BBC

Randal Kolo Muani: Tottenham forward 'fine' after 'minor' car accident

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Randal Kolo Muani: Tottenham forward 'fine' after 'minor' car accident - BBC
Description

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank says French forward Randal Kolo Muani is "fine" after being involved in a "minor accident".

Pictures circulated on social media on Tuesday showing the 27-year-old and Wilson Odobert standing next to a damaged Ferrari, although the Spurs winger was travelling in his own car and stopped to assist his team-mate.

The accident happened as the pair were on their way to the airport for the club's trip to Germany and Wednesday's final Champions League group phase match at Eintracht Frankfurt (20:00 GMT).

Both Kolo Muani and compatriot Odobert were due to fly out later on Tuesday and boss Frank, speaking in his pre-match news conference, said "everyone else involved in the accident was fine".

"It was a tyre blowing up, so, they are little bit delayed, but they will land later tonight," he added.

Kolo Muani is on loan at Spurs from Paris St-Germain and has scored twice and assisted twice in Europe this season.

Frank "fully expects" both the frontman and Odobert to be available for the Frankfurt tie, where victory for his men will confirm a top-eight spot in the standings.

Spurs, however, will be without full-back Pedro Porro, who has a hamstring injury and "will be out for four weeks". Centre-back Micky van de Van has also not travelled due to a "minor thing", but could return for Sunday's Premier League home match with Manchester City (16:30 BST).

Source

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City: Premier League preview, team news, stats & head-to-head

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City: Premier League preview, team news, stats & head-to-head - BBC
Description

Tottenham have completed the Premier League double over Manchester City nine times so far, more than they have any other opponent. Meanwhile, only Chelsea (10) have done so more against the Citizens.

Man City have won their last two away league games against Spurs, last winning three in a row between February 1973 and August 1974.

Tottenham Hotspur are winless in five Premier League matches (D3 L2), their fourth run of 5+ winless games in the last two seasons. They only had four runs of five or more winless games across their previous 12 seasons combined from 2012-13 to 2023-24.

In the last two seasons, Manchester City rank sixth for points won away from home in the Premier League (46 in 30 games – an average of 1.53 per game). In the two seasons beforehand in 2022-23 and 2023-24, City won the joint most away points (81 in 38 games – 2.13 points per game).

In the last two seasons, the only ever-present sides to pick up fewer Premier League points than Tottenham (66) are Wolves (50) and West Ham (63), with Spurs’ 31 defeats second only to Wolves (37) in that time. Another defeat would mean Spurs have lost 10+ games for eight consecutive seasons since 2018-19 – in their eight seasons beforehand (2010-11 – 2017-18) this only happened twice.

Man City faced as many shots as they had themselves last time out against Wolves (11 each), the seventh time this season they’d either had fewer or as many attempts as their opponents in a Premier League game, the joint most in a season under Pep Guardiola. They are only averaging 4.7 more shots per game than their opponents this season, their smallest difference in a season under the Spaniard.

Man City’s Pep Guardiola has lost more league games against Spurs than any other opponent in his managerial career (8).

Thomas Frank has won just four of his last 22 home Premier League matches, with an identical record (W2 D3 L6) across his last 11 games with Brentford as in his first 11 with Spurs (W4 D6 L12 overall). Frank has the worst points per game at home of any Spurs boss in Premier League history (0.82).

Omar Marmoush netted his first Premier League goal of the season in Man City’s 2-0 win over Wolves but all eight of his goals in the competition have been scored at home – he’s failed to score with all 20 of his attempts in 12 games away from home.

Man City’s Antoine Semenyo has scored five goals in his last eight Premier League appearances, the joint most of any player in that timeframe (15 December onwards). One of those was a late winner against Spurs for Bournemouth in January, with only Eric Cantona in 1992-93 (Leeds and Man Utd) and Benito Carbone in 1999-00 (Sheff Wed and Aston Villa) scoring against Spurs for two teams in a single season.

Source

Tottenham analysis: Will Spurs' blunt attack be Frank's undoing?

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Tottenham analysis: Will Spurs' blunt attack be Frank's undoing? - BBC
Description

Once again, it feels like Thomas Frank is on the brink.

Despite Cristian Romero's late equaliser, he and his Tottenham team were booed off by the away end after a 2-2 draw at Burnley - the continuation of a backing track that looks unlikely to stop any time soon.

Spurs fans appear almost universal in their displeasure at the football being offered up, and it is hard to look beyond his next defeat being his last.

They are simply not creating the quality of chances to win games. Only Sunderland (23.12) and the bottom two of Wolves (20.69) and Burnley (19.93) have created less than Spurs' expected goals (xG) of 23.95.

Frank's Brentford were setup to feed the ball to their fast and direct attackers - such as Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa - as quickly as possible, and finished the 2024-25 season with the league's eighth-best xG.

Whereas he previously has forward players he could rely upon to provide consistent output, Spurs' highest Premier League goalscorer this season is Richarlison with seven.

Joint second with four each are the central defensive pairing of Romero and Micky van de Ven, while none of offensive summer signings Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani has scored more than twice in the league.

To address the balance, Frank has tried to build a solid defence to provide the bedrock to win Premier league points, but this only makes him more vulnerable to criticism from the fanbase when results do not follow.

Only Wolves (7) and Everton (12) have made fewer that Tottenham's Opta-defined 13 fast breaks so far this campaign, in sharp contrast to Keith Andrews' Brentford who lead the division on 43.

A midweek win over Borussia Dortmund and a late equaliser at Burnley on Saturday may show the players have not downed tools on Frank, but they remain inconsistent and ill-disciplined.

Despite not picking up any at Turf Moor, Spurs have received the most cards in the Premier League this season - 60 (58 yellows and two reds).

Yellows for tactical fouls to stop fast breaks and for game management to see through results are an inevitable by-products of the modern game, but such a tally in such a poor season shows a frustration and lack of control.

This is not a squad of players who have turned on their manager, but it is one that lacks identity, direction and, above all, belief.

Source

Liverpool: Andy Robertson unlikely to join Tottenham during January transfer window

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Liverpool: Andy Robertson unlikely to join Tottenham during January transfer window - BBC
Description

Liverpool are unlikely to sell left-back Andy Robertson to Tottenham in the transfer window as things stand.

After considering an offer worth £5m from Spurs for Robertson, who is out of contract in the summer, the Reds have determined they are not able to proceed.

A deal was agreed in principle between the clubs last week that the move could happen after Liverpool's final Champions League league match on Wednesday.

However, the deal was also dependent on Liverpool being able to recall left-back Kostas Tsimikas from his loan at Roma, which they have not been able to do so far.

Source

Burnley 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur: Match of the Day analysis

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Burnley 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur: Match of the Day analysis - BBC
Description

It's like Comedy Central at the back for Spurs - Williams. Video, 00:03:49It's like Comedy Central at the back for Spurs - Williams

Spurs 'will get there soon' - Palhinha. Video, 00:01:25Spurs 'will get there soon' - Palhinha

Drinking was my way of escaping real world - Bukauskas. Video, 00:01:53Drinking was my way of escaping real world - Bukauskas

Abuse totally devalues you as a human being - Carter. Video, 00:02:30Abuse totally devalues you as a human being - Carter

Pimblett - the five moments that changed everything. Video, 00:05:21Pimblett - the five moments that changed everything

Cuthbert on Chelsea, change & learning to be more 'direct' Video, 00:02:37Cuthbert on Chelsea, change & learning to be more 'direct'

'I always wanted to be a mum while doing gymnastics' Video, 00:01:48'I always wanted to be a mum while doing gymnastics'

As captain, I've made a terrible mistake - Brook. Video, 00:03:01As captain, I've made a terrible mistake - Brook

'Everything Spurs do ends up feeling like disappointment' Video, 00:02:18'Everything Spurs do ends up feeling like disappointment'

Source

Premier League Highlights: Burnley 2-2 Tottenham

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Premier League Highlights: Burnley 2-2 Tottenham - BBC
Description

Spurs 'will get there soon' - Palhinha. Video, 00:01:25Spurs 'will get there soon' - Palhinha

Drinking was my way of escaping real world - Bukauskas. Video, 00:01:53Drinking was my way of escaping real world - Bukauskas

Abuse totally devalues you as a human being - Carter. Video, 00:02:30Abuse totally devalues you as a human being - Carter

Pimblett - the five moments that changed everything. Video, 00:05:21Pimblett - the five moments that changed everything

Cuthbert on Chelsea, change & learning to be more 'direct' Video, 00:02:37Cuthbert on Chelsea, change & learning to be more 'direct'

'I always wanted to be a mum while doing gymnastics' Video, 00:01:48'I always wanted to be a mum while doing gymnastics'

As captain, I've made a terrible mistake - Brook. Video, 00:03:01As captain, I've made a terrible mistake - Brook

'Everything Spurs do ends up feeling like disappointment' Video, 00:02:18'Everything Spurs do ends up feeling like disappointment'

Source

Burnley 2-2 Tottenham: Thomas Frank remains on brink at Spurs

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
'Joyless and toxic' - will Spurs put Frank out of his misery? - BBC
Description

Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank left Turf Moor to the sounds that are now becoming a familiar backing track to what looks an increasingly unsustainable tenure.

Cristian Romero's last-minute header rescued a 2-2 draw just as Burnley looked on the brink of piling more embarrassment on the embattled Dane by securing their first win in 14 Premier League games.

'Dr Tottenham' – the jibe that suggests they can prescribe a cure for even the most serious ills of their opponents – looked to be on the brink of the most dramatic cure yet until Romero struck.

But if Frank thought this would ease the growing anger of travelling fans he would have been sorely mistaken as he once more felt the full force of their fury after the final whistle.

Indeed, the discontent surfaced even in the first half as Spurs fans chanted "sideways and backwards everywhere we go" as the ball was passed around aimlessly.

Micky van de Ven's opening goal was greeted with ironic chants of "we're staying up" from the visitors' section.

And, once the final whistle sounded, Frank walked off to deafening chants of "sacked in the morning" from his own fans and other more colourful phrases of the uncomplimentary variety.

Frank's position came under internal scrutiny after the home loss to another struggling side, West Ham United, with BBC Sport reporting that at least one member of the club's executive team has actively raised the option of ending his reign in recent weeks.

The question for the club's hierarchy now is whether they should move quickly to put him out of his misery or give Frank the opportunity to turn Spurs' fortunes around.

Frank got some relief with the Champions League win against Borussia Dortmund, which illustrated the sharp contrast between Spurs in the Premier League and in Europe.

Spurs have won only two of their past 14 Premier League games - but there is the good news that a win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday puts them straight through to the last 16 of the Champions League.

For all that, the ill-feeling continually aimed towards Frank, as was in evidence here, is not going away and it must be a question of when rather than if Spurs make a change.

It was impossible to disagree with Frank's assertion that Spurs should have won this game measured on chances and the series of outstanding saves made by Burnley keeper Martin Dubravka. The rub is they ended up grasping desperately for the point Romero's thumping header gave them.

Van de Ven's goal gave them a deserved lead, but Spurs then switched off to allow Axel Tuanzebe to sweep in Burnley's equaliser in first-half stoppage time.

Spurs had more opportunities after the break, but such is the frailty of Frank's team that once Burnley, lying in 19th place in the table, actually showed the courage of their convictions, they lost control, leading to Lyle Foster's second for the Clarets.

If Burnley had won, surely a decision on Frank's fate could not have been delayed any longer.

Frank was doing his best to keep the lid on his emotions and accentuate the positives after the game, but he revealed his frustration as he thumped the table in front of him three times in time with his words when he insisted Spurs should "never, ever, ever" concede a goal like Tuanzebe's, repeating the message and actions when discussing Foster's goal.

"You can't say we didn't do everything to win," he told Match of the Day. "We just need to keep improving. The only way it can be is calm heads, carry on and keep doing what we think is the right thing.

"You see the game. We do more than enough to win the game. We just need to defend better in two situations. And, of course, score another goal that could make the difference at 1-0."

And yet again Frank had to rely on defenders for goals, showing once more the lack of potency – and resources – he has in attack.

Only Richarlison, with eight, has scored more than Van de Ven, who has netted seven this season. The Dutchman's tally is also the most of any Premier League defender across all competitions.

Romero has scored four Premier League goals this season, but his latest was not enough to dilute what is becoming the familiar toxicity aimed in Frank's direction.

"Van de Ven and Romero got the goals but there were more problems at the back against a Burnley side who've now gone 14 games without a win," said ex-Wales defender Ashley Williams, who is a pundit on Saturday's Match of the Day.

"I just think in the second half it was so easy for Burnley. They had four big chances in the game and I'm sure Thomas Frank will be unhappy with how his team defended. There's a lack of discipline and focus when Spurs need calmness from their big players and leaders."

This explains, to a large degree, the pursuit of Liverpool's Scotland left-back Andy Robertson, with talks ongoing.

If Spurs can get the result they need in Frankfurt, Frank may find some solace, but this carries all the hallmarks of a situation coming to a head with a fierce upcoming fixture list.

After Frankfurt, Spurs are at home to Manchester City before a visit to Manchester United. They then host Newcastle before a north London derby at home to Arsenal.

Life is anything but easy for Thomas Frank. And it is not going to get any easier in his joyless, toxic reign at Tottenham.

Source