⚽️ Spurs Cruise to Win Over Fulham, Vault to Top of the Table

Good morning. Raise your hand if you had Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the table through nine match weeks. Hmm…not too many hands. And the ones we see, we think maybe you’re lying. Anyway, Spurs are alone in the table’s first position. That elusive league title is in their sights.

In the email today:

Through nine match weeks, it’s not three-time defending champion Manchester City on top of the league table. It’s not Arsenal, either. Your league leaders are Spurs.

• Son Heung-min and James Maddison played pivotal roles in Tottenham's 2-0 victory over Fulham, which pushed Tottenham back to the top of the Premier League table.

• Joao Palhinha had an early chance for Fulham, but was denied by a great save from Tottenham's goalkeeper, Gugliemo Vicario.

• Tottenham dominated the contest, with Richarlison assisting Son for the opening goal nine minutes before halftime.

• In the 54th minute, Calvin Bassey's error allowed Son to set up James Maddison for the second goal.

• Spurs have adapted well to life after Harry Kane's departure to Bayern Munich with Son and Maddison have forming a deft partnership reminiscent of the chemistry Kane and Son had.

Our take: It’s early (very early) to try to project Spurs as league champions. Spurs are in a nice spot of their schedule as the Fulham match and their next two (at Crystal Palace, home for Chelsea) are all London-based affairs. After the next international break, though, the schedule turns nasty (home for Aston Villa, at Manchester City, home for West Ham and Newcastle United). Maybe enjoy this time at the top while you can, Spurs fans.

2) 🍒 Bournemouth Might Be the First Prem Club to Make a Managerial Change This Season

The three newly-promoted clubs (Luton Town, Burnley Sheffield United) are 17th, 19th and 20th in the current table. In 18th, though, sits Bournemouth, a club which has spent seven of the past nine seasons in the Premier League. The Cherries are off to a miserable start, and it appears that Bournemouth’s ownership isn’t going to sit idly while the season falls apart.

• Andoni Iraola, the manager of Bournemouth, is under significant pressure and could be the first Premier League manager to lose his job this season.

• The team's owner, Bill Foley, is flying in for talks with Iraola ahead of their upcoming match against Burnley.

• Iraola's situation worsened when Bournemouth lost 2-1 to Wolves, who were managed by his predecessor, Gary O’Neil. O’Neil was replaced by Iraola on the urging of the club's CEO Neil Blake and technical director Richard Hughes.

• Iraola's future might depend on whether Bournemouth can secure a win against Burnley in their upcoming match, as a victory might buy him more time.

• However, Bournemouth faces tough fixtures against Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle after the Burnley game, making the situation even more challenging.

Our take: That last bullet point is key. No matter what Bournemouth does against Burnley, the Cherries will be prohibitive underdogs in their next three matches. Bringing a new manager in to get washed against Liverpool, City and Newcastle would be counter-productive. We expect Iraola to be gone before the end of the year, but firing him now would only set the next manager up for significant early failure.

3) ❌ of the Day: Happy Birthday Wayne Rooney

4) 🗳️ Which Premier League Team’s Champions League Match Will You Watch Today?

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

5) 🔗 Links Roundup:

• 🇦🇺 Spurs’ hot start gave manager Ange Postecoglu a Premier League record.

• ⛴️ Former Premier League club Portsmouth’s plans for a boat-shaped stadium were undone by relegation.

• 🦊 Leicester City are cruising in the Championship with their eyes fixed on a return to the Premier League.

• 🎄 This season’s “festive period” will be even more dense and difficult than in past seasons.

• 🇮🇱 Some Spurs fans failed to observe the ban on national flags at the grounds during the win over Fulham.

The newsletter today was written by Phil Keidel. Follow Phil @philkeidel on X.

Thanks for reading!