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      Tottenham finally have a fully-fit first XI – so can they now mount an unlikely Premier League title challenge?

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      ANGE POSTECOGLOU finally has all his big-hitters available this weekend for the first time since taking over.Now he will be looking to prove the doubters wrong and show Tottenham are genuinely in the title race.
      Son Heung-min (left) is set to return against Brighton on SaturdayCredit: AFP
      Straight-talking Postecoglou claimed back in mid-January that it was possible his Spurs side could win the league this year.
      The 58-year-old said: “Yes, we are (in a title race) and I’ve said all along that until the point where you’re not, why would you discount the possibility?”
      At that point they were six points off table-topping Liverpool. A little under a month on, that gap has extended to seven.
      Most pundits and fans cannot envisage the North Londoners winning their first-ever Premier League crown come the end of the season.
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      Indeed, a supercomputer over at number-crunchers Opta calculated on Tuesday that fifth-placed Spurs have less than a 0.1 per cent chance of finishing top of the pile.
      But given how dominant his side were from August to October, when they were first after an unbeaten opening ten games, Postecoglou will certainly not be throwing in the towel.
      The only key player they were missing during those initial three months was classy midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur who was still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in February.
      Though September’s blow when Ivan Perisic suffered a complex ACL issue of his own was keenly felt too, even if the veteran winger was largely used as an impact sub.
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      Then all hell broke loose on November 6 with that unforgettable 4-1 home defeat to rivals Chelsea, when they had two players sent off as well as losing star men Micky van de Ven and James Maddison to serious hamstring injuries.
      Further injuries and suspensions followed, while Son Heung-min, Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma all headed off on international duty to the Asia Cup and Africa Cup of Nations respectively.
      Son Heung-min could return for Tottenham THIS WEEKEND with forward ‘devastated’ as South Korea stunned in Asian Cup semi
      Yet, slowly but surely, Postecoglou has got all his main men back.
      And for the first time in his tenure, he should be able to pick his strongest XI at home to Brighton on Saturday.
      That is providing ex-Seagulls star Bissouma is fit after a reported bout of malaria while with Mali and that Son is ready after South Korea’s shock exit to Jordan on Tuesday. The 31-year-old is due back in Tottenham training on Thursday.
      Should that pair be fit and available, Postecoglou could go with what may well be his preferred team of: Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Van de Ven, Destiny Udogie; Bissouma, Bentancur, Maddison; Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son.
      The competition for places would be decent too with Timo Werner, Sarr and Brennan Johnson all making strong cases to start as well.
      Postecoglou has always been confident of having a stronger second half to the season than the first, believing his team would have wised up to his methods by then.
      Should that come to pass, then it is not beyond the realms of possibility that they are in the mix come the end of campaign – no matter what the Opta AI suggests.
      They have some serious ground to make up but they have three winnable home games up next (curiously, all at 3pm on a Saturday) in Brighton this week, then Wolves, then Crystal Palace.
      Is this Postecoglou’s best side?RODRIGO BENTANCUR is one of many Spurs stars Ange Postecoglou has been unable to call upon every week this season due to injury.
      But the Uruguayan is fully fit now and Postecoglou finally has all his main stars back, giving him the chance to pick his best XI.
      SunSport predicts that to be:
      Vicario;
      Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie;
      Bissouma, Bentancur, Maddison;
      Kulusevski, Richarlison, Son.

      Then follows a tough trip to Aston Villa, currently two points above them in the table, and they would likely have to win that to stay in contention.
      The ultra test, though, comes in the back end of April going into early May.
      They host Manchester City, then Arsenal and then go to Liverpool.
      It is a frightening trio of fixtures but Postecoglou has managed to eradicate the fear from this team during his short time in charge.
      And, remember, he has not lost to any of those sides in the league this term, either.
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      It is a long shot, of course it is.
      Then again, Postecoglou is at the peak of his powers now from a selection perspective, which is something we have never seen before. More

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      How Tottenham have turned around struggling academy by signing planet’s top kids after beating Barcelona to wonderkid

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      COMING up behind Tottenham’s exciting crop of youngsters, they have . . . an exciting crop of youngsters.Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Pape Matar Sarr and Brennan Johnson are all 22 or under.
      Ange Postecoglou has one of the youngest squads in the Premier LeagueCredit: AFP
      Swedish wonderkid Lucas Bergvall signed for Tottenham last weekCredit: Rex
      Even Dejan Kulusevski — with 81 Spurs appearances since arriving in January 2022 — is still only 23.
      But all are first-team regulars at the North London club, making boss Ange Postecoglou’s squad the joint-third youngest in the Premier League.
      The average age across the whole squad is 25 years and four months — the same as rivals Arsenal, with only Burnley and Chelsea coming in younger.
      But underneath the first team, a rejuvenation project of its own is happening which also has fans feeling optimistic.
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      Spurs have been quietly adding teen prospect after prospect to set themselves up for the future.
      That has seen them splash out on red-hot talent from abroad, like last week’s capture of Swedish sensation Lucas Bergvall, 18, from Djurgarden.
      Midfielder Bergvall looked all set to join Spanish giants Barcelona but changed his mind, seeing more of a pathway to the first team at Spurs.
      Tottenham have also looked to the domestic academy market to bolster their ranks — Will Lankshear, now 18, joined from Sheffield United in 2022 — while they have made renewed efforts to stop their own whizkids from being poached.
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      Last summer, Spurs successfully held on to one of the most-talked-about kids around in 16-year-old Mikey Moore.
      Former managing director of football Fabio Paratici sparked this fresh focus on youth by convincing Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to spend more on signing academy players.
      Everton 2 Tottenham 2- Branthwaite is Toffees’ hero with late leveller after Richarlison returned to haunt former team
      The Italian resigned last April after being banned over his role in the financial scandal at former club Juventus.
      After part of his suspension was lifted, Paratici has continued to work with Tottenham on a consultancy basis.
       Fifth-placed Spurs are going well in the Premier League but they are doing even better in Premier League 2, the Under-21 equivalent of the top flight. That means the reserves, in old money.
      They are top of the table having won all 11 of their games — with Lankshear grabbing 11 goals and Jude Soonsup-Bell, 20 and signed from Chelsea, on eight.
      In the Under-18s league table, for the south of the country, Spurs are also top, although they have lost three games.
      Despite all this development and the fact that Tottenham are making progress on Postecoglou’s desire to make them THE destination for the world’s best young players, the Aussie feels the club’s academy is well short of where he wants.
      The former Celtic boss, 58, said ahead of Spurs’ 2-2 draw at Everton last time out: “We have got a lot of work to do in our academy — and (academy director) Simon Davies is certainly one that is putting a lot of emphasis and priority there.
      “I don’t think we have the production line other top clubs have, certainly not.
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      “Even currently that’s why we’re investing in some younger players, even for the first team.
      “For us as a football club that’s definitely the way forward.”
      TOTTENHAM’S YOUNG GUNSFive of the top teens at Spurs:
      LUCAS BERGVALL, midfielder, 18
      Swede snubbed Barcelona at the 11th hour to join Spurs in an £8.5million deal plus add-ons.
      And the 6ft 1in midfielder expects to go straight into the first team when he arrives on July 1.
      JAMIE DONLEY, attacker, 19
      MADE himself a hero cynically taking out wind-up merchant Neal Maupay near the end of last week’s 3-2 win over Brentford.
      Played for England and Northern Ireland Under-19s.
      MIKEY MOORE, winger, 16
      TIPPED as a future star, Moore’s natural dribbling ability and vision on the ball certainly make him one to watch.
      Last summer, Spurs convinced him to sign a new deal until 2026
      LUKA VUSKOVIC, centre-back, 16
      IT is hard to believe the Croat is only 16 given what a unit he is, at 6ft 4ins.
      Spurs saw off Man City to land him last summer for £12m from Hajduk Split — but he will not join until 2025.
      WILL LANKSHEAR, striker, 18
      THE Welwyn Garden City-born ace started at Arsenal’s academy before heading to Sheffield United.
      Spurs paid £2m to bring him back to London and this year he has been on fire in PL2. More

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      Ange Postecoglou laughs ‘look at you’ after trolling entire press conference with transfer target Spurs missed out on

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      TOTTENHAM manager Ange Postecoglou left journalists on tenterhooks during his press conference today before joking about a deadline day transfer.The 58-year-old was addressing the media ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League clash with Everton when he was asked about his club’s transfer business.
      Ange Postecoglou joked about Tottenham attempting to sign Lewis HamiltonCredit: Twitter @SkySportsPL
      Lewis Hamilton announced a shock move to Ferrari on ThursdayCredit: EPA
      Postecoglou said: “You know, we got some good loans, Alejo (Véliz) left yesterday.
      “He was developing well with us but obviously got the injury, but it’s good for him to get some game time now in a good league at a good club. Ashley Phillips, Alfie Devine, you know from all those aspects.”
      He then cheekily switched the subject from football to Formula One, referencing Lewis Hamilton’s blockbuster move to Ferrari.
      The Tottenham boss continued: “Probably the only disappointing one yesterday, I thought there was a really good opportunity for us. The club didn’t feel that it was the right move for us so I’m disappointed with that.
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      “But he ended up at Ferrari so…”
      Pointing to the journalists in attendance at the press conference, he joked: “Just look at you all! You were ready to type away!”
      Football fans loved his reaction, with one person tweeting: “This is classic!”
      Another added: “Haha, Ange Postecoglou is certainly an entertaining character! His off-the-cuff remarks are always a pleasure to listen to, and it’s clear he doesn’t take himself too seriously.”
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      While a third wrote: “He is definitely a breath of fresh air in the PL 😂.”
      Tottenham signed two first team players during the January transfer window.
      Radu Dragusin joined the Lilywhites in a £21.5m transfer from Genoa at the beginning of the month.
      Tottenham also completed a loan deal for ex-Chelsea striker Timo Werner.
      SunSport understands Spurs have the option to buy Werner in the summer for a fee between the region of £13m and £17m. More

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      Maddison ‘shuts down’ Maupay live on TV after pair clash over Brentford star mocking Spurs ace with his celebration

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      JAMES MADDISON took brutal revenge on Neal Maupay as they clashed on the pitch and online — after the Brentford striker’s “s***house” celebrations.Fans initially thought Maupay had hit the bullseye for trolling – as he fired the Bees ahead in Wednesday’s Premier League game and mimicked the Tottenham star’s dart-player goal salute.

      James Maddison and Neal Maupay clashed in the Prem derbyCredit: TNT Sports

      Brennan Johnson helped Maddison get his own back by doing the darts celebration when Tottenham went in frontCredit: Getty
      But as the row rumbled on, Spurs’ England star ended up getting more than his own back – and not just because his side recovered to win 3-2.
      After Destiny Udogie levelled at 1-1, Maddison taunted Maupay when Brennan Johnson put Tottenham ahead – by doing his own oche-style rejoicing.
      More exchanges followed – and after the final whistle the ex-Leicester playmaker went on live TV to reveal his cutting words to the Frenchman over his rip-off goal tribute.
      A smiling Maddison told TNT Sports: “It was too early for that, too much time left in the game.
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      “I just said to him he probably hasn’t scored enough goals in the last few years to have his own celebration so he probably had to copy mine.”
      Maddison then posted on Instagram -with “A short story… COYS” plus a laughing emoji and a picture of Maupay’s imaginary darts’ celebration.
      England team-mate Jude Bellingham and darts sensation Luke Littler were among the superstars to respond to that post.
      Meanwhile, Maupay continued the extraordinary back-and-forth online.
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      Maupay and Toney sparked a string of confrontations with this celebrationCredit: Reuters
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      He posted: “Gutted we couldn’t get the win. More goals and less relegations in my career than James Maddison. We go again Monday Bees.”
      That response came after Ivan Toney joined his frontpartner in marking Brentford’s opener by darting off for some Maddison-style fake arrows.
      Maupay and Maddison then met awkwardly as both teams walked away after the goal.
      Stony-faced Maddison patted the ex-Brighton man on the back of his head a few times.
      Maddison and Co enjoyed giving it back to Maupay
      And it soon turned into a frosty exchange.
      Maupay patted Maddison on the chest in return a few times and, as the two stars tangled, they swapped what appeared to be testy words.
      One viewer responded: “Maupay & Toney doing Madders celebration for the Brentford goal. Top s***housery stuff.”
      Other fans labelled the taunt “so bitchy” while Maddison’s reposte was called “very salty”.
      But variations on the word “s***house” dominated the descriptions.
      One observer said just that along with the words: “Giving it the Maddison celebration after that finish, unreal.”
      It’s certainly not the first time Maupay has been accused of winding up rivals he was the focus of attention online.
      And he has admitted getting a kick out of annoying opposition supporters.
      In particular, he has a reputation for angering Arsenal and their fans.
      As a Brighton star, he infuriated Gunners’ players over an incident that injured keeper Bernd Leno and  flared up with Matteo Guendouzi, who ended up grabbing his throat.
      Then in February last year Maupay blocked Oleksandr Zinchenko with his body and collapsed to the ground clutching his face.
      Maddison later cast off Maupay’s antics and here celebrates Richarlison making it 3-1 to Tottenham in Wednesday’s Prem clashCredit: PA
      And his relationship with Crystal Palace followers is equally lacking in affection.
      After Wilfried Zaha cupped his ears towards Brighton fans to celebrate a goal, Maupay did the same to Eagles’ supporters after he equalised.
      But the Brentford ace was eventually on the receiving end on Wednesday night – as Spurs revived.
      He skirmished with Maddison on the touchline when Johnson put Tottenham 2-1 in front.
      One fan said of Maddison’s revenge: “Fair play, embarrassing stuff all round” while another wrote: “I’m crying now they’re mocking Maupay.”
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      Richarlison netted a third for Spurs, although Toney grabbed a consolation on 67 minutes.
      Outwardly at least, Maupay and Maddison appeared to calm their feud in the closing stages but fans weren’t totally convinced – and then came their jousting on social media. More

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      Tottenham considering late transfer swoop for Bournemouth’s £50m-rated Dominic Solanke with deadline days away

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      TOTTENHAM are considering a late swoop for Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke.Sources believe Spurs are ready to try to push through a £50m-plus deal before the transfer window closes on Thursday.
      Tottenham are considering a late move for Dominic SolankeCredit: Getty
      The news comes after we exclusively revealed that Spurs were interested in signing the in-form forward.
      Bournemouth have already rebuffed an enquiry from Newcastle this month about Solanke’s availability, as well as rejecting interest from West Ham last summer.
      But Tottenham are prepared to test the Cherries’ resolve over the next two days.
      It would take a huge bid to persuade Bournemouth to sell.
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      But it is understood Bournemouth are looking at potential replacements in the French and Belgian leagues in case an offer comes in that is too good to refuse.
      Solanke, 26, is the top-scoring Englishman in the Premier League with 12 goals and signed a contract extension last September that runs until 2027.
      The former Chelsea and Liverpool forward is thriving under Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
      But even the Cherries’ chief admitted before the window opened that he could not guarantee the future of Solanke and much-admired defender Lloyd Kelly.
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      Iraola said: “Dom (Solanke), Lloyd Kelly, they are some of our best players for sure. But you never know what’s going to happen every time the window is open.
      “Of course, I want to keep our best players.
      “If we are talking about these players, there is no doubt that they are playing really well. We’ll see what happens.”
      A week before Iraola’s comments, Bournemouth owner Bill Foley declared that the Vitality Stadium was “closed and bolted” when it came to key players leaving in January.
      But it appears that Tottenham may attempt to force it open before Thursday.  More

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      Tottenham could hijack Barcelona transfer for wonderkid Lucas Bergvall, 17, after Man Utd missed out

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      TOTTENHAM are preparing to hijack Barcelona’s move for Swedish prodigy Lucas Bergvall, according to reports.The midfielder, 17, has impressed a host of Europe’s top clubs while playing for Djurgarden in his home country.
      Lucas Bergvall has a number of big clubs chasing his signatureCredit: Getty
      He also had trials with Manchester United three years ago, but ultimately did not sign for the Red Devils.
      Djurgarden’s sporting director, Bo Andersson, recently hinted that a move to the Nou Camp could be on the cards.
      But The Mail now understand Tottenham have made an enquiry for the teenage sensation.
      Box-to-box midfielder Bergvall, who excels with his technical ability and passing range, has scored three goals in 28 appearances for Djurgarden.
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      He also made his debut for Sweden’s national team earlier this month in a 2-1 win over Estonia.
      And Barcelona remain the frontrunners to sign the wonderkid, with a price of £8.5million being reported.
      But Tottenham have now joined a host of other big clubs in pursuing him – along with Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt.
      It comes as Spurs man Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is linked with a move away from North London.
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      The Dane, 28, is being monitored by Fulham and Newcastle and could yet depart before the end of the January window on Thursday.
      But comments from Djurgarden chief Andersson will temper Tottenham’s expectations around signing Bergvall as it appears a Barcelona switch is close.
      He said: “Yes, I can confirm that we have been in contact and in dialogue with Barcelona.
      “But it’s not a negotiation yet. There was some contact with Barcelona last week but this week we haven’t spoken to them.” More

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      Inside Man City’s amazing Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hoodoo as stats make horror reading for Pep Guardiola

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      PEP GUARDIOLA said he still has one big ambition to achieve in England after leading Manchester City to a historic treble last season.The Etihad chief was asked what it was back in May and smiled: “To score a goal against Spurs away.”
      Erling Haaland and Manchester City stars after their defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last seasonCredit: Getty
      Raheem Sterling dejected after City’s first defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      He put his hands together in prayer before adding: “Yeah I’ll stay because I want to beat Spurs away.”
      Five times they have tried since the gleaming new North London venue opened in spring 2019 – and five times they have failed.
      For a team who pride themselves on the number of goals they score, it’s an incredible statistic.
      On Friday night they have another chance to smash that hoodoo once and for all – and their 9,000 travelling fans might think they will never have a better chance.
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      City travel on the back of a 13-day break – and spent part of it enjoying some sunshine on a warm weather training camp in Abu Dhabi.
      And Ange Postecoglou’s men are weakened by injuries and international call-ups.
      Neutrals might think it is all set up for an away win – but we’ve been here before, several times.
      City were one of the first visitors to the new home of Spurs for a Champions League quarter final first leg in April 2019.
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      They had the chance to be one of the first scorers too – but Sergio Aguero’s 11th minute penalty was saved by Hugo Lloris as Spurs won by a single goal.
      Ten months later, they wasted another chance from the spot – again saved by Lloris but this time Ilkay Gundogan was the culprit.
      Oleks Zinchenko’s red card allowed Jose Mourinho’s side to take advantage and win with two second half goals.
      In November 2020, at least City did get the ball in the net at their bogey ground – only for Aymeric Laporte’s effort to be ruled out for a handball by Gabriel Jesus.
      Once again it ended in a 2-0 defeat for Pep’s men which saw Spurs go top of the table.
      The following summer, City tried to sign Tottenham’s captain and top goalscorer Harry Kane – maybe thinking he could help end the curse.
      But the move didn’t happen and the visitors looked toothless on the opening day of the 2021/2 season – as Son Heung Min scored the only goal.
      And on their last visit, 12 months ago, they saw a Riyad Mahrez effort cannon down off the underside of the bar and come out.
      Spurs went down to ten men late on but City still couldn’t find a way through – meaning Kane’s early strike was enough.
      Now though, Erling Haaland could be on the bench after finally shaking off a foot injury and his team travel to the capital on the back of six straight wins.
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      So surely they will get a goal this time – won’t they?
      But don’t bet on it.
      Pep Guardiola just wants Manchester City to score a goal at TottenhamCredit: Rex Features More

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      James Maddison breaks the ice between Tottenham team-mates after awkward clash

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      BRENNAN JOHNSON has revealed how James Maddison broke the ice between Tottenham’s £47.5million signing and Richarlison.Spurs attacker Johnson, then playing for ex-club Nottingham Forest, wiped out Richarlison with a brutal challenge at the City Ground.
      Richarlison saw his showboating at the City Ground backfire when he got wiped outCredit: Reuters
      Joker James Maddison put the clip of Brennan Johnson’s brutal challenge on Richarlison into Spurs’ group chat just a day after the £47.5m signing joined the clubCredit: Alamy
      Johnson put the Brazilian striker up in the air after he showboated by doing keepie-uppies in the Premier League clash back in August 2022.
      But the Welshman, 22, has opened up on going from enemies to team-mates after being reunited with Richarlison following his deadline day move to Tottenham back in September.
      Johnson said: “I had been at the club for a day. I looked at the group chat and Madders had put a video of me just lifting Richy.
      “He came over and said: “I remember it!” 
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      “It was a good ice-breaker.
      “He’s a good character. He’s a really good lad and he loves being here and playing football.
      “He played in Liverpool so he has got some scouse phrases which are really funny.
      “We have been clicked for a few goals. The way we both like to play suits each other. 
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      “He likes to get into the box and get across the front of his man and I like to get in behind and play or cross the ball early. I’ve been happy to assist him a few times.”
      Johnson has scored just once – away at Wolves – in 16 Spurs appearances with fans criticising his final product in recent weeks.
      But the forward, likely to start in tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth-round home tie against Manchester City, admits he is learning every day under Ange Postecoglou.

      Johnson told Tottenham’s official podcast: “I’m loving it. I can feel myself improving every single day working with the players and the manager. 
      “It’s everything I want to do at my age. I still have so much to learn.
      “I’m playing in a good style of football every week next to great players.” More