Tottenham Hotspur

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport journalist

Mohammed Kudus is quickly becoming Tottenham Hotspur's most influential player.

Since joining the club for £55m from West Ham this summer, the Ghana international has been a bright spark in Tottenham's midfield.

Now, having provided four Premier League assists, he finally has a goal of his own after scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory over Leeds at Elland Road.

"Kudus has made a really good start to his Tottenham career," said former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney, who is a pundit on Saturday's Match of the Day.

"He already had a few assists but was missing that goal and he's got it now."

Spurs backed new manager Frank in the transfer window, shelling out £181m on Netherlands midfielder Xavi Simons, Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel, centre-back Kevin Danso and Kudus.

Sources told BBC Sport at the time of Kudus' move that he had prioritised a switch to north London despite at least six top clubs enquiring about the 25-year-old.

He cited Frank as one of the main reasons for choosing Spurs - a decision that is now paying dividends, particularly with injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski leaving them lacking creativity at times this season.

Kudus has played almost every minute of Tottenham's league campaign so far, creating 13 chances in the league - behind only Jack Grealish (17), Bruno Fernandes (17) and Anton Stach (14).

Against Leeds, he contested 19 duels, winning 10 of them - more than any other player in the game.

Did you know?

• Kudus completed all six of his dribbles against Leeds United, the best 100% rate by a Tottenham Hotspur player in a Premier League game since Tanguy Ndombele against Aston Villa in March 2021 (also 6/6).

• Kudus has attempted 57 dribbles in the league this season, more than any other player in the league (Jeremy Doku second with 39).

• Of those 57 attempts, 30 were successful, which is also the best record in the league (Jeremy Doku second with 18).

Read full analysis of Kudus' strong Spurs start

Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures and Friday's action.

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• Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

• Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland

• Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

For Spurs fans, the opening 10 minutes at Elland Road were a tough watch.

Following a difficult trip to the Arctic Circle on Tuesday where Frank's side had to come back to scrape a 2-2 draw against Bodo/Glimt, they struggled to get into the game and were relieved to see Joe Rodon's header hit the post.

Injuries to playmakers James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have left Spurs lacking creativity but Mohammed Kudus is proving to be a superb addition for manager Thomas Frank.

The midfielder's assist for Mathys Tel took his tally for the season to four, the joint-most in the top flight so far this season, while his maiden goal came after he had blazed over the bar for 2-0 in the first half.

He also contested (19) and won (10) more duels than any other player in the game and completed all six of his dribbles - the best 100% rate by a Tottenham player in a Premier League game since Tanguy Ndombele against Aston Villa in March 2021 (also 6/6).

It was also a positive afternoon for French forward Tel, who has been left out of Tottenham's Champions League squad and therefore must take his chances when they come elsewhere.

He took his goal superbly but perhaps should have done better with his header just before the break, hitting the bar and missing the chance to restore Spurs' lead.

Leeds dug in at the end and it made for a nervy finale but the full-time celebrations told the tale of how important Spurs felt this win was.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank speaking to BBC Match of the Day after his side's victory over Leeds United: "We needed a win. The last three games we were without [one]. That feeling to get over the line, to get three points, was big.

"But also the respect for Leeds and Eland Road. We knew very well the task ahead of us. We overcame that in a very good way. I thought we played overall a really good game. We should have got more out of the dangerous situations. I know they hit the post and the goal, and right at the end there was carnage, but for the rest of the game I thought we defended superbly.

"I think the character was the foundation, to go here and get through the spells where everything was not perfect and to keep the focus. I felt that was Xavi Simons' best game for us.

"I am so happy for Mo [Mohammed Kudus]. Obviously scoring the goal because he wanted it. Not just a goal but a winner in a tight game. I also must mention Mathys [Tel]. He got his first goal of the season. He has had his set-backs so I am so, so happy for him.

"Elland Road is a very difficult ground to go to, I have experienced that many, many times. Their fans were very good, and so were our away fans."

Did you know?

• Tottenham Hotspur have won three of their opening four away Premier League games this season (D1), as many as in their final 13 away league games of last season under Ange Postecoglou (W3 D1 L9).

• Tottenham Hotspur have recorded their first Premier League win following a game in major European competition since February last season against Brentford (2-0), ending a run of eight matches without a victory (D3 L5).

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

Have your say on Leeds' performance

What did you make of Tottenham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, Getty Images

Daniel Farke names an unchanged Leeds side for the visit of Tottenham.

Leeds XI: Darlow; Bogle, Struijk, Rodon, Gudmundsson, Longstaff, Ampadu, Stach, Aaronson, Calvert-Lewin, Okafor.

Subs: Meslier, Justin, Bijol, Bornauw, Gruev, Tanaka, Harrison, Nmecha, Piroe

Cristian Romero starts and captains Tottenham, while Richarlison is on the bench.

Tottenham XI: Vicario, Palhinha, Xavi, Tel, Udogie, Romero, Kudus, Pedro Porro, Odobert, Bentancur, Van de Ven.

Subs: Kinsky, Danso, Richarlison, Gray, Bergvall, Johnson, Spence, Sarr, Davies.

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

• Leeds United v Tottenham (12:30)

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

• Manchester United v Sunderland - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Chelsea v Liverpool (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST 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 Arsenal v West Ham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Chelsea v Liverpool", for instance.

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

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham's attacking abilities have been brought into question, so how will they fair against a Leeds side they have scored four goals against in each of their past three encounters. BBC Sport explores some of the key themes going into Saturday's match.

After just one defeat in 10 under new boss Thomas Frank, criticism of fourth-placed Tottenham feels somewhat harsh, but grumblings at their lack of attacking cohesion are growing.

Spurs' top scorer so far this season is own goals with four, which tells its own story about what work Frank still has to do in the final third of the pitch.

Mitigation for their lack of creativity from midfield comes in the form of missing injured playmakers James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski. However, there remains plenty of attacking options, but making them gel is taking longer than anticipated.

No side in the Premier League has outperformed their expected goals as much as Frank's side, having scored four more goals than their xG of seven, a figure that a club is unlikely to sustain over the course of a season.

Also top of his to-do-list will be stopping his team having to rely on late equalisers to salvage a point, having done so in three out of their last four matches.

One thing the north Londoners do boast is an excellent record against Leeds United and have scored four goals in each of their last three encounters, two of which ended in 4-0 and 4-1 away victories. They have never won three league games in a row at Elland Road, while no side has ever scored four goals in three successive away league matches at Leeds.

Elland Road, though, has been a fortress of late and they have gone an entire year unbeaten in home league games dating back to 14 September 2024 versus Burnley.

Manager Daniel Farke has had the luxury of naming the same starting XI for three straight matches as their encouraging return to the top flight goes on with a record of two wins, two draws and two defeats.

After scoring only once in their first four games back in the Premier League they have notched five across their past two. All their top-flight goals this season has been scored by a different player, with Sean Longstaff becoming the sixth when he opened his account for the club in the draw with Bournemouth last week.

The ex-Newcastle midfielder is proving to be an astute signings so far. Since he made his first start for the club on 30 August, he has made the joint most tackles in the top flight (19), while the eight chances he has created can only be beaten by three players.

Set-pieces, which are the talk of the Premier League right now, could again dominate the narrative. Just three teams have netted more set-piece goals than Leeds' four this season, but the Whites have shipped six set-piece goals themselves – only West Ham have conceded more.

Fair play to Leeds, they have really surprised and impressed me so far. There is a good balance to their team because they carry a threat and can dig in too.

Apart from a heavy defeat at Arsenal, they have been competitive in every game so far and their good start would have been even better but for late goals against Fulham and Bournemouth.

Even so, they have got more points than I expected at this stage and Daniel Farke deserves a lot of credit.

I think there were question marks over whether he could manage at this level because of his Premier League record with Norwich but, as I've said before, he never really had the squad there to be able to compete.

Tottenham have had a difficult week, having to fight back to rescue draws against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt, and this is going to be another tricky game for them.

I can actually see it ending in another draw for Spurs. At least they played in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday night rather than Wednesday, but a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday is still far from ideal, and this Champions League campaign is going to stretch their squad.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Flora Snelson
BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Leeds United at Elland Road (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Cristian Romero is fit and will start after sitting out of the midweek trip to Bodo/Glimt.

• Dominic Solanke has had a minor procedure and Frank expects to know more about his future availability when they return from the international break.

• Randal Kolo Muani will not be available for Leeds, but has been back on the pitch over the past two days.

• Frank said the renewals of both Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur's contracts is "a big sign" that the players believe in the project.

• He said he has "quite a few [players] with leadership potential" since taking responsibility is "what creates the best teams".

• Frank is pleased his team have come back from a losing position three times in a row, and he said this resilience is key to the mentality his team are building.

• Leeds have done "very well" since promotion, giving very little away from open play, and Frank said his team are ready for this.

• Frank likes "everything about" Leeds academy graduate Archie Gray, who he says should "keep doing as he's doing".

Catch up with all of Friday's Premier League news conferences.

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur says he is "very happy" to have signed a new long-term contract at the club he loves.

The 28-year-old has made 122 appearances since signing from Juventus in 2022.

"I feel really good and I'm very happy to continue my story with this fantastic club," Bentancur said. "My family are happy. I have fantastic friends and team-mates who work hard every day.

"Winning the Europa League was a fantastic moment and we want to build on this now, to win more trophies.

"I want to enjoy many more years at the club."

Head coach Thomas Frank added: "It shows his belief in what we are building here and that we are starting a journey which we hope will be really special.

"Rodri is a big part of that. He's a fantastic midfielder who can dictate games and be the glue that holds the team together. He also has the ability to arrive in the penalty area, create goals and score them, too."

Thomas Tuchel has named his England squad for the upcoming international break.

The Three Lions face Wales in a friendly on 9 October, before a World Cup qualifier against Latvia on 14 October.

Chelsea's Cole Palmer is absent after suffering an injury, while there is no place for Manchester City's Phil Foden or Jack Grealish, who is on loan at Everton from City.

Tottenham and Manchester United are ahead of Fulham in the race to sign Middlesbrough's 23-year-old English midfielder Hayden Hackney. (Teamtalk), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Dan Roan
Sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

A decision on whether to scrap the Premier League's controversial Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and adopt an "alternative system" is "coming up", says chief executive Richard Masters.

The current regulations, introduced in 2015-16 to prevent clubs from overspending, allow losses of £105m over a three-year reporting cycle.

However, they have been criticised by several top-flight teams for limiting their ability to invest.

BBC Sport has been told a decision on any changes is likely to be made at a meeting in November.

In February, clubs chose to continue with PSR for the current season.

However a squad cost ratio (SCR) system of financial control was adopted by the Premier League on a shadowing, non-binding basis.

SCR is similar to Uefa's existing financial rules and allows clubs to spend up to a percentage of their total revenues on squad-related costs.

Nine of the league's 20 clubs already have to comply with Uefa's SCR as a result of qualifying for Europe. Both Chelsea and Aston Villa were fined by Uefa in July for breaching the rules.

Asked about SCR at the Leaders sports conference in London, Masters said: "We are talking to our clubs about an alternative system. That's not to say we don't think the PSR system works."

He added: "It's about closer alignment with European regulation, which is squad cost ratio, which is a revenue test. In Uefa, it's now set at 70%. Our system will be 85% because we always want our clubs to have the ability to invest.

"The Premier League has been built on the back of investment in which international capital flows [are] coming in. We don't want that to be to be stifled off."

Read more here

Nick Godwin
BBC Radio London reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Micky Van de Ven had a bad five minutes on Tuesday in Norway.

Tottenham's equaliser had been ruled out for a foul by him - a decision which caused him to argue bitterly with the referee.

Moments later he absolutely clattered into one of Bodo/Glimt's attacking players, earning him a yellow card and a talking to. He looked fit to burst.

I immediately cast my eye around the team to see who could calm him down. Then I remembered he was the captain and none of his team-mates appeared comfortable trying to rein him in.

As it turned out, Van de Ven didn't completely lose it. He stayed on the pitch and headed in the goal which sparked another comeback - but he trod a very thin line that night in Norway - something Spurs keep doing this season, not just from a disciplinary point of view, but in other areas too.

With the departure of Son Heung-min and injury to James Maddison, two of the obvious leaders in a Spurs shirt are now absent. Cristian Romero is captain, but it would be generous to describe him as an even-tempered presence on the field.

Van de Ven was the obvious choice to take over the armband on Tuesday, but Thomas Frank is going to have to ask some of the squad's other players to take a leading role as well.

The goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario, Joao Palhinha and maybe Pedro Porro need to shoulder some of that burden.

Either that or Tottenham's January plans will need to have 'leadership qualities' at the very top of the agenda.

Tottenham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest are interested in Parma's 23-year-old Argentine striker Mateo Pellegrino, but the Italian club do not want to sell him before next summer. (TuttoSport, via Parma Live - in Italian), external

Meanwhile, Spurs are set to agree a new contract with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, whose current deal runs out in the summer of 2026. (Athletic - subscription required), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Bardi
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Despite being in the Champions League, there was always the faint smell of the Europa League when Tottenham's fixtures popped out of the big computer at Uefa HQ.

Villarreal, Frankfurt, Monaco, Copenhagen, and our old friends Bodo/Glimt are not quite the glamour ties you dream of. Nevertheless, you have to step up and play like it is the top-tier competition - a standard Spurs failed to meet in Norway.

On Tuesday night, for large periods of time, it felt like last year's Ange Postecoglou European tour. There was no control, no shape and the fundamentals of elite football were missing. The team even looked like an Ange line-up as no new signing started. It was the familiar faces and weaknesses.

We were lucky to head in level at half-time. When the Norwegians doubled their lead, few were complaining and we began preparing for a painful post-mortem. But then something happened. The team that never got going, refused to quit.

Our new faces were flung on and the vibe immediately changed.

Xavi Simons offered moments of hope. His ability to draw fouls and link the play were a marked improvement from Lucas Bergvall's puppy-like energy and enthusiasm. Mohammed Kudus on the right suddenly had his opposition full-back pinned back and out of breath, and Archie Gray - the player we don't really know where to stick - decided to announce himself in a Spurs shirt.

The game swung to and fro, but each swing towards Spurs was better, stronger and, ultimately, you could smell the equaliser coming.

There are fundamental issues with this Tottenham, but when the new faces are on the pitch together, they stare down adversity and just get on with it.

Thomas Frank is clearly learning with every passing minute that there is so much work to do, but the hunger and desire are there for all to see. Those are solid building blocks, and four points from two Champions League games is progress. We just need to be a little less Europa League moving forward.

Find more from Bardi at The Extra Inch, external

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Tottenham's 2-2 draw at Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Here are some of your comments:

Nick: Excellent point away from home on a difficult surface against a very well coached team. Despite what you might read, for those that watch, Spurs have been showing a backbone for a while now. Growth takes time but tonight we saw some more green shoots.

Neil: Not bad from Spurs considering they only had nine real players on the pitch for most of the time - Johnson and Richarlison were just bystanders.

Tom: Spurs are a different gravy under Thomas Frank. More drive, movement and never say die attitude, much better to watch. True Spurs in my opinion. I'm sure they will continue improving too.

Barry: What happened to our flying start? This is two games in a row now that we've struggled massively against teams we should win against. Frank will need to turn things around if he wants us to win anything!

Joshua: An extremely bad performance in a game we should be winning. Thomas Frank got the setup wrong by starting Brennan Johnson and there were many stylistic flashbacks to the disasters of last season. However, to grasp onto a point does show the improvement in mentality but Frank needs to realise the mistakes he's making and sort them out.

Colin: Spurs keep on grinding out results when playing poorly. I thought the team selection was a little suspect, but at least we have the fight in us this year. We have had two lucky draws that we probably didn't deserve. We need to start performing and start beating the teams we really should be beating if we want this team to succeed.

Terry: To say Spurs were pathetic would be an understatement - they weren't good enough to be called pathetic. Awful passing, awful defending... how they managed to come away with a point is downright robbery. They should have got nothing. I thought they were dreadful last season but this performance was just as bad. Their overall performance was a joke. Absolutely shocking.