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Tottenham opened their Champions League campaign with a hard-earned 1-0 win against Villarreal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It wasn’t always pretty, but Thomas Frank’s side got the job done. Here are the main takeaways from the match.

Spurs’ right side looks a real weapon

The summer signing of Mohammed Kudus already looks inspired. Operating from the right, the former West Ham man stretched Villarreal from the opening minutes, linking well with Pedro Porro and repeatedly getting behind the visitors’ back line.

Tottenham’s early breakthrough came from that flank: a low cross forced an error from Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior, who bundled the ball into his own net inside four minutes. That avenue remained Spurs’ most dangerous outlet all evening, with Kudus’ pace and directness giving the hosts a cutting edge they sometimes lacked last season.

Defensive stability under Thomas Frank

Tottenham’s defensive progress under new head coach Thomas Frank was evident again. Last year’s leaky back line has been replaced by a compact, disciplined unit that mixes man-to-man aggression with clear organisation.

Spurs rarely overcommitted and were happy to sit slightly deeper when Villarreal pressed for an equaliser. Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero marshalled the centre superbly, while Destiny Udogie impressed on the left. A second successive clean sheet is proof that Frank’s methods are starting to bed in – a far cry from the chaos that saw Spurs slump to 17th place only a season ago.

Begvall’s bright start continues

At just 19 years old, Lucas Begvall is fast becoming one of Tottenham’s most exciting prospects. Fresh from his first Premier League goal at West Ham last weekend, the youngster delivered another confident display here.

Begvall’s willingness to run at defenders and his clever movement gave Spurs an extra dimension in attack. He also showed composure on the ball, linking neatly with midfield and creating a couple of half-chances. Thomas Frank clearly trusts him, and if he maintains this form, the teenager could force himself into a regular starting berth ahead of more senior names.

A winning start in Europe – but room to grow

Securing all three points was Tottenham’s main objective, and they achieved it. A clean sheet, early lead and disciplined defending meant the job was done, even if the performance lacked fluency at times.

The own goal remains Spurs’ only strike in this year’s Champions League, underlining the need for sharper finishing. Villarreal were there for the taking in the first half, but Spurs didn’t make their dominance count. With tougher tests looming – notably a trip to Paris Saint-Germain – Frank will hope his forwards can soon translate possession and territory into goals.

Still, after such a poor league finish last term, Tottenham fans will be pleased to see their team combining resilience with attacking promise on the European stage.

Tottenham Hotspur made it three wins from their first four matches, with the side only conceding one goal, a credit to the structure new boss Thomas Frank has implemented in his short time at the club so far.

Let's analyse how the Spurs players fared during this London derby...

Guglielmo Vicario - 7

The Italian shot-stopper has looked calm and composed for Spurs in their first few games of the season, and, for the first time in a long while, he's managed to have a stable back four in front of him, with the same players playing week-in, week-out.

After the Spurs' defensive woes last season, leading to a 17th-place Premier League finish, Vicario and his defensive unit have looked steady under new head coach Thomas Frank, and that continued today, with the goalkeeper keeping another clean sheet (three out of four games). Vicario had to make four saves during the match; most notably from Bowen in the second period, but aside from this, the goalkeeper remained untroubled.

Pedro Porro - 8

On his 26th birthday, Porro made his 87th Premier League appearance for Spurs, and it was one to remember; a 3-0 away win at a London rival. The attack-minded defender created the joint-most chances in the match (two), made five recoveries and kept a clean sheet as part of a defensive unit that kept the West Ham attack quiet on the whole. The Spaniard did well against an inform Crysencio Summerville, who won a penalty and registered an assist in West Ham's last game against Nottingham Forest.

Cristian Romero - 8

The World Cup-winning centre back was named Tottenham's new captain during the summer after the departure of Son Heung-min, and Romero has taken on the responsibility excellently so far. A martial at the back, Romero is always commanding in his approach and has built up an outstanding partnership with his centre-back partner, Micky Van de Ven. As far as the game went, the Argentinian registered a delightful assist for Bergvall's goal with a clever long pass over the top of West Ham's defence, made 93% of attempted passes and didn't commit a foul, slowly removing the "too rash" concept sometimes associated with his game. Romero controversially had a close-range header ruled out in the first half for a foul on Kyle Walker-Peters.

Micky Van de Ven - 9

Van de Ven rounded off an excellent second-half performance from Spurs with a sweeping finish into the far corner with his weak foot, and before his goal, he remained a threat from set pieces (13 corners and multiple long throws). Van de Ven (and co.) kept makeshift striker Lucas Paqueta quiet during the game, and it's no secret that Spurs are a better side when Van de Ven plays, so they'll be hoping to keep him fit for the entirety of this season, unlike last season, where he only featured in 13 of Spurs' 38 Premier League games.

Djed Spence - 8

After making his England debut earlier in the week, there is no doubt that Spence is one of Spurs' most inform players. As comfortable on the left as he is on the right, the 25-year-old kept West Ham's most dangerous players quiet in Jarrod Bowen and offered a good overlap option to Xavi Simons when Spurs drove forward, with Simons often wanting to come inside on his right foot from the left. Spence did pick up a yellow card for a mistimed foul in the second half, but this didn't take away from what was another solid showing from the full-back, who wants to play against "your favourite winger".

Joao Palhinha - 8

Joao Palhinha was a presence all game long, providing the kind of backbone Spurs needed in midfield. The Portuguese international dominated the defensive side of play, winning crucial duels and tackles that cut out West Ham’s attempts to build any sort of momentum. Palhinha was at the forefront of the biggest turning point in the game, which was Tomas Soucek's red card challenge. This highlighted his influence in midfield and sparked his team to go on and score two more goals. The signing has been brilliant, in terms of Palhinha 'letting' the other two Spurs midfielders roam in possession of the ball; he's the hard-tackling midfielder of the usual three.

Lucas Bergvall - 10

Lucas Bergvall scored Spurs' second goal of the afternoon with an excellent looping header over Mads Hermansen. However, beyond the teenager's first-ever Premier League goal, his all-around contribution was impressive. Bergvall pressed actively, made intelligent runs in behind the West Ham defence, and showed real energy both on and off the ball. Furthermore, the Swede also registered an assist for Tottenham's third goal, nudging the ball into the path of Van de Ven to secure the three points for the away side. For Spurs fans, this is hopefully the start of some promising things to come for the young, versatile midfielder.

Pape Sarr - 9

The Senegal international opened the scoring for Spurs after powerfully meeting an in-swinging Xavi Simons corner early in the second half; and constantly provides the engine that is necessary in the all-action Tottenham midfield. Sarr grew into the game: his presence in midfield helped Spurs gain composure and control in a fierce derby game. With West Ham still pressing early in the second half, he ensured Tottenham Hotspur were dangerous from set pieces, and his goal set the tone for what became a dominant second half.

Mohammed Kudus - 8

Facing his former employers for the first time, Mo Kudus did not receive the warmest welcome back at the London Stadium, it has to be said. However, the Ghanaian, who was signed for £55m in the summer, was an outlet on Spurs' right-hand side throughout the match, creating the most chances (two) and completing the most dribbles (four) out of any player for both teams. The 25-year-old potentially wasn't involved in the game as much as he would've liked, but played the full 90 minutes in a comfortable away win.

Xavi Simons - 8

Xavi Simons made his full Spurs debut after signing for the club two weeks ago from RB Leipzig for a fee valued at just under £52m, and showed some promising glimpses on the ball in the first half. The Dutchman's most valuable contribution came right at the beginning of the second half, curling in a corner that Pape Sarr headed in to begin the scoring for Spurs. The creative midfielder was willing to take risks to get his side on the front foot, completing 84% of passes before eventually being substituted with 20 minutes to go. More to come, for sure, from the 22-year-old.

Mathys Tel - 7

Tel came into the side fresh from scoring twice for France U21's in the most recent international break, but found it a little difficult to get into the game in the first half, especially. The attacker started his first Premier League game of the season and, after predominantly being used on the left in the past for Spurs, got given a chance up front with Richarlison and Kolo Muani on the bench. Tel was making the right runs in behind, but only had one shot and completed 75% of attempted passes in the 79 minutes that he played, eventually being replaced by fellow Frenchman, Wilson Odobert.

Subs:

Destiny Udogie - 6

The Italian international, who didn't go away with his country on international duty as he continued his recovery from a knee injury, played his first minutes of the season for Spurs and looked comfortable at left-back in seeing out the win for his side.

Richarlison - 6

The striker, who registered an assist in Spurs' last away game at Manchester City, came on with 20 minutes to go and made himself a presence in helping his side see out the impressive away win. Richarlison will be looking to get back into the Tottenham starting XI soon, potentially on Tuesday when the North London side face Villerreal in the Champions League at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Wilson Odobert - N/A

Odobert played just over 10 minutes, and with the game comfortably at 3-0, he had no significant impact.

Kevin Danso - N/A

Danso played just over 10 minutes and with the game comfortably at 3-0, he didn't have any sort of impact.

Brennan Johnson - N/A

Johnson played just over 10 minutes, and with the game comfortably at 3-0, he didn't have any sort of impact.

New Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he expected to be sacked by Tottenham Hotspur following their UEFA Europa League triumph in May.

Despite a disappointing Premier League campaign, which saw the Lilywhites finish 17th, few expected Postecoglou to be sacked after winning Spurs' first trophy in 17 years.

But on 6 June 2025, Tottenham Hotspur confirmed that Postecoglou had been relieved of his duties after the club's board "unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place."

What came as a shock to the footballing world was far less surprising to Postecoglou himself, who revealed in his first press conference as Nottingham Forest boss that he saw his departure coming.

"It was tough, I'll be honest," he admitted. "Like I said, it [being sacked] had never happened to me before. Call it luck or whatever it was, everywhere I've been, I've had success.

"And I had success again [with Spurs], and for all intents and purposes, that's what the club was craving, the football club hadn't won something for a very long time.

"I knew it [being sacked] was coming, and I knew it a long way out that it was going to happen. So, it wasn't the actual decision [that was tough], it was things ending because then I was kind of like 'okay, well what do I do now?'"

The Australian continued to reveal that he chose not to dampen Spurs' Europa League celebrations despite knowing of his imminent exit

"I certainly didn't want to tarnish the night, or tarnish the parade or anything like that," he said. "I wasn't going to let that happen because it wouldn't have been fair on anybody else.

"[It wouldn't have been fair on] my family, if nobody else. I wanted them to enjoy it, and I did too. I enjoyed it too, I didn't care about the next day.

"We all work so hard and we know how hard it is to have success, and when you have it you kind of cherish it and celebrate it.

"There's moments there [in the celebrations] that will stay with me forever, with the players, the staff, our families, they were special moments, so you put that [knowing you will leave the club] to one side."

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Tottenham were on top of the world - and briefly the table - with a 2-0 win at Man City in the Etihad Stadium. But the Cherries cut them down to size on a day where the football "didn't hit a top level."

‘The lower level was too low’

The Tottenham boss believed that the opposition brought their best selves to the table today.

“We clearly didn't perform well. I think we played against a very good bonus team that we know can make it difficult for any team in the league. They played to their strength. They did that very well.”

Evanilson scored inside the first ten minutes, indicating how the defence had been more fragile.

“We also didn't defend as well as we should do and we have done in the first three games.”

Antoine Semenyo set the tone with his physicality and aerial prowess, bullying Pedro Porro. The guests did not spring any surprises, but Frank’s men were simply a step slow to deal with the damage.

“We didn't handle it well. We knew exactly what they came with. We trained for it. We just did not enough in terms of the balls behind in the second ball game in the duels in the middle of the park and on the offensive side we struggled to find good enough solution to get through phase one and two.”

The 50-year-old was open enough to concede that the Cherries were the better of the two teams.

“We only did that in the last 15 where we put good pressure and could have equalized but I think over the game it was fair Bournemouth won. So it felt like that lack of creativity until those final minutes.”

The Dane has declared himself to be a pragmatist. Against different opponents, different parts of the toolkit must be used. A high-energy, powerful unit posed problems he must address through training.

“It's not about only making the squad the level is also for us to um to not manage but play different games. One game with City, one kind of football, different football against Burnley. Bournemouth was to complete the third kind and all kinds you need to perform against. Today we struggle with it.”

He acknowledged why the fans would have been frustrated beyond just losing the three points.

“I prefer them not to boo but I understand. It was not a good performance today and they have high expectations which is absolutely fair. I don't think we hit the level we should. I think the players gave everything and that's the foundation and the heart out there. Football wise we didn't hit a top level.”

At the point of the international break, he has seen Spurs put in two strong and one sloppy showing. Bad days can happen, but he cannot afford for those days to drop too far below the demanded level.

“I would like to avoid bad performances. The low level was too low today. That's what we need to raise. Again work ethic and character in the team was good but I think we lacked some football bits.”

‘A great signing’

When displays are dreary, a creative spark can be the difference, as the manager admitted. After the win against Man City, he stuck with a front three of Mohamed Kudus, Richarlison, and Brennan Johnson, while Pape Matar Sarr stayed as a ten. But none of the quartet convinced in his opinion.

“That's something I think also why we signed Simons of course to have an extra offensive player. But I also think on the day with all due respect to our front four players none of them hit a high level.”

The Dane declared he does not want standards to drop, but he knows not every day will go his way.

“That happens sometimes. I don't want to say it's okay, but it's natural.”

He hopes that Xavi Simons can bring more ingenuity to the final third. Dejan Kulusevski continues to rehab from his knee injury, and James Maddison is out for many months with an ACL injury.

“Excited, happy we signed him. It was a great signing from the club. He can play 10, left winger.”

For PSV Eindhoven and RB Leipzig, he has shown he can blend impact and industry at his best.

“Where you need a player that can do something a bit out of nothing go past a player produce a cross, shot, pass with extra quality that you need on the day, that's what I think he can bring.”

Dominic Solanke is still out of action. He briefly returned in the Super Cup to score a penalty in the shootout off the bench against Paris Saint-Germain. But his ankle continues to cause discomfort.

“Sometimes, it's just taking a little bit longer time. It's not like he reinjured it again. So you can say if you have a muscle injury, then you can maybe reinjure. It's not nothing to that. It is not progressing as quick as we hope for. We are still positive about that it can be solved in the next two weeks.”

Frank explained that his ideal squad would have two players in each position to fight for minutes with each other. However, he has no intention of overstocking the offensive roster with a third striker.

“To have three strikers in a squad can cause problems. They only play one at a time. It's a fine balance. I'm not saying we will never go for another striker. But I'm happy with Dom and Richie.”

With Deadline Day fast approaching, many transfer rumours have been swirling around who could join Thomas Frank’s refreshed Tottenham Hotspur squad.

If the start of the season has been difficult for Frank, he certainly has not made it obvious, with the Lilywhites kicking off their 2025/26 Premier League campaign with back-to-back wins.

However, it is undeniable that new additions are necessary in this transfer window for this Spurs squad to have the attacking force and defensive depth necessary to compete in all competitions – which Frank made clear in his first press conference as team boss was the case.

Particularly, if there is to be a fighting chance in the Champions League, considering many of Tottenham’s key players are out injured with unknown return dates – and crucial striker Heung-Min Son having left the club.

What sort of players do Tottenham need most?

Before the 2025/26 Premier League season commenced, Spurs announced the departure of Son, the club’s fourth all time goal scorer – taking this position behind the well-known club names of Harry Kane, Jimmy Greaves, and Bobby Smith, a formidable position to be in and one which the club will no doubt be experiencing the void of quite strongly on the pitch.

Despite beginning his playing career as an attacking midfielder, Son quickly solidified his position as a forward, and at times also a striker – a flexibility which greatly benefitted the club.

Frank’s tenure has begun with injury, as he currently has Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison out, both with extensive return dates not scheduled until at least the new year.

It should also be noted that as of the 2024/25 season, Spurs’ three most successful playmakers were Son, Kulusevski, and Maddison – with a combined 34 assists amongst the trio.

So, with one of these players out of the squad permanently, and two more with unknown return dates, the arrival of Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig has come at a good time for Frank.

With the €60m Simons deal confirmed and Tottenham’s pursuit for an attacking midfielder complete, Frank’s attention should now turn to his defence.

The search for a defender…

Frank has already shown that his Tottenham side can be a formidable defensive force, adapting his squad in their Super Cup clash against PSG – and progress has already been made with maintaining players already a main feature in the squad.

This summer marked a series of defensive reinforcements for Frank’s Spurs squad – with centre-back Kevin Danso’s loan from Lens had been made permanent, with a fee of £21m.

Additionally, club captain Christian Romero signed a new contract with the Lilywhite’s which will keep him in north London until at least the 2028/29 season. To accompany this, Djed Spence also signed a new long-term deal with the club in a move which will hopefully recover his confidence.

Spence endured a difficult start with Tottenham after joining in 2022, being loaned out to Rennes, Leeds United, and Genoa after former team boss Antonio Conte labelled him an ‘investment signing’.

The full-back made a resurgence under previous boss Ange Postecoglou and under Frank it was announced he would be remaining in north London.

However, Spurs will still be looking to bolster their defensive depth, so a central defender should be included in Frank’s search, and this could come at the hands – or more correctly, feet – of Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji.

Manuel Akanji

Akanji has reportedly taken the interest of Spurs, according to TalkSport, and if the deal does go through will make a pivotal addition to Frank’s refreshed defensive line-up – alongside captain Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Kevin Danso.

The 30-year-old has not featured in Pep Guardiola’s squad yet this season, however last season achieved 26 Premier League appearances, keeping nine clean sheets and only receiving three bookings – and, according to stats from FBref, the Swiss defender has a tackle success rate of 64% and an aerial success rate of 54%.

Being a young player, with the correct development and opportunity to learn and grow under Frank, Akanji could turn into a key player for the Lilywhites, and they are not the only club who appear to have noticed him with a battle seemingly ensuing with London rivals Crystal Palace, who has also been linked to the City defender.

Nathan Ake

Reportedly, Tottenham are being linked with a deadline-day sweep of City, with GiveMeSport reporting that the north London club have held discussions over signing Akanji’s teammate, 30-year-old centre back Nathan Ake.

The Dutchman has a tackle success rate of 67% and aerial success rate of 57%, making him a credible threat on the pitch for Spurs’ refurbished defence.

Last season, Ake made 10 Premier League appearances, contributed to two clean sheets and made 22 clearances, however he was out for much of the season due to a foot fracture.

In the 2023/24 season prior, he played in 29 matches, with nine clean sheets out of these and made 50 clearances – and has been an imperative player for City since he joined Guardiola’s side in 2020.

Despite being older than his teammate and Spurs target Akanji, Ake has the experience and skills required to hugely bolster Frank’s Tottenham squad, and alongside Danso, Romero, and Spence, could prove to be the support Tottenham needs for their competition push and return to the Champions League.

A winger on the horizon…

With the midfield sorted and some defensive options lined up, Spurs will be hoping for a winger to complete their summer transfer window, particularly in the wake of Son’s departure from the club and in a supporting role for strikers’ Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham were reportedly interested in signing Savinho from Manchester City, with their offer allegedly being snubbed due to Guardiola not wanting to lose the player.

The Brazilian, however, is still interested in a move to Spurs, according to Spurs Web, with journalist Pete O’Rourke stating that a deal cannot be ruled out but maintaining it would take an extraordinary offer.

If Savinho was to join Tottenham, he could bring a burst of fresh energy, with his record of eight assists in 29 Premier League appearances last season, and a pass accuracy of 87.3% making him a significant chance creator.

Thomas Frank will visit the Parc des Princes in a rematch against Paris Saint-Germain in his first UEFA Champions League campaign as a head coach.

The Dane's first competitive match in charge at Tottenham was the UEFA Super Cup final, where a gallant performance was eventually undone by a penalty shootout defeat to the Parisians.

Spurs qualified for this season's competition as UEFA Europa League winners, having beaten Manchester United 1-0 back in May, and will play two sides they met on their journey to glory.

It is an away trip to Germany to take on Eintracht Frankfurt and another trek to the frozen north of Scandinavia to meet Bodø/Glimt again.

There are more than just familiar faces, however, as debut European outings against FC Copenhagen and Villarreal were also generated.

Tottenham have met the remaining three teams before in Europe. Borussia Dortmund and AS Monaco have provided some memorable and not so memorable experiences for Spurs fans in the last decade.

Spurs have a 100% win record against the Black and Yellows in four Champions League matches. It is a different story against the Monegasques, however, having lost both encounters in 2016/17.

In fact, of the eight teams drawn, Monaco - now home to former defender Eric Dier - are the only ones to have beaten Tottenham in the Champions League.

Slavia Prague, meanwhile, were narrowly dispatched by Juande Ramos' side over two legs in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup.

Tottenham Champions League opponents

Paris Saint-Germain (a)

Borussia Dortmund (H)

Eintracht Frankfurt (a)

Villarreal (H)

Bodø/Glimt (a)

Slavia Prague (H)

AS Monaco (a)

Copenhagen (H)

*Full dates and match times will be released by UEFA on Saturday.

Frank's adaptability key to success

Although it is very much the early days of Frank's Tottenham career, he has exhibited a tactical flexibility that could be perfect for European tournaments.

The Super Cup final saw him deploy a back three system with Kevin Danso joining Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, which did a superb job of congesting the defensive third and marshalling much of PSG's attacking threat - for 85 minutes.

But the recent 2-0 win over Manchester City further showed Frank's nous. Many expected him to revert to the back three/wing-back formation after a more conventional 4-3-3 against Burnley.

He instead continued with that convention, asking van de Ven and Romero to not give City's forwards a moments peace. Even if that meant following them deep into the attacking third.

It is the kind of bravery and aggression that Spurs so often lacked at the end of Ange Postecoglou's tenure. Though the Europa League journey the Australian lead did showcase one aspect of the squad that Frank has yet to experience - seeing games through while being under the cosh.

Nevertheless, it is only three matches in for the former Brentford manager and he is able to count on a squad that have progressed through continental matchups in that fashion before.

Ultimately, Frank wants Tottenham to be an attacking outfit, and the eight fixtures ahead should provide him ample opportunity to put that into practice as well. Namely in the ties against Copenhagen, Slavia Prague and Bodø/Glimt.

The precarious nature of the new format means that bold approaches may hold more power, given the number of wins and goal difference were vital to many teams' fortunes last year.

Dinamo Zagreb and VfB Stuttgart, for example, left the competition at the first hurdle last season despite both winning three matches.

It may seem straightforward to aim to win as many games as possible, but in the Europa League, with its generally weaker calibre of opposition, meant Spurs could not shy away from that.

This time round, against more consistently stronger sides, being tactful will be crucial to sealing a place in the knockout stages, and Frank looks primed to deliver that.

Manchester City came into this game in good spirits after a comfortable and routine win for Pep Guardiola at Molineux, following a 4-0 victory.

Started the game on the front foot and controlled the game and handled the high press of Thomas Frank's Spurs, and forced Guglielmo Vicario into a few good saves early on.

But with mistakes from John Stones and James Trafford, they found themselves two down at half time.

The second half flew by and Manchester City failed to show any sign of urgency.

James Trafford - 4

Struggled throughout the game, had a few good saves but when asked to play out the back, he didn't have the ability to do so, which lead to Tottenham's second goal.

Rico Lewis - 4

Had problems dealing with Brennan Johnson, Djed Spence and Wilson Odobert. Let Johnson get in behind him which allowed the Spurs man to get his second goal of the season.

John Stones - 4

Couldn't deal with the Tottenham press and let the ball bounce too many times, which caused his team problems and encouraged Mohammed Kudus and his team mates to attack.

Ruben Dias - 5

Similar to Stones couldn't deal with the press but had a few chances from set pieces, however he failed to convert.

Rayan Ait-Nouri - 5

Didn't make any real difference after suffering an ankle injury early on and had to be replaced by Nathan Ake, however linked up well with Omar Marmoush on the left hand side.

Nico Gonzalez - 4

Failed to impress again after a poor performance, with many mistakes and was partly the cause for Tottenham's second goal after asking for the ball in a dangerous area.

Tijani Reijnders - 5

He got into a few good positions to hurt Tottenham but lacked the attacking threat that he showed last weekend.

Oscar Bobb - 4

Was completely shut out by Djed Spence, due to his speed, and couldn't create any chances for himself or his teammates. But is still a young player who is coming back from a lengthy injury.

Rayan Cherki - 5

He struggled to create chances, after an impressive debut last weekend, had no shots on goal but showed good desire to defend from the front with his press.

Omar Marmoush - 6

Showed great pace down the right hand side and caused Pedro Porro problems. But failed to show any signs of scoring.

Erling Haaland- 5

Couldn't get out of the pockets of Cristian Romero and Micky Van De Ven, however he showed a side that many aren't used to and tried to drop back and create chances for the wingers.

Substitutions:

Nathan Ake - 4

Lacked the attacking threat that Ait-Nouri has and made the job easier for Porro as he only had really one player to worry about.

Jeremy Doku - 5

Tried to cause problems and attack his full back but again didn't cause the Tottenham keeper any problems.

Bernardo Silva - 6

He created a couple good chances himself but lacked that clinical edge that we have seen from the Portuguese.

Rodri - 6

Changed the game slightly as he drove forwards with the ball and pushed the Spurs backline back towards their own goal.

Phil Foden - 4

Didn't really do much as the midfield of Tottenham dealt with the midfielder with ease.

Tottenham Hotspur came into the game with confidence after a 3-0 win against Burnley in Thomas Frank's first league game in charge of the club.

A very impressive performance saw goals from Brennan Johnson, Joao Palhinha.

With a high press that caused Manchester City problems and make mistakes, and a solid defensive performance gave Spurs a great platform to build on.

Guglielmo Vicario - 8

Didn't have an awful lot to do but showed great confidence when he was called upon, great distribution and knew when to play it long and when to play out from the back.

Pedro Porro - 8

Dealt with Omar Marmoush and Jeremy Doku well and nullified any threat down that side and prevented any byline crosses.

Cristian Romero - 8

A great captains performance at the Etihad, prevented Erling Haaland from having any real chances, was determined from being to the end to keep that well earned clean sheet.

Micky Van De Ven - 8

Another fantastic performance from the Dutchman, threw himself at shots and composure on the ball.

Djed Spence - 8

Despite playing on his weak foot against a talented Oscar Bobb, had him, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva quiet and like the rest of the squad a real desire to defend.

Pape Matar Sarr - 7

A great performance all round, helped the front line and showed strength when winning headers from Vicario and won the ball at the edge of the box, which lead to a Joao Palhinha goal.

Joao Palhinha - 8

After a poor pre season, Palhinha looked like his usual self, and the type of player we saw when he was a Fulham. A solid all round performance, keeping the Man City attackers quiet and helping out with a goal after a great press from the Manchester City goal kick.

Rodrigo Bentancur - 7

A great overall midfielders performance. Showed real composure with his back to play and knew where every player was.

Mohammed Kudus - 8

Didn't have much input in the goals but an overall great performance, showed great desire with and without the ball, helping out Porro with the threat of Marmoush and Doku before coming off with five minutes left.

Richarlison - 7

A good performance all round, the only thing lacking from the game today was a goal, pressed the Manchester City back line well and was happy to chase lost balls and showed great strength when needed.

Brennan Johnson - 7

Another impressive showing from the Welshman and caused Rico Lewis problems all afternoon, and scored a good goal after a relative poor pass from Richarlison.

Substitutions:

Wilson Odobert - 6

Had a couple of chances at the end to finish the game but made Trafford make great saves and attacked well down the right hand side.

Dominic Solanke - 5

Couldn't have any real impact in an attacking sense but pressed from the front well.

Lucas Bergvall -

Had no attacking threat but put his body on the line on several occasions and despite the Manchester City high press, the young Swedish midfielder showed great composure.

Kevin Danso - 5

Not had any impact after coming on in the 90th minute for Palhinha.

Eberechi Eze has been balling out for Crystal Palace over the last five years, but the talisman, who turned 27 years old in June, might be jumping ship to try to write the next chapter of his career.

The Guardian has given an update that the attacker is engaged in talks with Tottenham Hotspur.

This news comes after weeks of a saga involving interest from their North London rivals Arsenal. Eze was formerly on their books as an academy player, rising through the ranks at QPR before breaking out in the top tier with the Eagles. The Gunners gave consideration to buying him as an option who could offer creativity from the left, but the sticking point always seemed to be the price.

Arsenal were unwilling to trigger a release clause that expired in Eze's contract last week, thinking that an outlay of £68 million was too steep to shell out for him. But Eze's representation, the CAA agency, has good ties with Tottenham, who hope to bring him in for a fee of £55 million plus bonuses.

What would Eze offer Tottenham?

Arsenal fans would still suggest their squad has a lot to gain from getting a second creative presence in the centre of the park, who is not Martin Odegaard. But the club continues to prefer players who have not hit their peak age, and Hale End is already providing some alternatives to their club captain.

Ethan Nwaneri has signed his first long-term contract with his boyhood club, and with Bukayo Saka back from his hamstring tear, minutes in the lineup are likeliest to come as a pocket player in the ten.

Max Dowman, who is only 15, should slowly integrate into the squad, but he dazzled in preseason with the first team. He stands out as another bright option for the role of an attacking midfielder.

On the other hand, Spurs would benefit from Eze now. James Maddison will be missing for months with an ACL injury. At the same time, Dejan Kulusevski continues to rehab from his knee surgery.

Pape Matar Sarr has become a trusted lieutenant for Thomas Frank and can contribute in the final third. But he is much more of a 'do it all' midfielder, far different from the traits of the 27-year-old.

Eze would be a specialist creative force for Tottenham. He drives through the middle of the pitch and is a talismanic presence for Palace as the primary ball handler in their front three. His body swerves, technique, and bravery bring smiles to supporters, but he also knows how to land a knockout blow.

The attacker hit double-digit goal tallies in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns in the Premier League. Last season, he started slowly, but still finished with eight goals and assists apiece. On top of that, he scored against Aston Villa and Manchester City on the way to lifting the FA Cup trophy.

Arsenal have had a busy transfer window so far, signing six players before an opening day victory against Manchester United in the Premier League. However, the Gunners need to sell players to ensure more signings can be brought in before the September 1 deadline.

VAVEL will look to provide the latest Arsenal news until the window slams shut.

Incomings

Eberechi Eze

The Gunners got their work in the transfer window done before the start of August, and it looks like the prospects of pushing for a former member of the Hale End academy are dying out by the day.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that Eberechi Eze has informed Crystal Palace about his interest in moving to Tottenham Hotspur. The club will be without James Maddison due to an ACL injury, and would benefit from bringing in the talismanic figure with his spark as a creative midfielder.

It is one of the latest reports to put a dent in the dream of seeing the 27-year-old feature for the first team of the Gunners. Earlier in the week, Palace chairman Steve Parish had admitted the club would not want their captain, Marc Guehi, to run down the last year on his deal and become a free agent.

If Guehi goes, the Eagles would be even more reluctant to allow Eze to leave with him this summer.

Arsenal have fresh faces for their academy who could take some minutes as the number ten. It will not make up for the failure to buy Eze, but it appears that is all fans can look forward to from here.

Words by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere

Outgoings

Fabio Vieira

Excitement about Eberechi Eze might be cooling off for good, but the exit door is still calling for another attacking midfielder. Fabio Vieira is veering closer to the end of his time in North London.

David Ornstein (The Athletic) has stated that Stuttgart has shown an interest in signing the Portuguese player. The Bundesliga outfit have sold Enzo Millot to Al-Ahli and want a new offensive midfielder.

Vieira is surplus to requirements. He signed in the summer of 2022 for a fee of £34 million, but he has never threatened to displace Martin Odegaard as the creative spark of the side. A spell at the left eight soon flamed out in his second season, and he spent the last year on loan at his old club, Porto.

According to the report, a switch to Stuttgart would mark a permanent move away from the Gunners. A fresh start would be best for the 25-year-old, who has never asserted himself in the English game.

Words by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Football is a cut-throat industry, and someone at Arsenal has felt the full force of its ruthlessness.

James McNicholas (The Athletic) has shared the thoughts of Oleksandr Zinchenko about the last twelve months. The Ukrainian has updated his autobiography with an honest account of his struggles.

He had been struggling with a series of calf complaints, but over time, the 28-year-old has simply fallen out of favour. Riccardo Calafiori came in from Bologna as the most expensive signing of the summer, and Myles Lewis-Skelly was the first-choice option at left back from the start of 2025.

Zinchenko has developed a "sense of rejection" from this experience, which is the "worst season he ever experienced as a professional." Could it compel him to choose more minutes over the money?

There is one year left on his contract, and a rumoured loan to Fenerbahce will do little for the balance sheet unless he extends his deal. But it seems that a parting of ways would work best for all involved.

Words by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Leandro Trossard

The arrival of Noni Madueke at Arsenal has seemingly paved the way for Leandro Trossard to depart the North London club.

When Gabriel Martinelli came off after another disappointing performance away at Manchester United, Trossard would have normally been the replacement for the Brazilian. However, Madueke entered the field of play instead, leaving the former Brighton winger on the bench without playing a single minute.

Trossard has garnered a lot of interest from the Turkish Super Lig, with the likes of Fenerbahce; however, Football London has reported that Aston Villa may look to fund the purchase of the Belgian via the sale of Leon Bailey.

Arsenal need to sell further players, but the departure of Trossard would ensure that the Gunners cash in on a player who is only going to decrease in value over the next 12 months.