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Manchester City's star winger Jeremy Doku launched a scathing attack on his Belgium team-mates after the Red Devils threw away a chance to secure an automatic World Cup qualification during the weekend. The European giants failed to register a win against a 10-man Kazakhstan side as they came back from behind to play out a 1-1 draw in Astana on Saturday.

Belgium held to a draw

The Red Devils, who have now won just one out of their last three international games, were held to a 1-1 draw as they came back from behind against Kazakhstan. Rudi Garcia's side dealt with an early blow as Dastan Satpayev latched on to a loose ball at the back and handed the hosts the lead in the ninth. Belgium then staged a comeback early in the second half as Hans Vanaken equalised for his side from Timothy Castagne's assist. 

Kazakhstan were reduced to 10 men in the 79th minute when striker Islam Chesnokov picked up a direct red card, but Belgium failed to take the man advantage and pile on the opposition's misery. 

AdvertisementAFPDoku slammed Belgium team-mates

After the game, a frustrated Doku ranted against his colleagues as he told reporters: "We've already dropped too many points because we weren't good enough in a large number of matches. Our campaign hasn't gone well, no. Everyone needs to do better. The coach, me, everyone. Kevin, Romelu. Thibaut, if we need them to win against Kazakhstan, then we can't do anything at the World Cup. We looked at this team and thought they would play long but then they played short and started playing football. It was a completely different match than last time. Maybe we didn't analyse our opponent enough."

Defender Arthur Theate also expressed his frustration as he added: "If you feel like it, go ahead. It's not that I disagree. But if you concede a goal, that's the problem. If you don't score, it's the attack's fault. Of course, we shouldn't have conceded that goal but we haven't conceded many goals this campaign. Agreed, conceding three goals at home against Wales wouldn't have been right. 'But otherwise, we weren't put in much danger. But you can judge for yourself. I just think we're having a good campaign defensively."

Will Belgium qualify for the World Cup?

Belgium threw away an opportunity to secure a direct qualification to the World Cup next year but they still remain the favourites to book their berth in the flagship from Group J. With 15 points from seven points, Belgium stand at the top of their group, two points clear of North Macedonia.

A win against rock bottom Liechtenstein on Tuesday will help them secure World Cup qualification. North Macedonia and Wales, on the other hand, will clash in their final group game to secure a play-offs spot. 

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GettyDoku's stellar run of form

Individually, Doku has enjoyed a purple patch in the 2025-26 campaign with Manchester City. He has featured in 16 matches across all competitions for Pep Guardiola's side where he has scored three goals and provided four assists. 

Former City star Paul Dickov recently hailed Doku as the best winger in the world, as he told : “I would say he's probably the best in Europe at the minute. Not just of his performance against Liverpool, which was top drawer, but I said before the game, that despite Erling Haaland’s goals, Doku has consistently been City’s best player and biggest threat. 

"People were forgetting last season. They were questioning his end product a little bit. And maybe he was doing all these dribbles and was playing at a mile-a-minute. Maybe his crossing and finishing suffered, but he’s worked so hard at his game. He’s only 23 years old. He’s a young boy, and he’s just impossible to defend against when he gets you one on one."

It would be fair to say that the atmosphere around Tottenham Hotspur is not a positive one at the moment.

Thomas Frank’s side might be sixth in the Premier League, but the performances so far this season have been hard to stomach, none more so than the one against Chelsea on Saturday.

Despite being at home, the North Londoners were utterly toothless, bereft of ideas, and the player who best encapsulated their dire display was summer signing Xavi Simons.

It’s still early in his Spurs career, but so far, the Dutch international has been a massive disappointment and should therefore be dropped for another young talent who could perhaps offer a little more urgency.

Simons' start to life at Spurs

Perhaps in part due to missing out on Eberechi Eze, there was a tremendous amount of excitement in the Spurs fan base when Simons was announced.

After all, he’s long been considered one of the most exciting young attackers in European football and, at one point, looked destined to join Chelsea.

Unfortunately, it would be fair to say that the 22-year-old has come nowhere close to justifying the hype so far this season.

In 12 appearances for the club, he has failed to score a single goal and has provided just one assist, which came in his first appearance, away to West Ham in gameweek four.

With that said, while that is a poor return, could it be that the former PSV Eindhoven gem is simply someone who starts seasons a little slower than most?

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

For example, in his first 11 games for RB Leipzig last year, before he got injured, the Amsterdam-born gem managed to score three goals and provide two assists.

Likewise, the campaign preceding that saw the youngster rack up an even better tally of four goals and five assists in his first 12 matches, excluding the curtain-raising DFL-Super Cup.

Therefore, while it would be nice to say that Simons is doing what he does every season and will therefore eventually come good, that is not the case.

Therefore, Frank should keep him on the bench for now and look towards the academy for a temporary solution.

Spurs' Simons solution

With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison still out, Frank could and probably should look to the likes of Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar-Sarr to start ahead of Simons.

Chalkboard

However, there is another, far bolder option, one he could go with for the ‘easier’ games, or as a first option from the bench ahead of the Dutchman.

That option is Hotspur Way’s most exciting prospect since Mikey Moore: Luca Williams-Barnett.

Now, the first argument one might put forward here is that the Englishman is too young.

However, that would carry a lot more weight if the suggestion was to start the youngster in game after game, but that is not the case.

Instead, it might be worthwhile for Frank and the club to use the youngster as a substitute more often, and then potentially against the weaker teams, hand him a start.

After all, at 17 years old, he is two years older than Arsenal’s Max Dowman, and according to respected analyst Ben Mattinson, is “one of England’s best talents”.

Moreover, when you take a look at his form for the youth sides, it’s clear that he’s way beyond that level now and more than deserving of more senior football.

Team

U18

U21

Appearances

30

8

Goals

22

7

Assists

13

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.16

1.5

For example, in 11 games for the junior side this season, he has scored eight goals and provided seven assists, which is an average of 1.36 goal involvements every game.

Last season, he was even more effective, scoring 20 goals and providing 12 assists in just 23 appearances, which works out to an average of 1.39 goal involvements per game.

Ultimately, even if it is not from the start, Williams-Barnett has earned the right to play some meaningful minutes for Spurs this season.

Moreover, picking him over Simons could be the wake-up call the Dutchman needs to start playing to people’s expectations.

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A quick explainer for the controversy in the Asia Cup Rising Stars game and the new law for boundary catching

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2025There was controversy and confusion during Pakistan A’s win over India A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars on November 16, when a relay catch between India A fielders Nehal Wadhera and Naman Dhir was given not out by the third umpire.Pakistan A opener Maaz Sadaqat took on India A spinner Suyash Sharma at the start of the 10th over of the chase, looking to clear the cow corner boundary. Wadhera ran to his right from deep midwicket and caught the ball, but, before momentum took him over the boundary rope, lobbed it towards Dhir, who was running back from long-on.The third umpire deemed the catch not legal, because of the interpretation of the new ICC rules about fielders making contact with the ball after jumping from outside the boundary.The new rule, which has been in effect since June this year, states that if a fielder jumps from beyond the rope and makes contact with the ball, he then has to first land back within the field of play for it to be out.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the case of the Wadhera-Dhir catch, Wadhera clearly caught the ball and released it while still within the field of play. Even though his foot was in the air over the rope, it was still considered within the field of play according to the rules, as he had not grounded his foot beyond the rope.He tossed the ball to Dhir and then stepped over the boundary rope and outside the field of play. It should not have mattered that he landed outside the rope as he was not in contact with the ball after going beyond the rope. It also should not have mattered that he was outside the rope when Dhir took the catch. So even by the new rules, the catch should have been given out.ESPNcricinfo checked with two experienced international umpires and both confirmed the decision taken was a misinterpretation of the laws by the third umpire to rule this not out.So Wadhera and Dhir were unlucky to have their catch disallowed. Subsequently, the umpires also incorrectly ruled it a dot ball, and not a six.Sadaqat, who was batting on 56 at the time, finished unbeaten on 79 as Pakistan A chased the target of 137 in the 13.2 overs.

Manchester United are now on red alert in the race to sign a Real Madrid star ahead of Manchester City in a shock £69m deal next year.

Amorim "angry" at "frustrating" West Ham draw

Like the rest of Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim was left angered by Man United’s 1-1 draw against West Ham. The Red Devils were in control for the large part and deservedly got their opener through unlikely goalscorer Diogo Dalot in the second-half, but that’s when things started going wrong.

With seven minutes remaining, the visitors sent a timely reminder of United’s struggles courtesy of Soungoutou Magassa, who scored his first Premier League goal to snatch a point for West Ham.

Amorim, left frustrated at full-time, told reporters: “Yeah, it’s frustrating, it’s angry. That’s it.”

The former Sporting CP manager also pinpointed where things went wrong, saying: “Yeah, but there are second halves that we lose control of the game.

“Today, I think it was not that case. Maybe after the first goal, we lost some second balls and Matheus [Cunha] won one or two second balls there and made it a transition.

“We try to defend all the time far from the goal because we knew it. They tried to make a cross, win a corner. Like it happened, long ball, they win a second ball against three guys of us in the defence. So, we need to be better in the second half.”

Any assumption that United have turned a corner under Amorim is quickly evaporating and the Old Trafford boss desperately needs further reinforcements in 2026.

Midfield stars such as Conor Gallagher and Elliot Anderson have already been mooted, but United could still set their focus on welcoming Rodrygo from Real Madrid. The Brazilian is attracting plenty of interest and could yet swap the Bernabeu for the Premier League.

Man Utd on red alert in Rodrygo race

According to reports in Spain, Man United are now on red alert in the race to sign Rodrygo next year and could land the talented winger ahead of rivals Man City, as well as a number of other Premier League sides.

The Brazilian has struggled for game time under Xabi Alonso – starting just three La Liga games all season – and looks destined to leave Real Madrid next year.

Sparking a flurry of interest, Madrid reportedly value their winger at around €80m (£69m). Whether INEOS and others deem that fee reachable for a player who’s yet to impress Alonso remains to be seen, however.

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The Red Devils have joined the race for a new attacker, who has made an impressive start to the campaign.

ByDominic Lund Dec 5, 2025

At his best, Rodrygo played a key part in Madrid’s success in the Champions League and in La Liga. Now, he’s been cast aside to hand United the opportunity to land arguably their best signing yet under Amorim.

Dubbed “spectacular” by former Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti in 2023, Rodrygo is still just 24 years old and is full of potential – even if he’s forced to realise it with a move to Old Trafford in 2026.

Amorim's £150k-p/w star just had his worst game for Man Utd vs West Ham

The South Africa Test captain talks about taking inspiration from those less fortunate than him

Leonard Solms15-Aug-20251:33

‘It’s a source of inspiration you are looking for’

South Africa’s World Test Championship-winning captain Temba Bavuma is defining his legacy not only with his runs and cricketing intelligence, but also by the way he is extending help to others, on and off the field.He hopes to be remembered as a captain who helped others express their individuality, a recent instance of which came when he supported batter Wiaan Mulder in his decision to not break Brian Lara’s Test score record.Off the field, Bavuma is trying to make sure that young South Africans in vulnerable positions have a local cricketing hero they can relate to – which he himself took some time to find in his own youth.One of the key ways he’s giving back is through non-profit organisation DKMS Africa – a donor recruitment centre and registry – to raise awareness about the importance of registering as a stem cell donor, which helps save the lives of blood-cancer and blood-disorder patients.Bavuma told ESPN about his motivation to join DKMS as an ambassador: “My late grandma passed away via leukemia and that was something that was never spoken about in the household. I guess for them to see me getting behind a cause like this allowed them to somewhat heal – at least to speak about it, but also heal from what was traumatic for them.”Apart from his grandmother, Bavuma was inspired by the story of an aplastic anemia patient – a 14-year-old fan named Iminathi. DKMS Africa told Bavuma Iminathi’s story, and he hosted the boy at the Wanderers alongside Lions, Bavuma’s domestic team.Bavuma was the toast of South Africa after their World Test Championship win. He made 36 and 66 in the low-scoring Lord’s final in June•Phil Magakoe/AFP/Getty ImagesBavuma said: “I think in life we all need heroes. We all need people to look up to. I guess we all grow up with our own dreams and aspirations and ambitions and those easily come to life – or at least become reachable – when you see people like you who are doing it.”For an individual like Iminathi – [he] also was a source of inspiration that I could draw from. I’m quite privileged in a lot of ways within my life. The pressures and struggles that I go through are nothing compared to what Iminathi does and he is still able to do it with a smile on his face.”DKMS Africa was established in 2021, following the amalgamation of international organisation DKMS and the South African Sunflower Fund. Although they have made some progress reaching South Africans of all ethnicities, they still face challenges building diversity among their donor base.South Africans are classified by the government according to four main racial groups: black, coloured, Asian/Indian and white. Among DKMS Africa’s 125,000 registered donors, 45% are white, 38% black, 9% coloured and 8% Asian. White South Africans make up 7.3% of the country’s total population, as per the 2022 national census, and are therefore disproportionately represented among donors. As a result, it may be easier for white South Africans in need of a stem cell donor to find a match than for their black counterparts, who make up 81.4% of the total population.Apart from disparities in access to information, Bavuma attributes the relative shortage of black stem cell donors to the importance of blood in some African cultures, and the fact that most stem cell donations are collected from the bloodstream.At a Unicef event in Lucknow during the 2023 ODI World Cup. “I think in life, we all need heroes. We all need people to look up to”•Matthew Lewis/Getty Images”I think there’s a lot of stigmas that exist among people of my [ethnicity] when it comes to blood and giving blood. I think that can only be challenged by educating people, and also people seeing someone similar to them going out and supporting these kinds of causes,” said Bavuma.In the Xhosa culture he grew up in, blood is viewed as the essence of life and a conduit for connection with the ancestors. “Black culture is a bit interesting if you haven’t grown up with it,” Bavuma said, “especially if you look at it from a Western type of lens. Blood is quite sacred within our culture. The sacrifice of blood, the use of blood and the exchange of blood – those things have a certain significance.”To challenge that, you need the right education. You need the right type of people as well, to be able to speak the language that those types of people understand.”In his youth Bavuma had a taste of both the hardship that many South Africans face and the privilege reserved for a few, of whom a disproportionate number are white. Born and raised in Langa Township in Cape Town, Bavuma quickly gained attention for his prodigious cricketing talent.This afforded him scholarships at two of South Africa’s most prestigious schools – first the South African College School in Cape Town during his junior schooling, and then later St David’s Marist Inanda in Johannesburg after his family relocated during his high school career.When there has been division in the South Africa side, Bavuma has been able to draw upon his experience of both worlds to ensure unity prevailed. One notable example was in 2021, when Quinton de Kock withdrew from a T20 World Cup game against West Indies over a hasty directive from Cricket South Africa to the players five hours before the game to take a knee against racial discrimination.De Kock later apologised and credited Bavuma for being a “flipping amazing leader” for maintaining unity among those who played that match in de Kock’s absence without ostracising him for following his convictions.That was a period Bavuma acknowledged at the time as being one of his hardest as a leader. However, more recently, he has witnessed his conviction that no player under his watch should be afraid to make a bold decision – as exemplified by Mulder, under much happier circumstances.”That, for me, shows what the team is about,” Bavuma said about team-mate Wiaan Mulder’s decision to not go for Brian Lara’s Test innings run-scoring record against Zimbabwe in July•Zimbabwe CricketMulder – serving as stand-in captain in a Test against Zimbabwe in July for the then-injured Bavuma – declared despite being on 367 not out himself, only 33 runs shy of Brian Lara’s world record. The decision drew praise in some quarters and criticism in others.Regardless of whether it was the right call, the sheer bravery of the decision was a sign in itself that Bavuma’s values are likely to be upheld in the South Africa set-up beyond the end of his captaincy.”People always ask: ‘What is it about this team?’ We’re not a team of superstars, but there are always moments or snippets that give you a real shot or preview into what the team is about,” Bavuma said.”That moment there – Wiaan Mulder – a young guy making his mark in international cricket, in his first game as a stand-in captain, has an opportunity to break the world record and is able to make a decision like that. That, for me, shows what the team is about,” Bavuma said.”I was actually there in Zimbabwe when Wiaan and the coach [Shukri Conrad] made that decision. I think he would have earned a lot of respect not just from us as players but from the cricketing world.”It’s easy to say that you’re going to put the team first and all of that, but the important thing is: when it’s in front of you, what do you exactly do?”Whether it relates to his work building a winning cricket culture within the South Africa side or a culture of awareness regarding people with blood disorders through his work with DKMS Africa, Bavuma is looking to ensure that actions do the talking.

Matt Short also makes his return from injury ahead of Australia’s T20I tour of New Zealand

Alex Malcolm16-Sep-2025

Glenn Maxwell will play in the Dean Jones Trophy for Victoria•Getty Images

Despite retiring from ODIs earlier this year Glenn Maxwell will play 50-over cricket for his state side Victoria in the first two Dean Jones Trophy matches of the new summer to help prepare for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.Maxwell, 36, has been named in Victoria’s 14-player squad for their first two matches against Queensland and Tasmania at Allan Border Field on Wednesday and Friday respectively. Maxwell has played just one List A match for Victoria since March 2022, and that was against New South Wales in October last year.Fellow Australian T20I squad member Matt Short has also been named for his first game of cricket in any form since the MLC in July, after he was ruled out of the five-match T20I tour of the Caribbean then both the T20I and ODI series against South Africa at home in August due to a side injury. Like Maxwell, he has not played a 50-over fixture since the Champions Trophy.Related

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Captain Will Sutherland will only play in game one before departing to India to join the Australia A tour ahead of the second four-day game in Lucknow. Peter Handscomb will captain in game two.Young batter Oliver Peake, who is yet to make his Victoria 50-over debut despite making his List A debut for Australia A in July against Sri Lanka A, is unavailable as he is already in Lucknow playing in the first four-day match against India A. Todd Murphy is also playing for Australia A in India.Harry Dixon and Sam Elliott will play both games for Victoria before departing for India to play for Australia A in the 50-over matches in Kanpur that start on September 30.Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne will captain Queensland against Victoria on Wednesday and Western Australia on Sunday, also at Allan Border Field. Xavier Bartlett is unavailable due to Australia A duty while Mark Steketee (minor hamstring) and Callum Vidler (stress fracture) are also absent. Test opener Usman Khawaja won’t play either of Queensland’s 50-over matches this week as he continues his preparation for the start of the Sheffield Shield summer ahead of the Ashes.Former New South Wales allrounder Hayden Kerr is in line for a Queensland debut as is former Australian Under-19 World Cup winning captain Hugh Weibgen.Tom Straker and Lachlan Hearne will play both matches against Victoria and WA before departing to India to join the Australia A 50-over squad.Hearne has been called up to his first Australia A squad as an injury replacement for Aaron Hardie. Hearne has only played eight List A matches but the left-hander made an impressive 107 off 91 balls against his former state New South Wales in February.Victoria squad: Will Sutherland, Peter Handscomb, Blake Macdonald, Callum Stow, Cam McClure, David Moody, Glenn Maxwell, Harry Dixon, Marcus Harris, Matt Short, Mitch Perry, Sam Elliott, Sam Harper, Tom RogersQueensland squad: Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Jack Clayton, Benji Floros, Lachlan Hearne, Hayden Kerr, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Hugh Weibgen, Jack Wildermuth

It's well known that the Yankees are looking to acquire a starting third baseman at the upcoming trade deadline.

One of the top options out there is Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez, who is batting .250/.320/.569 with 31 homers and 78 RBIs in 95 games. Entering the All-Star break, only Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani have hit more dingers than Suárez.

The Diamondbacks are expected to be sellers at the trade deadline, as they sit with a 47-50 record—11 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. It appears Suárez can be acquired for the right price.

With all the league's best players meeting in Atlanta this week for the 2025 All-Star Game, Suárez was directly asked about the possibility of being traded to New York.

"Yankees [are the] Yankees. It's a team that wants to win," Suárez said. They're hungry still. If I got over there, I would do my best and try to help them win the World Series."

According to Fangraphs, Yankees have collected just 0.6 fWAR at third base so far this season, which ranks 29th in all of baseball—only edging out the Washington Nationals.

New York has seen five different players start at least one game at the hot corner for them in 2025: Oswaldo Cabrera (30 games), Oswald Peraza (30), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (28), Jorbit Vivas (6) and Pablo Reyes (2).

The 2025 MLB trade deadline is set for July 31 at 6 p.m. ET.

Arsenal’s title aspirations suffered a crushing blow at Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime as Emiliano Buendia’s stoppage-time strike completed a dramatic 2-1 turnaround for Aston Villa.

The Gunners’ remarkable 18-match unbeaten streak across all competitions has now come to an end, with Mikel Arteta’s side sent crashing back down to Earth.

Arsenal dominated possession throughout lengthy spells but ultimately paid the price for failing to convert superiority into goals, succumbing to Unai Emery’s tactical masterclass at a venue where Arsenal ironically boast their best away record in Premier League history.

The defeat allows Man City the opportunity to reduce the gap at the summit to just two points, piling pressure on Arteta’s men as they navigate a mounting defensive injury crisis.

Villa deservedly seized the initiative in the 36th minute when Matty Cash powered home from the back post, meeting a deflected cross with a thunderous half-volley that caught David Raya flat-footed.

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The right-back’s spectacular finish rewarded Villa’s aggressive pressing and energetic start, with Arsenal struggling to establish their usual rhythm against Emery’s well-drilled side.

Arteta responded decisively at the interval, introducing Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres for the ineffective Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino. The Belgian substitute needed just seven second-half minutes to justify his manager’s faith, pouncing on a loose ball after Emiliano Martínez could only parry Bukayo Saka’s initial effort.

Trossard’s predatory instincts breathed life into Arsenal’s challenge and appeared to shift momentum decisively towards the visitors.

Emiliano Martínez

7.8

Declan Rice

7.7

Matty Cash

7.5

Boubacar Kamara

7.5

Martin Odegaard

7.2

via WhoScored

Arsenal dominated proceedings thereafter, pinning Villa deep inside their own territory while creating numerous opportunities to snatch victory.

Declan Rice orchestrated attacks from deep despite struggling with the calf complaint that nearly ruled him out, while Saka tormented Villa’s left flank repeatedly. Noni Madueke came agonizingly close late on, firing into the side netting when well-positioned at the back post.

However, Emery’s inspired tactical substitution proved decisive.

Buendia’s introduction for Cash in the 85th minute pushed Villa into a more aggressive attacking configuration, with Lamare Bogarde dropping to right-back. The Argentinian playmaker delivered the killer blow deep into stoppage time, reacting quickest to a scramble inside Arsenal’s penalty area and firing home emphatically to send Villa Park into raptures.

The defeat represents a significant setback for Arsenal’s title ambitions, particularly given the circumstances surrounding their performance.

Arteta’s side controlled vast stretches of play, registered more shots and dominated possession statistics, yet left the Midlands empty-handed.

Villa’s victory extends their remarkable home form to just one defeat in their last 25 league matches at Villa Park, underlining the fortress mentality Emery has built there.

The result lifts Villa within three points of Arsenal while maintaining their challenge for Champions League qualification, perhaps even the title itself.

Mikel Arteta confirms Cristhian Mosquera blow after Aston Villa defeat

With William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes already sidelined, the loss of Cristhian Mosquera to injury against Brentford forced Jurrien Timber into an unfamiliar centre-back role alongside Piero Hincapie.

Reports have suggested that Mosquera faces several weeks out through injury, and that’s now been confirmed by Arsenal’s manager.

Speaking after the match, Arteta said that the 21-year-old faces a significant spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury against Brentford, stating the layoff is ‘much more’ than they initially expected.

The Spanish defender underwent tests on Friday, with initial assessments already suggesting a potential absence of six to eight weeks.

Arteta described Mosquera’s situation as “more complicated” when addressing the media ahead of kickoff, acknowledging the injury represents another substantial blow to Arsenal’s already weakended defence heading into the congested festive schedule.

For the north Londoners, it is yet more bad news after what was a gutting defeat in the Midlands.

Heung-min Son touches down in London next week to bid farewell to the Lilywhites fanbase at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Frank’s side are set to take on Slavia Prague in the Champions League, and what they could do with a prime version of Son and Harry Kane leading the line.

It’s fair to say that the world-class forwards have not been replaced since both departing in recent years, and that has been to the detriment of the new manager’s project.

Creatively, Spurs have not been at the races, but the need for an elite centre-forward has been just as severe. Talismanic figures like Kane are hard to come by, though.

Why Spurs are missing Harry Kane

It is not hard to work out why Tottenham miss their all-time record goalscorer, whose shooting skills are second to none and who, regardless, has so much more to his game than mere finishing.

Tottenham’s All-time Record Scorers
Player	Apps	Goals
Harry Kane	435	280
Jimmy Greaves	376	266
Bobby Smith	316	211
Heung-min Son	454	173
Martin Chivers	350	167
Data via Transfermarkt

Now a superstar with Bayern Munich, the Three Lions captain is one of the most prolific forwards in world football, actually described as “the best player in the world” by writer Mitch Fretton.

This might just be the case. Kane has posted 25 goals from 21 matches in all competitions this season. His Bayern side are runaway Bundesliga leaders already.

He is the star of the show, the cream of the crop. Just as he was at Tottenham.

How Frank must wish for such a player leading his line. Although saying that, the Danish coach does has a Kane-esque star in his ranks, even if this player is performing on the other side of the field.

Spurs have a new Kane-like talisman

There isn’t a single forward in Tottenham’s first team who would scratch the same surface as Kane in his north London pomp right now, but Cristian Romero is showing off talismanic properties, albeit in a different way.

The Argentina international has been something of a divisive figure at times down N17, boasting world-class talent but also an erraticness and rash streak that has pulled him away from the action at times.

But he’s still an immense player, evidenced when he came up trumps as Spurs salvaged a draw at St. James’ Park on Tuesday evening, scoring a brace against Newcastle United.

Romero is hardly a similar player to Kane, but they share some similarities that suggest Romero could be the club’s new version.

They are both leaders. Kane was never anointed as Tottenham’s first-choice captain due to Hugo Lloris, but he’s undoubtedly a top leader. In this, Romero and him are alike, with the Argentine both a vocal and lead-by-example skipper, so imposing and aggressive in the heart of the defence.

The 27-year-old is a “monster” of a player, as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 2.5 tackles and 5.7 duels in the Premier League this season, winning 64% of the latter.

Micky van de Ven, lauded by some as Tottenham’s best player, has not yet achieved the same kind of defensive mastery, averaging only 1.1 tackles per game and winning just 51% of his duels.

It’s clear in this regard that Romero boasts surpassing quality, more roundedness, more completeness. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 10% of Premier League defenders this year for goals, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 5% for tackles per 90.

Let’s hope he remains under Frank’s wing over the coming years. On the basis of the evidence, the head coach is going to need him.

The new Son: Spurs prepared to pay £65m to sign "world-class" talent

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to fork out a hefty sum to land a new attacker for Thomas Frank.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 3, 2025

West Ham are entering the market for a new striker in January as injury-prone flop Niclas Füllkrug prepares to leave the London Stadium, according to multiple reports.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are facing a critical winter transfer window as they scramble to address their striker shortage, with Fullkrug’s impending departure forcing manager them to accelerate plans for attacking reinforcements.

While free agent summer signing Callum Wilson is proving he can lead the line, having scored four goals in four starts already this season, West Ham will definitely need another number nine soon.

Fullkrug has informed the club of his intention to leave when the winter window opens, bringing a premature end to what has been a disastrous spell at the club.

The Germany international, who joined from Borussia Dortmund for £27 million in August 2024, has failed to score a single goal this season across seven appearances, with injuries severely limiting his availability and impact.

His agent, Thorsten Wirth, publicly acknowledged the transfer has been a failure, stating that it “might make sense to make a change” and admitting “the transfer didn’t work”.

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The 32-year-old striker is reportedly desperate to secure regular playing time to boost his chances of making Germany’s 2026 World Cup squad, having made just two international appearances in the past 12 months amid persistent injury problems.

However, the Hammers will only sanction his departure if they can secure a suitable replacement or receive a substantial offer, unwilling to leave themselves dangerously thin up front while battling relegation.

The club are actively pursuing multiple striker targets as they seek to avoid repeating past recruitment failures, and AC Milan’s Santiago Gimenez has emerged as a primary target.

West Ham told they can sign Santiago Gimenez for £30 million

The Mexican bagged 22 goals in all competitions across his total appearances for both previous club Feyenoord and Milan last season, including six strikes in seven Champions League outings.

Man City boss Pep Guardiola will remember Gimenez’s strike at the Etihad when Feyenoord sealed a shock 3-3 draw. Meanwhile, Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany won’t have fond memories of the 24-year-old’s brace against them when Feyenoord thrashed the Bundesliga giants 3-0.

Make no mistake, on his day, Gimenez is a big-game player.

However, the North American is yet to score this campaign, and reports suggest that the Rossoneri are underwhelmed by their 2025 signing as they ponder a January sale.

According to Hammers News, West Ham have been told they could strike a £30 million deal for Gimenez when the window reopens, and going by his age, potential and previous exploits, this could actually prove to be a bargain.

Milan’s interest in Fullkrug has even opened up the possibility of a swap deal, so Gimenez’s price tag could be brought down even further as West Ham look for that perfect number nine mid-season.

The former Cruz Azul sensation stands out as one of January’s best-available forward men if he can rediscover his past form, so he’ll undoubtedly be under serious consideration at Rush Green.