. Premier League Matchday - last year
. See the current injury list for all Premier League Teams
. All the Spurs Stats you could hope for here! THFC6061 Sports Stats

Spurs' record in Europe:-

U.E.F.A Champions League
 
 P  W   D   L   F - A
53 22  12  19  90 - 75

(Finalists 2019)
 
European Cup
P   W   D   L   F - A
8   4   1   3  21 - 13
 
(Semi-Finalists 1962)
 
European Cup Winners Cup
 
P   W   D   L   F - A
33  20  5   8  65 - 34
 
(Winners 1963)
 
UEFA Cup/Europa League
 P    W   D   L   F - A
155  90  37  28  318-135 

(Winners 1972, 1984
 Finalists 1974)

Europa Conference League
 P    W   D   L   F - A
 7    3   1   3  14 - 9  
+ Forfeited one game due to Covid - 09/12/21)

 
Total
 P   W   D   L   F - A
256 139 56  61  508-266

Europa League Placings

            Pos  P   W  D  L   F-A   GD  Pts
Spurs        3   2   2  0  0   5-1    4   6
AZ Alkmaar  18   2   1  0  1   3-4   -1   3 

Spurs well-placed to assert their authority

For the second consecutive Europa League game, we face a team we have never played before in senior competition. There will be one very familiar name in the AZ Alkmaar squad, and that is Troy Parrott, who rose through the ranks of our academy, but was sold for €8 million in July this year.

Now 22, Troy made his senior debut for Spurs in an ill-fated league cup game at Colchester in September 2019 (we lost on penalties), and made three brief substitute appearances in league and cup games in that 2019-2020 season. Troy had a successful loan with Excelsior in The Netherlands last season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions.

Troy has made 25 senior international appearances for The Republic of Ireland and has five goals to his name. He played in the 2-0 defeat in Greece earlier this month.

Troy has been ever-present in AZ's 9 league games and also played in both their Europa League games to date. He scored from the penalty spot in their 3-2 home win against Swedish side Elfsborg who we play in our final Europa League stage match at the end of January.

Troy has scored five league goals this season, four of which came in a 9-1 home win over SV Heerenveen.

AZ finished fourth in last season's Eredivisie, 26 points behind league winners PSV. They started this season well, winning five of their first six league games, plus their first Europa League match, but have since lost four consecutive games, including a 2-0 away defeat to Athletic Bilbao. On Saturday, they were narrowly beaten (2-1) by PSV, who again lead the league table. PSV drew away to PSG this week in their third Champions League game. AZ are currently fourth in their league table and 18th in the early Europa League standings.

There is another former player who has connections with Spurs, Excelsior and AZ Alkmaar. At the age of 20 in January 2005, Mounir El Hamdaoui signed for Spurs from Excelsior. El Hamdaoui didn't make the Spurs first team, but did play for our reserves. He scored on his debut in February, 2005 playing in the same Spurs side as current Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna.

El Hamdaoui first joined Dutch side Willem II before signing for AZ in August, 2007. He played 16 games for the Moroccan national side between 2009 and 2013. El Hamdaoui was on Fiorentina's books when we met in 2015, but did not feature in either of our Europa League matches against the Italian side. Mounir took up employment as a football agent for youth players at Alkmaar in 2022.

Having won their first two games, and playing at home tomorrow, Spurs are well-placed to assert their authority upon this competition by winning a third game. With a second consecutive London derby game at Selhurst Park to come on Sunday, Ange Postecoglou may well choose to switch some personnel. He has confirmed that Son will not be involved, as he felt sore following his return last Saturday. Not only Richarlison, but also Wilson Odobert are in training and available for selection.

I'll take Spurs to win by two clear goals.

Match referee Manfredas Lukjancukas and his on-field officials are from Lithuania. Mr. Lukjancukas is another new official to Spurs, but he has officiated European and International games over the last year at least.

Follow @spursodyssey