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Over the years, Tottenham Hotspur fans have often voiced their displeasure over the lack of money spent by the hierarchy, which has no doubt restricted them in the Premier League.

However, when money has been splashed on new additions, it has not always been spent in the best way, as seen by their first-team dealings in the summer of 2013.

Gareth Bale’s £85m move to Real Madrid generated huge funds to splash on potential replacements, which led to the arrivals of Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela.

Both cost a reported £60m combined, but neither managed to fill the void left by the Welshman, with the club growing frustrated by the lack of quality additions made in the market.

Such a feeling has become evident once again in recent years, with one member of Thomas Frank’s squad struggling to match the expectations of the supporters.

The stats behind Rodrigo Bentancur’s decline in 2025/26

Back in January 2022, Spurs paid a reported £22m for the signature of midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur from Italian side Juventus – a deal that was seen as a potential bargain at the time.

The Uruguayan managed to rack up a total of 113 first-team appearances before the start of the 205/26 campaign, but his 18 outings this season have been littered with errors.

He’s so far struggled to meet the demands of the Dane’s various systems in North London, but he’s certainly not been aided by the manager’s selection of partnering alongside Joao Palhinha.

Both are predominantly better out of possession than with the ball at their feet, as seen by their combined tally of just one pass into the final third against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

However, even before the North London Derby, Bentancur has struggled for the Lilywhites, with his underlying figures in 2025/26 showcasing his lack of success to date.

He has only created 0.6 chances per 90 this season, which ranks him in the bottom 25% of all players in the division – backing up his lack of quality in possession.

Without the ball, he’s been just as ineffective, as Bentancur has also struggled under Frank, only making 0.5 interceptions per 90, which also places him in the lower quarter of all midfielders in England’s top-flight.

The midfielder has also been dribbled past more than 75% of other players in the league, further highlighting his all-round failures in the Premier League this campaign.

The Spurs star who’s become worse than Bentancur

The midfield department at Spurs has been one that has been questioned over recent months, especially given Frank’s continuation of utilising Bentancur and Palhinha together at the base of the side.

The club is home to a plethora of young talents who have previously showcased their talents, but ultimately, they’ve been unable to do so on a consistent basis since the Dane’s arrival.

Lucas Bergvall, Pape Sarr and Archie Gray all started the opening day victory over Burnley in North London, with the trio at one stage looking like the players to take the side forward.

However, it’s the only time they have all operated alongside one another in 2025/26 – a decision that has no doubt taken many of the supporters by surprise.

All of the aforementioned stars racked up over 40 appearances across all competitions under Ange Postecoglou last season, but it remains to be seen if they will reach such numbers under Frank.

New additions have also struggled to make their mark in North London, with attacking midfielder Xavi Simons yet to set the world alight after his £52m switch from RB Leipzig this summer.

The Dutchman arrived with huge expectations, no doubt aided by the transfer fee, but it’s safe to say his move to the Lilywhites has been nothing short of a disaster to date.

He’s featured in nine Premier League matches to date, failing to register his first goal for the club and only providing one assist for his teammates – with such an effort coming on his debut.

One of his darkest moments no doubt came against Chelsea at the start of the month, with the 22-year-old coming off the bench to replace Bergvall, but was later substituted himself amid his lack of impact.

To top off his recent struggles, former transfer target Eberechi Eze netted a hat-trick against the Lilywhites on Sunday, whilst Simons was brought off the bench at the break and only registered 36 touches in total.

His underlying figures from the whole campaign showcase his recent struggles, with the youngster so far being a massive waste of the hierarchy’s money.

Simons, who’s been “miles off it” according to Jamie O’Hara, has achieved an xG of just 0.06 in the Premier League – a tally that ranks him within the bottom 12% of all players in the division.

He’s also created just 0.9 chances per 90 and registered just 1.7 touches in the opposition box per 90, with both tallies ranking him in the bottom 15% of attackers in the league.

Other figures, such as 0.9 shots taken and a 16% cross accuracy, further indicate his struggles, with many fans undoubtedly wishing a deal was completed for Eze instead.

There’s little denying that at his tender age, he has bags of time to resurrect his career in North London, but it’s safe to say he already has a huge number of supporters on his back.

At present, his £52m transfer fee looks to be a massive waste, with such a deal having the potential to go down as one of the club’s worst-ever signings.

Frank can fix creativity woes with Spurs star who's "impossible to defend"

Tottenham Hotspur have massively struggled within the attacking third under Thomas Frank as of late.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 25, 2025

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was irate after umpires determined that Jordan Lawlar interfered with San Francisco Giants base runner Christian Koss when he attempted to round second base.

Lawlar was standing in the base path in between second and third base when Koss ran straight into him while rounding second. Koss went to the ground in pain. After reviewing the play, umpires called Lawlar for interference, which set Lovullo off, and he stormed onto the field in order to give the officiating crew a piece of his mind.

It didn't take long for Lovullo to get ejected from the game, but before he left the field, he pulled out the UNO reverse card and gestured as if he was ejecting all four of the umpires from the game.

Have a look at an all-time meltdown from the Diamondbacks' skipper:

Lovullo pointed at each umpire individually and hilariously attempted to eject them from the game, but to no avail. After getting his money's worth, Lovullo eventually walked off the field and into the clubhouse, though he was clearly still fuming.

The ejection was the second time this season and the 22nd time in his managerial career that Lovullo was tossed from a game.

There’s nothing like a classic baseball ejection.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has been filmed in an X-rated rant following his old side's 4-1 thrashing by PSV Eindhoven. The former Reds defender could not believe what was unfolding in front of his eyes at Anfield during their Champions League humiliation on Wednesday. And in the heat of the moment, the ex-England international explained why manager Arne Slot should be sacked for a certain decision.

• Things go from bad to worse for Liverpool

  Some Liverpool fans were calling for the sacking of Slot following his team's 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend, and now those naysayers have come out in force after their 4-1 drubbing by PSV. The Merseyside outfit set some unwanted records with their ninth loss in 12 games in all competitions, and with their current form, it is difficult to see where the wins are going to come from. 

  After the defeat, Slot said: "I think what has happened mainly with all the losses we had is that so many times if we have a good spell, we concede. And that moment changes the momentum. I think the thing we have to start doing is making sure that if we are in a better phase and we do create a chance, that we then also score the goals. That the scoreline is also positive. I think the mentality is great from these players as well. Apart from the quality, the mentality is also great. Otherwise, you can't go after three minutes, after losing on Saturday, three minutes down, 1-0 down, and then have a performance as we had the first half. That can only be possible. But their mentality, as they also reacted well after 2-1 down, because I think then we had our chances as well. So yeah, I don't think we are that far off, which sounds weird because the results tell us something different. But the games, the performances give me a different opinion about how we play than the scoreline does."

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• Carragher slams Liverpool star

  After the encounter, a compilation video that captures Carragher's in-game reactions was posted on social media. In it, he criticises Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk for his handball that led to PSV's first goal, forward Cody Gakpo, and, in particular, defender Ibrahima Konate. For the latter, he said in his diatribe that Slot should be sacked for continuing to pick the Frenchman in his starting line-ups despite making a string of mistakes this season.

  He said: "Honest to god, I've had enough of them. That Konate, I mean, that's a sackable offence for the manager for f******g keep picking him. He should be sacked for that."

• Slot's position at Liverpool becoming 'untenable'?

  When Carragher had some time to reflect after the game, he made it clear that he doesn't think Slot should be sacked yet but the Dutchman is on thin ice. He also stated that Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are not having good seasons, but the onus is on some of their less high-profile names to stand up and be counted during this barren run.

  He said on CBS Sports: "Liverpool is not a sacking club, Liverpool, I think, are different from almost every club in European football where the manager is the king, you know, the managers get time. Liverpool have never sacked a manager who's won the league, never in the history. They've all, you know, after a few years they've gone, they've resigned. I couldn't believe over the weekend that people were talking about the manager's job when I spoke to Liverpool supporters after losing at home to Nottingham Forest. It's only going to amplify now and I've always been in the camp of you stick with the manager because I'm angry with the players if I'm being totally honest, I'm really angry with the players but it does get to a stage with any manager at any club where I always use this word untenable, where it almost feels like it can't go on any longer. 

  "I'm not quite there yet personally in terms of the manager but I know a lot of supporters will be. But I've had a lot of time to think about it because I knew the game was over well before the final whistle. I think what you see now is Liverpool in 2018 under [Jurgen] Klopp starts this sort of journey being a great team and then Slot comes in and we're now, what are we, seven or eight years later. The catalyst for Liverpool at the very start of that run was Alisson, Van Dijk, and Salah. Alisson's injured a lot now, so he doesn't play so much but you're watching Van Dijk now, not the same player, and Mo Salah looks like his legs have gone. I don't like criticising them and I think some of the criticism of them this season as players has been harsh. You're always looking for your leaders in your team to step up when things are not going well."

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  What comes next for Liverpool?

  After this wretched run of form, this weekend's trip to West Ham now looks like a very daunting contest. Liverpool sit 12th in the table and desperately need a win to arrest this slide.

  Incidentally, Carragher added that Liverpool have been "carried" by some of their greatest ever players in the past year or so and now that we are coming towards the end of the Salah, Van Dijk, and Alisson era, new heroes need to be made.

  He added: "Now I've been critical of Mo Salah off the pitch, I want him to come out and do an interview tonight and speak to the Liverpool supporters about what the players are going to do, what's going on in the dressing room, giving the supporters hope that things are going to improve. But I don't like criticising them on the pitch because they're absolutely legendary what they've done and the legs have just gone, especially with Salah. Van Dijk now can't help other players. He needs help himself and that just means that he's a normal centre-back like I was at one stage, so maybe he's not superhuman right now. But they've been that good for the football club. 

  "I look at some of the others, step up! Can you only play well when they play well or they carry you? Their seasons last season were off the scale and everybody else enjoyed that win in the league and they're all league champions, they've got it on their CV and great. But when they're not there, where are they? Where are the others? Where are the other players? So that's why I get angry about talking about the manager, but it's inevitable and something could happen. But in terms of the players and the way they're performing now, that is not acceptable for Liverpool Football Club. I actually think, and maybe I thought this a little bit last season, are some of them good enough for Liverpool if Liverpool want to win the biggest trophies? We saw them at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. We saw them against PSG away from home last season. I mean, woeful performances and they've been carried by some of the greatest players the club have ever had. This is maybe a snapshot of the future of Liverpool when Mo Salah moves on, Virgil van Dijk moves on and Alisson moves on."

Life before VAR was different. When goals would fly in undissected and celebrations could go on uninterrupted. That was a life without the need for weekly referee shows and the dreaded wait for the finest offside calls, but it is ultimately the reality of modern-day Premier League football.

Alas, what if it wasn’t? What if VAR didn’t exist? And the Premier League was forced to rely on the timing of the linesman’s flag and the whistle of the referee and referee only?

Stat site quawka have played out that scenario and put together the Premier League table without VAR errors this season.

Premier League Set-Piece Goals Rankings 2025/2026

Who are the best from corners, free-kicks and throw-ins?

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 12, 2025

The ‘errors’ are voted by Squawka followers in polls based on the most controversial VAR calls every week and the latest standings have now been revealed.

Note: The standings have been compiled on the basis that penalties which should have been awarded would have been converted.

20

Wolverhampton Wanderers: +/- 0 places

Unfortunately for Wolverhampton Wanderers fans, not even a life without VAR errors would be enough to stop their current rot. The Midlands side are yet to have an error go against them, but have actually had one go in their favour.

With or without VAR, Rob Edwards’ side sit rock bottom on two points and without a single win in the first 12 games of the Premier League season. Whether it comes courtesy of refereeing decisions or on their own merit, Wolves desperately need three points from somewhere.

19

Leeds United: -1 place

With one error going their way, Leeds United should be among the few sides grateful for VAR in the Premier League this season. The Whites would be two points worse off without it and one position lower than where they currently find themselves.

Defeat at the hands of Aston Villa left Daniel Farke’s men in the dropzone last time out and those at Elland Road now have the task of keeping their composure in a desperate attempt to survive at the first time of asking.

18

Burnley: +1 place

Although they’ve had one error go against them and none in their favour, Burnley’s point total wouldn’t change without VAR. The Clarets would remain on 10 points, but in 18th rather than 19th. That shows just how tight the relegation scrap is down at the bottom and the difficulty of the task on Scott Parker’s hands.

The Burnley boss will at least be hoping to have more VAR calls go in his side’s favour in the coming months.

17

West Ham United: +/- 0 places

Like Burnley, West Ham United’s point total wouldn’t change if VAR wasn’t around. The Hammers would still sit just outside the dropzone on 11 points, despite having one VAR error in their favour.

Nuno Espirito Santo has so far done an impressive job to steer those at the London Stadium in the right direction, but will be well aware that there’s still plenty to do, with or without the help of VAR.

16

Nottingham Forest: +/- 0 places

At their third attempt this season, it seems as though Nottingham Forest have got their managerial appointment right. Sean Dyche mirrored Nuno’s achievement from last season by winning at Anfield, but did so in far better style – thrashing the Reds 3-0 in shocking fashion.

It was in that game that the Tricky Trees had a VAR error go against them, when Igor Jesus’ goal was controversially disallowed for handball just before the break. It wasn’t enough to stop Forest, however, whose points and position have not been affected by the technology.

15

Brentford: -1 place

Having had two VAR errors go in their favour and two go against them, it’s been a busy season for the technology at Brentford. As it turns out, the Bees would rather have the video assistant available, given that they’d have lost a point without it and drop down to 15th.

It has been a solid start for Keith Andrews, who is proving doubters wrong every week, but he will be well aware that every point matters in the Premier League.

14

Fulham: +1 place

If anyone has reason to complain about VAR this season, it is Fulham. The West London side would move up one place in the Premier League and would have collected an extra two points without the technology this season.

Marco Silva’s men have had one error go their way and three go against them – the worst difference in the Premier League. As they look to push on from early relegation concerns, the Cottagers will be desperate for that to change.

13

Newcastle United: +1 place

Just like Fulham, Newcastle United would be two points better off without VAR and would be sat in 13th, rather than 14th. Of course, it still wouldn’t be enough to hide how poor Eddie Howe’s side have been at times in the current campaign, but life without the technology would have at least taken them closer to European places.

Howe is unlikely to look for excuses, however, and will be aware that the Magpies simply must kick on before they are down and out in the race for Champions League qualification. They’ve had two errors go their way and three against them.

12

Liverpool: +/- 0 places

Liverpool can’t even fall back on VAR controversy to hide just how disastrous their title defence is going. The Reds would still sit on just 18 points after 12 games without the technology.

That said, no team in the Premier League has had more VAR errors go against them than the four that Liverpool have. Whilst Arne Slot’s side simply haven’t been good enough, they could certainly do with a tad more luck when it comes to the officiating.

11

Bournemouth: -3 places

Without VAR, Bournemouth would be one point worse off and sit 11th rather than eighth — highlighting just how tight much of the Premier League table is after 12 games. The Cherries have largely impressed in the current campaign, but have had the fortune of enjoying two VAR errors in their favour and none against them.

Just one point adrift of the Champions League places, Andoni Iraola could yet Bournemouth to greater heights than ever before in the Premier League.

The average MLB salary in 2024 was a record $4.66 million. In 2000, the average MLB player made $1.89 million. That’s nearly a 150% increase over the past 25 years. 

With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that most of the highest-paid MLB players in history are either currently active or recently retired. 

The money involved in the game is simply on another level right now. 

And these players make a $4.66 million salary look like chump change. Let’s break down the highest-paid MLB players of all time. 

How MLB Salaries Are Structured

When a player is selected in the MLB draft and signs a contract, they receive a signing bonus in the form of a lump sum payment. Throughout the course of the draft, MLB assigns a value to each draft slot. At the end of the draft, a team can divide that total up amongst their draftees however it sees fit. Usually, the higher the pick, the bigger the bonus, but that isn’t always the case. In some situations, a team might try to persuade a player to sign with a bigger bonus. 

Players who were not born in the U.S. (and not playing collegiate baseball in the U.S.) enter through MLB’s international free agency system. Each team gets a fixed amount of money to spend on international free agents and the teams are free to use this money in any form or fashion. 

After that, players hit the minor leagues. The salaries vary depending on the level, with High-A being $27,300 and Triple-A being $35,800. Once a player is called up, their salary is bumped to the MLB minimum, which was $740,000 in 2024. 

After three years of league-minimum contracts, a player is eligible for arbitration for the next three seasons. This is where the team and the player plead their case to a neutral arbitrator in order to determine the dollar value of the next season’s contract. 

After three years of arbitration, a player is eligible to become a free agent and negotiate on the open market.

Highest Single-Season Salaries in MLB History

Career Earnings Leaders in MLB History

The Evolution of MLB Salaries

To put it simply, MLB salaries are exploding. There are 12 MLB teams with a 2025 projected payroll of at least $200 million. In 2015, there were just two teams with a $200+ million payroll. 

The MLBPA is a particularly strong union and the lack of a traditional salary cap means teams don’t really have a limit, or at least not one imposed by the league. 

As a result, it’s hard to imagine MLB salaries doing anything but increasing in the future. 

Quirky MLB Contract Fun Facts

• The longest MLB contract in history was signed just a few months ago, when the New York Mets inked Juan Soto to a 15-year deal. 
• Jayson Werth worked his preferred uniform number into his contract with the Washington Nationals in 2010. Werth had it in writing that he would be wearing No. 28 (which was already assigned to Mike Morse at the time) and the Nationals made it happen. 
• Former Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Takashi Saito had a $25,000 clause in his 2011 contract, which would be triggered if he started the All-Star Game. Saito never started a single game in the majors. 
• Adam Dunn’s contract with the Chicago White Sox (2011–14) had a $25,000 Gold Glove clause. Dunn was the team’s DH. 
• Heinz was going to give Joe DiMaggio a $10,000 check if his legendary hitting streak hit 57 games to match the company’s "57 varieties," but DiMaggio fell one game short. 
• Former Houston Astros starting pitcher Roy Oswalt was gifted a bulldozer after winning Game 6 of the 2005 NLCS. But because any gifts had to be disclosed, it was worked into his contract and jokingly referred to as the "bulldozer clause."

Are Celtic poised to appoint a new manager?

According to widespread reports, Celtic have been given permission to speak to Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, talks that have taken place over the weekend.

The Frenchman has won both MLS Cup and Leagues Cup in charge of the Black and Gold, very much now the front-runner to take over the reins from Martin O’Neill.

Should Nancy swap Ohio for Glasgow, he would have a big job on his hands to put together a cohesive team, considering the Celts’ current injury crisis and poorly constructed squad.

So, which player is in danger of becoming the new Luis Palma following an underwhelming start to their career in hoops?

Why Luis Palma failed at Celtic

Few players have made such a bright start to their Celtic career only to disappear into oblivion quite as quickly as Palma.

After arriving from Aris Thessaloniki in August 2023, the Honduran made an electrifying start to his time in Glasgow.

He scored four goals in his first eight Premiership appearances, bagging ten goals across his first season all told, including netting against both Atlético Madrid and Feyenoord in home Champions League matches, as well as heartbreakingly seeing a last-gasp winner against Lazio disallowed by VAR too.

However, last season, Palma very much found himself no longer in Brendan Rodgers’ plan, seeing a miserly 267 minutes of action before being loaned out to Olympiacos for the second half of the campaign.

After scoring just one goal in 12 appearances for the Greek giants, he joined Lech Poznań on loan this summer, and is seemingly loving life in Poland.

To date, Palma has scored six goals for the Railwayman, on target against both Rapid Wien and Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League, producing this rather iconic celebration after netting against Widzew Łódź during a 2-1 Ekstraklasa victory at Stadion Poznań in September.

Lech, who have won two of the last four Polish titles, have a €4m (around £3.5m) option to buy Palma at the end of the season, but this would shatter their current transfer record of €2.3m, paid to sign Yannick Agnero from Halmstad earlier this year.

Nevertheless, after a promising start to his Celtic career, Palma appears to have no future at Parkhead, but who could become the latest exciting attacking signing to depart as quickly as they arrived?

Celtic's next Luis Palma

Having left themselves woefully short in attacking areas, Celtic rather went on a trolley dash towards the end of the transfer window.

Benjamin Nygren, who joined back in June, has looked excellent so far, while both Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho have shown promising signs, but the same cannot be said of Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

The winger had been on Celtic’s radar for a long time, his move to Glasgow delayed by 12 months due to injury, belatedly arriving from Royal Antwerp for a reported fee of £5m.

However, so far, the 24-year-old has not justified that price tag, as the table below documents.

As the table highlights, Balikwisha has made very little impact so far, yet to score for the Celts, while registering two assists, these coming against Motherwell and Partick Thistle.

Of his 12 appearances, only two have come from the start, included in the lineup for his first two Premiership matches against Rangers and Kilmarnock, thereby not starting a game since 14 September.

Upon his arrival, then-manager Rodgers labelled him a “really talented, exciting player” who “loves to attack and can play both sides”, while scout António Mango was also impressed by his form at Antwerp, describing him as a “terrific talent”, albeit Celtic supporters have seen very little of this to date.

As well as changing clubs recently, Balikwisha has made a big decision regarding his international future, switching his allegiance from Belgium to DR Congo, a request approved by FIFA earlier this month.

He was thereby included in Sébastien Desabre’s squad for the first time ahead of this month’s fixtures, an unused substitute as the Leopards beat Cameroon 1-0 in their World Cup play-off semi-final on Thursday night.

This means, alongside Tounekti of Tunisia, Balikwisha is set to be absent for Celtic during the Africa Cup of Nations, meaning he has seven matches in which to kick-start his career at Parkhead before that tournament commences in Morocco.

However, should Nancy arrive, this may be bad news considering that, across all 136 matches in charge of Columbus Crew, the Frenchman always deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation, a shape that does not contain any wingers, which is exactly what Balikwisha was signed to be.

Thus, similar to Palma, there is clearly a talented player in there, albeit the early signs are, despite a sizable transfer fee, Balikwisha is not going to fulfil his potential at Celtic.

Ange 2.0: Celtic board 'very keen' to interview 48 y/o McKenna alternative

Celtic should appoint an “immensely respected” manager not Kieran McKenna because he would be able to replicate Ange Postecoglou’s success in Glasgow

By
Ben Gray

Nov 13, 2025

Jude Bellingham scored and assisted but Real Madrid otherwise struggled against a resolute Elche in a disappointing 2-2 draw. Los Blancos will take heart from overturning a deficit, but were admittedly sloppy for long stretches against a side they are expected to beat.

Elche enjoyed the majority of the play in the first half, repeatedly hitting on the break. But they were met each time by the impervious Thibaut Courtois, who came up with three big saves to deny the home side. Madrid had their chances, though. Alexander-Arnold delivered smartly for Kylian Mbappe, but the Frenchman fired right at Inaki Pena. 

The home side finally made the break through in the second half. It only took two passes, a quick interchange to take two Madrid defenders out of play before Aleix Febas poked past a diving Courtois. Xabi Alonso responded in turn, introducing Vinicius Jr for an extra attacking spark. The result was a Madrid resurgence of sorts. They applied pressure, and were finally rewarded. A corner did the trick, Dean Huijsen turning home after a Jude Bellingham flick on. 

And from there, it should have been all Madrid. But Elche had another moment in them. Alvaro Rodriguez, a Madrid academy graduate, gave his side a 2-1 lead with a fine effort from distance. Yet Madrid responded again. This time, Bellingham scored it, side footing into an empty net from Mbappe's clever cutback. 

There were more forays forward from both sides, and a third goal seemed possible. Still, it never came, and Madrid were left to settle for a frustrating point.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Estadio Martinez Valero…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Thibaut Courtois (6/10):

  Made a few tidy saves in the first half. Beaten twice in the second – and might feel as though he should have denied one of them.

  Raul Asencio (6/10):

  A bit erratic at the back while covering for Trent. Failed to track a man on a goal. 

  Dean Huijsen (7/10):

  Grabbed a goal, did his defensive work well. 

  Alvaro Carreras (6/10):

  Looked a bit less certain in a back three, and wasn't sure whether to cover the wing or the middle, at times. 

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• Getty
  

  Midfield

  Trent Alexander-Arnold (6/10):

  A typically mixed performance. Fell asleep on the goal but also moved the ball wonderfully. More to come. 

  Dani Ceballos (5/10):

  Pretty tepid in midfield. Threw some silly tackles and was easily bypassed by a direct Elche side. 

  Arda Guler (6/10):

  Outmuscled for the most part. Created two chances but a deeper lying role didn't quite suit him without Aurelien Tchouameni for cover. 

  Fran Garcia (6/10):

  Scampered up and down the left. Made a load of selfish runs, but didn't connect particularly well.

  Jude Bellingham (9/10):

  Excellent throughout. Scored Madrid's second, put in some lovely defensive work and assisted Huijsen's equaliser. Absurd that anyone questions his England credentials. 

• Getty
  

  Attack

  Rodrygo (6/10):

  Didn't exactly seize the moment in his first start since October 19. A few nice touches and put a couple of efforts on target, but nothing quite came off for him. 

  Kylian Mbappe (7/10):

  Made some dangerous runs, saw a shot well saved in the first half. Provided a clever assist for Bellingham. Impactful, even if he didn't score. 

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  Subs & Manager

  Federico Valverde (6/10):

  Full of legs but no real impact. 

  Vinicius Jr (6/10):

  A bit mixed, all said. Took on his man with regularity in a lively 30 minutes, but never came up with a moment of magic. 

  Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

  Snapped into tackles – most of which he won. Provided some valuable forward thrust, too. 

  Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):

  Missed an open goal in stoppage time. 

  Brahim Diaz (N/A):

  No time to make an impact. 

  Xabi Alonso (5/10):

  Mixed things up with a 3-4-2-1, but Madrid never really had any control. Didn't deserve more than a point. A poor evening. 

Prime Video play-by-play announcer Al Michaels was in rare form on Thursday night.

When he wasn't poking fun at Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams for a poorly-aged comment, Michaels was taking aim at the game as a whole, a 6–3 Seattle Seahawks' victory over the Chicago Bears in the lowest-scoring game of the NFL season.

NFL fans who braved the full 60 minutes of action between the Bears and Seahawks, which featured 13 punts, 10 sacks and five fumbles, were treated to a perfect joke by a tongue-in-cheek Michaels, who summed up the contest as only he could.

Sure enough, Seattle paid a visit to Chicago on the baseball diamond in July, resulting in a 6–3 affair. Unfortunately, the midsummer baseball game between a Mariners team ultimately eliminated from the postseason and the White Sox, the worst MLB team in modern history, just may have been more exciting than Thursday night's football game.

Kylian Mbappe has hailed Rayan Cherki as a "spectacular talent" after seeing his France team-mate "integrate very well" into Manchester City's team. After starring for Lyon with 13 goals and 21 assists across all competitions in the 2024-25 campaign, Cherki was signed by City in the summer transfer window, while Didier Deschamps handed him his France debut in June.

• How is it going for Cherki at City?

  Cherki struggled with a thigh injury at the start of the 2025-26 campaign but now that he has recovered, the Frenchman has started to feature regularly in Pep Guardiola's team. He has appeared in nine matches across all competitions for the Cityzens, registering three goals and three assists. Cherki is slowly establishing himself as a key member of the City squad and is building an understanding with Erling Haaland, having set up both of the Norwegian's goals against Bournemouth in the Premier League earlier this month. 

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  'He's a special talent'

  Cherki has now linked up with his France team-mates for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. After watching the City star training with the squad, captain Mbappe spoke highly of the youngster, telling reporters: "He's a special talent. I think he has a gift, which he's making the most of. It's an innate, spectacular talent. He's integrated very well into the group and into Manchester City, which isn't easy. I hope he continues like this. He's started well with us. Now he has the opportunity to return, and I hope he's as good as he was at Manchester City."

• Guardiola blown away by Cherki

  Guardiola has coached some of the greatest players in the world, including Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi at Barcelona, and considers Cherki to be in a similar talent bracket. He declared in October: "Rayan is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career. His talent… he is top. The question is how he settles and how he needs to read actions. He started well at the Club World Cup but then had a few weeks off. I have the feeling most of the time when the ball comes to him, the situation is better. But not all the time you have to do exceptional things – just play football. He has something. He is a player who doesn't feel pressure. He is like a street player. He wants the ball when he doesn't have it. But he is here a short time – he needs a little bit of time because in football you learn to play with your mates. But these types of players are intelligent. They see everything."

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  Cherki tipped to reach De Bruyne's level

  Former City, Arsenal and France full-back, Gael Clichy has also heaped praise on his compatriot, backing Cherki to reach the level of Etihad Stadium legend Kevin De Bruyne. Clichy told GOAL, via : "If we talk about the quality of the player, I haven't seen anyone that good. That's a big quote, but I do feel that if he can bring his off-the-ball game to a certain level, I think we could be talking about a player that can can reach Kevin De Bruyne’s numbers, because in tight spaces, in key areas of the pitch, he can create danger. And this is what you want at City. When you play against a low block team with a defence of five, there's not much space. So you need to have the quality on the on the wing, which I think City are lacking a little bit. You know, you go from Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Leroy Sane which for me, as a full back, were a nightmare to play against. I think they lost that."

Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat against Chelsea, their fifth in a row against the Blues, was undoubtedly the bleakest and most concerning result of Thomas Frank’s reign so far.

The one-goal affair felt wholly different to Spurs’ recent losses against their nemesis when led by Ange Postecoglou, but gone was any form of entertainment value this time, and the post-match reaction from fans and players underscored the issues that Frank contends with just a few months into his tenure.

Still, things aren’t all that bad. Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League, just two points away from second-place Manchester City. Furthermore, they are unbeaten across three Champions League fixtures.

We were always going to see a bedding-in period, and Tottenham have put last season’s lowly league form behind them, but there’s much more to be desired all the same.

And in the case of Xavi Simons, it’s probably fair to say that more would have been expected from the diminutive playmaker by this stage.

Xavi Simons' slow start at Spurs

When Tottenham signed Simons from RB Leipzig for £52m in August, they knew they had sealed a coup. After all, the Netherlands international had been courted by Chelsea all summer, with analyst Ben Mattinson claiming he is “destined for greatness”.

But it’s been a tough start to life in England, alright, and the 22-year-old has been one of the most saliently poor Spurs stars this season, with his performance against Enzo Maresca’s side drawing plenty of backlash.

It’s a collectively shared opinion within the Lilywhites fanbase that Simons has lacked composure and presence in his creative midfield berth this season. The Chelsea match was a defeat in isolation, but Sofascore record that Simons is averaging only 0.9 key passes per Premier League game this term, having featured seven times and started five of those games.

Having replaced the concussed Lucas Bergvall after only seven minutes at the weekend, Frank saw it fit to hook his summer recruit just over an hour later.

With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison both sidelined with injuries and still not expected back for the foreseeable future, Simons has been tasked with serving as Spurs’ chief creator, but he’s fallen by the wayside in this regard.

He’s young enough and talented enough to kick on after this early blip, but there’s little question that more is needed – and quickly.

Tottenham have further players who have struggled to impress this season, though, and there’s another midfielder with a wealth more experience in the English game who may well be playing himself into a corner in Frank’s system.

Frank must axe Spurs' "lucky boy"

Frank is far more pragmatic in his tactical set-up than his predecessor at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the general disgruntlement around the club at the moment emphasises the need for greater balance between the thirds.

The midfielders are the connective tissue, though, and while Joao Palhinha has been lauded as a shrewd summer signing, on loan from Bayern Munich, there’s not enough impetus and dynamism in midfield, and Rodrigo Bentancur is becoming a problem in that regard.

Bentancur, 28, has racked up 128 appearances since joining Tottenham from Juventus in January 2022 (initially on loan), but injuries have kept him at an ebb and flow in north London, never quite reaching the full fluency that his talent and athleticism could lead him toward.

His consistent unavailability might have been stretched this season but for a fortuitous VAR call that kept him on the field after a studs-up challenge on Chelsea’s Reece James at the weekend. Tottenham presenter Hollie Agombar called him “a lucky boy” after the game.

The £120k-per-week ace signed a new long-term contract only last month, which does stand as a marker of his standing under Frank’s wing, but his connection with Palhinha in the middle of the park has not made him undroppable by any stretch, and there are bound to be concerns relating to the stodginess of Spurs’ general play in the centre.

Of course, he’s not without his uses. The South American ranks among the top 6% of Premier League midfielders this season for ball recoveries, the top 13% for clearances and the top 11% for blocks per 90, data via FBref, but this isn’t enough to secure his long-term place in Frank’s engine room, especially since he is not progressive enough on the ball and thus part of the wider creative problem.

Whereas Simons has time on his side, Bentancur is a seasoned Tottenham star who is supposedly in the prime of his career. This was clearly the view of the powers that be down N17, having rebuffed summer interest from Atletico Madrid and indeed rewarded the midfielder with improved terms.

But he is not proving his worth at this moment in time, and Frank will expect that to improve swiftly, especially with the likes of Pape Matar Sarr and Bergvall gunning for more prominent roles.

Against Chelsea, Bentancur did himself few favours, even if he did manage to avoid a red card for that stamp on James. Writing of his performance in the derby, the Evening Standard criticised the hosts’ midfield controller for being unable to provide protection from Chelsea counters, with his caution on the ball directly hindering Spurs’ fight for quality in attack. He was hit with a lowly 4/10 match rating.

Much for Frank to chew on. However, it might be that Bentancur is beginning to demonstrate that he does not get into Tottenham’s brightest 11, and that’s a topic that will only intensify when the injured playmakers return. With that in mind, maybe he should be axed down the line.

3/10 Spurs flop is now very quickly becoming the new Tanguy Ndombele

Spurs were far from their best as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

By
Matt Dawson

Nov 2, 2025