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Watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa for free as two sides yet to taste victory in the Premier League this season meet in a Saturday-lunchtime clash in North London. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

Spurs' 0-0 draw at home to Everton last Saturday saw them set an unwanted record, having failed to score in the opening four games of a league season for the first time in the club's history.

Villa managed only one goal and one point in their first four Premier League matches, so both teams are in desperate need of a victory here.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa online and from anywhere, including for free, in the 2026/27 Premier League.

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Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa is live on TNT Sports in the UK.

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Tottenham Hotspur begin the fifth weekend of the Premier League season still searching for their first win, although even a goal would represent progress for Roberto De Zerbi's side.

Spurs are yet to get off the mark in the league despite spending more than £300m on signings in the summer, while they suffered another blow on Tuesday night as they exited the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool.

De Zerbi can at least point to back-to-back clean sheets in the stalemates against Nottingham Forest and Everton, but the scrutiny will only increase if Tottenham fail to pick up a result - or score - against Aston Villa.

They have been boosted by the news that James Maddison, Pedro Porro and Sandro Tonali will be available for the visit of Unai Emery's side after the trio recovered from their various injury concerns.

SEE ALSO How to watch Premier League 2026/27: TV Guide, Streams & Fixtures

Villa aren't in much better shape than Spurs, starting the weekend in the Premier League relegation zone after taking only one point from their opening four games.

However, they have been in better form in other competitions, scoring three goals apiece in away victories over Club Brugge in the Champions League and Coventry City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Those results on the road should give them belief for their trip to North London, where Emery looks set to rotate his side after making several changes for the win over the Sky Blues.

Ibrahim Mbaye is pushing for his first start after a bright start to his career at Villa Park, while Nicolas Jackson is expected to return up front despite Tammy Abraham scoring twice against Coventry.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Aston Villa

Spurs' goalless run surely can't continue, but whether they can pick up a first league win is another matter.

On the 30-minute mark during Tottenham Hotspur’s eventual 3-1 EFL Cup defeat at Liverpool, Mathys Tel received the ball on the left flank. In a dangerous position, he sought to work space to whip a cross into the box. Instead, however, he played a disguised pass that trickled aimlessly out of play.

It was a moment that prompted a collective sigh from the travelling Spurs support. They’d witnessed this sort of output time and time, and time, and time again. It was Mathys Tel in a nutshell. All style and no substance.

When Spurs signed Tel in January 2025, beating off competition from Manchester United for the Frenchman, fans were understandably excited. The former Rennes man was viewed as a diamond in the rough. A forward with potential that needed the rough edges smoothed down. Bayern Munich’s decision to loan out Tel was for the 21-year-old to garner regular game time.

Hard to Tel

In truth, Bayern’s willingness to allow Tel to depart should have been a red flag. At the time, though, Spurs were desperate. Mired in another injury crisis, Tel was a welcome and exciting addition to the squad. A forward who could take a marker on and get a shot away – he was exactly what Spurs needed.

Despite an indifferent start to life in the capital, Spurs made the decision to make the move permanent for a reported £30m last summer. It was a low-risk, high-reward transfer, especially as Tel was a forward who was showing plenty of promise. Managerial uncertainty hasn’t aided the former Bayern man, but in time, there’s an argument to be made that he’s proven to be one of the worst signings in the club’s history.

That he was locked up by Jeremie Frimpong, the Dutchman proving to be one of the poorest defensive right-backs in the Premier League, should set alarm bells ringing. Indeed, Tel failed to have a shot. He failed to create a goalscoring chance. He completed just two of five successful dribbles. He’s a player devoid of confidence, and one that doesn’t look as though he’ll regain it anytime soon.

Tuesday’s dire showing comes just days after Tel’s disappointing cameo in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Everton. As Spurs dominated against the Toffees, they again drew another blank. Tel was called upon for the final half hour, yet again wasted his chance to impress head coach Roberto De Zerbi.

Tel didn’t create a chance. He managed just one shot. He didn’t complete a successful dribble. Even Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford completed one. It prompted an animated discussion with De Zerbi at full time. While the Spurs boss played down the incident, the frustration on De Zerbi’s face mirrored that of every supporter, be it those in the stadium or those watching at home.

Essentially, Tel has become more of a hindrance than a help in the final third for the north London side. What’s concerning still is that he’s a player who has topped key attacking metrics for De Zerbi’s side. No player has completed more dribbles for Spurs than Tel (10) in the Premier League this season, though new teammates Omar Marmoush and Savio will overhaul the former before long, the former Manchester City pair having completed nine apiece.

Additionally, Tel ranks top for touches in the opposition box (24) of all Spurs players. He’s capable of beating a man and getting into the right positions in the penalty area. The issue, however, is that he doesn’t know what to do when he gets into said positions. Tel has created just three chances in four Premier League outings this season. He’s managed just one shot on target. A deer caught in headlights shows more composure.

Mikey Moore has outperformed Tel for the latter stat, and he jetted off to FC Köln on loan last month. It says it all for a player who is evidently struggling, and one whose decision-making is questionable, at best.

It’s a crying shame for a player who has undoubtedly been affected by managerial upheaval over the last 18 months. In his senior career, Tel has played under eight managers. Four of those have been in north London, and the playing styles of each have differed considerably. Admittedly, it’s tough not to feel a pang of sympathy for a young striker who was parachuted into a turbulent mess in January 2025.

Conversely, he’s had his opportunities to stake a claim for a regular spot in the capital. With Marmoush and Savio available for selection, and Mohammed Kudus close to a return to full fitness, fans are hoping Tel’s minutes will be limited, at most. For most, cutting ties with Tel in January would be the best move for all concerned.

I’ll start today by looking back at that brilliant goal from Dominik Szoboszlai in an important 3-1 win for Liverpool against Tottenham.

I was actually covering the game for Sky, and I thought: ‘Wow, what a goal that is!’ But that’s not surprising from Szoboszlai. He's got one of the best techniques I've seen in Europe at the moment, when you consider his ability in shooting from distance. He just caught the ball so sweetly and it just arrowed past Martin Dubravka in the Tottenham goal - it was a fantastic strike. It killed the game off at the end of a nervy period for Liverpool, because Tottenham were pushing on and piling on pressure.

Clinton was speaking courtesy of Free Bets, home of the best betting sites in the UK.

'Dominik Szoboszlai's technique reminds me of Beckham or Rooney'

There are a few players in the past who struck a ball like that. David Beckham had great technique, maybe not so much from that distance on the ground, but more so from free kicks. Wayne Rooney could also score spectacular goals, so they’re the two players that immediately spring to mind.

Meanwhile, the result was obviously disappointing for Roberto De Zerbi, but I think there were positive signs for Tottenham. Mohammed Kudus was a bright spark, and looked like he's getting back to good form after being out for so long.

Today's game against Aston Villa is huge, because they’re yet to score a Premier League goal after four games after all the money that’s been spent in the summer.

But De Zerbi is always going to back his team, and keep belief in the project. The hierarchy will support him and I do think they'll get it right.

Whatever happens, let’s hope there won’t be any further VAR controversy this weekend after Erling Haaland’s goal was allowed to stand in the Manchester derby. It was a ridiculous decision!

People talk about having ex-footballers in VAR, but my friend who doesn't play football would have told you it was offside. It's common sense. I think the referee's assistant probably flagged thinking Haaland was offside. But then when Haaland's onside, you've got to check that Enzo Fernandez has gone for the ball. He's interfering with Lisandro Martinez and he's interfering with Senne Lammens. So he's interfering with two players. If you can't see that on VAR, when you can slow it down and see every angle on a monitor, then it's not good enough. It's nowhere near good enough, because Michael Carrick's under a bit of pressure now.

VAR have got more time than the people on the pitch. The referee and the linesman made a split-second decision. VAR can take their time and it did take their time. And I knew the longer it went, the more I felt they were going to give the goal.

Rugby and cricket do it properly, as you can see how the officials reach their decisions. Whereas in football, you're just looking at an image. Most football fans would have been looking at that image thinking Haaland looked offside. Admittedly he wasn't. But then you look at Enzo and go, ‘Well, he's interfering.’

And then the decision comes, and fans are wondering what’s happening. Then to have these apology statements turns everything into a bit of a farce.

Despite the nature of their win, I've been really impressed with Manchester City and their business in the summer. They brought in Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Fernandez for close to £300 million, but they're reaping the rewards. Anderson has been outstanding, while Bouaddi is only 18 and is going to be sensational for years to come. And Fernandez is a top player. They even brought in Allan, a winger who’s a top player. They’ve also still got the likes of Jeremy Doku, Antoine Semenyo, Haaland, Rayan Cherki, and Phil Foden. The list goes on and on with Man City. Even if those players aren't delivering or doing well, they've still got others that can come off the bench.

Their squad depth is fantastic. Just like Arsenal's. You see the young man, Max Dowman, starting and scoring two goals against Ipswich Town. Sometimes he can't even get in the squad! It's ridiculous the amount of quality these teams have at the moment. I think those two teams are the outstanding ones.

Talking about Dowman in particular, I don't think he's going to play as many games as the fans want him to because you've got to realise that Arsenal's squad is fantastic. He's only 16 years of age, and you can't just expect him to be good week in, week out. But Mikel Arteta knows how to handle him, and I feel like it's a similar situation to when Foden was breaking through at Man City and people were saying that it was best for him to go out on loan and play regularly.

He stayed at City, and I think that's what Dowman will do too. He's a super-talented boy, and is going to be a world-class player. But you don't want to throw him into the deep end straight away. You've got to manage his minutes. And that's what Arteta's doing. This is why the Carabao Cup and cup competitions are good for Arsenal, because players like Dowman get the opportunity to go and showcase their abilities.

He's got plenty of time to be starting loads of football matches. Just nurture the young man, let him come through and give him minutes in these kinds of games.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of two teams without a Premier League goal this season. Four matches in, only Spurs and promoted Coventry City are still goalless.

It's the worst-ever start to a Spurs season in goalscoring terms but they have at least conceded half as many as the Sky Blues. New signing Jan Paul van Hecke is one of the reasons the major problem appears to be at the attacking end of the pitch.

The transfer of Van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion was a big investment in a proven Premier League central defender but it came with a catch, and not in hindsight.

Van Hecke and Vuskovic 'swap' will be profitable for Brighton on and off the pitch

Elite football's regulatory environment now incentivises player trading. Selling and buying, in combination, are broadly more compliant than keeping. Clubs twist that might otherwise be motivated to stick.

Players swapping between the same two clubs in the same window is becoming increasingly common but the same regulations make it clear that dealing them independently rather than as swaps is usually the way to go.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

The spreadsheet rules all, and these de facto swap deals are happening more frequently than true swaps ever did. The transfer fees are for accountants. It's the players and the difference between their values that mean something.

Van Hecke's move to Spurs was officially unconnected to 19-year-old Luka Vuskovic going the other way but the deals will always be linked in the minds of Spurs supporters. They might come to view them with regret.

The young Croatian never played a first team game for Spurs before joining Brighton for a reported fee in the region of £46 million. Van Hecke, the older and more expensive of the pair, has been overshadowed by his successor in the early part of the season.

Vuskovic looks like a genuine talent, with all the technical ability, physicality and intelligence to succeed at the highest levels of the game.

He's dominant in the air and a major factor at set pieces in both boxes, and Fabian Hurzeler has been able to lean on him and Lewis Dunk in what's become a very fine start to the season.

Brighton's business model suggests that a player of Vuskovic's prodigious talent will eventually be sold on again for an even greater fee. Van Hecke himself is evidence of that.

For Spurs, the sale of Vuskovic marked the exit of a white-hot prospect who they wanted enough to sign three years ago but only had ownership of for a year before shuffling him off in exchange for a more established player.

Down the road, a cornerstone of Arsenal's 2025/26 Premier League title win was signed all the way back in 2019, and sent on three loans - the same number as Vuskovic - before working his way into the Gunners' starting lineup.

William Saliba may be injured currently but his 184 appearances for Arsenal over the past four seasons are testament to long-term squad planning and a club being able to see the bigger picture.

The worry from a Spurs point of view is that Vuskovic, potentially, could have been a short-term win too. Watching him continue to develop could make for difficult viewing.

Liverpool secured a 3-1 Carabao Cup victory against Tottenham Hotspur yesterday evening, with an added-time Dominik Szoboszlai screamer securing victory amid late Spurs pressure.

Goals arrived through the Hungarian, Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister — who scored in similar style to his thumper versus Atletico Madrid last week — as Andoni Iraola fielded a rotated side.

Four Liverpool youngsters in Rio Ngumoha, Lewis Koumas, James McConnell and Trey Nyoni took to the pitch; a particularly fine outing from the latter appears to have saved the Reds millions.

Trey Nyoni’s performance against Spurs could have saved Liverpool millions

Nyoni was in good form against Liverpool’s Carabao Cup opposition, boasting 95 per cent pass accuracy in his 65-minute appearance.

In the opponent’s half, Nyoni recorded 22 successful passes from 24 attempts — with 100 per cent long ball accuracy — won four duels, and recorded six defensive contributions.

In comparison, Mac Allister recorded 22 successful passes from 27 attempts in Spurs’ half — with 67% long ball accuracy — won five duels, and recorded five defensive contributions. The Argentine also played an additional half-hour.

While Nyoni lacked the goal-scoring output of his Anfield partner on Tuesday evening, he delivered an all-round display that could end up saving Liverpool millions.

The Reds' recent transfer activity saw their midfield personnel remain identical, except for the departures of Curtis Jones and Stefan Bajcetic. And for Iraola, the faith he placed in Nyoni to spare the Reds’ blushes could hardly have been quicker repaid.

His start also served as a reminder to supporters that they never truly know the full story. Did Nyoni perform well enough at the AXA Training Centre this summer for Liverpool not to look elsewhere in the window?

Or was his performance the kind of lucky, perfectly-timed intervention that Iraola had merely prayed for? Whatever the answer, the showing was undeniable.

The 19-year-old appears set to be an unexpectedly critical player for the Basque boss this term, and serve as the midfield reinforcement Liverpool so desperately craved.

Nyoni being ‘like a new signing’ will provoke eye rolls from the Reds faithful — they’ve heard it one too many times before — but it is a possibility.

Whether Liverpool truly had it all planned out from the beginning is irrelevant. This young man will be watched closely, and he’ll have all of Anfield behind him.

Liverpool and Tottenham have had tricky starts to the 2026/27 campaign but should both be eyeing silverware this season, and the Carabao Cup is a great opportunity to secure some.

ITV are showing this fixture in the UK and have rolled out their broadcasting A team to bring you all the build-up, in-game analysis and post-game talking points.

Here's a full breakdown of the ITV squad calling this midweek match-up.

The Third Round clash is being broadcast on ITV4 at 8pm BST, with coverage beginning at 7:30pm BST.

The complete line-up of pundits, commentators and presenters for the event has been revealed, with the game taking place at Anfield.

Mark Pougatch leads the coverage, as he did throughout the World Cup for ITV.

Joining him as pundits at Anfield are Robbie Fowler and Les Ferdinand, supported by Sam Matterface and Lucy Ward on commentary duties.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison could be handed a route back into first-team action this week, with the Carabao Cup offering the exiled forward his only realistic chance of playing competitive football before 2027.

The Brazilian international was excluded from manager Roberto De Zerbi’s official 25-man Premier League squad list following the conclusion of the summer transfer window.

Richarlison had previously informed the Italian head coach of his desire to seek a fresh challenge away from north London, but a suitable transfer failed to materialise before the deadline passed.

Richarlison could be brought in from the cold to alleviate Spurs' attacking woes

Consequently, the forward has found himself frozen out of matchday squads, failing to feature since August 26, when he was an unused substitute in Spurs' 5-1 Carabao Cup victory over Charlton Athletic.

However, as Tottenham prepare to face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup this week, De Zerbi may be forced to turn to his forgotten man.

Unlike the Premier League, Carabao Cup regulations do not mandate that players must be registered within a 25-man league squad to be eligible for selection.

Any professional player legally contracted to the club is permitted to feature, handing Richarlison a loophole and a potential path back onto the pitch.

Tottenham have endured a difficult start to their 2026/27 campaign, failing to score a single goal in their opening four Premier League matches.

Despite a £350 million summer squad overhaul, Spurs have appeared toothless in attack, leaving De Zerbi under pressure following a frustrating goalless draw against Everton.

Richarlison finished as Tottenham’s top scorer last season, and with the transfer window firmly closed, both player and manager are well aware that the striker is staying put until at least January.

The midweek cup fixture represents an opportunity for both parties. Calling upon Richarlison offers a proven goalscoring option to help solve what is becoming an attacking crisis.

For Richarlison, the Carabao Cup is quite literally his sole avenue for first-team minutes, and to put himself in the shop window ahead of the New Year.

Roberto De Zerbi has seemingly begun pointing fingers at his Tottenham Hotspur squad, citing their sub-par fitness as a reason for their drab start to the season, following last weekend's 0-0 draw against Everton.

The Toffees played their part, operating an effective man-to-man marking structure that helped extended Spurs' barren, goalless start to the new Premier League season.

Despite overseeing a £350 million summer spending spree designed to fire Spurs back into the Champions League, De Zerbi watched his side draw yet another blank this past weekend.

Spurs players 'not fit enough' despite full De Zerbi pre-season

Tottenham have now failed to find the back of the net in their opening four league fixtures of the 2026/27 campaign. Rather than taking tactical responsibility for his team's lack of a cutting edge, some may take the view that De Zerbi has opted to pass the buck.

Speaking to Sky Sports following the final whistle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Spurs boss shifted the focus away from his own setup and directly onto the application of his players.

"The physical condition of the team is not the best," De Zerbi claimed when pressed on his side's attacking struggles.

It is something of a deflection from the manager keen to explain away an unexpected start to the season.

De Zerbi did suggest he felt the team played well on Merseyside, referencing the number of times they entered the Everton penalty area, but was frustrated his players did not take enough shots. Choosing to cast blame onto the physical state of the dressing room, as well as individuals' decision-making, is certainly a choice when this is a dressing room he spent an entire pre-season preparing physically and tactically.

What makes De Zerbi’s comments particularly concerning for Spurs fans is how familiar they sound.

Just seven months ago, back in February, former boss Igor Tudor made similar comments. The Croatian accused a fatigued Tottenham squad of lacking basic fitness and desire during a torrid run of form. Tudor’s public assessment subsequently alienated key players, ultimately accelerating his exit, leaving a toxic atmosphere in north London.

De Zerbi was brought in to lift that gloom, and achieved that during the latter part of last season by rebuilding player confidence, none more so than Dutch defender-turned-skipper Micky van de Ven.

But as the pressure mounts, he appears to be pulling from the same playbook of excuses as his predecessor.

Leaning on fitness issues after just four games is something of a red flag. If the Italian cannot figure out how to integrate £350m worth of new talent and get Tottenham firing in front of goal, the blame game will do little to save him from difficult conversations with his superiors, and crucially, maintaining the good will of fans.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Roberto De Zerbi gathered the few points needed to keep the team in the Premier League after he was appointed near the end of last season, but 2026/27 has got off to a miserable start.

Spurs are winless and goalless after their first three Premier League matches. Losses against Brentford and Newcastle United preceded a 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest last Saturday.

After spending a reported £313 million on new signings in the summer transfer window, albeit offset by some big sales, it's been an alarming return to the kind of results that put Spurs in relegation trouble last season.

Mykhailo Mudryk's training ground injury gives Spurs a problem

The North London club made a number of eye-catching acquisitions over the summer but one of the most surprising moves of all was a season-long loan deal for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk.

De Zerbi has long been an advocate of the Ukraine international, a player he tipped for a Ballon d'Or-worthy future when they were together at Shakhtar Donetsk. He certainly saw the best of Mudryk, who was genuinely exciting in the Champions League group stage in 2021/22.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

The 25-year-old signed for Chelsea in January 2023 but struggled to live up to the expectations set by the previous season, and there was worse to come.

Mudryk was provisionally banned in December 2024 after failing a drugs test. Eventually, he was formally issued with a four-year ban that would have seen him out of action until the end of 2028. He appealed, and the charge was dropped in July.

The Forest match was Mudryk's first competitive appearance for nearly two years. Clearly, there's an element of risk that comes with that – De Zerbi and Spurs absorbed that risk from Chelsea and now find themselves paying an injured player.

Mudryk could miss the next two months after sustaining an ankle injury in training this week.

"The 25-year-old is understood to have sustained the injury on Monday and is currently believed to be in protective boot," reports BBC Sport.

"The injury coincides with a three-week international break and a return in October is considered a realistic prospect."

Mudryk's injury leaves Spurs paying for a player who is missing not only for a couple of months but at a time when he needed to be working his way back to match fitness and getting up to speed with De Zerbi's methods as he aims to turn Spurs around.

It's one of the most important seasons of Mudryk's career, too. His injury is a bitter blow at a crucial juncture.

“He’s the reason”, Tottenham Hotspur fans once sang about Rodrigo Bentancur. In the 2021/22 season, particularly once Antonio Conte took over from Nuno Espirito Santo, the Uruguayan was instrumental in the middle of the park.

He forged a fine partnership with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and looked a world beater in north London. There was even an argument to be made that he was their most important player. Spurs wouldn’t have secured a Champions League finish without Bentancur in the side.

Disaster, though, struck in February 2023. Bentancur suffered an ACL injury at Leicester City. In the years since, Bentancur wasn’t the same player. A succession of spells on the sidelines owing to knee, ankle and hamstring issues hardly helped the Uruguay international.

Too safe

Nor did the Thomas Frank Reign of Pain. At one stage last season, the Dane’s favoured midfield pairing was Bentancur and Joao Palhinha at the base in the 4-2-3-1 formation. The axis of evil was resoundingly criticised, particularly at home when the north London side were accused of being too safe.

So, when Spurs spent £185m to bring Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from Newcastle United and West Ham United, respectively, many felt Bentancur would be deemed surplus to requirements. At that point, the idea was that both Tonali and Fernandes would forge the deep-lying pairing in Roberto De Zerbi’s preferred 4-2-3-1 setup.

Yet, three games into the new Premier League season, Bentancur has started twice. He replaced Lucas Bergvall at the break in last month’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford, the Swede having struggled in the opening 45 minutes. He ranks fifth for total league minutes (225) at Spurs.

Admittedly, results haven’t gone in the club’s favour. They have collected just one point from meetings with the Bees, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, and are one of three teams yet to score a league goal in England’s top tier this season.

Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Forest, though, was a step in the right direction. Spurs looked more threatening going forward, and could have gone ahead in the first half had Omar Marmoush hit the target when one-on-one with Matz Sels.

What caught the eye, however, was Bentancur’s standout performance. The former Juventus midfielder was arguably Spurs’ best player at the City Ground, putting in the necessary nitty-gritty display that helped Spurs claim a first point of the season. They were far tougher to break down than they were in back-to-back defeats to Brentford and Newcastle.

Indeed, Bentancur made nine clearances, two interceptions and one tackle in the Midlands. He managed five ball recoveries, won six duels and four aerial duels. While Spurs splashed the cash to improve the squad in the off-season following their relegation scrap, it’s the 2022 £18m addition that continues to shine in a key area.

Conte identified Bentancur as a vital player when he took charge back in 2021, and De Zerbi has done similar following his appointment back in April. In time, De Zerbi may plump for a pairing of Tonali and Fernandes to help take Spurs forward. For the foreseeable future, however, Bentancur needs to be a starter at the base of the midfield.

Forget the £185m pairing, it’s Bentancur who De Zerbi should be building his midfield around. There’s a reason, after all, that Spurs were happy to - briefly - entertain bids for Lucas Bergvall and willing to sanction Pape Sarr’s Juventus switch. When it came to Bentancur, however, there was no chance he’d be shown the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium exit.

And with the welcome of a battling Everton side looming, De Zerbi needs to continue with Bentancur in a key position. The Toffees thrive in midfield duels and winning second balls, meaning Spurs have a battle on their hands against David Moyes’ men this weekend.

Saturday’s Forest stalemate proved that Bentancur is more than up for the challenge. It also showed just why De Zerbi will look to the experienced figurehead in the middle of the park in his first full campaign in the capital. Spurs are a far more cohesive unit when Bentancur starts. Despite the shiney new toys, he’ll start in midfield, and deservedly so.