack.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

The latest Premier League transfer rumours, with news from Liverpool, Spurs, Manchester City and more.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

It’s time for Thursday’s round-up of the biggest and wildest Premier League transfer rumours currently doing the rounds - we’ve got some news for Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Fulham and West Ham United fans to come, but we’re going to start things off with a report which suggests that Liverpool might be closer to a huge transfer deal than we previously thought.

There’s nothing new in a story connecting the Reds with a bid for Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, of course, but a new story from Football Transfers hints that a deal could be more advanced than we appreciated, with officials from the two clubs allegedly set to meet next Wednesday ahead of the Champions League match between the sides.

Apparently, Liverpool are “close” to a deal for the midfielder, whose Real future has been the subject of constant speculation as Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t see him as a starter at present. As a result, Liverpool “plan to sign him in the new year”, although whether we’re talking about January or the summer remains to be seen.

The 3AM Verdict: This seems to be a bit of second-hand gossip rather than a story with much to back it up, so we’re sceptical that any negotiations are as advanced as this story implies, but the transfer in general seems very plausible at this point – although we suspect that a summer deal is more likely than a January move. Quite a few outlets have been covering this rumour lately, and we’re definitely at the ‘no smoke without fire’ stage.

Spurs among suitors for Spanish starlet

On to another story connecting Premier League clubs with a move for a La Liga player now – Sport Witness cite Spanish outlet Super Deporte when they report that Spurs, Manchester City and Liverpool are all following the development of Real Valladolid’s 21-year-old winger Raúl Moro.

Apparently Moro, who has three goals in 13 games so far this season, would be available for around €10m (£8.3m), which sounds like a bit of a bargain. The plan for any of the teams chasing his signature would likely be to loan him out after buying him to help him get some game time.

The 3AM Verdict: This does sound like a bargain – Moro has been inconsistent so far and his decision-making needs some polishing, but there’s definitely talent there. We do wonder if he’s quite up Manchester City and Liverpool’s standards, but with Spurs looking for a long-term replacement for Son Heung-Min, an argument could be made that he should be on their radar.

Clubs queue up for Man City star

For our last story today, we’ll look at a report which has Manchester City youngster and England Under-21 star James McAtee moving on, with minutes hard to come by under Pep Guardiola. According to Caught Offside, Fulham and West Ham are among the clubs exploring a move – but they’re certainly not alone.

No fewer than ten other clubs are namechecked in the story, ranging from Premier League teams to Celtic and Leeds United all the way over to European sides like Lille and Girona. In other words, McAtee should have no shortage of options – and a fee of around £20m should seal the deal.

The 3AM Verdict: Given how well Cole Palmer and Liam Delap are faring after leaving Manchester City, we’d expect a lot of teams to want to make this deal happen, and we don’t disbelieve any aspect of this story. As for exactly where he’ll wind up, and whether he moves in January or waits until the summer, we wouldn’t care to guess. The odds are we’d only get it wrong...

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham have some really important players out with injury ahead of the trip to the Etihad.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

It all comes down to how Tottenham Hotspur perform at the Etihad Stadium this weekend, with pressure mounting on manager Ange Postecoglou following the surprise home defeat to Ipswich Town before the international break.

The games are coming thick and fast now, and there are no excuses with the cold weather setting in. The manager will need to respond in grand style. Spurs have scored more goals than anyone else in the league, but they are 10th, which tells you everything you need to know. One of the biggest challenges for Postecoglou so far has been changing the mentality of the team. However, he will be hoping to recover some key players before they face a Manchester City side who are also without a win in their last four games.

Below is the list of injured players and their potential return dates:

Cristian Romero

He was forced off while playing for his country, and reports from Argentina suggest it's a foot injury. Romero has dealt with similar issues in the past, but Postecoglou will be hoping the withdrawal was a precautionary measure rather than something more serious.

Potential return date: Unknown

It has been an injury-hit campaign for Richarlison so far. He sustained another knock when setting up Dominic Solanke’s second goal against Aston Villa, shortly after coming on as a substitute. Addressing the latest setback on social media, he wrote: “It’s a difficult moment, again. I was very happy working hard and playing, but now I am injured again. It’s difficult to say what I’m feeling right now, just pray for me… I hope God will protect me.”

Potential return date: December 2024

Wilson Odobert

The 19-year-old was forced to undergo surgery, and Spurs confirmed that he has had the procedure. It’s still too early to say when he will return, but he is certainly ruled out for this weekend's game and the one after that.

Potential return date: Unknown

Micky van de Ven

The speedy defender last played against Manchester City in the League Cup and was impressive before picking up another hamstring injury. Since then, Spurs have been inconsistent, showing flashes of quality but struggling to dominate lesser teams. It's still unclear if Van de Ven will be fit for the trip to Manchester City, but he’s getting closer to a return.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

The 3AddedMinutes take on the latest transfer speculation from the Premier League and beyond.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Spanish giants Real Madrid have reportedly put two Premier League stars on their wish-list as they look to replace club legend Dani Carvajal.

The 32-year-old has spent the last 11 years with Real and has won an incredible 26 major honours during that time including six Champions League Finals wins, four La Liga titles, two Copa Del Rey Final wins and five FIFA Club World Cups. However, the veteran full-back is set to be out of action until next season after suffering an ACL and LCL injury in a game against Villarreal last month. Real have extended Carvajal’s contract by an additional year but are also said to be considering a long-term replacement.

Spanish news outlet Fichajes have claimed Tottenham Hotspur star Pedro Porro and Liverpool wing-back Trent Alexander Arnold are both on Real’s list of targets - although it is the latter that is their ‘preference’ as he prepares to enter the final months of his deal at Anfield.

The 3AM Verdict: “Both Porro and Alexander Arnold can be viewed as two of the very best right-backs in the Premier League and across Europe. Given the latter’s current contract situation, it would be no surprise if the financial aspect of the led Real to make a move for the England international ahead of Porro.”

Villa consider shock move for former Leeds United man

Aston Villa are reportedly keen to add to their squad during the January transfer window and have already identified their defence as a main area of priority.

Despite Tyrone Mings now being back in contention after a long-term injury, Unai Emery is considering his options as he looks to build on the progress of qualifying for the Champions League last season. Football Insider have claimed Villa are ready to make a move for a former Leeds United star that is now plying his trade in La Liga after securing a summer move away from Elland Road. Spanish defender Diego Llorente joined Real Betis in the close-season after struggling to make an impact at Leeds and is now said to be on Villa’s radar after impressing during the early months of his time at the Estadio Benito Villamarin.

The 3AM Verdict: “It would be something of a surprise to see Llorente back in England after he really struggled to shine with Leeds. However, Unai Emery is getting the best out of a number of players within his squad and it would be no shock to see him do similar with the defender if he was to make a move in January.”

Hammers star could be ‘difficult to keep’

Former Republic of Ireland international Tony Cascarino has named a number of Premier League players he feels could be in line for big money moves over the coming months - and his comments are sure to annoy supporters of Fulham, Brentford, Bournemouth and West Ham United.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Millwall striker suggested Antoine Semenyo and Bryan Mbeumo could leave Bournemouth and Brentford respectively after the in-form forward duo were linked with moves to the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Newcastle United in recent weeks. However, Cascarino turned his focus towards one of West Ham’s key figures as he said: “I’d also add in Kudus at West Ham. He’s signed a long contract but there are clubs who’d pay really good money for him. Antonee Robinson at Fulham is another.”

The 3AM Verdict: “In Cascarino’s defence, the four players he mentions have been strongly linked with moves away from their current clubs in recent weeks. However, West Ham will be absolutely determined to retain the services of Kudus, who continues to be one of their main hopes in what has already been a challenging season.”

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham are at crossroads and need to decide if they will stick or twist.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur are currently 10th in the Premier League table. For a traditional ‘big six’ club, tenth position after 11 games would usually put any coach under fire, but Ange Postecoglou always seems relaxed - well, until you see his interviews.

The Australian is so focused on implementing his brand of attacking football that he seems less concerned with the results needed to make Spurs a top-four contender. Despite having scored 23 goals, currently the most in the league, Spurs are not competing among the title chasers, nor are they currently even occupying a Europa Conference League qualification spot.

The problem isn’t even the defence, which has conceded 13 goals, equal to second-placed Manchester City and third-placed Chelsea. The issue lies in knowing how to win games that are there for the taking - a ruthless quality Postecoglou seems to lack. He approaches every team the same, expecting them to go toe-to-toe with Spurs, only to be surprised by teams who understand their strengths and set up defensively to capitalise on Spurs’ mistakes.

It’s no surprise that Spurs were able to humble Aston Villa and West Ham United, teams that consider themselves peers, with 4-1 wins, but then drew against struggling Leicester City and lost to Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town.

Postecoglou should recognise that struggling teams don’t mind conceding possession. They’ll allow you to attack, hoping you’ll over-commit and make mistakes that they can exploit.

If the Spurs boss insists on doggedly sticking to his principles and playing the same way against all teams, then he needs ruthless, clinical forwards who can score early and force these defensive teams to open up. You can’t play like a Hansi Flick side without burying teams early in the game. If Postecoglou wants to stick to his style, he’ll need to invest in more reliable attacking options. Injuries to Son, the team’s most efficient forward, have meant he’s struggling to hit top form. Brennan Johnson is good but not clinical enough, and Dominic Solanke can score but generally needs several chances to finally convert.

Postecoglou needs to go shopping for one or two assassin-like forwards who can get get the job done at the first time of asking. He might not get the financial backing to overhaul the entire forward line this winter, but at least one new signing is essential. You can’t have an ultra-attacking team and be content with a centre forward who has scored just four goals after 11 weeks of league play.

Victor Gyokeres would be an ideal purchase, but convincing him to choose Spurs over a potential move to Manchester United under his former Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim will be challenging. Spurs should also try for Victor Osimhen, who will have something to prove after Chelsea’s lukewarm pursuit of him. Napoli have a clause in his loan deal to Galatasaray that allows them to recall him and sell.

Osimhen has already shown Spurs how ruthless he can be, scoring twice against Fraser Forster in their Europa League defeat at Istanbul. Chelsea’s flirtation with him, only to leave his future hanging in the balance at the last minute, could serve as extra motivation for Osimhen to prove himself in the Premier League.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham have been inconsistent at best this season but they could land a proven Premier League star.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham go into the international break with yet another puzzle to solve. From a position of growth, they have managed to mess it up. Once just three points away from third place, if they had won against an Ipswich side without a victory all season up until that point, they would have been in a strong position. Instead, they find themselves 10th in the league table, with more questions than answers.

Ange Postecoglou‘s side have won only two of their last five games, which has led to calls for him to be sacked from a section of the fan base on social media. But it’s not just online where the unrest is growing - the boos at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium rang out at the end of each half.

However, they could, rather spectacularly, try to rescue the situation with the signing of Jack Grealish, who has suddenly fallen out of favour at Manchester City and looks like he could benefit from a fresh start elsewhere.

According to a report from Football Insider, the Lilywhites are keen to add quality and experience to their attack, and Grealish’s ball-carrying abilities are seen as a key addition to the squad. There is a feeling at the club that they need to bring in a player capable of slowing down the game, with Grealish’s ability to draw fouls and drag the team forward being a valuable asset.

Grealish was considered one of the best players in the Premier League before his move to Manchester City. He had the unique ability to bring others into play and had that "X factor" which makes players very attractive to watch. However, at City, he’s been inconsistent. But Tottenham could be the place where it all comes together for him. Spurs are crying out for a genuinely creative player with the ability to win games on his own, and even though the last few years have been tough for Grealish, there’s no denying that he could be an absolute gem for Spurs.

This has been a frustrating season for Tottenham. There are games where they look like they are going places, but then they fail to build on those performances and end up throwing it all away. The defeats to Ipswich and Crystal Palace have been particularly painful, especially given that both teams had not won a league game all season, only for Postecoglou's side to hand them their first wins.

Postecoglou still has the backing of a large section of the fans, but that support is rapidly dwindling given how the season has started. However, if he can convince Daniel Levy to act on a move for Grealish, there could be an exciting development in which Spurs suddenly have a proven English international with the ability to win games again.

For Grealish, there comes a time when a player has to accept that they might not be able to return to the level they once achieved at a particular club. Having won the Champions League and multiple league titles, a move to London with a point to prove could be the energy he needs to take his career to the next level.

A player of Grealish’s calibre should be playing week in, week out - just look at Cole Palmer at Chelsea. Signing Grealish would be a statement transfer, and unleashing him in Postecoglu’s bold style of football could finally see him return to his dazzling best.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Tottenham Hotspur are playing well but losing games anyway - but this time, the problem might not be ‘Spursiness’ at all, but a specific player...

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Getting a handle on Tottenham Hotspur hasn’t been easy this season. How can a side take Manchester United to pieces at Old Trafford and then blow a comfortable 2-0 lead to Brighton just a week later? How can a side thrash West Ham with ease, only to immediately hand Crystal Palace a first win of the campaign?

It’s easy to dismiss this inconsistency as archetypally ‘Spursy’. The same old psychological issues, the same tendency to crumble under pressure, the same failure to turn stylish football into tangible results. We’ve seen it all before, after all, and this season’s performances fit the narrative nice and neatly.

Perhaps as a consequence, there hasn’t been much analysis of the root causes of the up-and-down results that we’ve seen under Ange Postecoglou since the summer. But I wanted to dig deeper after doing a deep dive on some stats which suggested that Spurs should be doing rather better than they are.

Coming into Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa (a top four contender actually in the top four, rather than five points and four places beneath it), Tottenham are currently second in the league for volume of possession, completed passes, total shots and expected goals – Manchester City alone edge them out on all four metrics. Only three teams have conceded fewer goals and only four allowed fewer expected goals against them.

They have made the second most tackles (behind Manchester United) and have the third-highest percentage of successful tackles (after United and Everton). They have dribbled the ball further than any team except for City. Wherever you look, the numbers suggest that Spurs have been playing like a top four side – perhaps even a title contender. So what gives?

Most Premier League supporters would probably shrug and say that it’s just the same old Spurs, and certainly you can peg a few of their more disappointing results as the consequences of mental failings. The 2-1 loss to Newcastle United, a game they controlled for large periods. The 3-2 defeat to Brighton, which bore all the hallmarks of a complete collapse. But how fair is that portrayal?

I went back and watched all 10 goals that Spurs have shipped this season, looking for patterns, for tactical errors that crop up repeatedly. In truth, it wasn’t immediately easy to find one. There are a few goals from low crosses, but nothing to suggest a systemic issue in that department. Last season, it was often set pieces that proved to be the problem, but only Gabriel’s winning goal in the North London derby came direct from a corner or free-kick. It was only when watching Danny Welbeck’s winner at the Amex Stadium back that I spotted a common denominator at last – Cristian Romero.

The 26-year-old Argentine has been outstanding since joining Spurs back in 2021, but this season he has been at fault far too often. It was Romero who lost concentration and allowed Welbeck to saunter in behind him to meet the cross for that third goal in Sussex. Romero who made an unconvincing effort to intercept a cross against Crystal Palace, got in the way of his own man and nowhere near the ball, and allowed Jean-Philippe Mateta the space to score. Romero who lost Gabriel from that corner at the Emirates.

Depending on how harsh of a judge you wish to be, Romero can fairly be said to have been directly culpable for between four and six of the 10 goals that Spurs have shipped – whether it’s walking back towards the box and failing to notice Harvey Barnes’ late run for Newcastle’s opener at St. James’ Park, or missing a tackle he went for on Kaoru Mitoma just ahead of Brighton’s equalising goal.

The strange thing is that Romero has, as a whole, actually not played badly. In general, his play has been just fine. He’s even been making more tackles and forcing more turnovers than he has in previous seasons, and the statistics, taken out of the context of specific mistakes, would suggest that he’s improving in line with a high-class player entering his peak years.

Perhaps Romero has simply been rather unlucky – maybe he has made no more mistakes than any other defender, but they are being punished disproportionately. Perhaps this is just a blip and normal, more reliable service will resume from this weekend forward. But the inescapable fact is that Spurs have conceded more goals than they should have, and Romero is the primary reason. The mistakes have been costly, too, coming in games decided by the odd goal.

That isn’t to say that Romero deserves the entirety of the blame for Spurs’ middling and uncertain start to the season, of course, and equally he has had plenty of interventions which have helped to prevent goals. There are issues going forward, too, with Spurs looking inefficient in front of goal – Dominic Solanke has yet to fully settle in and Spurs are currently converting shots into goals at a relatively poor rate of one in ten, less than Ipswich Town. They are currently scoring at around the right rate, compared to their xG, but top four sides usually outstrip that fairly comfortably.

What it is to say is that Postecoglou may need to determine whether this really is just an anomaly, a blip, that will go away with time, or whether Romero is a potential problem – and the way he strolled back to the box for Barnes’ goal, or completely lost concentration against Brighton to let Welbeck in, does raise some alarming red flags. This hasn’t just been an issue of competency, but of focus, judgement and awareness, and it has hit Spurs disproportionately hard.

The good news is that Romero is a proven high-level player, and a gambling man would surely back him to tighten things up in the long run. The further good news is that Spurs are controlling games, creating opportunities and playing, in most regards, like a team that can contend for the top four. The only bad news is that a fair bit of damage to their chances of Champions League qualification has already been done. A defeat to Aston Villa this Sunday would hit those chances even harder. Romero is an injury doubt, but if he plays, he can’t afford another costly lapse.

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com

and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565

Visit Shots! now

Who are the best young players in the Premier League? Our weekly top ten sees Aston Villa, Spurs, Newcastle and Manchester City starlets towards the top.

Once again, the weekly Wonderkid Power Rankings are back to answer the simple but challenging question – who is the best young player in the Premier League?

Last week, Jhon Durán regained his spot at the top of the table thanks to a goal for Colombia, but international breaks always do weird things to our top tens, as high-flying players find themselves without a game and also-rans suddenly become stars for their country.

Sign up to our newsletter for the most distinctive football content delivered direct to your inbox

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to 3 Added Minutes, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Accordingly, we have three players leaving our rankings this week, with two brand new entries and a returning hero to replace them. James McAtee, who has been on fire for England’s Under-21s but seldom plays for Manchester City, is gone once again and turned 22 anyway, which means he won’t be back thanks to our age rules.

Meanwhile, Jack Hinshelwood’s recent rough form has caught up with him, and Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo also drops out due to the injury which kept him out of the last England squad. It sounds as though Mainoo may be out for a couple of weeks yet, but as one of our mainstays we’re sure he’ll be back in the rankings quickly once he returns.

The Hungarian left-back has been on consistently solid form of late and put in perhaps his best performance of the season in the surprise 2-0 win against Arsenal. Playing against ten men may have made it easier, but he still did his defensive duties well and his movement getting forward is excellent, providing so much width to the Bournemouth attack. What he still need to do to take his game up to the next level is to work on his production – if he could cross as well as he gets into dangerous crossing positions, he’d be a star.

Delap couldn’t keep his good goal-scoring run going in a 2-0 defeat to Everton, which felt like a pretty crushing blow to Ipswich Town’s credentials as a team that can beat relegation. Delap himself struggled to find the same amount of space as he has done in recent matches and while he did manage to get three shots away, none could really be classed as clear-cut chances and all were around the edge of the area. The service wasn’t there, and nor was Delap able to carve something out of nothing.

We have a standing rule that top five players don’t get jettisoned from the rankings for missing one game with a knock, which is apparently why the star of Gambia’s recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers was left out against Newcastle United. In other words, we don’t want to punish him too harshly given that he’s now bagged two goals and an assist across three games for club and country.

The young Dane is back to full fitness, back in the starting line-up and back in the goals – his coolly-taken dinked finish over Mark Flekken made it two goals in three games for United and, more critically, it earned a much-needed three points. There was every argument to be made for bringing Alejandro Garnacho back into the top ten after his beautifully-taken goal too, by the way, but he narrowly missed out due to his recent inconsistency. He’ll be back soon, no doubt, but competition for a place in the lower half of our ladder has been fierce lately.

The Chelsea centre-back has been the model of consistency this season but finally put up a poor display at Anfield in the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, conceding a crucial penalty which ultimately cost his side the match. Even outside of that, the speed of Mohamed Salah and the physicality (and unpredictability) of Darwin Núñez gave Colwill an unusually high volume of problems. Not his best outing.

Leicester City’s on-loan Argentine had muscled his way back in to the top ten a couple of weeks ago with some eye-catching performances, was dropped last week after spending two games on the bench for his country, and now bounces right back in after scoring for the second consecutive match.

Granted, he could barely have missed from two or three yards out, but his run into the box to get ahead of his marker was still excellent and the bundled goal which started the remarkable comeback against Southampton was just reward for another lively performance in which he demonstrated creativity, excellent off-ball running and some fine passing.

Udogie doesn’t have too much time left in our rankings, as his 22nd birthday looms at the end of November, but judging by his performance in the 4-1 win over West Ham United, he’s determined to end his career as a youngster on a high.

Yes, he was at fault for West Ham’s goal, beaten a little too easily to allow a pull-back to find Mohammed Kudus – but he was brilliant from then on out and made up for his earlier error with a superb assist, getting to the byline, twisting his marker inside out and finding the onrushing Yves Bissouma as he burst into the box. Time and again he found space down the left to play dangerous passes and advance possession, and all told that was perhaps his best game of the campaign.

No change for Lewis, who put in a rock solid display in the late, late win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and helped his team to keep constant control of the ball – indeed, he only conceded possession five times in the entire match, which is a remarkably low number.

His passing and use of the ball was as economical as ever and he was impressive when called upon to do some defensive duties, racking up a couple of timely tackles and two fine interceptions to make sure that Wolves’ threat on the counter was intermittent only. A mistake-free match and one that solidifies his spot towards the top of our rankings.

The unkindest thing you can say about Hall’s recent form is that he hasn’t put in a banner performance, the kind of showing which grabs headlines and gets tongues wagging – but he’s been consistently impressive for his side even as their form waxes and wanes, and has been one of the best passing full-backs in the league so far.

Had a poor header which allowed Brighton & Hove Albion in not blotted his copybook, we might have made him number one for the first time, but as it stands several dangerous deliveries down the flank to set Anthony Gordon free and some otherwise impeccable defensive work means he holds fast in second place. A growing force in a team that’s struggling to produce its best form.

The Colombian couldn’t keep his scoring form as a super sub up this weekend and was generally given little chance to get into the game during the 15 minutes he spent on the pitch for Aston Villa – but his recent form has been so strong in general that we didn’t think that any of the chasing pack had made a sufficiently strong case to oust him from top spot, for this week at least.

He only had seven touches of the ball and one shot after replacing Ollie Watkins, which is perhaps par for the course when you’re an impact sub and not the starter that he surely would be in almost every other team in the Premier League based on his red-hot form in front of goal. We wouldn’t keep him top had he not been so damned good of late or had Hall or Lewis really shone, but in the end Durán earned his top spot and we won’t take it away from him this week. Fail to make an impact next week, however…