Tottenham Hotspur may only have picked up a point from Saturday’s North London derby against Arsenal but Harry Kane managed to create history.

The Englishman converted a second-half spot-kick to cancel out Aaron Ramsey’s opener at Wembley to share the spoils.

However, that singular strike not only earned his club a point but ensured he becomes the new goal king of the fixture.

Saturday’s strike was the Englishman’s ninth goal in only his ninth match against the Gunners in the competition to climb as the derby all-time goalscorer.

What that means is that he overtakes Emmanuel Adebayor in the rankings and is now four ahead of Gareth Bale as Spurs’ top scorer in this fixture.

More impressively, though, no player has broken Arsenal hearts like Kane in the competition in equivalent game ratio.

Wayne Rooney and Robbie Fowler are the only players to have managed more against the Gunners, albeit from significantly more matches.

The ex-Manchester United skipper plundered 12 goals against Arsenal from 29 matches, while Fowler struck 18 in 19 games.

Kane’s penalty, though, was his fourth scored against Arsenal and the 18th converted in this fixture.

Here’s to many, many more.

Whilst this individual accolade is great, Tottenham and their fans will be more concerned about how the team have performed collectively since Kane has returned to fitness.

Following the loss against Burnley, and an uninspiring performance against Arsenal, Spurs could yet be sucked into a top four race, something that appeared unthinkable just a couple of weeks ago.

Kane needs to keep scoring, but Pochettino must find a way for the whole team to perform when the England captain is leading the line.

If there was any lesson from Mauricio Pochettino’s angry exchange with referee Mike Dean after a damaging defeat at Burnley, it was a sign that Tottenham’s Premier League title hopes were over.

Spurs stay in third place, but six points behind Liverpool who shared the spoils with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

 It was understandable why the Argentine reacted in that unusual manner. Most decisions went against his team including a corner that led to Burnley’s opener.

A remorseful Pochettino later said he had “crossed the line” and would “maybe” apologise to Dean.

But the damage had already been done.

Chris Wood opened the scoring for the hosts early in the second half, rising high to head home Dwight McNeil’s inswinging corner – his fourth goal in as many games.

Harry Kane, who was making his first appearance since January, restored parity, latching on to Danny Rose’s quick throw before Ashley Barnes tapped in Burnley’s winner late on.

Burnley rise to 14th and are now six points clear of the relegation places.

But at Turf Moor Spurs came unstuck, as Ashley Barnes netted a late winner after Kane had cancelled out Chris Wood’s opener.

Pochettino has been criticised for failing to bring any silverware to North London and it looks like the wait will continue.

The pressure will definitively mount should Spurs continue to fall away from the league leaders and into a top four battle.

Kane was left utterly disappointed by the outcome.

“It’s very disappointing,” Kane told Spurs’ official website. “It was one of those games, a tough battle, a dry pitch, we know how Burnley play, especially at home and it was physical.

“We did well to get back into it at 1-1, but we couldn’t find the next level to push on and get the win and then, unfortunately, we conceded again.”

Kane’s frustration is clear. Manchester City and Liverpool, Spurs’ title rivals have shown more consistency.

Should the Lilywhites fail to get their act together, then the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and United may ultimately beat them to top four and leave many of the clubs top players long term futures in doubt.

Despite making huge improvements in recent seasons, Spurs fans have seen their team ultimately crumble when it matters in the Premier League in the last few years. Pochettino’s biggest regret must be not tipping Leicester City to the title a few seasons ago.

It looks like this season will be the latest near miss for the club in terms of winning the league.

Tottenham have shown their superiority over Arsenal in recent derbies, and I expect this one to be no different. Spurs will be boosted by the fact that Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris are all likely to be passed fit for the fixture between the two sides. Here’s the XI I think we’re likely to see defeat the Gunners…

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Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris

Captain Hugo is likely to be back for this game, and he’ll certainly be welcomed back to the XI with Arsenal likely to test the keeper more than some of Spurs’ recent opponents.

Defence: Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Jan Vertonghen

This back three worked well in the last fixture and with Alderweireld still sidelined, I expect to see a similar back three against the Gunners. Dier can, of course, step into midfield at any point in order to make a midfield five.

Midfield: Serge Aurier, Harry Winks, Moussa Dembele, Danny Rose

Aurier and Rose pick themselves in the eleven for me. I think we need both of their passion in this eleven and their attacking ability on the flanks. Winks and Dembele can form a great partnership in the middle of the park.

Attack: Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen

Alli, Kane and Eriksen as a front three has a bit of everything. Kane will surely score against Arsenal again, he always does. Alli can come inside and support the striker, whilst hopefully Eriksen can bring his incredible international form into the picture.

The victory over West Ham was a lot more complicated than it needed to be. Tottenham were clinical in the first half but in the second half a mixture of errors and disorganisation nearly saw Pochettino’s men drop a 3 goal lead. Not acceptable, and the players at fault for that should, in my opinion, sit out for a few games.

1 – Serge Aurier

Need I say more? The problematic full-back showed why PSG were so happy to let him go this summer as he put in a sluggish and ill-disciplined performance. Whilst the two tackles he was booked for were not overly malicious, they were just stupid – and for me, it was a matter of time before he got sent off as he struggled positionally all afternoon. I do feel as if Aurier’s pace makes up for his lack of tactical discipline at times and he certainly has a lot to learn before becoming a regular at Tottenham. I’d certainly like to see Trippier back in the side for some time now.

Spurs travel to Goodison Park looking to avoid a run of three straight games without a win in the Premier League. After an uninspiring performance against Burnley, the players will not only be fighting for the three points, but a place in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting line-up against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

Victor Wanyama was injured in the warm-up against Burnley and will have to sit out of this one as a result. Danny Rose, Erik Lamela and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou are all ruled out as they recover from long-term injuries. Here is your Spurs predicted line-up to face Everton.

GK: Hugo Lloris

I think Mauricio Pochettino will make a few changes in this one to shake the team up a bit, but Lloris will surely keep his place.

CB: Davinson Sanchez

It was far from the perfect debut at Wembley for Sanchez. I felt a little bit of sympathy for him as he came onto the pitch just seconds after Burnley equalised at the death. He should get a proper chance here to show us what he can do.

CB: Toby Alderweireld

The arrival of Sanchez should not split or break the strong partnership of Alderweireld and Vertonghen, it should compliment it. I expect the Belgian duo to keep their places in this one.

CB: Jan Vertonghen

Wayne Rooney could still start a week after being charged with drink driving and he will have to be on the minds’ of the back three. The former England international has made a good start to the season and the primary goal will be for them to stop him hitting the back of the net.

RWB: Serge Aurier

I back Aurier to make his debut here. Securing a deadline day move, the Frenchman has had a few days to settle in after the international break and could make his first start at Goodison Park.

LWB: Ben Davies

Davies has looked a little more adventurous going forward this season and created a good chance down the left for Harry Kane against Burnley. With a three at the back system, he will have more license to get forward and create some more chances.

The Wembley hoodoo continues. Spurs failed to win yet again at the National stadium as Burnley grabbed a last gasp equaliser to snatch a point through new signing Chris Wood. Dele Alli opened the scoring for Spurs early on in the second period, but the Lilywhites failed to see the game out, a lapse in concentration allowing Wood to get his Burnley career off the perfect start, sending the Burnley fans into pandemonium in the away end as they grabbed a priceless point. 

It was an underhwelming performance from Mauricio Pochettino’s side. The regularlity of misplaced passes was the most I have seen in a long while, whist wing-backs Ben Davies and Kieran Trippier did little to trouble the Burnley back line. The lack of game management in the final minutes was certainly a key reason why Burnley were allowed to score their equaliser late equaliser. Why not just take the ball into the corner? Here are the Spurs player ratings from the disappointing draw with Burnley.

Hugo Lloris- 6

Made a good save in the second half to deny Burnley. Not too much he could have done about the goal, but his kicking does certainly need to improve

Kieran Trippier- 4

Not too much of a threat going forward, didn’t get into the positions he needed to be in to put in that brilliant delivery we know he is capable of. Let Chris Wood ghost in at the back post to score the equaliser, a ball he should have been cutting out.

Toby Alderweireld- 6

Solid from Alderweireld, playing the sweeper role so well as he always does and was there to deal with some dangerous situations effectively.

Jan Vertonghen- 6

Much the same performance as Alderweireld. In fairness to the defensive duo, not much from Burnley came down the middle. Much of Spurs’ build-up play was slow yesterday, and while this is not the defence’s fault, quicker passes from the back might help to rectify this.

Ben Davies- 5

Looked to get forward and supply, but did this with very little success. Despite his outspoken comments a couple of weeks ago, the sooner Danny Rose is back, the better for me. Not a bad performance from Davies, but Spurs are missing the attacking threat of Rose.

Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham welcome Antonio Conte’s Chelsea to Wembley for the first home game of the new season in a match of significant importance so early in the campaign.

Pundits and fans alike have cast many doubts over Tottenham’s chances of Premier League success this season and many have stated the coming season will be a struggle due to playing at Wembley. This shouldn’t be an excuse for any shortcomings this season, but Spurs’ record at the National Stadium speaks for itself. Spurs won just once in five visits to Wembley last season including an embarrassing aggregate loss to Gent in the Europa League, so you can see why fans are not brimming with confidence.

So, the visit of the Premier League champions brings with it the perfect opportunity to silence early season critics and doubters. Revenge will be on the minds of the Spurs players following last season’s 4-2 FA Cup semi-final defeat where the introduction of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard won the game for the Blues.

Two players Spurs will not have to face on Sunday are Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic, who have caused the Lilywhites problems in the past. Costa’s future seems uncertain at this moment in time, but it appears he will not be playing anymore football at Stamford Bridge. The decision to sell Matic has puzzled many and is clearly a decision that does not sit well with Antonio Conte.

The loss of two key players has not been easy for Chelsea as they fell to a shock 3-2 defeat to Burnley, who one just once away from Turf Moor last season. Alvaro Morata getting on the scoresheet is one of the few positives Chelsea fans can take from the opening day loss, but Morata missing a sitter, denying another goal and ill-discipline will be on the minds of many going into this Sunday’s trip to Wembley.

By contrast, Spurs got their campaign off to a winning start to Newcastle, running out 2-0 winners over Newcastle, Dele Alli and Ben Davies getting on the scoresheet. Until the sending off of Jonjo Shelvey just four minutes into the second half, Spurs failed to create many chances and didn’t really look like taking all three points. This is something that surely will be on Mauricio Pochettino’s mind ahead of Sunday.

Both seeing red on Saturday, Chelsea will be missing key creator Cesc Fabregas and captain Gary Cahill, which could prove big misses for the Blues. Spurs on the other hand will be without Danny Rose and Erik Lamela whilst Georges-Kevin N’Koudou and Kieran Trippier are also unlikely to make the matchday squad which could mean another chance to impress for young Kyle Walker-Peters.

What do you see as the outcome for this one? Take a look at the best bookies & offerings on this one. I think Tottenham are good value for the win. Moreover, I think we are going to be in for an entertaining match on Sunday. Antonio Conte will be demanding a big response from his players after Saturday’s defeat while Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be keen to banish those Wembley woes. I would not be surprised if this one ended in a draw.

Spurs got their Premier League campaign off to a winning start with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle at St. James’ Park on Sunday afternoon. Goals from Dele Alli and Ben Davies were enough to see off the Magpies.

The first forty-five minutes were an uneventful affair with few chances for either side. Newcastle started the better but Spurs grew into the game, Christian Eriksen trying his luck from distance a couple of times but with little success.

The game changed early on in the second half when Andre Marriner sent off Newcastle captain Jonjo Shelvey for a stamp on Dele Alli. A stupid act right under the nose of the referee that saw him rightly sent for an early bath.

Spurs immediately looked to capitalise on their one man advantage and cashed in just after the hour mark. Christian Erisken floated a lovely ball over the top to Dele Alli, who made no mistake with a volleyed finish into the back of the net past Rob Elliot.

Just ten minutes later it was 2-0. A little bit of fortune involved perhaps, but Ben Davies reacted quickly to slide the ball past Elliot and to double Tottenham’s advantage, which they were able to hold onto right up until the final whistle.

Mauricio Pochettino faced a tough team selection at the start of the game. He appeared to be torn between playing a back three with Moussa Sissoko at wing-back or a back four with Kyle Walker-Peters at right-back. Both played in a 4-2-3-1 system and the youngster Walker-Peters impressed on his debut.

The full-back showed little signs of nerves, looked to pose a threat going forward and effectively dealt with the pace of Christian Atsu which even some of the best full-backs struggle to do when he is on the top of his game. His final ball could have been better and it is fair to say he doesn’t quite have the same pace as Kyle Walker or Kieran Trippier. His performance led to one Spurs fan claiming that there is now no need to sign a right-back this summer. Here is how Spurs fans reacted on Twitter.

Walker-Peters has been excellent, best player on the park. Who said he wasn’t ready? Spurs in control, but lack of pace is v obvious #COYS

— Ben Harris (@thisisbenharris) 13 August 2017

Getting in early here, round of applause for Poch over Kyle Walker Peters, hasn’t put a foot wrong today & looked so composed. #COYS#THFC

— Ricky Sacks 🎙 (@RickSpur) 13 August 2017

Walker-Peters deserves MoM, for his defensive display against a very tricky confident winger like Atsu

— arunSpurs (@arunspurs) 13 August 2017

Walker-Peters was outstanding. Saw some of the best bits of Walker & Trippier in there, looking forward to watching him develop over time 👍🏻

— Boggo (@Boggo1) 13 August 2017

Very encouraging start to the season and brilliant to see Walker-Peters perform so well on his debut. 👏 #COYS #newtot

— Joe Alexander (@JoeAlexander1) 13 August 2017

In all seriousness though, no need to source a right back.

Kyle Walker-Peters with an incredibly composed performance#NEWTOT #COYS

— Dan Tracey (@dantracey1983) 13 August 2017

Once fit, Kieran Trippier I am sure will stay the first choice right-back, but Kyle Walker-Peters may have just eliminated the need to buy a new right-back with the performance that earned him the Man of the Match award.

It’s finally here. Spurs make the trip up North to face Newcastle on Sunday afternoon in their season opener looking to make a strong start to season where Liverpool and Chelsea have already slipped up. 

Heung-min Son could be fit but might only make the bench whilst Erik Lamela, Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier all miss out through injury. Here is your Spurs predicted line-up to face Newcastle.

GK: Hugo Lloris

Was the first choice keeper at the end of last season, and I expect that nothing has changed over the summer.

CB: Eric Dier

I’m going to say that Mauricio Pochettino will deploy a back three against Newcastle and I expect the versatility of Eric Dier to be used once again to play on the right of a back three.

CB: Toby Alderweireld

Still no progress on a new contract for Alderweireld, but there has been little speculation regarding a move away which can only be a positive. I expect him to make the starting line-up here.

CB: Jan Vertonghen

Vertonghen and Alderweireld formed a strong partnership at the heart of the Spurs defence last season and managed to maintain the best defensive record in the league. The Belgian duo will be key to any defensive success that Spurs have this coming season.

RWB: Moussa Sissoko

A few weeks ago, Sissoko might not have been in Pochettino’s plans to play at his old club. However, a solid performance against Juventus combined with the injury of Kieran Trippier might just hand Sissoko a much needed chance to impress early on this season and start to prove he was worth the £30m paid last summer.

LWB: Ben Davies

With Danny Rose injured and possibly on the naughty step, it is more or less guaranteed that Davies will be starting here unless Pochettino decides to play Heung-min Son at left wing-back which I suggest he doesn’t after the disaster in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

USE THE NAVIGATION BELOW TO SEE THE REST OF THE LINE-UP

It’s been a consistent season from Tottenham and certainly one that has seen them surpass the expectations. Overall it’s not been great though, the disappointment in Europe was particularly poor – but there’s still time for this to be one of the clubs best in their history.

We caught up with Jonathan Lewis, spurs fan and tipster at FootballPredictions.com. According to Jonathan: “Tottenham face a massively tough task if they want to dethrone Chelsea from the top of the Premier League, but they do have to ensure that they finish the season as runners-up, and get to the final of the FA Cup, anything less would, in my opinion, make the season a poor one”

Tottenham are one club playing without pressure, surpassing expectations in their current league position, whilst the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal continue to underperform each week.

What Tottenham need to do is to show that they aren’t serial bottlers and they only way they can do that is by finishing the season strong. If the club manage to win the FA Cup and finish 2^nd in the league, the whole of Europe will take notice.

Tottenham have to ensure they go into the summer looking like a top European club. They need to make better signings than they have previously to help take the team to the next level – and the club will only attract world class players if they achieve something significant. Tottenham do not have the history of clubs like Manchester United to fall back on in transfer dealings. Tottenham also need to ensure star players like Harry Kane and Dele Alli want to stay at the club, with interest from the likes of Real Madrid being reported.

But the most important thing for Tottenham to do this summer is to keep Mauricio Pochettino at the club. The manager has done wonders with his team and is a tactical genius. With the likes of Barcelona on the hunt for a new manager, Pochettino could well be on the wishlist of some top clubs this summer and if Spurs lose him, they’d lose all the momentum the club has built up over the last few years. Wondering what Jonathan predicts for the upcoming fixtures of the Premier League? Check out his Premier League section on FootballPredictions.com for analysis and match previews.