Premier League

Football writer Alex Keble highlights the hot topics and tactical lessons from Matchweek 7:

- Caicedo performance highlights what Liverpool are missing this season

- Arsenal’s "handbrake" critics are eating their words

- Emery’s use of two No 9s throws Burnley into confusion

- Early goals are the key to Man Utd improving under Amorim

- Wolves reveal familiar tactical issues that are holding Brighton back

- Spurs’ gritty win a sign of how much has changed under Frank

- Semenyo’s late blitz for Bournemouth has put him in the spotlight

- Everton have immediately made the Hill Dickinson feel like home

- Postecoglou’s strategy shift a worrying sign as Forest slip towards relegation zone

- Game of two halves shows the best, and the worst, way to combat Man City

Caicedo performance highlights what Liverpool are missing this season

Arne Slot has lost three games in a row in all competitions for the first time in his managerial career, and it has to be said Liverpool’s dip in form has been coming.

So far this season, Liverpool have been reliant on late goals to correct performances defined by looseness, an inability to control games, and an openness to opposition counter-attacks.

Chelsea’s late winner was familiar, being built around Liverpool’s right-back and scored at the far post, where the left-back should have been. This poses another question for Slot, on what to do with his current full-backs.

Watch Estevao Willian's late winner against Liverpool

But it was the imperious performance of Moises Caicedo that really hammered home what’s wrong at Liverpool in 2025/26.

Caicedo dominated central midfield. As well as scoring a brilliant opener, he was a metronomic presence in possession and the chief destroyer off it. On Saturday, he made more combined tackles and interceptions (five) than any other player on the pitch.

Caicedo's midfield performance v Liverpool

Liverpool tried to sign Caicedo two years ago. A year later, they reportedly tried again to find a No 6 but couldn’t get a deal for Martin Zubimendi over the line.

An elite No 6 would allow Liverpool to slow the game, stay in control, and screen against the fast breaks that have knocked them off the top of the Premier League.

Arsenal’s "handbrake" critics are eating their words

Arsenal are top of the Premier League table because they are able to control games and Liverpool are not.

A lot of pundits will be forced to eat their words after claiming Mikel Arteta has too often failed to take off the handbrake.

In reality he showed caution at appropriate moments. It made sense to play conservatively against Liverpool and Manchester City, and Arsenal were unlucky to only take one point from these matches.

Arsenal have not held back in any of their other five Premier League matches, including Saturday’s 2-0 victory over West Ham United, in which Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze started together in central midfield.

Watch highlights from Arsenal's 2-0 win against West Ham

What followed was a routine home win to leave Arsenal looking calm, measured, and in the right frame of mind to go one step further this season.

Emery’s use of two No 9 throws Burnley into confusion

Unai Emery came up with a novel way to beat Burnley’s back five, fielding Donyell Malen and Ollie Watkins together as No 9s in a 4-4-2 formation at Villa Park.

Marlen scored the goals and on both occasions he found space because he was one of two runners. With Axel Tuanzebe having to get tight to Morgan Rogers, Burnley’s remaining centre-backs were pulled apart by the splitting runs of Watkins and Malen:

This is positive for Aston Villa fans for two reasons. First, it was proof that Emery can still spring a tactical surprise and get it right, following an unnerving first two months of the season in which Villa’s football looked slow and predictable.

Second, it showed that Malen can have a big impact for Villa. He has struggled to fit in since his arrival in January, largely because Marcus Rashford was brought in on loan soon after, relegating Malen in the pecking order to the extent that he was left out of Villa’s UEFA Champions League squad.

Unlike Rashford – or Jhon Duran before him – Malen can drop deep and play between the lines, too, making him a much better fit to play alongside Watkins compared to Villa’s previous No 9s.

Malen and Watkins’ runs meant Villa, for once, were arriving in the final third at speed, in turn allowing Rogers to improve his form.

Early goals are the key to Man Utd improving under Amorim

Manchester United have been racing out of the blocks all season, but their dreadful conversion rate means it usually comes to nothing.

Mason Mount’s early strike at Old Trafford on Saturday allowed everyone to relax - fans included - and carry out the manager’s instructions. This is the template to follow.

Watch Mount's opener for Man Utd

Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 works best when Man Utd are able to fully control matches and dominate possession, which becomes a lot easier with early goals. It might also be considerably easier to do with Mount in the side.

Mount is an intelligent and hard-working player who looks perfect for one of the No 10 roles in Amorim’s 3-4-3. His goal in the eighth minute this weekend could be the catalyst that gets his Man Utd career up and running, following a difficult and injury-hit two years in Manchester.

Man Utd have now won four of their last eight Premier League games, as many as in their previous 21, and although five of their 10 wins under Amorim have come against promoted sides, that is nevertheless a sign of progress.

Scoring early is the secret to a spell of good form for Man Utd.

Wolves reveal familiar tactical issues that are holding Brighton back

It was a devastating end to the match for Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose wait for a Premier League win goes on after Jan Paul van Hecke scored a late equaliser from a set-piece, the 25th Wolves have conceded in the competition since the start of last season.

It’s pretty obvious where Wolves need to improve, then. The same can be said for Brighton & Hove Albion.

Brighton have taken two points from four games when holding more than 50 per cent possession and seven points from three matches when holding less than 50 per cent. That’s 0.5 points per game when controlling the ball and 2.3 points per game when playing on the counter.

Fabien Hurzeler had exactly the same problem last year.

Brighton's PL record with possession over/under 50 per cent, 24/25

Possession share Record Points per game Over 50% 5W 8D 9L 1.05 ppg 50% or less 10W 5D 0L 2.33ppg

Key: W=Wins, D=Draws; L=Losses.

Brighton need to find a way to break down a low block and score goals when in command of the ball. If they rely solely on fast breaks, they will hit a ceiling.

Spurs’ gritty win a sign of how much has changed under Frank

Plenty of teams this season will fall short at Elland Road, where a powerful and direct Leeds United will do everything they can to make life difficult for the visiting side.

Thomas Frank decided not to play Leeds at their own game. Instead, Tottenham Hotspur were conservative in their setup, happily dropping back and inviting the hosts onto them, a strategy that neutralised Leeds' own breaks and made the physical battle in midfield far less important.

There is no way an Ange Postecoglou team would have played like that; would have dug in, hit on the break, and come away with three points.

In fact, there is no "Big Six" team happy to be as reactive as Spurs have been under Frank. He represents a significant style change in the Premier League, although the Spurs manager was keen to point out that tactics are secondary to character.

"If you want to build any successful team, you need mentality, character, cohesion and togetherness no matter if you play like Inter or Barcelona," he said. "Whatever the style of play, you need that willingness to do everything to win and I think we’re building that more and more in the team."

Semenyo’s late blitz for Bournemouth has put him in the spotlight

In the rise of any Premier League player there is one explosive moment, usually televised, that finally gets neutrals to pay attention and anoint a new star.

Antoine Semenyo’s dazzling run and finish on Friday night, which he followed up with a further assist and goal to complete the turnaround, was the event that took his status to the next level.

Watch Semenyo's brilliant goal against Fulham

Semenyo has five goals and four assists in seven Premier League appearances this season. Only Erling Haaland (10) has more goal involvements to his name.

Most goal contributions in the PL 25/26

Player Total Haaland (MCI) 10 Semenyo (BOU) 9 Grealish (EVE), Joao Pedro (CHE), Anthony (BUR), Kudus (TOT) 5 Ekitike (LIV), Sarr (CRY), Richarlison (TOT), Gakpo (LIV) 4

Semenyo deserved more attention than he got for a strong 2024/25 campaign, in which he scored or assist 16 times in the Premier League, but with AFC Bournemouth now riding high in the table, the 25-year-old is finally getting love.

Andoni Iraola’s side ended Friday in second place – the club's highest ever position in the table – and are only two points behind current leaders Arsenal.

Thanks to Semenyo, dreams of playing in Europe for the first time look realistic.

Everton have immediately made the Hill Dickinson Stadium feel like home

Jack Grealish’s late winner sent the Hill Dickinson Stadium into delirium, the noise emulating Goodison Park at its best for the very first time.

Already, and thanks in no small part to moments like these, it feels like home.

Historically, Premier League teams have struggled with the move to a new stadium, but these Grealish-inspired performances and results (two wins and two draws so far at home) have made Everton’s transition look easy.

It helps that the stadium is superb, with great acoustics to capture the joy of late winners like Grealish’s goal on Sunday.

Watch as Everton end Crystal Palace's 19-match unbeaten run

And it helps that David Moyes has so quickly put this team together. Since his first game back in charge in January, only six teams have won more Premier League points than the 42 of Everton.

Ending Palace’s 19-game unbeaten run is no mean feat. The Toffees have a team, and a stadium, fit for European football.

Postecoglou’s strategy shift is worrying sign as Forest slip towards relegation zone

Nottingham Forest have lost five and drawn two of their first seven matches in all competitions under Ange Postecoglou, and although defeat at St James' Park is not necessarily a bad result – and certainly not as damaging as the 3-2 loss at home to FC Midtjylland on Thursday – there were some ominous signs.

Already, Postecoglou is approaching the point he reached after 18 months at Spurs, when the expansive attacking football is put to one side in favour of a fire-fighting approach.

Forest were defence-first at Newcastle, looking to frustrate in a quiet and conservative first half.

But even that did not help. Forest have lost six of their 10 matches in all competitions this season. It took 28 games of the 2024/25 season to hit that number.

Postecoglou’s personal record is even more painful. He has lost 30 of his last 49 Premier League matches.

Thankfully, the international break is a chance for Postecolgou to reset - and to teach his core principles to the Forest players.

Game of two halves shows the best, and the worst, way to combat Man City

Man City scored early at the Gtech Community Stadium and then breezed through the opening 45 minutes, playing with a composure and rhythm reminiscent of the height of Pep Guardiola’s side in 2017/18.

Watch Haaland's early goal at Brentford

It was a worrying sight for their title rivals and, maybe, an indication that Man City can return to the sort of form we haven’t seen in well over a year.

But in the second half, Brentford changed tactics, abandoning the low block and beginning to press high. They harassed the Man City central midfielders and created a more even game, with the subsequent throw-ins allowing Brentford to push the visitors back and apply some attacking pressure.

It was a case study in how to play against Man City, and how not to play against Guardiola's side.

The days of sitting deep and allowing Guardiola’s side to follow their prepared patterns of play are over. We now know that to combat Man City you have to bravely disrupt their passing, as Brentford eventually proved.

Then again, the hosts were helped by Rodri’s injury, after which Man City lost some of their composure.

Fans wait on news of his hamstring injury with bated breath. As we saw in 2024/25, Guardiola simply cannot afford to lose Rodri.

Leeds United v Tottenham Hotspur | 2025/2026 | Premier League | Overview  Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur sealed a 2-1 win against Leeds United on Saturday, with Mohammed Kudus’s first goal for the club ending Daniel Farke’s side’s 23-game unbeaten league run at Elland Road.

Kudus picked out the bottom-right corner with a brilliant finish in the 57th minute, capping a fine individual display after assisting the game’s opening goal.

Spurs had taken the lead in the 23rd minute through Mathys Tel’s deflected shot, but were pegged back before the break thanks to Noah Okafor’s effort from close range.

The deciding moment came just before the hour, with Kudus getting the better of Gabriel Gudmundsson on the right before flashing a fierce shot past Karl Darlow.

The result lifts Spurs to second in the league, one point behind leaders Liverpool, while Leeds remain 12th after their third defeat of the Premier League season.

How the match unfolded

Having seen former Spurs defender Joe Rodon head against a post early on, Leeds found themselves behind when Sean Longstaff was dispossessed by Rodrigo Bentancur, with the ball finding its way to Tel, who beat Darlow with the aid of a deflection from Pascal Struijk.

However, the hosts hauled themselves level 11 minutes before half-time through Okafor, who tucked home from close range after Guglielmo Vicario had parried Brenden Aaronson’s initial shot into his path following neat build-up play from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Tel came close to doubling his and Spurs' tally in first-half stoppage time, but his brilliant header from Wilson Odobert’s cross into the box cannoned off the crossbar.

After weathering a spell of pressure, Gudmundsson was unable to deal with Pedro Porro’s ball down the line, allowing Kudus to pick up the pieces and seal the win with a fine finish. But, Spurs needed a brilliant save from Vicario to deny Joel Piroe in second-half stoppage time.

Elland Road run comes to an end

Leeds have been unbeaten at home in over a year, with a win over Coventry City in September 2024 marking the start of that run, having also beaten Everton and drawn with AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United in the Premier League.

But, they fell short here despite making a strong start in a tale of squandered opportunities.

Longstaff’s inviting free-kick in the seventh minute saw Vicario misjudge the flight of the ball, but Rodon could only head against the post, and they were made to pay soon after when Tel beat Darlow at his near post, with that moment allowing Spurs to settle.

Joao Palhinha fired over after Ethan Ampadu failed to deal with a cross into the box, before Darlow was on hand to repel Destiny Udogie’s strike from a tight angle, but Leeds had their moments at the other end.

Calvert-Lewin could have done better after Bentancur was dispossessed by Okafor, though the Switzerland international made no mistake when restoring parity with his effort in the 34th minute, despite an inflatable ball making its way on to the pitch, much to the annoyance of Vicario.

Leeds continued to threaten in the second half as Calvert-Lewin’s shot on the swivel was blocked by the feet of Vicario before Anton Stach and Ao Tanaka fired wide, with Piroe’s late attempt brilliantly saved by the Spurs goalkeeper.

They will look to pick themselves up after the October international break, with a trip to Turf Moor to take on fellow promoted team Burnley in their next Premier League outing.

Spurs weather late storm to get back to winning ways

Spurs left it late to secure a 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, and that display appeared to exert all of their energy in the opening exchanges, though their sluggish start went unpunished as Tel fired them into the lead.

It was Tel’s first Premier League goal since scoring against Wolverhampton Wanderers in April, repaying the faith shown in him by Thomas Frank, as Spurs found a way to score without an established focal point at the top end of the pitch, with Richarlison on the bench and Dominic Solanke out injured.

Though they were susceptible to Leeds on the break, with Calvert-Lewin firing two warning shots either side of the break, Tel rattled the crossbar with a brilliant header in first-half stoppage time at the other end.

Spurs could have entered the break with a more comfortable advantage after Kudus had blazed over following Udogie’s unchallenged run, but the winger signed from West Ham United more than made up for that miss by striking the winning goal.

Frank introduced Kevin Danso and Pape Matar Sarr to shore things up at the back late on, but Leeds piled on the pressure and came close to an equaliser, only for Vicario to save Piroe’s close-range strike before Struijk's header was deflected wide late on.

It marks another excellent result in Frank’s early Spurs tenure, and he will be looking to build on that when they welcome Aston Villa to north London after the international break.

Club reports

Leeds report | Spurs report

What the managers said

Daniel Farke: "[We needed] to score more goals from our big chances. We had two big mistakes. Football is sometimes like this. That's the way it goes in the first half. Second half our player slipped and that was an invitation to Kudus.

"We had more than enough chances to win this game. Performance-wise I can just compliment the lads, we won every metric. We are disappointed but the lads should be pleased with their performance."

Thomas Frank: "We needed a win. The last three games were without [one]. That feeling to get over the line, to get three points, was big.

"But also the respect for Leeds and Elland Road. We knew very well the task ahead of us. We overcame that in a very good way. I thought we played overall a really good game. We should have got more out of the dangerous situations. I know they hit the post and the goal, and right at the end there was carnage, but for the rest of the game I thought we defended superbly."

Next PL fixtures

Key facts

Spurs have won three of their opening four away Premier League games this season (one draw), as many as in their final 13 away league games of last season under Ange Postecoglou (three wins, one draw, nine losses).

Leeds have lost eight of their last 10 Premier League games in which they’ve conceded first (one win, one draw), including three of their five so far in 2025/26.

Spurs have recorded their first Premier League win after a game in major European competition since February last season against Brentford (2-0), ending a run of eight matches without a victory (three draws, five losses).

Kudus completed all six of his dribbles, the best 100 per cent rate by a Spurs player in a Premier League game since Tanguy Ndombele against Villa in March 2021 (also six out of six).

Football writer David Coverdale reports on how Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Liverpool fared in their second round of matches in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

Spurs show their resilience once again

Bodo/Glimt 2-2 Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur required a late own goal to avoid a major upset against Champions League newcomers Bodo/Glimt.

Four months ago, Spurs beat the Norwegian minnows 2-0 in the Aspmyra Stadion to secure their passage to the Europa League final.

But they found the going much more difficult on their return trip to Bodo, even if they showed their resilience to fight back for a draw.

Spurs were given an early let off in the first half when Kasper Hogh blazed a penalty over the bar.

Yet the hosts took a deserved lead in the 53rd minute through Jens Petter Hauge, who then doubled his side’s advantage 13 minutes later.

Only then did Thomas Frank’s side wake up, with Micky van de Ven heading in a cross from Pedro Porro, who now has 18 assists since the start of the 2023/24 season, more than any other defender for a Premier League club across all competitions.

Spurs then pushed for a leveller and they fortunately found it in the 89th minute when Jostein Gundersen turned a cross into his own net.

It gave the north London club their fourth point from two Champions League ties, following their win over Villarreal in the first match.

And while there will be some concerns about the performance, Frank will be thrilled with the fight his team showed, coming off the back of their last-gasp draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Spurs must now quickly recover ahead of another tricky away match at Leeds United on Saturday.

Chelsea return to winning ways despite another red card

Chelsea 1-0 Benfica

Chelsea ensured there was to be no happy homecoming for Jose Mourinho as they secured their first win in this season’s Champions League.

Mourinho, who won three Premier League titles with the Blues, was making his return to Stamford Bridge in his new managerial role with Benfica.

The Portuguese coach was greeted to the sound of the stadium chanting his name in the early stages and responded in kind by blowing kisses to the crowd.

But Mourinho’s mood soured in the 18th minute when Richard Rios slammed into his own net.

The goal stemmed from Chelsea’s biggest attacking threat Pedro Neto, who whipped in a dangerous ball from the right with his left foot.

Alejandro Garnacho slid in at the back post to cut the ball back and Rios’ attempted clearance went into his own goal (below).

Chelsea’s starting XI was the youngest they have ever fielded in a Champions League match, with an average age of exactly 24 years.

This was by no means a perfect performance from Blues’ youthful side.

But after losing their European opener to Bayern Munich and back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, a return to winning ways was all that mattered.

Enzo Maresca will also have been pleased to see his team keep just their third clean sheet in nine matches this term.

“We knew the difficulties we had in the first game and we tried to work hard to manage those difficulties and today was the resilience of the team that came through,” said star man Neto.

"I think we had a very good game. In the end we could have controlled it a bit more with the quality of what we had but in the end we have the three points.

"It's a tough team to face at home, we knew we needed to work hard, we did well."

The only negative of the night was a red card for second-half substitute Joao Pedro, who was shown a second yellow for a high boot.

Chelsea were also reduced to 10 men in their last two Premier League matches, so Maresca will want to ensure they keep their discipline when Liverpool visit on Saturday.

Defensive issues arise again for Liverpool

Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool

Liverpool’s defensive frailties were exposed again as they slumped to their second successive defeat.

The Reds had been bidding to bounce back from their last-gasp defeat to Crystal Palace last Saturday, which ended their 100 per cent record this season.

Instead, Arne Slot – who surprisingly benched Mohamed Salah – was left with plenty to ponder after an error-strewn performance saw them lose in Istanbul.

Liverpool have now kept just two clean sheets in their last 15 matches in all competitions and appear to have real problems with their defence.

Slot opted to start with Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back, with Jeremie Frimpong ahead of him on the right-wing.

But it was Szoboszlai who brought down Baris Alper Yilmaz to gift Galatasaray a 16th-minute penalty, which star striker Victor Osimhen tucked away for the game’s only goal.

The hosts continued to exploit Liverpool in the full-back areas throughout the match, much like Palace did at Selhurst Park.

And just like they did against the Eagles, the Reds were grateful to Alisson for keeping them in the game as they gave the ball away at will.

The Liverpool goalkeeper, though, injured himself making a save from Osimhen in the second half and had to be replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili. Slot has confirmed he Alisson will miss the trip to Chelsea.

Slot’s nightmare night was compounded when he was forced to replace Hugo Ekitike – back in the starting XI in favour of Alexander Isak - after he appeared to hurt himself stretching for the ball.

Slot brought his big guns off the bench in the second half.

But while the introduction of Salah and Isak improved Liverpool, they could not find another late goal, with a penalty initially awarded to Ibrahima Konate overturned by VAR.

Liverpool will now have to quickly pick themselves up ahead of the trip to Chelsea on Saturday.

Wednesday's Champions League matches

Joao Palhinha scored a wonderful equaliser in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time to spare Tottenham Hotspur's blushes as they battled back to draw 1-1 with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wolves looked set to finally get their Premier League campaign up and running after five straight defeats, as Santiago Bueno stabbed home following a goalmouth scramble in the 54th minute.

Spurs had hit the crossbar through Mohammed Kudus in the first half, but they were far from free-flowing and also saw their goal frame struck by Matt Doherty.

Thomas Frank's men barely created a single chance after falling behind, but deep into stoppage time, Palhinha bent a fine finish into the bottom-right corner to break the visitors' hearts.

Wolves remain bottom of the table with a single point, three adrift of 17th-placed Burnley, while Spurs are third with 11 points from six games.

How the match unfolded

Spurs started slowly, but they went agonisingly close to scoring from their first real attack in the 15th minute, with Kudus' header being pushed against the crossbar by Sam Johnstone.

Kudus did have the ball in the net 12 minutes later, but he was offside when latching onto Lucas Bergvall's flick to curl into the far corner.

Spurs kept up the pressure as Bergvall fired an acrobatic effort over the bar and Kudus tested Johnstone from the edge of the box. However, it was Wolves who nearly snatched the lead just before half-time, with Doherty's half-volley glancing off the woodwork.

But the visitors did strike from another corner early in the second half. Ladislav Krejci's downward header was parried by Guglielmo Vicario, and Bueno was on hand to prod home in the ensuing melee.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde drilled wide at the end of a determined run as the home fans grew restless, while only the right boot of Vicario denied Hugo Bueno.

Wolves looked set to see out a shock result in relative comfort, but Palhinha came to the hosts' rescue, salvaging a point by curling home after good hold-up play from Pape Matar Sarr.

Few home comforts for Spurs despite leveller

But Saturday's match was largely a tale of frustration for Spurs. They struggled to make the most of some promising first-half situations, while Wolves threatened when they forced set-piece opportunities.

Some static defending from a Jhon Arias corner was punished by Bueno, and if anything, Spurs regressed further from that moment on. The hosts were bullied in midfield, with Andre particularly impressive for Wolves, while wild pot-shots from Cristian Romero and Palhinha were sent flying over Johnstone’s goal.

But just as they appeared out of ideas, Palhinha shaped a lovely effort inside the bottom-right corner, earning a point that Spurs could scarcely say they deserved.

Frank will be frustrated by his team's home form, after they were comprehensively outplayed in a 1-0 loss to AFC Bournemouth last time out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, though the former Brentford boss will be mightily relieved to avoid defeat here.

Spurs will need to show more in a busy week ahead, as they visit Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League, then travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United in the Premier League.

Wolves on the board but heartbroken

Wolves endured a defensive horror show in last week's 3-1 defeat to Leeds United, which prompted Vitor Pereira to make sweeping changes for Tuesday's EFL Cup tie at home to Everton.

And following a morale-boosting 2-0 win over the Toffees, Pereira stuck with nine of his midweek starting XI, playing a back four in a Premier League game for the very first time.

Wolves started calmly, with the introduction of Andre giving them a foothold in midfield, but they initially struggled for creativity. Before Doherty side-footed against the outside of the post, speculative shots from Arias and Hwang Hee-chan were the sum of their efforts.

At half-time, Pereira introduced Jackson Tchatchoua and Emmanuel Agbadou and reverted to a three-man defence, and it was Bueno – shifted out to the right of that trio – that came up with the opener.

Bueno was in the right place at the right time to score his first goal for Wolves, on his 56th appearance for the club, while he was also rock-solid defensively, making one heroic challenge to halt a marauding run from Xavi Simons.

Physicality was the name of the game for Wolves in the second half, and it served them well, but one moment of quality was all it took for two points to be snatched away from them.

Pereira now faces the difficult task of re-energising his players ahead of a home clash with Brighton & Hove Albion in eight days' time.

Club reports

Spurs report | Wolves report

What the managers said

Thomas Frank: "We played a good first half in many ways. There were times we could have done more.

"After their goal we lost a bit of control. We didn't keep the structure and were rushing too much. The effort and mentality from the players was fantastic.

"We got a well-deserved equaliser in the end. Probably a fair reflection."

Vitor Pereira: "We deserved the three points and almost in the end it's difficult to accept.

"I'm trying to come back but it's difficult. We controlled the game in the second half. The spirit was there. Everything was there but the last minute, it's football."

Next PL fixtures

Key facts

Spurs have won just three of their last 17 Premier League home games (four draws, 10 losses). Indeed, since the first game of this spell (November 10th 2024 v Ipswich Town), no ever-present side has earned fewer home points in the competition than Spurs (13, level with West Ham).

At 93:27, Palhinha scored Spurs' latest equalising goal in a Premier League game since September 2023 against Sheffield United (Richarlison, 97:33).

Wolves remain winless in their last 10 Premier League games (two draws, eight losses), this after winning six in a row in the league beforehand.

Since the start of last season, only Leicester (15) and West Ham (14) have fallen 1-0 behind in more different Premier League home games than Spurs (13).

The Scout triples up on Manchester City in the best team for Gameweek 6 of Fantasy Premier League.

A home encounter with Burnley earns centre-back Josko Gvardiol (£5.8m) a place alongside the resurgent Phil Foden (£8.0m) and the prolific Erling Haaland (£14.3m).

Norwegian Haaland is handed the armband on the back of his six goals across the first five Gameweeks, while Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m) is named as vice-captain.

Guglielmo Vicario (Spurs) £5.1m

The goalkeeper is Tottenham Hotspur's top-scoring player in Fantasy this season, combining three clean sheets with four save points and five bonus points to claim 30 points. Spurs and Vicario entertain a Wolverhampton Wanderers side who have failed to score in both their away matches.

Josko Gvardiol (Man City) £5.8m

Man City’s centre-back has a clean sheet and two defensive contribution points to his name over the last two Gameweeks since recovering from injury. Five goals in the previous campaign underlines Gvardiol’s major attacking threat against Burnley.

James Tarkowski (Everton) £5.5m

Everton’s centre-back is one of only two players to collect defensive contribution points in all five of the opening Gameweeks. Tarkowski’s threat at set-pieces will also pose major problems for his visitors West Ham United.

Marcos Senesi (AFC Bournemouth) £4.8m

Similarly to Tarkowski, the AFC Bournemouth star has collected 10 points through his defensive contributions. Senesi has also delivered three clean sheets and an assist in his last four outings ahead of a visit to Leeds United.

Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) £9.0m

Manchester United’s playmaker visits a Brentford side who have conceded 10 goals over the first five Gameweeks, the third-most in the league. Fernandes has scored twice and created a league-high 15 chances, highlighting his major all-round attacking potential.

Phil Foden (Man City) £8.0m

The England star looks back to his best after a recent return to the Man City starting XI. Foden has two goals and two assists across his side’s last four matches in all competitions.

Antoine Semenyo (AFC Bournemouth) £7.7m

Bournemouth’s winger is the top-scoring midfielder in Fantasy, earning 41 points thanks to three goals and two assists. Semenyo’s 12 shots in the box and six big chances – or situations where the player is expected top score – are also both top among midfielders this season.

Jack Grealish (Everton) £6.8m

Everton’s winger has four assists and 24 points in his four starts since arriving on loan from Man City. Grealish has created 13 chances from Gameweek 2 onwards, more than any other player in Fantasy.

Erling Haaland (Man City) £14.3m

A massive 798,000+ managers have already transferred in Haaland ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 BST deadline. If, as expected, he recovers from a slight back complaint, the Norwegian is expected to be the No 1 captain pick for Gameweek 6 – his 20 shots in the box and 10 big chances are both league-leading totals this season.

Joao Pedro (Chelsea) £7.8m

Chelsea’s Brazilian faces his former club Brighton & Hove Albion on the back of two goals and three assists over the last four Gameweeks. Joao Pedro’s hefty 67 per cent ownership will be optimistic he can add to that tally at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon – the Seagulls have lost both their away matches, conceding twice on each occasion.

Richarlison (Spurs) £6.7m

The Spurs forward took his tally to three goals and an assist for the season last weekend with a strike in their 2-2 draw at Brighton. Richarlison’s 13 shots in the box rank second only to Haaland this season, while his opponents Wolves have conceded 12 goals and are without a clean sheet over their five matches.

Tottenham Hotspur came from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Brighton & Hove Albion at the American Express Stadium.

Thomas Frank seemed to be staring down the barrel of a second Premier League defeat as Spurs boss, when Brighton took an early lead through Yankuba Minteh, before Yasin Ayari created some breathing room with a stunning strike in the 31st minute.

Richarlison, though, halved the deficit in the 43rd minute and Spurs took that momentum into the second half. After substitute Xavi Simons had twice gone close to scoring, the visitors' pressure paid off when Jan Paul van Hecke turned the ball into his own net in the 82nd minute.

The draw moved Spurs, at least temporarily, up to second place, while Brighton are 13th with five points from as many matches.

How the match unfolded

Against the run of play, Minteh put Brighton ahead in the eighth minute, beating Spurs’ offside trap before rounding Guglielmo Vicario and finishing into an empty net.

The Seagulls doubled their advantage as Ayari caught Vicario off-guard with a fierce effort from an unlikely angle, some 32 yards out.

Yet Spurs pulled one back just before half-time. Mohammed Kudus’s shot fell straight to Richarlison, who managed to take a touch before slotting home.

It looked like it would not be Spurs’ day when substitute Simons was denied by Bart Verbruggen and scuffed another shot wide.

However, they finally found an equaliser as Kudus’s cross went through to Van Hecke, who was only able to deflect it in off his thigh.

Kudus almost capped a fine individual performance with a winner in stoppage time, but his deflected strike looped just over Verbruggen’s goal.

Gruda’s time to shine?

Ayari’s strike may have been the highlight for Brighton, but Brajan Gruda impressed on what was his first league start of the season.

With Georginio Rutter moving into the striker role, Gruda slotted into the attacking midfield position, and Fabian Hurzeler will have liked what he saw.

The German youth international played a crucial role in Brighton’s opening goal, holding the ball up before finding Rutter, who then played Minteh through on goal.

Gruda was also involved with two chances just before the half-hour mark, teeing up a long shot for Ayari before missing the target with an effort of his own from distance.

The 21-year-old offered some security to Hurzeler’s midfield, too, with Gruda often dropping back to the edge of his own box in order to help out defensively.

Although this meant the front three of Minteh, Rutter and Kaoru Mitoma were left to do more work on the counter, it is certainly food for thought for Hurzeler, especially with Danny Welbeck struggling to click into top gear, as Brighton aim to propel themselves up the table. It was ultimately a frustrating day for the Seagulls after such a positive start.

Gruda, who was subbed off just after the hour and replaced with veteran James Milner, will hope to start again for Brighton when they face Barnsley in the EFL Cup, with a trip to Chelsea following in their next league match.

Simons makes his mark as Frank mixes things up

This was the first time that Pape Matar Sarr – who had been an unused substitute as Spurs’ squad was rotated following their UEFA Champions League exploits in midweek – did not start a match under Frank’s reign, and his absence was felt in the middle of the pitch for Spurs.

The visitors’ best chances in the first half came from wide areas as Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur opted to attack crosses.

Spurs’ midfield also struggled when defending transitions, with their backline often left in one-on-one situations when facing counter-attacks.

New signing Simons also had to settle for a place among the substitutes, but the Dutch international certainly made a difference when he came on just after the hour.

Deployed in a central role, Simons was swift to get in and around the action, as proved by his two chances, while it was he who played the pass out to Kudus in the build-up to Spurs’ equaliser.

Frank is likely to mix things up again when Spurs face Doncaster Rovers next week in the EFL Cup, before they host lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Club reports

Brighton report | Spurs report

What the managers said

Fabian Hurzeler: "In the moments that we conceded the goals, the timing was bad. I think how we conceded the goals was quite unlucky. Overall I was pleased with the performance.

"We created chances, had quite a few good transition moments, especially in the second half. In the end there were a lot of unlucky things."

Thomas Frank: "I thought we looked extremely strong. I am very happy with the overall performance. It was potentially our best performance of the season. We dominated more or less throughout the game and created enough chances.

"We maybe lacked enough to create three or four big chances but the amount of crosses we were putting in... For me if there should have been a winner it should have been us."

Next PL fixtures

Key facts

Since the start of their first Premier League season (2017-18), Brighton have conceded more own goals than any other side (20).

Richarlison has scored 14 goals in his last 19 Premier League starts for Tottenham.

Ayari's strike for Brighton (32.2 yards) was the joint-longest range goal Brighton have scored in the Premier League alongside Carlos Baleba's winner against West Ham in April. Meanwhile, it was the longest range goal Spurs have conceded in the competition since August 2016 (Ross Barkley for Everton – 40 yards).

Tottenham have won just one of their last nine Premier League games that have come after playing in Europe in midweek (W3 L5), with that sole victory coming against Burnley on MD1 this season following the UEFA Super Cup.

Brighton and Hove Albion v Tottenham Hotspur | 2025/2026 | Premier League | Overview  Premier League

The Premier League has six clubs in the UEFA Champions League this season, including Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur who began their campaigns on Tuesday evening. Football writer Daniel Edwards reports on how they fared.

Subs seal historic win for Arteta's patient Arsenal

Athletic Club 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal showcased both their strength in depth and their European experience with a patient victory at Estadio de San Mames, with two late goals from substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard earning the Gunners a sixth-straight victory against LaLiga opposition.

This was Athletic Club’s first match in the Champions League since the 2014/15 campaign and the San Mames faithful were promised a fast start. They got exactly that, with the first three shots of the game all coming from the home side as Arsenal tried to get to grips with an abrasive atmosphere.

Not a single player from Athletic Club's starting XI had previously played in the Champions League, making them the first Spanish team to name a starting line-up made up entirely of competition debutants since Real Madrid in 1995, and Arsenal’s experience came to the fore as the match progressed, slowly wrestling back control while keeping opposition counter-attacks to a minimum.

Noni Madueke has proven himself to be much more than an understudy for Bukayo Saka in recent weeks for club and country. The winger was a constant thorn in the left side for Athletic Club, driving towards the box incessantly throughout, so much so that the hosts elected to switch out their left-backs with a third of the game to go.

Eberechi Eze on the other hand was far quieter, and Arsenal were perhaps remiss not to make more of an attempt to bring him and Riccardo Calafiori into the game in the attacking third, with the pair looking a smooth duo when afforded the chance to combine. Eze was replaced by Martinelli in the 71st minute and Mikel Arteta’s decision changed the outlook of the game.

It took only 36 seconds for Martinelli do to what Eze could not, and the Brazilian opened the scoring for the Gunners after a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it counter-attack that evoked the Martinelli of seasons past. This was the quickest-ever goal by an Arsenal substitute in the Champions League.

A long kick from Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon was won in the air by Cristhian Mosquera, flicked on by Declan Rice and then once again by the newly-introduced Trossard, before being brought under control at pace by an on-running Martinelli. After darting towards goal, the Brazilian sent the ball past Simon.

The whole attack started and finished within a matter of seconds, stunning the home crowd into a rare silence.

It took 15 minutes for Martinelli to return the favour for Trossard as the pair of substitutes linked up once more to give Arsenal a two-goal lead and a certain victory.

After receiving a pass from Rice on the left, Martinelli faced up Athletic right-back Andoni Gorosabel before a burst of pace saw him appear suddenly in the penalty area, where he pulled the ball back for Trossard on the edge of the six-yard box.

Trossard’s first touch with his right instep was one of perfection, instantly killing the speed of the pass, and the Belgian showed great composure by seemingly picking his spot in slow motion with his right leg still hanging in the air, striking the ball into the roof of the net a half-second later.

This was the first time that a pair of substitutes had set each other up in a Champions League game for Arsenal, only serving to highlight the strength in depth that Arteta has at his disposal this year.

Arsenal’s Champions League campaign was never going to be won or lost in this contest, but this was a fantastic first step towards qualification for the knockout rounds.

"I’m very happy. It’s an incredible place to come and play football, and the atmosphere is one of the best I've seen," said Arteta, quoted on Arsenal's official website.

"We knew it was going to be very difficult, so we had to earn the right to win the game. Something that we always discuss is that the finishers have to impact the game, and Gabi and Leo came on to make the difference for the team. They were outstanding and the rest of the team [were] as well."

Arteta was born just an hour up the road from Bilbao in San Sebastian and he will be proud to have inflicted a sixth straight defeat to Spanish opposition in the Champions League, with Arsenal becoming the first side to achieve such a feat in the competition. They're also only the third English club to win away to Athletic Club, after Liverpool (European Cup 1983/84) and Manchester United (UEFA Europa League 2024/25).

Arsenal's six consecutive wins v Spanish teams

Season Result Seville (A) 2023/24 W 2-1 Sevilla (H) 2023/24 W 2-0 Girona (A) 2024/25 W 2-1 Real Madrid (H) 2024/25 W 3-0 Real Madrid (A) 2024/25 W 2-1 Athletic Club (A) 2025/26 W 2-0

Own goal gives Frank a winning Champions League debut

Spurs 1-0 Villarreal

A gift-wrapped clanger from opposition goalkeeper Luiz Junior proved the only difference as Spurs overcame a bothersome Villarreal side in a stop-start affair at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

This season has the feel of a new era for Spurs, with the departures of manager Ange Postecoglou and executive chairman Daniel Levy, and a return to the Champions League spotlight.

All of this contributed to an anxious but hopeful energy emanating from the home crowd before kick-off.

But despite being gifted the start of dreams thanks to Luiz Junior's goalkeeping error, Thomas Frank's side never truly got a firm grip of the game, and a poor second-half performance led to a feeling of palpable relief from the Spurs faithful at full-time.

At only three minutes and eight seconds, the opening goal was the earliest that Spurs have scored in the Champions League, and offered a perfect start for Frank in his first match as a manager in the competition.

In what was clearly an orchestrated avenue of attack, Pedro Porro played in Lucas Bergvall down the right-hand side for Spurs, and the midfielder carried the ball 10 metres into the box before looking up to try and find the run of Richarlison.

Bergvall overplayed the cross just a touch and the ball was met by Luiz Junior, only rather than simply bringing the ball into his grasp, the Brazilian managed to swipe it backwards into his own net, and was left only with his head in his hands instead.

The game became a little untidy from here and referee Rade Obrenovic arguably lost control of the affair at the half-hour mark, with a flurry of fouls resulting in two yellow cards apiece in the space of six minutes.

Much to the chagrin of the home crowd, one of the few times that Obrenovic elected not to blow his whistle was when Richarlison claimed for a penalty not long before half-time.

The start of the second half was a different story for Villarreal, the away side seemingly wanting to amend for a calamitous opening to the first 45 minutes, with former Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe a source of danger on the right.

And Villarreal were the instigators throughout the second half, with Spurs failing to regain control of the game despite Frank introducing Joao Palhinha in attempt to shore up the centre of the pitch and put an end to the visitors’ counter-attacking threat.

Spurs were ultimately forced to rely on the quality of their defence, which Frank no doubt deserves great credit for, given the calamitous showings of these same defenders last season under Postecoglou.

In the end, Villarreal failed to force Guglielmo Vicario into making a single save, the Italian adequately shielded by his backline.

Micky van de Ven was the pick of the bunch, with no Spurs player making more recoveries (11), clearances (four) or tackles (three). His extreme pace also helped snuff out multiple counter-attacks, including one late on when he managed to intervene with Georges Mikautadze just before the striker entered the box.

The central defender spoke to broadcaster Amazon Prime after the match, telling reporter Gabriel Clarke: "It was a tough one tonight. We didn't play very well to be honest.

“We had a really good start and of course you want to build on that, but Villarreal are a really difficult team to play against. It is tough, but we got the three points and that is [the] most important [thing]."

While Frank will be pleased to pick up three points in his first outing as a manager in this competition, he made it clear to Amazon Prime after the game that he is aware there is room for improvement.

"I learnt that the team is working very hard and we have very good foundations to stand on in terms of our defensive organisation," said Frank. "I think that is good. We gave very little away.

"I knew it [already] but I think offensively is definitely the area we need to get better. It is also about the relationships. For Djed Spence and Xavi Simons, it was just the second game together. They played too short and into feet too many times."

Spurs, who qualified for the Champions League by winning last season's UEFA Europa League, have now won five consecutive games in major European competition for the first time since a run of six in the 2013/14 Europa League.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall has been voted Player of the Matchweek for Matchweek 4. He is the third Spurs player to win the award after Richarlison and Joao Palhinha had topped previous polls.

Bergvall scored his first Premier League goal for Spurs against West Ham United on Saturday, with a brilliant header, and then followed up providing an assist for Micky van de Ven to seal a 3-0 victory at the London Stadium.

Watch highlights of Bergvall’s Matchweek 4 performance

Bergvall picked up 27 per cent of the fan vote in Matchweek 4, pipping Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who recorded 25 per cent.

The other six nominees were Erling Haaland (23 per cent), Moises Caicedo (eight per cent), Robin Roefs and Antoine Semenyo (both six per cent), Nick Woltemade (four per cent) and Emiliano Martinez (one per cent).