Tottenham Hotspur

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Son Heung-min says "it's a dream" of his to captain Tottenham to European success.

The South Korea forward is one of the few Spurs players remaining from their 2019 Champions League final and, before Thursday's Europa League opener, the 32-year-old is plotting his route to success.

"There is no hiding - that is what we work for," Son said. "It's another big competition that everyone wants to win. It's going to be tough, a lot of games and travelling - which makes it harder.

"We have got to be ready and take it seriously, because it's a massive competition."

Son is closing in on a decade at the club, which he believes "has gone way too fast" and sometimes makes him "a little bit sad." With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, he said there have been no talks about extending his stay yet.

He also spoke about Rodrigo Bentancur, who was charged by the FA for using a racial slur against Son, Son said that he "can't say much" and they "just have to wait for the FA process," but spoke about the fondness he has for his team-mate.

"I love Rodrigo," Son said. "We have a lot of good memories. He apologised straight afterwards when we had a holiday. I didn't even realise that was what was going on.

"He sent me a long text message and you could feel it was coming from his heart. Afterwards, when he came to pre-season, he just felt really sorry and he almost cried when he apologised.

"We're all human and make mistakes. I love him. I have no problem at all we move on as team-mates, friends and as a brother."

Henry Brownsey
BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa League game against Qarabag (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news Postecoglou said they are "looking good" with no new injuries from the weekend. There are just the "obvious absences" of Romero, Spence and Reguilon - who have trained today but are ineligible for different reasons.

• On Tottenham's return to European football he said he's "really pleased to be back", adding: "I said last year there was a gap in our calendar that didn't help us at certain times of the year - not having that regular football and the challenge of playing different types of opposition and exposing the squad."

• He added: "The worst thing was sitting around watching other teams. It didn't sit well with me - so I'm a big backer of European competitions."

• On the football calendar: "I've spoken before that I think we're getting to a dangerous level of what our expectations are around players. They don't get a break between seasons anymore. It's going to get to a point where we're not going to have the best players out here playing and even worse probably breaking down for various reasons."

• On if he thinks players may take matters into their own hands: "They're the ones most affected so you'd understand if as a collective they are thinking about how much of this are we going to continually not have a say in?" He added that the clubs have a responsibility to protect their players and that is why they need to use their whole squad.

• Following claims Arsenal used the 'dark arts' against Manchester City, he was asked his opinion and said: "You make it seem like it's good vs evil - it's all part of the game. It's always existed. I don't believe in the dark arts - I don't know how to do it - it's just not in my make up, but I've seen it be a very effective tool." The Spurs boss says he won't be changing his own style, adding: "I am comfortable in my approach."

Follow the rest of the day's football news here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Spurs chairman Daniel Levy addressed multiple topics at the Tottenham Fan Forum this week, including Ange Postecoglou's future, the seeking of further investment in the club and on ticket pricing.

Levy, while sat next to both Postecoglou and women's manager Robert Vilahamn: “I'm incredibly proud of both our teams and our managers - I believe we are on the right track - we are going to have some ups and downs but we are in a good place.”

On signing young players: "Our view is we want to play a certain way. I don't think we're dictating to Ange that he can only sign a young player. He will sign who he feels is best for his team.”

On seeking a minority partner to invest in the club: "We announced with our last results that we believe this club needs a bigger capital base because we've got a lot of exciting projects on the horizon and we want to make further investment in the teams. Some form of minority investment is what we're looking for. We've got nothing to announce at the moment but we are in the market."

On criticism around the so-called withdrawal of senior concession tickets: “We announced a few months ago we would do a review of the whole concession policy at the club. We haven’t stopped senior season tickets as we have actually increased the number of seniors. What we said was we would review, we met the FAB (the Fan Advisory Board) last week, and we are going to form a working group. There is an underlying problem that as the time goes on, if we don’t reduce the number of concessions seats in the stadium, that our whole finance model will come into question. We can’t have a ticketing model where our revenue is falling. Matchday concessions are still available. We are not going to stop seniors, we are just putting a pause on it at the moment. We are going to engage with the FAB and see what solution we can come up with.”

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust remain against the ticketing measures as they seek to overturn the club policy.

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Tottenham forward Son Heung-min feels players "are not being looked after" with the number of games they are being asked to play.

The issue around the fixture calendar has come to the fore in recent weeks, with a number of players and managers speaking out on the topic.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has said players are "close" to going on strike in protest of the increased number of games.

With the expanded European cup competitions and Club World Cup, some top international players could play as many as 85 games this season.

"We can't control it," Son said at Tottenham's fan forum on Tuesday.

"We feel we are not being looked after when someone goes to the Euros, [has] only two weeks holiday and then back into pre-season to start the season. This is tough.

"We definitely need to make some changes, yes. What we want to see is quality games, not as many games as possible. If the games are as many as they are now, the players [will] get injured, will not perform as well and I think this is not what we want to see.

"We definitely need to change something and players need to step up and say something."

Ali Speechly
Fan writer

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If "making the most of an opportunity" had a face, it would look like Djed Spence.

In what was an unnecessarily stressful evening for players and fans alike, Spence was a breath of fresh air against Coventry, providing a much-needed injection of pace and positivity after replacing Destiny Udogie at half-time - a change that was apparently always in Ange Postecoglou's plans, but one which paid off in some style.

It is well-documented that Spence is not in our Europa League squad - a decision that seems all the more baffling after this recent performance. Instead of dwelling on what could have been, there is a solid argument to be made for Spence starting in the remaining domestic cup games and getting some minutes in the Premier League.

Although our squad is more robust than last season, we still lack significant strength in depth. Rotation is essential for any squad participating in multiple competitions, but will be all the more important for us - not only to avoid injuries and complacency among certain players, but also to give the whole squad valuable opportunities to practise the art of Angeball.

One of the reasons we were so poor against Coventry was the pressure placed upon a group of players who had largely never played a competitive game together before - and the somewhat unreasonable expectation that everything would just click. So, I do not think Ange should make as many as eight changes in future, but rotating squad players sensibly will definitely benefit us in multiple ways.

Spence is a useful example of how important it is for coaches to support every single player behind the scenes. As much as Ange has come under fire in recent weeks, Spence's performance is testament to the environment and culture that our manager must be fostering at the training ground and beyond.

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

Newcastle, Manchester United and Tottenham are among the clubs interested in Lille and England midfielder Angel Gomes, 24. (GiveMeSport), external

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

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

Here are some of your comments:

Tottenham fans

Ben: Excellent result, which should silence the doubters for a week. Real fans understand this is a journey and they need to get behind Ange and the process. This could kick start our season!!

Doug: Played like the Spurs that started last season. They were so much more clinical, played with intensity, were dangerous going forward and closed down everything especially after losing the ball. This is the way we want to see Spurs play, much more confidence in the team and so chuffed for Solanke and Johnson after the abuse they got off some so called fans.

Micky: After a disastrous start we recovered well. We tackled hard and fair, passed quickly and forwards and seemed to have a better game plan. It was good to watch and was a good game with Brentford adding to the game by not sitting deep and attacking when they could. Johnson played well and scored a good goal, hopefully he will continue to improve.

Dan: Feels like a big three points, but I never doubted Ange in the first games either. We were dominating games, so wins were coming. We saw that today and there'll be more of that to come. Solanke is going to be a class striker. He's just warming up. Brennan Johnson is on fire too. Much to look forward to.

Brentford fans

Ian: Great start, then it seemed we did not know what to do as after that it was poor passing, a lack of attacks and again being defensively naive in my opinion.

Tim: Our lack of squad depth does for us once more. We huffed and puffed, but gave away sloppy goals when pressed. Did well to hang on to 2-1 at half time and looked better second half but needed a Jensen or a Norgaard to steady the midfield. Schade will get there, but seems low on confidence just now. Carvalho is a class above and Sepp van den Berg is great too.

Brandon: A bit unlucky overall, I think we deserved a point. The late Spurs goal was always a possibility when throwing everything forward looking for the equaliser. But we're already playing with an injury depleted squad and it's only match number five. With a tiny Premier League budget we can't buy the cover, so maybe the physio team need replacing?

Cliff: We have to be more than good losers. We gave the ball away far too often. Assists by Pinnock and Yarmolyuk for their first two goals; Maddison offside for the third. Put Ajer upfront in Toney's place and then we can benefit again from long balls.

Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all interested in Sporting and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 26. (Teamtalk), external

Meanwhile, Spurs, Nottingham Forest and Brighton are keeping an eye on 19-year-old Turkey forward Semih Kilicsoy, who is at Besiktas. (CaughtOffside), external

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

Gary Lineker presents highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 3-0 Bournemouth

• Crystal Palace 0-0 Manchester United

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Since the start of last season, Brentford have dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League (36), while only Manchester City (30) have won more points from behind than Tottenham (28).

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

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Every striker is keen to get their first goal of the season as soon as possible.

But that desire is that much greater when you have made a big-money move to a new club.

So for Dominic Solanke, there was no doubt a significant amount of relief, when he saw the ball hit the back of the net early on against Brentford.

It was only his fourth game for Tottenham since a £65m switch from Bournemouth but where strikers are concerned - especially expensive new ones - it doesn't take much before talk of a droughts begin.

With a simple tap-in to equalise at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Solanke has put a stop to end such conversation but it even started.

That it came in a winning cause and as part of an accomplished, selfless individual performance is no bad thing either.

Now having broken his duck and a weight lifted, Spurs will hope that Solanke is now able to flourish and show the kind of form that persuaded them to splash out on the 27-year-old forward.

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Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke speaking to BBC Match of the Day on scoring his first goal for the club: "[It feels] fantastic. To get the win here meant a lot to all of us. We have had some great performances to start the season but haven't managed to get the to match that so today we wanted to mix them both together. Today we did that."

On Brennan Johnson: "It's magnificent and Brennan is a great player. In the last two games he has had two great finishes and helped the team massively so great credit to him. We're all happy for him.

"Everyone in the team loves and helps each other so it's a great spirit."

On his own confidence levels: "As a striker it's always important to get that first goal and I managed to get that today which I'm happy with so hopefully I can continue in this way.

On the team's performance: "We have been playing well all season but sometimes you don't get the results you deserve, but if you keep going, keep sticking at it and playing the way we want to play it's going to happen."

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou speaking to BBC Match of the Day after his side's win against Brentford: "It was a good win, a good performance. Our performances have been good all year but today we got the result as well which is the most pleasing bit. We should have won by a fair bit more but we still got the job done."

On the third goal: "You're always keeping the opposition in the game [at 2-1] and it's been the story of our season so far. It was a quality goal from three of our four captains, who I think got involved in it. It was important to finish the game off."

On Dominic Solanke: "Dom worked his socks off. He was gone at the end. He is still getting back to match fitness, but I know he is going to provide so much for us in that central position. All strikers love goals so it will be a great moment for him especially at home."

On Brennan Johnson: "He's had a top week, he's scored two goals, he's won us a game to get through in the [League] Cup. Life's good. Sometimes going through tough moments gives you perspective of what's important."

On Manchester United: "We've got a Europa game in the week so that will be our focus and then we'll look at Man United. It's a big game."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

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What did you make of Brentford’s display?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Follow reaction and read the match report

Eight matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

All kick-off times BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries:

• Liverpool v Bournemouth

• Crystal Palace v Manchester United

Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week five, he takes on singer-songwriter and West Ham fan James Smith whose debut album, Common People, is out now.

Tottenham host Brentford on Saturday at 15:00 BST.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou made changes for their Carabao Cup game against Coventry and, while they won and the end justified the means, you have got to say it looked pretty dicey for them when they trailed 1-0 after 88 minutes.

A lot has been made about Postecoglou talking about always winning a trophy in his second season, but I have heard what he said and it has been taken out of context. Now, no matter what he says about it, people are going to use it as a stick to beat him with.

This is a tricky game for Spurs and no-one is surprised anymore by the organisation we saw from Brentford against Manchester City last week, or how devastating they were when they got a chance early on.

But the Bees are without Yoane Wissa after his injury at Etihad Stadium, and he is a big miss for them.

My worry for Spurs at the moment is that, this season, they have not been as clinical or creative with the final pass when they get in the final third of the pitch as they have been previously under Ange.

They will have to be better at that here, but they are at home and I am backing them to get over the line.

James's prediction: 2-1

Brentford are a decent team but I still think Tottenham will find this much easier than they did against Arsenal last weekend. 2-1.

Read their full predictions and have your own say here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter at Tottenham Hotspur training ground

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No matter what the conversation around Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou appears focused on what he believes is right - whether popular with sections of the supporters or not.

The 59-year-old spoke at length in his news conference about the atmosphere around the club, injuries and getting Dominic Solanke firing after an ankle injury disrupted his process.

His direct, open and honest communication style is refreshing but, at times, that honesty can leave reporters feeling uncomfortable as he can sometimes issue prickly responses.

And his single-minded belief in what he is doing sometimes frustrates supporters, who do not feel listened to and wonder if he lacks the ability to change when his ideas are not working.

Yet, there has to be some appreciation that Postecoglou is a manager making decisions that are designed to be of long-term benefit to Spurs, including making eight changes in the Carabao Cup to give minutes to wider squad and young players despite risking defeat at Coventry in midweek.

The best way to lift pressure will be by winning more consistently.

The performances in the Premier League have been good but need to be matched by results, starting with Brentford on Saturday, to satisfy growing impatience among some supporters in north London.