If Ange Postecoglou refuses to alter his approach and Tottenham remains unable to shift their culture, what does this mean for both sides? Spurs are not yet in crisis mode, but this stalemate could lead to a volatile situation. “I didn’t arrive here by following the crowd,” Postecoglou told Australian media recently, acknowledging that dwelling on the Brighton defeat—where Spurs fell apart in the second half—has made the international break particularly painful. Despite a five-game winning streak prior to the trip to the south coast, anything less than a win against West Ham will intensify the tension between Tottenham’s manager and the fans, whose support can swing dramatically from one extreme to another.
Not many wingers can leave Kyle Walker in the dust. Adama Traoré, however, is one of the few who can. The 28-year-old is still seeking the finishing touch to match his blistering speed. Traoré had three clear chances during Fulham’s loss to Manchester City earlier this month but failed to convert any of them. It was a frustrating watch, and Fulham will hope for better from the Spanish international when they host Aston Villa. Traoré, with one goal this season, has much to offer. If he can find more composure, he could be devastating.
Eight games in, and it’s already looking like a relegation showdown. Ipswich, in 17th, is one of the Premier League’s four winless teams. Everton, in 16th, escaped that group by beating Crystal Palace on September 28 and then drew with Newcastle thanks to Jordan Pickford’s penalty save. Everton fans will hope for more of the same, rather than the chaotic performance Pickford delivered for England against Greece. Ipswich will aim to recover from their first poor showing of the season at West Ham, who exploited Kieran McKenna’s adventurous tactics in a 4-1 win, particularly in a disastrous second half marked by poor defending. The absence of Axel Tuanzebe, who injured his hand in a kitchen accident, is a significant blow to Ipswich’s defense. Similarly, Everton has missed Jarrad Branthwaite, whose return improved the team before he tweaked a thigh muscle. He is now back in training.
All eyes will be on the executive box at Old Trafford to see if Sir Alex Ferguson, whose lucrative ambassador stipend was cut by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, takes his seat. Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag continues to fight on, his job prospects possibly improved by Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as England manager. United’s dull draw at Aston Villa also calmed the swirl of speculation, though the injury issues that have plagued the Dutchman’s tenure remain. The loss of Harry Maguire has compounded selection problems, as have Noussair Mazraoui’s heart palpitations requiring minor surgery. Manuel Ugarte, an expensive signing meant to anchor the midfield, has only completed 90 minutes once, with his new manager seemingly reluctant to use him. Has something similar happened with Matthijs de Ligt, who was dropped for the Villa game?
JBYankuba Minteh makes his first return to Newcastle since joining Brighton for £33m in late June. The 20-year-old Gambian right winger rarely featured on Tyneside after signing from Odense for just under £6m in the summer of 2023. Almost immediately after arriving at Newcastle, driven by the club’s former sporting director Dan Ashworth, Minteh was loaned out to Feyenoord for the season. After shining under Arne Slot last term, Eddie Howe had high hopes for Minteh, but concerns over PSR led to a hasty sale that some at St James’ Park fear will prove a huge mistake. This season, Minteh has started five of Brighton’s seven league games, scoring his first goal for Fabian Hürzeler’s side in the 3-2 comeback win against Tottenham. The winger reportedly did not want to leave Newcastle but now threatens to show his former fans, manager, and teammates exactly what they are missing.
Southampton seeks to break their Premier League duck after two very different 3-1 defeats. After losing to Bournemouth, Russell Martin criticized his players for lacking spirit and fight, while after the Arsenal game, he took heart from the performance. Despite the results, many Saints fans support Martin’s commitment to his style of football. Leicester’s supporters may not be as forgiving. Perhaps it’s the Nottingham Forest connection, or maybe it’s Steve Cooper’s pragmatism, but Leicester no longer plays the adventurous football they did under Enzo Maresca. The win over Bournemouth was Leicester’s first league victory. Cooper’s standout player has been Facundo Buonanotte, the Brighton loanee. It is hoped his return from Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers is smooth enough for him to feature.
The international break was both a blessing and a curse for Mikel Arteta. He will have been encouraged by Mikel Merino’s performances for Spain in their Nations League victories over Denmark and Serbia, the summer signing playing the full 90 minutes in both fixtures. This should give Merino’s club manager the confidence to pair him with Declan Rice at Bournemouth. However, the break also brought pain for Arsenal as Bukayo Saka limped off in England’s Nations League loss to Greece. The winger’s injury could be another obstacle for Arteta in his quest to topple Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. The Gunners have been fortunate with injuries in the past two seasons, but the modern schedule means that luck was unlikely to last forever.
Few players had a more mixed international break than James McAtee. The 21-year-old Manchester City midfielder scored three times for England Under-21s, including twice against Ukraine, the first of which was a powerful free-kick. After the game, McAtee dedicated his double to George Baldock, with whom he spent two years on loan at Sheffield United. “When I was there, he welcomed me with open arms, he looked after me,” said McAtee, who celebrated by lifting his shirt to reveal a message: “GB 2 REST EASY BROTHER X.” McAtee, a regular in City’s squad this season, is unlikely to start at Wolves on Sunday but, having scored in his last club appearance, Pep Guardiola knows he can rely on a player in form.
Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca have enjoyed relatively stable defenses in their impressive starts at Liverpool and Chelsea, with the former currently boasting the best defensive record in the Premier League. However, both face disruption to their backlines for what should be an intriguing contest at Anfield. The visitors will be without the suspended Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella after each collected a fifth booking of the season in the feisty draw with Nottingham Forest before the international break. Mohamed Salah’s duel with Renato Veiga, Cucurella’s potential replacement at left-back, could be fascinating. Liverpool’s only loss is Alisson, sidelined until after November’s international break with his second hamstring injury of the campaign. Caoimhín Kelleher has proven to be a capable deputy, and his temperament should help him put Sunday’s mistake against Greece behind him.
It’s a clash between two of the surprise packages under the Monday night lights. While Nottingham Forest has defied most pre-season predictions by losing just once in their first seven games, Crystal Palace has confounded expectations for the wrong reasons. It’s too early to suggest Oliver Glasner’s job is in danger, but the fact Palace has yet to win a league game cannot be solely attributed to the summer sale of Michael Olise. There’s been a lack of sharpness and cohesion that the Austrian must address, starting with this trip. With games against Tottenham and Aston Villa on the horizon, it won’t get any easier. The glimmer of hope for Glasner is Forest’s home form; they’ve not won at home in four attempts this season.
