Football365

Certain pundits have got slightly carried away with the narrative of Arsenal buckling under the pressure of leading the Premier League, especially after Manchester City “sent a message” with their dominant 3-0 win against Liverpool on Sunday.

Arsenal will supposedly be feeling “nervous” after Man City punished their rivals for claiming a respectable 2-2 draw at high-flying Sunderland, hammering Liverpool to close to within four points of the table-toppers after 11 matches.

These two teams have been in this position before, but are currently at very different points with their progression: Arsenal have arguably reached their final form with a near-complete squad, while this imperfect Man City side is far from unbeatable as they have become Erling Haaland FC.

Arsenal have also demonstrated on multiple occasions this season that they can remain strong in moments of adversity and seal important points. They are a level above the rest in the Premier League and will likely extend their unbeaten run after the international break en route to finally winning the title.

But there’s no fun in that. So, assuming that there is a cock-up in one or more of Arsenal’s six Premier League games before Christmas as Man City pile on the pressure, who are they most likely to slip up against? Well, here’s the answer to that question…

The worst team in the Premier League at home? This should be easy pickings for Arsenal…

It is worth noting that the Gunners have won their last eight matches against Wolves, who have also only scored two goals against the north London side during this stretch.

There are small factors against Arsenal, including the possibility of a new manager bounce for Wolves with Rob Edwards and this game coming at the end of a busy three-game week, but they should have far too much for the bottom-placed side in the division.

READ: Premier League winners and losers: Villa, Konate, Soucek, Newcastle, Brentford, Ugarte, Frank and more

Now things start to get somewhat interesting…

Last season this game ended 1-1, though their meeting in April came at a time when Arsenal had all but conceded the Premier League title to Liverpool.

Still, Brentford do represent a stern test for Arsenal, even away from home. The Bees really deserve immense credit for their lack of decline, despite the exits of Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa. New head coach Keith Andrews has rightly prioritised his team’s strengths, thus ensuring they will be completely fine for another season.

Brentford certainly have the ability in their squad to cause Arsenal problems and score a goal, but the Gunners are better equipped than most to deal with their opponents’ physicality and should escape from this one unscathed.

The talk is that the Gunners could suffer an international break-enforced hangover from the draw against Sunderland, with Arteta’s side not being allowed to immediately bounce back.

But those naysayers must be forgetting that their first task after the international break is a meeting with Dr Tottenham, so they should be just fine…

Seriously though, Spurs are at least far stronger away than at home; they have the same number of points on the road as Arsenal and are also unbeaten. They have not had an easy ride, either, as they have already travelled to Man City and Brighton, with their other matches being against Everton, West Ham and Leeds.

Spurs are also far more defensively solid under Frank than during Ange Postecoglou’s tenure, but they are weaker in attack and could struggle to find a way through their opponents’ resolute backline. This stinks of a 1-0 to the Arsenal via a set-piece goal.

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Arsenal are not exactly poor away from home, but you feel that they are more likely to drop points on the road than at the Emirates after doing so against Sunderland and Liverpool in their opening 11 games.

First, we have Everton, who delayed the David Moyes sack conversation by earning a much-needed win against Fulham at the weekend. This was their third home victory of the season in the league at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

It has been impressive how the Toffees have quickly transferred their home from their beloved former stadium to their new ground, with this game certainly a banana skin after Arsenal failed to beat David Moyes’ side in their two meetings last season.

The latest London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea is at the end of a really difficult week for the Gunners, who also face Spurs and Bayern Munich in a matter of days after the international break.

Arsenal have dominated this fixture in recent years, having not lost to Chelsea in their previous eight meetings, but the Blues are creeping up as the third most likely winner of the Premier League this season following recent wins over Liverpool and Spurs.

It’s been difficult to go all in on Chelsea due to their game-to-game inconsistency, but they are certainly capable of matching Arsenal in a single match if they perform to their maximum. Will they be here? Probably not…

READ: Would Arsenal be the ‘biggest bottlers’ in PL history if they fail to win the title from here?

Arsenal supporters are likely already dreading next month’s matches against Aston Villa, with the away game at the start of the month coming before the reverse fixture at the Emirates on December 30.

This does at least mean that the Gunners will get these two difficult games out of the way quickly. But Aston Villa have hit form at the wrong time from Arsenal’s perspective, with Unai Emery’s side shooting up the table by earning statement wins over Bournemouth, Man City and Tottenham.

This has re-established the Villans as a serious contender for Champions League qualification after they looked toothless in attack and generally leggy in the first few weeks of this season. Now, Arsenal would surely accept a draw from their first clash with Villa in December if it were offered to them now…

Tottenham are preparing a big offer to sign Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye in the January transfer market, according to reports.

Spurs find themselves fifth in the Premier League under new head coach Thomas Frank with Tottenham winning five, drawing three and losing three of their first 11 matches this term.

Tottenham spent over £180m on new signings in the summer transfer window with attacking players like Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons signing for big money.

Spurs have scored a respectable 19 goals in 11 Premier League matches so far this season but Frank is keen to bring in more attacking reinforcements in January.

And now reports in Spain on website Fichajes, who aren’t always known for their reliable updates, insists Tottenham ‘have launched a significant offensive’ for Everton magician Ndiaye.

The Senegal international has emerged as a ‘priority target’ for the January transfer window and Tottenham are ‘considering a substantial offer for the Everton player and have already made initial contact’.

READ: Premier League winners and losers: Villa, Konate, Soucek, Newcastle, Brentford, Ugarte, Frank and more

Ndiaye is seen as a ‘strong alternative’ to Aston Villa and England star Morgan Rogers and ‘some estimates place the required fee at around £60-70 million for the transfer to be viable’.

Spurs still have to convince Ndiaye but the report adds: ‘The club believes that signing Ndiaye would not only fill the immediate vacancy but also allow them to build a stronger attacking force for the future. Iliman Ndiaye is young, has a long-term contract with Everton, and his availability on the market makes him a viable option for Tottenham.’

One player already having more of an impact than he had last season is Richarlison but Lineker criticised him for being a “bit daft” when taking his shirt off to celebrate Spurs’ second goal in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United over the weekend.

Lineker said on The Rest is Football: “Richarlison thought he’d won the game for Tottenham, didn’t he?

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“Ripping off his shirt and then obviously they get extra time for that and then they [United] score in that extra time. I think it’s a stupid law to get a yellow card and obviously if it happens in injury time you get extended injury time.

“But also, even though it’s a silly law, you know what it is, and I just don’t understand why [he did it]. I know you can get over excited, but you can get over excited by doing something else other than rip your bloody shirt off!

“It’s a bit daft but I get it. It’s a big goal for him and he thought at the time he’d won the game. But honestly… footballers, glad I wasn’t one!”

According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur have lodged a ‘surprise offer’ as they look to beat Chelsea in the race to sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid.

Unsurprisingly, Spurs were very active in this summer’s transfer market as they strengthened their squad ahead of their Champions League return.

Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani, Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha were among their most notable additions as they have built a far stronger squad than the one they had last season.

This business has helped Thomas Frank‘s side make a strong start to the 2025/26 campaign as they are among the clubs in contention to qualify for Europe ahead of next season.

Still, Tottenham are weak in some positions and they certainly need to strengthen in attacking areas in the coming months.

READ: Premier League winners and losers: Villa, Konate, Soucek, Newcastle, Brentford, Ugarte, Frank and more

Spurs are already being linked with several potential targets ahead of the winter transfer window, with Real Madrid star Rodrygo among their options.

It looks increasingly likely that Rodrygo will leave Real Madrid next year as he has fallen in the pecking order following Kylian Mbappe’s arrival and could move to the Premier League.

It has been reported that Chelsea are in ‘direct contact’ over signing Rodrygo, but a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes claims Real Madrid have ‘received a surprise £70m offer’ from Spurs for the Brazil international.

The report adds:

‘Those close to Real Madrid are closely watching how the 24-year-old has played just 25% of the minutes this season and has only started 18% of the matches. This situation has raised concerns: a player with his talent and track record cannot be left out indefinitely.

‘Tottenham, for their part, have expressed clear interest in Rodrygo and would be willing to pay the €80 million fee to make him a key figure in their attacking system. The London club want the Brazilian to form a partnership with James Maddison and Xavi Simons.’

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Rodrygo could potentially fill the void left by Richarlison, who is being heavily linked with an exit ahead of January.

Richarlison took his shirt off to wildly celebrate scoring Tottenham’s second goal at the weekend, though he was made to look stupid by Matthijs de Ligt’s last-gasp equaliser.

Gary Lineker has hit out at the “daft” Spurs forward.

“Richarlison thought he’d won the game for Tottenham, didn’t he?” Lineker on The Rest is Football.

“Ripping off his shirt and then obviously they get extra time for that and then they [United] score in that extra time. I think it’s a stupid law to get a yellow card and obviously if it happens in injury time you get extended injury time.

“But also, even though it’s a silly law, you know what it is, and I just don’t understand why [he did it]. I know you can get over excited, but you can get over excited by doing something else other than rip your bloody shirt off!

“It’s a bit daft but I get it. It’s a big goal for him and he thought at the time he’d won the game. But honestly… footballers, glad I wasn’t one!”

Ally McCoist and former Man Utd goalkeeper Ben Foster have picked out lots of positives after the Red Devils held Tottenham to a 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Spurs thought they had won the game when Richarlison put Thomas Frank’s side ahead in second half injury time after Bryan Mbeumo and Mathys Tel had scored earlier in the match.

But Matthijs de Ligt popped up in the sixth minute of injury time to salvage a point from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and keep Man Utd on a run of five Premier League matches unbeaten.

Many onlookers were underwhelmed by the performance of both teams but McCoist and Foster can see the positives in recent weeks.

McCoist thinks Man Utd are now “harder to play against”, “better in forward areas” and more resilient, while he picked out Amad Diallo and Patrick Dorgu for their good displays against Tottenham.

Speaking to host Jeff Stelling on talkSPORT, McCoist said: “I also think Jeff, in times gone by they wouldn’t have got the point. I think there’s more about them, it’s evident. There’s far more about them. Miles away from the finished article it has to be said. But they look slightly harder to play against, and they certainly look, I think, better in forward areas.

READ:Man Utd could revert to type as two summer signings justify Ruben Amorim’s new transfer priority

“Some good performances. I thought Dorgu played well. I thought Amad played really, really well. We’ve mentioned Cunha and Mbeumo before. Those two in particular, at this early stage, I think two terrific new signings can handle it, not even handle it, look as though they’re thriving in that kind of situation.

“So I think at this early stage, there’s must be heaps of positives from Manchester United, but still a lot of work to do. But I take your point. They’re disappointed at getting the point, but I think maybe, you know, certainly last season, I don’t think they’re getting the point.”

When asked if he sensed a changing attitude at Man Utd, former goalkeeper Ben Foster added: “Yeah, I think Ally’s probably just said everything that needed to be said right there. I only watched the game on the TV, but they look okay.

“They look like they’re playing with a lot more confidence and have done for most of this season. But I just think when you sort of contrast it to the quality of Man City, for example, last night, I think it’s very evident there’s still quite a way to go.”

McCoist added: “I think that’s in a nutshell, mate, I really do. I think there’s definitely been improvements. I think the positivity around Manchester United is understandable. And so there should be the small steps, but in terms of the large steps needed to get to the likes of the level of Manchester City, which we saw yesterday, they are still a good bit away.

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“But I still think Amorim speaks really well better, don’t you think? And I think I actually think it was a good piece of ownership coming out and effectively backing him for a couple of years so that everybody knows [he’s going to be there a while]. And just as importantly, never mind the fans knowing, I think the players knowing that he’s going to be there for a while is something as well.”

Foster continued: “I think people just tend to forget that the Premier League is actually really hard. To be honest, the general quality of the Premier League is really, really hard and to put a string of games together [is difficult].

“We’re saying it all over the Premier League, but a string of games together where you’re winning consistently is really, really hard to do. So sometimes you just have to make sure you don’t lose. And I think for Manchester United, they would have lost that game earlier in the season, they would have lost that game.

“They wouldn’t have had it about them to go and really search for that equaliser. I think it’s the mentality shift, the mentality change in the players. They’re all starting to buy into it now, from what the manager is saying. He’s been saying it for the best part of the year, in fairness to him – but I think it’s finally seeping into the players, and you can see when players play with that belief, and that positivity and the confidence, that you get better results for it as well.”

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero was “horrific” against Manchester United and identified as Spurs’ “weakness” by former England international Stuart Pearce.

Spurs went behind in the first half to a Bryan Mbeumo header as Man Utd looked to continue a run of four matches without losing in the Premier League.

Tottenham hit back six minutes from time as Mathys Tel got them back on level terms before Richarlison scored in the first minute of injury time to put them on course for three points.

However, there was still time for Red Devils defender Matthijs de Ligt to head home an equaliser as both sides shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Tottenham captain Romero limped off on 88 minutes with the scores level at 1-1 but by that time Pearce had already seen enough to call the Argentina international out for his poor performance against Man Utd.

Pearce said on talkSPORT: “If I was a chief scout sent to watch Romero, I would identify him as a weakness.

READ: Tottenham season a ‘failure’ without silverware or Champions League qualification…obviously

“You can certainly get in behind him. And if I was sent on behalf of recruitment, I would say, ‘Leave him where he is!'”

Pearce added: “It’s horrific what Romero is doing at the moment. He gives the ball away in midfield and doesn’t even make a recovery run. As a defender, that should be engrained in you.

“He’s pushing up to defend into midfield, getting completely bypassed and he’s just jogging back making no effort to help out.

“I know I keep going on about it, but it really is unbelievable from the captain of his team.”

Despite losing two points in the final moments of the match, Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank was happy with his side’s second-half display.

Frank said: “I think it was a good performance at home against Man United especially second half.

“I liked that when came out for the second half 1-0 down, the players stayed in the game and kept doing the right thing with the principles.

“We turned it around and got a deserved equaliser . We got what we hoped t could have been the winner.

READ: ‘Will he never learn?’ – Keys slams ‘over-excited’ Spurs banter magnet after Man Utd gaffe

“We can’t run away from it, it’s disappointing they equalised so late but it’s not the first time in world history that happened.

“To come back in the fashion we did, I’m very happy.

“It was a good step forward in terms of what we wanna do but we are not where we want to be in terms of free-flowing.”

Frank was booed for taking off Xavi Simons for Tel on 79 minutes but the Tottenham boss was eventually proved right as the latter scored the equalising goal to make it 1-1.

The Spurs head coach added: “Every single time I make a substitution, I do it for the best of the team with only one aim — to try to win the match.

“Today, it was successful. Mathys came in and scored the goal. For Xavi, it was another step forward in a positive performance

“He’s started a lot of games and we needed a little extra freshness.”

When will Richarlison learn? No, he will never learn that taking his top off to celebrate a goal never ends well for him. It happened again in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

Richarlison scored what he thought was a winning goal for Tottenham on Saturday afternoon, only for Matthijs de Ligt to pop up with a 96th-minute equaliser.

Spurs 2-2 Man Utd: Key statistics

Man Utd scored from their only two shots on target

Spurs scored twice in seven minutes to come from 1-0 down

Big chances missed: Spurs 2 – 0 Man Utd

It was a poor game overall, but the ending was pure chaos. Spurs hit back with goals in the 84th and 91st minutes after Bryan Mbeumo’s header had given Ruben Amorim’s men the lead in the first half.

Richarlison nodded in an instinctive header from Wilson Odobert’s shot and celebrated by taking his shirt off, which, as history tells us, never, ever ends well.

Sure enough, De Ligt scored a header six minutes into added time to snatch a draw for United, who are now five games unbeaten in the Premier League, but, for the second week running, they were 1-0 up, conceded two quickfire goals, and had to salvage a point.

The Red Devils sit seventh in the Premier League after the draw, while Thomas Frank’s side are up to third, despite being 17th in the home table with just five points from six games.

READ: Amorim blushes spared by De Ligt as Frank outclasses Man Utd boss from the touchline

Banter magnet Richarlison has to learn

In a classic Richard Keys, Andy Gray exchange at full-time, Keys was unimpressed by Richarlison’s celebration – especially given how it came back to bite him against Liverpool in 2022/23.

Back in April 2023, Richarlison scored a last-gasp equaliser for Spurs at Anfield and whipped his shirt off in front of the travelling fans…only for Diogo Jota to score moments later to make it 4-3.

Here’s the conversation between Keys and Gray on beIN Sports:

Keys: “Will he never learn? Will he never learn, Richarlison? We’ve seen that before. Saw it in Anfield, remember? And it all went horribly wrong. I understand.”

Gray: “Listen, he thinks he’s won it. There are 90 minutes played. He got a little excited.”

Keys: “I think you could say he got over-excited.”

Gray: “Yes. They all did. They thought they’d won it. They haven’t played well for 80 minutes. Looked like they were losing the game. Suddenly, in seven minutes of football, they’re leading as they went to stoppage time. He (Amorim) thought they’d lost it. He (Richarlison) thought he’d won it. But I’m sorry, Richarlison. And especially when they’re (United) down to 10 men.”

Keys: “It wasn’t a cup-winning goal. It might have been a match-winning goal, but ultimately, of course, there’s time left for things to change, and they did at Anfield when he went off and did that. I don’t think you can argue with the result. No, can you?”

At some point, Richarlison really has to learn that celebrating late goals like that simply never ends well for him. He’s a bloody banter magnet.

Thomas Frank and Ruben Amorim took it in turns to make bad decisions in their bid to lose a game which neither Tottenham nor Manchester United therefore deserved to win.

There was a predictable spattering of boos at half-time from the Tottenham fans, who had watched another insipid attacking performance from their team on a home patch which has reaped the scant reward of 13 points from their previous 19 Premier League games.

While Joao Palhinha and Pape Matar Sarr offered the very same inability to progress the ball from the base of midfield, Xavi Simons was frequently spotted looking up and seeing no-one to either bounce the ball off or find running in behind thanks to the almost comically inert and toothless trio of Brennan Johnson, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani playing ahead of him.

The surprise in Spurs’ one decent chance wasn’t Richarlison entirely missing his header but Johnson creating that opportunity with a very fine cross, such was their shocking end product or even ability to get into a position where end products matter besides.

Micky van de Ven produced a sublime tackle to deny Benjamin Sesko late in the game which ended up being worthy of the Man of the Match award as Ally McCoist scratched his head in search of alternatives, but the centre-back didn’t cover himself in glory in the first half.

Understandably buoyed by his extraordinary solo goal against Copenhagen, he ignored the first inevitable and thoroughly enjoyable roar from the Tottenham fans when he jinked past a Manchester United forward with the ball at his feet from the back, but failed at the second time of asking, imagining the goal celebration when a full 70 yards from goal before being tackled after about ten of those yards as the ball got away from him.

And while Sarr is undeniably the chief culprit when laying blame for the Manchester United opener, a less panicked centre-back would have taken a touch and cleared, while one with Van de Ven’s very particular set of skills could have dribbled his way out of trouble, with Bruno Fernandes admittedly close but also the only Manchester United player in his vicinity.

There are also few more gear-grinding sights than the public dressing down of one player by another in a blatant bid to make sure everyone in the stadium knows who’s at fault. Sarr knows he’s made a mistake, the fans know he’s made a mistake. The only purpose the on-pitch scolding serves is to make Van de Ven look like a self-serving so-and-so.

The quality of Spurs’ forwards was in stark contrast to Manchester United’s for the vast majority of this game. Amad Diallo’s delivery for Mbeumo was excellent, and while the Cameroon international scoring a header with his feet firmly rooted on the ground isn’t a great sign of Spurs’ defensive order, it was very well directed by a player who was a constant threat both with and without the ball.

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United looked to be cruising, albeit not entirely convincingly, towards a relatively comfortable victory until the managers rang the changes in the second half.

The most ardent boos of the day came when Xavi Simons was taken off once again. But Frank may well be afforded more leeway with regard to his hooking in future as his replacement Mathys Tel scored the equaliser with a deflected shot past Senne Lammens after a quite brilliant first touch following a cross from fellow sub Destiny Udogie, who – like yet another sub, Wilson Odobert – did this alien thing of taking on and beating defenders before delivering the ball.

Frank also deserves credit for leaving Richarlison on the pitch. Few would have complained at him not coming out for the second half, let alone still being around to expertly flick Odobert’s shot past Lammens with his head.

But as much blame should be laid at Amorim’s door as praise bestowed upon Frank after the Manchester United boss contrived to put his team in a position where the towering Matthijs de Ligt header deep into stoppage time was required for them to claim a point when they looked destined for three for so long.

Mason Mount’s touch and blind pass for Sesko before that Van de Ven tackle was stunning, and their introduction from the bench made a positive difference, but why oh why is Amorim obsessed with changing his centre-backs? Harry Maguire had been faultless and while Leny Yoro didn’t do anything wrong per se, it just creates a needless disruption when things are going smoothly.

And frankly we can’t imagine just how entirely knackered, injured or concussed Casemiro would have to be to make it a good idea to bring him off for Manuel Ugarte. Tottenham had no joy in front of the United defence before that change was made in the 72nd minute, and Odobert was found in that space for both goals.

Amorim got his starting XI right, Frank got it wrong, but the Tottenham manager outclassed his Manchester United counterpart from the touchline. They each did their level best to lose this game through their decisions, but instead head into the international break with a point that is serviceable if uninspiring, which also neatly serves as a perfect description of both of these teams right now.

Tim Sherwood saying Tottenham Hotspur finishing outside the Champions League places and without a trophy would be a “failure” probably isn’t the hot take he thinks it is.

Finishing sixth, per se, would be a significant improvement on last season’s 17th-place finish in the Premier League. But returning to the Europa League and winning nothing after ending their trophy drought would obviously be a failure.

Tottenham in 2025/26 Premier League: Key stats

Best away team (4 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses)

Eight goals conceded in first 10 games; only Arsenal have fewer

Trophyless and out of the top five a ‘failed’ season for Spurs

Speaking on Gillette Soccer Saturday, former Tottenham manager Sherwood said Thomas Frank’s side lost the biggest game of their season so far against Newcastle United, and understands why supporters were upset after last weekend’s pathetic 1-0 home defeat to London rivals Chelsea.

“It’s a big game for him today (against Manchester United),” Sherwood said. “Really huge game of football, because if they lose this game, there’s doom and gloom. And we’re talking about a team sixth in the league.

“They’re in the Champions League, now they’re not going to win that, they lost the biggest game of the season, which was Newcastle in the Carabao Cup, bar none. That is a huge game of football. Well, that’s the easiest trophy to win.

“Newcastle beat them, and convincingly at that. You lose to Chelsea, a London Derby in front of 60,000 fans. They’re not happy with what they saw, and no one would be, and nor Thomas Frank and the players would be happy with that.

“They get booed off, there’s a little reaction with Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence with the manager, a little bit of dispute there.”

Sherwood then stated what constitutes a failed season for Spurs, by stating exactly what constitutes a failed season for Spurs.

“There’s a negative vibe, and there shouldn’t be with the position they are,” he continued. “But if they don’t finish in the Champions League spots, and they don’t win anything this season, it’s a failure. It’s a failure.

“You can’t just think, well, we improved on the 17th place. We know why they finished 17th, because Ange threw the towel in on the Premier League to win the Europa League.

“They managed to do that. They’ve tasted that success now. They’ve had the open-top bus. If they don’t win anything this season, or don’t finish in the Champions League spots, it’s a failure.”

Using a dramatic word such as “failure” is sure to get people talking, but it’s absolutely spot on from Sherwood. It’s almost so true that it’s not worth saying in an age of pundits desperate for soundbites.

Nonetheless, we appreciate the honest punditry.

Just win, Thomas, and everything will be fine

All Frank needs to do is win football matches. It really is that simple.

“The home form…it’s down to one thing: there’s a demand to play a certain way when you’re in front of the Tottenham fans,” Sherwood said.

“When you play away from home, it doesn’t matter how you play.

“They’re very well supported at home; there’s 60,000 demanding to be entertained, not only that, and to win.

“Under [Antonio] Conte, under Jose Mourinho, the style of play wasn’t great, but they were winning games, especially early in their tenure.

“It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter if you won. If you stop winning games and you’re not picking up maximum points, then it matters. Then you start getting scrutinised.

“They’ve absolutely got every right to want to be entertained. They’re paying a lot of money to go and watch their team play, but the team is not brave enough at the moment. There’s not enough flavour in there for them.

“They’re missing [Dejan] Kulusevski. They’re missing [James] Maddison. They’re players who can slow the game down, and they can get a little bit of control.

“At the moment, they’re all about set-pieces. The ball’s out of play, corners, it’s not great to watch.”

If reported Real Madrid target Micky van de Ven avoids injury this season, Tottenham Hotspur will find it “totally impossible” to keep him, says Tim Sherwood.

Real Madrid have been linked with the Tottenham defender, who scored a headline-grabbing solo goal against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Micky van de Ven’s Copenhagen goal breaks record

Longest ball carry ending in a goal in Champions League history (67.7m)

Beat previous record set by Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr in October 2024 (64.4m)

Not further than Heung-min Son’s Puskás-winning goal v Burnley (72.3m) in 2019

F365 SAYS: Micky van de Ven now nailed on for Real Madrid switch

Van de Ven picked the ball up on the edge of his own box and glided past several Copenhagen players with his incredible pace before smashing the ball past Dominik Kotarski.

It will probably go down as the Champions League goal of the season and reminded everyone what Van de Ven is capable of when in full flight on the ball.

He produced a similarly mesmerising run to assist Brennan Johnson against Manchester United last September, but he and Spurs were unable to kick on in the Premier League, finishing a miserable 17th.

Spurs did go on to win the Europa League final against the Red Devils under Ange Postecoglou, which is why they’re playing in Europe this campaign, and Van de Ven played a huge part in that, producing an acrobatic clearance off the line with his side 1-0 up.

Injuries curtailed the Dutchman’s 2024/25 campaign, but he’s remained injury-free this season, and former Spurs manager Sherwood thinks keeping hold of the Madrid target will be “impossible” if he stays fit, while also joking that the Copenhagen players were “blindfolded” for his wondergoal.

“Obviously, the magnificent goal that Micky van de Ven scored,” Sherwood said on Sky Sports’ Gillette Soccer Saturday.

“It was incredible, but, I have to be honest, the Copenhagen players, they were all blindfolded, weren’t they? I mean, he just run through them, they’re letting him go. It was incredible…it was fantastic.

“Look, if he keeps himself fit, it’s impossible for Tottenham to keep hold of him. Totally impossible. The kid is top drawer. But it’s just the injuries.”

Van de Ven to Real Madrid is inevitable…on one condition

As Tickers already wrote, Van de Ven seems destined for a big-money move to the Spanish capital.

He’s rarely caught out defensively and is obviously a speed demon and a threat in the attacking penalty box. That pace has bailed out him and Spurs many times before and will continue to do so for as long as he’s in north London.

A player making the jump from Spurs to Madrid wouldn’t be anything new, and Van de Ven would be very silly indeed not to push for it if the Spanish giants make the call.

Xabi Alonso’s side are keen to add a new centre-back and could move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi on a Bosman next summer, but Van de Ven is a name that keeps cropping up.

It would be a brilliant signing for them, a brilliant move for the player, and a bitter blow for Spurs, who will dig their heels in when the time comes and surely demand north of £70million. But as Sherwood says, a lot depends on Van de Ven staying fit.

If Romero leaves Spurs, so will Van de Ven

With interest growing in Van de Ven, Thomas Frank’s side are unsurprisingly keen to extend his contract.

According to transfer journalist Graeme Bailey, the 24-year-old “is very happy at Tottenham,” though his future slightly hinges on the future of centre-back partner Cristian Romero. Bailey told The Boot Room:

“A new deal for Van de Ven is emerging as one of Tottenham’s priorities under Vinai Venkatesham’s reign, and talks have already been taking place since the summer.

“But this is both ways, Van de Ven is very happy at Tottenham, he has settled in brilliantly since he arrived, having now emerged as one of the Premier League’s best, and his partnership with Cristian Romero is on par with anything in the game.

“Romero plays a part here; his decision not to seek a move in the summer has an impact on Van de Ven, who is ready to follow in his steps and sign, and he will be rewarded with similar terms to those of his Argentine colleague.

“Yes, both Spurs and Van de Ven are aware of interest; there is no denying that. Spurs believe he is one of the best anywhere in Europe, and they are recognising this with this prospective new deal. Talks are set to accelerate this month.”

Ruben Amorim doing “something different” against Tottenham feels hugely significant for Manchester United.

Tottenham’s last 19 Premier League games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium comprise three wins, four draws and 12 defeats. It’s a harrowing run which would ordinarily make firm Manchester United favourites amid their promising uptick in form.

But the Red Devil somehow contriving to lose not once, not twice or even thrice to Spurs last season but four times, combined with Amorim’s side winning just once away from home this term, makes this a particularly hard game to call, with their respective impossible-to-gauge quality making it near impossible.

Much of the criticism aimed at Amorim in his time at Manchester United, before the improvement of late which saw him named Manager of the Month for October, has been based around his obstinacy.

It’s 3-4-3 or bust and it’s typically been the latter. He’s stubbornly refused to deviate from his formation and philosophy, and while we don’t expect that to change too much against Tottenham, it could feel a tad perverse to some that – as he admitted in a pre-match interview – he’s made changes to his team with the aim of “doing something different” on the back of three wins and a draw in his last four games.

“We’ve been working on it this week,” he added, and that’s a luxury he has over Thomas Frank and most of the other managers of teams vying for places towards the top of the Premier League, with no European football this season granting him the space to make tactical tweaks and work on new things midweek to make the push for qualification this season.

Amorim made three changes to his starting line-up, with Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu all returning in place of Leny Yoro, Diogo Dalot and Benjamin Sesko, who drop to the bench.

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Perhaps the changes have been made in a bid to replicate their performance against Liverpool, where the lack of a focal point caused no end of problems for Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, or maybe Tottenham’s insipid display vs Chelsea prompted him to pack his team full of pressers to push a panicking Spurs into ceding possession as regularly as they did against the Blues.

But after Amorim naming an unchanged side against Nottingham Forest for the first time in the Premier League was a landmark call to show why Manchester United should be in the running for a return to the Champions League, so too is this newfound will to do “something different”.

It points to a level of comfort, from Amorim in his players and from his players in him. Having taken a very long time to come to terms with the basics of his philosophy, they’ve now reached a stage where Amorim believes he can make adjustments to the blueprint for individual games.