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Joe Cole believes one Premier League team should be considered the dark horses to win this season’s Champions League.

For the first time, six English clubs – Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Tottenham – will compete in Europe’s premier club competition.

Last year, Arsenal progressed the furthest out of the Premier League clubs, with Mikel Arteta’s side ultimately bowing out in the semi-finals to eventual champions, Paris Saint-Germain.

The Gunners, along with Liverpool and City, return to the competition this season, each with their respective new-look squads after a summer of heavy spending.

And in the eight-match league phase, they will also be joined this time around by Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle to complete a stellar representation for English sides.

Chelsea punched their ticket into the competition with a top-four finish and further demonstrated their European pedigree by triumphing in the Conference League.

And Cole believes that his former side, two-time winners of the Champions League, could well cause an upset back in the competition for the first time since 2023.

‘I’d put them in a bracket just at the top of the dark horses and bottom of the teams who you might expect to be in the latter stages of the competition,’ Cole told TNT Sports when asked to rate Chelsea’s chances in this season’s competition.

However, the Englishman fears that Chelsea’s reliance on Robert Sanchez in goal and the lengthy injury suffered by Levi Colwill could well prove their undoing against the best sides in Europe.

‘It all depends, I think, on the performance of the goalkeeper Sanchez,’ Cole added.

‘That was the one area of the pitch, if you asked Chelsea fans where they needed to improve, that they would have gone for.

‘Levi at the back end of last season was brilliant. Centre halves mature later, and he looked like he had this surge, and something clicked with him.

‘He scored at the City Ground to secure Champions League football and was then brilliant at the Club World Cup.

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‘No he’s out, you’re looking around at the other options. (Wesley) Fofana is a top player, but you can’t rely on him because of injuries, so they do need to improve that area of the pitch.’

Chelsea begin the competition with a difficult trip to Germany to take on Bayern Munich, but must also face off against the reigning Italian and Spanish champions, Napoli and Barcelona, later on in the league phase.

Asked about his side’s draw, Maresca said: ‘We are happy to be in the draw. We are happy, very happy, because we brought this club where this club has to be: the Champions League.

‘The draw is always a draw, it’s nice to be there, and when we start the Champions League we will start thinking about that.’

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It’s four weeks, or 29 days if you wish to tick them off individually, until the next pesky international break and at least fans can look forward to this next one with an unusual degree of enthusiasm after England finished the latest batch of World Cup qualifiers with a resounding bang.

Battering Serbia 5-0 in Belgrade atoned for the awful Andorra affair at Villa Park and left fans feeling upbeat ahead of this weekend’s return to Premier League action.

There’s four rounds of domestic games plus a smattering of European and Carabao Cup games spicing up the schedule before England’s next outings and the first game of the October break is a tasty Wembley date with Wales on Thursday, October 9, before Thomas Tuchel’s side head to Latvia for matchday eight on the road to the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.

The return to domestic duties includes the derbies between West Ham and Tottenham at the London Stadium on Saturday teatime and the Sunday afternoon encounter between Manchester City and Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium and both should be fun-filled experiences.

The Hammers will be buoyed by their 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest before the break while Spurs, who have dominated the recent sporting headlines following the departure of chairman Daniel Levy, will likely give debuts to exciting signings Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani, who will freshen up an attack which was less than lacklustre Iast time out in the 1-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth.

However, centre stage will be taken by Mohammed Kudus, who faces his former side for the first time since joining the Europa League champions in the summer and he can rise above the jeers and heckles to score the opening goal at 9/1 with Unibet while the Ghana international is 3/1 with Betway to find the net at any time.

A Tottenham victory is 28/25 with BetGoodwin, it is 3/1 for a Spurs win with both teams scoring with bet365 and Lucas Paqueta is 9/2 with Sky Bet to bag a consolation effort for the hosts.

City’s late capitulation at Brighton left them spending the last fortnight in the uncomfortable position of being below their neighbours in the table.

Order will restored with Pep Guardiola’s side cruising to maximum points at 7/10 with Betway while Erling Haaland, fresh from a five-goal romp as Norway hammered Moldova 11-1 in Oslo, is 18/5 with Unibet to break the deadlock and 17/20 with Ladbrokes, Coral and BetMGM to score at any time. A 3-1 City success looks good at 12/1 with bet365.

Football odds: EFL acca

Swansea, with three wins and two draw in their last five matches, West Brom, who share the same stats, Stevenage and their four wins out of five, Doncaster with five straight triumphs and Walsall with four wins on the spin form Saturday’s Football League acca. They can also be backed as singles, doubles and other multiples.

Boxing odds

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, the undisputed super-middleweight champion of the world, put his belts on the line in a blockbuster boxing battle against Terence Crawford in the early hours of Sunday morning in Las Vegas and it is one of those occasions which is bound to hit the jackpot.

They are two of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters on the plant and the challenger from Nebraska is a world champion at four different weights and unbeaten in 41 contests while the Mexican belt-holder has won 63 times, drawn twice and suffered just two defeats.

Most shrewd judges have this as a 50/50 call, with Crawford possessing a brutal array of punches but moving up 14lbs to take on slick, stylish Canelo.

The American appeals at 9/4 with StarSports to emerge from a white-knuckle ride as the victor on points but the real winner will be the noble art with a huge audience able to watch what could well be the fight of the century on Netflix.

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A new era for Tottenham starts on Friday after the shock and sudden departure of long-serving chairman Daniel Levy.

Levy vacated his role with immediate effect on Thursday having been at the helm for almost 25 years and was the longest-serving chairman in the Premier League.

‘I am incredibly proud of the work I have done together with the executive team and all our employees,’ Levy said on the club website.

‘We have built this club into a global heavyweight competing at the highest level, more than that, we have built a community.

‘I was lucky enough to work with some of the greatest people in this sport, from the team at Lilywhite House and Hotspur Way to all the players and managers over the years.

‘I wish to thank all the fans that have supported me over the years. It hasn’t always been an easy journey but significant progress has been made. I will continue to support this club passionately.’

The timing of the 63-year-old’s departure has caused much consternation given Spurs ended their long wait for a trophy last season by winning the Europa League and have made an impressive start to life under new coach Thomas Frank who was able to make several eye-catching additions to his squad during the summer window.

Why is Daniel Levy leaving Tottenham?

According to the BBC, however, Levy has paid the price for presiding over a lack of success on the pitch over the course of his reign, with the Europa League triumph deemed nowhere near enough to compensate for previous failures.

The ownership were said to be unanimous in their belief that removing Levy from his position would give the club the best possible opportunity to succeed and deliver on its potential.

Levy had been instrumental in bringing in new Spurs head coach Thomas Frank, following the departure of Ange Postecoglou despite the club’s success in the Europa League last season after finishing 17th in the Premier League on the back of a club-record 22 defeats.

There were, though, growing frustrations within some of the Spurs fanbase over a perceived lack of progress under Levy’s long tenure, after a string of managers had come and gone without being able to deliver silverware.

Tottenham said when announcing Levy’s departure that there would be “no changes to the ownership or shareholder structure of the club,” with board member Peter Charrington, who is a director of Spurs’ owners ENIC, taking on the newly created role of non-executive chairman.

A club statement read: ‘As part of its succession planning, the club has made a number of senior appointments in recent months.

‘Vinai Venkatesham was hired as chief executive officer, with Thomas Frank as our new men’s head coach and Martin Ho as women’s head coach.

‘Peter Charrington joined the board and will step into the newly created role of non-executive chairman.’

Charrington paid tribute to the work of Levy in helping move the club forward, with a new stadium and also playing Champions League football, having reached the final in 2019 where they were beaten by Liverpool.

‘I am very honoured to become non-executive chairman of this extraordinary club and, on behalf of the board, I would like to thank Daniel and his family for their commitment and loyalty to the club over so many years,’ Charrington said.

‘This is a new era of leadership for the club, on and off the pitch. I do recognise there has been a lot of change in recent months as we put in place new foundations for the future.

‘We are now fully focused on stability and empowering our talented people across the club, led by Vinai and his executive team.’

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Morgan Rogers has brushed off rumours linking him with a big-money move this summer, saying it ‘means everything’ to have the ‘love’ and backing of Unai Emery at Aston Villa.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder enjoyed the most productive season of his career last term after racking up eight goals and ten assists in the Premier League to help Villa secure a sixth-place finish.

But Rogers’ eye-catching performances – which saw him named PFA Young Player of the Year – caught the attention of Chelsea and Tottenham and there was speculation that the England international could be set for the exit door at Villa Park before the transfer deadline.

And while Rogers ultimately stayed put, with Villa reportedly demanding a fee of £100million for the forward, it’s believed the two London clubs remain admirers and could step up their interest again in the future.

For now, though, Rogers remains fully focussed on the task at hand at Villa, with the club enduring a difficult start to the campaign having picked up just one point from their three opening games.

Emery’s side will look to get back to winning ways when they return to top-flight action away to David Moyes’ Everton.

Asked about the support he has from Emery and speculation he could have left Villa this summer, Rogers told talkSPORT: ‘It means everything as a player, when you feel wanted, when you feel loved, when you feel like they want you to be there and they want you to be a key member of the squad.

‘It’s alright having outside noise and fans liking you, that’s one thing, but to have the manager, he’s the one that makes the decisions, picks the teams.

‘To have that real backing and that real love behind you, that means everything to me.

‘He just allows me to play football and express myself and he knows like me, I’m not always going to get it right or be perfect, but he trusts me to this point where he knows that I’m going to give it my all.

‘If it works then great and, if it doesn’t, we move on to the next game and go again and we try even harder.

‘To have that manager behind me is perfect and it’s just what I needed at this time in my career.’

Rogers will be hoping for minutes over the coming days as England continue their World Cup qualifying campaign with a double-header against Andorra and Serbia.

The Villa star has been capped six times at senior level and is desperate to put his hand up for selection ahead of next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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‘It’s a little boy’s dream of representing your country at a World Cup, in a major tournament, and it’s something I’ve thought about since I was a young kid and all the way through the age groups with England,’ Rogers said of his World Cup aspirations.

‘But I think there’s a lot in between that and I don’t want anything to get in the way of that.

‘I know what I need to focus on and that will take care of itself and if I start chasing things and thinking too far ahead, that’s when I can get in a bit of trouble and start thinking about the wrong things.

‘Of course it’s a dream and it’s in the back of my mind, but it will stay in the back of mind until the time is here.’

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Tottenham’s £35m summer signing Mathys Tel has not been included in the club’s Champions League squad in a shock decision.

Tel spent time on loan at Spurs from Bayern Munich last season before Tottenham made the move permanent in the summer transfer window.

The France U21 international is yet to start under Thomas Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou as Spurs head coach in June.

Tel has only played for a total of 19 minutes in the Premier League so far this season across Tottenham’s opening three top-flight matches.

The forward, who can also play as a winger, came off the bench against Burnley and AFC Bournemouth and was an unused substitute in Spurs’ 2-0 win over Manchester City.

Tel will now not feature in the Champions League for Tottenham after UEFA confirmed the 22-player Spurs A list on Wednesday.

Which other players have Spurs omitted?

Tel is not the only player left out of Tottenham’s Champions League squad with Yves Bissouma omitted too.

Bissouma has yet to play this term and has been told that he’s not in Frank’s plans with the 29-year-old midfielder very much up for sale.

Saudi teams can make signings until September 23 despite the Premier League transfer deadline on Monday with Spurs hoping to offload him.

Tottenham’s long-term injury absentees James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin have not been named in the Champions League squad either.

‘Mathys Tel is an average player’

Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes his former club made a mistake by permanently signing Tel in the summer transfer window.

‘I’ve not been convinced by Mathys Tel,’ O’Hara told Grosvenor Sport. ‘He was a ‘try before you buy’ loan signing and I wouldn’t say he impressed on the pitch.

‘I understand that he’s young but he’s an average player in my estimation. It seems like Tottenham have signed him because he might come good in the future.

‘But is Tel really going to make a difference at Spurs? I’m not sure. [His] price tag [was] no meagre fee either.

‘I’d rather Mikey Moore play ahead of Tel! He’s come through the academy and is a great home-grown talent.

‘Giving Moore the experience of playing in the Premier League would be far more rewarding long-term than Tel. Moore’s got a high ceiling and could be a fantastic player for Spurs in the future.’

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Mikel Arteta’s final summer signing Piero Hincapie says it took ‘only one conversation’ to convince him to join Arsenal despite interest from Tottenham.

Spurs were believed to be leading the race to sign Hincapie, who made it clear to Bayer Leverkusen that he wanted to leave before the transfer deadline.

But Arsenal expressed interest in a deal late in the summer window and reports said Hincapie immediately favoured a move to the Gunners.

The Ecuador international completed his move to the Emirates Stadium on transfer deadline day on an initial loan deal which is expected to become a permanent £45m transfer next summer.

Asked about his decision to join Arsenal, Arteta’s eighth signing of the summer said: ‘It only took one conversation to make me feel sure about the decision that I was taking. I’m over the moon.

‘I want to gel as best as I can with my new teammates and have a good season.

‘I always want to win trophies for this club, to make a name for myself, and to leave a mark. I want to get off to a good start quickly and that’s the most important thing.’

Hincapie made 166 appearances for his former club Bayer Leverkusen and helped the German side win the Bundesliga title in 2023-24.

Granit Xhaka was also a key member of Leverkusen’s title-winning squad and Hincapie spoke to the ex-Arsenal captain before his move to north London.

‘We’d speak a lot but not about [Arsenal],’ he added. ‘However, I asked him about Arsenal at one point, and I queried him about how things were here.

‘He spoke wonders about the club and how he felt during his spell here. I loved the conversation that we had at that point, and it wasn’t that recent.

‘He did send me a message recently, though. He always spoke well of the club.’

Hincapie will wear the No. 5 shirt at Arsenal and strengthen Arteta’s defensive options as a player who can play centrally or on the left.

‘I think I can bring a lot of courage,’ he said. ‘I do my job well.

‘I want to show my qualities as I’ve been doing for years. I want to give so much for this club.

‘My best position is centre-back. I’ve played many games at full-back as well, but I think I’m best at centre-back.

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‘As for my qualities, I’m pacey and I like carrying the ball forward as well as being a leader on the pitch.’

Arsenal sanctioned Jakub Kiwior’s move to Porto after agreeing a deal to sign Hincapie.

The Gunners also sent Oleksandr Zinchenko on loan to Nottingham Forest before the summer transfer window shut.

‘I’m so happy to join Nottingham Forest,’ the Ukrainian defender said. ‘So excited for the season ahead. I can’t wait to meet you all in the stadium.’

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Thomas Frank says he understands Tottenham fans who booed the team in the 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Frank has now suffered his first Premier League defeat in charge of Spurs as Evanilson’s goal in the fifth minute was enough to secure the victory.

Spurs struggled to create chances throughout the game and registered just one shot on target.

Boos were heard at both half time and full time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Frank admits his side did not ‘hit the level we should’.

‘I would prefer them not to boo,’ Frank said when asked about the reaction from Spurs supporters.

‘But I understand it was not a good performance today and they have high expectations which is absolutely fair.

‘I think, let’s say we’ve performed even better and we still lose the football match, today I don’t feel like we hit the level we should.

‘I think the players gave everything, I think that’s their foundation, they put their heart out there but football-wise we didn’t hit our top level today.’

Frank added: ‘I think it’s fair to say we didn’t defend as well as we should do and we have done in the first three days, that I’m quite confident we’ll come back to defend well again.

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‘I’d say the creativity, that’s why we signed Simons to have an extra offensive player.

‘But I also think on the day, with all due respect to our front four players, none of them hit a high level, and that happens sometimes.

‘I don’t want to say it’s okay but it’s natural.’

Asked what Simons can bring to his Spurs side, Frank replied: ‘I think he can bring on a day where our structure building up and all that, it’s not only about all that, then sometimes you need a player who can do a little bit out of nothing – go past a player, produce a cross, a shot, that extra quality you need on the day.’

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Xavi Simons has completed his £52million transfer to Tottenham and revealed that Thomas Frank convinced him to join Spurs over Chelsea.

All summer, Simons had been linked with a big money move to Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Maresca making the RB Leipzig star one of his top targets.

It was thought the player was desperate to get the deal done, even missing some of pre-season training in an attempt to push through a move from the Bundesliga to the Premier League.

However, Chelsea never made a formal offer for the Netherlands international, instead prioritising a £40m bid for Manchester United outcast Alejandro Garnacho.

That allowed Tottenham to swoop in this week and secure the services of the highly-rated 22-year-old, who has signed a five-year contract with the option of a further two seasons.

The transfer has come as a bit of surprise given it was thought Simons was very keen on joining rivals Chelsea but changed his mind upon speaking to Spurs boss Frank earlier this week.

‘I’m really happy and can’t wait to get going. I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time,’ Simons told Tottenham’s official website.

‘It’s a great Club and when I met the Head Coach I knew straight away that this was the right place for me.

‘First of all, the project, I think it suits me. The second thing, I think the most important thing for me, is the coach. I spoke to him, he showed me a presentation that really impacted me and that was the final decision for me.

‘The right coach, the right people and I really believe that we will achieve really good things here.

Xaxi Simons RB Leipzig stats:

Appearances: 78

Goals: 22

Assists: 24

Trophies: DFL-Super Cup (2023)

‘I will bring flair to the team but also hard work and discipline. I want to do everything I can to win, for the team and also for the fans.’

Simons will wear the No.7 shirt, recently vacated by club legend Son Heung-min, but he has not arrived in time to play Bournemouth on Saturday.

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It is a huge win in the transfer market for Tottenham who embarrassingly missed out on their first-choice attacking midfielders Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze earlier this summer, with the latter’s transfer hijacked by arch-rivals Arsenal.

‘I’m really pleased we have brought Xavi in – he is a great addition to the squad,’ Frank said on Friday.

‘He is still young, however he already has good experience and, over the past few years, has played a lot of games at the top level.

‘Xavi has proven his ability to get goals and assists, both from the number 10 position and left-wing. He also has a great eye for his team-mates in terms of unlocking defences, and I know he will come in and be part of a good team that is already working hard together.’

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Gary Lineker would love to see Tottenham sign an ‘incredible’ England star who is also a top target for rivals Chelsea.

It has been a frustrating summer for Spurs and new manager Thomas Frank who have long-needed to sign an attacking midfielder after Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison suffered long-term injuries.

They looked set to buy Morgan Gibbs-White but the move was cancelled after Nottingham Forest threatened legal action, believing Tottenham’s approach was illegal, with the player going on to sign a contract extension.

Frank then turned to Eberechi Eze and agreed a deal for the Crystal Palace talisman, only for Arsenal to match their offer at the last minute, with the life-long Gunners fan choosing to move to the Emirates instead.

Fans were annoyed after that embarrassment but they’ve been able to get some revenge by hijacking Chelsea’s £52million transfer for Xavi Simons.

The RB Leipzig star had been linked with Stamford Bridge all summer but the two clubs were unable to agree a transfer fee and instead he is heading to north London to sign a five-year contract with the option of two further seasons.

It’s a big boost for Spurs and there is the possibility of further additions before the transfer window shuts on Monday.

Another attacking player linked with both the Blues and the Lilywhites is Morgan Rogers who was recently named PFA Young Player of the Season after a fantastic campaign at Aston Villa.

Missing out on Simons could prompt Chelsea to make a late move for the Three Lions star who is valued at £80m.

But Lineker believes his former club should go all in for the 23-year-old, telling The Rest is Football podcast: ‘I’ve seen Morgan Rogers linked with Tottenham.

‘I’m sorry Villa fans, I think that’d be an incredible signing for Spurs. I think they [Villa] might have PSR problems.

‘And given the disappointments of missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, I think that would more than make up for things. He’s a player.’

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‘He’s got to stay. He can’t go anywhere. It’d be a great signing, but they can’t,’ fellow pundit and ex-Villa star Micah Richards added.

‘If they were to get rid of him, [Unai] Emery might as well leave. What’s the point selling all the young talent? How is he supposed to build?

‘But if Spurs could get him, it’d be a heck of a signing. He’s a proper player.’

Tottenham have also been linked with a move for Manchester City winger Savinho, while Chelsea are finally set to sign Manchester United outcast Alejandro Garnacho for £40m.

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Tottenham are on the brink of signing Chelsea target Xavi Simons with the Netherlands international competing his medical ahead of a move to north London.

Chelsea have chased a deal for the RB Leipzig star throughout the summer but with no deal agreed, it left the door open for their London rivals to swoop.

Spurs have already been stung in the transfer market this summer, missing out on long-term target Eberechi Eze after Arsenal launched a late swoop for the Crystal Palace star.

But it is now Tottenham’s turn to celebrate beating their rivals to the punch with Simons’ arrival imminent.

The Athletic report personal terms are in place with the attacking midfielder completing his medical on Thursday.

Spurs launched their opening offer yesterday with RB Leipzig granting him permission to travel to London.

Chelsea were believed to be weighing up a late offer but their focus on other business allowed Spurs to get in and get the deal done.

Chelsea had been hoping to sign both Simons and Alejandro Garnacho before the transfer window closes on Monday.

A £40million deal to sign the Manchester United winger is in place with the Blues raising additional funds through the sale of Christopher Nkunku who is set to join AC Milan.

Tottenham meanwhile have been eager to bring in another attacking option with James Maddison sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Dejan Kulusevski also remains sidelined.

In addition to Eze, Spurs also missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White who instead signed a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

Simons will become Tottenham’s fourth signing of the summer with Mohammad Kudus also strengthening their attacking options after arriving from West Ham United.

Mathys Tel’s loan move from Bayern Munich was made permanent while Joao Palhinha has joined on loan from the German giants.

Tottenham have until 12pm today to register Simons in time for him to make his debut on Saturday against Bournemouth.

But a more likely date for his first appearance could be away to West Ham United on 13 September following the international break.

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