Tottenham Hotspur’s activity in the transfer market over the summer was largely successful, with numerous of their additions already making a huge impact in the Premier League.

Mohammed Kudus was the most expensive addition during the recent window, joining the Lilywhites in a £55m transfer from London rivals West Ham United.

The Ghanaian has already adhered himself to the supporters, with his tally of one goal and four assists the highest tally of any player in Thomas Frank’s first-team squad.

However, not all of their big-money additions have hit the ground running in North London, with Xavi Simons only able to register a single league assist after his £52m switch from RB Leipzig.

At just 22, he will have bags of time to adapt to life in England’s top-flight, but the same can’t be said for another first-team member who will likely be on borrowed time in the near future.

The total cost of Spurs’ deal to land Richarlison

Back in the summer of 2022, Spurs paid a reported £60m for the signature of striker Richarlison, with the Brazilian moving to North London from fellow Premier League side Everton.

Many supporters were excited upon his arrival, no doubt due to the size of the fee, but it’s safe to say the 28-year-old’s spell at the club has been nothing be plain sailing.

During his three years with the Lilywhites, he’s racked up a total of 108 appearances across all competitions, but has only scored a total of 24 goals in such a period.

However, he’s also taken home a small fortune in wages, with his £90k-per-week wages seeing him earn a total of £18.72m in wages alone since his transfer.

When combining his transfer fee with his wages, Richarlison has cost the hierarchy a total of £78.72m – a simply staggering amount of money given his lack of impact.

Given his tally of 24 goals, he’s cost around £3.28m per effort – further highlighting how much money the board have wasted on his signature over the last few seasons.

Games played

108

Cost per appearance

£728k

Goals scored

24

Cost per goal

£3.28m

Assists

11

Cost per assist

£7.15m

The player who could end Richarlison’s Spurs career

The numbers behind Richarlison’s deal at Spurs are nothing short of mind-boggling, but his underlying stats from the current campaign further indicate his lack of positive impact.

The Brazilian has only scored four times in the Premier League to date, but he has missed six big chances in the process, which has no doubt hindered his ability to provide the goods.

He’s also registered the least amount of touches of any player on the pitch in four of his 11 league appearances, often being unable to make a real impact on proceedings.

When in possession, the 28-year-old has struggled to find a teammate, only completing 63% of his passes – a tally which ranks him in the bottom 12% of all players in the division.

His lack of quality, coupled with his staggering cost, should see the club look to move him on in the near future, with Frank desperately needing to drop him from his starting eleven.

However, that may be a tricky task given the recent injuries to Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani, but the Dane does have an excellent option in the form of Mathys Tel.

The Frenchman originally joined on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich last campaign, but he made such a move permanent in the summer – costing a fee in the region of £27m.

However, he’s found minutes hard to come by under Frank, with the 20-year-old only starting three matches out of a possible 11 in England’s top-flight to date.

Tel, who’s been labelled “one of the best finishers in Europe” by Ben Mattinson, has managed to impress despite his limited minutes, as seen by his tally of two goals.

Such a tally is all the more impressive when delving into his minute per goal ratio, with his 124-minute goalscoring record the best in the current squad in North London.

Games played

8

Goals scored

2

Minutes per goal

124

Pass accuracy

83%

Dribble success

50%

Touches in opposition box

3.9

Possession won in final third

1.1

Shots taken

2.2

The youngster has also caught the eye with his dribble success, often taking the ball past the opposition and handing the side a more nimble and off-the-shoulder type of centre-forward.

Despite his small frame, Tel has managed to make a nuisance of numerous backlines, even impressing out of possession and winning the ball back 1.1 times per 90 in the final third – which places him in the 95th percentile.

There’s no disputing that Tel is still a young and raw talent, but he’s already demonstrated glimpses of his quality, which should see Frank hand the Frenchman a consistent run of starts.

As for Richarlison, he could find himself on the fringes in the coming months, with the hierarchy needing to cash in as soon as possible to avoid losing a small fortune on their investment.

Forget Simons: Spurs have an academy sensation who could be Dele 2.0

Tottenham Hotspur already have a sensation who could replace Xavi Simons in North London.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 13, 2025

Players due to also compete in some fixtures against Indian domestic sides

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2025When India take on Sri Lanka at the Women’s World Cup 2025 opener, the spotlight will not just be on the players on the field but also on some of those off it.A group of Afghanistan’s women’s cricketers, currently living in exile in Australia, will be in attendance at the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Stadium in Guwahati in one of the first attempts to integrate them into the global game. The players do not represent Afghanistan as they are not recognised by the ACB but are playing in league structures in Australia. They will have no formal role at the game, where they will be received as spectators.”[BCCI secretary] Devajit Saikia knows exactly what details about this,” ACA President Taranga Gogoi told ESPNcricinfo. “He will guide us and we are awaiting more details. The Afghanistan players will be here tomorrow and we will make arrangements for that.”Related

Form vs Spirit: Australia's world champions take on New Zealand's game raisers

World Cup offers an air of freshness to sombre Guwahati

Powerplay: More than just a match for Afghanistan Women's XI

Powerplay: How cricket helped Afghanistan women escape

BCCI, ECB, CA to help fund ICC's plan to support Afghan women cricketers

Details surrounding the Afghanistan players’ trip to the World Cup have been kept under wraps, with no official announcement from the ICC. However, in April this year, the ICC confirmed it would form a “dedicated task force” to support Afghanistan’s female cricketers which would include coaching and mentorship. Funding for this initiative would be provided by the ICC, and the three most moneyed cricket boards: the BCCI, ECB and CA but exact amounts were never revealed.The idea for Afghanistan’s exiled female cricketers to travel to the World Cup was firmed up at the ICC’s annual conference in July. At the time, a loose plan was put in place for the cricketers to attend a training camp in Bengaluru, which was due to host the opening match of the tournament, play against Indian domestic sides and then attend a handful of World Cup games. As things stand, the players are still due to compete in some fixtures but may not attend any matches other than the tournament opener, although no information has been confirmed.It is also understood that the lack of publicity around the Afghanistan women’s arrival in India is a result of the ICC adopting a cautious approach to any retaliation from the government of Afghanistan. Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, women have been increasingly excluded from public life, cannot attend university or secondary school and their voices cannot be heard in public. As such, the ACB is unable to ratify a women’s team, despite contracting 25 players in 2020.The majority of those players live in Australia but some are resident in the United Kingdom and Canada. Not all those living in Australia have made the trip to India as some faced visa challenges but most of them played in an exhibition match between an Afghanistan XI and Cricket without Borders in January.

Toss Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Jaker Ali won the toss and elected to bowl against Pakistan in what is a virtual semi-final in the Asia Cup. The winner of this game will face India in the final on Sunday.Bangladesh’s regular captain Litton Das missed a second game in two days with a side strain. Jaker took over the captaincy once again and will stay as the wicketkeeper.Bangladesh also made three changes. Nurul Hasan, allrounder Mahedi Hasan and fast bowler Taskin Ahmed replaced Tanzid Hasan, seamer Mohammad Saifuddin and left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed.As for Pakistan, they were unchanged from their win against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi earlier this week. Jaker’s decision at the toss went down well with his counterpart Salman Agha, who said Pakistan wanted to bat first. The slower bowlers could thrive on what looked like a dry Dubai surface.Bangladesh: 1 Saif Hassan, 2 Parvez Hossain Emon, 3 Towhid Hridoy, 4 Shamim Hossain, 5 Jaker Ali (capt), 6 Nurul Hasan, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 11 Mustafizur Rahman.Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Saim Ayub, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Hussain Talat, 6 Mohammad Haris (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed.

India A made a steady start to their innings before rain brought an early end to the second day in Lucknow

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2025Josh Philippe’s unbeaten 123 off 87 balls and Liam Scott’s 81 continued Australia A’s dominance on day two of the first four-day game against India A in Lucknow.With Sam Konstas also making a century on the first day, Australia A declared their innings on 532 for 6 in just 98 overs, having scored at a run rate of 5.43. In reply, India A lost opener Abhimanyu Easwaran for 44, but N Jagadeesan remained unbeaten on 50 before rain brought an early end to the day.Resuming on 337 for 5, Australia A went into overdrive on the second day. Play started half an hour early at 9am to make up for overs lost to rain on the opening day. Philippe was dropped on 26 by wicketkeeper Jagadeesan off Khaleel Ahmed and cashed in, bringing up his half-century off 55 balls. He added 81 runs for the sixth wicket with Scott, who hit 81 off 122 deliveries before falling to fast bowler Gurnoor Brar.Philippe then had an unbroken 118-run stand off 62 balls with Xavier Bartlett, contributing 78 off 38 to the partnership. He smashed left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey for a six and three fours in the 93rd over and then went after offspinner Tanush Kotian in the 94th, taking him for two fours and a six. He took 77 balls to reach his century, getting there with a quick single to cover”I just looked to be positive. It was a pretty good wicket and Scotty batted beautifully, Philippe said after play. “Then, Xavier came in and we had a nice little partnership at the end. And when we’re told we’re probably declaring soon, it requires attacking against the spinners. I played them naturally. I like to try and take the game on and look to put pressure back on them straight away.”While Philippe hit 18 fours and four sixes in his century, Bartlett smashed five fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 24-ball 39. Australia A thrashed 195 runs in just 25 overs on the second day before declaring their innings.India A openers Easwaran and Jagadeesan responded quickly too, adding 88 runs for the first wicket in 21.1 overs. Easwaran was bowled by Scott but Jagadeesan reached his fifty and had B Sai Sudharsan for company on 20 when stumps were called. Only 55 overs were bowled on the second day, with no play possible after tea.”I think it’s still a pretty good wicket,” Philippe said. “There’s some signs that there’s a bit of spin from us today. Not sure what’s going on with the weather, but hopefully as the game gets on, it continues to deteriorate and our spinners can take charge and get some poles.”

It remains difficult to piece together just where the blame lies for Celtic’s current slump – is it the board, is it Brendan Rodgers, or is it a period of dismal recruitment?

Of course, it is likely a mixture of all of those factors, with the latter point particularly key. Indeed, of those signed amid Rodgers’ return in the summer of 2023, only Paulo Bernardo and Yang Hyun-jun remain part of the current first-team squad.

Far too many deals have backfired over the past two years, although that’s not to say that the departed coach is himself free of criticism, having not exactly got the best out of those at his disposal.

You only have to look at the case of Callum Osmand, a player largely ignored by the Northern Irishman, to see where Rodgers was misguided. While now cruelly struck down by injury, the Wales youth international was the hero at Hampden, before winning a penalty during his lively, albeit brief cameo at FC Midtjylland.

Although Rodgers’ return did see two further Premiership titles secured, prior to him walking away for the second time, the magic of his first spell in charge didn’t appear to be there.

The Hoops, hopefully, will be targeting a figure who can replicate that first version of the former Liverpool boss at Parkhead.

Celtic's ongoing manager search

A clear frontrunner has yet to truly emerge with regard to Celtic’s managerial vacancy, with a romantic return for Ange Postecoglou having been deemed ‘very unlikely’, despite the Greek-Aussie now out of work following his dismissal from Nottingham Forest.

Interim boss Martin O’Neill does remain an option to see out the season, alongside Shaun Maloney, although such a decision would likely be a last resort considering the 73-year-old last took on a top job back in 2019, following his own brief stint at the City Ground.

The nature and timing of Rodgers’ shock resignation has no doubt complicated matters, although with the international break now to come, it presents the perfect time to finally nail down a preferred pick.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to Football Insider, one of the current frontrunners is Ipswich Town boss, Kieran McKenna, with the 39-year-old deemed to be the “number-one target”, albeit with a potential obstacle likely to be his “big compensation package”.

As the report notes, it is believed that it would take a fee of around £5m to prise McKenna from Portman Road, with it yet to be seen whether the Glasgow side would be willing to fork out such a figure to get their man.

McKenna, for what it’s worth, did not wholly shut down talk of the move when quizzed on the speculation in recent weeks, having described Celtic as a “really big club”, amid suggestions that he is a rumoured Hoops supporter.

Why Celtic could be targeting the next Brendan Rodgers

An exciting young Northern Irish coach with a potential affinity to the Scottish champions – that certainly sounds familiar?

Yes, there are certainly real similarities between McKenna and his compatriot Rodgers, with Celtic no doubt hoping that the in-demand Ipswich coach can replicate the success that the latter man enjoyed following his first move to Parkhead in 2016.

While the ex-Swansea City, Liverpool, Watford and Reading boss had garnered far more experience at the time of his move north of the border, he had made the first major stride of his coaching career in the youth ranks at Chelsea, having been given the backing of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

McKenna – who initially worked in the youth ranks at Tottenham Hotspur – was also something of a favourite of Mourinho at Manchester United, having eventually become an assistant to the Portuguese coach in 2018.

Like Rodgers, the rising star had seen his own playing career cut short by injury, with the pair seemingly following in Mourinho’s footsteps by trying to make up for that on-field disappointment by shining in the dugout – as McKenna himself has admitted:

While Rodgers first truly made a name for himself by steering Swansea into the Premier League, the 4-2-3-1 coach has enjoyed similar success in the EFL with his current club, having claimed back-to-back promotions in what is his first managerial role.

Days in charge

1419

Games

187

Wins

87

Draws

50

Losses

50

Points per game

1.66

Players used

81

Promotions

2

Relegations

1

Although the Tractor Boys’ stay in the top-flight was short-lived, that hasn’t stopped interest mounting in this “incredible” coach – as hailed by Ipswich’s Wes Burns – with former club Man United believed to have been considering him in the summer of 2024.

That would’ve been like Rodgers’ own Anfield switch, although perhaps McKenna can skip a step and head straight to Celtic instead, with the Glasgow outfit no doubt in need of an exciting, young and fresh voice to try and reinvigorate the current first-team crop.

For all the frustration over his decision to twice leave his post at Celtic Park, it’s worth remembering the glittering success that Rodgers has achieved when at the helm, namely overseeing that invincible domestic season in 2016/17.

With a raft of promising young talents, and with an attractive, front-foot style of play, the now 52-year-old was just what was needed to breathe new life into the club, amid the mixed stint of Ronny Deila.

Now, again, Celtic need to be revitalised. Can the next bright young manager, McKenna, be the man to do just that?

O'Neill upgrade: Mjallby tells Celtic which manager is "the perfect fit"

Former Celtic star Johan Mjällby has told the club which manager would be the perfect fit for the club.

ByDan Emery Nov 8, 2025

The Portland Pickles do baseball differently, and it results in some incredible theater.

On Saturday, the collegiate summer baseball wooden bat team was holding its Fan Appreciation Night at Walker Stadium in Portland. As part of the event, a fan was invited to get on the field and take a legitimate at-bat during the game.

The fan stepped into the batter's box, looking surprisingly confident, and unloaded an absolute moonshot of a two-run home run, sending the crowd and Pickles faithful into an absolute frenzy.

The fan was given a jersey––that didn't even match the ones the Pickles were wearing that night––and put on a helmet, stepping into the batter's box still wearing his sneakers and shorts. In his first at-bat, the fan, "Dixie," drew a walk and came around to score. His home run came in his next plate appearance during the eighth inning, and it was a truly surreal moment.

There's not many places you'll find fans actively getting the chance to participate in games, but Walker Stadium is home to some of the most bonkers shenanigans in sports, and Dixie's two-run blast showed exactly why the Portland-based team loves to go all out with its themed events.

It's not all jokes from the Pickles, either, who have rostered a few players currently in MLB, including Cleveland Guardians slugger Kyle Manzardo.

There were no bigger sellers at the MLB trade deadline than the Minnesota Twins. Identifying a seller’s market and with solid assets to offer to contenders, the Twins unloaded the roster in hopes of building the foundation for a better future.

One of their biggest deadline deals was trading away electric closer Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies. Duran is a flamethrower, and his aura was all the greater thanks to the electric entrance that the Twins had put together for him when he took the mound.

It wasn’t clear how that entrance would carry over to Philadelphia, but when Duran stepped up for his first career save as a Phillie over the weekend, the lights went down, the phones came out, and the bell of the Undertaker tolled.

It was epic.

How were the Phillies able to recreate the magic of Duran’s entrance? Mostly thanks to the Twins. As Matt Gelb reported in a story for , the Twins had worked with the Phillies, providing digital assets and music, to ensure that his first moment on the mound with his new team was a memorable one.

Dustin Morse, the Twins vice president of communications, had asked Duran what he wanted to do regarding his entrance shortly after news of the trade broke, and the closer said it was simply too good to give up. Morse agreed, and took the idea to the rest of the team’s top officials. Not long after, they were trading emails with their counterparts on the Phillies to make sure they could put together a similar entrance at Citizens Bank Park.

“We collectively thought, ‘This is for the greater good of baseball fans,’” Morse told Gelb. “This is a fun atmosphere. All baseball fans should get to see it and experience it. We all know that the atmosphere at Citizens Bank is already nuts. This would go over well.”

It certainly did. A crowd of 43,241 Phillies fans roared for Duran in his debut, and he secured the save with just four pitches.

Morse texted Duran after the save congratulating him on his success, and noting that the entrance still looked great. “Thank you so much, Dustin,” Duran replied. “Thank you for being a part of that creation.”

Duran’s first few days in Philadelphia have already been memorable. On Sunday, he was able to secure another save for the Phillies, this time on the airwaves of ESPN, and threw a few of the fastest pitches in team history in the process. The entrance still looked stellar.

The Twins certainly didn’t have to do what they did to help the Phillies recreate Duran’s theatrics—the entrance represented hundreds of hours of work Minnesota’s team put into ideation, creation and execution. But as Morse said, it was a move that was made for the greater good of baseball fans, and that truth has already been proven plenty after just a few days in Philadelphia.

Leeds United are in some strife this season. After a strong start, the Whites find themselves in another relegation fight, with just 11 points to their name. That puts them one point clear of the drop zone, and with West Ham United and Nottingham Forest now two unbeaten, they could get caught.

Perhaps this was to be expected by Leeds fans at the start of the season. ESPN journalist Bill Connelly was someone who thought they’d go straight back down to the Championship, explaining that they “probably will have to figure out how to get by with defensive organisation and random bursts of quality attacking.”

Well, it’s not worked out like that so far, with manager Daniel Farke’s future now under question again.

Why Farke’s Leeds future is in doubt

Connelly identified a strong defence and clinical attacking bursts as the keys to how the Whites could keep themselves in the Premier League. Those two things have both been lacking so far this term.

Defensively, the West Yorkshire outfit have left a lot to be desired. They’ve been leaky at the back and have conceded 20 goals.

Despite signing three attackers in the summer, Farke’s side have managed to score just ten goals, better only than bottom-place Wolves.

This has, once again, brought the German’s job into question. He was reportedly close to getting sacked last season, but Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe said Farke is “my man” going into the Premier League adventure.

Circumstances can change quickly, though. Now, reports are suggesting Farke has five games to save himself. After losing the first one against Nottingham Forest before the international break, games against Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool await.

It does seem inevitable that Leeds will have to sack their manager sooner or later. They seem to have a new boss lined up who could get them thriving in front of goal again.

Leeds’ perfect Farke replacement

If Farke is removed from his post as Leeds head coach, journalist Graeme Bailey recently put forward a name for who could replace him.

He says that the pressure is piling on, especially ‘when you have a manager like Brendan Rodgers available,’ a man Leeds could well move for if they sack the German.

Rodgers was once described as a “world-class” manager by Gabby Agbonlahor on talkSPORT, after his impressive performances at Leicester City.

The Foxes were punching above their weight for years, partly thanks to the Northern Irishman’s contributions.

At the King Power Stadium, he looked to capitalise on quick transitional situations, with some dangerous attacking players at his disposal. Those included the likes of James Maddison and star striker Jamie Vardy.

In fact, getting the best out of his strikers has always been a key feature of Rodgers’ management, no matter what club he was at.

He has coached some big-name centre-forwards, including Vardy and Luis Suarez, all of whom have enjoyed success under the Northern Irishman.

Most successful strikers under Rodgers

Player (club)

Games

Goals

Jamie Vardy (Leicester)

157

70

Luis Suarez (Liverpool)

81

61

Moussa Dembele (Celtic)

94

51

Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester, Celtic)

151

46

Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)

70

43

Stats from Transfermarkt

That could be music to Leeds fans’ ears, given their difficulties in front of goal. Perhaps Rodgers – and his attack-minded 4-3-3 setup – can be the guy to finally get them thriving in front of goal.

He may have a new striker to work with, too. Troy Parrott is a target for the club, according to recent reports, and could be on the move this January.

He has been on fire with club side AZ Alkmaar since moving there last summer, and has 33 goals and seven assists in 61 games.

Of course, he was the hero for the Republic of Ireland last week, helping them reach the World Cup playoffs.

That is exactly the sort of goalscoring prowess that Leeds are lacking at the moment. Despite having three strikers on the books, they are missing that clinical edge in front of goal.

Parrott, however, has just that, and could be the difference maker – much like Vardy was in the past under Rodgers.

With Rodgers’ impressive track record working with strikers, Parrott could be the next number nine the potential Leeds boss gets the best out of.

Together, they might be the perfect pair to get Leeds scoring goals and get them out of this relegation battle.

Related £45k-per-week Leeds flop looks like their biggest disaster since Koch

Leeds United now have their biggest disaster signing since Robin Koch in this £45k-per-week dud.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 19, 2025

“We have an edge on this wicket. We’ve played two games here. Australia has not played any. But they have a lot of experienced players who have played cricket in most countries. The way they assess the game is better.” It was a pretty telling statement from Sidra Amin, ahead of Pakistan’s World Cup clash against Australia – an opponent they’ve never beaten before.While Pakistan have lost both matches they’ve played in Colombo, to Bangladesh and India, the prevailing school of thought is that the slowish conditions – ones that Australia are yet to experience at this tournament – might help bridge the gap between the two teams. But only slightly.”They have played all over the world. They know the conditions better,” Amin said. “They play the WBBLs and the Hundreds, and come and play in Asian conditions as well. They take preparation very seriously. I’ve heard they prepare for Asian conditions with indoor sessions with the temperature up to 35-40 degrees [Celsius]. So they can train that way as well.”Related

• Winless Pakistan have uphill task of facing near-invincible Australia

While women’s cricket has grown dramatically over the past few years, it’s grown faster for some than others. This discrepancy, in part, stems from the calibre of competition each side gets to face.In the three and a half years since the 2022 World Cup, Australia have actually played two fewer ODIs than Pakistan – 32 compared to 34. However, of those 32 games, 15 have come against India and England – among the tougher challenges in world cricket. Pakistan have played only four games against those two – seven if you include Australia themselves.Ellyse Perry: I think we all go out with the same approach, and that’s to be really positive•ICC/Getty Images

Beyond this, once you dive into the importance of a strong domestic structure, you begin to see clearly how Australia have evolved over the years. A point not lost on Ellyse Perry who, having debuted in 2007, has been part of two ODI World Cup-winning sides and has seen first-hand the fruits of investing in the women’s game.”I think we’re incredibly lucky,” she said. “We’ve got wonderful support back home in terms of the programmes that we’ve got. We’ve got a full-time domestic structure that breeds great depth in Australian cricket. We’re a cricket nation too that loves playing the game. So we’ve always, throughout history, had wonderful players.”And I think as a group, we love the challenge of continuing to find new ways to get better. You know, there’s so much competition in the global landscape now. I think all the advent of the franchise leagues around the world has just grown the depth of women’s cricket.”In that context, the confidence that Perry gave off when analysing how an aggressive batting unit such as Australia’s would play on a not-so-batting-friendly surface like the one in Colombo was unsurprising.”I think we have a conversation with our batting group, which we’re quite fortunate to have some depth in. So for us, and it’s something that we’ve discussed a lot over the last 12 months, is how we use that depth. It’s never going to be everyone’s day on the same day. Quite possibly it might just be one person’s day.”But I think we all go out with the same approach, and that’s to be really positive, but also really adaptable and smart to whatever the game’s presenting, whether that’s conditions or the opposition. I think there’s a blueprint there that applies to anywhere that you play, and then you’ve just got to be adaptable all day.”

Tottenham’s unbeaten Champions League run came to a dramatic end at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night against PSG, but there were positives to take from the thrilling encounter.

The European champions were rocked by Thomas Frank’s plucky Spurs side, who gave Luis Enrique a real nightmare, with PSG mounting two separate comebacks to secure a pulsating 5-3 victory.

Midfielder Vitinha claimed a memorable hat-trick, with PSG having to rely on moments of sheer quality just to overcome the north Londoners in France.

Frank’s men stunned the home side by taking a deserved lead on 35 minutes through Richarlison, who headed home from close range after brilliant build-up play involving youngsters Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. The Brazilian’s opener looked set to give Spurs a halftime advantage, but Vitinha crashed in a spectacular 25-yard equaliser via the crossbar just before the break.

Tottenham regained their lead five minutes into the second period when Randal Kolo Muani fired home against his parent club, converting the rebound after Gray’s effort was cleared off the line. However, PSG responded immediately with a devastating 13-minute blitz that turned the contest decisively in their favour.

Tottenham plan record-shattering January transfer swoop after "clear" Frank message

Spurs want to back their under-fire manager.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 26, 2025

Vitinha curled home his second goal after being afforded excessive space to cut inside, before Fabian Ruiz completed the turnaround six minutes later following a costly turnover from Pape Matar Sarr outside his own penalty area. William Pacho then extended PSG’s advantage to 4-2 after Tottenham failed to clear Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s corner adequately.

Kolo Muani bundled his way through to drill home his second goal with 18 minutes remaining, briefly offering Spurs hope of salvaging something from the match. Those aspirations were dampened moments later, when Cristian Romero’s handball gifted PSG a penalty, which Vitinha confidently converted to complete his hat-trick and seal all three points.

The loss was Tottenham’s first in nine Champions League matches and leaves them sitting 15th in the league phase standings. Despite showing attacking intent and twice taking the lead, Frank’s young side were ultimately undone by defensive lapses during crucial moments in the second half.

Kolo Muani’s man of the match display against PSG, a club he’s still under contract with, gave Spurs major hope that they could have the answer to their striking problems after all.

The Frenchman, who’s suffered repeated injury setbacks since joining on loan, bagged his first goals for the Lilywhites and proved a real mence against one of the continent’s top sides.

However, Kolo Muani wasn’t Tottenham’s only bright spark on the night.

Thomas Frank praises "very impressive" Archie Gray in Tottenham loss to PSG

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Frank reserved special praise for Gray, who linked up with Bergvall for Spurs’ opening goal of the contest and provided real energy in midfield.

The 19-year-old has spent most of this season out with a calf injury so far, and before that, found it hard to get consistent first-team minutes with Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Bergvall all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Much like last season, Gray responded with a solid performance when called upon last night, and it could be time for the Englishman to earn Frank’s starting nod much more often.

The former Leeds United sensation was given a baptism of fire under Ange Postecoglou last season when asked to play multiple unfamiliar roles during Spurs’ 24/25 injury crisis, and he’s done arguably done enough to earn the club’s favour.

With the 2026 World Cup just round the corner, Gray will be hoping that he can potentially stake his claim in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, but he’ll need Frank’s faith with more game time.