TNT Sports

Women's Super League round-up: Olivia Smith strike helps Arsenal stun Manchester City, Madonna watches Chelsea beat Tottenham

In this week's Women's Super League round-up, an excellent Olivia Smith finish helped Arsenal stun league leaders Manchester City, and West Ham United battled back from 2-0 down to overcome Brighton & Hove Albion. Liverpool boosted their survival hopes with a 3-1 triumph over Aston Villa, and Everton impressed in a 1-0 win against London City Lionesses.

Smith strike helps Arsenal stun league leaders

Olivia Smith’s first-half finish meant Manchester City missed the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Women's Super League table as they suffered a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal.

Smith scored the game's only goal in the 17th minute when she was sent through on goal by a superb pass from Mariona Caldentey.

Smith showed excellent composure to dribble the ball around City goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita before tapping it into an empty net.

Vivianne Miedema thought she had City back on level terms in the closing stages of the clash against her former club, but the referee judged that she fouled Katie McCabe in the build-up.

The result leaves The Gunners in third, 10 points behind City, who will finish the weekend eight points clear of Manchester United in second.

Madonna watches Chelsea ease to win at Spurs

Chelsea rediscovered their winning touch in the Women's Super League as Madonna was in the stands to see their composed 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

After a heavy defeat to Manchester City and a loss against Arsenal in their previous two outings, the Blues responded with purpose at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Keira Walsh opened the scoring to give Chelsea control, before Alyssa Thompson extended the lead early in the second half.

The result keeps Chelsea third in the league table and moves them four points clear of Spurs, who remain in fifth place.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor - who signed a new contract this week - told BBC Sport: "Because we are Chelsea, people expect us to win every game - but we are human. After some tough days, we showed on the pitch that we deserved to win.

"The pressure is always high when you’re not winning, especially at this club, but I’m proud of how the players bounced back. You can have all the technical and tactical quality in the world, but if you struggle mentally, it changes everything.

"I liked the reaction in training this week - that’s what we can control."

West Ham battle back against Brighton

Relegation-threatened West Ham United fought back from 2-0 down to record a crucial 3-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

After a quiet first 40 minutes, Kiko Seike showed great awareness to spot Kinga Szemik off her line and even better skill to lob the Polish shot-stopper from outside the box.

It was 2-0 in the 63rd minute after Manuela Vargas nutmegged Eva Nystrom before slotting the ball past Szemik.

Brighton looked set to take all three points back to the South Coast until Ffion Morgan scored to give the hosts hope.

A stunning finish to the match saw Shekiera Martinez equalise in the 86th minute, before Viviane Asseyi tapped the ball in from close range to secure a remarkable comeback for The Hammers.

The victory sees West Ham move out of the relegation zone and up into 10th, while Brighton are seventh.

Liverpool boost survival hopes

Liverpool avoided dropping into the relegation zone themselves after beating Aston Villa 4-1 at St Helens Stadium.

The Reds made an excellent start to proceedings, taking a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute after Mia Enderby fired Ceri Holland’s cross into the back of the net.

It was 2-0 five minutes later, and Holland was at the heart of it once again.

Her delivery was deflected into the path of Martha Thomas, who instinctively stuck a leg out and flicked the ball past Sabrina D'Angelo.

Just as the game appeared to be slipping away from Villa, Miri Taylor found the top corner to get her side back in the contest.

However, Grace Fisk wrapped up the win with a tidy finish after some excellent link-up play with Jenna Clark before Aurelie Csillag made it 4-1 in stoppage time.

The result means The Reds are 11th, one point clear of bottom-of-the-table Leicester City.

Toffees beat Lionesses

Everton moved five points clear of the relegation zone after beating London City Lionesses 1-0.

The Lionesses had the better chances during an action-packed opening 45 minutes, with the best opportunity falling to Grace Geyoro, whose header hit the post.

The Toffees responded with an impressive start to the second half, which saw Inma Gabarro force an excellent save from Elene Lete.

Gabarro got her goal in the 62nd minute after Everton capitalised on a loose pass from Wassa Sangare.

Everton are now ninth, five points clear of Leicester, who have a game in hand.

Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+

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Cristian Romero's Tottenham Hotspur captaincy questioned after ‘ridiculous’ red card in defeat to Manchester United - ‘He’s killed the team today’

TNT Sports experts Ally McCoist and Joe Hart pulled no punches in their assessment of Cristian Romero’s red card against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The Argentina international was sent off for a reckless challenge on Casemiro and the hosts took advantage. At the time, McCoist described the tackle as “ridiculous”, while Hart later questioned whether he should be removed as Spurs captain.

Cristian Romero’s suitability as Tottenham Hotspur captain was questioned after he was shown a straight red card in the 2-0 defeat away to Manchester United in the Premier League.

Romero was sent off in the 29th minute for a crunching tackle on Casemiro with the contest finely poised at 0-0 and it proved costly. Nine minutes later Bryan Mbeumo gave United the lead and the hosts rarely looked troubled from there, with Bruno Fernandes wrapping up the three points with a fine finish late in the second half.

It was a sixth red card for Romero in all competitions since he joined Spurs in 2021 and it came after the Argentina international was critical of the club's board for an apparent lack of signings.

Unsurprisingly, his leadership qualities were called into question in the aftermath of the loss at Old Trafford.

"A good leader? I don’t know," TNT Sports expert Joe Hart said. "He must be from what we don’t see because Thomas Frank seems to stand by him no matter what. Even before the game, having put that statement out [criticising the board], ‘He’s my captain, he’s my leader, of course he plays.’

"I’m not in that dressing room but it’s Tottenham, it’s not just a random Sunday League team where they’ve just got to pick someone who’s the best player.

"These are established, full international players - people who have won things, European champions from last year. He’s got people he can pick from, and he seems to think Cristian Romero is the main man for it, so what that says about the Tottenham squad, I don’t know."

Pushed on whether Spurs boss Thomas Frank should remove the armband from Romero, Hart added: "That’s a horrible conversation. With Tottenham at the moment, Thomas Frank is having to talk about everything he doesn’t want to talk about.

"It’s the headaches you don’t need as a manager and he’s got them constantly. Of course, he’s going to have to think about it, he’s missing him for four games, he’s gone against the club in what he’s said.

"He’s killed the team today in the first half an hour, just going that little bit too far in how he plays."

On commentary at the time, Ally McCoist was similarly critical of Romero.

"He definitely catches studs on ankle. It does look really painful. I don’t think he needs to follow through, I think it’s ridiculous," McCoist said.

"There’s a way he can challenge for the ball and win the ball. It’s madness. I said at the start I think [Micky] van de Ven is a calming influence, how wrong have I got it?

"He’s just letting his team-mates down again, he doesn’t need to do that."

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The defeat means Spurs are without a win in their past seven Premier League fixtures and could yet find themselves in trouble from the sides below with a tough run of games ahead.

With the squad already stretched thin, losing Romero is a setback the north London side could really do without.

But in spite of the current situation facing the club and the mounting pressure on him, Frank was pleased with the "resilience" shown by his players and also revealed Romero had apologised to his team-mates.

"After the red card [I was] very proud of the players. The resilience, staying in the game, mentality, still be a threat at times to try and create something," Frank told TNT Sports.

"I think the last 60 minutes playing with 10 men, they put everything into it, very proud of them, very proud of our fans for travelling in numbers and you could hear them loudly through the game."

Asked if he thought his side would have conceded if the game had remained 11 v 11, Frank added: "No because that was the area they could exploit. It can always happen but that was the area that got more exposed.

"There’s no intention to make a red, he clearly goes for the ball. Unfortunately for him, the way the rule is, it’s then a red.

"Cristian apologised to his team-mates in the dressing room."

Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+

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Bruno Fernandes delivered when it mattered for Manchester United once again after executing a fine finish to seal a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. Fernandes brilliantly guided home an unorthodox finish past Guglielmo Vicario, giving caretaker boss Michael Carrick four wins from four games as United chase a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Michael Carrick waxed lyrical about Bruno Fernandes after Manchester United overcame Tottenham Hotspur with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford.

The caretaker United boss hailed his skipper’s versatility and ongoing habit of producing in the "big moments" after a brilliant, improvised finish to seal victory on Saturday.

Fernandes was also involved in Bryan Mbeumo’s opener, playing a corner short to Kobbie Mainoo, who, in turn, laid the ball on a plate for the Cameroonian to guide a finish past Guglielmo Vicario.

This result ensured Carrick’s side claimed a fourth successive win, as they aim to secure UEFA Champions League football for next season.

When asked about Fernandes’ influence, Carrick told TNT Sports: "It would take a long time to sum it up. He’s offered the club so much in the time he’s been here, since he walked through the door.

"He played different roles for us today. He ended up on the left and scored his goal on the left.

"He’s a team player, he gives so much to the group, he’s got big moments in him, we know the quality he has, and he cares a lot about the football club."

Carrick also singled out first-team coach Jonny Evans for his role in that well-orchestrated United opener, adding: "Jonny has been doing a lot of work with the players so that is the reward for that."

It has been a remarkable recent turnaround at Old Trafford, and Fernandes believes Carrick "could be a great manager".

"I think Michael came in with the right idea of giving the players the freedom to take responsibility on the pitch to do the decisions that were needed," Fernandes said.

"I think he remembers what I told him the last time he was manager. I think Michael could be a great manager, and he’s just shown it."

The Red Devils only have the Premier League left to focus on this season and now turn their attention to a match away at West Ham United on Tuesday night - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

When asked about the pros and cons of only competing in one competition, Carrick replied: "It kind of works both ways sometimes. Sometimes the rhythm of games can help, sometimes it gets a bit heavy, it can hinder you.

"We’ve got another big game on Tuesday night, then rest, recoup and sharpen up after that."

Meanwhile, the former United midfielder remained tight-lipped about his future and explained: "It’s not for now. To get carried away as a supporter is where you should be, that's why they come to support us, to dream and get carried away."

As for Tottenham, this result leaves Thomas Frank’s side in the bottom half of the table and at risk of being dragged into a relegation battle.

They will be without skipper Cristian Romero for four games after the Argentine picked up his second red card of the season following a late lunge on Casemiro.

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Frank’s injury woes were also compounded after full-back Destiny Udogie was forced off 10 minutes into the second half.

Tottenham are back in action on Tuesday when they host Newcastle United - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - before facing bitter rivals Arsenal on February 22.

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TNT Sports

Owen Hargreaves picked Dominic Solanke as the leading candidate to go to the 2026 World Cup with England as the back-up to captain Harry Kane. Thomas Tuchel has a tough selection to make, believes his fellow TNT Sports pundit Ally McCoist, and Ollie Watkins, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Danny Welbeck were all named as potential alternatives to the Tottenham forward.

Ally McCoist believes it is between Ollie Watkins, Dominic Solanke and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to go to the 2026 World Cup.

Harry Kane is the England captain and his exceptional form for Bayern Munich in his third season in Germany means there is no other option for the starting striker role, assuming he remains fit for the summer tournament in North America.

However, with a deep and versatile squad needed to stand the best chance of success at the World Cup, McCoist, speaking ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash with Tottenham, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, says he thinks that Thomas Tuchel is spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a back-up forward.

He named Solanke of Tottenham, Leeds United’s Calvert-Lewin, and Aston Villa forward Watkins as the trio leading the race for a call-up.

All three have had their moments so far in the 2025/26 season, but Solanke has struggled with injury and is now back in action for Tottenham - and he scored both goals in Spurs’ recent 2-2 draw against Manchester City, which took some of the pressure off manager Thomas Frank.

"The good thing for Thomas Tuchel is he’s got a dilemma which he didn’t have a couple of months ago," McCoist explained.

"Solanke’s come back and has looked the part, Calvert-Lewin is another one that has come from nowhere, Everton fans must be scratching their heads as Calvert-Lewin is keeping himself fit, Watkins has always been in the equation."

Ultimately, McCoist suggested that the most important factor in the decision could be which player stays fit during the business end of the domestic campaign.

He added: "He’s now got something to think about. Solanke’s form recently, he’s still got a good bit to go. I think a lot will happen between now and when the squad’s getting picked in terms of fitness, which I think will be important."

'He's the most versatile'

With Kane the near-certain first choice for Tuchel and England, Owen Hargreaves thinks the German manager would look for a player who can change the game as a substitute, and who would be content with a spot in the squad rather than the first XI.

"They're all good, but they're all different and I think it will depend on what he will want to bring from the bench," he said.

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"He might also want someone who is good around the group. I’m not saying any of them aren't, but somebody who can sit on the bench, and it not be an issue because that is something I think has been an issue in the past."

Hargreaves added Brighton’s veteran forward Danny Welbeck as a potential option, but ultimately plumped for Solanke, concluding: "I think he’ll probably go. He’s the most versatile, he can drop off a bit and play like Harry physically. But it depends on fitness.

"Danny Welbeck has had a brilliant season, Ollie Watkins obviously, Calvert-Lewin - it’s great to see him back fit and healthy.

"Thomas has got a big call. Dominic Solanke, I’ve always liked his game, I think he’s got a bit of everything."

Watch the 2025/26 Premier League season on TNT Sports and discovery+

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In this week's edition of Ally vs Fletch, the two TNT experts had their say on whether Michael Carrick can extend his winning run as Manchester United head coach when Tottenham visit Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+. Arsenal look to extend their lead at the summit at home to Sunderland before Liverpool host second-placed Manchester City on Sunday.

Football aficionados will have another enticing set of Premier League fixtures to devour this weekend but the fight for survival and the title race are not the only battles taking place.

Ally McCoist and Darren Fletcher are going head-to-head to prove which of the two TNT Sports pundits has the better ball knowledge, with Manchester United set to face Tottenham on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Ally is just four points off his fellow TNT Sports favourite in the Ally vs Fletch standings after the scores were tied in Gameweek 24.

Think you know the beautiful game? Get stuck into the experts' picks and have your say on all 10 fixtures below.

WinsPointsFletch11160Ally7156

Gameweek 24 predictions

DateMatchAllyFletchFri, Feb 6, 20:00Leeds v Nottingham Forest2-10-2Sat, Feb 7, 12:30Man Utd v Tottenham (TNT)2-13-1Sat, Feb 7, 15:00Arsenal v Sunderland3-03-0Sat, Feb 7, 15:00Bournemouth v Aston Villa2-11-1Sat, Feb 7, 15:00Burnley v West Ham1-21-0Sat, Feb 7, 15:00Fulham v Everton1-12-1Sat, Feb 7, 15:00Wolves v Chelsea1-31-3Sat, Feb 7, 17:30Newcastle v Brentford2-12-0Sun, Feb 8, 14:00Brighton v Crystal Palace2-02-0Sun, Feb 8, 16:30Liverpool v Man City2-22-1

Selected matches:

Manchester United v Tottenham (TNT)

Ally: "Manchester United are high-flying under new interim boss Michael Carrick which is remarkable.

"I think that there has also been improvement with Tottenham and I can see them scoring away from home."

Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Tottenham

Fletch: "Love the fixture, really excited to be commentating on it.

"Manchester United look to be a level above Spurs at the moment, just on current form and the fact they're at home.

"You can't ever discount Spurs based on the talent they've got, but I don't like them at Old Trafford."

Prediction: Manchester United 3-1 Tottenham

Liverpool v Manchester City

Ally: "Massive game and it’s a really tough one to call. Manchester City cannot afford to lose any more points in their title challenge.

"This is a Liverpool side who are up and down, and I can see it being a high-scoring draw.

"I initially thought Liverpool would win this match 2-1, but I’m dramatically changing my mind."

Prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City

Fletch: "Difficult one to call. City aren't great at the minute, inconsistent, Liverpool the same.

"It's difficult to judge. I might just give Liverpool the edge based on Wirtz and Ekitike as a combination."

Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City

Get involved: Vote on Gameweek 25 fixtures

Now it is over to you, the audience. Vote on the results for the next round of fixtures below!

Points (match result only)Fletch105You (voter average)102Ally100

Friday

Leeds v Nottingham Forest

Saturday

Manchester United v Tottenham

Arsenal v Sunderland

Bournemouth v Aston Villa

Burnley v West Ham

Fulham v Everton

Wolves v Chelsea

Newcastle v Brentford

Sunday

Brighton v Crystal Palace

Liverpool v Manchester City

Ally vs Fletch scoring - and how you can play along

Each gameweek, Ally and Fletch predict the scores for every game and offer some hot takes on the biggest matches. The points system:

One point for getting the right result (win, draw or loss)

Three points for getting the score bang on

Double points for matches on TNT Sports

Want to get involved? You can vote on the result of every game - win, lose or draw - above, with a separate leaderboard tracking how you stack up against the experts.

Watch the 2025/26 Premier League season on TNT Sports and discovery+

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Exclusive: Dominic Solanke, Thomas Frank on future ambition with Tottenham Hotspur - 'Fighting for trophies’

Dominic Solanke and Thomas Frank are backing Tottenham Hotspur to win over the supporters and start challenging for trophies again. Spurs are 14th in the Premier League, having won just two of their last 15 matches, following a 17th place finish last season. But ahead of their clash with Manchester United, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, both player and manager are thinking positively.

Dominic Solanke and manager Thomas Frank are backing Tottenham Hotspur to win over supporters and be challenging for trophies again.

It has been another difficult season for Spurs in the Premier League, currently sitting in 14th place in the table with just 14 games remaining, following a 17th place finish last term.

While their UEFA Champions League form may have been excellent, with a fourth place finish in the league phase securing a last 16 spot, Spurs’ last Premier League win came on December 28 at Crystal Palace.

It will not get any easier as they visit in-form Manchester United, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

But Solanke, fresh from scoring a brace in Tottenham’s surprise 2-2 draw with title chasing Manchester City, has never lost his ambition and maintains the sky is the limit for Spurs.

"We all want to play exciting football, we understand the fans want to play exciting football as well but again, every game is different, some games you might need to play a different style of play," the former Bournemouth forward told TNT Sports.

"Ultimately, you want to be winning games now. We know we need to be winning games, so at times we need to do what we need to do to try and win games.

"We have got a lot of exciting players, players that want to express themselves and make the crowd get off their feet, so something that we will definitely be continuing to try and do.

"That is why we play for Tottenham, that is why people sign for Tottenham, because we want to be fighting for trophies and fighting at the top end of the Premier League.

"We need to be the ones to ultimately make that happen, so we are going to keep building and, hopefully, we won’t be too far off."

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His manager Frank has come under growing pressure from Tottenham supporters after winning just two of the last 15 Premier League games, but he too believes the club are closer than fans think to turning a new leaf.

"Hopefully not too far [away from what he wants to see on the pitch] is my feeling, because again, competitive and consistent, I think that is the two things," Frank said.

"I think to have complete dominance, that will take a little while longer but I think especially as I said, the last spell has been progress.

"There can be a lot of talk, the only way to actually do it, is to actually prove it on the pitch and make sure the performances also turn into wins, then things will be a little bit better, no doubt about that.

"I think we are closer than we think, but we haven’t turned some of the tight games into wins which we are working very hard on."

Solanke relishing ‘big role’ in team

At 28, Solanke is now one of the more senior members of the Tottenham squad.

Despite only playing 54 matches in his two seasons at the club due to injuries, he has taken on a new internal role, which sees him commanding more responsibilities - something he is enjoying.

"I am probably one of the more experienced players in the team now. I feel like this season, I have got a big role in leadership and helping some of the younger players and just bringing the energy," he added.

"That is a big role that I have stepped into this year and I want to help the team with goals as well, pressing and helping holding up the play, so I think I bring a lot to the team.

"I think we just need to try and stay calm. Football goes on for 90 minutes, and you can see with our game and many games throughout the season.

"In the first half, you might be out of it, but then in the second half you have a great comeback, and it can all change."

- - -

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