Tottenham Round-Up, Sunday 8th November: VAR Fury Dominates After Leeds Defeat, Plus Porro Decision and Transfer Talk
Spurs saw their three-game winning run ended with a 1-0 defeat at Leeds United, and it's the fallout from Elland Road that dominates the headlines this evening (Spurs Web). The big talking point is Jayden Bogle's challenge on Mathys Tel, which went unpunished by referee John Brooks despite a VAR review, and Tottenham are now set to lodge a formal complaint over the decision (Football.London) (Spurs Web). Former officials have since waded in, with Mike Dean among those suggesting Spurs were hard done by (Spurs Web) (Football.London). Xavi Simons also took to social media to air his frustration at what he sees as inconsistency from VAR (Spurs Web), while Roberto De Zerbi admitted he was "surprised" by the non-decision in his post-match thoughts, with Daniel Farke also giving his take (Spurs Web). De Zerbi was shown a yellow card himself during the game and has now been hit with a touchline ban as a result (Evening Standard) (Spurs Web).
The injury to Mathys Tel looked a nasty one, with the forward seen leaving Elland Road on crutches, and De Zerbi has since given an update on the extent of the problem (Spurs Web). It leaves Spurs' options out wide even thinner for now. Destiny Udogie, who was missing from the squad altogether at Leeds, posted what's been described as a strange fitness update of his own on social media (Spurs Web). James Maddison also didn't feature, and De Zerbi has explained why he wasn't introduced as Tottenham searched for an equaliser, revealing the playmaker hasn't featured for a fortnight (Spurs Web). Looking ahead, De Zerbi faces a nightmare scenario of his own, with Football.London reporting he'll miss the Ipswich Town clash after the international break (Football.London).
It wasn't all doom and gloom from Yorkshire, though, as Sandro Tonali reflected honestly on what he found tough about the defeat and the recurring mistakes Spurs made on the day (Football.London), while Luca Williams-Barnett again caught the eye, with Football.London suggesting he's given De Zerbi a timely reminder of his quality (Football.London). Captain Micky van de Ven has since named the teenager as the most naturally talented player at the club (Spurs Web), and Spurs Web reports Tottenham are now leaning towards keeping Williams-Barnett rather than loaning him out in January (Spurs Web). Elsewhere, former Spurs man Jamie O'Hara didn't hold back on his criticism of Omar Marmoush and Dominic Solanke after their struggles in front of goal at Leeds, branding one a "fraud" and labelling the display "absolute garbage" (TeamTalk) (Football365).
On the transfer front, TeamTalk claims Pedro Porro has made up his mind on his next move, with the full-back said to be shunning interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in favour of a return to LaLiga (TeamTalk) (Football365). Spurs have also been linked with a move for a Barcelona left-back valued at £33million as a possible solution to their Udogie situation (Spurs Web), while reports suggest De Zerbi is keen on bringing Morgan Gibbs-White to the club (Spurs Web) and that Tottenham face competition from Juventus and Everton for Monaco striker Folarin Balogun in January (Spurs Web). TeamTalk also reports Spurs are among the clubs tracking a highly rated centre-back (TeamTalk), and Football365 says De Zerbi has reached a decision over interest from Leeds in Conor Gallagher (Football365). Spurs Web's latest roundup also touches on a possible battle with Arsenal for transfer targets and a Harry Kane clause (Spurs Web).
Away from the first team, Tottenham's Under-21s suffered defeat to Chelsea in Premier League 2 (TottenhamHotspur.com), while the women's team had a much better Sunday, beating Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 in the WSL, with head coach Martin Ho pleased with how his side adapted after a slow start (TottenhamHotspur.com). Sadly, the club also announced the death of former goalkeeper Barry Daines at the age of 75, with tributes pouring in for the cult hero who made 146 league appearances after joining as an apprentice in 1969 (The Sun). Off the pitch, Tottenham have launched a new initiative aimed at tackling the NEETs crisis locally, pledging 150,000 new opportunities (Spurs Web), while CEO Vinai Venkatesham has spoken about the club's academy strategy following the summer sale of Will Lankshear (Spurs Web).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
