Hugo Lloris saw two mistakes punished as Newcastle United beat Tottenham 2-1 on Sunday to move up to fourth in the Premier League.

Antonio Conte's men hoped to bounce back at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after a chastening defeat to Manchester United in midweek, but Newcastle were good value for the win – even if they had a helping hand.

Decent chances fell to Son Heung-min and Harry Kane, but two errors from Lloris helped Callum Wilson and the in-form Miguel Almiron put Eddie Howe's side 2-0 up and leave Spurs stunned.

Kane pulled one back early in the second half, yet Newcastle ensured it was only a consolation as they moved to within two points of their third-placed hosts.

A purposeful start saw Spurs go close three times through Son early on, with Nick Pope twice denying him and also producing a smart stop to thwart Kane.

But Newcastle looked dangerous when going direct, and one such situation spawned the opener.

Lloris met Fabian Schar's long pass and collided with Wilson, who turned and lofted into the empty net from 30 yards with Spurs given no VAR reprieve.

Their captain was suspect again just before half-time.

His pass was cut out by Sean Longstaff, who headed on to Almiron, and he squeezed a shot under Lloris after breezing past Clement Lenglet.

Newcastle threatened at the start of the second half as well, but a Spurs counter led to a corner and Lenglet's flick-on was nodded in by Kane at the back post.

That was hardly the precursor to a dramatic turnaround, however.

Spurs created precious little as an attacking force thereafter, with Newcastle seeing out a something of a statement win in north London.

What does it mean? Magpies flying high

Spurs had won each of their previous eight home games in the Premier League, a run they had only ever bettered once before in the competition.

That should tell you all you need to know about what a statement victory this was for Newcastle, whose ability to remain so defensively assured and composed after Kane's goal is worthy of praise in itself.

However, it is fair to say Spurs find themselves in a bit of a slump – they remain third in the table but have now lost three of their past five league games.

"Played like Almiron"

The classless comment Jack Grealish made during Manchester City's title celebrations has been mocked a lot lately, and that does not look like changing anytime soon.

That is because Almiron is in such a rich vein of form, his wonderful goal here making it five in as many Premier League appearances – his previous five took 61 games to tally.

Son made to rue misses

Most of Son's five attempts were half-chances really, but he should have scored when one-on-one with Pope in the first half. His ultimately feeble effort prevented Spurs taking the lead, and looking back, that proved rather crucial.

What's next?

Spurs now turn their attention to the Champions League as Sporting CP visit on Wednesday. Newcastle return to action on Saturday when they host Aston Villa.

Harry Kane's importance to Tottenham is as significant as the impact Lionel Messi had during his career at Barcelona, according to Clement Lenglet.

France defender Lenglet is well known to Messi having played alongside him at Camp Nou and also against the Argentina great during his time at Sevilla.

Messi had been a one-club man until the start of the 2021-22 season when Barca's perilous financial situation saw him depart for Paris Saint-Germain.

The superstar forward became the club's all-time leading scorer and a record seven-time Ballon d'Or winner at Barca, while he counts 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League medals among a plethora of honours won with Los Cules.

While Kane has yet to win a medal with Spurs, Lenglet – who joined Tottenham from Barca on loan in the last transfer window – talked up the impact he has on the club.

In quotes reported by the Daily Mail, Lenglet said: "When you stay a long time in the same place and you achieve so many good things with the club it means you become a part of this club. 

"Your face is connected to the club. For me, Messi is always a Barca player.

"For Harry it's the same. It's difficult to think of Harry in another country or playing for another team. Tottenham is a big club, Harry is a big player and Harry is a big part of Tottenham. 

"We speak a lot about the player and that's important because we are players but I give the same importance to what he is like as a guy. He is an amazing example for all his team-mates."

Describing what it is like to be play with and against Messi, Lenglet added: "You play with the greatest player in the world in my opinion. 

"He helps you improve every day. I played with him [for Barca] and against him for Sevilla – it's better with him!"

Lenglet has made just three Premier League starts for Spurs this season but said it only required a short conversation with boss Antonio Conte to persuade him to make the move to north London, where he is still adjusting to a new way of life.

"We spoke about a lot of things. He [Conte] told me if I came here I would improve because the league is so competitive, you have to be ready and focused every game," Lenglet said.

"He said if I came here I would be happy because I would progress as a football player and it has been a good decision.

"It's a different culture, a different way to work. I was in Spain for six years. You work one way, you think one way, the football is the same. Now, you come to England – a different league, different intensity, different way to work. It's a good way to improve."

Tottenham sit third in the Premier League and are out to rebound from defeat against Manchester United when they face Newcastle United on Sunday.

Chelsea have reportedly identified two major targets for the January transfer window, with plans to secure RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku and Lille's Jonathan David.

Nkunku has been in brilliant form over the past 18 months. He netted 35 goals in 52 club appearances last season and was rewarded with his international debut for France in March. Having been equally as brilliant for Leipzig this season, the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker is set for a breakout World Cup campaign with the reigning champions.

David will also be at the World Cup, representing Canada in only their second qualification for a finals, and the country's first since 1986. With Lille, the 22-year-old has nine goals and two assists in 11 Ligue 1 games this season.

Chelsea's interest in Nkunku has been well-established for months, while David is newly on their radar, and both could be wearing blue by the end of January.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLAN TO SPLASH THE CASH

News emerged in recent weeks that Chelsea were able to conduct a preliminary medical on Nkunku in the recent transfer window, and despite Leipzig's wishes to retain his services until the end of the season, The Mirror is reporting Chelsea are trying to get a deal done in January for a price in the range of £52million.

Meanwhile, Jeunesfooteux claims it will cost Chelsea at least £60m to tempt Lille into letting go of David, as the Canadian is still under contract until June 2025.

The Mirror's report adds Chelsea are hoping to land Brighton and Hove Albion's Leandro Trossard – who head coach Graham Potter developed an affinity for during his time with the Seagulls. They could face competition from Atletico Madrid, however.

ROUND-UP:

– Calciomercato is reporting Juventus have an interest in Atletico midfielder Rodrigo De Paul and Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka.

– According to The Evening Standard, highly desired Serie A talents Milan Skriniar of Inter and Rafael Leao of Milan appear likely to sign contract extensions with their respective clubs.

– Sky Sports Germany claims Bayern Munich remain heavily interested in Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who will have 18 months remaining on his contract when the January transfer window arrives.

– Napoli winger Hirving Lozano is likely to leave the club in January, according to Calciomercato, as his contract demands are said to be more than the Italian side are comfortable with.

– The Guardian is reporting Manchester United are delaying their contract decisions for David de Gea and Marcus Rashford as Erik ten Hag wants to see more before potentially offering extensions.

Provisional World Cup squads are expected this week, and Gareth Southgate – despite a few late injury headaches – is likely to have already nailed down the majority of his England group.

There do remain some question marks, however, and perhaps none are more prominent than in attack, where Harry Kane is the established starter but the role of back-up has been shared among an ever-changing cast.

Since Russia 2018, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ollie Watkins, Callum Wilson and Danny Ings have all played and scored for England. But either form or fitness has deserted each of them.

That would appear to leave three contenders in Tammy Abraham, whose Roma place is no longer assured, Ivan Toney, the recent call-up yet to make his international debut, and Marcus Rashford.

Abraham and Toney were each included in Southgate's latest England squad, although neither featured in games against Italy and Germany where the Three Lions needed goals. Meanwhile, injury robbed Rashford of the opportunity to re-establish himself in the group.

At one stage, Rashford was assured of his place in every international squad, if not necessarily every team.

The Manchester United man has earned 46 caps for England, and all but three of those have come since Southgate's September 2016 appointment.

However, for all those accusations of Southgate defying club form to pick his 'favourites', Rashford has been punished for below-par displays for United, having scored a measly five goals in 32 games last season.

Rashford's last action for England was his missed penalty in the Euro 2020 final against Italy after appearing as a substitute for the final minute of extra time at Wembley. He has not started for his country since before that tournament.

But the 24-year-old has rediscovered something approaching his best form this season, netting five goals and assisting three in 11 matches for United. Rashford is far outperforming Abraham (two goals and one assist in 13 matches) in that regard, although he still trails flavour-of-the-month Toney (eight goals and three assists in 11 matches).

Toney's case is clear then – except Southgate is not looking for a forward to come in and lead the line against Iran on November 21.

Only Jordan Pickford (14 starts, 1,380 minutes) and John Stones (14 starts, 1,324 minutes) have started more matches or played more minutes for Southgate at major tournaments than Kane (13 starts, 1,222 minutes).

Assuming no injury to Kane that would alter the entire conversation, Rashford is auditioning for the position of primary attacking reinforcement – one he has filled twice for Southgate in the past.

Across the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020, no England player made more appearances (10) or played more minutes (205) as a substitute than Rashford.

In 63 minutes from the bench for United this season, Rashford has scored two goals and assisted another. Abraham has yet to contribute to a goal in 91 such minutes for Roma, while Toney has a sole assist in 18 minutes.

As illness reduced Rashford to a substitute role against Newcastle United on Sunday, he showed how dangerous his hard running can prove late in matches.

Both he and Fred passed up huge chances, but only Casemiro (0.45 – 0.01 xG, 0.44 xA) produced more combined expected goals and expected assists in the whole match than Rashford (0.43 – 0.31 xG, 0.12 xA) did in an 18-minute cameo against the Premier League's meanest defence.

On that occasion, Rashford was appearing, as he would in place of Kane, as a centre-forward after being brought on for Cristiano Ronaldo. But his versatility is a key attribute Toney does not possess.

For United this season, five of Rashford's nine starts have come as a lone striker, with the other four as a left-sided winger.

Longer term, his starts through the middle have been far less regular. Rashford's 21 England starts have included 10 from the left, three from the right and eight as a central striker. Of those eight, seven have been as part of a forward pair.

His sole appearance in a Three Lions line-up in the sort of role Kane is used to was in a 3-1 Nations League Finals defeat to the Netherlands, in which Rashford was replaced by Kane at half-time after opening the scoring.

If England are in need of a spark in Qatar – whether from the start or as a substitute – Southgate is likely to turn to a player who can complement Kane rather than replace him, perhaps explaining the watching briefs for Abraham and Toney in September.

Importantly, Rashford has previously supported Kane to good effect, most notably in a 3-2 win against Spain in October 2018, when Kane teed up Rashford for the second goal and the pair each provided a further assist for Raheem Sterling, who is also set to start again at the World Cup.

As Kane and Tottenham visit Old Trafford on Wednesday for the pick of the midweek Premier League action, Rashford will no doubt hope to be restored to the United XI ahead of Ronaldo.

But were he to instead play from the left or come on for the veteran forward later in the match, the England hopeful might provide Southgate a more accurate representation of what he could expect if selected next month.

Harry Kane's future at Tottenham is at a curious stage, having become more settled during Antonio Conte's tenure.

Kane has scored 10 goals in all competitions this term, including nine in the Premier League with Spurs starting strongly to sit third.

The England international had pushed to move to Manchester City in mid-2021 but ultimately was convinced to stay.

TOP STORY – SPURS PUSH TO OPEN KANE CONTRACT TALKS

Tottenham are eager to commence talks with Harry Kane on a new deal, but the England forward is holding off, claims Football Insider.

Antonio Conte's future at Spurs is a factor for Kane, with the Italian out of contract at the end of this season.

Bayern Munich have been linked with Kane who signed a six-year deal with Spurs in June 2018, tying him down until 2024.

ROUND-UP

– Fabrizio Romano says Liverpool are not considering a move for Barcelona's unsettled midfielder Frenkie de Jong, following reports to the contrary.

– Napoli are weighing up a potential move for Tottenham's Tanguy Ndombele who is on loan with the Italian club, reports Inside Futebol. The Frenchman's release clause is €30 million, which Napoli are willing to trigger.

– Calciomercato claims Denis Zakaria is set to return to Juventus in January with Chelsea planning to terminate his loan deal, having failed to play a minute of first-team football since joining on deadline day.

– Italian champions Milan may make a move for Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek in January, reports Calciomercato.

Antonio Conte declared himself proud of Tottenham's development after they closed in on the Premier League summit by beating Everton 2-0 on Saturday.

The Toffees turned in a stubborn first-half display in Conte's 50th match in charge of Spurs, who were fortunate not to fall behind when Amadou Onana and Demarai Gray squandered glorious chances.

However, Tottenham ultimately came good after the break. An injury to former Everton talisman Richarlison led to Yves Bissouma's introduction, and Spurs' change in shape overwhelmed Everton.

Jordan Pickford's blunder gifted Harry Kane a penalty to break the deadlock, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg rounding off the win late on.

Everton failed to muster a single shot in the second half, and did not get one attempt on target all game.

Spurs' win put them level with second-placed Manchester City, who face Liverpool on Sunday, and just one point behind league leaders Arsenal, who travel to Leeds United on the same day.

"We have to be really happy, because we played a good game, created a lot of chances and we had an injury during the game with Richy, for sure this situation could create something negative," Conte told Sky Sports.

"Instead, we found the right solution with three midfielders, I liked the attitude. We started the game very well, maybe in the first half we had to pay more attention because we conceded two counter-attacks, we could do much better, but in the end we deserved the win. We have to continue this way.

"I'm really pleased, despite the difficulty of the game, of the opponent and a bad injury, we were able to solve the situation. 

"It means the players are growing in many aspects, not only tactical but also to face the difficulties. This makes me very proud of my players."

Spurs have lost just one of their last 20 Premier League encounters against Everton (W10 D9), winning more games (29) and scoring more goals (97) against the Toffees than against any other side in the competition's history.

Conte, meanwhile, has won 30 of his opening 50 matches in charge, which ranks him joint-second for Tottenham managers. The Italian has not lost any of his seven Premier League meetings with Everton, seeing his sides keep a clean sheet on each occasion.

"The shape of the team was good, the defensive discipline was good. You have two good chances and you have to take those chances," Everton boss Frank Lampard told BBC Sport.

"We're probably in that middle ground now where people have given us a bit of praise. This season was always going to be about getting better from nearly getting relegated and now we're playing against a Champions League team. Sometimes that shows a little bit."

Tottenham have taken 23 points from their 10 Premier League games this season, their best tally at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1963-64 (24 – considering three points for a win).

Kane, meanwhile, has scored in each of his last five top-flight appearances, his longest scoring run in the Premier League.

Tottenham moved to within one point of Premier League leaders Arsenal as Harry Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg secured a 2-0 win over Everton.

Having been frustrated for much of Saturday's match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs went ahead when Kane converted a 59th-minute penalty he won after Jordan Pickford's blunder.

Everton had missed the game's best chances prior to that, Amadou Onana and Demarai Gray profligate in the first half.

And any hope for Frank Lampard was extinguished when Hojbjerg's deflected strike settled the contest late on.

A thoroughly dominant Spurs start proffered only one opportunity, with former Everton talisman Richarlison heading over at the back post.

Yet it was Everton who had a golden chance in the 23rd minute – Gray spinning clear of Rodrigo Bentancur, only to lash over when one-on-one with Hugo Lloris.

Onana had a similarly glorious opportunity, and like his team-mate failed to apply an accurate finish after capitalising on slack Spurs defending, before Richarlison prodded over at the other end.

After Richarlison's meeting with his old side was cut short by a calf injury shortly after half-time, Spurs crafted a clear opening as Pickford superbly kept out Kane's volley.

Yet Pickford was at fault as Spurs finally broke through, with the England goalkeeper adjudged to have brought down Kane after spilling Matt Doherty's effort. Tottenham's striker made no mistake from 12 yards.

Kane almost made it two for Tottenham with a brilliant turn and shot, though Pickford reacted sharply.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's introduction offered a much-needed target for Everton, though Spurs had the points sealed in the 86th minute as Hojbjerg's 15-yard effort found the right corner.

Antonio Conte claimed he has never been worried about the form of strike duo Son Heung-min and Harry Kane as Tottenham prepare to host Everton on Saturday.

Son endured an underwhelming start to the 2022-23 campaign, failing to score in Spurs' first six Premier League games before hitting a hat-trick in a 6-2 thrashing of Leicester City last month.

While those goals remain Son's only domestic strikes of the season, he scored a brace – including a crashing left-footed volley – as Tottenham earned a 3-2 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday. 

Speaking ahead of Tottenham's meeting with the Toffees, Conte said Son's quality prevents him from fretting about any lack of goals, adding he would feel the same if Kane endured a drought.

"I wasn't really worried about Sonny, or maybe last season, if Harry didn't score goals," Conte said on Friday. "We are talking about two important players for us, they work very well.

"It can happen during the season that you have a period where you can't score or are a bit unlucky, but I repeat, we are talking about two important strikers.

"For sure, by the end of the season, I know that they are going to score more goals to help us do our best."

Kane's tally of eight Premier League goals this season is only bettered by Manchester City's Erling Haaland (15), and the England captain has scored 13 goals in 14 league appearances against Everton.

That return includes six doubles – only Alan Shearer has scored multiple goals against a specific opponent more often in the competition (seven times v Leeds United; six braces, one hat-trick).

Kane's form has helped Tottenham cope with the absence of fellow attacker Dejan Kulusevski, who has been ruled out since last month after sustaining a hamstring injury.

Conte pledged not to take any "stupid" risks with Kulusevski's fitness as he ruled the Sweden international out of Saturday's match, adding: "We have the same players from the last game. 

"Deki is still not available for the Everton game. The rest of the players are okay. 

"We need to have a bit of patience with him, and to not take any stupid risks because we play a lot of games between now and November.

"It's important he recovers very well, and in this moment he is not 100 per cent in perfect physical condition. For this reason, it's good to respect the opinions of the doctors."

Conte has seen his sides keep clean sheets in all six of his Premier League meetings with Everton. Should Tottenham shut Frank Lampard's men out this week, the Spurs boss will match Roberto Mancini (seven v Wigan Athletic) for the most games against a single side without conceding in the competition as coach.

Gabriel Martinelli produced another outstanding display in a thriller against Liverpool last weekend and the Arsenal forward can torment Leeds United on Sunday.

If you have overlooked Martinelli for your fantasy team so far this season, now is the time to see the error of your ways and pick the Brazil international before he wreaks havoc at Elland Road.

Tottenham duo Harry Kane and Eric Dier can also rack up the points when they face Everton in the Premier League.

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is enjoying a new lease of life with Graham Potter at the helm and that could continue this weekend.

It's that time of the week when you need to be finalising your fantasy selections and help is at hand, as Stats Perform pick out the Opta data to point you in the right direction.

Kepa Arrizabalaga (Aston Villa v Chelsea)

Chelsea have made a great start to life under Potter and Kepa Arrizabalaga is certainly enjoying a new era at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard has taken over from Edouard Mendy as Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper, and he has not conceded in the Blues' past three matches.

Of keepers who have played at least 180 minutes in the Premier League this season, only Neto (81.82 per cent) has a better save percentage than Kepa's 80. Only Wolves (3) have a lower goal tally than Aston Villa's seven in the top flight in the 2022-23 campaign, so Kepa looks like your man between the sticks this weekend.

Eric Dier (Tottenham v Everton)

Only Ruben Dias (4) has kept more clean sheets among defenders than Spurs centre-back Dier (3) this season.

The England international has also scored twice, with goal always a bonus for defenders in the battle for fantasy football prizes.

Everton have scored just the eight goals in nine Premier League games this season, so you can get a good return from putting Dier in your side.

Gabriel Martinelli (Leeds United v Arsenal)

Martinelli has scored four goals and provided two assists for leaders Arsenal this season.

Both assists have come in his past two matches and he stunned Liverpool with an early opening goal in a 3-2 thriller last Sunday.

Only Kevin De Bruyne (30) and Mohamed Salah (26) have created more chances than Martinelli's 20 this season. He could be too hot for Leeds to handle at Elland Road.

Harry Kane (Tottenham v Everton)

Spurs talisman Kane has scored in four consecutive Premier League games and he was also on target in a midweek Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Only Erling Haaland (15)  can boast a better goal tally than Kane's eight in the top flight this season, while he is also one of only two players to have both 15 shots on target and 15 chances created (16 and 17). 

Kane's scoring streak can continue when he comes up against the Toffees, who could be up against it in the capital.

Real Madrid had a drawn-out pursuit of Kylian Mbappe earlier this year but ultimately missed out on the France forward.

Mbappe opted to sign a lucrative contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain in May, tying him to the Parisians until 2025.

But earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano reported the situation between PSG and Mbappe had got tense, with the player keen to depart.

TOP STORY – MADRID MOVE ON FROM MBAPPE AMID TRANSFER TWIST

Marca claims that Real Madrid are no longer have interest in signing Mbappe amid reports that he is unsettled at PSG and wants to leave.

The report claims that Los Blancos are observing the situation from afar with no desire to participate in the latest drama.

Romano also said PSG had no intention of selling Mbappe in January amid the speculation he wanted out. PSG director Luis Campos denied the report on Tuesday.

ROUND-UP

– Bayern Munich will turn to Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram should they fail to land Tottenham's Harry Kane , reports TZ. Thuram's Gladbach deal ends at the end of this season.

– Sky Sport's Florian Plettenberg reports that Toni Kroos and Real Madrid are set to commence talks on a new deal running until 2024, with his currently deal expiring at season's end.

– Barcelona will try to lure Chelsea pair N'Golo Kante and Jorginho to Camp Nou as free agents at the end of this season, claims the Evening Standard. The Blues are currently trying to convince both to re-sign.

– 90min claims Manchester City have told Bayern Munich and Inter that defender Nathan Ake is not for sale in January, following speculation about their interest.

– West Ham have joined Roma and Manchester United in pursuing a deal for Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi, according to Calciomercato.

– Football Insider reports Brentford have commenced discussions with England international striker Ivan Toney on a new deal, with Tottenham linked to him.

Son Heung-min's link-up with fellow Tottenham star Harry Kane is purely a "pay-off for hard work".

Son scored twice on Wednesday, either side of a Kane penalty, as Spurs ran out 3-2 winners over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.

Antonio Conte's side moved to the Group D summit after coming from behind to defeat the Europa League holders at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Kane set up Son for the equaliser after the hosts fell behind to Daichi Kamada's early strike, meaning the pair have now combined to score on 50 occasions for Spurs across all competitions.

Kane has teed up 24 goals for Son, who has supplied 26 assists for the England captain. Since the start of last season, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, the scorer of a record-setting hat-trick in Liverpool's win over Rangers elsewhere on Wednesday, is the only Premier League player with more strikes in all competitions (39) than the Spurs pair (Kane has netted 36, with Son scoring 29).

The South Korea captain paid tribute to his fearsome partnership with Kane, telling BT Sport: "We just understand each other really well. I know what he likes to do, and he's the same.

"The relationship, it's always hard work and good effort. It's always been a pay-off for hard work. [There will be] many more [combinations] to come, I hope."

Son's second goal was the pick of the bunch as he put Tottenham 3-1 up before the break.

Connecting with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's pinpoint cross, the forward unleashed a thumping volley that would eventually prove decisive after Faride Alidou's late header ensured a nervy finish for Spurs.

"The ball was just really clear to me and there was only one option; to take the volley," Son added. "I hit it really clean, I was very happy.

"The last five minutes were really tough. In the Champions League, you never know what will happen. It was uncomfortable sitting on the bench and watching. The most important thing was the three points."

Meanwhile, head coach Conte said "it would have been a disaster" had Spurs surrendered their lead in the closing stages, with Kane missing a stoppage-time penalty to put them home and dry. The 29-year-old has missed two of his last four penalties in all competitions for Tottenham, having previously scored 21 successive spot-kicks for the club.

"We started in a very difficult way, conceding the first goal," Conte said. "We scored three goals and had big chances. In the end, we are leading our group.

"Until the end, we had to stay focused. It would have been a disaster if we drew a game like this."

Inter have a chance to become the first Italian side to ever beat Barcelona twice in a Champions League campaign when they meet at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Club Brugge are on the brink of their first trip to the knockout stages as they play Atletico Madrid.

Mohamed Salah can make history with one more Champions League goal for Liverpool on their trip to Scotland to take on Rangers, and Bayern Munich are one win away from their own record as they try to win an 11th consecutive group stage match.

Tottenham will look to break out of a scoring slump when they host Eintracht Frankfurt, while Porto and Bayer Leverkusen are battling it out in Group B.

With plenty of important matchups, Stats Perform has parsed through the data to preview the eight fixtures on Wednesday and shine a light on some of the more interesting angles.

Barcelona v Inter

Inter's 1-0 victory against Barcelona at San Siro last week was their first triumph over the Spanish giants since April 2010, with Barca collecting four wins and one draw since.

With another win, Inter can become the first Italian side to ever beat Barcelona twice in the same Champions League campaign, although they have lost all five of their away fixtures at Camp Nou – their most losses at any away venue in the competition.

In fact, Camp Nou has not been a happy hunting ground for Italian sides in general, with a 3-0 victory for Juventus in 2020 marking the country's only win at the venue in the last 17 tries (L13 D3).

It is not just Barcelona who have given Inter trouble on away days, with their last away win in the Champions League against a Spanish opponent coming back in 2004 against Valencia.

Working in Inter's favour is road warrior Lautaro Martinez, who has scored six of his seven Champions League goals away from home.

Tottenham v Eintracht Frankfurt

After banking four consecutive wins against Borussia Dortmund between 2017 and 2019, Tottenham are now winless in their past five Champions League fixtures against German sides (D1 L4).

On the other side, Eintracht have enjoyed success when travelling to England in European competition, winning both of their previous two attempts – against Arsenal in 2019, and West Ham in April this year – in the Europa League.

However, this is a clear step up from the Europa League, and after winning their first ever Champions League away game last month (1-0 at Marseille), Frankfurt will be looking to become the only German team to ever win their first two away fixtures in the competition.

The 0-0 draw between these two sides in Frankfurt a week ago was the second consecutive Champions League game where Tottenham have failed to score a goal – also losing 2-0 to Sporting. The last time they went three games in the competition without scoring was back in 2011.

Striker Harry Kane will be key, as he boasts the best minutes-per-goal figure – 20 goals in 27 appearances for a goal every 118 minutes – of any English player with at least 10 goals in the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid v Club Brugge

Not many, if any, would have tipped Club Brugge to top Group B ahead of Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Porto, but they have defeated all three to lead with a perfect nine points and zero goals conceded.

One more win for Brugge would see them progress past the group stage for the first time, in their 10th Champions League campaign. By defeating Atletico, they would become the first Belgian side since Anderlecht in 2000 to win four games in a row in the competition.

Brugge are also one goal away from matching their highest goal tally from a single Champions League campaign, with eight goals in 2020-21.

Surprisingly, Atletico have struggled at home in the Champions League, snapping a streak of eight games without a win (D5 L3) by defeating Porto this season.

Brugge's Ferran Jutgla has registered a goal and an assist in each of his past two Champions League games, and if he can manage to do it again, he will join Robert Lewandowski and Leroy Sane as the only players since 2003-04 to have a goal and an assist in three straight games in the competition.

Bayer Leverkusen v Porto

With Brugge seemingly cruising, Porto, Leverkusen and Atletico are likely fighting it out for one automatic qualification spot, and Leverkusen will feel good about their chances as Porto are winless in their last seven away games against German teams (D2 L5).

After defeating Atletico at home on the second matchday, Leverkusen will be looking to win consecutive Champions League home fixtures in the same campaign for the first time since 2014.

Patrick Schick is Leverkusen's focal point going forward, attempting more than twice as many shots (12) as any of his team-mates this Champions League season, but he is yet to score, having missed a penalty against Porto in last week's 2-0 loss.

Porto's Mehdi Taremi assisted both goals in the reverse fixture, marking the first time he has been involved in multiple goals in a Champions League game, while the sending-off of Jeremie Frimpong gave Leverkusen their 11th red card in their history in the competition, trailing only Bayern Munich (21) amongst German sides.

Other fixtures:

Napoli v Ajax

5 – Napoli beat Ajax 6-1 in the reverse fixture at Johan Cruyff Arena, with the five-goal margin marking the heaviest defeat Ajax have ever suffered in European competition.

10 – With one more win, Napoli would become the fourth Italian club to ever mount a 10-game unbeaten streak in the Champions League, with six wins and three draws from their past nine fixtures.

Rangers v Liverpool

5 – Rangers have failed to score in their past five European games against English competition, including a 2-0 loss against Liverpool last week.

35 – Mohamed Salah has scored 35 Champions League goals for Liverpool – only Didier Droga (36 for Chelsea) and Sergio Aguero (36 for Manchester City) have scored more for a single Premier League club in the competition.

Sporting v Marseille

9 – Marseille have lost their past nine away fixtures in the Champions League, and with one more loss they would become the sixth team to ever post 10 consecutive away defeats in the competition, and the first from France.

18 – It has been 18 years since Sporting lost a home fixture against a French side in European competition, with that loss coming against Sochaux in the 2004 UEFA Cup.

Viktoria Plzen v Bayern Munich

31 – Bayern Munich are undefeated in their past 31 Champions League group stage matches (28W 3D) – which is an all-time high – and with one more win they will set the new record for consecutive group stage wins with 11.

32 – Viktoria Plzen have faced 32 shots on target in their first three games of this Champions League campaign – more than any other side. In the reverse fixture, Bayern had 13 shots on target.

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte described Harry Kane as "not only a top player but a top person" after the England captain launched a foundation to change attitudes towards mental health.

On Monday, which was World Mental Health Day, the striker launched the Harry Kane Foundation, with the aims of normalising conversations regarding mental health and tackling stigma.

Kane said he hoped to use his platform to "encourage others to look after their mental health, be their best and not be afraid to ask for help," during Monday's launch.

Speaking on the eve of Tottenham's Champions League fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt, Conte highlighted Kane's suitability for such a role.

"Harry, for me, is the best person to represent this type of campaign, because he's not only a top player but a top person," Conte said.

"He's a really good example and to give him this type of responsibility is good, because you invite people to follow this campaign.

"I'm sure at the same time Harry is really focused on football. I like that he is involved in this type of situation."

Kane hopes his own journey to the top level, which saw him endure several loan spells at lower-league sides, can act as inspiration to anybody experiencing doubts over their abilities.

"It's always been part of my personality to prove people wrong," Kane said.

"When you look back at my career, going out on loan, the things I had to achieve to get to where I am now… for sure, that's part of my identity.

"It's a really important message for any young boys or girls wanting to become footballers or anything in life.

"There are going to be knocks along the way, and ups and downs, but it's about how you cope with that, keep working and keep moving forwards."

Meanwhile, Kane is set to take part in another campaign at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, joining the captains of several other European nations in wearing a rainbow armband as part of an anti-discrimination effort.

Kane intimated on Tuesday that those involved were still prepared to wear the armband in the event of disciplinary action being taken against them, saying: "We've decided that we want to wear it and that's our thought process going forward.

"It'll be down to FIFA, and the FA, I'm sure, will be in contact with them. I haven't heard anything personally yet, so at the moment we're in line to wear it. If anything changes, we'll cross that bridge when it comes."

Harry Kane says Manchester City attacker Erling Haaland is a "fantastic" player but the Tottenham forward is not getting caught up in comparisons or speculation over his own future amid links with Bayern Munich.

The England captain was linked to Pep Guardiola's side last year in a high-profile transfer saga, with a move from north London ultimately failing to materialise after Spurs refused to let him go.

Since then, former Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland has arrived at the Etihad Stadium, ripping up the record books in the Premier League and making his presence felt in Europe too.

Ahead of Wednesday's home Champions League encounter with Eintracht Frankfurt, Kane did not wish to focus on his rivals or what might have been for his own career.

Instead, he would prefer to solve his own continental drought as he still awaits is first goal of the European campaign, though he admits Haaland is in superlative form.

"I'm not someone who likes to think or talk about other players too much," Kane said. 

"He's had a fantastic start to the season, full credit to him, but I can't control that, so I'm concentrating on what I can do.

"I'm helping the team in any way possible, it has been going well so far in the Premier League and I want to score a few more goals in the Champions League for sure.

"People are talking about him [Haaland] and rightly so, he's had a fantastic start. But we've got a long way to go, and there's a lot of games coming up, so I'm concentrating on what I can do."

A clash with a Bundesliga foe has reignited talk of Kane's other heavily linked suitor, in German champions Bayern, but the forward brushed off any discussion of a move, though he was complimentary of the Bavarians. 

"I’m focused on Tottenham Hotspur and trying to do my best for us," he added.

"Bayern are a top, top club - but all my concentration is on Tottenham and trying to win on [Wednesday] night."

Kane's lacklustre form in Europe has left boss Antonio Conte unconcerned, with the Italian noting that the forward continues to build upon his promise with every match.

"You know his form, Harry has started the season really well," Conte said. 

"For us, he is a really important player. He has to continue to work in the way he is working. Every day we have this possibility to improve ourselves and my demands are very high."

Tottenham striker Harry Kane "must be sick" of seeing Erling Haaland regularly break goal records at Manchester City, according to Rio Ferdinand.

Haaland, who joined from Borussia Dortmund in June, made it 20 goals in just 13 appearances for City with his strike against Southampton on Saturday.

The Norway international has scored 15 of those goals in the Premier League, which is seven more than next-best Kane, who has himself made a fast start to the season.

However, it would have been Kane leading the line for City had Pep Guardiola's side been able to reach an agreement with Tottenham for his services last year.

City instead held out for 12 months to sign Haaland from Dortmund, and Ferdinand says the 22-year-old's form must be galling for Kane.

"If I were City before Haaland came, I would have taken Kane," Ferdinand said on the FIVE podcast on his YouTube channel. 

"Kane's a goalscorer, he's a killer, as cold as you get. In any era he scores goals. I think he would have been brilliant at Man City. 

"If I'm him, I'm absolutely puking up in my own mouth and trying not to swallow it when I'm watching Haaland now. I'm thinking that could have been me."

Haaland's 15 goals is four more than any other player after nine matches in Premier League's history, followed by Mick Quinn (11 with Coventry City in the 1992-93 season).

He is scoring at a rate of one goal every 50 minutes – again a competition record among those to have scored at least 10 times. 

City great Sergio Aguero is next on the list with a goal every 108 minutes, while Kane's 191 goals in 291 appearances (127 mins per goal) places him a respectable fifth.

Guardiola suggested in February that City made four separate attempts to sign Kane, but they were unable to meet Tottenham's reported £150million asking price.

"That was a moment for Harry Kane to go and say 'what I've done at Tottenham can never be discredited, it's my home, it's my place of love'," Ferdinand said. 

"No one would have been disgruntled if he went to City. It was there for the taking. I don't know how it happened from all parties. He must be sick.

"If I'm Kane I'm sitting there going wild. I know he could end up with a trophy this year. 

"But sitting watching he'll be like 'look at what City are doing right now and Haaland is just eating people. I could have been the guy on the end of all those chances'."