Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank will have been left delighted by the creativity and bravery that his team showed in their 4-0 win over Copenhagen on Tuesday night.

The Lilywhites were down to ten men for most of the second half after Brennan Johnson was sent off, but managed to score another two goals after that.

They should have had a fifth goal late on when Richarlison stepped up from the penalty spot, only for the Brazil international’s effort to come crashing back off the woodwork.

Tottenham created more ‘big chances’ (eight) than they have in any other match in any competition in the 2025/26 campaign against the Danish side, which is why Frank should be incredibly pleased with his team’s display.

The former Brentford head coach will also be delighted with the continued form of central defender Micky van de Ven, who stepped up to score yet again.

No Spurs player has scored more goals than the former Wolfsburg star in all competitions this season (six) per Transfermarkt, which may draw some comparisons to a player from another team in North London.

How Micky van de Ven is becoming Tottenham's most important player

The Netherlands international is quickly becoming Tottenham’s most important player because of how crucial he is to the team both defensively and offensively.

Of course, as a centre-back, Van de Ven’s primary objective is to prevent the opposition from scoring. Spurs have only conceded eight goals in ten Premier League matches, with the Dutchman starting all ten games.

Per Sofascore, the left-footed defender has won 61% of his ground duels in the division, which speaks to his physical dominance on the deck, and that has played a part in the team’s impressive defensive record.

It would be impossible to speak about Van de Ven without mentioning his incredible goalscoring exploits, though, including his stunning goal in the win over Copenhagen.

As aforementioned, the Dutch star is the club’s top goalscorer in all competitions, which could draw comparison to Arsenal centre-back Gabriel, who has scored 22 goals for the Gunners in 226 matches, per Transfermarkt.

Top scoring CBs in the 25/26 Premier League
Player	Goals
Micky van de Ven	3
Joe Rodon	2
Trevoh Chalobah	2
Gabriel	1
Nordi Mukiele	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Van de Ven is the top-scoring central defender in the Premier League so far this season, with two more goals than Gabriel.

These statistics show that he has been influential at both ends of the pitch for Spurs, which is why he is becoming Frank’s most important player.

However, whilst Van de Ven does share some similarities with Gabriel, there is another Tottenham central defender who could be Frank’s own version of the Arsenal star.

Chalkboard

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

18-year-old defender Luka Vuskovic is currently out on loan at Hamburg in the Bundesliga, and his performances this season suggest that he has the potential to be Tottenham’s own Gabriel in the future.

Why Luka Vuskovic can be Tottenham's own Gabriel

Like both Gabriel and Van de Ven, the Croatian youngster has shown that he can provide a threat as a goalscorer, with seven goals at club level in all competitions since the start of last season, per Sofascore.

On top of those competitive goals, the teenage starlet also scored for Spurs in pre-season against Reading earlier this year before his move to Hamburg on loan.

Vuskovic, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed is “turning into a Goal Machine”, has the potential to provide a regular threat at the top end of the pitch, as much as a centre-back can, for Tottenham in the future after his loan spell in Germany.

However, it is in his defensive work that he could be most like Gabriel for the Lilywhites, because he has been in phenomenal form as a defensive force for Hamburg in the Bundesliga so far this term.

Vuskovic’s performance against Union Berlin at the end of September was particularly eye-catching, as he set a Bundesliga record for aerial duels won in a game over the past decade.

For all of Van de Ven’s positive attributes, the Dutchman has lost 54% of his aerial duels and only won 1.3 aerial duels per game in the Premier League this season.

Meanwhile, Gabriel has won 60% of his aerial duels and won 3.3 per game, as a dominant player in the air, for Arsenal, per Sofascore, which suggests that the Brazilian has the beating of him in that area of the game.

25/26 season	Vuskovic (Bundesliga)	Van de Ven (Premier League)
Appearances	7	10
Sofascore rating	7.49	7.08
Clearances per game	9.7	3.4
Blocks per game	1.6	0.3
Ground duels won per game	2.4	1.9
Aerial duels won per game	6.9	1.3
Aerial duel success rate	86%	46%
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Vuskovic has been unbelievably dominant aerially in the Bundesliga in the 2025/26 campaign, and has outperformed Van de Ven in a host of defensive metrics.

This suggests that the Croatian defender has the potential to come in and offer even more to Spurs than the Dutchman as a centre-back, as he can carry as much of a threat offensively whilst being more effective defensively, particularly in the air.

Given how important Van de Ven currently is to Tottenham and Frank, this speaks to just how exciting Vuskovic is as a prospect for the club moving forward, as he has the potential to be their own version of Gabriel.

As good as Simons: 8/10 star had his "best performance in a Spurs shirt"

Spurs put in their best display under Thomas Frank yet against Copenhagen in the Champions League.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 5, 2025

يستعد فريق الأهلي السعودي لمواجهة نظيره الشارقة الإماراتي، ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة.

ويقع فريق الأهلي السعودي في المجموعة الثانية في بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة، والتي يتصدر ترتيببها فريق الهلال السعودي برصيد 12 نقطة. 

طالع.. فيديو | الهلال يفوز على الغرافة بثنائية ويواصل تصدر دوري أبطال آسيا

أما فريق الأهلي السعودي فيحتل المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب المجموعة برصيد 10 نقاط، ويحتل فريق الشارقة المركز الثامن برصيد 4 نقاط. 

ويواجه فريق الأهلي السعودي نظيره الشارقة الإماراتي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة من بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة.  موعد مباراة الأهلي السعودي والشارقة في دوري أبطال آسيا 

ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة الأهلي السعودي أمام نظيره الشارقة الإماراتي في تمام الساعة الثامنة والربع مساء اليوم الإثنين بتوقيت القاهرة، والتاسعة والربع بتوقيت السعودية، على ملعب الملك عبد الله الدولي.  القنوات الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي السعودي والشارقة

وسوف تذاع مباراة الأهلي السعودي أمام نظيره فريق الشارق الإماراتي على beinsports2، بالإضافة إلى قناة الكأس القطرية 5. 

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

 

 

Seamer asked to remain on standby for World Cup despite omission from initial squad

Valkerie Baynes24-Sep-2025Kate Cross has lost her England contract, capping a difficult month in which she also learned she had been overlooked for the World Cup.Cross revealed that England Women’s head coach Charlotte Edwards and director of cricket Jonathan Finch had told her during a post-season appraisal in August that her central contract wouldn’t be renewed, after playing 102 matches for her country across formats in an international career spanning nearly 12 years.”I had my appraisal with Lot and Finchy, our director of cricket, and they just told me that I’m not going to get my England contract renewed next year,” Cross said in a pre-recorded segment for the latest episode of , the podcast that she co-hosts with best friend and former team-mate Alex Hartley. “So as of October this year, 2025, I will not be a professional cricketer for England anymore.””I was dreading saying that, I feel sick,” Cross added in the episode released on Tuesday.Cross had her appraisal in early August, on the eve of the Hundred, in which she was ultimately part of the Northern Superchargers side that won the title, and learned of her World Cup omission partway through the tournament. She also revealed that Edwards had approached her after the Hundred to be a reserve for the World Cup.”I had a phonecall with Lottie at the end of the Hundred where she was like: ‘Look if you’re willing, can you keep training through October? Because if an injury goes down to one of the seamers, we are going to need you.’ That’s the bit I’m finding tough, because the end point isn’t now for me,” Cross said. “I’m back at Old Trafford next week bowling. It’s not been great. But I also have to think if an injury does go down, I have to go and be ready to play for England in a World Cup.”Cross claimed two wickets in the Hundred final to help power Northern Superchargers to the title•Julian Finney/Getty ImagesWith England Women’s central contracts due to be announced in December, Cross said she had a bad feeling about her future at the end of England’s home ODI series with India, which the hosts lost 2-1 in late July.”I started the India series opening the bowling for England as vice-captain, and I finished that series not even making the 13 that was named the night before, for the squad to play in that last ODI,” Cross said. “Lottie said to me, in a chat the day before the game, that it was a must-win game and I’m not part of the 13. As a cricketer who’s always prided myself on being a reliable bowler for your captain, who would hopefully stand up in big moments and do what I’ve done for a while for England, that was pretty tough to hear. I felt like a lot of trust had been lost quite quickly.”I’m not daft, I’m old enough and wise enough, and been around the block plenty of times to know that something’s happened there that might mean my future is maybe in a little bit of jeopardy.”When I came out of that India series, I felt a little bit lost and I didn’t feel like Lottie trusted me that much, having started the series where I did. I even said to Lottie, ‘I’m not daft, I know I didn’t bowl great (in the first ODI) at Southampton’. I didn’t feel like it was a droppable offence, but I know that wasn’t me at my best.”Cross wondered whether the back injury that she sustained in South Africa last year meant she had “lost a little bit of something”. Though she remained with the squad for England’s subsequent Ashes campaign in Australia, she didn’t play a match as England were whitewashed by seven matches to none.”That’s the stuff that you come to terms with, I guess, but I don’t quite feel like that’s the case,” she said. “I feel like I still have a lot to give the team and I know everyone that gets pushed out will say that, they’ll say that they always still felt like they’ve got stuff to give.Related

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“I’m so aware that my international career had to come to an end at some point, and it was going to be unlikely that I’d get to do it on my terms, because not many people get the privilege of finishing it on their terms. So I always knew that this would be probably how it was done, that I wouldn’t be ready for it.”But I think it’s just the speed of it. I honestly think in a couple of months’ time, a couple of years’ time, I might look back and be really pleased at how quickly it all happened, so I’ve not had to do that year of getting phased out and doing drinks and stuff like that. But I’m also sat here questioning whether I want to play cricket again.”With all this going on, Cross was also part of the Lancashire side which won the inaugural Metro Bank One Day Cup Women’s title on Sunday. She was unsure whether she would seek out a domestic contract for next year and said she would spend the winter away from the game deciding what she wanted to do.”Lottie has, to be fair to her, kept reaching out saying, ‘can we have a chat?’ and I’m like, there’s no point for me yet because I don’t know what to say,” Cross said. “I don’t have anything to say to you that’s going to make me feel better.”The chat might make her feel better, but I don’t think I’m ready for that yet. That almost feels like something that might happen next year or in two years’ time, or maybe never.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has just over a month to go until he will have the opportunity to make his first signing since arriving at Ibrox to replace Russell Martin.

The German tactician came through the door well after the summer transfer window had been and gone, after sporting director Kevin Thelwell provided Martin with a host of signings.

Rangers, as shown in the graphic above, had a high turnover of players in and out of Ibrox after they failed to win any trophies in the 2024/25 campaign, under Philippe Clement or Barry Ferguson.

Unfortunately, though, Martin was unable to get a tune out of the squad after those changes in the summer and was eventually sacked last month after a run of five wins in 17 games.

With Rohl now in the building, the former Sheffield Wednesday head coach will have time to assess those summer signings and decide where he wants the club to strengthen the squad when the January transfer window opens.

One of those Martin and Thelwell signings whom the manager may deem needs to be replaced in the winter is experienced central midfielder Joe Rothwell.

Why Rangers need to replace Joe Rothwell already

Rangers swooped to sign the 30-year-old midfielder from Premier League side Bournemouth on a permanent deal during the summer window for Martin, who had worked with him on loan at Southampton in the 2023/24 campaign.

Unfortunately, the English lightweight has flopped at Ibrox, on current evidence, and is yet to play a single minute of action in the Scottish Premiership since Rohl came through the door.

He was ill and unavailable for selection against Dundee last time out, but the midfield flop was an unused substitute in the wins over Kilmarnock and Hibernian in the manager’s first two matches in the dugout.

This means that Rangers have now won one of the eight league matches he has played in and won all three of the games that he has not featured in so far this season.

Tackles

7

Bottom 29%

Interceptions

8

Top 29%

Duels won

16

Bottom 27%

Duel success rate

47%

Bottom 37%

Aerial duels won

4

Bottom 29%

Possession won in the final third

1

Bottom 18%

Ball recoveries

22

Bottom 40%

As you can see in the table above, Rothwell has struggled off the ball throughout the Premiership campaign, ranking poorly among his positional peers in the majority of the key defensive metrics, aside from interceptions.

On top of his defensive woes, the Englishman has no goals and one assist in eight appearances in the league, per Sofascore, which shows that he has not offered outstanding quality on the ball to make up for his defensive deficiencies.

This is why Rohl may already be considering replacing Rothwell in the January transfer window, and why the midfielder has been an unused substitute in the last two league games that he has been available for.

Rangers eyeing move for Premiership midfielder

The Scottish Premiership giants may be able to replace the former Bournemouth and Southampton flop amid reported interest in a star who plays in his position.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to TEAMtalk, Rangers are one of the clubs exploring the possibility of a deal to snap up Kilmarnock central midfielder David Watson in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Light Blues are in talks over a possible move for the Scotland U21 international, whose contract is due to expire at the end of the season.

It reveals that Rohl is a big fan of the midfield starlet and wants to add him to his squad in the winter market, with the Gers looking to seal a cut-price deal due to his contract situation.

However, TEAMtalk adds that Hearts, Aberdeen, and unnamed clubs in the English Championship are also keen on signing the £1.5m-rated Kilmarnock star, which means that there is plenty of competition for his signature.

Why Watson would be an upgrade on Rothwell for Rangers

Thelwell could land a huge upgrade on Rothwell for Rohl if he is able to beat the likes of Aberdeen and Hearts to the signing of Watson ahead of the second half of the season.

For a start, the Scotland U21 international is ten years younger than the English flop. He has far more years left ahead of him to develop as a player and offer quality on the pitch for Rangers than Rothwell does.

This also means that there is the potential for his value to grow so that he could be sold on for a profit in the future, like a Hamza Igamane or Calvin Bassey, and that may not be the case with the Bournemouth man, as he is in the latter stages of his career.

In terms of the here and now, Watson could come in as an upgrade on Rothwell from an offensive perspective. The Scottish star has scored three goals in 12 Premiership matches this season, after netting four last term, with the Rangers dud yet to get off the mark at Ibrox.

The Scotland U21 international, who Kilmarnock commentator Andrew Milligan claimed has “no ceiling”, would also come in and offer a huge upgrade on the English flop defensively.

Appearances

12

8

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.1

1.9

Clearances per game

0.9

0.1

Duels won per game

6.0

2.0

Ground duel success rate

51%

46%

Fouls won per game

2.3

0.1

Blocks per game

0.5

0.1

As you can see in the table above, Watson has excelled out of possession in comparison to Rothwell in the 2025/26 campaign, making far more defensive contributions at a more efficient rate.

It is, therefore, easy to understand why Rohl is such a big fan of the Kilmarnock star and why he wants Thelwell to get a deal over the line for him when the January transfer window opens.

Watson’s offensive and defensive statistics suggest that he would arrive at Ibrox as a huge upgrade on Rothwell, who has struggled since his move to the club, and provide the likes of Connor Barron, Nico Raskin, and Mo Diomande with genuine competition for the midfield spots.

Thelwell let Rangers star go for £0, now he'd walk into the XI over Aasgaard

This former Rangers star who was released by Kevin Thelwell would walk into the current team over Thelo Aasgaard.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

The early MLB season is often ripe for obscure storylines brought on by tiny nuances to the game. In a season with 162 games, hundreds of pitches, and plenty of tedium, the smallest things wind up really mattering. Some years, it's foreign substances applied to baseballs for extra grip. This year has already brought on the bat shape discussion.

Now? A change of 1.25 inches is completely unsettling pitchers and catchers.

's Jayson Stark, Ken Rosenthal and Eno Sarris released a reported piece on Thursday night detailing MLB's strike zone and how it appears to be being called differently this year than in prior seasons. Notably, the league has given a directive to umpires to call smaller strike zones, but it did agree on a new collective bargaining agreement with umpires that changed how home plate umpires' balls and strikes are graded. Previously, the CBA gave umpires a two-inch grace zone on all four sides of the zone. This season, that grace zone was reduced to 0.75 inches, a 62.5% reduction.

Pitchers and catchers, as well as managers, expressed frustration over the perceived strike zone shrinkage in the aftermath of the adjustment in's article. Travis d'Arnaud, catcher for the Los Angeles Angels, said that, "Every [umpire] across the league [has shrunk their zone].”

To reiterate: the strike zone remains unchanged, but the league's grading system appears to have had behavioral impacts with how picky umpires are with balls and strikes. It's a classic case of, "measure what matters."

The MLB says it discussed the changes with managers at the December winter meetings, but several of the managers spoke to said they had no recollection of such a change, despite at least one, Padres manager Mike Shildt, labeling it something that would have been on his radar to make sure players and coaches knew of the change.

The report shared that a competition committee meeting on Friday is expected to touch on the impacts of the change.

The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are not an easy outing for any pitcher, no matter how good. The Dodgers, rolling back many of their key bats from 2024, made relatively easy work of the National League playoff field and the American League champion New York Yankees to hoist the trophy to put a capper on last season.

Paul Skenes drew the Dodgers assignment on Friday and was up to the challenge, shutting their bats out through six and a third innings. It was not all easy, including one thorny Shohei Ohtani at-bat that could have changed the game had Skenes not locked in and thrown his best stuff.

Skenes seemed to relish the challenge, speaking highly of the battle after the game with the media.

"This is where baseball gets really fun, I think, to find different ways to get them out," Skenes said, H/T Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. "Ohtani saw all my pitches today. Freddie [Freeman], I think, saw all my pitches today. They've all seen all my pitches. I'm not hiding anything from them, and they're not hiding anything from me."

Baseball at its purest. No deception or flair, just all-out skill vs. skill.

Through six starts, Skenes has a record of 3-2 with a 2.39 ERA. The Pirates currently occupy the last spot in the NL Central, six games back. Fans have expressed their displeasure with the franchise's seeming reluctance to build around Skenes, showering "sell the team" chants aimed at ownership since the first home game of the season.

One of the brightest talents in Manchester United’s current squad is undoubtedly Kobbie Mainoo. Although manager Ruben Amorim has criminally underused him this season, there is no denying the natural skill he possesses. After all, the Stockport-born midfielder was starting in a European Championship final aged 20.

It is certainly a surprise, therefore, that the Red Devils academy graduate has played so little this term. He is yet to start a game in the Premier League, despite being so highly rated by his peers. Former teammate at United, Anthony Elanga, once said he possesses “similar attributes” to Paul Pogba.

The Frenchman is another United academy graduate who was just as highly rated aged 20.

How Pogba and Mainoo compare at 20

Both United academy stars already had, or in Mainoo’s case, have, a huge reputation by the time they were 20 years of age. Whilst the Englishman is still plying his trade at Old Trafford, Pogba had departed for Juventus.

The 2013/14 campaign is perhaps best when looking at Pogba’s contributions at around 20. He was sensational for the Turin giants that season, playing 51 games, scoring nine times and assisting 15, which included one of each in the Supercoppa final against Lazio.

As for Mainoo, things have not been quite as easy. Amorim has not given him much of an opportunity this term, and he has only played 228 minutes for his boyhood club across all competitions.

Last term, though, he scored a dramatic late equaliser against Lyon in United’s historic Europa League win.

It is certainly interesting to compare the two players at the same age.

Pogba was starting week in, week out for one of the biggest clubs in the world, whilst Mainoo is consistently ignored by Amorim despite his obvious talent.

Whilst many might think Mainoo is the heir to Pogba’s throne at Old Trafford, there could be another player who is actually Amorim’s own version of the French superstar.

Amorim’s own Paul Pogba at Man Utd

There are not many things Pogba cannot do on a football pitch. The Frenchman is one of the greatest modern midfielders, oozing class with the ball at his feet, dictating play from deep and excelling in the final third.

Well, in Brazilian legend, Casemiro, Amoirm arguably has someone else who fits that mould. The former Real Madrid star has enjoyed a real resurgence this term, after being told to “leave the football before the football leaves you” by Jamie Carragher a couple of seasons ago.

In 2025/26, we are watching one of the most intriguing versions of the Brazilian international. Casemiro has been integral in the pivot next to Bruno Fernandes, playing all ten Premier League games he’s been available for, chipping in with three goals and one assist.

Indeed, that is something new that has really been added to his game. The former Los Blancos star is a huge threat going forward and has 33 goal involvements for the Red Devils, more than half of what he got as a Madrid player.

Described as a “monster” by teammate Luke Shaw, the 33-year-old is, as always, a specialist at breaking up play, but he’s now added a new trait to his game: being able to control play.

This season in the Premier League, he’s completed 3.5 long-balls per game on average, and in 2024/25, played an average of 18.9 forward passes per 90 minutes.

Casemiro – last two PL seasons
Stat (per 90)	2024/25	2025/26
Goals and assists	0.1	0.7
Chances created	1.4	0.8
Long balls completed	3	3.5
Forward passes	18.9	16.6
Duels won	8.5	6.7
Stats from Squawka

We’ll never know how Amorim would have deployed Pogba, given he never had the Frenchman at his disposal. Yet, we might be seeing an idea, with Casemiro’s new threat in the final third and his ability to dictate play.

It is easy to see how the Brazilian is Amorim’s own Pogba. United fans might well be hoping they can see Casemiro be unleashed next to Mainoo soon, to form an exciting midfield pivot.

Casemiro 2.0: Man Utd make £79m bid for "one of the best DMs on the planet"

Man Utd’s midfield could be improved grealty with this signing

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 20, 2025

Elche head coach Eder Sarabia has still not gotten over the 2-2 draw against Real Madrid at the weekend, which saw Xabi Alonso's men come back twice from behind. Los Blancos equalised just three minutes from the end of normal time thanks to Jude Bellingham, but controversy erupted during and after the game as the Elche players and manager blasted the officials for what they believed to be an incorrect decision.

Madrid held to a draw by Elche after controversial Bellingham goal

Real Madrid endured yet another frustrating evening at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on Sunday, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by the newly-promoted but daring Elche. The result stretched their winless run across competitions to three games. 

After a goalless first half, former Real Madrid youth player and Elche captain Aleix Febas fired the hosts into the lead just eight minutes after the restart, capping off a brilliant team move that cut Madrid open. Dean Huijsen then pulled things back, scoring his first goal for Los Blancos in the 78th minute. However, Sarabia's troops didn't budge. Substitute Alvaro Rodriguez, a La Fabrica product who has featured in several games for Madrid, scored a great individual goal just six minutes later to restore Elche's lead.

That wasn't the end of the drama. In the 87th minute, Madrid came back from behind for the second time in the game, courtesy of a Bellingham equaliser. Controversy, however, ensued, as the Elche players religiously protested Vinicius Junior's challenge on goalkeeper Inaki Pena, which left the latter bleeding from his nose. 

The pleas from Elche players could only go in vain. The goal stood, and the match finished all-square, leaving the home team's head coach furious after the game.

"It's a clear foul. Not a normal part of the game. That's what VAR is for. It's a very clear foul; it hits the goalkeeper and even draws blood. It's crystal clear," ranted Sarabia. "It's to Inaki's credit that he said it was a normal part of the game, but it really wasn't. It's a clear foul.

"I'm not at all happy with the result, especially considering the decisive moments of the match. Vinicius's foul for the 2-2 equalizer was crystal clear. Inaki didn't see the play, but it wasn't just a normal part of the game, it was a clear foul. It makes me angry to waste time on these things, but you take the lead twice and you feel that there were factors that influenced the final result. It makes you angry."

AdvertisementAFPSarabia takes his anger to social media

Sarabia took to his official account to express his contempt over the controversial refereeing over the weekend. He wrote: "My apologies to those who make decisions, but for more than 25 years now, "voluntariness/intentionality" has been removed from the regulations (except for hands). Therefore, the fact that an action is "fortuitous" is not a correct argument for deciding whether it is an infraction or not." 

Alonso reflects on Madrid's poor form

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso addressed the media after the game and assured that the team is not in a crisis. "We haven't fallen apart," he told reporters. “That’s football. After a good run, we’re now getting results that aren’t what we wanted. But we still know what we want. We have to keep moving forward.

“We're not happy because we know perfectly well that we always want to win, and when we don't, we can't be happy. There are still many games left before the end of the year, and we have to start thinking about the next one by analysing what we've done today.  

“The team never gave up. We’re still competing. We know that the context of each game is different. Obviously, the result could be better. We're aware of that and we're self-critical, but the direction is clear, the spirit remains good and we have to respond in the face of adversity. This is Real Madrid and every unfavourable result attracts criticism, which we have to live with. We want to improve. The team never gave up.

“The connection is improving because we have more time, we interact more and we're getting to know each other better. We're all in the same boat, everyone together in the same direction. We celebrate victories, we suffer, as we did today, and we're not happy when we don't get the desired result. The connection is good, the day-to-day is good. We need to turn this moment around a little bit and we have the opportunity to do so starting in Athens.”

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AFPOlympiacos and Girona up next for Madrid

Despite their recent woes, Madrid hold a one-point lead over rivals Barcelona in La Liga and are in a strong position to secure a top-eight spot in the Champions League. They will visit Greece on Wednesday to lock horns with Greek champions Olympiacos in Europe's premier club competition, followed by another away game against Girona in the league this weekend.   

Liverpool suffered yet another defeat, their eighth in 11 games across all competitions, as the troubles continue to mount at Anfield. Arne Slot’s side were thrashed 3-0 at the hands of Nottingham Forest, who have now won away to the Reds in two consecutive seasons.

It was a dire performance once again from the Merseysiders, who looked short of any sort of creative ideas and weak at the back. The first goal came from a corner again, with Murillo peeling away into space and picking up a loose ball, which he fired past the returning Alisson to put Forest 1-0 up.

The East Midlands outfit thought they had a second, but Igor Jesus saw his goal disallowed for a contentious handball. Their second came seconds into the second half, with right-back Nicolo Savona ghosting into the penalty box and hammering home from ten yards or so.

Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White capped off a wonderful day out for his side in the 78th minute. After brilliant play from Omari Hutchinson, he saw his shot saved by Alisson. However, the Brazilian could only palm it into the path of Gibbs-White, who clinically finished to seal the win.

It was another poor showing from the Reds, with Alexander Isak struggling once again.

Alexander Isak’s stats vs. Forest

The start of Isak’s Liverpool career has been very stop-start. He’s missed six games in total, for various reasons, and hasn’t played in the Premier League since the 19th of October.

His return to top-flight action against Forest was disappointing.

The Sweden international, who is still searching for his first Premier League goal in Red, was hooked by Slot after just 68 minutes, with his side still searching for two goals to bring them back into the game.

Indeed, his numbers reflect just how poor a performance it was from Isak. He managed just 15 touches, losing possession seven times, and only had one shot, which accumulated an expected goals tally of 0.13xG.

Isak stats vs. Forest

Stat

Number

Touches

15

Number of times ball lost

7

Passes completed

6

Duels won

0/7

Shots

1

Expected goals

0.13xG

Stats from Sofascore

One person who was critical of the Liverpool number nine was Goal journalist Stephen Darwin. He gave the Swede a 2/10 for his performance at Anfield, pointing out that he ‘wasn’t even close to breaking his duck’ when it comes to Premier League goals.

However, the blame cannot solely lie with the striker, who didn’t necessarily get the service he needed.

Two players who struggled to get the ball to Isak

One of the key things that Darwin stressed in his review of Isak’s performance was the fact that he ‘hardly had a kick’ of the ball. Of course, 15 touches makes for poor reading, but you still have to provide the ball for your centre-forward.

Two of the players who struggled with exactly that were wingers Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah. Generally speaking, it was not the worst performance, with Salah creating three chances and Gakpo one, although they were sloppy in possession, losing the ball a combined 53 times.

However, it was their service to the Reds centre-forward which was inadequate at best. According to Stats Zone, the Liverpool number ten passes to Isak just three times, and Dutch international Gakpo twice.

That is certainly not the level of service he needs to help him start finding his best form in front of goal. Perhaps it is due to the clash of profiles. Both Salah and Gakpo are inside forwards who like to cut inside, entering similar areas to those Isak operates in.

Alternatively, the problem could simply be a lack of time spent on the pitch with their new teammate. Isak has missed such a large portion of the season that it simply might take some time for the trio to gel.

Regardless, it is a problem Slot must fix quickly. The Reds’ form is a huge concern, as they slip further down the Premier League table. The Dutchman must get his big-money striker and first-choice wingers firing, as they look to rectify this poor form.

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This weekend is arguably the biggest in Thomas Frank’s tenure as Tottenham Hotspur manager, when he leads his side out against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The Dane has yet to get his first taste of the North London Derby, but he will be looking to get one over Mikel Arteta and secure bragging rights for the Lilywhites faithful.

Such a fixture is huge for supporters, with the meeting between the two clubs one of the first dates they look for upon fixture release day, before a ball is kicked.

However, it’s been a game that the white side of North London have often come out on the losing side away from home – subsequently winning just one of their last 32 encounters.

If Frank’s side are to write themselves into the history books, they will desperately need to keep one player quiet throughout the clash at the Emirates.

The threat Bukayo Saka poses to Spurs this weekend

Bukayo Saka may ply his trade for Arsenal, but he’s cemented himself as one of the Premier League’s most threatening attackers over the last couple of years.

The Englishman has managed to register over 20 combined goals and assists in all competitions in each of the last three years – often providing the difference in such a fixture.

He’s often popped up with the goods in attacking areas, as seen by his record against the Lilywhites since his senior debut back in the 2020/21 campaign.

Saka has featured on ten occasions against Spurs throughout his professional career, racking up a total of five goals – subsequently finding the net in 50% of his outings in such a clash.

He’s also popped up with various assists in the North London Derby, with his corner to Gabriel securing the Gunners all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last campaign.

It’s evident that the winger possesses serious quality, often coming alive on Derby Day, with Frank and his squad desperately needing to silence him on Sunday afternoon.

However, he too could unleash his own version of the Englishman at the Emirates, with the Lilywhites star potentially able to inflict serious trouble on Arteta’s men.

The Spurs star who’s becoming their answer to Saka

Players such as Saka don’t come around very often, and when they do, they cost a pretty penny – many of which undoubtedly cost a small fortune in the modern-day.

Whilst Spurs are unlikely to pay over the odds for top-level talents, they have invested heavily into the frontline over recent years – as seen by their deal to land Brennan Johnson.

The hierarchy forked out a reported £47.5m for the Welshman’s signature back in the summer of 2023, with the attacker showcasing his talents in North London last campaign.

He registered a total of 18 goals across all competitions last season, the highest of any player in the squad, often starring off the right-hand side of the club’s attack.

However, he’s fallen down the pecking order in recent months, which has resulted in various options being considered within the forward line in the capital.

Mathys Tel joined the Lilywhites on a permanent basis during the summer window, with the Frenchman costing a total of £27m from German side Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old is capable of operating off the left-hand side or even as a centre-forward, with Frank able to rely upon the youngster in a variety of different positions.

When operating on the left, he’s able to cut inside and onto his favoured foot – something which Saka has made a name for himself for in England’s top-flight.

His similarities to the Englishman are also reflected in his shot on target accuracy, with Tel matching the winger with his tally of placing 33% of his efforts between the posts.

The Frenchman has previously impressed in his professional career, but has transferred his skills over to the Premier League, as seen by his tally of two goals in the league this season.

Games played

8

Goals scored

2

Shot on target accuracy

33%

Pass accuracy

73%

Dribble success

50%

Long ball success

83%

Aerials won

1.2

Mins per goal

124.5

Tel’s efforts in attacking areas have led to huge praise from numerous outlets, with Bayern Chairman Herbert Hainer labelling him “one of the biggest talents in Europe”.

However, he will need consistent first-team minutes to reach the heights many have touted him to, with Frank needing to trust him in the near future to reap the rewards.

He’s shown that he’s capable of producing the goods in attacking areas, potentially able to provide the difference in the clash against the Gunners on Sunday.

Tel has proven he’s able to be the club’s answer to Saka, but it remains to be seen if the manager will show faith in him to allow the youngster to continue on his upward trajectory.

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