The Lab (Tottenham Hotspur Podcast)

Tottenham’s pre-season has been messy, but beneath the injuries, absences and disrupted preparation, are we beginning to see what Roberto De Zerbi’s Spurs will eventually look like? I'm joined by Kish from LilywhiteLab to break down the first signs of De Zerbi-ball, why Luca Williams-Barnett looks ready for first-team football, how Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali could transform Tottenham’s midfield, and the big question still hanging over the number nine position. Plus, we look ahead to Brentford, try to work out De Zerbi’s first Premier League XI and ask how patient we need to be as Spurs fans with a team that could look very different once everyone is fit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are the numbers behind Tottenham Hotspur’s extraordinary stadium, and could the technology that makes it such a commercial success have an unexpected downside? We are joined by Patrick from By the Numbers' instagram account to dig into the business, science and technology behind modern football. We look at Spurs’ incredible retractable pitch, how it disappears beneath the South Stand in around 30 minutes, and how the stadium has helped transform Tottenham’s commercial potential. But there’s another side to the numbers. With Spurs suffering a succession of serious injuries, could the unusual construction of the pitch be playing a part, or is the evidence simply not there? And just how much does an injured Premier League player actually cost a football club? Football, by the numbers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re joined by Adam Catterall, broadcaster, storyteller and host of Fight Disciples, to discuss his new football documentary series, The Beautiful Divide. The opening film explores the rivalry between Tottenham and Arsenal, not simply through results and famous matches, but through the supporters, pubs, families and streets that give the North London derby its identity. Adam explains why he wanted to look beyond the commercial version of modern football and find the emotion, tribalism and genuine human stories that still exist beneath it. We discuss the characters he met around Tottenham, the importance of places such as the Bill Nicholson pub, a tense encounter while filming in Finsbury Park, and the unforgettable claim that while Arsenal may have dominated on the pitch, Spurs have “dominated the pavements”. We also ask whether the two clubs, for all the hatred between them, ultimately need one another. It’s a conversation about rivalry, belonging, working-class football culture and why Spurs against Arsenal remains one of the most authentic divides in the game. As Adam puts it, making the film reminded him what football felt like before VAR, commercialisation and everything else began getting in the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices