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Tottenham Hotspur have some painful attacking teething problems under Thomas Frank. Everything is relative, and there are variables at play, but the struggle to impress on the playmaking front is becoming an unwelcome narrative for the club this season.

But that aside, there is also the sense that purses may need to be pulled out for a new centre-forward in 2026. It feels like Richarlison’s days are numbered at number nine, and Dominic Solanke hasn’t fared all that well since his £55m move from Bournemouth last year, too often injured and too often unconvincing.

Both strikers are 28 years old, and while service has proved thin in recent months, Tottenham will need to consider their options in January.

There is another solution, of course. Randal Kolo Muani appears to have replaced Richarlison as Frank’s first-choice frontman, having started two games in a row in the Premier League.

But, unless a formula is discovered to support him, the Frenchman’s season-long loan spell is going to be a forgettable one.

Randal Kolo Muani's opportunity to shine

Tottenham have more than their share of issues at the moment. It’s an interesting one. They are more stable with Frank at the helm, competitive at the upper end of the Premier League and unbeaten on their return to the Champions League, three games in.

But we cannot ignore the depletion of creativity that has left things feeling rather pedestrian, and even with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski sidelined since the start of the campaign and a distance away from returning, there is much to improve upon down N17.

Kolo Muani has not scored or assisted across his six outings in a Spurs shirt so far, and the 26-year-old may well feel somewhat aggrieved by the lack of service that came his way against Chelsea, taking only 16 touches across 76 minutes of action, creating a chance and getting stuck in but failing to unleash a single shot (as per Sofascore).

One content creator acknowledged the Les Bleus star for his exciting, progressive efforts when on the ball. However, such efforts were, as stated, few and far between, and he said it “must be absolutely horrible playing up front for this team”.

Premier League 25/26 – xG Leaders
Club	Goals Scored	xG
(1) Crystal Palace	13	18.2
(2) Man City	18	17.8
(3) Man United	15	17.5
(4) Chelsea	18	17.1
(5) Arsenal	18	16.9
(=5) Liverpool	18	16.9
(15) Tottenham	16	10.1
Data via FBref

Tottenham don’t create enough chances, and this is impeding Kolo Muani in his desire to get going in white. However, given that he’s only here for the season, it’s unlikely a permanent deal would be explored if things continue as they are.

Especially when the Lilywhites have an exciting up-and-comer making his way toward the surface.

The Spurs talent who could end Kolo Muani's stay

Tottenham have long boasted one of the most efficient production lines in Europe, and Mason Melia is set to make his way as the latest in this long line of hopefuls.

However, while the pathway from youth to professional football is long and treacherous, Melia is regarded as a rising star with the potential to nail down a place under Frank’s wing, with The Athletic’s Connor O’Neill saying he’s “easily the best young talent I have seen in the League of Ireland”.

The 18-year-old striker has already played 98 senior matches for St. Patrick’s Athletic, scoring 25 goals and registering eight assists. Across the 2024/25 campaign, he posted 14 goals and four assists. As a Republic of Ireland U21 international, he has bagged three goals from just four caps so far.

Both confident in front of goal and athletic enough to drive into the danger area himself, not reliant on his creative teammates, Melia could provide a tonic to Spurs’ current tactical pecadillos, lacking as they are in attack.

He is very young, of course, and could hardly be expected to waltz in and prove an instant upgrade on an established European star like Kolo Muani, but Harry Kane proved in the past that a young striker stands a chance of succeeding where senior peers fail.

Tottenham signed the teenager earlier in 2025 for a record-breaking £3m fee, making him the most expensive footballer to leave Ireland’s top flight. However, he has yet to wear the Spurs shirt in a professional capacity, having agreed to leave his homeland in January 2026.

St. Pat’s’ Young Player of the Year last season, he is widely regarded as one of the most exciting talents in Irish football, with his touch and speed and awareness in the final third all suggesting he has the bearing of a Premier League-level striker.

Given the paucity of reliable options in the final third at Tottenham right now, and with Richarlison among those slated to leave next year, Melia could find himself fast-tracked under Frank’s wing, earning regular opportunities in the first team and potentially even outperforming someone like Kolo Muani, who must continue adapting to the English game himself.

Tottenham might need to play the waiting game for now, but with Melia set to arrive in just a few months, he may find himself earning a string of opportunities before the end of the campaign.

And should he impress as if talent suggests is within his capacity, then it’s hardly out of the question to imagine that Melia could be leading the line in the not-too-distant future.

Not just Simons: Spurs dud is becoming one of their worst-ever signings

Tottenham Hotspur appear to have got it all wrong with the addition of one first-team member.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 3, 2025

Manchester United had a problem between the sticks for too many seasons prior to the signing of Senne Lemmens from Royal Antwerp during the summer transfer window.

Andre Onana was signed from Inter for a fee of £43.5m in the summer of 2023, after helping the Italian side to reach the Champions League final, with the hope that he would be the answer to their problems.

Unfortunately, like the one in the clip above, his time at Old Trafford was littered with mistakes. He made two errors that led to shots and four errors that led to goals in his two Premier League seasons, per Sofascore.

Onana also made two errors that directly led to goals for the opposition in 13 appearances in the Europa League during the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he slipped up far too many times.

His short-term replacement, Altay Bayindir, did not fare much better. The Turkey international made two errors that led to goals for the opposition in ten appearances in the Premier League, with one in six games this season and one in four outings last term, per Sofascore.

Altay and Onana’s dismal form between the sticks convinced Ruben Amorim and INEOS to sign Lammens in the summer, and he has hit the ground running at Old Trafford.

Manchester United have already hit the jackpot with Senne Lammens

Statistics are great and can be brilliant when used correctly, as we will try to do later in this piece, but the Belgian shot-stopper provides United with something intangible: calmness.

The team looks more settled at the back and confident in their goalkeeper with situations in and around the box, because of the calmness and confidence that Lammens brings to the pitch.

Nervousness and indecision breed mistakes, as shown by Onana and Altay’s performances for United, but the summer signing looks like he will not be bringing either of those things to his performances.

Lammens, as illustrated in the post above, enjoyed a terrific debut against Sunderland in the Premier League last month, keeping a clean sheet and preventing 0.94 xG.

He has now made three appearances for United in the top-flight, winning all three, and has quickly established himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the entire division.

Guglielmo Vicario (Spurs)

3.01

7

Robin Roefs (Sunderland)

2.94

7

Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)

2.72

9

Nick Pope (Newcastle)

2.29

8

Senne Lammens (Man Utd)

1.97

3

As you can see in the table above, only four goalkeepers in the league have prevented more xG/goals than Lammens has, despite the fact that the Belgian star has only played three times.

His performances in the Pro League for Royal Antwerp in the 2024/25 campaign suggest that he has the potential to go and become the best shot-stopper in the Premier League, if he can hit his peak at Old Trafford.

Senne Lammens (Pro League)

+15.57

Jordan Pickford (Premier League)

+6.15

Matz Sels (Premier League)

+4.55

Mark Travers (Premier League)

+4.48

Ederson (Premier League)

+4.46

Dean Henderson (Premier League)

+3.14

This suggests that United have one of the best goalkeepers in the world in the making, given that he has the potential to be the best shot-stopper in, arguably, the best league in the world.

However, even the best goalkeepers still need a reliable defence in front of them to help rack up clean sheets to improve their reputation in the wider footballing community.

Chalkboard

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

That is why Manchester United need to move on from and upgrade on versatile defender Diogo Dalot in order to help Lammens become known as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.

Why Man Utd need to move on from Diogo Dalot

We mentioned earlier that nervousness and indecision breed mistakes. So far this season, the Portugal international has seemed full of nerves and indecision, which has led to mistakes.

Dalot, per Sofascore, has made two errors that have led to shots or goals for the opposition across six starts in the Premier League, which shows that he is putting his team under pressure with needless mistakes.

In the recent 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield, The Sun’s Samuel Luckhurst claimed that Dalot is “their weakest player”, whilst content creator Mark Goldbridge described his performance as “awful”.

It was not a direct error that led to a shot or goal from Dalot, as shown in the clip above, but he was stationed in the centre of the box and failed to position himself to cut out the ball across that Cody Gakpo scored from.

On top of his mistakes in the Premier League this season, the former AC Milan loanee’s defensive numbers have gone down across the board in comparison to the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

33

7

Assists

3

1

Tackles per game

2.1

1.6

Interceptions per game

1.1

0.6

Ground duels won per game

3.2

2.3

Aerial duels won per game

1.2

0.6

As you can see in the table above, Dalot’s performances have declined this season, as he is making fewer tackles and interceptions and winning fewer duels on the ground and in the air.

This suggests that he has become a liability defensively for the Red Devils, particularly when you take his two direct errors into account, which is why Luckhurst calling him “their weakest player” may have been accurate.

United should, therefore, be looking to find an upgrade on the defender, who can play on the left or the right at full-back, because his mistakes may cost them moving forward.

Replacing him with a more reliable defender, who will not make as many costly mistakes, could help Lammens be known as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, because it would provide him with more protection and reliability ahead of him.

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This could, therefore, lead to more clean sheets, more wins, and more people talking about how impressive United’s defence is with the talented shot-stopper behind them.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras surpreendeu seus torcedores e admiradores da moda esportiva ao revelar sua mais recente criação: a terceira camisa comemorativa “O Coração da Terceira Academia”. O uniforme, que celebra o aniversário de 109 anos do clube, ostenta uma vibrante cor verde limão e uma estética única, inspirada na paixão pelo esporte e na inovação da moda.

O lançamento, que acontece dois dias antes do aniversário do Palmeiras, destaca-se não apenas pelo design arrojado, mas também pela narrativa por trás dele. Nas últimas partidas da equipe durante o Brasileirão 2022, conquistado brilhantemente pelo Alviverde, os dados das frequências cardíacas dos jogadores foram capturados pelo departamento médico do clube. Esses batimentos cardíacos foram incorporados ao padrão frontal da camisa, conferindo um toque simbólico ao uniforme.

De acordo com a designer de moda Beatriz Barhouch, essa nova abordagem do Palmeiras, usando os batimentos cardíacos dos jogadores como elemento de design, é uma maneira excepcionalmente criativa de unir a paixão dos torcedores com a performance dos atletas.

“A abordagem do Palmeiras é verdadeiramente inovadora e emocionante. Ao incorporar os batimentos cardíacos dos jogadores no design frontal, eles conectam a paixão dos torcedores com o desempenho dentro de campo. Além disso, incorporar os batimentos cardíacos dos jogadores no padrão zig-zag da camisa é genial. Essa conexão entre a pulsação do jogo e o design da peça é uma representação visual única da paixão e intensidade que os jogadores trazem para o campo”, analisa Barhouch.

Beatriz Barhouch / Crédito: Divulgação

A colaboração entre a Puma e o Palmeiras não apenas homenageia a história do clube, mas também reafirma a importância da inovação na moda esportiva. A coleção inclui dois modelos: um destinado aos jogadores e outro para os torcedores. Ambos apresentam o padrão zig-zag na parte frontal. A versão para jogadores incorpora a arte com uma tecnologia emborrachada, enquanto a versão para torcedores utiliza uma tecnologia à base d’água, como explicou a Puma.
“A tecnologia emborrachada, com sua camada de tinta em relevo, cria uma experiência tátil única, perfeita para peças esportivas que buscam se destacar visualmente. Por outro lado, a tecnologia à base d’água oferece estampas suaves, quase fundidas ao tecido, proporcionando uma sensação leve e confortável, ideal para roupas casuais e do dia a dia. São abordagens diferentes, cada uma trazendo seu próprio toque especial para a moda”, finaliza Beatriz Barhouch.

Roma forward Mattias Soule has opened up about his relationship with Italian coach Massimiliano Allegri during their time together at Juventus. Soule admitted that while Allegri gives freedom in attacking areas, he reacts strongly to tactical mistakes. The attacker also shared an anecdote in which Allegri, as a disciplinary measure, insisted that he cut his long hair.

Soule's experience with Allegri

Soule made his senior debut at Juventus under Allegri in 2021 but was unable to break into the coach's starting XI, making 21 appearances under him across three seasons before he was loaned to Frosinone. He has since left to join Serie A rivals Roma, but reflected on his time with the current AC Milan boss with an interesting anecdote.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSoule's words on Allegri

In an interview with , Soule recalled an anecdote where Allegri disciplined him by asking him to cut his hair after he had dyed it blonde, saying: “At Juventus I had grown my hair long and dyed it blonde. The next day he told me I had to cut it or I might not show up again. I was little, and as soon as training was over, I immediately ran to the barber.”

Soule also remembered how strongly Allegri reacted to tactical mistakes, adding: “Allegri always kept me in mind, even though I didn't play much. He gives you complete freedom in attack, but if you make tactical mistakes, he goes crazy. Di Francesco and Gasperini are similar; they pay maximum attention to defence.”

Words of gratitude for Ranieni

Soule joined Roma from Juventus in 2024. While he had a difficult start to his Roma career under Daniele De Rossi, he flourished under Claudio Ranieri, scoring five goals and providing five assists in the 2024-25 season. Ranieri was named caretaker manager and was the club’s third coach in the 2024-25 season following the sackings of De Rossi and Ivan Juric. Ranieri steadied a Roma side languishing in 16th place when he took over and guided them to fifth in the table by the end of the season before stepping down and moving into a role in the club’s management.

Soule praised Ranieri for instilling confidence in him after a poor start to the campaign, saying: “I feel a lot of confidence, which I started to feel with Ranieri. Thanks to him, I've regained my calm; it was crucial. He'd see me in training and when I had the ball at my feet, he'd say: 'Do another pass…' He took me aside and told me to keep it simple. He gave me peace of mind and confidence.

“Playing as a full-back has helped me understand different situations.”

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AFPSoule's upcoming challenge and Champions League

The 22-year-old will hope to maintain his red-hot start to the season and help Roma secure a top-four finish to qualify for the Champions League. Roma will host Inter on Sunday in a top-of-the-table clash.

Former Arsenal academy chief Adries Jonker has claimed that he has the capability to work with Jose Mourinho. Having worked as a deputy to top coaches like Arsene Wenger, Louis Van Gaal and Jupp Heynckes, Jonker might be brought on board after the elections at Benfica if Martim Mayer, the presidential candidate, wins this year's vote.

• Jonker eyeing Mourinho partnership at Benfica

  After working in Arsenal and later on with Netherlands women's team, Jonker is aiming for a new role in football. Mayer, who will be fighting against current president Rui Costa and other candidates for the presidency, has announced the Dutchman's name as his choice to take on a background role after submitting his candidacy for the election, as he believes Jonker will be the right man to work alongside Mourinho and current general director of football Mario Branco. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What did Jonker say?

  Jonker has endorsed the idea, saying his history at the Arsenal academy alongside his experiences as an assistant at Bayern Munich and Barcelona show he can deal with a coach like Mourinho.

  "If I worked with Louis van Gaal, Arsene Wenger and Jupp Heynckes I can also work with Jose Mourinho. Benfica hasn't won enough in recent years, and if we look at Jose Mourinho's record, we see that he's been extremely successful. Therefore, what we need to do is support him. Let's hope he can win, become champion, win the Portuguese Cup, and perform well in European competitions," he said.

• Potential new Benfica supremo has faith on Jonker

  Jonker has a vast resume, boasting big clubs like Arsenal, Barcelona, and Bayern on his CV, as well as spells as a head coach at Wolfsburg and Willem II. At Bayern, he even worked as the interim manager after Van Gaal's departure. Mayer, whose fate depends on the elections on October 25, said: "They are coaches with different profiles, with different characteristics. We have to know how to adjust the team. This is the right person to work with Jose Mourinho and Mario Branco. What is behind us was part of another coach. And, therefore, that had to be left behind. [Jonker] is someone I'm sure will bring this project, this support to Benfica's football, which has been lacking. We can't just be behind the coach, just organised. We need more than that. Andries is that person who will bring a lot of value to the first team."

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  Can Jonker bring lost glory back to Benfica?

  A club that boasts of Eusebio's legacy, Benfica have never won a Champions League title after it was rebranded in 1992. The club, however, won it as the European Cup in two successive seasons back in 1960-61 and 1961-62. Their latest achievement, meanwhile, was the domestic Super Cup, and the most recent league title came in 2023. Jonker, aiming for an important role at the Lisbon-based outfit, will be expected to help bring back the glorious years at the club if he ultimately signs for them.

The left-arm spinner was reported by the match officials after the first ODI against India on January 10

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2025Ireland left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect after her action was deemed to be illegal.Maguire, 18, was reported for a suspect bowling action during the first ODI against India in Rajkot on January 10, where she picked up 3 for 57 from eight overs.She subsequently got her action tested at the ICC-accredited testing centre in Loughborough on January 21, where it emerged that the amount of elbow extension in her bowling action exceeded the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC regulations.”As a result, in accordance with clause 6.1 of the regulations, Aimee is immediately suspended from bowling in international cricket,” an ICC release said. “Her suspension will remain in effect until she undergoes a re-assessment of her bowling action which confirms that she can bowl with a legal action.”Maguire was initially named in Ireland’s squad for the recent Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia. Since the assessment window fell in the middle of the tournament, she had to be withdrawn.Maguire made her international debut in 2023. So far, she has played 11 ODIs and nine T20Is, taking 25 wickets in all with a best of 5 for 19 against England in an ODI last year.

تغلب فريق ريال مدريد على خصمه فياريال، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين مساء السبت ببطولة الدوري الإسباني موسم 2025-2026.

واستقبل ريال مدريد نظيره فياريال على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في إطار مباريات الجولة الثامنة للدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

وحصل البرازيلي فينيسيوس جونيور على جائزة رجل مباراة ريال مدريد وفياريال بعد أدائه المميز خلال اللقاء.

فينيسيوس سجل هدفين لصالح ريال مدريد خلال المواجهة، حيث أحرز الهدف الأول في الدقيقة 47، وسجل الثاني من ضربة جزاء في الدقيقة 69، والهدف الثالث أحرزه كيليان مبابي.

ويحتل فينيسيوس المركز الرابع في ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني برصيد 4 أهداف، فيما يتصدر مبابي بـ9 أهداف.

وتغلب ريال مدريد على فياريال بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف، ورفع رصيده للنقطة 21 في صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني.

Tom Moffat says ICC and national governing bodies can “exercise leverage” without boycotts

Firdose Moonda29-Jan-2025

Tom Moffat, World Cricketers Association CEO•Photo courtesy Tom Moffat

Global cricket needs to move away from “random and inconsistent,” outbursts of support for Afghanistan’s exiled women’s cricketers and towards a “systematic global approach.” That’s the view of the global player body, the World Cricketers Association (WCA) whose CEO Tom Moffat has called the exclusion of women’s players in any country “unacceptable.”In the same week that an Afghan Women’s XI will come together for the first time to play against a Cricket Without Borders team at the Junction Oval in Australia, Moffat spoke to ESPNcricinfo about possible collective action which he says “doesn’t necessarily mean boycotts,” but should include both the ICC and individual boards.”The ICC and national governing bodies run and regulate the game and their tournaments, and have a responsibility to exercise leverage to ensure that the rights of players in our sport, including Afghanistan women’s players, are protected and respected,” Moffat said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean boycotts, there are a number of ways to exercise leverage, but to date the random and inconsistent manner of dealing with it, and of even having the conversation around the world, highlights the need for cricket’s governing bodies to implement a more systematic global approach to protecting basic player rights, along with just about every other aspect of the sport.”Related

Pressure mounts on ICC amid Afghanistan women's fundraising drive

Powerplay: More than just a match for Afghanistan Women's XI

Afghanistan women's match a big step on a path unknown

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South Africa sports minister: Afghanistan at Champions Trophy is 'hypocritical and immoral'

Afghanistan, who have been a Full Member since 2017, does not have a women’s team but was developing one before the Taliban takeover in 2021. In 2020, the ACB contracted 25 women’s players but they never played an international. Under the Taliban regime, women have been banned from participating in sport and there have been increasing restrictions on them in all aspects of public life including education and access to healthcare.The crackdown on women’s rights has drawn criticism from several international organisations including Amnesty International and the United Nations, and though there are asset freezes on some Taliban officials, there are no sporting bans in place. Afghanistan remain members of FIFA and the ICC, to name two global bodies and sent a team of three men and three women, who were living in exile and were not recognised by the Taliban government, to last year’s Paris Olympics.Currently, Australia are the only country who have cancelled bilateral engagements against Afghanistan while England have said they will do the same. Both countries continue to play Afghanistan in ICC events, even as calls to boycott those games grow.In England, a cross-party parliamentary group >wrote to the ECB strongly urging the men’s team and officials to, “speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan,” and to consider not playing Afghanistan in their Champions Trophy fixture on February 26. In response, the ECB CEO Richard Gould called for “a coordinated, ICC-wide approach,” which is similar to Moffat’s stance.Similarly, South Africa, who are also grouped with Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, have received backlash from their sports minister Gayton McKenzie, who compared the Taliban’s treatment of women to Apartheid.Cricket South Africa have actively sought out fixtures against Afghanistan and played them in an ODI series in Sharjah last September and maintain that shunning the men’s team will not have a material impact on the situation facing women in Afghanistan. South Africa’s stance is important because they have first-hand experience of being banned from the 1970s to 1990s and sporting isolation (along with economic sanctions) was a significant contributor to the fall of Apartheid. However, CSA is of the opinion that it will take more than a cricket boycott to force the Taliban to recognise women’s rights.