Late own goal hands Spurs draw at Brighton
Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke scored a late own goal as Tottenham battled back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 Premier League draw at the Amex Stadium.
After another exciting midweek in the UEFA Champions League, we are back with more weekend action in the top leagues across Europe.
In the Premier League, Liverpool held on to beat Everton 2-1 in the first Merseyside derby of the season, before Brighton & Hove Albion face Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley host Nottingham Forest, West Ham United take on Crystal Palace, and Wolverhampton Wanderers meet Leeds United.
Then, in the later game, Manchester United take on Chelsea in what is always a heavyweight clash despite the respective fortunes of the two teams currently.
In LaLiga, Real Madrid take on Espanyol, while in the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim take on Bayern Munich.
Stay tuned for all the highlights and big moments from an action-packed day in Europe.
Tottenham Hotspur's 40th anniversary celebrations fell flat as Manchester City cruised to a 5-1 victory at Brisbane Road.
Spurs, formed in September 1985 as Broxbourne Ladies, had not conceded a goal in their first two matches and would have gone top of the Women's Super League (WSL) with a point.
But their 100% record was blown to smithereens as goals from Aoba Fujino, Vivianne Miedema, Kerstin Casparij, debutant Grace Clinton and Laura Coombs made it back-to-back wins for City.
The only downside for the visitors was an injury to Lauren Hemp, who limped off in the first half.
City threatened early on when Hemp raced down the left but Khadija Shaw could not get on the end of her low cross.
However, England star Hemp hobbled off after 20 minutes with what looked like a nasty ankle injury.
Yet City went ahead three minutes later when Shaw laid the ball off on the edge of the box and Fujino lashed her shot into the top corner.
Shaw thought she had doubled the lead from close range at a corner but Spurs keeper Lize Kop made a stunning point-blank save.
But the second goal came from another corner with Miedema touching the ball home.
Three minutes later Miedema charged forward and when her shot took a deflection it looped up for Casparij to head in.
In the 54th minute City were awarded a penalty after Clare Hunt upended Fujino but Shaw was again frustrated by Kop, who made a fine save.
Shaw knew it was not going to be her night when she thudded a header against the crossbar.
But Clinton, City's deadline-day signing from Manchester United, came off the bench to mark her debut by slotting home the fourth against her old club.
Spurs did at least grab a late consolation with arguably the goal of the game, a 20-yard screamer from substitute Olivia Holdt.
But Coombs had the final word with the fifth in stoppage time after she was teed up by Clinton.
Elsewhere, Isobel Goodwin scored twice as London City Lionesses registered the first WSL win in the club's history by beating Everton 2-1.
Forward Goodwin, who was top scorer in the Women's Championship with 16 goals during last season's title-winning campaign, struck 13 minutes into each half at Goodison Park.
Toffees substitute Yuka Momiki halved the deficit with a 71st-minute penalty before the visitors survived heavy pressure to record a landmark victory.
Jocelyn Precheur's newly-promoted side endured a tough start to life in the top flight, with last weekend's 5-1 hammering at the hands of Manchester United following a 4-1 loss at Arsenal.
The away team began brightly on Merseyside and Wassa Sangaré was denied a 12th-minute opener by a superb block from Clare Wheeler.
But Everton failed to deal with the resulting corner taken by Kosovare Asllani, allowing Goodwin to lash home the loose ball via the underside of the crossbar to claim her maiden WSL goal.
The hosts were beaten 2-0 by Spurs on matchweek two after beginning the season with a thumping 4-1 derby success at Liverpool.
Kelly Gago threatened a leveller just before the break when she tricked her way past Elena Linari to force a save out of visiting goalkeeper Elene Lete.
London City doubled their advantage in the 58th minute. Former Everton forward Nikita Parris was released down the left by substitute Lotta Lindström before crossing for Goodwin to power home her second of the evening.
Japan forward Momiki rolled her maiden Toffees goal into the bottom right corner from the spot to set up a tense finish after she was bundled over in the box by Jana Fernández.
Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of midfielder Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United, the clubs announced Thursday.
Sources told ESPN that the Premier League clubs had agreed a fee of around £55 million ($74.7m), with the Ghana international signing a six-year contract.
Kudus, 24, had an £85 million release clause in his contract that could only be activated by other Premier League clubs, but West Ham were willing to letting him go at a lower fee.
Kudus, who had previously been on Chelsea's radar, joined West Ham in 2023 from Ajax and emerged as a leading target for new Spurs boss Thomas Frank this summer.
"It feels great to be here, I'm very happy and can't wait to start," he told Tottenham's website.
"One of the most important parts of why I came here is the project and how the manager sees it, and to develop under him. With the history of where he's come from, I've seen the amount of talent he's developed to become great players. It's a big sign of why I wanted to work under him as well.
Kudus played 80 games for West Ham, scoring 19 goals and contributing 13 assists.
Tottenham are also reportedly close to adding Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
Gibbs-White joined Forest in the summer of 2022 following their promotion to the Premier League and was instrumental in delivering European football to the club for the first time since 1996, with seven goals and eight assists in 34 Premier League games this past season.
Information from ESPN's James Olley and The Associated Press was used in this report.
Only back in April 2022, Kōta Takai was about to make his professional debut as a 17-year-old coming through the ranks of J1 League outfit Kawasaki Frontale.
On Tuesday, his rapid rise over the past three years took another big leap as his move to Tottenham was confirmed by the Premier League giants.
Still only 20, Takai has already been capped four times by Japan at senior level and looks a legitimate chance to be part of their squad for next year's FIFA World Cup.
So how exactly the Yokohama native, who only came out of his teenage years last September, make such a noteworthy ascent to arguably Europe's biggest league in such a short span of time?
Where it all began
In April 2022, while it had been two years since the coronavirus pandemic first escalated, prevailing heightened safety measures meant that Asia's premier club competition -- now known as the AFC Champions League Elite -- was still being played in centralised venues.
Kawasaki found themselves in Malaysia for their Group I campaign hosted by Johor Darul Ta'zim and their travelling squad boasted several up-and-coming prospects, including Takai.
Their opening game against Ulsan HD saw Takai sit on the bench as an unused substitute.
In their next match, against a Guangzhou FC outfit made up entirely of youth team players, Kawasaki remarkably -- but perhaps unsurprisingly -- found themselves leading 5-0 at halftime.
With the win almost certainly in the bag, it paved the way for Takai to make his professional debut as he came off the bench two minutes before the hour mark.
Takai would not feature for the remainder of Kawasaki's time in Johor Bahru. In fact, that half-hour or so would be his only first-team minutes that year.
But in 2023, he was properly integrated into the senior side. The following year, his growing importance would be highlighted by a change of jersey number from 29 to 2.
And by the end of 2024, Takai was a legitimate rising star of Japanese football, having played his part in his country's AFC U-23 Asian Cup triumph, featured in the Paris Olympics and been named the J.League's Best Young Player of that year.
Who is Kōta Takai now?
Composed but alert with his defensive duties while being in possession and capable of distributing the ball out from the back, Takai is every bit the modern-day centre-back.
While Asian players looking to make it in Europe have often previously been hampered by stature and physicality, Takai's 1.92-metre height is a real asset.
His lanky frame, however, will need filling out. He has not had the extra years of gym work that helped compatriot and former Japan captain Maya Yoshida succeed in the Premier League with Southampton, nor the natural hulking stature of Bayern Munich man Kim Min-Jae that allowed the South Korea international to make an effortless transition to Europe.
Still, Takai reads the game like a veteran although the pace of the Premier League might take some getting used to.
Exuding a maturity beyond his years both on and off the field, illustrated by the fact that he was handed the Kawasaki captain's armband on several occasions, Takai has been regularly called up by Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu over the past year and has been given a chance to prove his worth at senior international level after the dominant Samurai Blue secured their place at next year's World Cup well in advance.
Takai also boasts plenty of continental experience after playing a pivotal role in Kawasaki's run to last season's ACL Elite final, where he found himself up against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jhon Durán, Ivan Toney and Roberto Firmino.
Is success at Spurs guaranteed?
Despite his undeniable talent, Takai's transfer to Tottenham represents a leap of faith for both parties.
Talented Asian prospects rarely make a move directly to one of the most prominent clubs in Europe.
The notable exceptions are Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-In, who were both such outstanding talents from an early age that they were already in the academy ranks of notable European clubs such as Barcelona and Valencia respectively.
Even current Spurs captain Son Heung-Min, who can now stake his claim to being Asia's greatest footballer, had to cut his teeth initially with Hamburg when they were a mid-table team in the Bundesliga.
The last player to move from Asia and become an immediate hit for one of European football's leading clubs is arguably Shinji Kagawa, who joined Borussia Dortmund as a relative unknown from Cerezo Osaka and instantly became a key member in the Jürgen Klopp-led side that won back-to-back Bundesliga titles.
There is a risk that Takai will find himself not yet ready to be thrown into the deep.
Cynics might also feel Spurs are taking a bit of a gamble on someone yet to prove himself outside of Asia, although the £5 million Spurs have reportedly forked out seems a bargain in the current era of big spending -- even if the fee, if accurate, would be a J1 League record.
While his ability is certainly there, there is also plenty of hard work that lies ahead for Takai.
What does the immediate future hold?
It would not be far-fetched to assume that Takai's short-term future might follow a path familiar to many Asian hopefuls.
An oft-travelled route involves a transitional period to adapt and improve in nations such as Netherlands and Belgium, or at a lower-ranked team in a stronger competition like the Bundesliga.
So even when they sign directly for a club in one of Europe's top leagues, it many be via a loan spell that sees them gain experience before returning for a shot at breaking through.
That was exactly what happened with a player now regarded as one of Asia's best in Kaoru Mitoma, a fellow Kawasaki product who had to bide his time with a temporary spell in the Belgian Pro League before emerging as a bona fide Premier League star with Brighton.
It is also the same process Spurs have opted with another Asian import in Yang Min-Hyeok, who arrived at the club in January and then proceeded to see out the remainder of the 2024-25 season a level lower at Championship outfit QPR.
That could be the short-term future that awaits Takai although early murmurs suggest he could be part of new Tottenham coach Thomas Frank's first-team plans for the upcoming season.
Given Takai's contract runs through to 2030, there is hardly any need for him to be in any rush to prove himself.
But considering how rapid his rise has been, it should not come as a surprise if Takai is pulling on the Tottenham jersey in a high-stakes Premier League encounter sooner rather than later.
Japan defender Kota Takai has joined Tottenham Hotspur from J-League side Kawasaki Frontale, the club has announced.
Spurs said the 20-year-old has signed a five-year deal at the club. They did not disclose the transfer fee, although it is reportedly worth £5 million ($6.8m).
He is the club's first signing under new manager Thomas Frank, who replaced Ange Postecoglou in the Tottenham dugout this summer.
He has four senior international caps with Japan and also appeared at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Meanwhile, Spurs are expected to return with an improved offer for West Ham United's Mohammed Kudus, a source told ESPN, after seeing their opening bid of £50m rejected.
Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Martin Ho as head coach on a contract that runs until 2028, the club have confirmed.
The former Manchester United assistant and SK Brann manager replaces Robert Vilahamn, who departed the club after two seasons.
Despite reaching the FA Cup final in Vilahamn's first season, the club finished 11th in the Women's Super League after a disappointing run in his second year.
In his first six months at Brann, Ho led the club to the group stage of the UEFA Women's Champions League, becoming the first Norwegian club to do so.
They were beaten by Barcelona -- who went on to win the competition -- in the quarterfinals.
Arsenal have stepped up their efforts to beat rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Eberechi Eze, while Napoli need to make an improved offer for Liverpool's Darwin Núñez. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe.
Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men's summer window grades
ESPN SOURCES
- Barcelona's Pablo Torre close to joining Mallorca -- Matteo Moretto
- Arsenal in talks with Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera -- Moretto
- Atlético Madrid cool Andy Robertson interest, Matteo Ruggeri close -- Moretto
- AC Milan will contact Club Brugge with bid for Ardon Jashari of €35 million plus add-ons -- Moretto
- Ajax working on details of deal to sign Real Valladolid winger Raúl Moro -- Moretto
- Former Ajax coach Francesco Farioli is a strong candidate to take over at FC Porto -- Moretto
TRENDING RUMORS
- Arsenal will go up against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for Crystal Palace forward Eberechi Eze, The Sun reports. Eze has been a long-term target for Spurs, but Arsenal have stepped up their bid to sign the England international whose excellent form last season culminated in him scoring the winning goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. The Gunners' sporting director, Andrea Berta has held talks with Eze's representatives, paving the way for the club to pay the 26-year-old's £68 million release clause.
- Napoli need to make a significant financial push to sign Darwin Núñez as a big gap remains between their offer for the striker and Liverpool's asking price., according to Sky Italia. Premier League champions Liverpool want a fee of €65 million, plus up to €5 million in add-ons to let the Uruguay international leave this summer. Napoli, who have already signed former Man City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne and center back Luca Marianucci, have so far indicated they are only prepared to offer €5 million for Núñez, who only scored four league goals last season.
- Tottenham are not willing to back down in their valuation of Atlético Madrid target Cristian Romero, the Daily Telegraph reports. The Argentina international defender's future in north London is in doubt, and he has expressed a desire to play in Spain at some stage in his career. Atlético boss Diego Simeone has publicly praised the center back, who has two years remaining on his contract, but Spurs will hold out for at least €60 million for one of the key players in last season's UEFA Europa League success.
- Newcastle United are preparing a second offer for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga, reports The Sun. The Premier League club previously had a £45 million bid for Elanga rejected, but are now expected to increase their proposal by around £5m. Newcastle also haven't given up on signing Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford and Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro. The triple swoop, if successful, would see the club pay at least £140m. Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo is also on the radar of Eddie Howe, who is preparing to lead the Magpies back into the UEFA Champions League next season.
- RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner is in talks with the New York Red Bulls, Tom Bogert reports. The Germany international is out of contract at the end of the month, meaning he'll be able to join the club of his choice on a free transfer from July. An agreement with the MLS club isn't imminent, although the player is thought to be open to the move. Werner's career has stalled somewhat in recent years, as he failed to score a single goal in the Premier League last season.
EXPERT TAKE
Should Eze stay at Crystal Palace this summer?
Mark Ogden and Shaka Hislop discuss the possibility of Eberechi Eze getting a big-money move to another club after a stellar campaign with Crystal Palace.
OTHER RUMORS
- Juventus are closing in on the signing of Lille forward Jonathan David, who is expected to join the Italian giants as a free agent once his contract with Lille expire on June 30 and he finishes competing with Canada at the Gold Cup. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
- Bayern Munich have reached a full agreement with Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade, with the 23-year-old agreeing to contractual terms with Bayern, but no direct negotiations have taken place between the two German clubs. (Sky Deutschland)
- West Ham United are set to rival Wolverhampton Wanderers for Nice striker Evann Guessand, with the futures of Michail Antonio and Niclas Füllkrug still very much up in the air. (Daily Mail)
- Fulham have launched a €16m bid for Göztepe striker Rômulo, but the Turkish club want at least €20m for their star attacker who scored 13 goals in 29 Süper Lig games last season. (David Ornstein)
Tottenham Hotspur were fined £75,000 ($100,710) by the Football Association on Thursday for crowd misconduct after the club's supporters were heard making anti-gay chants during their Premier League match at Manchester United in September.
The club condemned the incident at the time and said they were working with local police and stadium security to identify their supporters who participated in "abhorrent homophobic chanting" at Old Trafford.
Spurs were charged in November. An independent regulatory commission imposed an action plan, £150,000 fine and a warning, after the club admitted to the charges. The fine was reduced to £75,000 following an appeal.
"It was alleged that Tottenham Hotspur failed to ensure its spectators and or supporters... conduct themselves in an orderly fashion and don't use words or otherwise behave in an improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting way with either an express or implied reference to sexual orientation around both the 49th and 79th minutes," the FA said.