Tottenham Hotspur recorded possibly their most impressive win of the season on Tuesday night as they beat Copenhagen 4-0 with ten men in the Champions League.
Thomas Frank’s side hit a seasonal high of eight ‘big chances’ created throughout the game, which shows that they were incredibly effective offensively.
Micky van de Ven scored the pick of the goals with his incredible solo run from one box to the other to score his sixth goal of the season, making him the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions.
Randal Kolo Muani led the line for Spurs as their number nine and was unable to get on the scoresheet, but he did provide an assist for Wilson Odobert’s goal.
The PSG loanee has yet to score in seven appearances for the club, per Sofascore, and has missed three ‘big chances’ in front of goal in that time.
It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to retain his starting spot once Dominic Solanke is fit and available for action.
Why Dominic Solanke may be on borrowed time at Spurs
The England international has been out of action since August with an ankle injury, and is expected to be back and available for selection by the end of November.
Solanke will have to compete with Richarlison and Kolo Muani for a place in the starting line-up when he is back, and he may need to improve upon his form from his first season with the club.
The Lilywhites made him their club-record signing for a fee of £65m when they signed him from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024, but he has yet to justify that outlay.
Solanke scored 16 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which was a decent return. However, his performances in the Premier League left a little bit to be desired.
Appearances
27
Starts
25
xG
10.97
Goals
9
Big chances missed
12
Minutes per goal
245
xA
1.15
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, the English centre-forward underperformed his xG by roughly two goals and missed three more ‘big chances’ than goals scored.
A goal every 245 minutes for a club-record signing, who should be in the prime of his career at 27, does not suggest that Spurs have had much value for money so far.
Football Insider recently reported that Frank has been disappointed with the striker’s performances and injury problems, which does not bode well for his future in North London.
That report and Solanke’s underwhelming statistics, given the money paid for him, suggest that he may be on borrowed time with the Lilywhites.
In The Pipeline
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Kolo Muani’s start to life in England has been fairly unimpressive, with no goals in seven games, but Spurs do have another striker on the way who could end Solanke’s career in North London.
18-year-old centre-forward Mason Melia is due to arrive at the club to complete his move from St. Patrick’s Athletic when the January transfer window opens for business, after a deal was agreed in February before his 18th birthday.
Why Mason Melia could end Dominic Solanke's Spurs career
Frank will have a decision to make on the teenage marksman for the second half of the season, because he will have the option to bring the Irishman into the first-team squad.
Given that the Danish head coach is reportedly unimpressed by Solanke, the January transfer window would also provide Spurs with an opportunity to shuffle the pack by attempting to move their club-record signing on from the club.
With Kolo Muani and Richarlison already at the club, Melia’s arrival at the start of 2026 would mean that Frank has enough options in the number nine position to part ways with the English striker.
Whether or not Melia is ready to make the step up to the Premier League with Spurs remains to be seen, but his performances at a young age in Ireland have been impressive.
The 18-year-old marksman, who only turned 18 in September, has scored 25 goals in 98 appearances in all competitions for St. Patrick’s Athletic at first-team level to date, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has plenty of senior experience despite his age.
Melia’s composure in the clip above for one of his goals against Cork City is evidence that he has maturity and composure that belies his years. This suggests that he may be able to handle the pressure that would come with stepping into the first-team with Spurs next year.
Appearances
35
Starts
29
Goals
13
Minutes per goal
199
Conversion rate
15%
Big chances created
5
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, the teenage centre-forward has scored 13 league goals for his club in the 2025 campaign, averaging a goal every 199 minutes, which is more impressive than Solanke’s aforementioned minutes per goal rate last season in the Premier League.
Melia, who was described as “relentless” and a “hidden gem” by analyst Ben Mattinson, has yet to prove himself in a major league, like the Premier League, but his goal output and composure at such a young age in Ireland are incredibly promising.
Tottenham clearly saw big potential in him, hence why they agreed to sign the forward in February, and Frank will have the chance to assess him up close in January when he arrives in North London.
If Melia is able to impress the manager and fight for a place in the first-team squad, it could be the end of Solanke’s career at North London, for all the reasons mentioned above.