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Tottenham Hotspur did not enjoy a vintage victory against Luton Town in the Premier League, but they secured another win nonetheless on a dry Kenilworth Road pitch on Saturday afternoon.

Ange Postecoglou's revolution is in full swing, with the Lilywhites now advancing to first place after securing their sixth victory from eight matches, drawing twice.

While Yves Bissouma got sent off before the break, inexplicably diving just outside the box while already on a yellow card, Micky van de Ven clinched his first goal from close range after excellent work from the ingenious James Maddison, who is proving to be the "signing of the summer" so far – as per TNT's Joe Cole.

How did Micky van de Ven play vs Luton?

The Dutchman was signed from German side Wolfsburg for £43m in the summer, and while this might seem a somewhat tall figure for a 22-year-old defender of somewhat unknown quality, he has been sensational so far in Tottenham white.

Against Luton, his first goal was both decisive and a testament to his positional awareness, but it was his overall game that showcased the full scale of his skills.

As per Sofascore, the centre-half recorded a match rating of 8.1 after impressively winning 100% of his duels, making a clearance and two tackles, completing 94% of his passes and taking 78 touches.

To think that Van de Ven is so early into his career on English shores is most exciting indeed, and while he was in fine fettle today, it was his partner, Cristian Romero, who enjoyed his crowning moment in a Tottenham shirt.

How well did Cristian Romero play today?

Romero, quite simply, was immense against a spirited, if profligate, Hatters attack, earning praise for his “incredible” display by football.london's Alasdair Gold, who also remarked that it was perhaps his "best performance in a Spurs shirt."

Earning an 8.0 Sofascore rating, the 25-year-old forged three tackles and interceptions apiece, won a whopping 11 duels, took 102 touches, completed 89% of his passes and also made a key pass.

His growing influence as a dynamic component from behind the midfield is becoming increasingly important for his outfit, who march on with yet another hard-fought victory.

As relayed by The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare, Tottenham's Australian manager said of his outfit's burgeoning defensive strength: "A big part of that is Romero. He makes them (the rest of the back 5 who had never or barely played in the PL) feel like they belong and that they can flourish. He's an outstanding defender, someone you want in your team. Ridiculous bravery."

Truly, the Argentine is developing into the first-class defender that those of a Spurs affiliation always knew he possessed, if hadn't harnessed properly before.

As per FBref, the £165k-per-week colossus ranks among the top 5% of centre-halves across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 15% for interceptions and the top 21% for shot-creating actions per 90, with such qualities indeed on offer at against Luton.

His formidable presence at the heart of the backline will be integral in securing the lofty ambitions this season, and while it is very early in the campaign, there's no reason why Tottenham cannot keep a hold on title contention with Romero starring in central defence.

Alisha Lehmann has taken to social media to post a loved-up photo with boyfriend Douglas Luiz, with the pair apart over the men's international break.

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• Luiz leaves for international duty
• Lehmann shares loved up post
• Looks ahead to Arsenal clash

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lehmann, 25, took to her Instagram story to share a picture of the couple kissing. The post also featured the caption 'Miss you' with a love heart emoji next to it. Luiz is currently away on international duty with Brazil and could be in line to feature against England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening.

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• @alishalehmann7
  

  WHAT THEY POSTED

• THE GOSSIP

  The pair had previously broken up back in 2022, after an apparent disagreement broke out over the calendars Lehmann releases. However, the Villa duo have seemingly worked through their differences regarding the matter, as they continue to share loved-up social media posts regularly. The relationship was rekindled in the early stages of 2024, after the two posted photos of each other on Instagram.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN?

  The Switzerland international remains with the Villa squad while Luiz is away with Brazil. She will currently be preparing for the huge test against Arsenal at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon.

Leeds United are a team in steady form thus far, and will be hoping to kickstart their promotion ambitions once again upon the conclusion of the international break.

However, as stars return to fitness, competition for places is set to soar. As such, Daniel James could see his position come under threat…

How has Daniel James been playing this season?

Even though the Wales international has enjoyed an impressive return to Elland Road, having seemingly failed to reignite a stuttering career on loan with Fulham, there are plenty of other stars who will feel they deserve just as much opportunity as the former Manchester United man to stake their claim.

However, such is the level set by James, they will have to work hard to displace him, given he boasts five goal contributions across just seven Championship starts this term, whilst also managing 2.2 shots, 2.3 key passes and 3.8 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore.

The speedster is a man possessed of late, and seems to typify the ideal Daniel Farke winger. Lightning-quick with a work ethic to match, his return to form has been a surprising one, but remains a welcome sight for Elland Road who have been crying out for some kind of return on their £25m investment.

And yet, such is the selection headache that the former Norwich City boss would welcome, he has to decide from an uber-talented pot of stars such as Jaidon Anthony, Wilfried Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville and more.

Perhaps, with an important return to Carrow Road next up for Farke, he could employ the former given his history of dominating their current division.

How good is Jaidon Anthony?

As a last-gasp acquisition as the Whites saw Luis Sinisterra head the other way, the on-loan AFC Bournemouth whiz marked a shrewd coup given how instrumental he had been in the Cherries' 2022 promotion.

After all, whilst James may be performing now, he has years of anonymity to make up for, whereas Anthony has form for shining at this level recently.

The 23-year-old would muster a whopping 45 appearances during that 2021/22 campaign, scoring eight and assisting seven. Such a fine return was dressed up in his signature elegance and creativity, as he would in fact forge 18 big chances, averaging 1.6 key passes and 1.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Clearly boasting that same work rate that saw the 25-year-old lauded, it should come as no surprise that Scott Parker was effusive in his praise for the winger just last year: "Jaidon Anthony’s a player that goes under the radar massively, what he does for this team is nothing short of incredible at times.

“In possession, we see his qualities, his calmness, his silkiness when he makes good decisions but the stuff that goes unnoticed is his defensive side, what he brings to this team."

With the Bournemouth academy graduate having made just one league start since joining the Whites, averaging just 26 minutes per game, perhaps this weekend could mark the perfect time to hand him his first chance to shine.

After all, the raw pace that James boasts would likely be far better suited to emerging from the bench to terrorise tired legs, made so exhausted by the relentless trickery of Anthony.

West Ham United and manager David Moyes are "braced to lose" one player who's been called a "superstar" in January, according to reports.

Who could leave West Ham?

A plethora of Hammers squad members are currently out of contract at the end of this season, a long list which includes Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Ben Johnson, Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, Conor Coventry, Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski and veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna. While the likes of Coufal, Antonio and Soucek have options to extend by one-year, it is believed talks with the latter have stalled over this last year, with Football Insider reporting the Czech Republic ace could well be sold in January as a result.

According to club insider Claret & Hugh recently, Fornals, Johnson and Coventry appear set to leave upon the end of their current deals in 2024. While West Ham did manage to tie down star winger Jarrod Bowen with a new deal till 2030, it appears that a mass London Stadium exodus could well occur next year. Indeed, there is also some doubt surrounding the futures of defensive duo Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma.

Nayef Aguerd transfer update

The former, who was reportedly targeted by Man City not so long ago, is attracting "big-money interest" from the Middle East as clubs from Saudi Arabia take interest. That is according to Football Insider, who shared the latest Aguerd transfer update this week. The outlet and journalist Pete O'Rourke say that Moyes and co are "braced to lose" the Morocco international. They're apparently prepared for offers to sign Aguerd, and his teammate Zouma, as Saudi clubs linger.

It's added that, if Moyes were to lose either of the pair, that the Scotsman would be "desperate" to sign a replacement. One of the candidates could be Man United defender Harry Maguire, who West Ham are reportedly in pole position to sign if the Englishman does decide to leave Old Trafford mid-season (Football Insider).

Aguerd, called an international "superstar" by Moroccan journalist Mohamed A Salad, has also been called one of Europe's best defenders by former teammate Achraf Sidki.

"West Ham have signed one of the best defenders in Europe. I’m so proud that one of my former teammates will be playing in the Premier League. I’m surprised he didn’t move to England sooner. When we were younger we both had big dreams of becoming professional footballers. Nayef has done well and I’m confident he will be a great signing for West Ham.

“There were so many times he saved the team when we played together. That’s when I realised he was very good. I remember one occasion we played against a team called Tetouan.

“We needed to win and it was probably Nayef’s best game for the club. He was man of the match and after the game, I told him, ‘One day you will make it to the Premier League. You don’t know how good you are’."

Jude Bellingham left a touching comment on Gio Reyna's latest post celebrating the USMNT's CONCACAF Nations League triumph over Mexico on Sunday.

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• USMNT win CONCACAF Nations League
• Reyna dazzles and scores fine goal
• Bellingham shouts out former team-mate in comments

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international was full of love for his former Borussia Dortmund team-mate after his starring role in the United States' Nations League triumph on Sunday night. Reyna scored the second goal of the game after some delightful work from Christian Pulisic, crashing home a flying volley to make it 2-0 on the night. Reflecting on a memorable victory, Reyna posted a celebratory message on Instagram, with Bellingham one of many stars responding in support.

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• WHAT WAS SAID

  Reyna uploaded an Instagram with the words "About last night", and Bellingham commented "Cream always rises to the top". The pair spent three years together at Dortmund after the Englishman joined from Birmingham City in 2020.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reyna's effort in the final versus Mexico added to his two assists in the semi against Jamaica, which helped save the USMNT from an embarassing elimination. As a result of two incredible performances the 21-year-old picked up the Nations League Golden Ball award as player of the tournament. He will now be hoping such displays on the international stage will earn him some game time at Nottingham Forest. Thus far it has been a loan to forget, with Reyna accumulating just 38 minutes of football since signing in January.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  During their time at Dortmund, Bellingham and Reyna celebrated a DFB-Pokal win in 2020-21. As for the international stage, Sunday's triumph marks the second successive Nations League win for the USMNT, and the third since its inauguration six years ago.

Manchester City are believed to be keen on a mouthwatering transfer involving one of the brightest talents in all of world football, according to reports.

Man City news: Brighton victory, De Bruyne update, Phillips transfer news

On Saturday, City recorded a deserved 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium as goals from Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland cancelled out a reply from the visitors courtesy of Ansu Fati. Speaking in the aftermath of their triumph, Citizens boss Pep Guardiola afforded special praise to Belgian winger Jeremy Doku for his role in securing all three points, stating:

"After the West Ham game he didn’t play one or two (games) because of doubts he has to play game, game, game and he is not used to it. He is an exceptional winger.

"Jeremy is so smart in defensive areas and after, he has the quality. He got to the byline and got us the first goal and there were many actions. It’s the start of many years for him in this house."

In other news, a Kevin De Bruyne update from Football Insider claims that the midfielder could be made to wait for a new deal at the Etihad Stadium as concerns continue to mount regarding his injury record. The Belgium international is expected to be out until the New Year with a hamstring issue and there is reportedly "no urgency" from the Premier League champions to sit down for talks over a contract renewal, despite the fact that his current deal expires in the summer of 2025.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has issued a Kalvin Phillips update on the future of the midfielder, saying: "Understand both City and player side consider Kalvin Phillips’ January exit ‘very likely’ at this point. Kalvin will still fight to play as much as possible in the next two months but his plan is to be regular starter elsewhere in 2024."

Man City transfer update – Jamal Musiala

According to a Man City transfer update from Football Insider, it is believed that the Citizens are now exploring a deal for Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala, who also has interest in his services from Liverpool amid frustrations with his playing time under Thomas Tuchel.

One recruitment figure close to the situation has described the Germany international as a "potential world beater" to the outlet as his stock continues to rise at the Allianz Arena.

Champions League winner Musiala has managed to feature nine times in all competitions for Bayern Munich across all competitions this term, registering one goal and three assists in the process (Musiala statistics – Transfermarkt).

Maintaining an average WhoScored match rating of 7.06/10 for his exploits in the Bundesliga this campaign, Musiala is an extremely bright young player who could add another layer of elite quality to the Citizens' star-studded side.

The Reds have twice failed to defeat their hated rivals this season but simply have to triumph at Old Trafford on Sunday

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was in foul form after last month's FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Manchester United. The Reds had lost a derby in injury time at the end of extra-time that they really should have won in normal time. Klopp perhaps unsurprisingly took his frustration out on a journalist who had merely pointed out that his players lacked their usual level of relentless intensity.

That was obvious to Klopp too, of course. "That was the first time that I really saw my team struggling," he admitted afterwards. "But that's how it is – we have played a lot of football recently."

Hardly surprising, then, that Klopp joked ahead of Sunday's return to Old Trafford for a massive Premier League showdown that the big positive as far as he is concerned is that there won't be any extra-time. Some of his players look tired enough as it is right now.

Thursday's sluggish showing against Sheffield United certainly did little to quell the concern that injuries coupled with a congested fixture list might be slowly but surely catching up with Liverpool. There is an obvious fear among the fans that fatigue might once again hinder the Reds' hopes of overcoming a hated rival they have already failed to beat twice this season.

Truth be told, though, there can be no excuses this time around. Even a tiring Liverpool should easily beat a mediocre Manchester United.

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  'United a top side playing at home'

  Klopp has been understandably keen to talk up the threat posed by United. For all their wonderful attributes, Liverpool have developed a nasty habit of starting slowly. Thanks to their remarkable resilience, they usually turn things around.

  Indeed, Liverpool have won 26 points from losing positions in this season's Premier League – only three teams have ever won more over the course of an entire campaign. They very nearly completed a comeback in the cup clash at Old Trafford too, but, on that occasion, they actually allowed United to produce a decisive fightback of their own.

  Klopp is, thus, taking nothing for granted. "United is a top side playing at home, we all know that. So, we cannot just say, 'Let's do what we did from minute 15 to 70-something [in the quarter-final]'. Football is not that easy," the German said. "On that level, with this opponent, in this stadium, we better play a really good football game, to be honest, if we want something there."

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  United dangerous but fragile

  Klopp is right to be cautious, of course. United can indeed be a dangerous proposition in their own backyard. In fact, Erik ten Hag actually has a better win percentage at Old Trafford (71.7) than Sir Alex Ferguson (71.2). We're obviously talking about a much smaller sample size but let's not forget that it was United's home form last season that got them back into the Champions League.

  In Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, who has a habit of raising his game in these derbies (seven goals in total), United have players capable of hurting a Liverpool backline that has kept just one clean sheet in the league since the tail end of January.

  However, there is simply no getting away from the fact that Ten Hag's team is one of the most fragile in England right now. On Thursday night, they even managed to crack under the pressure against Chelsea's "billion-pound bottle-jobs".

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  'You don't know what United team will turn up'

  The 4-3 loss at Stamford Bridge perfectly summed up United. They fight for their lives and are capable of moments of magic but there is no solidity or structure about their game. It's all about vibes, meaning when they're good, they can be very good, but when they're bad, they're horrid – and the crazy thing is, we often see both sides of United in the same game. That's how erratic and unpredictable they are. They've won games they had no right to win this season (for example, both meetings with Aston Villa) but also thrown away victories in ludicrous circumstances (Brentford, Galatasaray, Copenhagen, and now Chelsea).

  As former captain Roy Keane said on , "You don't know what United team is going to turn up. We've seen it over the last few weeks. They were let off the hook by Liverpool in the cup game but United got the job done. We saw them [against Brentford] where they were rubbish – absolute rubbish.

  "The point I've been making for the last few weeks is that every team who plays against Man Utd finds it easy to open them up and get chances. If they give Liverpool the amount of chances they gave them in the cup game, they will be well beaten."

  They certainly should be, given the inability of the United midfield to protect a crumbling backline.

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  Lies, damn lies and statistics…

  Ten Hag has dismissed the significance of the statistics, which can, in fairness, be misleading at times, and pointed to the fact that only the Premier League's top three (Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City) have conceded fewer goals this season.

  However, the United defence that nullified Liverpool in a scoreless draw at Anfield in December has fallen apart since the turn of the year. The Red Devils have faced more shots than any other team in 2024 – and more overall than in any of their last 20 Premier League campaigns.

  Furthermore, for all Ten Hag's talk about having the fourth-best defence in the league, it's worth noting that he's the first United coach in the Premier League era to lose 12 games in one season – and there are still eight rounds remaining.

England star Leah Williamson has opened on her World Cup final regret ahead of her long-awaited return to action with the Lionesses this week.

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• Williamson missed England's World Cup final defeat
• Was sidelined for nine months with ACL injury
• Reveals 'worst decision' ahead of Lionesses return

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Williamson missed last summer's tournament in Australia and New Zealand due to an ACL injury. It robbed her of the opportunity to captain England at a World Cup for the first time, and in a campaign which saw the Lionesses reach the final.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  That injury also sidelined the defender for a long period, meaning she has not played for England since last April. She was set to make her return in February, until a hamstring problem delayed the comeback.

• WHAT WILLIAMSON SAID

  Speaking ahead of England's clash with Ireland, a game in which she will make her first appearance for her country in 12 months, Williamson talked about her experiences watching the Lionesses while recovering from her knee injury.

  Asked if she was as calm in those moments as she often is when on the pitch, she joked: "Being at the World Cup final and sitting next to Jill Scott was one of the worst decisions I've ever made in my whole entire life. Not being at the World Cup final, just sitting next to Jill! I just live and breathe it. I love playing for England but I also love watching England. I was not a calming presence, as I'm probably known for on the pitch. Not on the sidelines."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Williamson's last appearance for England came in April of last year, in a 2-0 defeat to Australia. When she returns to the pitch on Tuesday for the UEFA Women's Euro qualifier against Ireland, it will be two days short of exactly a year since that game.

After successfully qualifying for the Champions League last season, Newcastle United have once again flexed their new-found muscles in the current campaign, even defeating Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 on the European stage at St James' Park. Eddie Howe's side sit sixth and six points adrift of Liverpool in fourth as a result of their start, but will be hoping to bridge that gap in the coming weeks.

Howe will also be hoping to end the Magpies' wait for silverware, which could come in the Carabao Cup. His side recently reached the last eight of the competition in style as they thrashed a struggling Manchester United side 3-0 at Old Trafford. They will now meet Chelsea in the next round, where they will already have to cope without one particular player following recent news.

Newcastle United's Carabao Cup run

The Magpies have enjoyed an impressive cup run this season, defeating Manchester City in the third round, before travelling to complete the Manchester double by easing past last season's Carabao Cup winners. Their victory at Old Trafford was a particular statement, given that it was United who prevented Newcastle from winning the trophy at Wembley last season.

Hoping for a different outcome this season, Howe's side must overcome Chelsea now without Lewis Hall. According to Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, parent club Chelsea will not allow Hall to play for Newcastle in their last eight tie later this month. Following Matt Targett's injury, Newcastle must now either turn to regular choice Dan Burn at left-back or seek options from elsewhere in their squad.

It's a shame for Hall, who did so well to play his part in knocking Manchester United out in the last round. The Chelsea loanee volleyed home a superb effort to double Newcastle's lead just before the break.

"Talented" Lewis Hall's absence a blow for Newcastle

Whilst it's understandable why Chelsea are set to deny Hall a place for Newcastle in the last eight of the Carabao Cup, the left-back could have had the perfect opportunity to pick up where he left off at Old Trafford. With Burn securing Howe's starting left-back spot, Hall's opportunities may be limited outside of the domestic cups, making the Blues' decision all the more frustrating.

The 19-year-old will just be hoping that those who do play can get the job done, providing him with the perfect chance to continue his cup form in the final four of the competition. Howe was full of praise for Hall after his goal and performance against United, saying via Sports Mole: "He's a talented player. He can play various positions for us, which in our current position we are going to need. Lewis has been training well.

"He's been adapting to quite a big change in his life so for such a young player to move from London and settle in here, I think he's done it well. The best of him is yet to come, without a doubt. When you get an opportunity you have to take it, and Lewis has done that. His performance against Manchester City was very good, he's a player we really like."

BBC pundit and former Tottenham defender Alan Hutton believes one of manager Ange Postecoglou's "reliable" players could actually join a top European side soon.

Hojbjerg and Dier expected to leave Spurs

Despite being mainstays under former Spurs boss Antonio Conte, both Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are now facing very uncertain futures.

Dier's contract is set to expire in 2024 and there are no signs that the Englishman will be offered a renewal any time soon. The centre-back has only just come back into Postecoglou's starting eleven, playing their last two matches after Micky van de Ven's serious hamstring injury and Cristian Romero's suspension.

Dier's lack of pace isn't suited to Postecoglou's high defensive line, and when Tottenham's favoured centre-back pairing return, it is likely he will be relegated to the bench again.

Hojbjerg, meanwhile, has been repeatedly linked with a move to Europe following his lack of starting opportunities under Postecoglou this season. The Denmark star has recently come back into the fold amid Spurs' current injury crisis, but is still reportedly keen to leave Tottenham for pastures new in January.

Dier is a particularly curious case, as reports in the last week have suggested that European giants Bayern Munich, the new home of Spurs legend Harry Kane, are eyeing a "shock" move for the 29-year-old.

Hutton thinks Dier could join Bayern

Other claims state that the former Sporting Lisbon star would be interested in making that move (Football Insider), with Hutton thinking Dier to Bayern is a real possibility.

The former Scotland international cites Dier's ability as an astute, ball-playing centre-back for the transfer to be realistic – with Hutton suggesting his playing style would suit manager Thomas Tuchel down to the ground.

“If I’m totally honest, I think Tottenham will want to bring someone else in,” said Hutton on Dier to Football Insider.

“With van de Ven and Romero there, who have you got there that’s going to come in? There’s a lot of players that have been there for a number of years now and it’s not quite worked out. Dier’s been there for nine years now and you would think his Tottenham career is now over considering the last few weeks.

“Would he fancy it? Probably. You’re going to a team there where you’re probably going to win more often than not. He’d have a lot of the ball, he’s good with his feet and he can play out from the back so it’s probably something that he’ll think about.

“Ultimately I think it’s time for him to move on to something different. Obviously, Ange Postecoglou will want to bring in his own signings.”

Depsite his current form, Dier has been a faithful servant for Spurs since signing from Sporting all those years ago, with Conte calling him a "reliable" player.

"What I can tell you is that Eric has improved a lot since I arrived. We are talking about a reliable player, 100 per cent focused in every game. He is not a player who alternates with a big performance then a drop."