Sports Mole

Arsenal are reportedly close to hijacking Tottenham Hotspur's move for Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze in an astonishing late transfer twist.

The 27-year-old appeared to be on the way to the home of the Europa League champions, who agreed a deal in principle with the Eagles after the Gunners initially failed to formalise their interest.

Spurs are also thought to have received an indication that Eze was open to joining the club after Thomas Frank lost James Maddison to a serious ACL injury, which could keep the England international out for the rest of the season.

However, a full agreement between Spurs and Palace - and between the player and the club - was yet to be reached, as the Eagles insisted on having Eze available for Thursday's Conference League qualifying playoff first leg with Fredrikstad.

In the meantime, Arsenal attacker Kai Havertz has been sidelined with a knee injury of unspecified severity, triggering their pursuit of another attacker before the transfer deadline, and they have apparently now got one over their most bitter rivals.

Arsenal 'close in' on Eze transfer as 'total package' revealed

According to The Athletic, Arsenal are now closing in on a deal to bring the 27-year-old to the Emirates Stadium after 'making their move' for the player earlier on Wednesday.

Eze - who previously spent time in the Gunners' academy ranks before being released - is also understood to be keen on a return to the Gunners, and Tottenham now have 'little option' but to search for alternative attacking targets.

A successful Arsenal hijack for the former Queens Park Rangers youngster would represent another high-profile transfer failure for Spurs this summer, after the Lilywhites saw former top target Morgan Gibbs-White sign a new contract with Nottingham Forest.

The report adds that Arsenal have 'indicated a willingness' to meet Palace's financial demands, and additional information from John Percy claims that the 'total package' for the Palace man will come in at over £60m.

Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta is said to have been spearheading the club's pursuit of Eze, who would become their seventh signing of the summer after Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga.

How Eze will fit in at Arsenal after stunning Tottenham 'hijack'

A penny for the thoughts of Daniel Levy, Johan Lange, Vinai Venkatesham - ex-Arsenal now Spurs - and every high-ranking Tottenham official when the David Ornstein bomb dropped.

The Lilywhites had ostensibly done everything possible to win the race for the effervescent Eze, and were Palace not playing in a European qualifier tomorrow, the attacker could have already been on his way to Hotspur Way with no chance of an Arsenal hijack.

However, the Gunners have wasted no time in crushing their rivals' transfer dream after Havertz's blow, and while Eze is not a like-for-like replacement for the German forward, a new creative force was always the number one item on the shopping list.

Eze will more than likely function on the left wing for Arsenal, forcing his way above Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and fellow new signing Noni Madueke - who has played on that side in his earliest days in red and white - in the pecking order.

The 27-year-old is also equally effective in the Martin Odegaard role, but Arsenal have Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman providing cover for their captain in a central area, whereas the left-wing spot had been earmarked as a position to upgrade.

Eze has contributed 40 goals and 28 assists from 169 games in a Palace kit, but whether he will be involved in Thursday's game after tonight's developments remains to be seen.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to make it successive wins at the start of their 2025-26 Premier League campaign when they travel to title hopefuls Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.

Spurs were impressive in their opening match of the new season, beating Burnley 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but this will be a completely different rest for the North London club.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with a Man City side that opened their campaign with a 4-0 success over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Yves Bissouma

Status:Â Minor doubt

Type of injury:Â Unknown

Possible return date:Â August 23 (vs. Man City)

Bissouma was not involved in the squad against Burnley due to a minor issue, and it remains to be seen whether the midfielder is back in the fold for the clash with Man City.

James Maddison

Status: Out

Type of injury: ACL

Possible return date: Unknown

Maddison has started his long road to recovery from the ACL injury he suffered in pre-season, and he faces an uphill task to return to action before the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Dejan Kulusevski

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: September 13 (vs. West Ham United)

Key attacker Kulusevski is still absent with a knee problem, although Tottenham are hopeful that the Sweden international will be available for selection in the not too distant future.

Destiny Udogie

Status:Â Major doubt

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date:Â August 23 (vs. Man City)

Udogie suffered a knee injury in pre-season, which saw him miss out against Burnley, but there is a chance that the defender could be back in the fold for the clash with Man City.

Kota Takai

Status: Out

Type of injury: Foot

Possible return date: Unknown

New signing Takai suffered a foot injury during the latter stages of July, and it is unclear at this stage of proceedings when the 20-year-old will be available for selection.

Radu Dragusin

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Dragusin suffered a serious knee injury in January, and the defender is currently battling to be available for selection before the end of 2025, but it might be January 2026 before he is seen on the pitch again.

Bryan Gil

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Gil suffered a knee injury while on loan at Girona last season, and he is currently in the treatment room.

Manor Solomon

Status: Out

Type of injury: Calf

Possible return date: Unknown

Solomon was not available against Burnley due to a calf problem, and he will again miss out here, with his injury potentially ending his chances of leaving Tottenham before the transfer window closes.

TOTTENHAM'S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this match.

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Manchester City will welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Etihad for their first home Premier League encounter of the 2025-26 season this Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's men had an underwhelming 2024-25 season, finishing down in third and failing to win any major silverware for the first time since 2016-17, but they began with an impressive 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.

Thomas Frank's Spurs lie in waiting for their first game at the Etihad this season, and the hosts will hope there is no repeat of the shocking and humbling 4-0 defeat they suffered here to the Lilywhites last November.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Manchester City's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their showdown with Tottenham.

Mateo Kovacic

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Achilles

Return date:Â October 4 (vs Brentford)

Kovacic has been missing for Man City since May, and the Croatian midfielder is unlikely to return to action until at least October, with his omission from the upcoming Vatreni squad for the September internationals all but confirming this.Â

Rodri

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Knee

Return date:Â August 31 (vs Brighton)

Rodri missed almost the entirety of the 2024-25 due to a cruciate ligament injury, and even though he made a brief return at the end of the campaign and in the Club World Cup, concerns over his knee will likely see him miss out again, after watching on from the stands in their 4-0 win over Wolves.

Phil Foden

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury:Â Ankle

Return date:Â August 23 (vs Spurs)

Foden was spotted in the stands alongside Rodri at Molineux, after failing a late fitness test, but another week of recovery training could see the England international return to the fold here, after a brief layoff.

Josko Gvardiol

Status:Â Major doubt

Type of injury:Â Knock

Return date:Â August 31 (vs. Brighton)

Guardiola revealed prior to the Wolves clash that Gvardiol is not ready to return yet, so that means this fixture may also come too soon for him, but he is in the upcoming Croatia squad, so a return before the international break is likely.

Claudio EcheverriÂ

Status:Â Major doubt

Type of injury:Â Ankle

Return date:Â August 31 (vs. Brighton)

Echeverri has been missing for Man City since sustaining an ankle issue in their Club World Cup clash with Al-Ain in June, and the attacking midfielder will more than likely remain on the treatment table this weekend.

SavinhoÂ

Status:Â Major doubt

Type of injury:Â Unknown

Return date:Â August 31 (vs. Brighton)

After missing the friendly with Palermo on the eve of the season, Savinho was also absent for the trip to Molineux, with Guardiola confirming the Brazilian winger will be out for a few weeks.

MANCHESTER CITY'S SUSPENSION LIST

With it only being matchday two, and not having any players sent off last weekend, Man City do not have any suspensions to worry about ahead of this clash.

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Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will lock horns in the Premier League at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon, both looking to build on impressive opening day wins.

Pep Guardiola's men sit top of the table after a 4-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers last Saturday, while the Thomas Frank era got started with a routine 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Burnley in North London, leaving them in the top four at this very early stage.

Ahead of the meeting in Manchester, Sports Mole provides all of the details you need to know on how to tune into Saturday's fixture.

What time does Man City vs Spurs kick off?

City and Spurs will face off in Saturday's lunchtime fixture this weekend, with the action getting started at 12:30pm UK time.

Where is Man City vs Spurs being played?

The match will be take place at the Etihad, home of Man City, who will be playing their first fixture in front of their own supporters this weekend, after an impressive 4-0 on the road at Molineux a week ago.

This fixture produced a 4-0 scoreline last season, but remarkably in favour of Spurs, who stunned the then-champions with a dominant display in East Manchester, during a barren spell for Guardiola's men towards the end of 2024.

How to watch Man City vs Spurs in the UK and abroad

TV channels

As will be the case for all of the 2025-26 season, TNT Sports will show live coverage of all 12:30pm Saturday kickoffs in the Premier League, and this weekend will be no exception, with build-up starting from 11am on TNT Sports 1.

Elsewhere around the world, some of the other channels also showing the match live includes: SuperSport Premier League (Africa), BeIN Sports English (Arab nations), Canal+ (France), Now Premier League (Hong Kong), Hub Premier 1 (Singapore) and NBC (USA).

Online Streaming

For those unable to access TNT Sports on their TV, the game will also be available via the Discovery Plus app in Ultra HD,Â

Highlights

Highlights will be available to view on Sky Sports's social media channels later in the day, while the BBC One will also have comprehensive highlights on Match of the Day at 10:20pm, with individual packages available on the iPlayer from 8pm the same day.

Who will win Man City vs Spurs?

After a very below-par season in 2024-25 for Man City's standards, many are excited about what they can produce this time around, especially after a thumping win on the opening day last weekend.

Spurs should provide much more resistance than Wolves though, and the Lilywhites have a very impressive record over the Citizens, so this is a tough early challenge of City's title-winning credentials.

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The 2025-26 Premier League season finally roared into life over the weekend, and even after just one gameweek, there have already been a wealth of lessons to take away and learn from ahead of the next 37 matches of the league campaign.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur had disastrous league seasons in 2024-25, but both showed encouraging signs in their opening fixtures that they could be stronger than many predicted, laying down positive markers even if there remain areas for improvement.Â

The newly promoted teams also made positive impressions in their opening matches, showing their ambition and signalling their intent to buck the recent trend of all three promoted teams suffering immediate relegation back to the second tier over the past seasons.Â

Finally, performances and results from the predicted title contenders suggest that this year's race for the Premier League crown may be closer and more dramatic than ever before.Â

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at these three key lessons from the 2025-26 Premier League’s opening gameweek.

Man Utd & Spurs Spark Optimism

Manchester United come into the 2025-26 season simply having to improve upon an unacceptable 15th-placed finish last term - their lowest in Premier League history - and while the Red Devils were defeated 1-0 by Arsenal, the performance was far from discouraging.Â

Ruben Amorim's side unexpectedly dominated the ball against the Gunners as they held 60.66% possession, something they have not managed against the top sides in the league since Louis van Gaal's tenure, while they took 22 shots to Arsenal's nine.Â

Man Utd were ultimately unable to score, and a disappointing corner goal consigned them to defeat, but there is a strong sense of optimism surrounding the club following the improved performance, with a feeling that if the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko can start converting chances, then the Red Devils could be a significantly stronger proposition this campaign.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur, who finished 17th in 2024-25, got off to a winning start under Thomas Frank, as Spurs secured a 3-0 victory over Burnley in their opening Premier League fixture.

Frank has already demonstrated the tactical flexibility that helped land him the Spurs job in the first place, with his side switching from a more robust and direct three-defender system against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup to a possession-heavy 4-3-3 against Burnley.Â

No team attempted more passes inside their own half than Tottenham on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, while their passing approach also led to 16 shots, including a delightful 17-pass move for Richarlison's stunning second goal.Â

Heading into a difficult matchup with Manchester City, fans will be hoping to see more of the same tactical flexibility from Frank, with a formidable defence and a consistently creative attacking approach.

Promoted Sides Poised To Compete

There has been a worrying emerging trend in the last two Premier League seasons that has seen all three newly-promoted sides fail to bridge the gap from the Championship to the top flight and suffer immediate relegation back to the second tier, but this year's promoted sides are looking to buck that trend.

While Burnley produced the weakest performance of the three as they lost 3-0 to Tottenham, the Clarets did create chances against Spurs and were particularly defensively strong in the first 45 minutes - conceding just five shots in the first half - signs that Scott Parker's side can hold their own against Premier League opponents.

Meanwhile, Leeds United demonstrated how difficult a place to visit Elland Road is likely to be this season, as the Whites were utterly dominant over Everton, especially in an opening 45 minutes that saw Daniel Farke's side hold 63% possession and take 12 shots, while the Toffees were prevented from taking any efforts of their own.

Despite their control over the fixture, there are still clear improvements needed in attack for Leeds, as the Whites lacked any true quality in the final third, with the Whites having to rely on a late penalty goal from debutant Lukas Nmecha to seal their 1-0 victory.Â

Finally, certainly the most impressive of the three newly promoted teams on the opening day was Sunderland, who secured a sensational 3-0 win over West Ham United, a statement result against a side expected to be their relegation rival this term.Â

Regis Le Bris's side produced a balanced performance with equal emphasis on keeping a solid defence and a threatening attack, an even more impressive achievement given nine of the 15 players to step foot on the pitch were making their competitive debuts for the club.

The Black Cats were particularly potent from crosses into the box, with Eliezer Mayenda and Dan Ballard each scoring headers, while a clinical counter for Wilson Isidor's late goal highlighted Sunderland's physical and technical ability to match the Premier League.

Combined with these promising signs from the new Premier League outfits, lacklustre performances from West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford should give them plenty of encouragement that they could survive this season.

Title Race Promises To Thrill

At the other end of the table, there were early signs from some of the top teams that suggest the battle for the 2025-26 Premier League title could be one of the most thrilling and tense in recent memory.

Liverpool got the season underway on Friday night in an action-packed 4-2 victory over Bournemouth, with Arne Slot's champions demonstrating their exceptional attacking prowess through the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, though the Reds did appear vulnerable on the counterattack with the Cherries twice scoring from quick transitions.Â

Last term's runners-up also got off to a winning start, as Arsenal scraped past Manchester United with a 1-0 victory in a difficult away trip to Old Trafford.Â

The Gunners may have been second best for much of the encounter, but a solid defensive display and yet another set-piece goal helped lead them to a victory despite not being at their best - one of the biggest signs of a championship-winning side - and improvements are certain to come in the following weeks.

Manchester City made arguably the biggest statement of the weekend, destroying Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0, with Erling Haaland, Oscar Bobb, Rayan Ait-Nouri and man-of-the-match Tijjani Reijnders all showing they are more than capable of leading Pep Guardiola's side back to the top of the standings this term.Â

Finally, Chelsea were many people's underdogs to fight for the title this term, and despite an underwhelming performance in a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace, there were bright signs from the likes of Josh Acheampong, Moises Caicedo, Reece James and substitute Estevao.Â

While it is yet to be seen if Chelsea will be able to join the fight for the Premier League's top spot, the remaining three teams have all shown both strengths and also weaknesses that indicate all three could be operating on a similar level, setting up a potentially breathtaking title battle.

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Arsenal should not live to regret not making a serious play for Tottenham Hotspur-bound Eberechi Eze thanks to their existing options in the creative midfield role, a former Gunners FA Cup winner believes.

On Tuesday, there was reportedly a major breakthrough in talks between Spurs and Crystal Palace over a deal for Eze, and the Lilywhites have now reached a verbal agreement to sign the England international from their London rivals.

Spurs initially backed off Eze earlier in the summer, but Arsenal did not formalise their interest in their former academy product, and Tottenham quickly reignited their pursuit after losing James Maddison to a serious ACL injury and Son Heung-min to Los Angeles FC.

However, Arsenal have all of Martin Odegaard, Ethan Nwaneri - who has just signed a new long-term contract - and 15-year-old Max Dowman, one of the stars of pre-season, capable of pulling the strings in the most advanced midfield position.

As a result, ex-Gunners attacker Jermaine Pennant believes that while Eze would have been a brilliant signing, he cannot see Arsenal losing sleep over his decision to join Spurs, telling Sports Mole: “I think everyone would like to have Eberechi Eze.

Arsenal would take Eze's "best attribute" away as Tottenham transfer edges closer

"He's an absolute quality player. I think he will fit in anyone's team. So, yes, of course, you'd say you would need him. But are you going to miss him? Probably not.

"Because you've got some young, absolutely fantastic talent coming off the bench with Dowman and Nwaneri. And if you asked to get him now, whose position does he take?

“His best position is number 10, he doesn't really play on the left. He can do, but then you're taking someone's best attribute away and putting him on the left. What's the point in that? To get the best out of him, you want him in at number 10.

“And at the moment, that's Odegaard. It’s nice to think of getting him, but I don't think you actually need him.”

Eze will depart Palace having come up with 40 goals and 28 assists in 169 appearances for the Eagles across all competitions, and he made his final appearance for the club in Sunday's 0-0 draw with Chelsea, where he had a venomous free kick controversially ruled out.

Eze to join Spurs: Will Arsenal make any signings before transfer deadline?

While Arsenal's admiration for Eze is well-documented, the only way they would have been able to reunite with their one-time Hale End starlet would have been via a significant sale, of which there is nothing in the pipeline.

So far this summer, the Gunners have only raised a little over £10m through player exits, offloading Nuno Tavares to Lazio for a little over £7.5m and selling Brazilian winger Marquinhos to Cruzeiro in a £3m deal.

Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Takehiro Tomiyasu have left on free transfers, meanwhile, but more will almost certainly head elsewhere before the window shuts, including most of those who were left out of the squad for Sunday's 1-0 win over Manchester United.

Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Reiss Nelson, Karl Hein, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior could all be sold to bring some money in, but it may be too little too late to reinvest those funds into any more new signings.

Real Madrid's Rodrygo may now be regarded as the likeliest to arrive, but as Noni Madueke has predominantly played off the left during his early days as an Arsenal player, it is difficult to envisage the Gunners going all out for the Brazilian's signature as well.

That sentiment has been echoes by one of the Arsenal Invincibles, who has also told Sports Mole that he does not expect Arsenal to make any more signings this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze.Â

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy reportedly held talks with Palace counterpart Steve Parish over a possible deal for the England midfielder, and the north London club are getting close to securing his signature.Â

Eze has been the undoubted star for the Eagles since he made the move from Queens Park Rangers, but he took his game to a whole new level under Oliver Glasner in the past 12 months.Â

The 27-year-old registered 14 goals and 11 assists from 43 appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, and scored the winning goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup final.Â

Spurs on the verge of Eze deal?Â

According to Ben Jacobs, the north London club have reached an 'agreement in principle' with the England international ahead of his proposed move.Â

Spurs are looking to bolster their attacking department this summer, and they need someone like Eze, following the unfortunate ACL injury to James Maddison.

Jacobs, in a separate X post, further added that a fee has been agreed for the former QPR midfielder, and he is waiting for the green light from Palace.Â

The north London club are confident of securing the midfielder's signature, but the Eagles are unlikely to sanction his departure until a replacement is found.Â

Who could replace Eze at Selhurst Park?Â

The Eagles have been linked with a move for Leicester City's Bilal El Khannouss, and it has been suggested that talks are ongoing between the two clubs over a possible transfer.Â

According to a report from talkSPORT, the Foxes are demanding a fee in the region of £30m for the Moroccan international, who has already informed the club of his willingness to move to Selhurst Park.Â

Palace have also reportedly considered Club Brugge's Christos Tzolis, while they have been negotiating a deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Hwang Hee-Chan as well.

Eze appeared to have said goodbye to the fans in Palace's 0-0 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and it looks like his exit from Selhurst Park is now only a matter of time.Â

With new rules and the same drama, the 2025-26 Premier League season commenced on Friday night, where defending champions Liverpool survived a monumental scare against Bournemouth to triumph 4-2 in the opening game of the campaign.

Expected title challengers Manchester City and Arsenal also got off the mark, as the Citizens assumed their place at the summit of the Premier League table with a 4-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, before the Gunners nervously edged out Manchester United by a goal to nil.

Arsenal's North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur were bigger winners on the opening weekend, slaying Burnley 3-0, the same scoreline that newly-promoted Sunderland managed to thrash West Ham United by.

Nottingham Forest also put a trio of goals past Brentford in a 3-1 home success, while Leeds United rounded off the gameweek one victories on Monday night, benefitting from a controversial handball decision to eke out a 1-0 win over Everton.

Meanwhile, six teams shook hands on a share of the spoils, as a 10-man Aston Villa held an Alexander Isak-less Newcastle United to a goalless draw, and there were also no strikes to be had in Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace, but Fulham left it very late indeed to salvage a point from a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Here, Sports Mole selects its Premier League Team of the Week for the first gameweek of the 2025-26 season.

Goalkeeper: David Raya (Arsenal)

Where would Arsenal be without him? Where Mikel Arteta's attackers failed, his number one prevailed, as David Raya produced a marvellous seven saves and two high claims to keep an increasingly desperate Manchester United at bay.

Centre-back: Daniel Ballard (Sunderland)

From current Arsenal to former Arsenal, Daniel Ballard lit up the Stadium of Light against West Ham with vital contributions at both ends of the pitch; a brilliant header into the bottom corner and an equally magnificent goal-saving clearance from El Hadji Malick Diouf's effort.

Centre-back: Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton)

Brighton may have been left crestfallen at the sound of the final whistle against Fulham, but take nothing away from the monstrous display of Jan Paul van Hecke, who won all four of his aerial and ground duels combined and registered an astonishing long pass accuracy rate, misplacing just one of his 13 such balls to his teammates.

Centre-back: Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal)

Debate raged over whether Arsenal's winner at Old Trafford fairly stood, but Riccardo Calafiori could hardly care less after positioning himself at the back stick to settle the contest, while also winning both of his aerial duels and contributing to the last-ditch defensive effort.

Right midfield: Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham)

Seamlessly slotting into Thomas Frank's Spurs system, £55m signing Mohammed Kudus provided two wonderful assists for another member of this Team of the Week to be named later, while creating a total of five chances as he ran Burnley ragged all afternoon.

Central midfield: Tijjani Reijnders (Man City)

One goal, one assist, one pre-assist; Tijjani Reijnders's Premier League debut for Man City was the stuff of dreams. The Dutchman is now just the second Sky Blues player to score and set up a teammate on his first Premier League appearance, following in the footsteps of none other than Sergio Aguero.

Central midfield: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)

Just one gameweek into the new Premier League season, and we already have a goal of the season and assist of the season contender.

More on the former later, but Elliot Anderson played the most exquisite of passes through to Chris Wood to score his second against Brentford, while also having three shots, winning two fouls and making two tackles in a relentless performance.

Left midfield: Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)

The Antoine Semenyo headlines from Friday's six-goal thriller unsurprisingly centred around the sickening alleged racist abuse directed at the Bournemouth attacker, but the Ghanaian nevertheless did what he does best on the pitch - decimate defences.

After showcasing tremendous pace to get ahead of Andy Robertson and Virgil van Dijk for the Cherries' first, Semenyo ran a staggering 52.4m with the ball before notching the visitors' equaliser - one of the longest runs preceding a goal in Premier League history.

Second striker: Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool)

The smile was wiped off of Semenyo's face at full time as Liverpool turned the tide late on, prior to which new signing Hugo Ekitike quickly showcased his talents in front of the Kop with a calm finish and an assist for Cody Gakpo, thus becoming the first-ever Frenchman to score and set up a teammate on his Premier League debut.

Second striker: Richarlison (Tottenham)

From an ostensibly guaranteed exit to a potential Premier League goal of the season prize, Richarlison managed to better his first goal against Burnley with an astonishing overhead kick, before also playing a key part in Spurs' third by holding the ball up in a deep area and laying off Pape Sarr.

Centre-forward: Erling Haaland (Man City)

Death, taxes, and Erling Haaland scoring on the opening day of the Premier League season. Notching a simple tap-in and a venomous first-time strike in the destruction of Wolves, the Norwegian has now scored on each of his four MD1 appearances in England's top flight, the second-longest run in Premier League history after Mohamed Salah's six in a row from 2017-18 to 2022-23.

SPORTS MOLE'S PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly taking major steps to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace before the end of the transfer window.Â

Spurs started their 2025-26 Premier League campaign with a convincing 3-0 win over Burnley at home on Saturday, with goals coming from Richarlison and Brennan Johnson.Â

New signing Mohammed Kudus dazzled on the right-hand side, but Thomas Frank needs more creativity in the attacking areas, especially after the ACL injury to James Maddison.Â

The Lilywhites have earmarked Eze as a perfect fit for the role, and they have been encouraged by the player's apparent willingness to join them.Â

Direct contacts made to sign EzeÂ

According to Fabrizio Romano, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been in direct contact with Palace chairman Steve Parish for Eze's deal.Â

It has previously been suggested that the north London club were planning to open formal talks over a deal for the England international, and they are now ready to offer £55m fixed fee plus £5m add-ons to get the deal done.

The 27-year-old previously had a £68m release clause in his contract, but Spurs are looking to get him at a reduced price.Â

Arsenal also reportedly retain a strong interest in Eze, but the Gunners are unlikely to move for him after the contract renewal of Ethan Nwaneri.Â

Palace already considering replacements for Eze?

Eze has been outstanding for the Eagles since moving from Queens Park Rangers in 2020, managing a total of 40 goals and 28 assists from 168 games.

The technically gifted attacking midfielder scored the winning goal for Palace in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, and registered 14 goals and 11 assists from 43 appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign.

Oliver Glasner, ideally, would love to keep Eze with him, but it appears that Palace are looking for options elsewhere to replace him. According to Ben Jacobs, Leicester City's Bilal El Khannouss wants to move to Selhurst Park, and he would cost around £30m.Â

Tottenham Hotspur have pulled off a significant contract coup, tying key centre-back Cristian Romero down to a new long-term deal.

The 2022 World Cup winner pens fresh terms just hours after fellow defender Djed Spence signed his own new contract, and the renewal comes as an extremely pleasant surprise for fans of the Europa League winners.

Like Spence, Romero is understood to have extended his contract until the end of the 2028-29 season, a two-year addition to his previous terms which were due to expire in 2027.

The former Atalanta BC and Juventus man was heavily linked with a move to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid earlier this summer, but Diego Simeone's side never formalised their interest, and Spurs had no intention of letting him depart anyway.

New head coach Thomas Frank appointed Romero his new captain following the exit of Son Heung-min to Los Angeles FC, and the Argentina international has now committed his future to Tottenham for the next four years.

Romero signs new Tottenham contract after Atletico transfer links

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Romero's new deal will keep him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until just after his 31st birthday and prolong an incredibly successful partnership, which began in the summer of 2021 under Antonio Conte.

The defender spent one season on loan at Spurs before his move was made permanent for £44.9m in the summer of 2022, and he has now represented the Lilywhites on 126 occasions across all competitions.

Romero has scored eight goals and provided three assists for the Lilywhites in that time, but more importantly, the 27-year-old led Spurs to Europa League glory as stand-in captain during the absence of Son last season.

Romero wore the armband for each of Tottenham's final four matches in the competition - including the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the final - and also netted Spurs' second goal in their UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last week.

What does Romero's new deal mean for Tottenham?

News of Romero's new deal was kept very hush-hush - the leaks only emerged mere minutes before Tottenham released their official statement - but the signs that he would not be going anywhere this summer had been there for a while.

Frank would certainly not have bestowed the South American with the armband if there was even the slightest chance of his departure this summer, and in any case, Atletico signed David Hancko from Feyenoord as an alternative to the Tottenham skipper.

However, the fact that Spurs have agreed a renewal with Romero's camp so soon after the speculation is a serious statement of intent from the club, whose fanbase may not have been so optimistic for the future in a long while thanks to this news and their opening thumping of Burnley in the 2025-26 Premier League.

Romero has and will always draw criticism for his on-field aggression, but last season was a major improvement from a disciplinary standpoint; he was only cautioned five times across all competitions and was not sent off once.