Tottenham Hotspur

Ali Speechly
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

I usually groan at the thought of another international break interrupting the excitement of the Premier League, but this one is well timed for Tottenham.

After a promising start to the campaign, with a convincing win at home to - albeit newly promoted - Burnley and our traditional victory at Etihad Stadium, it looked as though Thomas Frank had fixed our defence.

However, now the errors have crept back in and we look particularly vulnerable defending our box. When added to a frustratingly limited attacking threat and an increasingly embarrassing home record, it is no surprise there is growing unrest among fans in N17, who pay a lot of money in the hope of actually enjoying the product.

So, this pause in league fixtures provides the ideal opportunity for Frank and his team - players and staff - to reflect, recharge and reset.

It also gives supporters a chance to take a step back and appreciate that this project, which is still in its infancy under a new manager, needs more time to realise its true potential.

Although some performances have been far from ideal, we are fifth in the Premier League and remain undefeated in the Champions League so far this season.

It is worth noting that has been achieved with a number of key players missing because of injury, and others having their minutes carefully managed as they return to the unrelenting and unforgiving pace of the Premier League.

Many fans have been confused and irritated by some of Frank's starting line-up choices and decisions around substitutions, as evidenced by the audible boos around the stadium when Xavi Simons was taken off against Manchester United on Saturday.

However, as Frank prepares us for battle against 'you know who', I'm inclined to trust his rationale - at least until the end of his first season.

Find more from Ali Speechly at Women Of The Lane, external and on Instagram, external

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Tottenham have been boosted by the news that forward Randal Kolo Muani does not require surgery for a facial injury suffered in the draw versus Manchester United.

The France international was involved in a heavy collision with United defender Harry Maguire in the first half of the 2-2 draw and was replaced by Wilson Odobert.

Muani is understood to have suffered damage to his jaw in the incident and was sent to see a specialist on Monday to discover the extent of the injury.

Initial reports have suggested he could miss up to eight weeks - a period that would run into months if it was deemed surgery was required.

However, it is understood Muani has been told he does not need an operation and while club medics do not want to put a definitive timescale on his return, there is optimism the 26-year-old can return to action well in advance of the feared six to eight-week period.

Kolo Muani joined on transfer deadline day from Juventus on an initial season-long loan deal.

The start of his Spurs career was hampered by a dead leg but he has made eight appearances for Thomas Frank's side since his arrival, though is yet to score.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Tottenham and Manchester United.

Here are some of your comments:

Tottenham fans

Herman: The first half was awful, the second half a bit better. Destiny Udogie, Tel and Wilson Odobert were much better than the players they came in for. Some substitutions could have come earlier. We've got no-one in front to hold the ball. Why doesn't Dane Scarlett get a chance?

James: Frustrating first-half display. We got into some decent positions and just lacked quality in the final third. Then for the goal it was reminiscent of so many goals we conceded last season where we'd just try to play out no matter the context. I feel like sometimes our players don't read the game well. Glad we managed to get back into it and take the lead, only to then not close the game out. Again, a similar theme to last season. At least we scored from open play.

Andrew: Poor first half and poor goals - but good second-half display. Xavi Simons is getting better and more influential. Two point-blank saves kept Manchester United in it but we sat way too deep after taking the lead.

David: Mediocre performance overall but relieved by a fine goal from Tel. This squad has more to offer than we're seeing at the moment.

Man Utd fans

Andrew: Happy with the draw but United lacked any urgency to win the game. I was hoping that the first goal it would spark some quality football to be played but it didn't. When we had possession, United did not find the spaces that were there to attack the goal. There was no proactive play. Luckily for United, the opposition were just as bad.

Noel: Another inconsistent performance by United. They lack the physicality as a team to play a full 90 minutes, particularly in midfield and defence. Desperate for a holding midfielder with legs to complement Casemiro. More positively, we came back well and the keeper looks like a big improvement on the previous two.

Matt: That result sums up perfectly where we are right now. We're not strong enough to get over the line in a close match, but we are more resilient than last season, so therefore we're drawing matches we would have otherwise lost.

Dean: United actually controlled the game without having too much of the ball. For 80 minutes I couldn't see Spurs scoring. We miss the pace of Rasmus Hojlund up front. United should have taken all three points. Too many subs all at once and the team lost focus.

Tottenham remain interested in signing Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, 24, and would be prepared to pay the Spanish club's asking price of £70m for the Brazil international. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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Pundits Alan Shearer and Theo Walcott join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Everton 2-0 Fulham

• West Ham 3-2 Burnley

• Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Who would be a manager? In those final frantic minutes, Thomas Frank and Amorim must have aged years.

Spurs boss Frank would surely have been preparing for more boos at the final whistle, given his side had been greeted in that manner at half-time and his decision to replace Simons with Tel had been questioned by the fans.

When the dust settles, there are bound to be questions asked of Tottenham's woeful defending for the first goal, which began with Djed Spence being unable to control a long punt downfield that was chased by Amad Diallo, and eventually needing Romero to come to the rescue.

Tottenham never sorted themselves out after that and Pape Sarr needlessly conceded possession inside his own penalty area, which eventually led to Amad's cross for Mbeumo.

Too often, the home side failed to make the most of promising attacking positions and defenders Romero and Van de Ven were the biggest threat until the drama at the end unfolded.

It meant Tottenham avoided a fourth home loss of the season but they have still only claimed two points from their last five games at their own stadium in the league, something that will have to be rectified if they are to continue fighting for a Champions League place.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the 2-2 draw with Man Utd: "Of course it's not that I'm going away from here and not being disappointed at leading with one minute to go and you don't win, that will always be the case.

"What I'm focussing on is especially that the second half was a good performance. I was very happy with the way we turned it around.

"We stayed in the game, did the right thing, keep pushing - in a game when two teams neutralise each other you don't create too much, that's natural, but how the boys kept fighting was hugely impressive."

On Man Utd's two goals: "A lot of things we could have done a bit better, the last one is all about the urgency, maybe don't give the cross away and defend better.

"Second half we got more bite in the man to man pressure, which was not working as it should have been in the first half."

Did you know? Tottenham Hotspur have conceded the opening goal in eight of their last 12 home Premier League games (W2 D3 L7), including four of their last five league matches (D2 L3).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Tottenham's performance

What did you make of Manchester United's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Tottenham XI: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Paulinha, Spence, Sarr, Johnson, Simons, Richarlison , Kolo Muani.

Substitutes: Kinsky, Danso, Tel, Odobert, Udogie, Bentancur, Scarlett, Akhamrich, Rowswell.

Manchester United XI: Lammens, De Ligt, Maguire, Shaw, Mazraoui, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Dorgu, Amad, Mbeumo, Cunha.

Substitutes: Bayindir, Yoro, Dalot, Mount, Zirkzee, Sesko, Ugarte, Heaven, Fletcher.

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Tottenham v Manchester United (12:30)

• Everton v Fulham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• West Ham v Burnley - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Sunderland v Arsenal (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Chelsea v Wolves (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Everton v Fulham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Sunderland v Arsenal", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

In-form Manchester United kick-off the Premier League weekend when they travel south to face Tottenham on Saturday (12:30 GMT). BBC Sport explores some of the key themes surrounding this fixture.

Spurs' conflicting home form

Tottenham's convincing 4-0 victory over FC Copenhagen on Tuesday night extended their long unbeaten home run in Europe, a remarkable contrast to their league form in north London.

Spurs have now won 18 and drawn four of their past 22 European games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, excluding a Conference League fixture against Rennes which they were forced to forfeit in December 2021 because of a Covid outbreak. Their most recent European home defeat on their pitch was 1-0 against RB Leipzig in the Champions League in February 2020.

Home struggles for Thomas Frank's side have been exclusively a Premier League problem. Last weekend's limp defeat to rivals Chelsea was their third of the campaign in N17 and promoted Burnley are the only top-flight team they've beaten at their impressive stadium this season.

The Lilywhites have mustered three wins and 13 points from their 19 home league matches over the past 12 months – the worst record of any Premier League team during that period.

Frank's men will attempt to arrest that lengthy slump on Saturday when they face a team against whom they've enjoyed the upper hand in recent seasons.

Spurs are unbeaten in seven previous meetings with Manchester United across all competitions (W5, D2) and won all four clashes last season, including the Europa League final in May.

Tottenham's last defeat to United? A league meeting at Old Trafford in October 2022.

United's recent away struggles

Manchester United head to north London on a four-match unbeaten run in the top flight (W3, D1) and only sit below their hosts in the table on goal difference.

The Red Devils are enjoying their joint-best run of form under head coach Ruben Amorim but will be keen to start collecting more points on the road.

Just one of their past 10 Premier League away games has resulted in victory (D3, L6) and they also fell to a shock defeat at Grimsby this season in the EFL Cup.

However, this fixture is one that Manchester United have largely dominated during the Premier League era.

United are seeking their 40th Premier League victory over Spurs this Saturday – no other side has beaten the Lilywhites more in the competition. The Mancunians have only enjoyed more wins against fellow Premier League ever-present sides Everton and Aston Villa.

However, United have triumphed in just three of their previous 25 league visits to London (D6, L16) and the last time they ventured to the capital in September they were beaten 3-1 by Thomas Frank's former side Brentford.

It is hard to know how to view Tottenham at the moment, especially at home where they have been pretty underwhelming in the Premier League so far.

Tottenham have only taken one point from their past four league games in their own stadium since beating Burnley on the opening weekend of the season, including last week's defeat by Chelsea when a couple of their players gave Thomas Frank the cold shoulder afterwards.

They did beat Copenhagen comfortably there in the Champions League on Tuesday, but it's still hard to make a case for them to overcome Manchester United because I'm not really sure where their goals are going to come from.

Mind you, I'm still not convinced by Ruben Amorim's side either. There is no doubt they have shown strong signs of improvement, but I still don't fully trust them to turn up, especially on the road.

Tottenham beat Manchester United four times last season, including in the Europa League final. This time? If I had to pick a winner I would actually back United, but I don't - so I'm going for a draw.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (kick-off 12:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are no fresh injuries to report as "everyone came through the midweek game well", but Mohammed Kudus is "touch and go" for this weekend after picking up a knock in training.

• Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie, who recently had "small spells" on the sidelines, "responded well" after starting against Copenhagen on Tuesday night.

• Frank briefly commented on reports that Udogie was allegedly threatened with a gun by a football agent: "It's a terrible situation to have been in, but I can't speak too much about it because it's a legal case. The club are doing everything to support him."

• Manchester United are in "great form" going into the fixture, but his players are "excited and looking forward" to the challenge. Frank added: "We are ready to do everything we can to win the game. We will do everything we can to come out on top."

• On Ruben Amorim's side, he said: "We know exactly what to expect from them. They have an incredibly dangerous front three that are starting to get up to speed, so we will need to close them down. We also want to make sure they are running backwards more due to us attacking."

• He believes that home advantage should be a "massive boost" and his players should feel "even more confident, aligned and willing to do everything" when playing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

• On the positive home atmosphere last time out, Frank said: "It was really rocking. It was great to see and experience. It needs to be a collaborative approach between the fans and the players. The more we can push each other to bring that positive energy in, the better."

• His time at Tottenham has been "super exciting and a big learning curve", but his ideas are "still a work in progress". He explained: "We are far from where I want us to be, but I've got no doubt we will get there."

• When quizzed on how £51.8m summer signing Xavi Simons is settling into the squad, Frank replied: "Every player needs confidence, even the best in the world. When you go to a new club, it's not always easy to hit the ground running. But the more confidence you get, the better you play. I still think there's more to come from him, but I was happy with his performance [against Copenhagen]."

• The forthcoming international break will be "the big decider" in terms of Dominic Solanke's return to action. The striker picked up an ankle injury in late August and the club will use the two-week break to "push him for the next steps".

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

How to follow the Premier League on the BBC this weekend

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England boss Thomas Tuchel has named his 25-man squad for the final time this year ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.

The Three Lions have already secured qualification.

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle).

Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City).

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Alex Scott (Bournemouth), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace).

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona, on loan from Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank could look to reunite with 29-year-old Al-Ahli and England striker Ivan Toney - who he managed at Brentford - in January. (Talksport), external

Real Madrid's Brazil forward Rodrygo, 24, is also high on Spurs' list of attacking targets. (Teamtalk), external

Meanwhile, Tottenham are among the clubs interested in 20-year-old Manchester United and England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. (Caught Offside), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Sean Byrne
BBC Sport journalist

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Tottenham's 4-0 thrashing of Copenhagen on Tuesday night means the club have now gone 22 European games unbeaten at home.

So, why can't they repeat those results in the Premier League?

In comparison, in their last 22 league games inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs have won just six times, drawing four and losing on 12 occasions.

The European unbeaten streak consists of 13 Europa League games, three Conference League games and six in the most prestigious of them all, the Champions League.

The opposition has at times been considerably easier than the Premier League elite, with Spurs beating the likes of NS Mura from Slovenia, and Pacos de Ferreira who currently compete in the Portuguese second division.

But they have also played some bigger clubs, facing Frankfurt twice, Italian giants AC Milan and Roma, and this season beating Villarreal - who currently sit third in La Liga.

From those 22 European fixtures, Spurs have scored 60 and conceded just 13, keeping a clean sheet on 13 occasions including in both of this season's Champions League ties. They have also failed to score in just one of those games.

In the league, they have scored just over half that amount with 31 goals, and conceded 34 - nearly three times as many when compared with their European record.

The difference in results might not come as that much of a surprise given their Europa League triumph in comparison with their finish in the league table last season.

However, with just one win from their opening five home league games this season, Thomas Frank will be desperately hoping they can convert some of their European success into domestic wins.

In the league, their next three league games consist of Manchester United, Fulham and Brentford respectively.

After their trip away to PSG, Frank's side face a visit from Slavia Prague before a tougher challenge against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Image source, Getty Images

With the countdown to the Celebrity Traitors final under way, we asked you which Tottenham player or manager - past or present - would make the best traitor and faithful.

Here are some of your comments:

Paul: The best traitor of all time is Sol Campbell. No-one else comes close. The best faithful would be Harry Kane, who would still be with us if the club were as successful as him.

Oli: Biggest traitor has GOT to be Campbell. Told us he was signing a new contract only to not do that and join our main rivals on a free, denying us any money to replace him. Unforgivable!

Tom: Think this one is pretty obvious! Traitor has to be Campbell (no explanation needed) and faithful would be Ledley King and Son Heung-min for their loyalty, commitment and legend status for delivering our last two trophies!

Tim: Campbell the best traitor. He told us he would never join Arsenal and we believed him, then agreed to join them the following day.

You can watch the final of The Celebrity Traitors live from 21:00 GMT on BBC iPlayer

Watch every angle of Micky van de Ven's stunning solo goal as Tottenham cruised to a 4-0 victory over Copenhagen in the Champions League - a moment of individual brilliance that capped a dominant display from Thomas Frank's side.

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Five teams from one country had never all won in a single round of the Champions League matches prior to this season.

But Premier League sides did exactly that this week, as they did in the previous round of games. English sides have won 17 of 24 fixtures so far, a win percentage of 71%.

The richest league in the world is leveraging its financial muscle, and if this consistency continues, it could result in the Premier League earning a 'bonus' Champions League place for the team finishing fifth, as was the case last year.

Tottenham and Liverpool are keeping tabs on Wolfsburg's Greece defender Konstantinos Koulieraki, 21. (TBR Football), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Image source, BBC/Studio Lambert

Challenges. Leaders and followers. Tactics. Second guessing and wondering where to turn next.

This could be any game of football in the Premier League this weekend.

It is also the plot to any episode of BBC's hit show - The Traitors.

The countdown to the end game of the Celebrity series is on, but, while we wait for that, we want to know which Tottenham player (or manager) - past or present - you think would make the best traitor, and who would be more suited to the role of a faithful.

Was it the way they could appear at the back post without anyone noticing? Or could they stop anybody getting past them?

Get in touch with your choices and the reasons why here

The Celebrity Traitors final will air on Thursday, 6 November on BBC One and iPlayer

English sides are excelling in the Champions League.

Three wins out of three last night - all with clean sheets - maintained the early Champions League dominance by English sides as the league phase nears the halfway point.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham occupy one of the top-eight spots that guarantee automatic qualification for the last 16, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle all seeking to join – or replace – them by winning tonight.

English teams have averaged 2.3 points per game in the Champions League this season, far exceeding any of the other four nations that have three or more sides in the competition.

Success breeds success and England is currently well clear at the top of Uefa's co-efficient rankings. These are based on results across the three European competitions and determine which two leagues will earn an additional Champions League spot for next season.

It granted the Premier League a fifth spot last season - and currently England is in prime position to secure the same prize again this time around.