Last season, Tottenham Hotspur were made to bemoan defensive injuries. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missed extensive periods through injury. As did full-back Destiny Udogie.

Is it any great surprise, therefore, that Ange Postecoglou’s backline looked such a mess? Perhaps not, but the Aussie was still stubborn enough to refuse change.

Thomas Frank certainly seems more flexible with his style of football but one of the first things he has corrected is that leaky backline.

Only three teams, Arsenal (3), Manchester City (6) and Sunderland (6), have shipped fewer goals than Spurs (7) in the top-flight this term.

Yet, are things beginning to unravel in similar circumstances to Ange? Like the club’s former boss, Frank has now suffered his first big injury blow at the back.

Romero limped off during the warm-up of their game with Aston Villa and after initially being selected, was not fit enough to start. Without their captain, the Lilywhites suffered a 2-1 defeat.

Frank won’t fret quite yet, but he must find a way to get more of a tune out of his attack. Big-money summer signing Xavi Simons will play a big part in that.

Why Spurs need to see improvement from Xavi Simons

Even before James Maddison suffered a terrible ACL injury during pre-season, Frank and Co had made efforts to bring Nottingham Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White to north London.

We all know how that saga ended but Spurs’ pursuit of a new dynamic number 10 seemed cursed at one point.

It looked for all the world as though they were set to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. A deal was agreed and he was allegedly on his way to Spurs. Instead, a last-minute U-turn saw him head to boyhood club Arsenal. The solution was Simons.

The Dutchman had been courted by Chelsea but it was the Blues’ London rivals who eventually concluded a deal, snapping him up for £52m, a move that made him Spurs’ fifth-most expensive signing of all time.

This was an exciting acquisition. After all, he did score 11 goals and register eight assists for RB Leipzig in Germany last season.

Sadly, we’re yet to see the best of him in white. He is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in the Premier League and his only goal involvement, an assist against West Ham, came on his English top-flight debut. The Netherlands maestro has not scored or assisted since then.

Simons in the PL
Opposition	Mins played	Goals or assists
West Ham (A)	71	1
Brighton (A)	29	0
Wolves (H)	78	0
Leeds (A)	74	0
Aston Villa (H)	79	0
Stats via Transfermarkt.

For such a big-money signing, Frank needs to see more from him but it’s not as though he isn’t trying. Perhaps there’s a simple solution to all of this; Spurs need better players in their forward line.

How Spurs can get more out of Xavi Simons

How supporters must long for the days of Harry Kane and a prime Heung-min Son.

The duo aren’t showing any signs of slowing down away from Spurs with Kane simply in the form of his life this campaign, netting 19 times in 11 games for Bayern Munich.

As far as Son is concerned, he’s been lighting up MLS with his displays for LA FC. The South Korean has nine goals and three assists in his first ten outings for the club.

So, to see where the Spurs forward line is now will no doubt make a few fans hide behind the sofa. Combine the loss of Son with injuries to Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski and you have a real patched-together front line.

Dominik Solanke has played just 31 minutes of league football due to injury in 2025/26 while Richarlison has only beaten the goalkeeper once in his last seven Premier League matches.

As for the French youngster, Wilson Odobert, he is yet to score at all across ten games in all competitions.

With such a glut of misfiring players, is it any surprise that Simons has endured a difficult beginning at Spurs?

Simons’ last two seasons
Stat (per 90)	2024/25	2025/26
Assists	0.3	0.3
Chances created	2.1	1.7
Passes attempted	46.2	33
Forward passes	12.2	9.3
Sideways passes	22	15.5
Data provided by Opta.

A look at the numbers tells us that the Dutch midfielder is struggling without a fluid forward line. Worryingly, he’s playing fewer passes per 90 minutes than he did last season at Leipzig. That ultimately means he’s creating fewer goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.

He needs the players in front of him to make better runs and there is no better example of that than the aforementioned Odobert.

The former Burnley man, signed for £25m, is still a particularly raw prospect. He’s exciting and fleet-footed but he needs to be doing more to help Simons out.

The big-money summer arrival traditionally operates in the pockets of space on the left-hand side and it’s on the left flank where Odobert tends to operate. The clip below demonstrates precisely what we’re talking about.

Mathys Tel has the ball on the edge of the box and all he needs is for a few defenders to be dragged away by an overlapping run from Odobert to potentially feed Simons in acres of space.

What does the Frenchman do? He surges right into the area where Tel is aiming for, reducing the space and cutting out a chance to get a shot or pass away.

Had Odobert made an overlapping run, he’d have created more room for Spurs’ number 7 and potentially even received the ball himself. As Jamie O’Hara said after the game, he and Tel can be “painful” to watch.

The 20-year-old is a marmite figure. He did a fair bit right against Aston Villa, completing four of his five dribbles but he needs better end product.

He missed an OPTA-defined big chance on Sunday and only completed one key pass. If Odobert can marry his trickery with the ability to make better runs and make himself an option for Simons then things will improve.

Until then, however, it would be better if the Netherlands star operated from the left flank instead or someone like Brennan Johnson operated there.

Can Viktor Gyökeres now kick-start his Arsenal career?

On Tuesday night, having been nine appearances for club and country without a goal, the Swedish striker scored twice in two minutes as the Gunners demolished Atlético Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League, named man of the match.

This takes Gyökeres’ tally to five goals for the club, all coming in home wins, now hoping this will be the start of a scoring spree, given that their upcoming opponents are Crystal Palace, Brighton, Burnley, Slavia Prague and Sunderland, before the small matter of a North London derby.

So, which teammate could truly get the best out of the man who proudly wears number 14 on his back, perhaps recreating Arsenal’s best-ever attacking partnership?

Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry's Arsenal legacy

Gooners of a certain vintage may well argue that they had the pleasure of watching the club’s two best attackers of all time play together, a key reason why Arsène Wenger’s side won the double in 2002 and were Invincible two seasons later.

Dennis Bergkamp spent over a decade in North London after arriving from Internazionale in 1995, scoring 120 goals and registering 116 assists for the club.

The non-flying Dutchman, a nickname given to him due to his aviophobia, was the archetypal number ten during a period where second strikers were on the rise in English football, with Eric Cantona at Manchester United and Gianfranco Zola at Chelsea.

Bergkamp was renowned for his impeccable first touch and mind-blowing technical quality, with Wenger praising his “exceptional brain” while Ian Wright believes that “Dennis changed the DNA” of the whole club, transforming from a defensive long ball team known as ‘boring boring Arsenal’ into the free-flowing side they would become, because Bergkamp was so good “you couldn’t bypass him”.

He would, of course, form a formidable partnership with Thierry Henry, who remains the Gunners’ all-time leading goalscorer with 228, the pair combining for a total of 18 Premier League goals during the 2003/04 season alone.

Unlike Arsenal’s current number 14, Henry was capable of producing magic moments all by himself, albeit it didn’t half help having Bergkamp, Robert Pirès, Freddie Ljungberg and others supplying him.

So, as Gyökeres looks to emulate Henry, now only 223 goals behind his all-time record, which may prove just out of reach, who could be his Bergkamp, thereby getting the best out of the Swede?

Arsenal's new Dennis Bergkamp

As already alluded to, the arrival of Dennis Bergkamp three decades ago was viewed as transformational, the only good thing Bruce Rioch did as manager, and the Gunners are now hopeful that Eberechi Eze’s move from Crystal Palace could have a similar effect.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Well, the aforementioned Ian Wright certainly believes this could be the case, asserting that the move was “like when Bergkamp came”, adding “we need a player that has got a little bit more maverick… he’s a game-changer”.

Seemingly set to move to fierce rivals Tottenham, the last-minute U-turn which saw the boyhood Arsenal fan return home in August will forever remain a highlight of this season for supporters, irrespective of what the actual football delivers, emphasised by the reception he got when he was unveiled prior to the 5-0 demolition of Leeds.

So far, the England international opened his Arsenal account against Port Vale in the EFL Cup, while bagging his third assist for the club in mid-week, setting up Gyökeres to score the third during the demolition of Atlético Madrid.

The table below documents Eze’s influence over his new team.

Minutes

613

9th

Goals

1

8th

Assists

3

1st

Shots

16

4th

Shots on target

6

2nd

Big chances created

3

2nd

Key passes

7

7th

Shot-creating actions

23

5th

Goal-creating actions

4

2nd

Successful take-ons

10

2nd

As the table outlines, despite generally limited minutes, Eze’s creative influence has been on show so far, notching three assists, the joint-most of any Arsenal player, while also ranking second for big chances created and goal-creating actions.

Last season at Crystal Palace, he registered eight assists and created 11 Opta-defined big chances in the Premier League, hence why Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta pushed the boat out to sign him,

So, have there been signs that Eze and Gyökeres could work well in tandem?

Well, exhibit A in that regard would be the second goal during September’s 3-0 victory over Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest, with Eze putting the ball on a plate for Gyökeres to fire home from mere picometers out.

As has been well documented, unlike Henry, Gyökeres is a striker very much reliant on others for service, touching the ball only 26 times on Tuesday, but scoring two goals, which is what he is in the team to do; to paraphrase Roy Keane, that’s his job!

With Ødegaard sidelined for another few weeks at least, much of the creative burden will fall on Eze, but he is more than capable of shouldering this responsibility.

While the pair have got a long way to go to be anywhere near as good as Bergkamp and Henry, they might just be able to fire the Gunners to a first Premier League triumph since those glory years.

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A Champions League club have made an approach for Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, with the Frenchman’s time at Elland Road likely to come to an end sooner rather than later.

The Whites have done well back in the Premier League so far this season, steering clear of the relegation zone and more than holding their own.

New signings have settled in well and last season’s Championship players have largely handled the step up to the top flight impressively, but one figure who hasn’t featured at all is Meslier.

The 25-year-old was once a highly-rated young goalkeeper of whom big things were expected, with some even predicting that he would be Hugo Lloris’ long-term replacement for France, but he has become an error-prone figure at Elland Road, leading to him being dropped last season.

It feels like a case of when Meslier departs Leeds rather than if, with Daniel Farke making it clear he isn’t an important figure, and it now looks as though his exit may not be too far away.

Champions League club make approach for Leeds ace Meslier

According to an update from Voetbal Krant [via Sport Witness], Club Brugge have made an approach for Leeds ‘keeper Meslier, as well as rivals Anderlecht.

They are hoping to strike a deal in the January transfer window, even though it is “not an easy proposition”, but his time with the Whites is still thought to be “coming to an end”.

It feels right for all parties for Meslier’s time at Leeds to reach its conclusion, with his current situation not helping anyone, in terms of having an out-of-favour player not featuring at all at the club.

The £30,000-a-week stopper will surely want to be starting games regularly at this point in his career, and that won’t happen with the Whites, with Farke brutally honest about his shortcomings last season.

“It’s fair to say he had a poor game against Hull and his mistake for the second goal was decisive. There were a few games where he could have and should have done better. There were perhaps one or two strikes where you would expect a player of his calibre could save it when he is on the top of his game. I spoke with Illan about this and although he has had many clean sheets and many good saves he could show this with more consistency. It’s important to be honest and open.”

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At 25 years of age, time is still on Meslier’s side, and he is a naturally gifted goalkeeper, but once the errors started creeping in at a more regular rate at Leeds, it became clear that he had no future at the club.

Leeds man was once the 'best in the league', now Farke needs to sell him

كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير عن تفاصيل مكالمته الهاتفية التي جمعته مع هاني أبو ريدة رئيس اتحاد الكرة المصري، والتي تناولت العديد من الملفات الخاصة بـ منتخب مصر، وعلى رأسها مستقبل الجهاز الفني بقيادة حسام حسن.

وقال شوبير خلال تصريحاته عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الثلاثاء: “أنا تواصلت هاتفيًا مع رئيس اتحاد الكرة قبل مباراة الرأس الأخضر، وسألته عن الأوضاع داخل المنتخب والاستعدادات الفنية، وأكد لي أنه اجتمع باللاعبين والجهاز الفني بقيادة حسام حسن، وأن الفترة الماضية كانت فرصة مهمة للتجارب والتعلم والاستفادة”.

وأضاف: “سألته عن خطته للمرحلة المقبلة وكيف يفكر في إدارة الملف الفني، فأجابني: أإت بتسأل في إيه؟ هل تقصد تغيير المدرب؟ وأوضحت له أنني فقط أستفسر عن رؤية الاتحاد للفترة القادمة، خصوصًا أننا مقبلون على كأس الأمم الإفريقية والتصفيات المؤهلة لكأس العالم”.

طالع أيضًا | مصطفى عبده ينتقد تصريحات حسام حسن.. ويؤكد: بعض لاعبي منتخب مصر “مبتعرفش تباصي”

وتابع: “رئيس الاتحاد أكد لي بشكل واضح أنه لا يسمح لأحد بأن يطرح فكرة تحديد مصير الجهاز الفني في هذا التوقيت، وأن المرحلة الآن هي مرحلة دعم ومساندة كاملة للمنتخب، وقال نصًا: (ما فيش حاجة اسمها حد ييجي يقول لي مصير الجهاز الفني إيه.. الفترة الحالية هي فترة مساندة ودعم)”.

وأردف: “الرجل شدد على أن المنتخب مقبل على بطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية ويجب الوقوف بجانب الفريق، وأكد أنه يتحدث بصفته رئيس الاتحاد، وأن هذا الموقف سيكون نفسه حتى لو لم يكن داخل منظومة الاتحاد”.

واختتم: “أوضح لي أن الجهاز الفني سيجلس لدراسة ما حدث في التجربتين الأخيرتين من أجل استخلاص الدروس، خصوصًا أننا مرتبطون بمباراة مهمة أمام نيجيريا يوم 14، وأنا قلت له إنني أخشى أن نيجيريا ربما خرجت من البطولة ومن الوارد ألا تلعب المباراة، لكنه أكد لي أن المباراة قائمة وفق اتفاق رسمي موثق بين الاتحادين، وأن المنتخب النيجيري قادم بغض النظر عن وضعه في البطولة”.

Neymar was left stunned by his substitution late in Santos’ latest defeat, with the Brazil international questioning why his number had been held up. The experienced playmaker was so disappointed at being forced to leave the action that he refused to remain on the bench and watch the remainder of the game – as he made a hasty retreat to the dressing room before the full-time whistle.

Neymar hauled off as Santos remain in relegation zone

Santos needed inspiration from somewhere as they trailed the crunch clash with Flamengo. They were three goals down with just six minutes of the 90 remaining, and it was at that point that Neymar was removed from the contest. He was replaced by Argentine midfielder Benjamin Rollheiser.

A late rally from Santos saw them pull two goals back, but they ultimately left themselves with too much to do. A frustrating loss against their fierce rivals means that Neymar and Co remain inside the relegation zone through 32 games – with just 33 points being secured. They are now two points adrift of safety.

AdvertisementWatch as Neymar is left stunned by Santos substitution

What Neymar said to Santos coach after being hooked

Neymar will need to raise his game if Santos are to clamber out of the drop zone, with the 33-year-old having endured another injury-hit campaign. He is of the opinion that a decisive contribution can be made, with his creative qualities having never been in doubt.

It was that skillset which left him slightly bemused at being hauled off against Flamengo. As he made his way towards the bench, Neymar was caught on camera saying in the direction of Santos head coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda: “Are you going to take me out?” He had a smile on his face, but was clearly less than impressed.

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GettyExpiring contract & World Cup dream: Messi reunion mooted

Neymar briefly spoke with two members of Santos’ coaching team before making his way down the tunnel. The attacker had completed media duties at half-time as he took aim at Brazilian match officials again. He said of the latest referee that he came up against: “Besides being bad, with all due respect, he's arrogant.”

Santos have six matches left to take in this season, through to December 7. At that point, Neymar’s contract back at his boyhood club will expire. With a World Cup next summer to think about, as he battles to earn a recall to the Brazil squad under Carlo Ancelotti, it has been suggested that the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar could be reunited with close friend Lionel Messi at MLS side Inter Miami.

MatériaMais Notícias

Artilheiros e protagonistas de suas equipes, Pedro e Germán Cano se enfrentam no Fla-Flu em uma temporada que vem sendo muito positiva para os dois centroavantes. Enquanto o camisa 9 do Flamengo faz seu melhor ano em números com o Rubro-Negro, o camisa 14 do Fluminense vem tendo um 2023 mágico.

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+ Flamengo e Fluminense condenam nota do Vasco sobre processo de concessão temporária do Maracanã: ‘Narrativas fantasiosas’

PEDRO

Apesar de ter vivido uma temporada muito abaixo do esperado, Pedro retomou a boa fase com Tite e voltou a ser decisivo. E mesmo em meio a um 2023 “apagado”, o camisa 9 do Flamengo vive seu melhor ano pelo Flamengo: 33 gols em 55 jogos. O atacante também protagoniza o segundo ano consecutivo como artilheiro da equipe.

Nesta temporada, Pedro também ultrapassou a marca de 100 gols marcados pelo Flamengo, e é o segundo maior artilheiro do clube no século XXI. Apenas pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, o atacante disputou 28 jogos e balançou as redes em 11 oportunidades. O camisa 9 do Fla é o sexto goleador do torneio.

No Brasil, as maiores vítimas de Pedro são Athletico-PR (sete), Bahia e Goiás (cinco). Entre os rivais locais, o principal mártir é o Vasco: quatro gols, todos em 2023. Já o Fluminense, adversário da rodada, sofreu apenas três gols do artilheiro reverência.

+ Veja tabela do Brasileirão

GERMÁN CANO

Em média, Cano possui números muito similares aos de 2022, onde assombrou o Campeonato Brasileiro com a marca de 26 gols marcados na competição. Na atual temporada, o centroavante participou de 55 partidas, balançou as redes em 37 jogos e conseguiu ser o artilheiro da Libertadores e do Campeonato Carioca.

No Brasileirão, o camisa 14 vem tendo números modestos e estufou as redes adversárias apenas sete vezes e não marca um gol desde o confronto com o América-MG, pela 20ª rodada. Nas últimas três partidas, o argentino nem entrou em campo por suspensão diante do Atlético-MG, além de ter sido poupado contra Bahia e Internacional.

No Brasil, Cano tem o Flamengo como sua vítima favorita, uma vez que já marcou oito gols contra o Rubro-Negro, mas passou os últimos três clássicos em branco. Nesse sábado (11), o camisa 14 busca reencontrar as pazes com o gol na principal competição nacional e voltar a ferir o adversário, assim como aconteceu na Taça Guanabara e na decisão do Carioca.

E em uma disputa particular entre Cano x Pedro, o argentino conseguiu superar seu adversário como artilheiro em uma única edição de Libertadores. Enquanto o jogador do Flamengo marcou 12 gols na campanha que culminou com o tricampeonato do Rubro-Negro em 2022, o camisa 14 balançou as redes 13 vezes na atual edição para levar o Time de Guerreiros à glória eterna.

Martin O’Neill marked his Celtic homecoming with a comprehensive win at Parkhead, and there has been a claim on the chances of him landing the Hoops job on a permanent basis.

O’Neill Celtic return begins with 4-0 win over Falkirk

The 73-year-old former Hoops manager was installed along with ex-Celtic player Shaun Maloney as the interim management team following the stunning resignation of Brendan Rodgers on Monday night.

Irish striker Johnny Kenny scored twice in the first half before goals after the break from midfielder Benjamin Nygren and wide-man Sebastian Tounekti took the Hoops to within six points of William Hill Premiership leaders Hearts, who drew 2-2 at St Mirren. O’Neill, who was Hoops boss between 2000 and 2005, said:

O’Neill joked about being nervous before the game. He added: “Well, first of all, I jokingly said – maybe true – I have not been as nervous since I sat my 11-plus but, again, I think I passed that when I was 48.

“But honestly, really concerned about the game, naturally. Concerned about the usual thing about letting myself down, which is I’ve done so many times it’s untrue, and letting other people down here at the football club.

“Just coming in a bit of a whirlwind and to play in the manner which we did when I thought was great and obviously most important thing was winning the game. Naturally, I couldn’t be more pleased. I thought the players did really brilliantly.”

Games

266

Wins

200

Draws

26

Losses

40

Trophies

7

Players used

56

Next up for O’Neill and Maloney is Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against rivals Rangers, who are also showing early promising signs under new manager Danny Rohl.

Chances of Celtic making Martin O’Neill permanent manager

Talking to Sky Sports, Tino Callaghan from the Celtic Exchange said that conversations could be had over O’Neill staying on as permanent Celtic manager if the Hoops defeat Rangers on Sunday.

However, Callaghan also added his personal opinion, believing those at Parkhead need to ‘go in a different direction’.

A number of managers have been linked with the permanent job, such as Club Brugge’s Nicky Hayen, Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna and Wales’ Craig Bellamy.

How Nicky Haven feels about taking Celtic manager job

O’Neill looks set to be in the dugout at Hampden Park, and if Callaghan’s claim is correct, another positive result may see Celtic chiefs take note and explore the idea of keeping the Irishman on.

Farooq Nazar, the fan in question, refused to cover his Pakistan shirt during the fourth England vs India Test and was “asked to leave the stadium” by security officials

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Aug-2025Lancashire have apologised for an incident at the Old Trafford Test between England and India where a fan was ejected from the ground after he refused to cover his Pakistan team t-shirt.Farooq Nazar, the fan in question, posted a video on social media documenting the sequence of events, which started with a request from a member of the security staff that he cover the shirt, a replica of Pakistan’s traditional green limited-overs kit.The security guard, who identified himself as working for Lancashire, said he had been sent by “control” to ask for the shirt to be covered. Nazar refused. He was subsequently escorted away by police officers and, according to a statement from Lancashire, “asked to leave the stadium by stewards and police officers due to unacceptable behaviour directed towards the stewarding team”.In the days since – the incident took place on the last day, a Sunday, of the Test – the club conducted an internal review and apologised for “any upset and offence caused which was not intended and will review its procedures for handling similar situations in the future”.Lancashire, however, explained that a separate incident at the ground between a set of Indian and Pakistani fans on the Saturday of the Test influenced their handling of the situation with Nazar.

“A stand supervisor politely asked the individual to cover his shirt in the interest of his own safety and to avoid any potential escalation. Despite several courteous requests from the supervisor and the response team, the individual repeatedly declined to comply”Lancashire statement

“Firstly, we wish to make it clear that there was no intention to remove the individual simply for wearing a Pakistan cricket shirt,” the club said in a statement. “The approach taken was informed by an incident on Saturday, during which a group of supporters waved a Pakistan national flag, leading to tensions with nearby Indian fans. In that case, our stewards were able to de-escalate the situation by respectfully asking the individuals to put the flag away, which they did without hesitation.”In light of this context, our team adopted a precautionary, safety-first approach on Sunday. A stand supervisor politely asked the individual to cover his shirt in the interest of his own safety and to avoid any potential escalation. Despite several courteous requests from the supervisor and the response team, the individual repeatedly declined to comply.”Earlier, the ECB CEO Richard Gould had said Nazar was known to the ECB from previous years.”There may well be a context [to what happened] and I know the ground is looking at that, and we’ve also referred it along to the Cricket Regulator to make sure that they’re aware,” Gould said.Relations between India and Pakistan, have been at a low following a brief military skirmish between the two countries in May. Those tensions have filtered into relations between the BCCI and PCB; the two sides have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13 and no Test cricket since 2007-08. Their participation in ICC events hosted by either country has also recently become an issue, with a neutral venue added in to stage their games as part of a hybrid solution to the issue.Earlier this week, an India veterans team refused to play their Pakistan counterparts in two games – including the semi-final, which they forfeited – of a legends tournament in Birmingham.

Ligue 1 referee chief Amaury Delerue has defended the controversial decisions made by both the on-field and VAR officials during Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-2 win over Lyon. The last-minute defeat left Lyon players furious but Delerue has explained the process behind the officials' decisions and insisted that each call was made correctly.

• Lyon frustrated with calls all in favour of PSG

  Lyon were left furious after a series of key moments went against them in their match against PSG. In the 27th minute, Ilia Zabarnyi’s apparent handball inside the penalty area went unpunished. Soon after, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s goal stood despite Vitinha’s tackle from behind on Tanner Tessmann. Just before half-time, a challenge by Kang-in Lee on Nicolas Tagliafico inside the PSG box was ignored. The controversy deepened when Tagliafico was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Vitinha, leaving Lyon with 10 men. VAR upheld the decision, sparking outrage from the Lyon players and staff.

  Lyon’s assistant coach Jorge Maciel launched a scathing post-match rant, claiming that only the four referees on the pitch failed to notice the fouls committed during the game. He said: “I think there are 59,000 people in the stadium, and only four of them didn’t see the fouls we analysed. We don’t even need to watch the replays. When it happens one way, we don’t understand it. When it happens with the arrogance of not even having the opportunity to discuss it, we don’t understand it.”

  Maciel went on to accuse the officials of favouring PSG, suggesting that the champions didn’t need to “play with 16 men” as they are already the best team in Europe.

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  Delerue defends the referees

  In an interview with, Ligue 1 referee association chief Delerue defended the officials appointed for the match and explained the reasoning behind their key decisions.

  He clarified why no handball was called on Zabarnyi, saying: “The VAR followed IFAB protocol by reviewing all available angles and images, none of which clearly showed that the decision not to award a penalty was definitely wrong, or whether Zabarnyi actually touched the ball.”

  Delerue also justified the decision regarding Lee’s challenge on Tagliafico, stating: “Lee’s intervention is not punishable under the laws of the game. It was natural contact that did not prevent Tagliafico from playing the ball.”

• Vitinha finds the loophole

  PSG, who were without key players such as Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, and Nuno Mendes due to injury, took an early lead through Warren Zaire-Emery within the first ten minutes. Lyon quickly equalised through Moreira, but Kvaratskhelia restored PSG’s advantage soon after. Ainsley Maitland-Niles struck again to make it 2-2, and the match appeared to be heading for a draw until Joao Neves rose highest to score from a late corner, sealing the win for Luis Enrique’s side. The result moved PSG back to the top of the table, while Lyon slipped to seventh.

  Kvaratskhelia’s goal came right after Vitinha’s foul on Tessman. Delerue admitted that Vitinha took advantage of a loophole in the rules to avoid punishment when he said, “This is a very complex situation on which the DA was unable to reach a 100 percent unanimous decision. The contact affected Tessman’s ability to maintain control of the ball, which is why we would primarily consider it a foul during recovery and disallow the goal. But we are in a grey area, which is why the VAR’s decision not to challenge the central referee is understandable.”

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  PSG using the international break to grow stronger

  Enrique will use the international break to recover key players from injury and refine his tactical system. The PSG manager aims to learn from their defeat against Bayern Munich, make the necessary adjustments to avoid similar mistakes in future matches, and further strengthen his team’s overall performance.

  They sit top of the French top flight with a two-point lead over Marseille and Lens, while Lyon's defeat – winless in four games – are seventh in the table and seven points adrift of the reigning champions.

Tottenham striker Richarlison faces an uncertain future in N17, with his contract expiring in under two years as he struggles to deliver a consistent return.

The Brazil international, who will have one eye on a spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, got off to a flyer at the start of this campaign.

His early goal of the season contender, a bicycle kick against Premier League newcomers Burnley on the opening day, was seen as a hopeful sign of things to come, with Richarlison bagging two against Scott Parker’s side that day.

However, since then, his contributions have been few and far between despite the 28-year-old’s best efforts.

Thomas Frank started Richarlison for the first time in four domestic games against Newcastle on Wednesday evening, with the striker failing to get on the end of a whizzed ball across the box in the first half.

He also had a decent attempt at the near post saved by Aaron Ramsdale in the second period, but it was another tough evening for Richarlison, who couldn’t quite get on the scoresheet.

Once Dominic Solanke returns to full fitness and removes himself from Spurs’ rather long injury list, the jury is out on whether Frank will continue to select Richarlison on a regular basis.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

22/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

08/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

08/11/2025

Wilson Odobert

Abdominal

01/11/2025

Cristian Romero

Groin

01/11/2025

Destiny Udogie

Knee

08/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

08/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

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via Premier Injuries

Tottenham are also believed to be weighing up a new striker ahead of January, with the likes of Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli) and Dušan Vlahović (Juventus) reportedly attracting their interest.

This could spell more trouble for Richarlison, so a winter exit could be on the cards amid serious interest from Everton.

Tottenham stance on selling Richarlison as exit hinges on key factor

According to TEAMtalk, the striker is very keen to return to Everton and “would jump at the chance” to re-join his former club.

However, Tottenham’s willingness to let Richarlison leave in the January transfer window depends heavily on securing a replacement striker. The key sticking point for Spurs is finding the right forward to fill the void left by his departure.

After a mixed spell at Tottenham, Richarlison sees Everton as the ideal destination to reignite his career.

The Toffees remain an attractive option for the South American, where he previously enjoyed success and a strong rapport with the club and fans. A return would give him the platform to regain form and confidence in familiar surroundings.

However, despite Richarlison’s own desire to move, Frank’s side are not prepared to let him go without first addressing their own striking options.

The club is keenly aware that selling him without bringing in a suitable replacement could weaken their frontline and disrupt their season’s momentum, with Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange determined to not leave Tottenham’s manager short.

Described by TT as a player who “always gives 100 per cent”, his return simply just hasn’t been up to the standard since arriving from Everton over three years ago for £60 million.

Despite a brief purple patch under Ange Postecoglou midway through the Australian’s debut season at Tottenham, that is as good as it’s got for Richarlison scoring-wise, so perhaps a move back to Goodison Park will suit all parties.

By the time January comes around, Richarlison will have just under a year and a half left on his contract, so it will be interesting to see just how much Paratici and Lange could demand for the forward’s signature.

Alongside the likes of Toney and Vlahovic, Spurs are believed to be weighing up other blockbuster number nines.

Tottenham hold discussions to sign "elite" £87m striker who Paratici loves