Daily Cannon

Arsenal summer signing Mylo Bernard scored a brace to help his new team come from behind to win the north London derby, despite two goalkeeper injuries.

The u18 north London derby has a bit of a reputation for being a high-scoring affair. Of the last five matches between the Arsenal u18s and the Tottenham Hotspur u18s, all of them have involved at least four goals, with some seeing as many as eight or 10.

But Saturday’s edition of the derby had a surprisingly low-key first half, with no goals in the first 45 minutes, and not even too many shots.

That was always likely to change at some point, and the goals eventually arrived a few minutes after the break.

Youth striker Mylo Bernard joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace over the summer, making his debut as a substitute in a 5-1 win over Norwich City in September. But this was Bernard’s first start for the u18s, and it could hardly have come in a bigger game.

And when Spurs took the lead through Joel Philbert in the 50th minute, Bernard was the player to step up and draw Arsenal level.

Straight from the kick-off, Hakeem Abubakar raced down the left-hand side before crossing for Bernard, who finished the chance for 1-1 and his first Arsenal goal.

Arsenal were dealt a fresh blow in the 75th minute as goalkeeper Jack Talbot suffered an injury, and he was forced off to be replaced by Max Lo Presti.

Funnily enough, Lo Presti had made his u18 debut and only previous appearance for the u18s earlier in the season as a substitute, coming on for a few minutes after Talbot received a red card against Brighton. Once again, he was called upon to step in against Spurs.

But Lo Presti’s second appearance didn’t last long, as he himself picked up an injury in the 90th minute, and Arsenal were forced to put midfielder Emerson Nwaneri in goal for the final stages.

Yet it was Arsenal who took the lead in injury time, with Bernard scoring his second goal of the game with a cannoning shot off the bar for a 2-1 lead. He was assisted by substitute Luis Munoz, who found him after a long kick from temporary goalkeeper Nwaneri.

The Gunners saw out the win for all three points, and bragging rights in the derby.

Arsenal u18 lineup vs Spurs

Talbot, Owusu-Gyasi, Abubakar, Mbala, McCarron, Murisa, Purdy, Bernard, Nwaneri, Maghoma, Hashi

Substitutes

Munoz (for Maghoma, 45), Odaji-Ukueku (for Purdy, 61), Donczew (for Hashi, 61), Lo Presti (for Talbot, 75), Pedro (for McCarron, 78), Sesay (for Lo Presti, 90), Stachow

The VAR official who incorrectly allowed a Manchester City goal to stand during Sunday’s Manchester derby is understood to be a Tottenham Hotspur supporter.

Manchester City looked to be at risk of their first dropped points of the new Premier League season on Sunday, after on-field referee Michael Oliver dismissed Phil Foden for violent conduct.

But City were handed a lifeline in the second half, as Erling Haaland converted to put the team 1-0 up. The only problem was that Enzo Fernandez was offside, and he made a very clear attempt to play the ball.

Yet the goal was incorrectly awarded anyway, with City ultimately winning the match 1-0. The incident raised the obvious question of why VAR Matt Donohue had decided not to rule it out.

Donohue is understood to be a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, with some reports that he even used to have a season ticket with Arsenal’s rivals.

That’s why the official has been a referee or on VAR for games involving Manchester United (seven times), Chelsea (five times), Liverpool (four times), and Manchester City (three times), but never for any games involving Arsenal or Spurs themselves.

Referees have to declare conflicts of interest, and they are then excluded from officiating games involving their favoured team, or that team’s direct rivals.

But despite the obvious incentive for any Spurs fan to favour Manchester City in a title race against Arsenal, Donohue isn’t excluded from refereeing City matches.

Back on the actual decision, the Premier League’s refereeing organisation Pro Ref have already admitted they made a mistake.

As part of their statement, Pro Ref wrote: “The VAR did not recognise the likely impact of [Enzo Fernandez’s] position and should have recommended an on-field review.

“Contact has been made with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgement. A review of the incident will take place.”

Former United player Wayne Rooney was furious, telling Match of the Day: “To not see that and recognise that Enzo Fernandez is in an offside position… anyone who’s played the game at any level understands that and knows that he’s in an offside position. So to get it so wrong, it’s just baffling.”

Anthony Elanga recreated one of Thierry Henry’s most famous North London derby celebrations after opening the scoring in their 2-0 win.

Anthony Elanga has admitted his celebration after scoring for Newcastle United against Tottenham Hotspur was a deliberate nod to Thierry Henry.

Newcastle won 2-0 away to Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday, 29 August. Elanga opened the scoring in the 62nd minute before Yoane Wissa added a second 10 minutes later.

The result gave Matthias Jaissle his first league win as Newcastle manager and took his side to four points from their opening two matches.

Tottenham, meanwhile, were left without a goal or a point from their first two league games, something that has not happened since 1974. Sky Sports reported that some Spurs fans booed their players off the pitch in what was their first home league match of the season.

Before the game, Elanga had already decided what he would do if he scored.

After the match, he told Sky Sports, “I’ve always said to Henry is my favourite player so I knew if I scored today that that celebration was going to come out.”

The celebration was a tribute to Henry’s famous knee-slide after scoring in Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Tottenham at Highbury on 16 November 2002.

Henry’s goal came in the 13th minute.

He collected the ball inside Arsenal’s half from Patrick Vieira, who is hilariously credited with an assist, ran past most of the Spurs team and finished beyond Kasey Keller from just inside the penalty area.

He then ran back up the length of the pitch and slid on his knees in front of the Tottenham supporters.

Henry’s goal won Goal of the Season.

Elanga was just six months old at the time.

Reports are mixed on whether Folarin Balogun could join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, amid competing interest from clubs in Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Former Arsenal academy striker Folarin Balogun could be set to leave AS Monaco this summer, with the Gunners keeping an eye on things due to a sell-on clause in Balogun’s Monaco contract.

Santi Aouna of FootMercato reports that Balogun is a priority signing for Tottenham Hotspur, and that the player has given the green light to a potential move. Aouna adds that there’s been no official offer yet, but discussions are progressing between the parties.

Yet Fabrizio Romano claims that nothing is concrete or advanced with Spurs at this stage, and clubs including Galatasaray and Saudi sides have called in recent days to stay up to date on the deal conditions.

Earlier in the summer, David Ornstein reported for The Athletic that Balogun was expected to leave Monaco, and it was believed at the time that the striker favoured an exit.

Balogun has a contract until 2028, but there haven’t been any talks over an extension, and early discussions have taken place with potential suitors.

Ornstein added that Monaco would seek a fee in the region of €50m (£43.1m) for Balogun. It’s unclear whether or not that’s still the asking price a month and a half later.

Arsenal have a 17.5% sell-on clause in Balogun’s deal, having sold the player to Monaco for around £35m in August 2023, with approximately £26m guaranteed and the rest in potential add-ons.

The total amount the Gunners receive could be set for another boost, if Balogun indeed moves on. But if it’s to Spurs, the striker won’t be making many friends at his old club.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero appears to be on the way to Atletico Madrid, despite his camp pushing a possible move across north London to Arsenal.

Starting with some good news, Fabrizio Romano reports that Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur are very close to an agreement in the region of €40m for the transfer of Cristian Romero.

Romano adds that Romero has given the green light to Atletico, and that Arsenal were never a realistic option, as Tottenham refused to consider selling to their local rivals.

Inter Milan were reportedly much closer to the deal, but their lack of exits means they can’t move forward with the transfer addition.

Whilst Spurs were clearly very much against selling to Arsenal, the player’s camp certainly didn’t shut the possibility down.

On the contrary, both Arsenal insider HandofArsenal and Spurs insider Paul O’Keefe report that the player was very open to joining, with O’Keefe repeatedly suggesting Romero’s camp held talks with the Gunners.

O’Keefe previously broke the news of Romero’s new Spurs contract, so the information about the player’s openness to joining Arsenal is seemingly well-sourced.

If Spurs had been open to it, it may well have been a move that came to fruition. Thankfully, the club shut it down, and the player with zero Premier League wins in 2026 will now look for his first domestic victory of the calendar year in Spain.

Folarin Balogun has reportedly been offered to Spurs through intermediaries, and Arsenal could benefit if Monaco cash in.

Folarin Balogun could be at the centre of one of the summer’s more surprising transfer stories after reports claimed the former Arsenal striker has been offered to Tottenham Hotspur, a move that could also hand the Gunners an unexpected financial boost.

The proposal is understood to have come from Balogun’s representatives rather than Tottenham themselves, with intermediaries reportedly approaching the club to establish whether head coach Roberto De Zerbi would be interested in pursuing a deal.

Tottenham are in the market for a striker, while Balogun’s future at Monaco has reportedly become increasingly uncertain despite the United States international still having two years remaining on his contract.

Monaco are said to be prepared to sell for the right price, with Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Sunderland and other English clubs also credited with an interest in the 25-year-old.

The asking price remains unclear.

One report values Balogun at around £40 million. More recent reports simply state he is available for a competitive fee without attaching a specific figure.

Any transfer would also be significant for Arsenal.

Balogun joined the club’s academy as a 10-year-old and developed into one of its most prolific youth forwards, scoring 25 goals in 19 matches for the under-18s during the 2018/19 season, helping them win the Under-18 Premier League South title before signing his first professional contract in February 2019.

Arsenal sold Balogun to Monaco in August 2023 for around €40 million, or £34.4 million, plus add-ons after deciding they could not guarantee him the regular number nine role he wanted.

Crucially, the Gunners are also reported to have negotiated a 17.5 per cent sell-on clause, meaning they would receive a share of any profit Monaco make if the striker is sold.

Should Monaco secure a fee above what they originally paid, Arsenal would stand to receive an additional payment without lifting a finger.

For now, however, the story remains at an early stage.

There is no agreement between Tottenham and Monaco, and no formal offer has been made. The reports describe an agent-led proposal rather than an active pursuit, while Spurs are also said to be weighing up Nicolas Jackson and other striking options before deciding how to proceed.

Cristian Romero was reportedly considered as William Saliba cover, only for Spurs to shut the door before talks could develop.

Arsenal have reportedly explored a move for Cristian Romero, but Tottenham Hotspur‘s refusal to even entertain the idea may have saved the Gunners from making one of the more stupid signings of the summer.

Arsenal’s interest emerged on Thursday when James McNicholas, writing for The Athletic, reported that the Gunners were among the clubs monitoring Tottenham’s captain.

At the time, Spurs were said to be unaware of Arsenal’s interest, suggesting any contact had come through intermediaries.

Reports now indicate Tottenham have categorically rejected any prospect of selling Romero to their north London rivals, with the club instead prepared to consider offers from abroad.

Given Arsenal’s search for defensive reinforcements following William Saliba‘s back injury, it is understandable that the club are assessing a wide range of options.

Even so, Romero always looked like an unusual fit, to put it kindly.

The Argentina international has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most ‘combative’ defenders, and Arsenal’s recent signing of Bruno Guimaraes suggests Mikel Arteta wants to add even more edge to a side that already claimed the Premier League title last season, but it also has to come with a brain attached.

Romero’s disciplinary record and reckless approach have often overshadowed his undoubted ability, and is part of the reason Spurs want rid of him.

Why would Arsenal be open to taking a risk with him? It’s baffling.

Tottenham’s refusal to do business with Arsenal will hopefully, ultimately, prove beneficial for the Gunners, allowing them to focus on targets who better fit the profile they require and aren’t a total liability.

Romero’s future appears more likely to lie outside England.

Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan remain interested, although Inter’s pursuit has stalled after the Italian club reportedly failed to agree personal terms despite reaching a verbal agreement over a fee believed to be around €40 million.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Atlético are now in direct club-to-club talks with Tottenham and currently lead the race for the defender.

Romano also confirmed Arsenal made enquiries, while adding that Inter first need players to leave before they can revive their interest.

Arsenal’s need for another defender has not changed, but Romero increasingly looks like a name they can thankfully cross off the shortlist.

Sometimes the best transfer is the one that never happens.

The FA have confirmed that the International Football Association Board have approved a new goalkeeper injury trial for the 2026/27 Premier League season.

The FA have officially announced that English football has received approval from IFAB to trial a new system to cut down on tactical goalkeeper injury timeouts.

For a while, teams have abused the fact that a goalkeeper going down for medical treatment doesn’t have to leave the field of play afterwards. A goalkeeper can go down, disrupt momentum, and give their team time to address things tactically during the break, with no negative consequences.

The trial will introduce such a consequence, requiring the head coach to immediately nominate a player to leave the pitch for a minimum of one minute after the game restarts.

There will be exceptions to the rule, including if the goalkeeper is fouled, if the goalkeeper is bleeding, or if the goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided and both need attention.

But the hope is that this will cut down on potential sporting advantages associated with such stoppages.

The FA add that they will also be introducing a five-second countdown option for match officials to use when they believe players are unfairly delaying a throw-in or goal-kick. The system was used at the World Cup, and it will now be introduced in English football.

Finally, a ten-second limit will be in place for players leaving the pitch when substituted.

The trial will take place across the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup this season, as well as the upcoming Community Shield match. So it will apply to Arsenal in all competitions except the Champions League.

Elijah Upson has signed for Arsenal, joining the club after rejecting a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsenal have announced the signing of Elijah Upson, who was most recently on the books at Tottenham Hotspur.

Upson rejected a contract extension with Spurs and fielded offers from Chelsea, Manchester City, Everton, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, and AS Monaco, before eventually agreeing to join Arsenal.

The youngster made his decision after visiting the Sobha Realty Training Centre earlier this month and holding talks with his family, including his father and former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson.

“It’s a great feeling, really proud to be here,” Elijah said. “[It’s] really nice to have all my family and everyone around it, it’s been a great experience.

“My dad signed here around the same time as me, it’s great to have someone with a good experience of the place. But at the same time, I’m definitely looking forward to building my own reputation and getting started.

“When I met the guys here recently and met all the team and staff, it just seemed like a really nice environment. That was probably the biggest factor, an environment where you feel you can hopefully learn and get better as a person.”

Upson had been a regular starter for the Spurs academy for much of the 2025/26 campaign. The centre-back appeared in six of Spurs’ seven UEFA Youth League games, and he started 13 of their first 16 u18 Premier League fixtures of the season.

Of the three games he didn’t start, one was due to injury, one was because he was starting for the u21s, and he came off the bench as a substitute in the third (against Arsenal).

But speculation around Upson’s future seemingly hurt his gametime, as he suddenly dropped out of the squad in mid-February and didn’t return to it.

As well as playing for Spurs, Upson is an England youth international, making a couple of appearances for the England u18s in October, and receiving a call-up for the u17 World Cup in November.

Former Tottenham Hotspur youth defender Elijah Upson has signed a contract to join Arsenal, with an official announcement to follow, according to a report.

Luca Bendoni reports that Elijah Upson has signed his Arsenal contract, joining the Gunners from Tottenham Hotspur for no more than a training compensation fee after reaching the end of his Spurs contract.

Bendoni adds that an official announcement on Upson’s transfer is set to follow in the coming days.

Simon Jones had reported for the Daily Mail last week that former Gunner Matthew Upson’s son Elijah had decided to join Arsenal.

Elijah rejected a contract extension with Spurs and fielded offers from Chelsea, Manchester City, Everton, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, and AS Monaco.

Jones confirmed that Upson Jr. visited Arsenal’s training ground last week on Wednesday and held talks with his family, ultimately deciding to join the Gunners this summer.

Upson had been a regular starter for the Spurs academy for much of the 2025/26 campaign. The centre-back appeared in six of Spurs’ seven UEFA Youth League games, and he started 13 of their first 16 u18 Premier League fixtures of the season.

Of the three games he didn’t start, one was due to injury, one was because he was starting for the u21s, and he came off the bench as a substitute in the third (against Arsenal).

But speculation around Upson’s future seemingly hurt his gametime, as he suddenly dropped out of the squad in mid-February and didn’t return to it.

As well as playing for Spurs, Upson is an England youth international, making a couple of appearances for the England u18s in October, and receiving a call-up for the u17 World Cup in November. Unfortunately, he had to pull out of the tournament with the same injury mentioned above.