NBC Sports

James Maddison was carried off the pitch during Tottenham Hotspur’s friendly with Newcastle United in Seoul, South Korea on Sunday and Spurs fans will be waiting with baited breath regarding the latest injury news on their star playmaker.

Maddison, 28, came off the bench in the second half of the friendly but was substituted just 11 minutes later after going down off the ball.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank, Maddison’s teammates and all of the staff looked very concerned about Maddison’s injury.

He had only just returned from the injury he suffered in early May and was building up his minutes in preseason as he returned to fitness.

James Maddison injury news latest

The England international appeared to be agony as he hobbled around and then fell to the floor as he grabbed his right knee.

He was treated on the pitch before being carried off on a stretcher in tears.

We will have the latest news from Spurs boss Thomas Frank on James Maddison’s injury, as he is due to speak after the game in South Korea on Sunday.

Pape Matar Sarr scored a stunning goal from distance to give Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 friendly win against Arsenal in Hong Kong on Thursday.

The first-ever north London derby outside of the UK delivered a moment of pure quality.

Pape Matar Sarr scores from distance, catches out David Raya

Right on half time Spurs took the lead in Hong Kong and it came after some great pressing in midfield.

David Raya was way off his line on the ball and was trying to build from the back.

But Spurs pressed really well and Richarlison forced Myles Lewis-Skelly into a mistake.

The ball dropped to Sarr who took a touch to steady himself, then clipped a lovely shot towards goal from just inside the Arsenal half and the ball flew in.

It turned out to be the winning goal and this one is worthy of winning any game.

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are set to continue preseason preparations on Thursday (7:30 am ET), when the north London rivals meet outside the UK for the first time in derby history — in a so-called friendly — in Hong Kong.

MORE — Premier League preseason schedules for all 20 teams

The newly-minted Kai Tak Sports Park may have evaded the hurricanes and thunderstorms that were previously forecast for this week, heavy rain and wind are still expected.

For live updates and highlights throughout Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur, check out PST’s live blog coverage below.

How to watch Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 7:30am ET Thursday (July 31)

Venue: Kai Tak Sports Park — Hong Kong

Streaming: Paramount+

Arsenal team news, focus

The Gunners started their preseason tour with a pair of wins, over AC Milan and Newcastle, last week — at the same that brand new summer signing, striker Viktor Gyokeres, was unveiled in front of the fans in Singapore. Gyokeres is the $74-million solution to Arsenal’s biggest problem last season: They didn’t score enough goals (69) to challenge Liverpool for the Premier League title, even with having the league’s best defensive record (34 conceded) by seven goals. Noni Madueke, who won’t join the squad until after they return from Asia, should also go some way toward helping that cause, after joining from Chelsea for $55 million this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur team news, focus

Spurs are only on game 1 of their Asian tour after drawing League One sides Wycombe Wanderers (2-2) and Luton Town (0-0) on the same day, as new head coach Thomas Frank wanted 22 players with playing time before leaving London. As seemingly easy as Arsenal have made their transfer business look, dealings have proved rather difficult for Spurs (again). Mohammed Kudus has come in for $75 million, but Spurs’ $80-million move for Morgan Gibbs-White was scuppered when Nottingham Forest threatened legal action for breach of confidentiality relating to the release clause in his contract and signed Gibbs-White to a new contract instead.

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur prediction

The summer transfer window has already provided some huge deals (Florian Wirtz, Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap to name a few) and the reports just keep on coming.

MORE — Full list of Premier League ins and outs this summer

Below we take a look at some of the latest transfer reports involving Premier League clubs.

Gittens to Chelsea back on?

It appeared that the deal for Jamie Gittens to head to Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund was off and the English winger could be heading to Bayern Munich instead. But a report from The Athletic says that Chelsea are closing in on signing Gittens, 20, after a breakthrough in talks with Dortmund. Gittens would be the direct replacement for Jadon Sancho, who has gone back to parent club Manchester United, and the talented English winger is exactly the kind of player Enzo Maresca wants. He’s direct, works hard up and down the flank and has the ability to cut inside and float around as one of the three attacking players in his system. Per the report, Gittens would sign a seven-year deal with Chelsea.

Spurs set to move on to Eze?

After firing Ange Postecoglou it appears Tottenham Hotspur will act very quickly to replace him as multiple reports claim Thomas Frank will become Spurs’ new head coach.

Reports from The Athletic, Fabrizio Romano and the BBC all claim that Spurs will pay the $13.5 million Brentford want in compensation for their talented manager.

The reports also state that personal terms have been agreed and Spurs are expecting to seal the deal for Frank in the next 48 hours.

Is this a good fit for Thomas Frank and Spurs?

There is no current manager in the Premier League that is more deserving of a chance at a big club playing in the Champions League than Thomas Frank. He’s earned this.

The Danish coach has brought Brentford up from the Championship with a modest budget and for the last four seasons he’s worked wonders to not only keep them in the Premier League but flourish. Frank has improved players such as Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, and countless others, building a dynamic, exciting and robust team.

That is exactly the kind of team Spurs want. If Frank is their new manager Spurs will still be as stylish as they were under Postecoglou but they will have more substance and bite.

Frank is a demanding but likable character and it will be intriguing to see how many of his stars at Brentford follow him to Spurs. For him the chance to coach in the Champions League at a huge club like Spurs is too good to turn down and he deserves this chance at one of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ clubs.

Now it’s all about two things: 1) can he keep on overachieving and 2) will he be given several years to build this project at Spurs.

Who will be the next Tottenham Hotspur manager following the firing of Ange Postecoglou in North London?

One thing’s for sure — the standards will be high and excuses not tolerated.

MORE — USMNT’s Cardoso reportedly nears Atleti move

Postecoglou was canned by chairman Daniel Levy despite the club’s Europa League triumph — their first trophy in 17 years — as an injury-ravaged season saw Tottenham Hotspur focus on the UEL at the expense of the Premier League.

Their 17th-place finish was shocking even as Manchester United also plumbed their modern depths in domestic play.

But that’s in the past now. Who’s next?

Next Tottenham Hotspur manager — Ranking the contenders for Spurs hot seat

No longer the England boss, could Southgate take a Premier League head job for the first time since leaving Middlesbrough in 2009? James Maddison and Dominic Solanke will be familiar with the ex-Three Lions coach.

The one-time Spurs boss and current USMNT manager reportedly has a buyout clause that nears $20 million, and it would seem kinda ridiculous to rehire Pochettino, who famously didn’t win silverware despite a colorful and positive time in North London, after firing the guy who ended their trophy drought.

He just won a trophy, so he’s got that going for him. And Glasner could have his head turned by the chance to scoot across town for a bigger budget and a place in the UEFA Champions League. He’s well-regarded, and might just be able to bring over some familiar faces from Crystal Palace.

More likely to leave his Premier League club than Glasner after the Cherries missed out on Europe, he’s a system guy and the results of his time at Bournemouth promise that more resources could deliver even better results.

We hate to say that a huge move from a club that hails your every move is an easy decision or a simple one — but there’s a reason Frank is being eyeballed as a favorite here. Brentford play attractive football and punch above their weight. Frank would surely love the opportunity to throw haymakers from a favored position.

Other names mentioned? Manuel Pellegrini (Real Betis), Xavi Hernandez (unattached), Kieran McKenna (Ipswich Town), Simone Inzaghi (unattached), Eddie Howe (Newcastle United), Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)

Johnny Cardoso’s near-meteoric rise through European club football could soon reach a crescendo as the USMNT midfielder is nearing a move to Atletico Madrid this summer.

The transfer isn’t out-of-nowhere, but the destination remains surprising after Tottenham Hotspur secured a unique “right of first refusal” on the Real Betis midfielder last summer.

MORE — How will USMNT line up versus Turkiye?

Spurs reportedly requested the future rights of Cardoso as part of a deal to bring Giovani Lo Celso in August 2024, and the North London club may wind up with part of the players’ sell-on rights if he moves elsewhere.

A move to Atletico Madrid — expected to start at approximately $35 million — is intriguing for the United States men’s national team, as Mauricio Pochettino would likely be thrilled at the concept of the already-menacing Cardoso playing a meaningful role for Diego Simeone. The Atleti futures of 33-year-old captain Koke and 31-year-old Rodrigo de Paul are reportedly in flux, and there’s a bonus if they stay and Cardoso can learn under two of the world’s very best at his position.

Betis are headed for the Europa League next season, so Cardoso has no need to accept a move in order to keep growing his game. Atleti and Spurs are big, big destinations, and both the players and even Betis may want to strike with the iron as hot as possible.

Evaluating Johnny Cardoso — What’s his ceiling for club, country?

Of course there’s the danger of Cardoso being behind such players or a similar purchase, but Simeone is purchasing a player who starred in La Liga and led Real Betis to the Conference League Final under Manuel Pellegrini.

Still 23 under September, the American-born Cardoso took little time to adjust to Spain following a move from Brazil’s Internacional in January 2024. The gem unearthed for the USMNT by Gregg Berhalter rung up almost 3,400 minutes this past season, scoring four times with an assist.

He hasn’t been a passing star by any means, but he’s an instinctive, elite reader of the game. Cardoso ranks in the 98th percentile for interceptions and 93rd percentile for clearances, with FBref.com comparing him favorably to Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana.

As for the USMNT, his partnership with Tyler Adams at this summer’s Gold Cup could up the battle for starting spots at the 2026 World Cup as Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah watch from afar.

Ange Postecoglou and Spurs will be reveling in their Europa League glory when they host European hopefuls Brighton on Sunday.

WATCH — Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton

For live updates and highlights throughout Spurs vs Brighton, check out PST’s live blog coverage below.

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 11am ET Sunday (May 25)

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — London

TV Channel: Peacock

Streaming: Stream live on Peacock

Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton live updates - by Andy Edwards

Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton live score: 1-0

Goalscorers: Dominic Solanke (17' - PK)

GOAL! Spurs 1-0 Brighton: Solanke converts from the spot after Tel gets kicked (17')

Spurs starting lineup

Vicario - Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie - Bentancur, Gray, Sarr - Johnson, Tel, Solanke

Brighton starting lineup

Verbruggen - Hinshelwood, Van Hecke, Webster, Igor - Wieffer, Baleba, Ayari - Gruda, Adingra, Minteh

After a terrible season in the Premier League, Ange’s much-maligned Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao on Thursday to win their first trophy in over 17 years and their first European trophy since 1984. They showed a pragmatic, sensible side to their play throughout the knockout rounds of the Europa League and have been rewarded with a trophy and a spot in the UEFA Champions League for next season. “Second season, mate.” But will this be Ange’s final game in charge of Spurs? Time will tell but fans of Tottenham Hotspur everywhere are ecstatic to have finally won a trophy. The time for planning for next season can come soon enough but this week is all about celebration, and relief, for Spurs.

Brighton are hoping they will be celebrating European qualification at the end of the season too. Fabian Huzeler’s side still have a faint chance of reaching Europe next season as they beat Liverpool 3-2 on Monday to put themselves in pole position to finish eighth in the Premier League table. If they finish in eighth they need Chelsea to finish outside of the top five and also win the UEFA Conference League (they play Real Betis in the final in Wroclaw, Poland next week) to seal a spot in the Conference League for next season. The Seagulls have won three of their last four and if they draw or win at Spurs, all eyes will be on Chelsea.

Tottenham Hotspur team news, focus

Spurs will rest most of their key players for this final game of the season, as the focus will be on celebrating their Europa League success at home with their fans. The last thing they want ahead of a return to the Champions League next season is to lose a key player to injury when they already know they’re going to finish in the lower reaches of the Premier League table. It will be intriguing to see what Ange Postecoglou says after the game about his future, as Spurs’ leadership team have a big decision to make this summer.

OUT: Dejan Kulusevski (knee - MORE), Dane Scarlett (groin), James Maddison (knee), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Radu Dragusin (torn ACL - out for season), Timo Werner (hamstring)

Brighton team news, focus

Hurzeler has been battling with injuries to key players all season long and when Brighton are fully-fit they are clearly up there with the ‘best of the rest’ in the Premier League. They have so many talented attackers and the Seagulls will go at Spurs early to try and settle things by half time, then all eyes will be on the City Ground to see how Chelsea are getting on against Nottingham Forest.

OUT: Georginio Rutter (ankle), Joao Pedro (personal), Ferdi Kadioglu (toe), James Milner (thigh), Solly March (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Jason Steele (wrist), Tariq Lamptey (knee)

Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton prediction

Ange Postecoglou wins trophies in his second season wherever he goes — it’s a simple matter of fact, cemented by Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

SPURS 1-0 MAN UNITED — Video highlights, recap & analysis | Player ratings

Below is the latest Ange Postecoglou reaction, as the Spurs boss spoke after lifting the trophy in Bilbao.

Ange Postecoglou reaction

“I can’t put it into words to be honest. I know I’m at an amazing football club with amazing supporters. It’s no secret it’s been a tough year, but I’ve just had this things inside me the back half of the year — one focus, one target. I just felt this was it. To achieve it today… I know what it means to the club, it’s had the tag of a nearly team for a long time. The only way you break that is by winning things, and we did that today.”

…

“I’m really hoping it changes the way the club sees itself more than anything else. Externally, you can’t really adjust whatever people think about you, but how you feel about yourself is really important. As a football club, you’ve been close so many times and I could feel the nervousness in Europe, every time we got close to something — there was always this ‘what if it’s another year we miss out.’ We’ve done it now, so that’s the monkey off the back, so the club can stand tall and hopefully look at itself a bit differently. We’ve won one now, so there’s nothing stopping you winning again.”

…

“I made the decision after the transfer window that this was the trophy to go for. Everything I have done, from training to decisions, was to be for the best possible chance in Europe. That has come at a cost. I just felt the end game was more important.”

…

“I’m pretty… relaxed is not the word, because I’d be pretty disappointed if we weren’t able to continue this. I understand it’s difficult to trust in one man’s vision. I know Daniel said once ‘we’ve had a lot of winners and now we’ve got Ange’. Mate I’m a winner.

Whatever happens, my own sort of belief in what I do doesn’t waver, and I’ll keep pushing on to do what I do.”

…

“It’s been the toughest couple of years I’ve had in my career and I knew it going into it, because I knew what I was going into. This football club has had world-class managers a lot better credentialed than I am, and haven’t been able to get this. I knew I had a massive challenge in front of me, added stress of the injury situation. I’ve just had this laser focus on, ‘I believe we can win something this year.’”

…

“People misinterpreted [the quote about winning trophies in the second season.] It was not me boasting, just me making a declaration and I believed it. I had this thing inside me more than anything else.”

Captain Heung-min Son, on delivering a trophy after 17 years

“Let’s say I’m a legend, why not? Only today. 17 years, nobody has done it, so today let’s say with amazing players probably a legend of the club.

“This is what I’ve always dreamed for. Today is the day it happened. I am the happiest man in the world. When you look at the whole season there will always be some situation you have a tough time, but we as players always stuck together.

“I felt the pressure. I wanted it so badly. The last seven days I was dreaming about this game every night. It finally happened and I can sleep easy now.”

Brennan Johnson, on ending the trophy drought and scoring the winning goal

“I’m so happy right now. This season has not been good at all, not one of us players care about that now. This team has not won a trophy for 17 years, it means so much.

“All the fans get battered, we get battered for not winning a trophy. We had to get the first one. I’m so happy. Ever since I came here it has been, ‘Tottenham — good team but can’t get it done,’ but we got it done.

“I knew I touched it a bit [for the goal], but not clean, then I looked up and the ball was trickling in the goal.

"[In the last five minutes] I couldn’t watch. I was just asking, ‘How long left?’ When we defended that corner, I was getting told it was done and the relief is something I can’t describe.”

…

"[Ange] has done his job. He said he wins in the second year and he has. If there’s ever a time for a mic drop, it’s now.”

Micky van de Ven, on Spurs’ belief to win the Europa League

“We always believed in this squad. Everyone kept believing even if we had a tough season.”

…

“I saw the ball come in. I had to go to the goal and I wondered how I would do this, but I just cleared it. My back… the ground over there is not soft.

“Unbelievable feeling. It was a tough season for myself also with injury.”

Ange Postecoglou has delivered the silverware and Tottenham Hotspur are trophy winners for the fist time since 2008 after knocking off Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final in Bilbao, Spain on Wednesday.

MORE — Player ratings | Postecoglou reaction | Amorim reaction

Brennan Johnson scored the game’s only goal in the 42nd minute, getting on the end of Pape Matar Sarr’s cross and benefiting from a deflection off defender Luke Shaw. Goal, own goal, my goal, your goal — Johnson and Spurs fans won’t care a single toss.

Micky van de Ven made the play of the game and Spurs’ season when he soared into the Bilbao sky and booted the ball clear as Rasmus Hojlund’s header was inches from crossing the goal line. A moment that will live in Tottenham Hotspur history until the end of time.

At long last, a trophy… but, uh, what next for Spurs?

Does Ange Postecoglou stay? Does he go? Who’s to say or know, aside from Daniel Levy, at this point? He said he wins trophies in his second season wherever he goes, and the Australian did not disappoint or fail to live up to expectations. They defended a bunch, they scored opportunistically and the defended a lot more — it was the antithesis of what Ange is supposed to be, but it worked. There is, of course, plenty of reason to consider a change this summer after a rocky 18 months that saw Spurs tumble from the upper echelons of the Premier League table, down to 17th place where they currently reside. The parade will snake its way around north London later this week, but but there is no guarantee Postecoglou will be in the dugout when the 2025-26 season kicks off in August. If he isn’t, allow me to be the first (or not) to say, thanks so much, Ange.

What’s next?

Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton — Sunday, 11 am ET

Manchester United vs Aston Villa — Sunday, 11 am ET

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United live, stream link and start time

Kick off time: 3 pm ET, Wednesday (May 21)

Venue: Estadio de San Mames — Bilbao, Spain

Watch: Paramount+

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United final score: 1-0

Goalscorers: Brennan Johnson (42')

GOAL-LINE CLEARANCE! Van de Ven goes aerial to clear the ball off the line (68')

The Dutchman needed every inch of his 8-foot-7 frame to stretch and boot the ball away. An iconic moment if Spurs can hold on here.

Second half sets up for Man United to control play, chase equalizer

The goal came from absolutely nothing as Spurs have relied heavily on crosses into the box without any midfield creativity to speak of, and Brennan Johnson did well to position himself and get on the end of Pape Matar Saar’s cross initially, but there was a massivel element of luck at play. Defend and counter — that’ll be the name of the game for Spurs for the entirety of the second half.

HALFTIME! Spurs 45 minutes from their first trophy since 2008

GOAL! Spurs 1-0 Man United: Pinball in the box, Johnson puts if off Shaw and in (42')

This is a final — not much quality, all effort (40')

Neither side is very good, both sides desperately want to win. Finals are rarely pretty, all about guts and glory — that’s exactly what we have here.

Man United pressure ramping up (25')

As expected, we’re seeing United camping out in the Spurs half with most of the pressure coming from out wide. Even when Spurs win the ball, they’re not able to move it forward and typically give it back within one or two pass attempts. We knew this would be the case without James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall in the side due to injuries. Alas, still 0-0.

Back and forth in the opening 10 minutes (12')

Man United had the first few minutes with Spurs pinned in defensively, but it’s been all Tottenham Hotspur the last few minutes with a corner kick and few dangerous crosses into the box. No saves yet by Andre Onana, but the Red Devils’ defense is definitely scrambling. Spurs 0-0 Man United.

KICKOFF! Spurs and Man United underway in the Europa League final

And, we are off. Spurs attacking left to right on your live blog feed, dressed in all white; United in the red top, blacks shorts going right to left. Someone is going to the Champions League, someone is going to cry in their beer tonight.

Son on the bench with Richarlison taking his place in Spurs lineup

Ange Postecoglou has rewarded Richarlison for his standout performances against Bodo/Glimt in the semifinals, leaving star and captain Heung-min Son on the bench. A big call, but probably the correct one after a foot injury kept Son out of action for most of the spring.

Manchester United starting lineup

Onana - Yoro, Maguire, Shaw - Mazraoui, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu - Amad, Mount; Hojlund

Tottenham Hotspur starting lineup

Vicario - Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie — Bissouma, Bentancur, Sarr - Johnson, Richarlison, Solanke