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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been warned that ‘the pressure is going to start to build’ on him following Sunday’s north London derby defeat to Arsenal.

A second-half Gabriel header meant that the Gunners left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with all three points, as a host of familiar failings again proved to be Spurs’ undoing. This time out, he upped the stakes, telling Sky Sports: "I'll correct myself - I don't usually win things, I always win things in my second year. Nothing's changed.

"I've said it now. I don't say things unless I believe them."

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This claim was quickly shot down in the Sky Sports studio by former Arsenal star and current Strictly Come Dancing hopeful Paul Merson.

“I like Ange, I like him, but I've got more chance of winning Strictly,” Merson said.

'No, I don't see it at the moment. There's not a lot wrong but you look where they are and where Newcastle are. Tottenham have probably been playing better than them over the first three games and Newcastle have more points than them.

“If they get top four - brilliant. Honestly that would be amazing but 100 per cent, it would be amazing but they'll need to get Solanke to get 20-odd goals and they can only get 20-odd goals if the crossing improves.

“’If the crossing don't improve, you can put Haaland up there and it wouldn't improve.”

Spurs’ set-piece weakness was highlighted by former England defender Matt Upson on Radio 5 Live, who believes the pressure could soon build on the Australian.

"Tottenham are so susceptible defensively that it's a real problem. They are not being clinical enough either which is what the real hammer blow is.

"If you're going to be that offensive and that open and free, you've got to bang the ball in the back of the net and they're not doing that. The pressure is going to start to build a bit on the manager."

Plenty of Spurs fans took to social media following the match and while most were supportive of the Australian, who led the team to a fifth-placed Premier League finish last season, a minority were beginning to ask questions over the direction of the club.

“Do Spurs fans want to jump aboard the manager merry-go-round or do we have the patience to back the manager and back the journey?”, one fan posted on X. “Arteta finished 8th in his first two seasons. Trust the process. Back Ange.“

But patience was beginning to wear thin with other supporters.

“I’m not pushing Ange out yet 1 no idea who to recruit,” another posted on X. “Where do you draw the line though? How many more games do we need to lose? How many set pieces conceded, lack of chances created, bad recruitment? Lose next 5?”

Next up for Spurs is a League Cup trip to Coventry on Wednesday evening, before they host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.

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Former Tottenham defender Danny Rose has revealed that he and his Spurs team-mates were ‘laughed at’ while on England duty over how little they were being paid.

Rose enjoyed a 13-year-old spell at Tottenham after joining as a 17-year-old from Leeds United in 2007, and would go to win 29 England caps during his time in north London and was part of the squad that went to the 2018 World Cup.

He would win the 2008 League Cup with the team on his way to making more than 200 appearances for the club, but has now admitted that he and his team-mates at the time, who consistently qualified for European competition were not being appropriately compensated by the regime led by Daniel Levy.

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Speaking on the In The Zone podcast, Rose said: “When we would go away with England, the lads would laugh at us at what we're being paid. And I have one friend who was at another club.

“I remember one season where West Brom were fighting relegation while we were near the top and some of their players were on more than what we were on. That wasn't right. With Spurs and win bonuses, you had to win by at least a couple of goals to get a bonus from it.

“At the time, I don't regret saying anything about it because it was the truth but now I think the lads are being paid appropriately.”

Rose left Tottenham in 2021 at the end of his contract and would complete his career with a short stint at Watford.

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It was the sight that no Arsenal fan wanted to see during the international break.

With the Gunners already facing a couple of midfield absentees with Declan Rice suspended and Mikel Merino still sidelined ahead of Sunday's north London derby, seeing skipper Martin Odegaard limp out of action for Norway was the last thing Mikel Arteta would have wanted.

Odergaard suffered an ankle injury in the second half of Norway's Nations League win over Austria on Monday night, the timing of which could barely have been worse, considering the Gunners face Atalanta and Manchester City in the seven days following their trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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Will Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard be fit enough to play against Tottenham on Sunday?

Arsenal are yet to comment on the severity of Odegaard's injury, with Mikel Arteta due to face the media on Friday morning.

The status of his skipper will be top of the agenda, with the club currently assessing the injury after the player underwent an MRI scan.

However, quotes from Norway's team doctor earlier this week appear to indicate that the 25-year-old is a huge doubt for Sunday's north London derby and is set for a spell on the sidelines.

“Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks," Ola Sand told the Norwegian media. Anything other than that is just a bonus. And then it can take longer

“What we have so far obtained from the MRI examination in London is that there is probably no fracture in the ankle.”

Arsenal make the short trip across north London looking to return to winning ways in the Premier League following their 1-1 draw with Brighton before the international break, while Spurs have won one, drawn one and lost one of their opening three matches so far this term.

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Former Tottenham defender Danny Rose believes that former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino could one day be in charge of the club again.

The Argentinian boss spent five years in charge of the north London side between 2014 and 2019 before being sacked by chairman Daniel Levy, just five months after taking the club to the Champions League final.

Pochettino has since had spells in charge of Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, before last month agreeing to take the USA national team job.

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Spurs, meanwhile have burned through a series of coaches since Pochettino’s exit, with Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte all coming and going before Ange Postecoglou’s arrival last summer.

With the club investing heavily in the summer transfer window, the pressure will now be on the Australian to return to the team to the Champions League this summer, with Rose admitting that he was surprised the club did not move for Pochettino last year.

“I definitely thought that pre-Chelsea, [Mauricio] Pochettino could return to Tottenham,” Rose told GiveMeSport.

“I don't think that him going to Chelsea for a year hinders that happening again in the future. Although it’s another four years until the next World Cup and hopefully, he's going to see it out with managing the USA.

“Of course, anything can happen in the next four years but before he went to Chelsea, I thought it was nailed on that he probably would have gone to Spurs before Ange. I still believe that he will return to Tottenham as manager one day.”

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The first north London derby of the season takes place on Sunday as Arsenal make the short trip over to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The match is always a lively affair and one of the most competitively fought fixtures in the Premier League calendar, with the match officials always in for a busy afternoon.

But as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta welcomes back his international players and prepares for the clash, he may not be best pleased with the refereeing appointment.

The Premier League have appointed Jarred Gillett for the match, with the Australian a familiar figure for the Gunners, with this already being his second Arsenal match of the season.

Gillett has overseen a number of controversial incidents when taking charge of Arsenal matches, including the season-opening match against Wolves, where he declined to send off Yerson Mosquera for grabbing Kai Havertz around the throat.

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Arsenal fans were left dumbfounded when Gillett did not take any action against the Wolves and then the VAR did not intervene. Mosquera then tussled with Gabriel Jesus, grabbing the Brazilian on the posterior, which led to Jesus being booked for his reaction.

Last season saw Gillett disallow a last-minute Havertz goal against Aston Villa, with the Gunners claiming that the referee did not have a clear view of the incident.

Arsenal fans have been stewing over another refereeing decision during the international break, after Chris Kavanagh controversially sent off Declan Rice against Brighton last time out.

Rice will miss the north London derby through suspension, with skipper Martin Odegaard also set to miss out after suffering an injury on international duty with Norway, while summer signing Mikel Merino is still sidelined with a shoulder injury that he suffered in his first training session with the club.

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At the height of his powers, winger David Bentley was compared to a young David Beckham and predicted to become a Three Lions legend.

But the former Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur winger ended up falling out of love with the game and retiring in 2013 at the age of 29 – to the shock of football fans across the country.

His reasons were clear: Bentley believed that football had become boring, predictable and too professional as a result of social media and increased commercialisation of the game. The dressing room antics of his youth were a thing of the past, and football had slowly become a chore.

"People sometimes ask me if I regret leaving Arsenal as a young player or retiring when I did but no," he tells FourFourTwo on behalf of William Hill ahead of this weekend's North London Derby. "I'd grown tired of the game and I wanted to spend more time at home with my family and focus on other things. I loved my career, don't get me wrong. I got to do something many people dream about but it was time to call it a day. I opened my bar in Marbella among other things and I wanted to give my attention to that."

Bentley's hijinks often got him into trouble during his playing days. One famous incident saw him tip a bucket of water over Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp's head after Spurs qualified for the Champions League – the player then preceded to dance around in his pants in front of cameras and his irate gaffer.

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Bentley was also alleged to have called his England manager Fabio Capello 'Postman Pat' to his face on at least one occasion. But asked whether he regrets any of those episodes, Bentley is resolute.

"No, never," he says. "I'm not the sort of person to have regrets. Everything happens for a reason and I was just a young bloke having a laugh. Nobody got hurt. Harry was obviously upset with me after the water incident but I was just happy. We'd qualified for the Champions League. I didn't play for Spurs much more after that but I'd do it again!"

Asked if there is anything he does look back on with shame, Bentley says no. Although one thing did come close.

"I suppose if I absolutely had to choose, the way I left Blackburn in 2008 could have been handled a bit better," he tells FFT. "I'd always given my best for Rovers but I felt it was time to move on. Spurs came in for me and it was a good opportunity. But I didn't really get the chance to explain myself to the fans or say goodbye.

"I did return to the club years later but that was different. It would have been nice to leave that first time on better terms. Still, that's not really a regret. Everything happens for a reason, like I said. That's my motto."

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Tottenham Hotspur aren't going to make any more signings this summer. They have, however, agreed a move for a £30 million star to leave.

The Lilywhites have invested a lot of money since Ange Postecoglou took over last summer and have made serious statements of intent once again. Dominic Solanke was the headline acquisition this summer, though Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray have joined the squad to offer promise for the future.

Tottenham have managed to offload the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Emerson Royal, too. Now, another sizeable signing looks like departing the club.

Marca and ABC Sevilla in Spain are reporting that an agreement has been reached between Tottenham and Real Betis over the transfer of Giovani Lo Celso. The Argentine played for the Seville outfit prior to his move to north London.

Lo Celso has appeared for Spurs in the Postecoglou era but has had two separate loan spells at Villarreal. With the emergence of Bergvall and Gray, however, Lo Celso is clearly surplus to requirements, with Tottenham looking to recoup some of the fee they spent on him.

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Transfermarkt notes that the 28-year-old cost €32m when he joined, around £30m. In that time, he did manage to make over 100 appearances for Tottenham.

Marca says that following talks, Spurs will get future rights to Johnny Cardoso. In terms of money, however, Tottenham will get €5m up front for Lo Celso with a 50 per cent resale clause.

In FourFourTwo's opinion, this deal might actually represent good value for Spurs. Lo Celso was a depreciating value that they had no interest in keeping and they have at least secured a good sell on percentage.

The more interesting aspect of the deal is with Cardoso. The Betis star could well head to Spurs in a future move.

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Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the 'first priority' of a player who is continuing to impress in La Liga.

Ange Postecoglou has so far recruited Archie Gray from Leeds and Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth as the Lilywhites look to improve on their fifth-placed finish in the Premier League last season. Timo Werner's loan deal has also been extended for yet another campaign.

Having mustered four points from their opening two games, confidence is high as to what can be achieved under popular manager Postecoglou. Looking to bolster their ranks in the future, Spurs are preparing to sign off on a deal that could aim them further down the line.

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According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Spurs are close to agreeing a deal with Real Betis for a 'priority option' for 22-year-old USMNT star Johnny Cardoso. The transfer is also expected to facilitate Giovani Lo Celso's move to Spain in a permanent deal.

Cardoso's deal means he will stay at Betis until Tottenham decides they want to sign him, but will also purchase a percentage on any future sale in case they decide against signing him. It sounds a little complicated, but these kinds of deals are quite frequent across Europe, especially in Serie A.

With finances now further strapped in the Premier League due to stringent Profit and Sustainability Rulings, Spurs will have first dibs on Cardoso should he continue to shine in Spain. The talented midfielder was born in the United States to Brazilian parents and moved to Brazil when he was three months old. He also has an Italian passport which allows him to play in Europe.

“My head and my goals are in Betis," he told Spanish media earlier this year. "I arrived a short time ago. I want to continue working and evolving. My head is in Betis and the other things are for my agents. I didn’t expect such a quick adaptation. I’m very happy. With my teammates, with the coaching staff, with the club, who helped me a lot. I still have a lot to continue evolving and within the club too.”

Cardoso is valued by Transfermarkt at €25million (£21million) and FourFourTwo believes would be a welcome addition given that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg isn't getting any younger. The Dane's exit from Tottenham could be sealed next summer after he joined Marseille on loan for the 2024/25 season.

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The draw for the new league phase of the Europa League takes place this week, when Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will find out their opponents.

The two clubs both enter the competition in the league phase, with the draw taking place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Friday, August 30, from noon UK time.

The draw will be shown live on UEFA.com as well as the TNT Sports YouTube channel, while it will also be broadcast live on TNT Sports for subscribers.

The format

Unlike recent seasons, the Europa League proper will not begin with 32 clubs this season. Instead, it has increased to 36.

The group phase is no more, so forget the traditional groups of four. It has been replaced by the ‘league phase’ – every team involved goes into one big 36-team division.

At the end of the 36-teams-in-one-group group stage, the overall top eight will advance straight to the last 16. The sides finishing ninth to 24th will go into a play-off round, while the clubs finishing 25th to 36th will be eliminated. The play-off round will be seeded: ninth or 10th will face 23rd or 24th, determined by a draw, while 11th or 12th will face 21st or 22nd, and so on.

The winners of each play-off round tie will progress to the last 16 – also seeded, to ensure that the team that finished first in the league phase will face one that finished 15th, 16th, 17th or 18th. The side that finished eighth in the league phase will play a team that finished ninth, 10th, 23rd or 24th.

Previously, there was an open draw from the quarter-finals onwards. That’s gone, too. Again, it’s seeded, like a tennis draw, so that the teams who finished first and second in the league phase will be in opposite halves of the draw, unable to play each other until the final in Bilbao on May 21, and unable to face the teams who finished third or fourth until the semis.

It means that the finishing positions of the league phase could be critical to who ends up winning the competition.

More matches

The league phase now has 144 matches, up from 96. That’s because not only are there more teams, but each club will play eight fixtures in the league phase, compared to six as before.

Whereas clubs previously played the same opposition both home and away, the eight matches will now be against eight different opponents – four at home, four away.

Each team will play two games against teams from pot one (one at home, one away), two from pot two, two from pot three and two from pot four.

The extra two matchdays will take place in late January. Then comes the draw for the play-off round, with those matches taking place in February before the last 16 starts in March.

To give European competitions a proper launch week of their own this season, the first matches of the Europa League take place on September 25 and 26, a week after the start of the Champions League.

No dropdown

Since 1999, teams who finished third in their Champions League group headed into the UEFA Cup or Europa League, and in 25 seasons, that produced nine UEFA Cup or Europa League winners who had started the campaign in the Champions League group stage – among them, Chelsea in 2013 and Sevilla twice.

That dropdown has now been discontinued - there is no way for a club to transfer from the Champions League to the Europa League mid-season, or from the Europa League to the Conference League either.

How will the draw be done?

The 36 teams are divided into four pots of nine clubs. Manchester United, Tottenham, Rangers, Roma, Lazio, Porto and Eintracht Frankfurt are among the clubs to have already been confirmed as top seeds, prior to this week’s final round of qualifying fixtures.

Olympiacos and Lyon will be among the second seeds, while a whole host of other clubs are also confirmed to be in the league phase, but their seeding position has depended on this week’s qualifying fixtures.

Those clubs are Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Real Sociedad, AZ Alkmaar, Union Saint-Gilloise, Dynamo Kyiv, Malmo, Athletic Bilbao, Hoffenheim, Nice and FC Twente. Further clubs join the league phase after this week’s qualifying fixtures.

The seedings are less important than previously, because each team plays two other clubs from every pot anyway – unlike previously, when they could not face a team from the same pot.

That means that every club in the draw will be a possible opponent for Manchester United and Tottenham, including Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, with one exception.

The two English clubs cannot play each other, with teams from the same country unable to meet until the knockout phase play-offs.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans are rightly excited about the team's prospects for 2024/25, as Ange Postecoglou instils his principles further on the side for the new campaign.

After an encouraging 2023/24, in which Tottenham finished fifth and just two points outside of the Champions League places, progress is expected in the Australian's second season in charge.

For former Spurs midfielder Darren Anderton, though, just having exciting football back at the club is clearly welcome - reminding him of the 1990s team he played in while managed by Argentine Ossie Ardiles. The Englishman expects the team to kick on once more, with the attacking, free-flowing football leading the way.

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“They were great to watch," Anderton exclusively tells FourFourTwo. "They were gung-ho and it reminded me of the Ossie Ardiles Spurs team I played in. It was a lot of fun, especially for the forward players. But as we found out back then, it’s difficult to be consistent when playing in such a risky way.

“There was an element of over-expectation because the team started so well. We were all so excited with those early results, delivered with that brand of football – especially after the previous four or five tough years.

“If you look at where the team were before last term, you’d have taken how we played and where we ended. Ange deserves credit for the way he came in and changed the mentality."

Anderton continues, highlighting how the feeling within the Tottenham squad is one of positvity, with the Australian manager having brought back the feel-good factor to the club.

“I spoke to some of the players recently and asked them what they felt about Ange - they love him," Anderton adds. "They’ve had a full campaign with him, they know his style and this year could be bright if everyone pulls together. The fans need to back him and enjoy it.

“He’s just pretty honest. He says it how it is. As fans, you appreciate that, even if some criticism is levelled at you. If we’re realistic, he was right [to be unhappy when fans were willing their team to lose against Manchester City in a bid to stop Arsenal winning the title].

"He wants more and the club and the fans will have to help him out. There are signs that he could be a fantastic manager if we get on board. I can’t wait for another season of Angeball – let’s see where it takes us.”

After one game of the Premier League season, things didn't exactly go to plan. Spurs drew 1-1 with Leicester City despite dominating the game, though there are clearly signs that this could be another positive season for the club.

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