Tottenham’s miserable form under Thomas Frank continues following a lacklustre 2-1 loss at home to Fulham on Saturday night, with the home side subjected to a chorus of boos at the full-time whistle.

Tottenham 1-2 Fulham as tepid Spurs form piles pressure on Frank

The visitors delivered a devastating early double blow to extend the North London club’s torrid run and raise fresh questions about Frank’s ability to arrest their alarming slide.

Fulham raced into a commanding two-goal advantage within the opening six minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, capitalizing ruthlessly on defensive frailties that continue plaguing Spurs despite their manager’s persistent tactical tinkering.

Kenny Tete opened the scoring after just four minutes when his speculative effort took a wicked deflection off Destiny Udogie’s leg, completely wrong-footing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and nestling into the bottom corner. The Italian stopper, helpless against the deflection, barely had time to recover before Fulham doubled their advantage.

Harry Wilson compounded Tottenham’s defensive nightmare just two minutes later, capitalizing on catastrophic goalkeeping from Vicari

The Welshman caught Vicario in no man’s land with a long-range chip from distance, and given there were no defenders there to clear it off the line, the ball floated into a completely empty net.

Tottenham dominated possession throughout the opening period but created virtually nothing of substance, managing just two shots and accounting for a paltry 0.01 expected goals during the first half.

Frank introduced attacking reinforcements during the second half, withdrawing Joao Palhinha, Richarlison and Archie Gray for Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons and Rodrigo Bentancur around the hour mark.

The changes provided brief encouragement when Mohammed Kudus lashed home a powerful half-volley in the 59th minute — his first at home in a Spurs shirt — which reduced the deficit and offered fleeting hope of a comeback.

Tottenham hold talks with Arsenal target as Frank 'craves his progressive passing'

Spurs need more creativity.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 28, 2025

However, Fulham expertly managed the remaining half-hour, introducing Sasa Lukic and Emile Smith Rowe to shore up midfield and nullify Tottenham’s increasingly desperate attacking thrusts.

Despite introducing forwards Mathys Tel and additional creative players, Spurs lacked the quality and conviction required to salvage anything from another disappointing home performance.

The defeat represents Tottenham’s fourth loss in their last six matches across all competitions, following humiliating setbacks against Arsenal (4-1) and PSG (5-3) in the last week.

The pressure is now seriously on Frank, who is attracting real scrutiny as critics question whether he is really the right man for the Spurs job.

Jamie O'Hara loses it with Xavi Simons in Tottenham defeat to Fulham

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, pundit Jamie O’Hara picked out substitute Simons for criticism alongside Frank, despite the fact he only had half an hour to make an impact.

The former Spurs midfielder was livid with Simons following repeated failed flick attempts when the north Londoners were chasing the game at 2-1, with O’Hara expressing his outrage at the wasteful attacking play.

After his disasterclass in goal, keeper Vicario was also booed by supporters nearly every time he touched the ball, with the tension among fans now reaching breaking point as Spurs continue to underperform.

Simons, who could end up costing the club £125 million over a potential seven-year contract when you factor in wages, agent’s fees and add-ons, needs to find his feet in England soon or risk being seen as a major flop.

The Dutchman has scarcely been given a chance by Frank lately, but the fact he’s only been given a few minutes here and there should send a pretty clear message.

Simons was often bullied off the ball against Fulham and failed to make the desired impact, even despite all of his efforts to get into dangerous positions.

For Spurs, the home curse continues, and no other ever-present Premier League side boasts a worse record on their own turf than Tottenham in 2025.

Phil Foden spared Manchester City's blushes as he struck late to snatch a 3-2 win after his side had chucked away a two-goal advantage at half-time. Foden scored in the very first and last minutes of the game, rescuing all three points for Pep Guardiola's side which could prove vital at the end of the season. Josko Gvardiol bundled in a second goal in a dominant first half from the hosts.

But everything changed after the break as relegation-threatened Leeds put up a fight for their under-pressure boss Daniel Farke. They produced a spirited comeback and even believed in victory themselves but Foden diminished that, deciding the game with a brilliant finish from outside the area in the first of the 10 minutes of additional time. 

The England forward scored the fastest Premier League goal of the season to give City the lead after 59 seconds, firing in first time after a cross from Matheus Nunes. The midfielder was denied a second goal by a brave block from James Justin, who threw himself in front of the ball from close range, and then by a super save from Lucas Perri. 

Leeds could only resist the City dominance for so long, though, and the second eventually arrived from a corner, Gvardiol sliding in to stab home following Nico O'Reilly's knockdown, helped by some abject goalkeeping from Perri.

City had the bit between their teeth and pushed for a third before half-time but to no avail, with Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders having shots blocked and Perri repelling a strike from Nico Gonzalez, while O'Reilly headed wide.

Leeds came out for the second half with a double substitution and a totally different mindset and they immediately pegged City back. They fired out a warning minutes after the restart when Donnarumma patted a free-kick away only for it to land at the feet of Ethan Ampadu, with Reijnders making the block. One minute later Dominic Calvert-Lewin halved the deficit, losing the ball on the turn then snaffling it back off Nunes to strike. City's nerves began to set in and Leeds then won a penalty when Gvardiol rushed into a tackle on Calvert-Lewin and sent him flying.

Donnarumma guessed right to parry Nmecha's penalty but the rebound fell straight back to the German forward for him to tap in the leveller. The Etihad fell silent but when Foden buried the ball in the bottom corner after dribbling across the outside of the box, the stadium erupted and secured a valuable three points for Guardiola and his troops.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Gianluigi Donnarumma (5/10):

After a placid first half he didn't transmit much confidence under pressure. Flapped at a free-kick, did the hard part saving the penalty but sent the ball to the worst place possible.

Matheus Nunes (4/10):

His bright forward play which led to the lightning-quick opening goal was cancelled out by his clumsy defending gifting Calvert-Lewin the goal that made Leeds believe. His botched clearance gave Leeds possession again and then after tackling Calvert-Lewin he surrendered the ball to him.

Ruben Dias (5/10):

Had a flawless first-half display but couldn't show the necessary leadership when Leeds grew in confidence.

Josko Gvardiol (4/10):

Like Nunes, his poor defending undid his good work in doubling the lead. Couldn't communicate with Nunes for the first goal and then produced an awful tackle for the penalty.

Nico O'Reilly (6/10):

A strong physical display, showing his hunger by attacking Perri from the corner and setting up Gvardiol. 

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Bernardo Silva (5/10):

Didn't really put his usual stamp on the game.

Nico Gonzalez (6/10):

Dominated the first half, barely giving Leeds any glimpses behind him. Struggled to adapt to the visitors' changes.

Tijjani Reijnders (6/10):

Contributed his share in defence and attack although was the first to come off when Guardiola wanted a reaction.

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Phil Foden (9/10):

Dangerous and decisive from start to finish. Could have had a hat-trick in the first half and when everyone else had lost belief he grabbed the game by the scruff of its neck and won it.

Erling Haaland (5/10):

Failed to score for the third game in a row, barely getting a chance in front of goal. He obediently did his defensive work, though, and was a useful presence nullifying Leeds' ariel threat.

Jeremy Doku (5/10):

Couldn't do his useful damage and struggled to prise Leeds' defence open down his left flank.

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Rayan Cherki (6/10):

Gave City a bit more guile going forward and gave the ball to Foden for the crucial strike.

Omar Marmoush (N/A):

Saw a header saved by Perri one minute after coming on.

John Stones (N/A):

Brought on in the 95th minute to run the clock down.

Pep Guardiola (6/10):

A very strange game for the coach to digest, pure dominance followed by a loss of composure and belief. To his credit, his changes helped swing the game back in City's favour, even though he owes Foden a massive pat on the back for digging him out of the hole.

And how many visiting players have played their one and only Test at Lord’s?

Steven Lynch17-Jun-2025Both No. 1 openers in the WTC final were out for ducks. How often has this happened? asked Kirsty Grosvenor from Australia

You’re right that Usman Khawaja, No. 1 on the Australian scorecard, was out for 0 (from 20 balls) on the first day of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s last week, and he was followed later in the day by South Africa’s Aiden Markram (six balls; he did rather better in the second innings).This was only the tenth time in all Tests that the batters at the top of the order for both teams were out for 0 in the first innings of the same match (only considering the man who faced the first ball). There was no such double in the first 100 years of Test cricket: the first instance was in the match between Australia and India in Melbourne in 1977, when the rival No. 1s, Sunil Gavaskar and John Dyson, both fell for 0 in the first innings.The most recent occurrence before last week was in Hobart in the final Ashes Test in 2022, when David Warner and Rory Burns both collected ducks at the top of the order. Here’s the full list, of No. 1s being out for 0 in the first innings of a match.Does Pat Cummins now have the best bowling figures by an Australian captain (or any captain!) in a Test? asked Dane Kristoffer from Australia

Pat Cummins took 6 for 28 in South Africa’s first innings in the World Test Championship final. They were the best figures by a captain in the 147 Tests at Lord’s, beating Bob Willis’ 6 for 101 for England against India in June 1982.Cummins’ figures are the fourth-best by an Australia captain in a Test, behind the 7 for 44 of Ian Johnson against West Indies in Georgetown in 1955, Allan Border’s unlikely 7 for 46 vs West Indies in Sydney in 1989, and Monty Noble’s 7 for 100 against England in Sydney in 1904.The best bowling figures by any captain in a Test match are 9 for 83, by Kapil Dev for India against West Indies in Ahmedabad in 1983. Here’s the full list of best bowling performances by Test captains.Apparently Australia had played South Africa at Lord’s in a Test before – when was this? asked Stephen Bashenga from South Africa

Last week’s World Test Championship final was indeed the second time Australia and South Africa had met in an official Test at Lord’s. The first one was in 1912, during an ambitious Triangular Test tournament that was rather spoiled by the weather. In the match between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s – the fifth of the tournament’s nine games – Charlie Kelleway and Warren Bardsley made centuries and the Australians won by ten wickets.Fionn Hand’s only Test to date came at Lord’s two years ago•AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia also played a Test against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010, as security concerns at the time precluded playing in Pakistan. Steven Smith made his debut in that one, which means he’s played Tests at Lord’s against three different opponents, a record for an overseas player. He’s also the leading Test run-scorer among visitors to Lord’s.How many people have played their one and only Test at Lord’s? I mean visiting players – I imagine there have been lots of Englishmen… asked Matthew Rowell from South Africa

If you’re only going to play one Test match, it would be special to do it at Lord’s… and, rather to my surprise, there are currently only three overseas players who fit the bill. The first two did it for India: Lall Singh, the Malaysia-born batter (and superb fielder) who played in their inaugural Test, in 1932, and opening batter Ghulam Parkar, who made two single-figure scores in a defeat in 1982. The third man might yet play again: Fionn Hand won his only Test cap for Ireland so far at Lord’s in 2023.A total of 14 England players have won their only Test cap at Lord’s, the most recent being legspinner Matt Parkinson, who stepped in as a concussion substitute against New Zealand in 2022. For the record, the others are Stanley Christopherson (1884), Walter Mead (1899), John King (1909), Alf Dipper, Jack Durston and John Evans (all in 1921), Harry Smith (1928), Johnny Arnold (1931), Jim Parks senior (1937), Frank Smailes (1946), George Pope (1947), Alec Coxon (1948) and Simon Brown (1996).In last week’s question about players who had appeared in every edition of the IPL, did you miss out Ravi Jadeja? asked Brij Mohan Mahagaonkar from India

You worried me there – I knew that Ravindra Jadeja featured in the inaugural IPL, in 2008 – but actually he missed the third one, in 2010, after running into contractual problems. He therefore just failed to emulate MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey and Rohit Sharma in playing in them all so far.Jadeja is one of five players who have appeared in 17 of the 18 editions of the IPL. Three of the others featured in every season until the most recent one: Shikhar Dhawan, wicketkeeper-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik, and another keeper, Wriddhiman Saha. The other man is Ajinkya Rahane, who did not play in 2010. R Ashwin, Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra and Jaydev Unadkat have all appeared in 16 IPLs.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

MatériaMais Notícias

O instituto Paraná Pesquisas, a pedido do portal UmDois Esportes, apontou quais são as maiores torcidas do interior do Paraná. O resultado foi divulgado na terça-feira (9).

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalPesquisa revela as maiores torcidas de Curitiba; Corinthians é ‘intruso’ no top-3Futebol Nacional09/12/2025Onde AssistirJogos de hoje: quem joga no futebol e onde assistir ao vivo – quarta (10/12/2025)Onde Assistir10/12/2025

➡️Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

No levantamento, foram ouvidos homens e mulheres, a partir de 16 anos, em seis cidades interiorana e duas da Região Metropolitana de Curitiba (RMC). Quem participou poderia votar em apenas um time.

Os dados foram recolhidos entre setembro de 2024 e novembro de 2025. A margem de erro é de 1,1 a 3,7 pontos percentuais e o nível de confiança é de 95%.

continua após a publicidadeCorinthians lidera nas principais cidades no Paraná

Além de ser top-3 em Curitiba, o Coringão lidera em seis cidades do interior: Londrina, Maringá, Ponta Grossa, Cascavel, Foz do Iguaçu e Guarapuava (Centro-Sul). O clube alvinegro ainda se destaca em Colombo e São José dos Pinhais, ambas da Região Metropolitana de Curitiba (PR).

Vale lembrar que, em 2009, o time J. Malucelli mudou de nome para Corinthians Paranaense na tentativa de explorar a torcida alvinegra na capital e no Paraná. A parceria, contudo, não vingou e durou até 2012.

continua após a publicidade

Atrás do Corinthians, Flamengo e Palmeiras se alternam entre as segundas e terceiras colocações, com o São Paulo na cola. Santos, Grêmio, Internacional e Vasco também são lembrados. Maiores torcidas da capital, Athletico e Coritiba têm pouca representividade nas cidades interiorianas, enquanto o Paraná Clube nem aparece no top-10.

➡️ Quais são os clubes mais odiados do Brasil? Veja lista

Veja as maiores torcidas de Londrina1.Corinthians: 21,8%2.Palmeiras: 12,2%3.São Paulo: 8,4%4.Londrina: 7,8%5.Flamengo: 7%6.Santos: 6,2%7.Grêmio: 0,50%8.Athletico: 0,40%9.Internacional: 0,3%

Não torce: 32,1%

Não sabe: 2,3%

Outros times: 1%

Entrevistados: 5.801

Veja as maiores torcidas de Maringá1.Corinthians: 18,9%2.Palmeiras: 12,7%3.São Paulo: 10,6%4.Flamengo: 7,4%5.Santos: 7%6.Maringá: 4,2%7.Athletico: 0,80%8.Coritiba, Grêmio e Vasco: 0,70%

Não torce: 33,3%

Não sabe: 2,6%

Outros times: 2,2%

Entrevistados: 2.935

Veja as maiores torcidas de Cascavel1.Corinthians: 15,3%2.Palmeiras: 9,5%3.Flamengo e Grêmio: 9,1%4.Internacional: 6%5.São Paulo: 5,7%6.Santos: 5,1%7.FC Cascavel: 3%8.Athletico: 2,9%9.Coritiba: 2,2%

Não torce: 28,7%

Não sabe: 1,4%

Outros times: 2,1%

Entrevistados: 2.367

Veja as maiores torcidas de Foz do Iguaçu1.Corinthians: 14,3%2.Flamengo: 13,1%3.Grêmio: 8,1%4.Palmeiras: 7,4%5.São Paulo: 7%6.Internacional: 5,3%7.Santos: 4%8.Foz do Iguaçu: 1,6%9.Athletico: 1,3%10.Vasco: 0,9%11.Coritiba: 0,8%

Não torce: 32,6%

Não sabe: 2,2%

Outros times: 2%

Entrevistados: 1.997

Veja as maiores torcidas de Guarapuava1.Corinthians: 17,1%2.Flamengo: 13%3.Palmeiras: 9,8%4.São Paulo: 6,9%5.Santos: 5,2%6.Athletico: 3,9%7.Grêmio: 2,7%8.Coritiba: 2,2%9.Internacional: 1,9%10.Vasco: 1,3%

Não torce: 32,1%

Não sabe: 2%

Outros times: 1,8%

Entrevistados: 2.148

Veja as maiores torcidas de Ponta Grossa1.Corinthians: 17,1%2.Flamengo: 10,6%3.Operário: 9,9%4.Palmeiras: 7,2%5.São Paulo: 5,1%6.Santos: 2,9%7.Athletico: 2,3%8.Coritiba e Grêmio: 1,5%9.Vasco: 0,9%10.Internacional: 0,5%

Não torce: 37,2%

Não sabe: 1,8%

Outros times: 1,4%

Entrevistados: 1.963

Veja as maiores torcidas de Curitiba1.Athletico: 24,2%2.Coritiba: 19%3.Corinthians: 7,1%4.Paraná: 4,9%5.Flamengo e Palmeiras: 3,2%6.São Paulo: 2,5%7.Santos: 1,8%8.Grêmio: 1,7%9.Internacional: 0,9%

Não torce: 28,1%

Não sabe: 1,8%

Outros times: 1,6%

Entrevistados: 8.392

➡️ Pesquisa divulga ranking atualizado das maiores torcidas do Brasil; confira

Veja as maiores torcidas de São José dos Pinhais (RMC)1.Athletico: 19,3%2.Coritiba: 11,9%3.Corinthians: 9,3%4.Flamengo : 4,1%5.São Paulo: 3,1%6.Paraná: 2,9%7.Palmeiras: 2,7%8.Grêmio: 1,7%9.Santos: 1,3%10.Internacional: 1,1%11.Fluminense: 0,7%

Não torce: 38,5%

Não sabe: 1,9%

Outros times: 1,5%

Entrevistados: 750

Veja as maiores torcidas de Colombo (RMC)1.Athletico: 21,9%2.Coritiba: 14,7%3.Corinthians: 9,8%4.Flamengo : 4,1%5.Palmeiras: 3,4%6.Paraná: 2,4%7.São Paulo: 2,3%8.Santos: 1,7%9.Grêmio: 1,1%10.Internacional: 0,5%

Não torce: 35,1%

Não sabe: 1,4%

Outros times: 1,5%

Entrevistados: 1.554

Tudo sobre

AthleticoAthletico ParanaenseAthletico-PRBrasileirãoCampeonato ParanaenseCorinthiansCoritibaFlamengoFora de campoFutebol Nacional

أبدى أحمد حسام ميدو لاعب الزمالك الأسبق، تخوفه من تصريحات شريف الشربيني وزير الإسكان بشأن مصير أرض فرع نادي الزمالك بـ مدينة 6 أكتوبر.

وكان نادي الزمالك قد أعلن في وقتٍ سابق، أنه تم سحب أرض النادي في مدينة السادس من أكتوبر، بقرار من وزارة الإسكان.

وزير الإسكان يكشف موعد حل أزمة أرض الزمالك.. وحقيقة عروض المستثمرين

وقال أحمد حسام ميدو في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة النهار: “تصريحات وزير الإسكان أمس تُلمّح بشكل واضح إلى ضياع أرض نادي الزمالك، ولو مجلس الإدارة جلس على الطاولة ووافق على سحب الأرض مقابل أرض بديلة، يبقى فرّط في حق الزمالك”.

وتابع: “لا يوجد زملكاوي واحد يمكن أن يقبل بهذا، وفي هذه المرحلة الحساسة يجب أن يكون للجمعية العمومية دور كبير، وأطالب بأن تكون جمعية الغد جمعية تاريخية، وأن يقول الأعضاء كلمتهم”.

وأردف: “أتمنى أن تتحول الجمعية العمومية إلى مظاهرة حب ودعم للزمالك وليس للإدارة، لأن النادي يمرّ بمأساة غير مسبوقة عبر تاريخه”.

طالع.. خاص | “قرض حسن” يحل مشاكل الزمالك مع اللاعبين الأجانب مؤقتًا

وواصل: “الشواهد تقول إن أرض الزمالك بأكتوبر في طريقها للسحب، واللغز بالنسبة لي هو لماذا تحرّكت اللجان الآن بعد أن تم البناء في الفرع”.

وزاد: “استمعت لتصريحات وزير الشباب والرياضة ووزير الإسكان ولم أخرج بأي استنتاج واضح، وأريد أن أرى الدعم الحقيقي، ولا توجد كرة في مصر عندما لا يكون الزمالك واقفًا على قدميه”.

The 2025 World Series is set, as the defending champion Dodgers will face off with the Blue Jays in the Fall Classic.

Toronto finished the season as the top seed in the American League, but was taken to the brink of elimination in the ALCS by the Mariners. Down 3–2 in the series, the Blue Jays used home-field advantage to take the final two games and earn a trip to their first World Series since 1993.

On paper, the Dodgers are an overwhelming favorite. They are the defending champions and have four former MVPs, four legitimate aces and a $350 million payroll. But they don’t play the game on paper. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the two teams in the series. It’s worth noting the Blue Jays have rotated their lineups based on matchups and we’re not yet sure of how Bo Bichette will fit in, so this is our projection of how manager John Schneider will fill out the lineup card.

Catcher: Will Smith (Dodgers) vs. Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays)

This one will surprise people, but the game isn’t just played with the bat. Kirk is a phenomenal defensive catcher, and that ultimately gives him the advantage here. The veteran backstop had nine defensive runs saved in 2025, while his 22 fielding run value (FRV) ranked second in baseball. Smith’s FRV was -6. Smith is better on offense, but Kirk is no slouch in that regard.

In the playoffs, Kirk has produced a .752 OPS and blasted three home runs, while Smith is at .661 with no dingers. This is close and could easily be a push, but Kirk’s superior defense and current form give him the edge.

Advantage: Blue Jays

First base: Freddie Freeman (Dodgers) vs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays)

Gabriel Jesus is "happy" after making a return from his devastating ACL injury during Arsenal's victory over Club Brugge in Belgium. The Gunners had plenty to celebrate as they registered a sixth consecutive Champions League win, got another clean sheet and put in a performance that instilled hope among the fans.

• A triumphant return after 11 months of heartbreak

  Noni Madueke’s sensational brace and Gabriel Martinelli’s thunderous third inspired Arsenal to a comfortable 3-0 win over Club Brugge. However, it was Jesus' return to action that stole much of the limelight. The Brazilian played only 30 minutes, yet he left a sizeable footprint on the match. His movement, hunger and involvement were impossible to miss. Remarkably, he even registered more touches than Viktor Gyokeres, who had played twice as long. That imbalance was partly owed to tired Brugge legs, but mostly it underlined how naturally Jesus drops deep and links play. He hit the crossbar, wriggled into pockets of space and knitted attacking triangles as if he’d never been away.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Jesus relieved after long ordeal

  Speaking to Arsenal club media, he said: "In the first three months, I had a lot of doubts in my head, and then I could be more focused on what God wants from me. Everyone was expecting me to score. and obviously, I wanted to score. I had some opportunities, but even with that, I'm so happy and so pleased, because to come back and then to have some touches that I had tonight, and then the way I could move, the way I could keep the ball.

  "So with 11 months of helping myself and then feeling scared to come back different, maybe with some limitations, just to walk outside and then play with the boys, I'm so pleased. I feel more than ready. So, I'm here to say God saved my life."

  His return also reunited Arsenal’s most iconic attacking trio of recent years in Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Martinelli.

  "I love him," Martinelli had said before the game. "I always say that he’s one of the best strikers in the world for me, so I’m really happy to have him back – not just on the pitch, but outside the pitch as well. Playing with him is really good. He loves to link up and to move and to rotate."

  Mikel Arteta believes Jesus’ qualities go far beyond goals.

  "I think he brings something else, and I was really happy to see that," he said. "Gabi has a really special quality, which is that suddenly he connects everybody around him, and that’s something that we as a team need, and it will make us better. So happy for him, I think you can see how much we all love him. It's been a very, very difficult and long journey. For 11 months he's been fighting against another very difficult injury and to see him back with that smile, with that energy and with that quality in his first performance with us is something really impressive and we're all delighted for him."

• Dowman dropped from Champions League squad

  Jesus’ comeback also triggered a necessary administrative change. Arsenal confirmed teenager Max Dowman, who recently suffered an ankle ligament injury, has been removed from their Champions League A-list and replaced by Jesus. It has been deemed a long-term injury, which will take more than 60 days to recover, and hence, Jesus has walked into the squad. 

  A club statement read: "Gabriel Jesus has replaced Max Dowman on our UEFA A list with immediate effect. Therefore, Gabby is eligible to play in our match against Club Brugge in Belgium on Wednesday night. Max, who picked up an ankle injury playing for our under-21s on Saturday, will be added to our UEFA B list in January, but will not be permitted to play in any UEFA competitions for 60 days from today (February 6)."

• Getty
  

  Arsenal reassert themselves ahead of domestic test

  The comfortable victory in Bruges offered the perfect response to the shock Premier League defeat at Aston Villa that had briefly dampened the mood. With momentum in Europe restored, Arsenal now shift their attention back to the domestic campaign. Next up, they face Wolves, who are at the bottom of the table and winless in 15 games. It should be another cakewalk for the Premier League leaders.

Crystal Palace are now battling Arsenal for the signature of a new forward, who is regarded as “the best” player in his league.

Palace looking to sign new attacker amid Mateta uncertainty

With Jean-Philippe Mateta yet to sign a new contract to extend his stay at Selhurst Park beyond 2027, his future as a Palace player is up in the air, and the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Liverpool have been named as potential suitors.

It would, of course, be a real blow to lose Mateta, given that the striker is the Eagles’ top scorer this season, amassing 11 goal contributions across all competitions.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s record in 2025-26

Goals

Assists

Premier League

7

0

Conference League

0

2

Conference League qualifiers

1

0

Community Shield

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The South Londoners are determined to keep hold of the Frenchman, and there is still plenty of time to agree a new deal, but with his future still not secured, a new attacker has been identified as a target ahead of the January transfer window.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Crystal Palace are now rivalling Arsenal for the signature of HNK Rijeka attacking midfielder Toni Fruk, alongside Benfica, Atletico Madrid and a number of other top European clubs.

Rijeka president, Damir Miskovic, has set an asking price of around £13m, with Fruk’s new agency, Niagara Sports, recently holding talks in London, although it is unclear whether Palace were involved in any negotiations.

The Eagles have scouted the 24-year-old on a number of occasions, such is their level of interest, and there is a belief he would be a perfect fit for Oliver Glasner’s style of play.

Fruk named as "the best player" in Croatia

Agent Andy Bara recently described the Croatian as “the best player” in the HNL, and it is clear to see why, given that he has amassed ten goals and two assists in all competitions this season, outscoring Mateta.

At the end of November, the Rijeka star put in a particularly impressive performance against Hajduk Split in the HNL, scoring a hat-trick within just over half-an-hour, while also grabbing one assist, which earned him a SofaScore match rating of 10.

On that day, the five-time Croatia international featured at left-wing, but he is very versatile, having also featured in attacking midfield and at centre-forward regularly throughout his career to date.

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Fruk is clearly ready to take the next step in his career by moving to one of Europe’s major leagues, and it would be a real coup if Palace were able to get a deal done, given the interest from some top clubs.

At just 23, the Pakistan women’s captain has turned personal tragedy into resolve, leading her side while elevating her own game

Firdose Moonda30-Sep-2025Fatima Sana’s last conversation with her father was during the 2024 T20 World Cup and it was about cricket.”We had a video call. He watched our match against Sri Lanka and also our game against India and we discussed everything. But then suddenly…” Her voice trails off.Three days after that conversation, her father had a heart attack and passed away in a Karachi hospital. Sana left the T20 World Cup to be at his funeral and grieve with her family, with no intention of returning to the tournament. “But my mother told me that when my father was in hospital, he told the doctors, ‘My daughter is playing for Pakistan’ and that it was his wish for me to go back and play the next match,” Sana says. “I said to her, ‘No mom, I can’t do that’, but she told me, ‘It was your father’s wish, so you have to go.’ My mother supported me at that time, so I think she is braver than me.”With Pakistan already knocked out of the competition, Sana returned to Dubai and led the team in their final match, against New Zealand. She was stoic as she lined up alongside her team-mates for the national anthems but as soon as the first notes of “” started, tears streamed down her face. Her father was a pilot in the country’s air force and a patriot. The pain of losing him was too much to bear.Related

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But already she had proven her age was no barrier to her willingness to take on responsibility, and her returning to the field underlined the commitment she made when she had agreed to lead Pakistan, just weeks before.Sana was named Pakistan’s captain in August 2024 (she had captained in two ODIs before), a little over a month before the T20 World Cup. She replaced the vastly experienced Nida Dar, who was removed following Pakistan’s loss to Sri Lanka in the semi-final of the Asia Cup and has since taken an indefinite break from cricket. “I was very shocked when our coach told me,” Sana says. “I just went back home, and discussed it with my family and they all told me they thought I could do it. I didn’t have time to talk about it to anyone else. But I was a little bit nervous at that time, because it was so sudden.”Having accepted the role, she wanted to step up and do it as well as she could, and might have bitten off more than she could chew. “The coaches told me that I have to manage my workload,” she says.In her seven matches since being appointed captain, Sana has taken a four-for and consecutive three-wicket hauls•Getty ImagesHer numbers reflect how seriously she took the role. Before the recent series against South Africa, where she went wicketless, Sana captained Pakistan in seven ODIs, took 14 wickets at an average of 17.71 significantly better than her 63 wickets overall at 29.74. She has also led in nine T20Is, where she has ten wickets at 20.20 (also an improvement on her overall average of 25.40, though her economy rate is fractionally worse as captain). She’s currently the second most prolific fast bowler for Pakistan, just seven short of Asmavia Iqbal at the top, a gap she could close during the upcoming World Cup.But it’s the batting stats that really stand out. Two of her three ODI fifties have come after she was appointed captain, and almost half her T20I career runs, at a strike rate of 146.37, compared to an overall strike rate of 118.46.Her improved performances have brought calls for her to put herself permanently at No. 5 to stabilise the middle order, and she’s hoping she can soon make the role her own. “I am still working on my batting a lot,” she says. “When I started playing in the Pakistan team, I was at No. 8, then I moved up to seventh, then sixth and then fifth, so hopefully I will be able to bat higher.”If she’s looking for a role model, she need go no further than a woman she looks up to already: Sana Mir, who, though she was moved up and down the order, started and ended her career at No. 5. Mir has been a sounding board for Sana since the earliest days of her career.