Category Uncategorized

Dominic Solanke has opened up on his injury hell as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury. The Tottenham striker has been restricted to just three competitive club appearances this season owing to an ankle problem sustained in pre-season. Solanke's last outing for Spurs came from the bench in the 2-0 win at Manchester City back in August.

• AFP
  

  Tottenham missing star striker Solanke

  Tottenham have been missing their star striker as they continue to find their feet under Thomas Frank. The north London side return to domestic duties on Sunday in a north London derby clash against Arsenal at the Emirates before a Super Cup rematch in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain in France next week.

  Spurs sit fifth in the Premier League following the opening 11 games of the season, yet have come under criticism for their inability to win at home. Indeed, only Wolves have a worse home record than Frank's side, who in turn boast the best away record, this season.

  The Europa League champions have struck 19 times in 2025-26, yet top scorer Richarlison has just four goals to his name. The Brazilian has netted just twice since an opening weekend brace against Burnley, while his goal against Manchester United before the international break deflected in off his head following a late Wilson Odobert shot.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'We didn’t really understand the extent of the injury'

  Solanke won't be fit to face Arsenal or PSG this week owing to the ankle issue, which Frank said previously was not a serious concern. "It’s an ankle injury which has just been a little bit tricky. It’s nothing big. We are positive it will be relatively quick," the Dane said ahead of the 1-1 draw with Wolves back in September. Solanke underwent a "small procedure" a few days later and is edging closer to a return to full fitness.

  Speaking about his injury struggles, Solanke told : "It’s been very difficult. At first, I didn’t think I would be out for too long but we didn’t really understand the extent of the injury. I was trying to get back as quickly as I could but it didn’t happen, so I had to have surgery. Since then, I have been working to get back.

  "I’m not putting a timeline on it because I’ve been telling everyone ‘I’m going to be back soon’ for the last few months. I’m taking it day by day but hopefully I won’t be much longer."

  The 28-year-old isn't the only Spurs attacker sidelined at present, with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski also long-term absentees owing to respective knee injuries. Striker Randal Kolo Muani, who Spurs signed on loan from PSG on deadline day, is also presently absent having suffered a fractured jaw against United earlier this month.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'All the players are loving having him around'

  Solanke has barely had the chance to work with Frank following the Dane's appointment due to his ankle issue. Frank left Brentford to replace Ange Postecoglou at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium helm in the summer.

  "I haven’t had the chance to work with (Frank) too much but he is a great man manager," Solanke said of the Spurs boss. "All the players are loving having him around. He speaks with us all and has meetings every day. Even with the coaching staff he has brought in, everyone gets on so well. It’s a great environment.

  "We have had a good start to the season. When a few of us come back (from injury) and strengthen the squad, hopefully we can do some big things."

  The England international, who signed for Spurs from Bournemouth in 2024, also admitted that the reason he joined the club was to win trophies. He was key as the club ended their 17-year wait for silverware in Bilbao by winning the Europa League earlier this year.

  Solanke recalled the exact moment he knew Spurs had beaten United in the Europa League final back in May, adding: "(Manchester United) had a goal kick and I asked the referee, ‘What is going on?' He said, ‘It’s done.’ So when (Andre Onana) kicked the ball I said to myself, ‘Damn, we did it.’ I was so happy we won and then I realised Sonny (Son Heung-min), who had been at the club for so long, actually did it, so I went over to congratulate him. After that, I went to see my family. They have been through everything and it was nice to share that moment with them.

  "It was the best feeling I have ever had in my life. Even this season, I keep thinking back to it because I want to have that feeling again. Going through football, you never know if you will actually win a trophy. When you do, the feeling is crazy."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Spurs looking to end the year on a high

  Spurs have a testing run of games coming up as they look to see out a rollercoaster 2025 on a high. Following trips to Arsenal and PSG, they take on Fulham at home before the end of the month as they aim to improve their dire record in front of their own fans.

  Frank's side then kick off December with an away game at Newcastle before meetings with Brentford, Slavia Prague, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Crystal Palace to see out the year.

Martin O’Neill hasn’t just steadied the ship at Celtic, he’s steered it firmly back on course, with Wednesday’s narrow victory over Dundee seeing the Glasgow giants move level on points with Hearts at the Premiership summit – and with a game in hand to boot.

While that recent surge up the table has come amid a mid-season slump for the Jambos, O’Neill could have done little better during his interim stint, recording five successive league wins, while claiming November’s Manager of the Month award.

Parachuted in following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation, the 73-year-old has brought calm to the chaos, with the Hoops now firmly back on track both domestically and in Europe.

Although the treble-winning coach may not have overseen a vintage display on his final outing in the dugout, Daizen Maeda’s brave first-half header was another to secure all three points, ensuring new man Wilfried Nancy can aim to build on this momentum heading into the weekend’s top-of-the-table clash.

The Frenchman – finally – will take charge at Parkhead, with Wednesday’s win outlining that there is still plenty of work to be done to right the wrongs of Rodgers’ regime.

Nancy's in-tray at Celtic

Perhaps the most notable point of concern for the incoming 48-year-old will be the raft of injuries that have struck Celtic of late, with left-back Marcelo Saracchi the latest to be struck down on Wednesday.

As O’Neill confirmed post-match, the 27-year-old appears to have pulled his hamstring once again, cruelly curtailing his hopes of genuinely challenging Kieran Tierney in that full-back berth.

The summer signing thus joins the likes of Jota, Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Cameron Carter-Vickers on the sidelines, with the latter man having notably been ruled out for the season following a severe Achilles injury.

Away from the treatment table, a key issue for Nancy to solve will be in the attacking unit, with the likes of Sebastian Tounekti, Yang Hyun-jun and the forgotten Michel-Ange Balikwisha all vying for that left-wing berth.

On the opposite flank, O’Neill has utilised Luke McCowan in recent weeks, although the Scotsman looks far more suited to a creative number ten berth, much like Sweden star Benjamin Nygren.

Equally, too, a decision will have to be made on the make-up of the midfield trio, with Reo Hatate having found his feet again under O’Neill, notably playing that stunning sweeping pass in the build-up to Maeda’s header against Dundee.

Perhaps the biggest debate, however, might be how best to cover for that devastating loss of Carter-Vickers in the backline, with questions still to be asked of the Auston Trusty and Liam Scales partnership.

Celtic's "player of the year" could now be replaced

In a department that has seen such turbulence in recent years, with figures like Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki coming and going without so much as leaving a trace, the news of Carter-Vickers’ lengthy absence will have been a bitter blow for those at Celtic Park.

Chalkboard

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

Expand Collapse

Unsurprisingly, since then, O’Neill has settled on the experienced duo of Trusty and Scales, although that pairing is not without its problems, as was evident again last night.

Indeed, the Republic of Ireland international was particularly underpar against Steven Pressley’s side, having hardly been his usual dominant self in both boxes.

As per Sofascore, the 27-year-old won just a solitary duel from four attempts, while failing to win a single tackle, having been dribbled past once in that midweek encounter.

One particular moment of concern came late on, with Scales allowing substitute Ashley Hay to burst in behind and in on goal, albeit with the towering left-footer doing well to narrow the angle for the subsequent attempt on goal.

Most Celtic appearances – 25/26

Player

Games

Callum McGregor

24

Liam Scales

24

Benjamin Nygren

24

Arne Engels

23

Kasper Schmeichel

22

Kieran Tierney

21

Reo Hatate

21

Daizen Maeda

21

Luke McCowan

18

via Transfermarkt

Not his usual threat in an attacking sense either, having registered no shots, dribbles or key passes despite Celtic’s possession dominance, it was a bit of an off night for the former Shamrock Rovers man.

Of course, it has largely been a positive season for the Irishman, having been noted as in the running to be the club’s “player of the year” this term by one podcaster, although as Wednesday showcased, he isn’t without his limitations.

Equally, with the sight of two left-footers deployed together at centre-back still looking somewhat unnatural, Nancy may instead prefer to take a punt on young Dane Murray.

Scales, for what it’s worth, has done little wrong of late, but if Nancy truly wants to progress this team, the steady centre-back may have to be a potential casualty.

Related Better than Maeda: Celtic star is going to be undroppable under Nancy

This Celtic star who was even better than Daizen Maeda against Dundee should be Wilfried Nancy’s first undroppable star.

Posts 1 ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

Mason Greenwood has credited Roberto De Zerbi for his and Marseille's strong performances in Ligue 1 this season. The former Brighton head coach has been in charge at the club from southern France since the start of last season and is once again showing why he is considered one of the brightest tactical minds in Europe, with Greenwood delighted to be learning from the Italian.

• Marseille chasing Lens and PSG

  Until this weekend, Marseille had looked most likely to upset the Paris Saint-Germain apple cart and were mounting a strong title challenge in the French top flight. Monaco sprung a shock win over the Parisians on Saturday and have opened the title race up for others to take advantage of Luis Enrique’s team’s slip-ups.

  Marseille will be frustrated to have thrown away two points late on against Toulouse at home on Saturday. Igor Paixao and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg had put the visitors ahead in response to Emersonn’s opener for the visitors. However, Santiago Hidalgo shocked the French giants with a 92nd-minute equaliser to steal a point.

  Despite the minor setback, Marseille remain in contention to lift the Ligue 1 title for the first time since 2010. The club have won the division ten times, but with just one trophy in almost 34 years, De Zerbi and his squad will be determined to restore Marseille to the top of French football.

  The Italian’s team are just two points off the summit and are hot on the tails of Lens, in first place, and PSG. Greenwood is currently top scorer in the division with ten goals and believes that his team can win the crown.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  De Zerbi praised by Greenwood

  Speaking to , Greenwood said: “I’m in a really good place thanks to the coach and my teammates.

  “I feel good and I hope to improve, to win more awards this season. Roberto De Zerbi? He’s the brains of the team, the architect of our game. He helps me understand football much better, he helps me improve every day.”

• Recruitment pays off for Marseille

  Greenwood added that Marseille's summer recruitment drive has put them in a much better position to fight for silverware. “We’ve signed quite a few players, very, very strong players,” he said. “We’ve improved in certain areas. I feel like we’re a bit more of a team this season; we’re all on the same wavelength, you can see it. We’re [third] and I hope we can keep fighting to be number one.”

  The club have added a whole host of key players, with varying levels of experience. In forward areas, Paixao and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have already earned their side points on their own, with the latter starring for the French side in the Champions League with a brace against Newcastle. The former Arsenal star has shown glimmers of the levels he once possessed back in France after a spell in the Middle East.

  In midfield, Arthur Vermeer, Matt O’Riley and Angel Gomes have bolstered De Zerbi’s creative options in the middle of the park. Meanwhile, Benjamin Pavard, Nayef Aguerd and Facundo Medina have all strengthened the Marseille backline with heaps of experience.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  PSG remain favourites for Ligue 1

  PSG are still heavy favourites for the Ligue 1 title and cannot be written off as the likely champions of France. The Parisians have had a mixed start to their domestic season, but possess quality that few others in the division can match and have the squad depth to match.

  Marseille have been performing well under De Zerbi and also have a strong squad, but will need to remain at their absolute best if they are to kick on and truly maintain a title challenge. The next test of such a challenge comes on Friday when they have to travel north to take on Lille, behind them by just three points, in a chance to really demonstrate whether they have the acumen to mount a serious run to become champions.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to make a splash in the January transfer market and could sign a Premier League ace who loves playing against the Old Gold.

Wolves’ defensive and attacking problems Edwards needs to fix

The task facing new Wolves manager Rob Edwards is a big one after his return to Molineux involved club chiefs paying Middlesbrough around £3m in compensation.

Edwards, a former Old Gold defender, will need to shore up the Wolves defence, with no other Premier League side conceding more than Wolves so far after 11 games (25).

Meanwhile, at the other end of the pitch, Edwards’ new side have also struggled to finish chances.

Still without a win and on two points from a possible 33, Wolves have scored just seven league goals, again a division low, and have failed to find the net in six of their 11 top-flight fixtures.

Fosun are looking to back Edwards in the January transfer market, and it appears as if Wolves are eyeing a new goalkeeper to rival both Jose Sa and Sam Johnstone.

Wolves and Edwards keen to sign "aggressive" £90,000-p/w Premier League flop

He’s cost £1m for every appearance made so far.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 14, 2025

A loan-to-buy bid for Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas is thought to be in the pipeline, whereas an offer is also in for Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia.

Wolves eyeing move to sign Everton winger Dwight McNeil

Now, according to reports from Football Insider, Wolves are also looking to sign Everton winger Dwight McNeil when the winter market opens.

It is suggested that both loan and permanent offers will be explored for the Toffees ace, whereas Man City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is another target for Edwards and Wolves chiefs.

McNeil made the move to Everton from Burnley for £20m back in 2022, and during his Premier League career, has enjoyed playing against Wolves for both the Clarets and the Toffees.

Games

12

Wins

5

Draws

4

Losses

3

Goals

1

Assists

6

The left-footed winger has registered multiple assists against the Old Gold, and his ability from set pieces even saw him compared to Arsenal star Declan Rice by pundit Chris Sutton.

However, McNeil has fallen out of favour on Merseyside under David Moyes this season following the arrival of Jack Grealish, playing just 51 minutes of Premier League football in 2025/26.

Therefore, a move to the Midlands could make sense for all involved, and by the looks of things, it will be one to watch over the coming months.

£55m spent & Hackney signs: Dream Wolves XI Edwards can build in January

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has been forced to deal with a plethora of injuries since taking over from Ange Postecoglou, with the club’s bad luck in that regard continuing into this season.

Ex-chairman Daniel Levy got so frustrated with Spurs’ key player absences in 24/25 that he overhauled their medical department for the second year running last summer. Key sports science chiefs Adam Brett and Nick Davies were both shown the door before the start of this season, with Nick Stubbings following Frank from Brentford to join as medical lead.

The Lilywhites were minus Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario for large portions of last campaign, alongside many other key men, which undoubtedly played a role in Spurs’ finishing a lowly 17th in the Premier League table.

This season, they haven’t fared much better.

Soon after Frank was appointed to succeed Postecoglou, Spurs lost playmaker James Maddison to an ACL injury which will keep him out for most of 2025/2026, with the England international on an extensive list of absentees.

Tottenham absentee list	Problem	Estimated return date
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	23/11/2025
Yves Bissouma	Ankle/Foot	23/11/2025
Lucas Bergvall	Concussion	23/11/2025
Dominic Solanke	Ankle	23/11/2025
Archie Gray	Calf/Shin/Heel	23/11/2025
via Premier Injuries

The likes of Romero, Wilson Odobert, Randal Kolo Muani and Destiny Udogie were also sidelined for periods recently until making their respective comebacks, so Frank will be desperate for this torrid luck to cease as he attempts to guide Tottenham to major silverware and a top four finish.

Luckily for Spurs, electrifying winger and star summer signing Mohammed Kudus is likely to return against Man United this weekend after the Ghanaian confirmed his knock is getting better.

Tottenham hit by injury blow as "promising" youngster Elijah Upson withdraws from England duty

Speaking to Tottenham News, pundit and academy expert John Wenham, who oversees the Lilywhites Rose account on X, says that Tottenham’s injury woes even stretch down to youth level.

Young defender Elijah Upson, who captains Spurs’ Under-18s, was forced to withdraw from the England Under-17s World Cup squad after suffering his own injury, which comes as a crying shame considering the club could have had five youth players representing them for the Three Lions.

The 17-year-old was recently handed a call-up to Tottenham’s Under-21 squad as well, playing the full 90 minutes and shutting out West Brom in a 1-0 win just over a month ago.

The injury comes as more of a blow to Upson’s personal development, with the versatile centre-back/right-back looking to make Johan Lange – who now oversees the academy as one of his many co-director responsibilities – stand up and take notice.

England captain urges his side to take “live and let live” attitude to intense scrutiny by Australian media

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Dec-20252:29

Miller: England must back their approach to win second Test

“My sponsors will be happy, because I seem to be in the press every four days,” laughed Ben Stokes.Rarely has a day gone by on this England tour that the Test captain has not been long lensed by local paparazzi. The latest shots of Stokes – wearing the odd bit of sponsored stash – were of him e-scootering around central Brisbane with some team-mates (without helmets, a fineable offense that plenty flaunt) at least added a bit of variety to the photo album of touring players. A welcome twist on already tired snaps of airport arrivals and departures, golf and even strolling out of aquariums.It is reasonable to wager that if England were 1-0 up rather than 1-0 down, the focus on them would not be as intense. Winning changes everything. And that may be the big takeaway from the various invasions of privacy. If England cannot square the series in this second Test – a day-night match which starts on Thursday – the vultures will be working overtime.All the squad knew what to expect before heading over. Stokes, Brendon McCullum and even Joe Root made a note of highlighting just how different Ashes tours are. You might get mobbed in India, but you get rushed in Australia.Related

From Beefy to Broad Ban – inside England's Brisbane angst

Wood set to miss second Test after long road back from injury

Will Jacks back in England XI after three years for second Ashes Test

Khawaja out of Brisbane Test after failing to recover from back spasms

Ten years since Adelaide, pink-ball Tests remain an Australian speciality

“Before we got out here those conversations happened as a group: ‘This is what it is going to be like, so it is not unexpected’,” said Stokes. “When we got here there were cameras in front of the hotel from 8am, following us on the golf course and even when we went out for some lunch yesterday.”One of the important things on tour when under pressure is to go out, free your mind, enjoy yourself, and whatever is going on in that world, let it be. They are going to be there and film us. The message to the group is please don’t make decisions based on the fact you might get caught on camera. We are human. We need to enjoy countries when we get the opportunity because we live in England where it is miserable, freezing cold and dark at 4pm.”It is what it is. It will probably continue throughout the rest of the tour and I don’t see anything wrong with going out and spending your time off on a golf course or having coffee or lunch, riding on a scooter. It’s fine. If they want to keep doing it, they are all polite and don’t intrude on our personal space. We have a job to do, they have a job to do.”England’s next job is huge. Australia’s dominance in pink ball Tests reads 13 victories out of 14. And though their only defeat came at The Gabba – against West Indies in 2024 – England last won here in 1986.Usually the site of the Ashes opener, there have not been many happy English memories since, barring 2010-11, and that was a draw. Even the team’s Sofitel hotel base has ghosts of Ashes past. It was here that Andrew Strauss, managing director at the time, had to come out and state the 2017-18 cohort were “not thugs”, after Jonny Bairstow’s ‘headbutt’ on Cameron Bancroft came to light, months after Stokes’ incident in Bristol.England confirmed on Tuesday that Will Jacks will be the only change to the XI from Perth, replacing the injured Mark Wood. Jacks was told by Brendon McCullum he had made the cut ahead of Shoaib Bashir after training on Tuesday.Opting for a part-time off spinner who is an accomplished batter is a calculated move. A deeper batting line-up has been forged, and the belief is Jacks’ bowling can provide both a change of pace and enough overs in key stages of the game; whether to cover through to the twilight period when the likes of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse will be unleashed, or to a second new ball.England have played seven day-night Tests, with Stokes featuring in six of them. Combined with Australia’s back catalogue, there is plenty of evidence to make informed decisions. Players have also been encouraged to go to bed later to get used to the match timings – and the two-hour shift forward from Western Australia. They have even put in a bulk order of sweat bands to help preserve the hardness of the pink Kookaburra in sticky conditions.Ben Stokes practises with the pink ball•Getty ImagesStokes has been practicing what he preaches, though did find himself awoken by drug testers at 6am earlier this week. He has been running point, consuming as much information as he can and distributing it accordingly.His one previous experience leading a day-night match, against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, was a tactical masterstroke. England declared on 325 for 9 in 58.2 overs as the lights took hold on day one, and prised out three wickets before the close. They then slow-burned their second innings (374 in 73.5 overs) to set the Black Caps 394 before winning by 286.This Test, however, will be a markedly different task. And not just because of their more experienced opponents, or that the floodlights will take over from around 6:30pm, with about half the day’s play to go. It is, at this juncture, Stokes’ most important assignment as captain.”We have amazing resources with information, data, all that kind of stuff,” he said. “I get our analyst to send me over all the info on the day-night cricket that’s been played at the Gabba and also in Australia recently.”There’s daylight, there’s the dusk period, and then also the period when the floodlights do come on. So you’re just trying to give yourself as much information as possible.”We’ve trained here three or four sessions and the humidity is very high. You step out in the sunlight and just start sweating. Something we’ve spoke about is being very conscious of keeping that ball as dry as we possibly can, because as soon as that pink kookaburra goes soft, it’s going to be a lot harder to feel like you can make a breakthrough with anything on the wicket.”We’ve been all around the world where you get a softer ball and making breakthroughs seems a lot harder just because of that soft ball. All those tiny little things we’ve had to consider for this week. I think our liaison officers got tasked with going out and buying about 60 sweat bands for all of us.”The broad cue from previous day-night Tests is once you are ahead, fight to keep it that way. Often, that has come through a more conservative approach, even the use of multiple night watchers. Australia, for instance, are amenable to using night watchers to open the batting during the twilight period.

“That’s one thing I’ll always tell the group – I have complete trust and faith in not only your ability but also your decision making in the moment”Ben Stokes

This England team do not have a reputation for being prudent, and their ceding of the first Test was the worst example of this. But contrary to the words that often accompany the covert photographs, this is not a team without care or nous.There is one more evening session on Wednesday for players to get better accustomed to the ball and the light before the real thing begins. And Stokes is unequivocal that history will not hold his team back, nor a lack of belief that they can upset the odds.”Many teams have gone to the Gabba and lost to Australia,” he said. “But this is a brand new outfit. Lots of guys are on their first Ashes tour so this is going to be a new experience for them. So no, it doesn’t hold too much fear. But you also understand that Australia know this is a very good ground for them and we’re excited for that.”Trust is one of the biggest things to have, not only as captain but also as a team and I have complete and utter trust in everyone in the squad but also particularly the 11 guys who have been given the opportunity to play in a Test match.”That’s one thing I’ll always tell the group – I have complete trust and faith in not only your ability but also your decision making in the moment when you are out there to assess the conditions, to assess what is required and to just have that mentality of mindset of ‘I’m going to be the person to influence this game in the right way that we want’.”And that’s all I can keep trying to do. Because if I ever lose that trust or lose that respect from anyone from within the team then it’s probably impossible to get back.”

Quentin Ndjantou delivered a fearless and mature Champions League debut as Paris Saint-Germain beat Tottenham, earning glowing praise from coach Luis Enrique and captain Marquinhos. The 18-year-old academy striker not only registered an assist but convinced his coach that he is “a real signing," sparking new confidence in PSG’s youth-first strategy.

Ndjantou earns stunning praise after Champions League debut

The French starlet Ndjantou’s first-ever Champions League start became one of the major storylines of PSG’s thrilling 5-3 victory over Tottenham. At just 18 years old, the academy forward was a surprise starter in Luis Enrique’s line-up, chosen ahead of Goncalo Ramos with Ousmane Dembele only fit enough for the bench. Despite not scoring, Ndjantou made a strong impact by providing the assist for Vitinha’s rocket just before half-time and consistently stretching the Spurs backline.

Boss Enrique described him as nothing short of extraordinary after the match, praising his courage and versatility. While, PSG’s captain Marquinhos echoed the sentiment, highlighting the youngster’s composure on such a massive stage. In a match filled with high-tempo exchanges and standout individual performances, Ndjantou managed to stand out as PSG’s latest academy revelation, strengthening the club’s emphasis on developing homegrown talent.

AdvertisementAFPEnrique and Marquinhos impressed by teenager

Coach Enrique did not hold back when assessing Ndjantou’s performance, using some of the strongest praise he has given a young player since arriving in Paris. Speaking post-match, he said: "To be honest, I think he was sensational! Because he has the ability to control the ball, to play as a number 9. And at the same time, he can provide continuity. He has a lot of mobility, he played everywhere, he showed his personality, and I'm very happy.

"He was a real signing, he is a real signing, and we don't need to go into the transfer window to sign a player like Quentin Ndjantou. I'm very happy. He can play anywhere, and I like this fearless way of playing football. Sensational, and he's a great signing. We're ahead of the other teams because we've already signed our first player."

The praise was not limited to the coach, and captain Marquinhos, who has witnessed several generations of PSG academy graduates arrive into the first team, emphasised how rare such maturity is at this level: "He played a very good match. He did what the coach wanted. He tried to find the open spaces between the lines… He played a very good match for a kid who's starting the season with us and who hasn't played many games with us yet."

The PSG captain highlighted not only Ndjantou’s technical showing, but also the importance of PSG’s academy producing first-team-ready talent, adding: "He made his debut in a Champions League match and showed a lot of character. I'm really proud that our youth academy is starting to produce results like this. I think he's an extraordinary player, and we'll be there to support him so he can develop at his own pace. He's still young, and he needs to know that a lot of things are going to happen in his life."

A bold tactical gamble that paid off for PSG

Enrique’s decision to start Ndjantou was bold, especially in a fixture of such intensity. The Spanish coach bypassed seasoned attackers like Ramos, and Ballon D'Or holder Dembele, Lee Kang-in and even fellow academy prospects Senny Mayulu, who scored in the Champions League final, and Ibrahim Mbaye to hand the false-nine role to the 18-year-old. His reasoning seemed rooted in exploiting Ndjantou’s pace, mobility and ability to attack spaces behind Tottenham’s explosive defensive line, especially against the athletic Micky van de Ven.

Ndjantou justified that trust and roamed between the lines, linked play cleanly, attacked every gap in the defence, and contributed directly to two key moments, the assist for Vitinha and the corner sequence leading to Pacho’s goal.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPFuture opportunities and squad rotation

PSG’s packed schedule and Enrique’s emphasis on rotation mean that Ndjantou is likely to receive more opportunities in the coming weeks. The coach has already indicated that trust in young players is central to his game model, and performances like this only accelerate Ndjantou’s rise.

With Dembele returning from injury, Ramos competing for minutes, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola in strong form, the fight for attacking places will intensify. But Enrique’s post-match words, especially describing Ndjantou as “a real signing” – suggest he is now firmly in the manager’s plans.

PSG’s next fixtures in Ligue 1 and Europe will test squad depth, making Ndjantou’s versatility crucial as the club aims to avoid injuries during a long campaign.

Tottenham are reportedly looking at signing a new centre-forward ahead of the January transfer window, which opens in just over a month’s time.

It’s been a promising start to the season for new manager Thomas Frank on paper, with his new-look Spurs side remaining undefeated in the Champions League and fifth in the Premier League table. However, it is worth nothing that a few of their on-field performances have left a lot to be desired so far.

The north Londoners were booed off following an abject 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea in the London derby recently, finishing the 90 minutes with just one shot on target all game as Frank’s side continued their atrocious home form.

Spurs have won just three of their last 20 Premier League matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Frank’s only top flight victory on home turf remains that 3-1 win at home to league newcomers Burnley on the opening weekend.

The Dane has attracted some criticism over Tottenham’s ‘one-dimensional’ style and serious lack of creativity in open play, but he hasn’t been helped by a plethora of injuries to key attacking players.

Tottenham absentee list

Problem

Estimated return date (subject to change)

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

Playmaker James Maddison will miss practically all the 2025/2026 season after rupturing his ACL in pre-season, while last season’s second top scorer and club-record signing, Dominic Solanke, continues his slow recovery from what was a ‘minor’ ankle problem.

Solanke is apparently ‘unlikely’ to return for this weekend’s pivotal North London derby as well, leaving Frank to once again call on either the out-of-form Richarlison or Mathys Tel to lead the line.

Reports suggest that Frank views Richarlison and Solanke as ‘expendable’ members of his Spurs squad, and Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport believes that Tel is ‘unhappy’ at Tottenham with a potential loan move to Roma on the cards in January.

These claims will fuel other reports that Tottenham are prioritising the signing of another centre-forward.

Former Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who’s been in red-hot form for Al-Ahli since his 2024 move to the Middle East, is believed to be on both Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange’s radar ahead of January.

Tottenham hold 'preliminary talks' to sign Ivan Toney

While the England international outcast has bagged 41 goals in 59 appearances for the Saudi Pro League side, he’s largely been excluded from Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions squad, bar the one call-up earlier this year.

With the 2026 World Cup looming, it is believed that Toney could instigate a return home to increase his chances of returning to the England fold.

According to TEAMtalk, the 29-year-old has already informed Al-Ahli of his desire to leave in January, and Spurs have taken the lead in the race for his signature.

Frank views him as the ‘clinical’ striker that Spurs need to propel them towards major silverware, with Tottenham holding ‘preliminary talks’ over signing Toney, who’s also willing to take a seismic 50 per cent pay cut on his rumoured £427,000-per-week wages to make a move happen.

Ivan Toney’s all-time stats for Al-Ahli

Total

Appearances

59

Goals

41

Assists

8

Bookings

7

Red cards

0

Minutes played

4,796

Toney bagged 20 Premier League goals in his best season at Brentford under Frank, with the tactician labelling him England’s second-best striker behind Harry Kane at the time.

Other reports claim that Al-Ahli value him at around £30 million for a permanent deal and Toney has already ‘directly’ spoken to Frank about a move to Tottenham.

However, a loan deal may be more feasible due to complications surrounding what would be a very large tax bill if Toney comes back to England permanently so soon after arriving in the Gulf.

There have been great batters in cricket history, but none of them have done at 14 what Suryavanshi did on Monday night against a bowling attack boasting 694 international caps

Karthik Krishnaswamy29-Apr-20255:27

‘Otherworldly’ Suryavanshi wows Bishop and Aaron

Speed is distance divided by time, and in that equation rests a partial answer to a question you may have asked yourself again and again on Monday night, when you watched Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on Gujarat Titans (GT) in Jaipur.How can a 14-year-old hit the ball that far?Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s bat traces remarkable distances in remarkably brief timespans. When he winds up, he lifts his bat so high that his gloves are at shoulder level behind him. By the time his bat completes its swing, it’s usually traced a full circle and come to rest above his other shoulder.Young batters are advised not to let their hands stray too far from their body in their backlift, lest they lose control of their bat-swing. Through cricket’s long and glorious history, however, several batters have disobeyed that maxim and thrilled the world. Suryavanshi belongs to a great lineage. Garfield Sobers. Brian Lara. Vinod Kambli. Yuvraj Singh. Victor Trumper in that immortal photograph. Harmanpreet Kaur in this one.Related

• Fleming: Mhatre has 'everything that we like about a modern-day T20 player'

• Sai Sudharsan says GT didn't 'react well' to Suryavanshi-Jaiswal onslaught

• Bishop on Suryavanshi ton: unprecedented, mind-blowing, other-worldly

• Sai Sudharsan takes back IPL 2025 Orange Cap from Kohli

• Stats – Vaibhav Suryavanshi rewrites men's T20 records

For all the remarkable things those other names have done on cricket fields, though, none of them did at 14 what Suryavanshi did on Monday night to a bowling attack boasting 694 international caps. At an age when most of us were still working out the finer details of the classic schoolchild dream – venue, opposition, shots played to reach various milestones, partner at the other end at those moments – Suryavanshi lived it.Ishant Sharma was once a teenage prodigy. He was 19 when he bowled his famous spell to Ricky Ponting at the WACA in 2008. That spell preceded Suryavanshi’s birth by three years and two months.The two came face to face on Monday, and their skirmish was just one ball old when it exploded to life.Suryavanshi had already hit a six by then – off Mohammed Siraj, the man who displaced Ishant from India’s Test-match pace attack four years ago – and that shot had come off a ball pitched on the fuller side of a good length. That six had been the classic six of the high-backlift, circular-swing type of batter, launched with a stable base over long-on, and that shot had perhaps led Ishant to think of testing Suryavanshi with the short ball.

WATCH – Highlights of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s record-breaking hundred on JioHotstar (India only)

It was a good short ball too, slanted across the left-hand batter, finishing near his rear shoulder: a tricky angle to hook against, an awkward height to hook from. Suryavanshi picked a vacant space to the right of deep backward square leg, swiveled on his back leg, and hooked it for six.So quickly was Suryavanshi in position for this hook, back foot deep in his crease before the ball left Ishant’s hand, that it suggested he had been expecting the short ball. Perhaps this informed the length of Ishant’s next ball. Or perhaps it was just a bad ball, a half-volley bowled by a rattled 36-year-old to a batter less than half his age.Either way, Suryavanshi whipped it for another six, a 91m hit that landed on the pink canvas roof of the first tier of stands beyond the midwicket boundary.4:33

Bishop on Suryavanshi’s record: ‘That was mind-blowing’

This was the ninth ball Suryavanshi had faced. He had already played an extraordinary innings. He had shown incredible bat-speed, and he had shown the eye and control over that unusually expansive bat-swing to strike balls of different lengths, from fast bowlers of international quality, with pinpoint timing while holding his shape through shots off front and back foot. He had shown all this at the age of 14 years and 32 days.And Suryavanshi wasn’t even close to being done. There was so much more of his range still left to show off.This has been a terrible IPL season for the offspinner-to-LHB match-up. Before Monday’s game, it had produced a 140-plus batting strike rate for the first time in any IPL season. Even so, given everything Suryavanshi had done up to then, it was natural for GT to bring on Washington Sundar in the fifth over and try and see how Suryavanshi would handle him.He handled himself to the tune of 6, 0, 6, 4, and if the first six was a regulation pull, the second was a sensational example of length manipulation. This was the kind of ball with which Washington has tied down a series of left-hand batters: flat, quick, into the surface, not full enough to loft down the ground, not short enough for a genuine horizontal-bat shot, and angled into leg stump to minimise width. It’s not a ball you can hit for six over backward square leg; not unless you do what Suryavanshi did, dropping on to his back knee in a flash and swiveling through the hips like a breakdancer.We have watched Rishabh Pant play this shot numerous times, but our jaws continue to drop whenever he does it. It’s that difficult, and who else even plays it? Well, now there’s someone else, and he’s 14.5:13

What’s the best way to handle Suryavanshi?

The sixes took Suryavanshi to 47. The four – one-bounce, lofted neatly over the covers – brought up the half-century off 17 balls. The quickest of this season.And he wasn’t done even now. Having scored 52 off 20 in the powerplay, he still needed to show he could do 49 off 18 outside it. For all the gobsmacking shots he had already played, he still had to play the shot of his innings, a drive over long-off after going deep in his crease to manufacture elevation against Prasidh Krishna. For all the damage he had already done to GT’s individual bowling figures, he hadn’t yet gone 6, 4, 6, 4, 4, 6 and taken Karim Janat for 30 runs in an over.He had scored the fastest half-century of the season; he hadn’t yet scored the second-fastest hundred in the 18-year history of the tournament. It fell to Rashid Khan to bowl the ball that took Suryavanshi there, a long-hop that he dumped over the leg-side boundary with another violent hip-swivel.It was the 11th six of Suryavanshi’s innings. It was by no means the biggest one, and Siraj, flinging himself backwards at deep midwicket, made a doomed effort to catch it at the boundary, landing flat on his back and remaining there for a few more seconds, taking whatever rest this evening had to offer him, in whatever form it came.And that, perhaps, was all of us too – dazed, flat on our metaphorical backs, taking in the enormity of the moment as Suryavanshi, pulling his helmet off to reveal the full extent of his cherubic boyishness, soaked it in.1:47

When a young Tendulkar shocked Ian Bishop in his pomp

There was something poetic about Suryavanshi getting to his century off Rashid’s bowling. Rashid had been a teenage prodigy himself, an unimaginably precocious shatterer of records, but even he was 17 when he burst on to the big stage. When you are in school, the gap between 14 and 17 can seem impossibly vast.And Rashid is the great legspinner of his day. On December 16, 1989, that title had belonged to Abdul Qadir. On that day, Sachin Tendulkar had taken Qadir to the cleaners, hitting him for 27 runs in an over while scoring 53 off 18 balls in a proto-T20 game – an unofficial 20-overs-a-side match arranged after an ODI in Peshawar had been abandoned due to bad light.Tendulkar was 16 then, and Suryavanshi is younger still, an age both precocious and, to the viewer, precarious. You are old enough if you are good enough, yes, but it’s still legitimate to ask if a 14-year-old should even be playing professional sport, with all its pressures and pitfalls.But then you watch Suryavanshi’s bat trace that smooth, powerful circle and launch the ball into the night sky, and you still your doubts and fears. This boy was born to bat.

Pakistan hardly put on a clinic against Bangladesh, but the universe, it seems, can’t prevent the contest this competition has been destined for

Danyal Rasool26-Sep-20252:24

Aaron: Pakistan found right ‘mixture of calm and emotion’

Shaheen Shah Afridi is apparently a low-value wicket. So low-value, in fact, that Pakistan didn’t even use him with the bat against India last Sunday, which is objectively a high-value match. So low-value that even Bangladesh – impeccable in the field until then – appeared to momentarily forget it was still a wicket worth taking, and put down two fairly straightforward chances Afridi offered up. He had said on Tuesday after Pakistan’s victory over Sri Lanka he was willing to “give his life” for Pakistan, but no one seemed to take him seriously.But there hadn’t been much value from the batters Pakistan do set store by either. Within the first ten balls of the innings, Sahibzada Farhan had sliced Taskin to the backward-point fielder, and Saim Ayub had got his fourth Asia Cup duck after a heady two-game streak of getting off the mark.At this point, Hasan Ali had sprinted up to the middle – not, mercifully, to bat, though with Pakistan sticking and twisting with their order all tournament, you never could be too certain. He gave Fakhar Zaman a drink, and a message, as if Pakistan’s Plan B specifically covered being 5 for 2 inside ten deliveries.Related

How can Pakistan turn it around against India in the Asia Cup final?

Simmons rues dropped catches and 'bad decisions'

Afridi, Rauf and Ayub set up a Pakistan vs India Asia Cup final

It’s unclear what Hasan said, though it didn’t seem to have helped Fakhar’s game much. He would spent his brief, tortured stay at the crease trying to charge Bangladesh’s quicks, his wild hacks connecting only with the desert air. By the time Rishad Hossain came to bowl after the powerplay, the 35-year-old was like the old family faithful that had fought to the very end, and had earned the right to give up. A weary slog off his 20th ball found long-off; his 100th T20I innings would also be his slowest in games where he had faced at least that many balls. The end of the powerplay had seen 24 dot balls, by that stage the highest for any side all tournament.When the innings’ halfway stage arrived, a bedraggled Pakistan had limped to 46 for 4, half of what they managed against India in their last game at this venue, and for the loss of three further wickets. Four days on from the perfect start to the one game Pakistan want to win most, the worst of Pakistan reared its head in the game they had viewed as a stepping stone to one last crack at beating India.

****

It is said in football that the most dangerous situation is a two-goal lead, even though every side wants to get themselves in that position. That is perhaps because momentum, or the perception of it, feels like it plays an outsized role in a sporting contest, like a tug of war contest where the exact position of each line doesn’t matter so much as the direction of travel.With Pakistan 51 for 5 after 11 overs, Bangladesh are ascendant; that wouldn’t have changed even if Nurul Hasan’s little goose-step to the left had been timed well enough to allow the ball to stick in his hand. But it doesn’t. Three balls later, another primitive smear from Afridi flies up into the Ring of Fire lights. Mahedi Hasan puts it down again. Within a couple of overs, Afridi has connected with two balls that are sent sailing out of Dubai. That two-goal lead doesn’t seem quite as secure anymore.1:49

Wahab: Additional pressure on India in the final

“We’ve won a lot of games in the last few months where we were far from owning the whole 40 overs,” coach Mike Hesson said after the game. “We had to fight back. But what I can say about this team is they are incredibly proud to represent Pakistan. Every single one had belief we could fight our way out of it. That’s what you want in a team representing your country. We’re incredibly proud of the way we fought. We don’t want to be 4 for 33 all the time, I assure you that. But the fact we can win games from that position shows the character in the group.”That belief may also have to do with Pakistan’s addiction to these situations. Hesson would say after the game that Bangladesh had prevented Pakistan from playing the perfect match, but Pakistan’s ultimate yearning has always been for chaotic glory, not structured success. High on their own supply of fateful triumphs past, Pakistan strut their way around the remainder of the innings in a manner that belies the position they are in, or the circuitous route they took to get here. This is merely the latest turn for Pakistan in a tournament that has taken on a sense of inevitable destiny for them.That is a force much too powerful for Bangladesh to resist, who will wistfully look back at the last three quarters of the game, and how they allowed themselves to be background characters in Pakistan’s madcap adventure. Hesson’s tactic of eschewing specialist fast bowling to squeeze every last bit of batting into Pakistan’s side always felt like a tactic in search of a situation, but as Pakistan closed out their innings, you imagined this was the kind of game he kept envisioning: nos. 6-9 score a combined 89 in 60 balls, the final nine overs producing 84, the second-highest in the Super Fours so far.Bangladesh supporters outnumber Pakistan’s by at least three to one, so the noise in the stands is a verdict of Bangladesh’s position in the game. As the scorching heat of Dubai relents, more seats are gobbled up. But the voices seem to go even quieter.3:15

Why do Bangladesh struggle in pressure situations?

The four sixes Bangladesh hit in the powerplay belie the leaden timidity they display for much of it. When the fielding restrictions are lifted, they have already outdone Pakistan’s tournament-high dot-ball count; they have played 25. The required rate is soon climbing, and the moment has overtaken them. While Pakistan can grow into these situations, Bangladesh have historically shrunk from them. It is the perfect cocktail to turn them into fodder for Pakistan’s juggernaut.There is no sense, even in that passage of dominance, that Pakistan are putting on any kind of clinic. Even with victory virtually guaranteed, there are moments of comic Pakistan frenzy. Haris Rauf over-exerts himself in the 18th over, falling to his knees in the delivery stride. He will not get up for six minutes as he receives extended treatment. But when he does, he’ll send the bails flying twice in the next three balls.With Bangladesh down to their last pair, Pakistan let them get uncomfortably close, dropping a catch before conceding 21 in ten balls. It leaves the chase a mathematical possibility right down to the last two deliveries. But the universe, it seems, simply cannot hold back the contest this competition was probably created to deliver as frequently as possible.An India vs Pakistan final may have been divinely ordained, but it needed Pakistan at its flawed, human best to take the tournament to that point. There may have been plenty lost in Pakistan cricket over the years, but as the small pocket of supporters who stayed back to dance to “Dil Dil Pakistan” on a muggy Dubai night reminded you, it is still anything but low-value.