Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has questioned whether VAR is having a positive impact on football and admitted he would get rid of the technology in its current form.

The fallout of Spurs’ controversial 2-1 win over Liverpool last weekend continues after Jurgen Klopp suggested on Wednesday a replay would be the right outcome before he insisted a day later the matter was over for the club.

It comes after the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) admitted a “significant human error” occurred when the 34th-minute strike by Luis Diaz was incorrectly ruled out for offside after miscommunication by VAR operator Darren England, who was under the impression the on-field decision had been to award the goal, to referee Simon Hooper.

Postecoglou was quizzed on whether he would get rid of VAR, he said: “I would in its current form. I just don’t think that technology’s ready for our game.

“I’ve got absolutely zero against goal-line technology, that’s a no-brainer because that’s quite significant, but it works for our game.

“I just think our game is unique and I know people say well let’s get referees explaining their decisions. Oh my God. Seriously? Could you imagine sitting there listening to a referee explain every decision on the game.

“I’m going to the Gridiron on Sunday, I love it, I love American football. It’s three-and-a-half hours mate. Do you want to sit through three-and-a-half hours of listening?

“I just think with VAR at the moment, we think it’s going to eliminate (errors) and the more we use it, I think the worse it’s going to get.

“It was there for the clear and obvious error. It seems like everything now. Yellow cards, fouls, corners, everything’s getting scrutinised. It’s not our game.

“We’re not rugby, we don’t have those stoppages. What I always loved about England was the frenetic pace of football.

“Why are we trying to take that out? Now, I think part of the consequence of last week was that none of us liked it when they were taking so long to make a decision and it sounded like last week they were rushing into a decision.

“That suggests to me that I don’t think the technology in its current form is suitable to our game, but I know I will be in a minority with that and my role within that is to accept that whatever my feelings are on it, ultimately, there’s still going to be an arbitrator of decisions.”

Postecoglou has consistently insisted he is not a fan of VAR and expressed fears for what football may look like in years to come if technology interferes more and more.

“This is probably the only time I’m happy I’m 58 and not 38. I don’t know what the game is going to look like in 20 years’ time and I’m not sure I would like it with the way it’s going,” he added.

“I’ve always loved the fact that our game has more flaws in it. The uniqueness of our game is the goal is so hard to get. We always focus around that.

“Usually goals came from either a combination of brilliance or some flaws by someone.

“We’re trying to sanitise all that by trying to make it into something that I just don’t think is our game. That’s not what I’ve loved about football. I’ve loved the imperfect nature of it.

“When you’re sitting there analysing every little decision – and it seems we’re going that way where people just want every decision to be right – then that will slow down the game invariably, there will be more interruptions and they’ll take away from what I love about the game.

Meanwhile, Postecoglou played down Klopp’s claims earlier this week about replaying the fixture.

He said: “I think Jurgen’s said that and maybe that was taken a little bit out of context.

“My view is when you’re talking about a replay, there’s got to be some sort of threshold and I don’t think a mistake is a threshold for that.

“It was a unique mistake, people have used an unprecedented mistake and I agree with that, but it was still a mistake.

“So, if your threshold for replays is mistakes by individuals, that’s 365 games a year, I reckon.”

Mikel Arteta has confirmed Bukayo Saka is in contention to face Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

Saka sustained a muscle injury and was substituted during Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat at Lens in Group B of the Champions League on Tuesday.

The winger, who has scored four Premier League goals in seven games this season, could feature in Sunday’s clash at the Emirates and is part of Gareth Southgate’s England squad for a friendly with Australia and a Euro 2024 qualifier with Italy.

“He is in contention, we’ll see how he progresses from here to Sunday,” Arteta said.

“Obviously he had to leave the pitch (against Lens), that’s never good news, but let’s see how he recovers.

“I have spoken to Gareth on several occasions. I have to do my job and give him the news.

“He needs to make the best decision for the national team. I’m not going to get involved.”

The Spaniard believes Arsenal’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City was important for confidence but admitted the Gunners will need to be “at our best in every department for 100 minutes” if they are to repeat that success this weekend.

Arsenal beat Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side on penalties in August after Leandro Trossard’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser cancelled out Cole Palmer’s opener at Wembley.

However, that result between the teams has been the exception in recent years. City had beaten Arsenal in eight successive matches heading into the Community Shield, while Guardiola’s men are currently on a 12-match winning streak against the Gunners in the Premier League.

In fact, Arsenal have to go back to 2015 for the last time they claimed victory over City in the league, and Arteta knows what level of performance his side must produce on Sunday if they are to end that winless run.

“It was an important one for us (winning in Community Shield),” Arteta said.

“Having success against City is something you have to value, the way we did it as well and it gave us confidence and a lift that we can beat them.

“One thing for certain is that we know we will have to be at our best in every department for 100 minutes and then we will have a chance.”

An Arsenal victory this weekend would see them move two points clear of current leaders City, but Arteta dismissed any suggestion it would be a season-defining result.

“It will be a big boost energy- and confidence-wise but apart from that and the three points, nothing else,” he said.

Arteta highlighted Guardiola’s strengths as a manager and noted his fellow Spaniard’s decision to play Bernardo Silva at left-back in previous meetings was unexpected.

And the Gunners boss, who was Guardiola’s assistant at City between 2016 and 2019, credited his compatriot’s willingness to change tactics in games.

“Every year we have new tools, new players and different things,” Arteta said.

“We know each other, we expect things from each other but it is down to the players.

“I didn’t expect him to play Bernardo at left-back. Yes (expect Pep to make big changes) and he does that in big games.

“He’s done it this season as well. Against different opponents he does different things and that’s a big quality of them (City) because they can change.

“They can do this during the game, at half-time and that’s a strength, they can dominate.”

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson admits his side are in the thick of a “serious injury crisis” with midfielder Eberechi Eze becoming the latest player set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Eze’s hamstring issue ruled him out of selection for Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad after he featured last month, with the 25-year-old joining an ever-growing list of Palace players unavailable for Saturday’s home encounter with Nottingham Forest.

Despite the latest blow, Hodgson made clear he had no intention of courting pity, pointing to the bigger picture as he sought to assure concerned supporters.

Hodgson said: “There is no sympathy in the world of football for injuries and there is no point seeking sympathy. It happens to all teams.

“We happen to be in the middle of quite a serious injury crisis at the moment, but we have to learn to deal with it and accept the situation and look forward to the time when our squad is bigger again when these players return.

“OK, it’s not going to be in the next week or two, but the season doesn’t end until May so we have to keep that in mind as well.”

Palace sit ninth in the Premier League table after seven matches and enter Saturday’s contest bolstered by their 1-0 victory over Manchester United last time out, with defender Joachim Andersen providing the decisive strike.

Hodgson, aware of his dwindling resources, said: “We are going to be dependent now, really, on the players who have come in to take their places in doing a good job, which to be fair they have been doing.

“I’m very satisfied with the way the team has been playing, and we’re a squad, so there is no point complaining about injuries. They do happen and you must never feel sorry for yourself.

“One or two of the players who have come in, in the last two or three weeks, who have not necessarily played from the start, have come in and done exceptionally well. That is the way we have got to look at it.”

While Hodgson refused to set a timeframe for Eze’s return, he did concede that the injury was “serious” and “the severity of the injury might suggest it’s as long as that.”

Michael Olise, among Hodgson’s other key attackers, has not played this season as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury of his own, while summer signing Jefferson Lerma – also out with same problem – remains ruled out.

Odsonne Edouard, yet another member of Palace’s hamstring woe-club, has progressed and could start against Forest at Selhurst Park, while Brazilian Matheus Franca is still working his way back to match fitness, but is “no longer injured”.

Dean Henderson, James Tomkins and Naouirou Ahamada all remain unavailable.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has signed a new long-term contract at the club.

The forward, recalled to the England squad this week, is believed to have penned a five-year deal and has scored 50 goals for Villa since joining from Brentford in 2020.

He netted 15 times last season to help Villa return to Europe and had been in talks over a new deal for around six months.

Boss Unai Emery said: “He is always very demanding, to learn and improve. He is doing that here. I have been working with him more or less for one year and today is the same as the first day, our method in the training ground.”

Watkins has scored seven times this season, including two hat-tricks, ahead of Sunday’s trip to Wolves.

Mikel Arteta said Arsenal’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City was important for confidence but admitted the Gunners will need to be “at our best in every department for 100 minutes” if they are to repeat that success in the Premier League this weekend.

Arsenal beat Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning side on penalties in August after Leandro Trossard’s dramatic stoppage-time equaliser cancelled out Cole Palmer’s opener at Wembley.

However, that result between the teams has been the exception in recent years. City had beaten Arsenal in eight successive matches heading into the Community Shield, while Guardiola’s men are currently on a 12-match winning streak against the Gunners in the Premier League.

In fact, Arsenal have to go back to 2015 for the last time they claimed victory over City in the league, and Arteta knows what level of performance his side must produce on Sunday if they are to end that winless run.

“It was an important one for us (winning in Community Shield),” Arteta said.

“Having success against City is something you have to value, the way we played as well and it gave us confidence and a lift that we can beat them.

“One thing for certain is that we know we will have to be at our best in every department for 100 minutes and then we will have a chance.”

An Arsenal victory this weekend would see them move two points clear of current leaders City, but Arteta dismissed any suggestion it would be a season-defining result.

“It will be a big boost energy and confidence-wise but apart from that and the three points, nothing else,” he said.

Arteta highlighted Guardiola’s strengths as a manager and noted his fellow Spaniard’s decision to play Bernardo Silva at left-back in previous meetings was unexpected.

And the Gunners boss, who was Guardiola’s assistant at City between 2016 and 2019, credited his compatriot’s willingness to change tactics in games.

“Every year we have new tools, new players and different things,” Arteta said.

“We know each other, we expect things from each other but it is down to the players.

“I didn’t expect him to play Bernardo at left-back.

“Yes (expect Pep do make big changes in games) and he does that in big games.

“He’s done it this season as well. Against different opponents he does different things and that’s a big quality of them (City) because they can change.

“They can do this during the game, at half-time and that’s a strength, they can dominate.”

Although City have dominated this fixture in recent years, Arteta took encouragement from his side’s performance in the Emirates clash between the two on New Year’s Day 2022.

Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal the lead but City levelled through Riyad Mahrez’s penalty and, with the Gunners down to 10 men following Gabriel’s red card, snatched a stoppage-time winner through Rodri.

Arteta, who missed the fixture following a positive Covid test, believes that match was a big step forward for Arsenal and that they learnt some valuable lessons.

He said: “I could feel it from home and it was a huge step. It was a big one, with the way we played but we ended up losing the game and took some big lessons from it as well, but a lot of positives.”

Boss Unai Emery has ruled out a top-four charge despite Aston Villa’s strong start to the season.

Villa go to Wolves on Sunday sitting fifth in the Premier League ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.

They are the second top scorers in the division with 18 goals, one behind Brighton who they smashed 6-1 last weekend.

But despite Villa’s form, Emery dismissed any hopes of challenging for the Champions League.

“To be in the top four is very difficult and we are not contenders. There are other teams who are contenders for those positions,” he said.

“When we are in the possibility to get those positions in the table, we have to be very demanding and believe. We have to build a team, trying to get better each match and feel strong with our structure.

“The next consequences are that we will feel comfortable playing and being confident trying to face the top seven teams, being a contender for that.”

Jacob Ramsey (foot) and Alex Moreno (hamstring) remain out, along with long-term absentees Emi Buendia and Tyrone Mings (both knee).

“For Sunday, no, they are not going to be available,” said Emery.

“Jacob will need time again to recover his injury. He has an injury and he’s not going to be available.

“Alex was progressing, he was working with the team, he was doing training sessions, but he needed to stop because he wasn’t feeling good. Now, he’s feeling better and hopefully after the break he could be with the group, training every day.

“Moussa Diaby and Boubacar Kamara are going to work with the team tomorrow. In case they feel good, they could be playing but it’s not 100 per cent.”

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has stressed that “every single game is important” as the Blues look to continue their winning run at Burnley.

They have secured back-to-back wins after beating Brighton 1-0 in the League Cup and seeing off west London rivals Fulham 2-0 in the Premier League on Monday.

Up next for Chelsea is a trip to Turf Moor to face the Clarets and Pochettino knows how tough a match it will be.

He told a press-conference: “Every single game is important for us, for us it’s two different things.

“One is to get the result we need, another is to settle and help the players to arrive at their best to get their best form that they can.

“Every single game in the Premier League is important and of course tomorrow is going to be a tough game because it’s a team who run a lot and try to play. Of course it’s going to be tough but we go there to try to win the three points.”

Monday’s victory saw Mykhailo Mudryk score his first goal for the club before Armando Broja added another to break a three-game winless run in the Premier League for the Blues, who are currently 11th in the table.

With two consecutive wins under their belt, Pochettino is hopeful his side can keep the momentum going into the international break.

“Now after two victories it’s important to keep thinking the same way – that we need to improve,” he added.

“We were losing games and not getting what we deserved, I think. Keeping the balance and keeping the belief was important too.

“I think the most important is the journey, we know the way we need to keep improving, we’ve won two games but it’s still nothing so far with the way we wanted to play and to perform.

“To go into the international break with a different feeling than the last international break is really important for us to win the game, but we need to stay calm.

“We have been preparing really well for the game and of course we are going to arrive in a condition to compete against a team who is doing well also and trying to be better than them.”

Pochettino provided positive news on defender Reece James, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury he picked up in training last month.

The Argentinian confirmed James has been in training, but the England international will miss the Burnley clash following a suspension and fine after admitting to abusing a match official during last month’s defeat to Aston Villa.

“I think he was training with the group, it’s a shame that he is suspended and banned for tomorrow,” Pochettino said.

“We are really happy in the way he’s recovering, he’s doing well and we hope after the international break he can be available. He is available but after the suspension (is served).”

Chelsea are still without several players with Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah both in partial team training, while Ben Chilwell, Marcus Bettinelli, Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia are all in different stages of their respective rehabilitation programmes.

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has acknowledged Liverpool were denied a “legitimate goal” in last weekend’s match but defended VAR operator Darren England.

Spurs claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool last Saturday, but the result was mired in controversy after a Luis Diaz effort in the 34th-minute was incorrectly ruled out for offside.

The incident was reviewed but VAR operator England mistakenly believed the on-field decision had been to award the goal and, after establishing Diaz had been onside, England told referee Simon Hooper “check complete” before Tottenham resumed the game with the score 0-0.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited subsequently admitted a “significant human error” occurred and released the audio this week, while on Wednesday Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp stated a replay may be the best solution even though he admitted it was unlikely.

Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Luton, Postecoglou said: “The facts of it are that it was a legitimate goal Liverpool scored that wasn’t given.

“You kind of look at why it’s not given because that’s the first thing you question: obviously something has broken down.

“It became clear it wasn’t an integrity issue, it wasn’t a misappropriation of the law, it was an error in communication, a mistake, a mistake which cost Liverpool.

“I get that it’s an unusual one in that it’s never happened before, but at the same time we’re in a new space anyway with technology where I think they’ll be a lot of firsts with the way we deal with these things.”

The fallout from the incident has seen referee England reportedly told he will not officiate another Liverpool match this season, but Postecoglou railed against critics of the official.

“I don’t know if that’s been decided,” the Spurs boss added. “I’d be surprised if they have gone that way.

“It’s a significant error but it’s a human being that’s made that error. I don’t think that there’s anything that needs to go too far reaching

“From my perspective, when I listened to that audio, saying ‘check complete’, someone obviously thought it was a good way of finalising things and it’s worked up until now.

“I would have thought the logical thing is to say ‘goal for Liverpool’ but I’m saying that with the ignorance of not knowing how it’s truly set up.

“When listening to that you probably think there’s better ways of communicating a clear decision in such a big situation.

“I hope that’s what they’re addressing, not the individual that made the mistake. I think that’s a dereliction of the game.

“That’s like me hanging out a player to dry just because he made a mistake. My role is to go in and help that player to improve not say ‘now you’re never playing again’.”

Spurs’ focus will turn to their Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Luton and another victory for Postecoglou’s team would send them top of the Premier League until Sunday’s meeting between current leaders Manchester City and third-placed Arsenal.

James Maddison (knee) and Son Heung-min (groin) have been declared fit to play but Manor Solomon (knee) has joined a growing injury list that contains Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Rodrigo Bentancur (knee), Brennan Johnson (hamstring) and Ivan Perisic (knee).

Tottenham should have Bryan Gil and Giovani Lo Celso back on the bench after groin and quad issues respectively.

Postecoglou said: “If we win we go top of the table for 24 hours but who cares? We’ve got to win.

“It’s a tough game, our focus is on putting on a performance and playing at our best because if we don’t, it won’t matter where we’re sitting on the competition ladder, it’ll be us focusing on a poor performance.”

Pep Guardiola is grappling with a midfield conundrum for Manchester City’s visit to an Arsenal side he believes have established themselves among the Premier League elite once again.

While Guardiola issued a positive update over the injured Kevin de Bruyne, the Belgian will be missing for Sunday’s clash while midfield general Rodri serves the last game of a three-match domestic ban.

Kalvin Phillips and Mateo Kovacic have been deployed in the holding role in the Spaniard’s absence although City lost on both occasions – at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup and at Wolves in the league.

Guardiola lamented how difficult Rodri is to replace and will decide closer to kick-off how best to plug the gap in a fixture many observers view as significant in the title race.

“(Rodri is) maybe the best or in the top two or three best holding midfielders in the world,” Guardiola said. “He’s not here and we’ll have to find a solution with our players and how we want to play.

“When you have an absence as important as him you have to have a solution. I am not going to deny how important Rodri is, like how Kevin is, but when they are not here we cannot start to cry.

“He is not here, we will find solutions and decide how we are going to press and play.

“The moment in my mind when a player is not there, he is completely out and I don’t think about it. He is not there.”

Defeat at the Emirates Stadium would be the first time City have been beaten in successive league games since December 2018 – and Guardiola is wary of an Arsenal team managed by former protege Mikel Arteta.

Arteta, a former assistant of Guardiola’s at the Etihad Stadium, has led Arsenal out of the doldrums. The north London club endured a few years out of the top four but they were the closest challengers last season to City, finishing just five points adrift of Guardiola’s all-conquering treble winners.

The Gunners are now hot on the heels of current league leaders City and represent a stern test for a side bidding to bounce back from last weekend’s surprise 2-1 defeat at Molineux.

“Arsenal is back to where they were when they fought with Sir Alex (Ferguson’s Manchester United) team,” Guardiola said. “When I arrive here they were not there and now they are back.

“In the calendar you see when you have to go to the Emirates Stadium. The recruitment they have done is exceptional, with (Declan) Rice and (Kai) Havertz.

“Absolutely (they are City’s main title rivals), along with Liverpool from what we’ve seen.”

Guardiola confirmed John Stones is unavailable for selection this weekend – despite the centre-half being named in England’s squad for matches against Australia and Italy later this month.

“No, he’s not ready to play,” Guardiola said. “Maybe for the national team, but not us.”

De Bruyne is another absentee, with the 32-year-old sidelined since the opening game of the season in August after undergoing hamstring surgery that was expected to keep him out for up to four months.

While he is still a way off a first-team return, Guardiola is optimistic of having De Bruyne back sooner rather than later.

“Kevin comes in at different times, either before training or for his treatment,” Guardiola said.

“After training he sees physios and so on. Of course I see him every day and he’s getting better, and his mood is good. Hopefully sooner than expected he will be back.”

Erik Ten Hag admits Manchester United’s level of play since winning the Carabao Cup has been unacceptable.

The Red Devils take on Brentford on Saturday looking to avoid a run of three successive defeats for the second time this season.

But results had already tailed off at the end of the last campaign, with Ten Hag’s win percentage dropping from 69 per cent prior to the victory over Newcastle at Wembley to around 50 per cent since.

The positivity that had accompanied the Dutchman’s first season in charge has rapidly evaporated, and he said: “We dropped in levels. We have to get back to those levels.

“There are reasons for it but still it’s not acceptable and we have to fight against it. Every team we put out has to be on one page and the routines are not always there. They have a good foundation in the way they play, keep the foundation, support each other and we will do better.”

United have endured another miserable week, with a Premier League loss to Crystal Palace followed by a 3-2 home defeat by Galatasaray in the Champions League, where goalkeeper Andre Onana again struggled.

Ten Hag believes his side are being punished for lapses, saying: “Consistency, that is the problem we are struggling with.

“In parts of the game, I will say in big parts of the game, we do a lot of things right but then there are moments where we are struggling and in such moments we can’t survive.

“In this moment, you have to do the right things, so be consistent and do the job, be consistent in the communication, and when you do that you keep the right organisation and do it like before.

“Definitely you can mark such a moment as when we score a goal or concede a goal and when decisive moments go against us, we lose a bit as a team. Over big parts, in 95 per cent of the game, we are a team, so keep going all the way through and we have to step up.

“Most important in such moments is you keep on one page and it starts with communication.”

Rasmus Hojlund’s double against Galatasaray was the bright spot but Marcus Rashford again struggled.

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The England forward has gone seven matches without a goal for club and country, with his only effort so far this season coming against Arsenal at the beginning of September.

Ten Hag has no doubt it is just a blip, though, saying: “It’s normal you are not always right at the same levels. Everyone knows the qualities of him and if Rashy does the things right and the team does, it’s up to him.

“We have seen in the last weeks he is coming in good positions, he is struggling, but it will pass. Everyone knows the qualities, everyone at Man United backs him, the whole team supports him and believes in him, I am sure with that it will change and this will pass.

“Strikers, when they don’t score for a moment, they need one goal, then they step over. When he is doing the right things, and he is doing the right things, the momentum will come and he will be on fire.”

Antony could make his return to Premier League action having coming off the bench against Galatasaray but Jadon Sancho remains out of the picture.

New VAR guidelines introduced in the wake of the controversy involving Liverpool will be in use in the Premier League this weekend.

Miscommunication between VAR Darren England and referee Simon Hooper led to a Luis Diaz goal for Liverpool being wrongly disallowed for offside at Tottenham last Saturday.

Audio of the incident was released on Tuesday, with referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) saying it would develop a new VAR communication protocol in an effort to avoid similar mistakes being made in future.

The PA news agency understands that protocol will now be in force right away.

PGMOL said the protocol would “enhance the clarity of communication between the referee and the VAR team in relation to on-field decisions”.

VARs will now also confirm the outcome of the checking process with the assistant VAR before confirming the final decision to the on-field officials.

England mistakenly thought the on-field officials had ruled Diaz to be onside, which meant that when he told them ‘check complete’ they believed he had upheld their on-field decision and restarted play with a free-kick.

Once play had restarted, there was nothing the VARs could do to revisit the decision under existing protocols.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called for the match to be replayed on Wednesday, something the Premier League is understood not to be prepared to consider.

The league did release a statement on Tuesday, though, saying the Diaz incident had highlighted “systemic weaknesses” in the VAR process and said a wider review would take place “to seek consistently higher standards of VAR performance”.

PGMOL and the Football Association will also review the policy allowing English officials to cover domestic league matches overseas.

England and his assistant Daniel Cook had been part of a team of officials who had taken charge of a match in the United Arab Emirates on September 28, arriving back in the UK the following morning.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits they have not had time to properly assess where World Cup-winner Alexis Mac Allister fits into their side.

The Argentina midfielder has started all seven of the club’s Premier League fixtures since arriving from Brighton in a cut-price £35million deal, but has been deployed in the nominal holding role after the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia left them short in that department.

Mac Allister has shown he is far more effective further forward in one of the attacking midfield positions, and while he has done a job for Klopp, it appears unlikely he is the long-term solution.

He was even substituted at half-time of the win at Wolves, having flown back from Bolivia after the international break after looking well off the pace.

Nevertheless Klopp is satisfied with what he has had from the 24-year-old so far.

“We didn’t even look for his best position yet. We just use him,” he said.

“He is a fantastic player, I love everything about him: super-smart tactically and off the pitch as well, so that is really nice to work with.

“If we as a team defend well, he can play definitely the number six. Did I know that before? I had a guess but I was not sure because I did not know exactly how all the other boys would do defending.

“Because we defend more compact and better than in our bad phases last year, we have small spaces and then it is really good because he sees the situations really well.

“We have a really good footballer and it is really cool but best position? He is too young for me to know it but he is a midfielder, I can tell you that.

“He is a midfielder and I am happy about having him.”

Mac Allister is one-third of a midfield rebuild this summer with Dominik Szobozslai the other mainstay after his £60m arrival from RB Leipzig.

Forward Cody Gakpo, another new signing Wataru Endo – the one genuine number six in the squad – and Curtis Jones have filled the other space in midfield in Premier League matches this season.

However, the gradual emergence of Ryan Gravenberch, a deadline-day arrival from Bayern Munich, points towards the 21-year-old staking a claim to be the third man alongside Mac Allister and Szobozslai, who are destined to be locked in for the long term.

The Dutchman scored his first goal in the 2-0 Europa League victory over Union Saint Gilloise as his integration into the side – he has started three non-Premier League games but has only been a substitute at weekends – continues to grow apace.

For a relative youngster, Gravenberch has a certain presence on the pitch and Klopp expects him to grow further with more experience.

“Raw power – I am not sure a lot of people would have described him in the past like that,” said the manager.

“He is technically incredibly good. The first touch is insane, the speed is top class, really good shooter.

“Yes he came late and yes we play slightly different and yes he needs time to adapt, and that is what we can give him, thank God.

“He is completely happy with that and in the groove; he realises in each training sessions he is treated completely like others, if he starts or not.

“He gets even more information in specific moments. He can see what the other boys do in similar positions, he can watch it, he learns, he is a smart boy, everything goes in the right direction and that is really nice to see.

“He has had assists in the other games and now he has his first goal. Now it is good, long may it continue, he is very important for us.”

Eddie Howe wakes every morning happy with the “life-changing” decision he took to become Newcastle’s head coach.

The 45-year-old accepted the Magpies’ offer of employment in November 2021, just weeks after Amanda Staveley’s Saudi-backed consortium had completed its takeover.

Staveley and her partners will celebrate two years at the helm on Saturday with the club having been transformed to the extent that they sent shock waves across Europe on Wednesday evening with a 4-1 Champions League rout of Qatari-funded Paris St Germain.

Asked where he would rank his decision to take on the job, Howe said: “I knew when I took the job – the moment came when I was offered the job and I was going to say yes – that it was a life-changing moment for me.

“Thankfully it has been a great journey so far. I have loved every second of it.

“I said when I arrived I was very proud to be Newcastle manager and I’ve never woken up without that feeling. The feeling that I am doing something very special in my life is always there and it’s never something I take for granted.”

Howe’s decision thrust him into the centre of a geopolitical minefield and he has found himself repeatedly facing questions over the Saudi regime and its links to the club through the Gulf state’s Public Investment Fund, which holds an 80 per cent stake, and accusations of ‘sportswashing’.

PIF governor and Magpies chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has made no secret of his ambition, saying in the Prime Video documentary ‘We Are Newcastle United’ that he ultimately wanted to establish the club as number one in the world.

Howe, who met the chairman briefly after the PSG game, has been consistent in taking a measured approach to development despite hefty, if astute, investment in the squad since the takeover.

But asked if there was any reason why the Magpies could not be the biggest club in the world, he said: “No, but we’re not the world’s number one club at the moment.

“We’ve got to try to work towards that, and these things take time. There is no magic wand. Being smart, making good decisions and working hard every day…

“If that is the ultimate aim, then we will try our best to try and get that.

“We have to be calm and recognise we are in the early stages of the season. We’ve got a lot to prove before we can say anything about what we’ve done. We’ve just put ourselves in a good position in our Champions League group and we are still formulating our Premier League position.”

That process will continue with Sunday’s visit to West Ham, a game for which Anthony Gordon is suspended after reaching five bookings for the campaign, while Callum Wilson and Joelinton remain doubts and Sven Botman is out.

Harry Kane will still have the support of Tottenham fans despite his decision to leave the club, according to fellow Spurs favourite Jermain Defoe.

Kane signed for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich for an estimated €117million (£100m) in the most recent transfer window, leaving North London having overtaken Jimmy Greaves as the club's all-time record goalscorer.

Kane scored 280 goals in 435 appearances in all competitions before ending his 19-year association with Spurs, and he has started life at Bayern in similarly prolific fashion, netting eight times in six Bundesliga outings while also getting off the mark in the Champions League.

Though Kane decided to leave in pursuit of the silverware that eluded him at Spurs, Defoe believes the club's fans will continue to back the England captain in his new surroundings.

Speaking to Stats Perform at the Legends of Football event, in aid of Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, Defo said: "For Harry, it's amazing for him and his family. It's a new challenge.

"Everyone at Tottenham wants to wish him the best – we always knew he was going to do well anyway because he's a world-class player. He'll score goals anywhere. Nothing changes in terms of goals.

"We just want to wish him the best because Harry as a footballer is special but he's a special guy and he deserves everything he gets."

Kane the final piece of Bayern's puzzle?

Bayern have claimed 11 Bundesliga titles in a row, but the trophy they really want to lift is the Champions League having not made it past the quarter-final stage since last winning European football's elite competition in the 2019-20 campaign.

Kane has hit the ground running at Bayern, giving fans hope that he can be the man to lead them back to European glory.

The England international has scored eight goals in his first six Bundesliga appearances, with only Erling Haaland scoring more in his first six games in the league, while he has surpassed some of Bayern's greatest strikers in terms of their starts at the club.

His seven goals in his first five Bundesliga games for the club is more than Bayern legends such as Miroslav Klose and Robert Lewandowski managed, while his 10 goal involvements during those games is also the most in a player's first five Bundesliga appearances.

Kane is second behind only Serhou Guirassy (10) for Bundesliga goals this season, finding the net every 66 minutes on average while converting 34.78 per cent of his shots.

His three assists indicate he has also been a key facilitator for Bayern, while he is tied for fourth in the Bundesliga in terms of big chances created (four).

It is still early days, but Kane's excellent start suggests he could be the one to help Bayern back to the very top of European football.

What the papers say

Liverpool have identified their prime target when the January transfer window opens. According to the Daily Mirror, Fluminense’s Brazilian midfielder Andre Trindade will be at the top of their list.

Manchester City are turning their attention towards keeping hold of their talent. The Daily Telegraph reports the treble winners plan to open contract talks with striker Erling Haaland, 23, with Real Madrid showing interest.

Chelsea are also looking to secure one of their young stars, according to the Daily Mail. They are planning talks with Conor Gallagher, 23, as the England midfielder nears the final 18 months of his contract.

And Everton are also close to tying up Jarrad Branthwaite to a long-term deal, reports the Daily Mirror. Manchester United had reportedly been interested in the 21-year-old defender.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Jarrod Bowen: Liverpool and Newcastle are watching as contract talks for the England forward, 26, move slowly at West Ham.

Xavi Simons: Manchester City are expected to face a fight from Barcelona for the Netherlands midfielder, 20, from Paris St Germain next summer.