Mikel Arteta expects Arsenal to benefit from Gabriel Jesus' absence from the Brazil squad as he hopes to show Tite what he is missing before the World Cup.

Arsenal are top of the Premier League ahead of the north London derby against Tottenham on Saturday, but none of their three senior Brazilian stars were called up by the Selecao last month.

Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and Jesus had all been part of Tite's squad during the previous international window in June.

Yet they now face a race against time to prove themselves before Qatar 2022, which kicks off next month.

Jesus was a particularly surprising omission, having scored four goals and assisted another three in seven league appearances since joining Arsenal in July.

But Arteta revealed a determined response from his number nine, telling reporters of Jesus: "He's incredibly humble.

"He accepted the decision and the way he trained, it was just: 'Okay, I need to improve. I need to get better. I need to do more. I really want to be there [at the World Cup], it's a big aspiration for me, it's an incredible opportunity. And I'm in the right place to do that.'

"So, I think we will see that on the pitch again."

At international level, Jesus appears to be in direct competition with Spurs striker Richarlison, who has hit form at the right time with seven goals in his past six outings for Brazil.

Jesus is set to come up against him this weekend, but Arteta says his striker cannot be concerned by how others fare.

"He can only control what he can do. He cannot control what other players do," the Arsenal manager said. "And he's only focusing on that.

"So, he has ambition. We know that he plays with incredible commitment. And [on Saturday] he will play that way."

Chelsea have reportedly already conducted a medical for RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku with the aim of signing him at the end of this season.

It has long been thought Nkunku's time at Leipzig was coming to an end, but the Bundesliga club retained his services in the most recent transfer window, potentially setting him up for a 2023 departure.

Nkunku is off to a terrific start to the Bundesliga season, netting four goals from seven games, and while the interest in him is expected to be wide-ranging, Chelsea have used their relationship with Leipzig in an effort to jump to the front of the queue.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA COMPLETE SECRET NKUNKU MEDICAL, PREPARE TO TRIGGER RELEASE CLAUSE

According to Bild, Nkunku has a release clause in his contract set at €60million, and Chelsea are prepared to trigger it at the conclusion of this campaign.

Chelsea and Leipzig have done plenty of business together previously, including sales of Timo Werner in either direction and advanced negotiations around young centre-back Josko Gvardiol. It appears Nkunku was also discussed at length, and the German club were willing to let Chelsea take a closer look at the in-demand attacker ahead of any official bids being made.

With Gvardiol also remaining a potential target for new Chelsea coach Graham Potter – with his price tag set at a huge €90m – this could turn into one of the most expensive package deals ever.

ROUND-UP

– According to the Daily Star, Erling Haaland weighed up a potential move to Liverpool before eventually choosing Manchester City, but he categorically ruled out Manchester United.

– Football Insider is reporting Aston Villa are considering Mauricio Pochettino and Unai Emery for their next manager if Steven Gerrard is fired.

– Football Insider also claims Leicester City's James Maddison is "very keen" on a move to Tottenham after reports they are keeping tabs on the 25-year-old midfielder.

– Chelsea will give Christian Pulisic a chance to prove his value before making a decision on his future, per 90min.

– Sport is reporting Juventus are planning a January move for Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has reciprocated praise from his Tottenham counterpart Antonio Conte ahead of Saturday's north London derby.

Conte commented on the improvement of Arsenal after they showed "patience" with Arteta, with the Gunners sitting top of the Premier League after six wins from their first seven games.

Spurs are just a point behind, though, and pipped their rivals to the final Champions League spot in a frenetic run-in last season.

"Not only the start but the journey they had since Antonio joined as well and how things changed," Arteta said at a press conference on Friday. "They have a clear identity... both teams expect a tough match [on Saturday]."

Arteta refused to be drawn on whether Thomas Partey, Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko would be part of the squad for the Spurs clash, but he did comment on Emile Smith Rowe, who recently underwent surgery to deal with a groin injury and is expected to be out until after the World Cup.

Smith Rowe has played just 48 minutes for Arsenal's first team this season, all from substitute appearances, and a statement from the club on Thursday said his "successful surgery took place in London in the past few days and Emile's rehabilitation programme is already underway. We are hopeful that Emile will return to full training in December."

Arteta made clear the decision to undergo surgery came from the player, saying: "We had to make a decision and we could not continue with that uncertainty.

"The player was the first one demanding that he wanted an end decision and then we have to support him on that.

"After a surgery it's very difficult to give a timeline. We need to go step-by-step. We know before the World Cup he's not going to be involved."

Antonio Conte has pointed to Arsenal's improvement under Mikel Arteta as proof that "time and patience" is needed to succeed in the Premier League.

Arsenal sit top of the table after winning six of their first seven games this season.

Tottenham boss Conte takes his team to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday for the north London derby, sitting just two places and one point behind the Gunners after their own impressive start to the campaign.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Conte – who has previously spoken about needing time to get Spurs up to the level of other top clubs in England – was keen to shine a light on the patience shown by their rivals.

"I think the club backed Arteta in these years, and you are seeing that when you trust in a person, and Arsenal showed also in a tough period now with Arteta to back him in every moment," he said. "And now they are having good results.

"I think they're doing a good job. But in my opinion, it's always very, very important to go together with the manager and with the club.

"If you want to build something important, you have to go together to have a good relationship and I think the manager in every decision that is going to [be made] has to have a good explanation to the club why I want this [player] and not this player.

"It's right for the manager to show the vision that you have and then the club has to agree with them. I think to have a good relationship, a great link between the manager and the club, for sure you [will] have a much better future than the present."

Conte has been repeatedly questioned about his future at Spurs, especially with rumours of a return to Juventus should the Italian giants part with Massimiliano Allegri.

However, the 53-year-old wants to focus on his job in London, reiterating the need for patience.

"I know that we need to have time and a bit of patience to try to build a path to become seriously competitive with [Manchester] City, Liverpool, Chelsea, [Manchester] United and Arsenal," he added.

"For me, it's important to realise this and to understand that we need time and patience. I enjoy working with this club and it is very important to have a good relationship with the owner, with Fabio [Paratici], to stay in the same line, the same vision.

"Then I know very well that maybe in other clubs you have the possibility to have a path that's not so long."

Only Manchester United, Chelsea and West Ham spent more than Tottenham's £152.91million in the recent transfer window in the Premier League, but Conte maintains the club have to do things differently to their rivals when it comes to improving their squad.

"I hear sometimes that people [praise you for] two or three good results, but it's important to be honest, to know what the reality [is] and to be ready to fight, to be ready to work to try to improve the situation," he said.

"You know very well that you need time and patience to improve the squad slowly. And you have to know that other clubs can go into the transfer market and put [in] a lot of money and you have to do things with common sense and I think maybe it's the right way for a club like Tottenham."

The Premier League returns now the September international break is done and dusted, and it will be foot to the floor until the World Cup comes around.

With two disrupted months of the season almost gone, some teams are settling down at this stage, while others are continuing to tinker in the hope of igniting their campaigns.

The Qatar 2022 break is on the horizon, adding an extra dimension as many players jostle to earn tickets on the plane with their national teams.

Opta data points to familiar faces who may be primed to deliver those all-important fantasy football goals and assists this weekend, as well as a couple of less-vaunted prospects who could boost your points tally.

Jose Sa (West Ham United v Wolves)

Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa has seen his side struggle this term, with just one win so far meaning they sit a spot above the bottom three – but it has not been down to his own form, with only Manchester City's Ederson having kept more clean sheets than his three this term.

No side have scored fewer goals than Wolves' weekend opponents West Ham this season (three, tied with Wolves themselves) which suggests Sa could be on course to bank another strong performance between the posts.

West Ham have been wasteful with their chances, and are underperforming against their expected goals (xG) tally by 4.6 goals, the worst such record in the Premier League.

Kenny Tete (Fulham v Newcastle United)

Sitting sixth coming out of the international break, Fulham already look on course to avoid the drop back to the Championship, and that has come with a handy assist from their Dutch right-back.

No Premier League defender has more assists than Tete this season (three), with only Kevin De Bruyne (six) and Bukayo Saka (four) providing more among all players.

In addition, two of those assists from Tete have come in his last two games for the Cottagers, suggesting a rich chance he could maintain his form.

Son Heung-min (Arsenal v Tottenham)

Having endured a dramatic goal drought to start the season, South Korea international Son's freewheeling hat-trick off the bench last time out likely pushes him back to the forefront of Antonio Conte's plans.

If he bags three goals again in the north London derby, he would become the eighth player to achieve the feat in consecutive Premier League games.

What's more, he can continue to build on an exceptional 2022, where only team-mate Harry Kane leads him for overall Premier League goals (18) and involvements (24).

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City v Manchester United)

While team-mate Erling Haaland has been tearing up the goalscoring charts, the Belgian heart of Pep Guardiola's side remains a surefire bet for any fantasy football player.

No player has provided more assists (6) or created more chances (25) than De Bruyne this season – and after his prior exploits against United in March, he'll be eyeing up another superb performance.

In a 4-1 City win on that occasion, he scored twice and assisted once. Only against Wolves in May, when he scored four times, has De Bruyne had more goal involvements in a Premier League game.

Saturday's North London derby carries greater significance than usual, with unprecedented bragging rights available for Tottenham against Arsenal.

The Gunners' standing at the top of the Premier League marks the first occasion since December 2007 that the two sides have faced off against each other with one of them top of the league.

And a Spurs victory would mark the first time in top-flight history that a win in the derby results in one side replacing the other at the summit.

Both teams are in stellar form so far in the 2022-23 campaign, with Arsenal's only blip coming in a defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, while Spurs stand alongside Manchester City as the only teams yet to taste defeat this term.

Mikel Arteta and Antonio Conte have more than steadied their respective ships since taking charge, but all managers have a stern challenge this campaign due to the World Cup, with the end of the international break beginning a seven-week countdown until the first fixture in Qatar.

Building momentum before the season pauses will therefore be vital, and both sides will look to their leading forwards to drive them, though the players differ as one has an established record while the other is at the start of their derby journey.

Kane's killer edge

Tottenham striker Harry Kane is well renowned for his goalscoring prowess and few have experienced it first hand as much as Arsenal, with the England skipper scoring 13 times in the Premier League against the Gunners – more than any other player in the competition's history.

That tally includes a brace against Arteta's side in a 3-0 victory in May, a result which altered the course of the top-four battle and ultimately resulted in Spurs' place in the Champions League and Arsenal's continued absence from the top-tier of European football.

Defending against Spurs, and Kane, has been a clear problem in recent years, with six of the forward's 13 goals in North London derbies coming from the penalty spot, and he will fancy his chances against an Arsenal side who continue to have issues at the back.

While the season has yielded six wins in seven matches for Arsenal, clean sheets have been an issue with the Gunners yet to secure one at the Emirates Stadium in 2022-23 amid an eight-game sequence at home failing to keep the opposition at bay.

If Arsenal do manage to keep Kane quiet, Son Heung-min provides another huge threat.

Son will be encouraged after ending his early season drought with a stunning hat-trick as a substitute against Leicester City prior to the international break.

He has been involved in six goals in his last five against the Gunners (four goals, two assists), though only one of those has been on Arsenal soil.

Jesus takes the wheel

With Spurs possessing two players with an established record of causing Arsenal problems, Arteta will hope to rely on Gabriel Jesus to begin his own streak in his first north London derby appearance.

The Brazil forward has swiftly become an integral part of Arteta's squad, contributing four goals and three assists in his first seven Premier League appearances, though the Gunners are waiting on him to prove himself as a big-game player in his early days at the club.

While at City, Jesus failed to score in nine derby appearances against Manchester United and found the net just once against Tottenham – but he was never the leading man for Pep Guardiola, in contrast to his role at Arsenal.

Jesus' predecessors at Arsenal had decent form against Spurs, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having four goals in seven derby appearances and Alexandre Lacazette scoring four in nine, highlighting a void that the Gunners need filling.

Arsenal may have shared scoring responsibility this season, Jesus with four while Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard have three, but it is their big-money recruit who needs to deliver on Saturday to deny Spurs and Kane a memorable result.

Antonio Conte is relaxed regarding his contract situation at Tottenham, despite his current deal expiring at the end of the season.

Although Spurs have a year's option on Conte's deal – which initially runs until 2023, speculation has suggested he could be tempted to return to Juventus at the end of the campaign.

Speaking on Thursday ahead of Tottenham's trip to north London rivals Arsenal, Conte labelled such reports "disrespectful", and the Italian has now said there is no rush to agree fresh terms. 

"There is not [a] contract, there is not [an] option… if the club and the manager want to work together, they will continue to work together. If they don't want to work together, they finish," Conte told reporters.

"The most important thing for me is that I'm really enjoying working with Tottenham, with these players, especially, and the relationship with Daniel [Levy] and Fabio [Paratici] is good. 

"I'm okay and I think the club is happy about this situation. Now, the most important thing for Tottenham's present and Tottenham's future is to get the best possible result [against Arsenal]."

Asked whether the Premier League's upcoming break for the World Cup could represent the ideal time to engage in talks over a renewal, Conte added: "There doesn't exist a right time.

"It could be tomorrow. It could be the last day of the Premier League season. The most important thing for me and the club is to understand we want to continue together, to go in the same direction. 

"Otherwise, I don't see a problem. I said in the past I didn't need another contract to be sure to stay in a club. 

"Also, for the club, it’s a good investment to have a coach like me and my staff. At the right time, I will take the best decision. At this moment, I'm really happy.

"I don't want to push the club about the situation because it's not the right time. We have just started the season and we have a long time to live together and to understand, to continue to work together."

Former Liverpool and England striker Emile Heskey has questioned whether football is ever going to "move forward" in dealing with racism.

After scoring for Brazil in a 5-1 win over Tunisia at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Tuesday, Tottenham forward Richarlison had a banana thrown on the pitch in front of him from the stands.

The player expressed outrage after the game and called for stiff punishments to be imposed, though appeared to doubt strong action would be taken.

Spurs team-mate Harry Kane and former England captain Rio Ferdinand offered their support, while Richarlison's club boss Antonio Conte said on Thursday there must be heavy sanctions, saying: "For sure I hope these people are banned from football for the rest of their lives."

In an interview with Stats Perform, Heskey was also not sure any punishment handed out would be enough, and raised wider concerns about how racism is dealt with by the football authorities.

"It's a tough one for me to really discuss because we still haven't moved forward," he said. "And are we going to move forward? That's the question I keep asking, are we going to move forward?

"We keep asking for certain things. We keep saying that we're getting better, and we've moved on. We're not going anywhere to be honest with you.

"They might get fined £5,000. Then I'll go and do something with betting and I'll get fined £100,000.

"The thing is priorities... It's not [treated as] a priority."

Heskey – who is the seventh top scorer in Premier League history with 516 goals – did concede that some progress is being made as racism is at least discussed more openly now compared to previous years, but does not feel enough is actively being done to deal with it.

"It's sad because I've got kids playing... they could still be going through what their grandparents went through and that's 50 years apart," he added.

"Are we getting anywhere? We are because we are discussing it. When my grandparents were going through it, we weren't discussing it. Now we're discussing it, which is great.

"But we've got no action. No call to action. Nothing."

Antonio Conte described reports linking him with a return to Juventus as "disrespectful" ahead of Tottenham's North London Derby clash with Arsenal.

Spurs are unbeaten in their seven Premier League games this season and trail the Gunners by just one point ahead of Saturday's trip to the Emirates Stadium. 

Should Tottenham avoid defeat at the home of their local rivals, it will be just the second time they have gone unbeaten through their first eight games of a Premier League season, having previously done so in 2016-17.

Conte's work with Tottenham has seen him linked with a return to Juventus, who he led to three consecutive Serie A titles between 2011-12 and 2013-14.

Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri is under pressure after they recorded just two wins in their opening seven Serie A matches this season, but Conte has rubbished speculation he would be tempted by a return to Turin. 

"This is incredible. In this period I think this is disrespectful for the coach that works in Juventus and for me working in Tottenham," Conte said on Thursday.

"We have just started the season. Many times I have spoken about this topic and I've always said I'm happy and enjoying my time with Tottenham. 

"We have the whole season to find the best solution for the club and for me, and for sure I'm enjoying my time at Tottenham. I have a great relationship with the owner [Daniel Levy] and [sporting director Fabio] Paratici. 

"I don't see any problems at the moment in the future. We both signed the contract. I don't want to listen to someone speaking about this."

Tottenham overcame Arsenal in a tense battle for Champions League qualification last season, going on to claim fourth place after beating the Gunners 3-0 in May.

Conte, however, believes Mikel Arteta's side have improved since then, adding: "For sure Arsenal had a fantastic start, they lost only one game against [Manchester] United. They are showing to be a really good team.

"In the summer they made good signings and improved the team that, don't forget, before the last three games of last season, were four points up on us. 

"We are talking about a really good team that, last season, we did a really good job to overcome in the last three games.

"At the same time, I know the quality of this team, that they are working with Arteta for many years. For me, he's a really good coach. He can have in front of him a great career."

Both Hugo Lloris and Dejan Kulusevski are reportedly doubtful for the trip to Arsenal with minor injuries, and Conte believes the punishing nature of the schedule between now and the World Cup will reveal which sides are genuine title contenders. 

"I have seen that many clubs are having big problems with players that played these two games [in the international break], and for sure Tottenham is one of these clubs," he added.

"You have to understand this was the last game [for the players] to show they deserve to play the World Cup, also for the coaches it was the last period to call the players.

"For sure, to play so many games before the international break, and then again now to play 13 games in 43 days, it's crazy, it's crazy. 

"For sure, we have to face it with injuries. In this period, you understand which are the really competitive squads. 

"This is the moment in which you understand who are the title contenders and the teams that are competitive for Champions League."

Saturday's match will be the first North London Derby since December 2007 to begin with one of the sides sitting top of the Premier League. 

Should Spurs win, it would be the first time in top-flight history that either of the teams has beaten the other to replace them at the top of the table.

Antonio Conte wants a lifelong ban from football to be imposed on the supporter who threw a banana at Richarlison while the Tottenham striker was on Brazil duty.

The apparent act of racist abuse came as Richarlison celebrated scoring in a 5-1 win over Tunisia at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Tuesday.

Richarlison expressed outrage after the game and called for stiff punishments to be imposed, while appearing to doubt such strong action would be taken.

The likes of his Spurs team-mate Harry Kane and former England captain Rio Ferdinand have offered their support, demanding action is taken, and now Tottenham boss Conte says there must be heavy sanctions.

"I think we have to take the good part of the situation. Richy played with the national team, scored goals," Conte said.

"Then what happened is incredible because in 2022 to witness this type of situation is embarrassing for everybody.

"For sure I hope these people are banned from football for the rest of their lives.

"It's a very disappointing situation to have to make a comment on this. I want to take the best part of the game from Richy. He scored goals and he enjoyed playing with Brazil."

Tottenham said in a statement on Wednesday the club were "disgusted" by the abuse, adding: "This has no place in football, or anywhere. We stand with you, Richy."

Harry Kane said the racist abuse that Tottenham team-mate Richarlison faced this week was "unacceptable" as he called on FIFA to ensure "the right consequences" happen.

The Brazil forward had a banana thrown at him while celebrating a goal with team-mates during the Selecao's 5-1 friendly win over Tunisia in Paris on Tuesday.

Richarlison used social media afterwards to appeal for strong punishment, while others including former England defender Rio Ferdinand have come out in support.

Now Kane has added his voice to pleas for the world governing body to get tough on racism, and backed his club-mate.

"It was very disappointing to see," Kane told ESPN Brasil. "I haven't seen [Richarlison] and had a chance to talk about the racism that he suffered against Tunisia.

"I think FIFA have said they are going to investigate and find out what happened, but normally, that kind of thing is unacceptable."

Kane, captain of England, added: "I think we're doing all as much as we can do as players to kick out [racism] as much as possible. I hope FIFA can be strong and find out who done it, making sure the right consequences are made."

Kane further vouched for Richarlison's personal attributes, saying: "He's a great guy. He works really hard and is really professional. I'm really happy to have him in our team."

Lucas Moura believes Son Heung-min's barren spell for Tottenham was "bothering him a lot" but insists the South Korean's influence extends far beyond his goals.

Son failed to find the net in Spurs' opening six Premier League matches of the season before hitting a hat-trick as a substitute against Leicester City before the international break.

Prior to that, Son was disappointed with his impact in the team and made no secret of his frustration, saying that until his treble he felt he had been disappointing his colleagues.

"It's on him. 'Letting the team down' is a very strong phrase. I don't particularly analyse the goals or only the numbers, I see what the guy contributes to the team during the 90 minutes," Moura said.

"Even a striker can contribute a lot throughout the game and not score any goals or do any assists. Son is a very dynamic guy, he bothers the opposing defender a lot, he's always running, he's always moving behind the defender's back and that opens up a lot of space for the other attackers.

"So, he is a very important guy even when he doesn't score. Of course, there is this personal pressure on him, he puts a lot of pressure on himself.

"We end up feeling that, because we see how much he wanted to score a goal, how much he wanted to score the first time this season, and we end up trying to help even more. But he's a very important guy for the team even when he doesn't score."

Any concern regarding Son's impact in front of goal has decreased following his flurry against Leicester, which left Moura delighted for his team-mate.

"I was very happy for him. Talking about him off the pitch, he's amazing, a great friend that football gave me, loved by everyone," Moura told Stats Perform.

"On the pitch, I don't even need to talk about his quality. We know that for a guy like him who is used to scoring goals, staying a few games without scoring goals is difficult, the pressure comes, the press comments, the buzz of the crowd, and I believe it was bothering him a lot.

"And he felt relieved with three goals, three amazing goals in all his qualities, in his characteristic. He is a fundamental player for the team, a guy who really makes a difference, and I hope he continues like that now, scoring goals every game to help us."

Son breaking his duck against Leicester may be of concern to Arsenal before Saturday's north London derby, with the 30-year-old having managed four goals and two assists in his last five games against the Gunners.

Tottenham forward Lucas Moura has been hugely impressed by compatriot Gabriel Jesus following his excellent start to life at Arsenal.

The two Brazilians will face off in Saturday's north London derby, which carries additional importance as a win for Antonio Conte's Spurs side would see them leapfrog the Gunners to go top of the Premier League.

To secure a win, Spurs will need to keep Jesus at bay, which might be far from an easy task considering he has scored four goals and contributed three assists in seven league appearances since joining from Manchester City.

While the pair will be rivals on Saturday, Moura has been impressed by how striker Jesus has excelled up to now in Mikel Arteta's side.

"The kid started to score and doesn't stop. First on the personal side, on the friendship side, I'm very happy for him. He is a very deserving boy, of great quality," Moura told Stats Perform.

"He left a big club and went to Arsenal, and he's doing very well there. The whole team is doing very well. Arsenal has been playing very well. Without a doubt, it will be a very good match for the fans to watch."

The clash at Emirates Stadium presents a stern test for Spurs, with the Gunners winning their last two at home against Spurs, but Moura is confident his side can compete for a win.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 11 against Spurs at home in the Premier League, since a 3-2 loss in November 2010, but Spurs sense a chance to end that long wait for derby away-day success.

"It's going to be a very interesting game and we have to prepare well. It's a direct fight, against a rival, so it's going to be a tough game," Moura said. "Even more so at their stadium. But I think we have the quality to get there and fight for the three points.

"It's the kind of match that every player likes to play, every fan likes to watch, full of Brazilians on the pitch, and we'll see what happens."

Anthony Gordon insists he was never "desperate to leave Everton" after being linked with a move to Chelsea in the recent transfer window.

Reports claimed Chelsea were willing to pay up to £60million to prise the 21-year-old away from Goodison Park, while Tottenham and Newcastle United were also rumoured to be interested.

However, the move never materialised and Gordon has enjoyed a promising start to the season for the Toffees, scoring twice in their opening seven matches.

And while the forward expected speculation over a possible exit, he was never the one pushing for a move.

"That's [speculation] part and parcel of football," Gordon told reporters.

"When you're doing well there's always going to be speculation. But the place is so good that it's never been a case of being desperate to leave Everton.

"We're in a completely different place to last year. It's class, the morale is unbelievable and I couldn't speak highly enough of it. We've made really good signings, people and players. There's just a feel-good [feeling] around the place.

"I like playing with pressure. I feel I thrive on it. If I want to be a top player, I have to do that regardless. I feel I’ve handled it well, but I can still score more goals and stuff."

Gordon featured for England Under-21s against Germany on Tuesday, playing a part in two goals in a 3-1 victory.

And Gordon's sights are firmly set on making the squad for the senior side's upcoming World Cup campaign, even if he accepts he has plenty of work to do.

He added: "If I didn't have that ambition [to make the squad for Qatar], I'd be a bit stupid.

"They're always auditions, particularly in the Under-21s. But I understand the squad is so good it's going to be tough to get in.

"I'm 100 per cent focused on making the World Cup squad. If it doesn't happen, it's out of my control but I'll give it my best try. To get there, I'm going to need to score a lot of goals but I'm ready for the challenge and hopeful."

Lucas Moura is confident Tottenham can fight for the Premier League title this season under Antonio Conte, claiming "this is the year" to mount a challenge.

Spurs stand unbeaten in the first seven Premier League matches of the season and can move top of the standings on Saturday if they beat rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

The north London duo, alongside defending champions Manchester City, have led the charge in the early months of the campaign, with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United encountering issues.

City stand as the favourites in the eyes of many, with Spurs and the Gunners' credentials still being debated, but Moura is insistent his side will be in the running this year.

"To be quite honest, of all the seasons I've been here, I think this is the one we have the best chance, this is the one we have the greatest expectation," he told Stats Perform.

"I think we can [challenge for the title] because of the quality of the squad, the quality of the coach and the team as a whole.

"The squad has strengthened in these years and has been getting stronger on the national stage and on the world stage.

"Tottenham today are a great power in football.

"We have a very qualified squad. So, I believe that of all the years I've been here, this is the year we're closest to the title.

"We know it's very difficult, the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world. There are many teams that are strong this year, so we know about the competition.

"But I think we can manage to fight for the title."

Moura made it clear that a trophy is necessary for the season to represent success for Spurs, particularly with the club having not lifted silverware since winning the League Cup back in 2008.

"I can speak for myself personally, but I believe it's a collective thought - I think a successful season would be winning a title," he added.

"A team like ours, which has the structure it has, the investment it has, the stars it has, not only as a player but as a coach as well, going so long without winning a title means winning the trophy this year would be a very positive point.

"With the other teams, with everything they've conquered in the last few years, winning a title would be fantastic for us."