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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.

Rodrigo Bentancur in the Premier League
Season	Apps	Minutes played
25/26	9	648′
24/25	26	1,653′
23/24	23	1,007′
22/23	18	1,506′
21/22	17	1,365′
Data via Transfermarkt

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

The Zimbabwe opener suffered the injury during a practice game against South Africa in Arundel and might be out for four to six weeks

Firdose Moonda05-Jun-2025Ben Curran suffered a fracture to his right hand on the second day of Zimbabwe’s warm-up game against South Africa at Arundel. Curran was hit by a Kagiso Rabada delivery in the fifth over of Zimbabwe’s innings and retired hurt on 4. He was treated at the ground and taken for an x-ray which confirmed the fracture.ESPNcricinfo understands that the injury is unlikely to require surgery but that Curran could still spend around four to six weeks out of action, which would rule him out of Zimbabwe’s home Tests against South Africa later this month. South Africa will play two matches in Bulawayo starting on June 28.Curran, the middle brother in a trio that includes England internationals Sam and Tom, made his debut for Zimbabwe in December last year and has played six Tests, including their most recent one against England, and six ODIs as well. He is yet to be capped in the T20I format. He has opened the batting in all his Tests, as he did in the match at Arundel, which does not have first-class status. Zimbabwe spent 79 overs in the field before South Africa declared on 313 for 2, and gave themselves an hour to bowl at Zimbabwe at the end of the day. Rabada and Marco Jansen shared the new ball and bowled with good pace and discipline.After Rabada hit Curran, he had Brian Bennett caught at gully to give South Africa their first wicket on the tour. Rabada was replaced by Lungi Ngidi, who broke Nick Welch’s bat in the closing exchanges of play.There has only been one day of play possible in the fixture so far after the opening day was washed out and the third day appears likely to go the same way. With rain around Arundel, it was confirmed that there will be no play until at least the second session on Thursday. Friday’s forecast also appears grim, which may mean South Africa head to London for the World Test Championship final against Australia with minimal match practice. They will have three days of training at Lord’s the final starts on June 11.Zimbabwe return home after the Arundel match to prepare to host South Africa for two Tests and a T20I tri-series, which also includes New Zealand. They will then play two Tests against New Zealand, the T20 World Cup Qualifiers and two Tests against Afghanistan later in the year.

Fast bowler joins 15-man group, could make first Test appearance since 2021

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jun-20252:15

Miller urges England to show restraint with Jofra Archer’s return

Jofra Archer could play his first Test in more than four years after being added to the England squad to take on India at Edgbaston next week.The inclusion of Archer is the only change made by the selectors after England took a 1-0 lead in the series with a five-wicket victory Headingley. The second of five Tests will start on Wednesday.Archer, who made his first appearance in red-ball cricket since May 2021 when picked for Sussex’s match at Durham in the last round of the County Championship, joins a group of six seamers vying to play in the second Test, with Jamie Overton and Sam Cook both retained alongside the trio of Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue.England Men’s squad for second Test against India•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Archer has not been involved with the Test set-up since the 2021 tour of India, with the last of his 13 caps coming in Ahmedabad. He was subsequently sidelined by the recurrence of an elbow problem and then a back stress fracture, and played just seven limited-overs internationals between March 2021 and May 2024.He has since returned to regular white-ball action, and made a long-awaited first-class return at Chester-le-Street at the weekend, bowling 18 overs and taking 1 for 32 as Sussex drew with Durham.Speaking after the second day’s play, Archer admitted that the mental challenge of playing multi-day cricket would be the toughest to adapt to. “It felt all right today,” he said. “I’ve been playing for a year, and bowling for two years, including the build-up, so everything is fine.Related

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Archer strikes on first-class return as Sussex edge the second day

Jofra Archer: 'I know my body can hold up to red-ball cricket'

“Now it’s a different challenge, because I know my body can hold up to it. The mental part of the game [will be tough]. Over the next couple of days, I’m going to have to battle a bit with it, but it’s all good. It’s a new challenge, and I’ll keep trucking along.”The second and third Tests, at Edgbaston and Lord’s, will be played back-to-back and England may well look to rotate their attack. Tongue was England’s most-successful bowler at Headingley, with match figures of 7 for 158, while Ben Stokes took five and Carse four. Woakes, playing his first Test since December, had figures of 1 for 148 but might be expected to find greater rhythm after missing the start of the season with an ankle injury.England Men’s Test squad: Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes

Luis Reece claims 3 for 21 to help wrap up comprehensive innings victory for home side

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-May-2025Luis Reece led Derbyshire’s victory charge as they rolled over Kent before lunch on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at Derby. The allrounder picked up two wickets to claim outstanding figures of 3 for 21 from 10 overs with Derbyshire beating the visitors by an innings and 14 runsAfter Zak Chappell struck with the first ball of the day, Kent folded in feeble fashion, losing four wickets in eight overs, to slump to 247 for 9, the injured Jake Ball unable to bat.It was Derbyshire’s second win of the season which takes them above Glamorgan to second in the table while Kent have now lost four matches in a row.Kent’s slide to another defeat started when Tawanda Muyeye was caught behind taking on a short ball from Chappell. Muyeye clearly thought it had come off his shoulder but given his side were still 104 runs behind with three wickets already down, it was not a great shot for the situation.That was a straightforward catch for Brooke Guest but the wicketkeeper took a much sharper one five overs later standing up to Luis Reece when Chris Benjamin pushed forward and edged into his gloves.Kent’s hopes of at least frustrating Derbyshire now rested with Jack Leaning and Harry Finch but the pair were quickly parted with Reece celebrating a second success of the morning. Leaning failed to get over a drive and substitute fielder Nick Potts took a good tumbling catch diving forward at deep mid-off.Derbyshire were now all over the visitors and in the next over, Finch went to turn Anuj Dal off his legs but the ball came off his thigh pad and onto the stumps.Matt Parkinson had resisted well as nightwatcher in the first innings but this time he lasted only seven balls before he went half forward to Jack Morley and was lbw. Grant Stewart struck some muscular blows , pulling Pat Brown for six, but the end came 15 minutes before the interval when he sliced the fast bowler to third man where Potts pulled off a superb diving catch.

واصل فريق برشلونة تألقه في المباراة الجارية حاليًا ضد خصمه فريق أولمبياكوس، في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26.

ويستضيف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة فريقي برشلونة وأولمبياكوس، في خضم لقاءات الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة الدوري من دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتمكن برشلونة من تسجيل الهدف الرابع في الدقيقة 74 من عمر المباراة الجارية في الوقت الحالي ضد أولمبياكوس.

جاء الهدف عن طريق المتألق ماركوس راشفورد، بعد تمريرة من زميله بالدي، لتصل إلى الإنجليزي الذي سددها مميزة في شباك أولمبياكوس. هدف راشفورد الأول أمام أولمبياكوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وفي الدقيقة 76، تمكن فيرمين لوبيز من تسجيل الهدف الخامس لفريق برشلونة والثالث له، هاتريك، بعدما تلقى تمريرة من روني باردجي وسددها بقوة في الشباك. هدف فيرمين لوبيز الثالث أمام أولمبياكوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وعاد ماركوس راشفورد لهز شباك أولمبياكوس بعدما سجل الهدف الثاني له والسادس لكتيبة هانز فليك في الدقيقة 79. هدف راشفورد الثاني أمام أولمبياكوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وتشير النتيجة في الوقت الحالي إلى تقدم برشلونة بسداسية مقابل هدف، قبل مباراة الكلاسيكو ضد ريال مدريد يوم الأحد المقبل.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras teve mais uma noite histórica ao vencer o Barcelona-EQU, de virada, por 4 a 2, no Allianz Parque. O resultado classificou o time de Abel Ferreira para as oitavas de final da Libertadores e ainda vai brigar pela liderança geral no torneio na última rodada. A vitória foi conquistadas com gols de Gómez, Piquerez, Artur e Endrick, já os tentos dos equatorianos foram anotados por Fydriszewski. Confira os melhores lances do jogo no vídeo acima:

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAbel Ferreira celebra noite ‘mágica’ do Palmeiras e elogia participação da torcida: ‘Vitória é deles’Palmeiras08/06/2023PalmeirasOLHAR DO PORCO: A virada do Palmeiras hoje é da sua torcida!Palmeiras08/06/2023PalmeirasArtur celebra virada do Palmeiras na Libertadores e brinca: ‘Parece fácil, né?’Palmeiras07/06/2023

Former Newcastle and England star Alan Shearer has responded to recent comments made by Roy Keane branding him "sneaky and nasty". Shearer laughed off the criticism, while Gary Lineker suggested that the Manchester United legend is trying to generate publicity for his own podcast by targeting him.

Shearer-Keane rivalry continue to endure

The Shearer-Keane rivalry is one of the most enduring in Premier League history. Their on-field clashes in games between Newcastle and Man Utd and differing punditry styles have always created headlines and talking points. Any new barbs will therefore spark interest among fans, with Keane stirring the pot on the latest episode of the podcast, brought to you by . The Irishman said: “Shearer was sneaky, sneaky elbows. I didn’t admire people who were nasty, I don’t like nasty people."

AdvertisementKeane accused of 'trying to get PR'

England icon Lineker brought up Keane's comments with Shearer on , saying: "It's amazing what rival pods will do to try and get a bit of PR."

Shearer then replied: "Someone sent me that the other day, and then Micah [Richards] sent me it and Wrighty [Ian Wright] and we had a laugh. I mean, really, come on." 

Lineker then suggested that Shearer is "living in his head", before the ex-Newcastle striker continued: "Sneaky and nasty… I mean, some of the tackles, come on."

The segment concluded with Lineker simply saying: "Pot, kettle, black, and that kind of stuff."

Getty Images SportSwing and a miss in PL thriller

Keane and Shearer's most famous bust-up came when Newcastle beat Man Utd 4-3 at St James' Park in a Premier League thriller back in September 2001. Keane was sent off in the game after hurling the ball at Shearer in response to a shove from the Newcastle captain, and subsequently appeared to throw a punch at him, but missed his target and instead knocked the yellow card out of the referee's hand.

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Early season struggles for Newcastle & Man Utd

Expect further back and forth between Shearer and Keane in the media. Both are prominent pundits, and opportunities for further exchanges are inevitable, especially if their former teams are involved in controversial incidents. 

United and Newcastle have both made poor starts to the 2025-26 campaign, and sit 14th and 15th in the Premier League table after six games, respectively. The Magpies have a Champions League fixture against Union Saint-Gilloise to attend to next on Wednesday before hosting Nottingham Forest in the league four days later. United, meanwhile, are set to host high-flying Sunderland on Saturday.

Both sides unchanged after England’s emphatic eight-wicket win in opening Test at Christchurch

Andrew Miller05-Dec-20242:14

Why is Brydon Carse like Paul Mescal in Gladiator 2?

Big picture: The Basin revisitedTwenty-one months later, there’s still so much to unpack from that last extraordinary contest between New Zealand and England at Wellington. A packed crowd at the Basin Reserve had been invited in for free to witness one of the most extraordinary finishes in Test history – one that left even the vanquished James Anderson smiling at the absurdity of it all, after he gloved another bumper from the indefatigable Neil Wagner to traipse off to a defeat by the barest of all margins.It was the best of Bazball, but arguably the worst of Bazball too… utter commitment on the one hand to the cause of entertaining, engaging Test cricket, but – after enforcing a needless follow-on that loosened their grip on the game – the first example, too, of Brendon McCullum’s charges going “too far” in their exploration of the limits of attacking cricket. “We look at the bigger picture of what everyone’s enjoyed and seen here today,” Ben Stokes said after that loss. “It’s probably bigger than the disappointment at the moment.”Do they dare feel quite so flippant about Test setbacks anymore? That loss was followed soon afterwards by two further defeats from winning positions in the 2023 Ashes, and until their victory in last week’s first Test at Christchurch, England had won seven, lost seven in 14 previous matches in 2024. Seeing as Stokes had launched that match with another apology to his team for losing his cool during their 2-1 series loss in Pakistan, it’s clear that something has hardened in the interim. Now, he’s reserving his rattiness for the ICC’s over-rate adjudicators, which probably won’t get him very far on the WTC front, but it might just be a more galvanising outlet for his frustrations.And yet, what might have been had New Zealand held their chances in Christchurch? An extraordinary eight drops in England’s first innings mean the teams are probably all-square in the generosity stakes now – and given that five of those came off the bat of the “jammy” Harry Brook, it’s little wonder the rest of that match was one-way traffic.Brook’s 171 was a formidable knock in spite of the let-offs – and it hoisted his record in New Zealand to precisely 500 runs at 100.00. Now, however, he’s back at the scene of, quite possibly, his most domineering knock of all. His first-innings 186 back in 2023 began, much like last week’s effort, with England on the ropes, at 21 for 3 after Matt Henry and Tim Southee ripped out the top-order in the space of 40 balls. But for the rest of a truncated opening day, it was one-way traffic. Had the weather not lopped off 25 of the day’s overs while he was sitting pretty on 184, Brook would surely have surged past his double-century there and then, and – who knows – maybe that Multan triple-century wouldn’t have been his first either.New Zealand bounced back then, as they can now – and Kane Williamson’s ominous form on his return from a groin strain was hugely encouraging in that regard. But their flaws at Christchurch extended beyond their fielding lapses. Despite Devon Conway’s important contributions to that epic series win in India, he is averaging 21.10 across the past 12 months, while Tom Blundell’s form is of even greater concern. He’s managed one fifty in 25 innings since that epic Wellington win, when his vital 90 was instrumental in turning the tide.And then there’s the question of Tim Southee, into the final approach of his magnificent Test career, but so visibly the weak link in Christchurch as Brook and Ben Duckett took turns to take him down. Nevertheless, he still had his moments, particularly in that window of opportunity, early in England’s first innings, when the clouds had rolled over and the ball was talking loudly. England’s flaws against the moving ball, be it spin in Asia or seam and swing elsewhere, have not been adequately disproved in their uneven displays this year. If there’s a way back into the series for New Zealand, it’s surely to be found on a good length, and nipping back through the gate.Harry Brook gives the thumbs-up on his return to the Basin Reserve•Getty ImagesForm guideNew Zealand LWWWL
England WLLWLIn the spotlight – Brydon Carse and Will O’RourkeBrydon Carse’s ten-wicket haul at Christchurch confirmed what we had already gleaned from his formidable displays in Pakistan: England have found themselves a real contender here. His pace and aggression was once again unstinting, while his accuracy was barely less of a factor in his penetrative displays across both innings. His match haul of 10 for 106 emulated that of Ryan Sidebottom at Hamilton in 2008, the last England seamer to claim ten wickets in an overseas Test, and caps a remarkable resurgence following the betting ban in the summer that prevented his debut from occurring any sooner. His three-month sidelining may have been a blessing in disguise, given that he’s hit these winter tours with a freshness that Gus Atkinson is arguably lacking after his summer’s exertions, but the challenge of backing up last week’s efforts will be a significant one all the same.With a little more luck on his side, Will O’Rourke might have delivered figures to rival those of Carse. He’s not quite as tall as the much-missed Kyle Jamieson, currently sidelined for a year with another stress fracture, but he used his 6ft4 frame to wonderful effect at Christchurch, generating speeds in excess of 145kph to hassle England’s batters to a far greater extent than his match haul of 2 for 165 would suggest. Three of those eight first-innings catches went down off his bowling, and even with 104 to defend second-time around, he struck with his first ball to dislodge a rampant Ben Duckett, then came within a whisker of delivering Joe Root’s first Test pair. No-one was ever entirely comfortable with his sharp pace and bounce, even when the runs were pouring in the victory charge. A blank slate and a fair wind at Wellington is the least he deserves.Team news: Both sides unchangedNew Zealand have a few worries, and not simply their catching. A stronger all-round batting contribution, bolstered by big scores from Conway and/or Blundell wouldn’t go a miss, nor would Southee getting fully into his groove. Nevertheless, the hosts have opted for an unchanged side for this second Test, in keeping with captain Tom Latham’s assessment post-defeat in Christchurch that no major overhaul of their approach was required.New Zealand: 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Devon Conway, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Glenn Phillips, 8 Nathan Smith, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Will O’RourkeOllie Robinson (the Durham version) has arrived in New Zealand as a wicketkeeping replacement for Jordan Cox, but it looks like it will have been a futile search for a valid passport. England named an unchanged XI two days out from the toss, with Ollie Pope having proved more than adequate behind the stumps – just as he did in similarly emergency circumstances against Pakistan in 2022. Factor in his vital 77 from No.6, and Jacob Bethell’s precocious debut at No.3, and England seem to found a handy balance in adversity. England have opted against rotating their seamers, while Stokes is expected to be fit to bowl after sustaining a mid-over back niggle in New Zealand’s second innings.England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ollie Pope (wk), 7 Ben Stokes (capt), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Brydon Carse, 11 Shoaib BashirPitch and conditions: Another run-fest in store?England may be forewarned after the placid conditions they faced on day one in Christchurch, having won the toss and bowled on an apparent greentop. This Wellington deck “is green, but I’m not sure if it’s as green as what last week was,” said Chris Woakes, two days out from the Test. With a brown tinge in places, it looks set to dry out further and is likely to prove full of runs, if the events of England’s last visit to Wellington are any guide. Speaking on match eve, Latham didn’t expect the pitch to turn, based on first-class games played this year.Stats and trivia New Zealand have won 23 and lost 21 of their previous 68 Tests at the Basin Reserve, with 24 draws. Six of those wins, however, have come in their last eight Tests at the venue since 2017, with one draw against Sri Lanka in 2018, and a loss in their most recent outing against Australia in February. Tim Southee, who has a maximum of two Tests left in his career, needs five more sixes to reach 100 in Tests, having struck two in defeat in Christchurch. Southee also needs 13 wickets to reach 400 in Tests, although that is as many as he has claimed in nine Tests this year. The Test will feature four of the top-five batters in the ICC’s rankings, with Joe Root and Harry Brook occupying positions 1 and 2, with Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell at 3 and 5.Quotes”Looking at the surface here, looking at the games that have been played here this year, we saw last year that the wicket took a little bit of spin which surprised us a little bit. Going by the games here, the Wellington first-class games, I think the balance that we’ve gone in with is the right balance for this wicket. We obviously have some spin options in that top seven anyway. We think it’s the right fit and the guys are looking forward to the challenge.”
“”I don’t regret doing it. It ended up being a good game and we were only ever one run away from winning. It would be nice to be in that situation this time, and scratching my head wondering whether we enforce the follow on or not.”

Glasgow Rangers supporters have been getting excited about the prospect of watching Djeidi Gassama week-in-week-out at Ibrox in the 2025/26 campaign.

The 21-year-old winger announced himself as a Gers star in the making with two goals in his first two games against Panathinaikos in the club’s Champions League qualifiers.

Gassama stepped up to the occasion in both matches to score off the bench and was rewarded with his full debut against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

Unfortunately, though, the summer signing from Sheffield Wednesday was unable to make it three goals in as many games at Fir Park in the 1-1 draw.

Why Djeidi Gassama struggled against Motherwell

The 21-year-old forward thrived off the bench against Panathinaikos because the Greek side needed to get back into the match and were committing men forward, providing him with space to exploit on the left flank.

Motherwell, however, were more than willing to sit deep and soak up pressure, which meant that he did not have as much space to work with in the game.

Gassama failed to score and only created one chance in 83 minutes on the pitch, but it was not all his fault. Having right-footed Max Aarons at left-back meant that the Frenchman did not have any overlapping threat to create space for him.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

This is why Rangers need to sign a natural left-back in order to unlock Gassama’s full potential, and Monaco full-back Kassoum Ouattara could be the ideal addition.

Why Rangers should sign Kassoum Ouattara

The Light Blues have reportedly already made contact with the Ligue 1 side to discuss a potential deal for the 20-year-old starlet, who could come in as the dream partner for Gassama down the left flank.

Having a naturally left-footed player who wants to attack down the flank would help Russell Martin’s side to break down teams sat in a low block because it would cause the opposition’s full-back to decide between going with the run on the outside or staying close to the winger.

Of course, it cannot just be any left-footed left-back, though, because they have to offer enough of a threat going forward to be considered a threat by the opposition in order to open space for Gassama.

Ouattara only played 12 times in Ligue 1 for Monaco in the 2024/25 campaign, but the French youth international showcased his creative skills in his limited minutes on the pitch.

xA

0.29

Top 5%

Chances created

1.38

Top 17%

Successful crosses

1.62

Top 7%

Cross accuracy

41.2%

Top 9%

Successful dribbles

1.15

Top 12%

Assists

0.23

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers transfer target has the potential to be an exceptional attacking threat down the left wing with overlapping runs, as he is an efficient and effective crosser who can create high-quality chances for his teammates.

The left-back, who has been described as a “very offensive” full-back by writer Kai Watson, would be able to draw attention away from Gassama and, therefore, create more space for the winger to work with.

This could help to unlock the former Owls star’s full potential at Ibrox, as he would not be overrun by opposition defenders because of the lack of support from Aarons when teams sit in deep.

It is now down to Rangers to get a deal done for Ouattara in the coming weeks, because the talented and attack-minded full-back could be a dream addition to bomb down the left flank in support of Gassama this season.

Sunderland are looking to bolster their ranks ahead of returning to the Premier League and could now be close to completing another impressive capture, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.

Sunderland look to add more faces after Enzo Le Fee and Habib Diarra

Enzo Le Fee became Sunderland’s first permanent signing of the window following his successful loan spell from Roma, and the Black Cats have also brought in Habib Diarra from Strasbourg to solidify their engine room.

Speaking after his arrival, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman stated: “Habib is an exciting talent, and we are delighted to welcome him to Sunderland AFC. At 21, he already has more than 100 senior appearances on his resume, and he’s been a captain in one of Europe’s elite leagues.

“This underlines his undoubted quality and immense potential, and it reflects our progress and ambition that we have secured a player of his calibre.”

Free agent left-back Reinildo is also set to join Sunderland following three years at Atletico Madrid, providing experience at left-back as they also pursue a deal for Chelsea youngster Ishe Samuels-Smith.

Charlie Cresswell has been lined up to bolster the Black Cats’ defensive spine, lending credence to the fact Regis Le Bris wants to make sure the centre of his side is watertight enough to secure Premier League survival.

Biggest talent since Le Fee: Sunderland plotting to sign £21m “phenomenon”

Sunderland could soon seal a deal that’s even bigger than Enzo Le Fee’s statement addition.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 2, 2025

Plenty of optimism is starting to emanate on Wearside due to the high calibre of individuals being linked with a move to the Stadium of Light, with Sunderland’s pedigree in the top-flight an attractive draw for potential recruits.

With that in mind, Le Bris and company are now reportedly closing in on a major signing between the sticks ahead of the new season.

Sunderland close in on Chelsea's Djordje Petrovic

Taking to social media platform X, Sky journalist Tavolieri has confirmed Sunderland are closing in on Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic for a fee in the region of £21.5 million.

Rumoured to be coming in on a five-year contract, it is expected that the Serbia international will now compete with Anthony Patterson for the number one jersey at the Stadium of Light.

Labelled a “great goalkeeper” by Liam Rosenior, the 25-year-old spent last campaign on loan at Chelsea’s sister club Strasbourg and kept ten clean sheets in 31 appearances across all competitions, conceding 38 times in total.

Petrovic was left out of the Blues’ Club World Cup squad to seek a move elsewhere, and Sunderland may well be the ideal platform for the Požarevac-born man to gain regular first-team football after spending two years on the periphery at Stamford Bridge.