Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Very difficult afternoon. Bad performance. It's extremely painful to stand here after that game. We can only apologise to the fans for not performing better. I was very confident we could be competitive today. We weren't. That we need to look at with a cool and calm head and work out what we need to change.

"We didn't succeed to be aggressive enough, and we didn't win the duels.

"One thing for sure is that in hindsight, everything is much easier. I take always the full responsibility for the performances. That I need to look back to. We changed things at half-time, it was a tiny bit better, but the game was already over at 3-0. It doesn't matter what system we play if we don't win our duals.

"No matter how painful it is, and of course, this is the most painful defeat of the season, there are things we can take out of this game."

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to Sky Sports: "A very bad night for us. First of all, we have to apologise to the people that support us every day. They expected us to fight, and today we didn't fight. That's not negotiable to do in football in this level.

"It's a tough night, a very bad defeat, but we have to stick together. We have a big night on Wednesday but we need to stick together. Tonight we didn't show the things we are normally capable of.

"The emotions are high, but we need cool heads and apologise to the people that support us and have travelled today.

"I think we waited too much to get into the game. We were too passive. The game plan we prepared was different. Today we didn't fight. We have to apologise first of all for this. But we have to stick together and move on because on Wednesday we have a big night."

On Arsenal's second goal: "I think the way the game went it wouldn't have changed anything. There were three people in front of me so of course they impacted me. But we didn't lose the game for that."

Did you know?

• Tottenham Hotspur have recorded the two lowest expected goals totals in a Premier League game this season, 0.07 against Arsenal and 0.1 against Chelsea at the start of November.

• Richarlison's goal for Tottenham Hotspur (35.3 yards) is the furthest in the Premier League this season, and is also the furthest scored in a north London derby in the Premier League since David Bentley's goal for Spurs in October 2008 (35.7 yards).

Image source, Getty Images

It has been a mixed start for Thomas Frank at Tottenham whose conservative style of play since taking over means he has a fight on his hands to win over fans - and this result will have damaged that relationship further.

His team came into this game unbeaten from home in the league, but never looked like getting a positive result against their rivals.

Tottenham have not clicked in attack this season and average fewer than 10 shots per match, the third-lowest figure in the top flight.

That trend continued into this match with Spurs not having a shot in the first half, the second time that has happened this season (after their 1-0 home loss to Bournemouth in August).

Frank appeared to accept he had got his initial tactical plan wrong by making a half-time change to his team's shape - but Eberechi Eze's goal seconds after the restart effectively sealed Spurs' fate.

Tottenham are ninth in the league, but they are only three points below the Champions League places.

However, the Spurs manager is going to have to turn things around quickly before supporters decide they no longer want to watch his team put defensive solidity before creativity.

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

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

What did you make of Tottenham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Mikel Arteta names Piero Hincapie at centre back in place of the injured Gabriel Magalhaes. Mikel Merino continues upfront in place of Viktor Gyokeres who is also out injured.

There is positive news as Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli are back on the bench after injury.

Arsenal starting XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Merino

Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Mosquera, Martinelli, Norgaard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman

Thomas Frank reverts to a back three for the match with Arsenal. Kevin Danso comes in at centre back while Mohammed Kudus starts.

Tottenham starting XI: Vicario, Spence, Romero, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie, Palhinha, Bentancur, Richarlison, Odobert, Kudus

Subs: Kinsky, Tel, Gray, Simons, Bergvall, Johnson, Porro, Sarr, Muani

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

• Leeds United v Aston Villa (14:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times GMT

Follow all of the action and reaction from Elland Road here

Keep across everything from Emirates Stadium over here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Leeds v Aston Villa" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Tottenham".

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

Tottenham have got the best away record in the Premier League, with four wins and one draw so far, but this is their biggest test yet.

While Spurs have picked up some good results, I have still been disappointed with their frontline, and their attacking players have not really connected.

That is going to be the issue for them at Emirates Stadium, and the big difference with Arsenal is that you always feel like they are going to score. They are going to give a few teams a walloping, and Spurs could be one of them.

I started off thinking that this game was going to be reasonably close but, the more I think about it, the more I feel like Arsenal will win comfortably.

The Gunners have some issues too, with Gabriel out injured. He has been such a colossal player for them but Cristhian Mosquera can come into their defence, and I don't see it affecting them too much.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal begin a testing run of fixtures by hosting arch rivals Tottenham, who are unbeaten away from home in the league. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Sunday's 198th north London derby.

The Gunners' 10-match winning streak ended with a 2-2 draw at Sunderland but they are still in a commanding position – top of the Premier League and boasting a perfect record in the Champions League.

But this is the start of a tough week for Mikel Arteta's side, with the derby followed by Wednesday's home game against Bayern Munich – arguably Europe's most in-form team – before another match versus London opposition, away to Chelsea.

They will have to negotiate this period without key centre-back Gabriel, who faces a spell on the sidelines after being injured playing for Brazil against Senegal at Emirates Stadium last weekend.

Arsenal have previously suffered when the first-choice partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba has been disrupted, but they invested in quality cover this summer. Cristhian Mosquera, Spain Under-21s captain, arrived from Valencia, while Ecuador international Piero Hincapie joined on loan from Bayer Leverkusen.

Even so, Gabriel's absence is significant. Arsenal have won 64% of the Premier League games he has played in since arriving five years ago, compared to 40% without him.

He is also a potent set-piece threat, scoring 11 goals in the past two years – including the only goal in last season's win at Spurs.

Frank's first north London derby

The injury-time equaliser Tottenham conceded in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United means they remain winless at home in the league since the opening weekend.

Away from north London, it is a different story. Spurs are the only Premier League side yet to lose on the road this season.

Nonetheless, new head coach Thomas Frank has struggled to win over supporters with his style of play. His team have yet to click in attack, averaging fewer than 10 shots per match, the third-lowest figure in the top flight.

Tottenham were booed off in their last London derby under Frank, a 1-0 defeat by Chelsea earlier this month. They posted an expected goals total of just 0.1 in that defeat – the lowest by any team in a Premier League game this season.

Victory in Frank's first north London derby would be a huge statement, but history offers little encouragement. Spurs have won just one of their past 32 league visits to Arsenal.

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League will from next season move to a new system of Financial Fair Play (FFP) based on squad costs.

The clubs met in London on Friday to vote on three possible methods of replacing Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) got 14 votes in favour and six against, which is the minimum number that is required to exact a rule change.

Overall squad costs from next season will have to be limited to 85% of a club's revenue, although teams competing in Europe will have to adhere to Uefa's maximum of 70%.

Squad costs comprise player and manager wages, transfer fees and agents' fees.

Rules around sustainability, which set out a club's financial spending plans over the medium and long term, were passed unanimously.

Read more about the news and what it means here

Tasnim Chowdhury
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League has announced the start and end dates for the 2026-27 season.

The first round of fixtures will take place across the weekend of 22 August 2026 - a week later than previous seasons.

The later start allows rest time for players - 89 clear days from the end of this season, and 33 days from the 2026 World Cup final.

The Premier League said the delay was a "priority" for player welfare in an "increasingly congested global football calendar".

The final matches of the season will be played on Sunday, 30 May 2027, with all fixtures kicking off simultaneously as usual.

The season will end a week before the 2027 Champions League final, which will be on Saturday, 5 June.

There will be 33 weekend and five midweek fixtures - the same as the current season.

For the festive period, the Premier League have said no two match rounds will take place within 60 hours.

It has not been confirmed if there will be any fixtures on 24 December 2026.

However, as Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, the Premier League has said there will be more matches scheduled than this season, when there is only one.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium (kick-off 16:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Frank confirmed that Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray, Mohammed Kudus, Randal Kolo Muani and Pape Matar Sarr are all available for the weekend so he will now "need to make difficult decisions". However, Dominic Solanke "is not ready yet" and they want to be "as sure as we can be that there is no set-back going forward", so there was no timeframe on his return.

• On managing his first north London derby in the Premier League: "When you are in it, you sense it and feel this is important. You feel from the fans, you feel from the staff members, the players, the people that's been working here for years, this is the big one. I always say the next game is the most important game, but I'm very, very aware there is two games a year that are even more important - this is the first of them and we are ready."

• Asked about the chaos that can come with these matches, he responded: "The interesting thing is that probably both Mikel [Arteta] and I would like a little bit more controlled game, but it will probably end up [an] absolutely madhouse. Very, very enjoyable to watch for the outside people or fans. A game that can go anywhere. Everything can happen in that game."

• He added: "Definitely embrace controlled chaos or chaos we like to create, because I think chaos is also good. You can also be too structured, too fixed, we need a bit of chaos. Chaos is transitions. Chaos is high pressure. Chaos is set pieces."

• Frank joked that Tottenham's set-piece coach Andreas Georgson and the Gunners' set-piece coach Nicolas Jover are two of then best in the league because they both worked with him at Brentford, but on the challenge of this against Arsenal he said: "There's no doubt one of the battles we need to win in this game to win the game is set-piece battle. So can we can win that battle? Then we are halfway there because they are strong, we are strong and that will be a battle in itself."

• The Spurs boss said while it was a "special day" meeting with Manchester United and Chelsea - which he revealed in his new book - that is now "history" and he is "here now, another massive club and I'm very happy here".

Catch up on all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Arsenal are exploring a shock move for Napoli and Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay, 28, with Tottenham, Everton and Manchester United also interested. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal all retain an interest in Bournemouth and Ghana winger Antoine Semenyo, 25. (Talksport), external

Tottenham's search for a prolific goalscorer has focused on Porto and Spain forward Samu Aghehowa, 21. (Teamtalk), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

One of potentially the biggest moments in English football is coming on Friday, but precious few people understand how important it could be or even know about it.

The Premier League is considering 'anchoring' wages, which would cap the amount any club could spend on their squad at five times the smallest central Premier League broadcasting and prize money payout.

It is a complex argument. The league and some clubs are considering it because they want to ensure wage inflation does not continue to rise endangering their long-term financial security. From the other side - the players and their union, the PFA - this unnaturally limits the amount they can earn in what has until now been a free and open market.

Any changes to that position foisted upon the players without their prior consultation and agreement will not go down well. Remember, the players are the people that the paying public, the TV companies and the advertisers want to see, not a bunch of chairmen, executives and directors arguing over accounts, dividends and profit margins.

The game has increased the number of games played per season without consulting those who are physically doing it. No studies on how that will affect their health in the short and long term were considered, and so the PFA in England looks like it is finally ready to take a strong stand for its members.

Strike ballots are not unknown, I should know, as chairman of the PFA my name was on the bottom of every ballot paper when we last considered strike action over changes in working conditions. The modern owners may have forgotten, but we had 99% backing from our members.

Owners may think of footballers as ultra wealthy, mercenary, thickos who can easily be controlled - well they thought that last time and they lost.

It is time for serious and meaningful negotiation between equals and not a master and serf attitude from one side towards the other.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

Image source, Getty Images

After 17 winless years on Arsenal soil, 20 November 2010 was a wonderful day for Tottenham fans.

It had not always seemed that way.

Two goals down at half-time at Emirates Stadium, it appeared their agonies at their local rivals were firmly set to continue - and that Arsenal would surge to the top of the Premier League.

But everything was set to change.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp threw on Jermain Defoe for Aaron Lennon and, shortly afterwards, the England striker was involved as Gareth Bale lethally reduced the arrears to offer a semblance of hope.

Then, after Cesc Fabregas handled Rafael van der Vaart's free-kick in the penalty area, the Dutch forward stepped up to calmly level the match.

With just five minutes remaining, it was a goal from an unlikely source as centre-back Younes Kaboul glanced Van der Vaart's free-kick past a despairing Lukasz Fabianski and sent the Spurs fans wild.

The match was also noteworthy for the refusal of Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri to shake hands with compatriot and former team-mate William Gallas - a sour spot that only lent extra edge to this needling rivalry.

How Tottenham would enjoy a similar outcome when they travel across north London on Sunday to do battle once again with their fiercest rivals.

Can you name everyone who played in this game for Spurs?

Try our quiz

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off earlier than usual this year, with up to 17 Premier League clubs set to be affected by players jetting off to host country Morocco.

The tournament runs from 21 December until 18 January.

There has been no official announcement about which date clubs will have to release their players by - and it could vary depending on agreements.

Players could miss up to six, or in some cases seven, Premier League matches - plus FA Cup and Carabao Cup games - if they reach the final.

The group stages end on 31 December, so quickly eliminated players may only miss half that amount.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds do not have any players due to play in the 2025 Afcon - with Sunderland and Wolves losing the most players.

• Aston Villa - 1

• Bournemouth - 1

• Brentford - 2

• Brighton - 1

• Burnley - 3

• Crystal Palace - 1 to 4

• Everton - 2 to 3

• Fulham - 3

• Liverpool - 1

• Manchester City - 2

• Manchester United - 3

• Newcastle United - 0 to 1

• Nottingham Forest - 1 to 4

• Sunderland - 7

• Tottenham - 1 to 2

• West Ham United - 2

• Wolves - 5

Read the full article here to know which players will feature at Afcon

Al-Ahli and England forward Ivan Toney is ready to accept a huge pay cut to return to the Premier League in January, with Tottenham and Everton keen on the 29-year-old. (Teamtalk), external

Finally, Spurs are actively looking to sign a "world-class" goalkeeper in January. (Mail - subscription required), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport