Tottenham Hotspur this week submitted a detailed planning application to Haringey Borough Council for their new ground, into which they hope to move by 2012.   However, hopes that they would begin this new chapter in their history as an established Champions League outfit receive a setback from an unlikely source, when Stoke City launched a successful smash and grab raid on three points at the “old” Lane last Saturday.   Manager Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, continues his twin-track approach to modern life, alternating between waiting for charges from HM Revenue and Customs over his transfer dealings while Portsmouth manager, and preparing for a whole raft of new transfer dealings in the forthcoming January transfer window.

The “new White Hart Lane”, standing adjacent to the current ground, will have a 56,250 capacity - 20,000 higher than their present home.

And the focal point will be a single-tier stand. Drawings suggest this will be behind the goal, like Liverpool’s Kop, with which it has already been compared.

The club have not revealed the cost of the stadium, but chairman Daniel Levy said “will be a vibrant area 365 days a year and the most fan-friendly stadium in Europe.”

The Lilywhites will play at their current ground while the new one is built.

Meanwhile, Tottenham visit bitter North London rivals Arsenal on Saturday, with a number of their squad sounding bullishly confident ahead of the fixture.

It would be Spurs’ first victory at the Emirates. And they haven’t won away to the Gunners in the league for 16 years, with their last league victory of any kind against them exactly ten years ago.

But Spurs’ Irish international striker Robbie Keane has claimed that their squad is “definitely on a par” with Arsenal’s and that “the bench we have is probably a bit stronger than their bench.”

While beanpole strike partner Peter Crouch told Sky Sports News that “as West Ham proved, you can come back against them and you can score goals against them.”

Tottenham’s confidence is borne of the fact that they are fourth, one point and one place behind Arsenal, although they have played one game more.

And they would have been two points ahead but for falling to a Stoke City side they had utterly dominated until England winger Aaron Lennon’s late departure with an ankle injury.

Spurs had already used their three substitutions and were down to ten men when Stoke’s Glenn Whelan scored the 85^th minute winner.

Of further injury concern was the early departure of luckless centre-back Jonathan Woodgate, who suffered concussion after a clash of heads with Stoke striker James Beattie, in his first full game back after another lengthy injury lay-off.

However, while Lennon will miss the Arsenal game because of his injury, Woodgate is expected to be available.

David Bentley’s impressive display in Spurs’ midweek Carling Cup win over Everton sees him in contention to replace Lennon.

The Emirates encounter is the third of Jermaine Defoe’s three-match ban for his sending-off at Portsmouth two weeks ago.