England booked their place in the last 16 of the Under 17 World Cup courtesy of a commanding 2-0 victory over South Korea in Qatar. Reigan Heskey, son of former Liverpool striker Emile, was on the scoresheet with a superb header and an own goal eased the Young Lions into the next round in what was ultimately a comfortable win for Liam Bradley's side.

• Three Lions cruise into last-16 as South Korea fade in Qatar

  There was a real scare for England inside the opening minute after Manchester City's Dante Headley was bundled off the ball by Kim Ji-sung who thrashed his shot into the roof off the net, but there was huge relief when referee Abdou Abdel Mefire awarded a foul for the push. The Young Lions enjoyed much of the possession in the early stages, but had to wait until the 21st minute to test South Korea keeper Park Do-Hun as Tottenham's Luca Williams-Barnett saw his fierce drive from the edge of the box well saved. 

  The deadlock was broken in the 28th minute following a bustling run down the right from the England captain Seth Ridgeon, and the Fulham star’s pass was directed into his own net by Jung Hui-seop. And England doubled their lead six minutes later after City’s Heskey headed home from close range after a brilliant searching cross from Aston Villa youngster Bradley Burrowes. 

  England had chances to extend their lead in the second-half, with Chelsea's Chizaram Ezenwata missing the target from just inside the box and Williams-Barnett saw an audacious effort, from just inside his own half, slide agonisingly wide. The Young Lions will now face either Austria or Tunisia in the next round. 

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  The MVP

  Williams-Barnett may not have got on the scoresheet, but he was right at the heart of everything England did well. He covered acres of ground, helping in defence when required and offered some excellent touches around the opposition box, too. If anyone deserved to score from their own half it was the Tottenham youngster who's enjoying the opportunities offered to him in his breakthrough season. The Luton-born midfielder made his senior debut in September 2025, becoming the club's youngest player in the Carabao Cup and the 900th player to appear for the club. He signed his first professional contract last month, too. 

• The big loser

  It was a truly calamitous moment for South Korea centre-back Jung who made an absolute mess of trying to block a pass. He only succeeded in getting his feet in a tangle while attempting to clear the danger, stumbled, fell and directed the ball into the back of his own net to give England the lead. You could almost feel sorry for him, it was a shame for a mistake of that magnitude to happen to a young player on such a big stage.

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  Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐

MatériaMais Notícias

da betsul： Neymar sentiu um desconforto muscular no último treino da Seleção Brasileira antes do clássico contra a Argentina, nesta terça-feira (16), às 20h30, pelas Eliminatórias para a Copa do Mundo de 2022, e nem viajou para a San Juan. A ausência do principal jogador do Brasil abre uma lacuna: quem será o substituto diante dos ‘hermanos’?

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da apostaganha： No sistema ofensivo, o técnico Tite trabalha com duas características: os atacantes em extremos e os meias pelo lado. E dependerá justamente da estratégia traçada pelo treinador a opção escolhida para a partida.

Como Neymar relatou o problema no adutor da coxa esquerda após atividade realizada no CT do Palmeiras na manhã da última segunda-feira (15), a escolha da comissão técnica será estritamente no ‘olhômetro’ e conversa, já que a delegação brasileira não treinará na Argentina.

Se a opção for manter uma ideia de jogo, a tendência é que Philippe Coutinho seja o escolhido para ocupar a opção de Neymar, já que o camisa 11, que não era convocado há um ano, possui características semelhantes as de Ney, podendo tanto jogar como um articulador pelos lados, quanto como um armador centralizado.

Autor do gol que deu a vitória ao Brasil contra a Colômbia, na última quinta-feira (11), e que consequentemente garantiu a classificação da Seleção Brasileira à Copa do Mundo de 2022, Lucas Paquetá conseguiria manter a sua linha de atuação, pelo menos do início do jogo contra os colombianos, caso Coutinho seja o escolhido de Tite, pois conseguiria alternar a atuação como central e o lado esquerdo, já que dificilmente cairá como um ‘falso nove’, pois a tendência é que Gabriel Jesus, que atua como centroavante e ponta, perca a posição para Matheus Cunha, que é jogador mais fixo na grande área.

Contudo, esse diálogo em campo que Paquetá e Neymar vem desenvolvendo e tem dado muito certo teria que ser criado instintivamente caso Philippe Coutinho simplesmente entrasse no lugar do camisa 10 da Seleção.

Outro fator que pode colaborar com a entrada de Coutinho é que no chamado ‘treino fantasma’, onde Tite instrui movimentações e posicionamentos com o time que levará a campo, sem um adversário, o auxiliar Cléber Xavier faz o mesmo trabalho com os reservas, para que ambos estejam preparados em relação as estratégias do jogo em questão.

No entanto, o desempenho do Brasil no segundo tempo contra a Colômbia pode ser um trunfo para que um atleta mais veloz de ponta possa ganhar espaço e a titularidade contra a Argentina, e aí Vinicius Júnior e Antony crescem na disputa.

Na etapa final contra os colombianos, Vini Junior entrou no lugar de Fred, ficou fixo pelo lado esquerdo, local onde há a lacuna coma saída de Neymar, durante todo o período em que jogou. Paquetá se tornou um meia central.

Vini jogou bem contra a Colômbia e a dinâmica da etapa final foi melhor do que o primeiro tempo. No entanto, o que pode jogar contra a entrada de Vini é justamente o fato de que para isso acontecer Tite teria que mudar a ideia que vem trabalhado nos últimos dias apenas na conversa, e não no treinamento.

Ainda que tenha mantido mistério no último treino antes do clássico contra a Argentina, o penúltimo trabalho, realizado no domingo (14), mostrou as possibilidades que a Seleção deve levar a campo em San Juan, até mesmo com as entradas de Fabinho, como volante, no lugar do suspenso Casemiro, do zagueiro Éder Militão no lugar de Thiago Silva, e o atacante Matheus Cunha na vaga de Gabriel Jesus, por opção da comissão técnica.

Por fora corre Antony. Com a boa entrada no segundo tempo contra os colombianos, combinado a atuação abaixo da média de Raphinha, a expectativa é que o atleta ex-São Paulo ganhasse uma oportunidade como titular diante da Argentina. Mas nos treinamentos, Tite, a princípio, manteve Raphinha.

Como Antony costumeiramente joga pelo lado direito, dificilmente será ele o escolhido para a vaga de Neymar.

Já classificado para o Mundial no Qatar, TIte já disse publicamente que trata duelos como os contra Colômbia e Argentina como testes para a Copa, já que acredita que essas seleções estarão classificadas. Portanto, situações como a atual, de lesão do Neymar, é importante para que o treinador brasileiro esboce como ‘tirar coelhos da cartola’ em situações adversar como essa em meio a uma competição em tiro curto, como será o torneio no Qatar daqui a um ano.

Mohamed Salah will start on the bench for the third successive Premier League game as Liverpool face Leeds United at Elland Road, and head coach Arne Slot has explained his reasoning behind the decision as the Egyptian takes his place amongst the substitutes once again. The Reds have picked up four points in the two games since Salah was dropped, and Slot will hope that his decision pays off once again against the Whites.

Slot explains decision to keep Salah on bench for Leeds clash

Slot spoke pre-match about his decision to name Salah amongst the substitutes once again, citing the importance of picking players suited to the task at hand against a Leeds side who will be full of confidence following victory over Chelsea in midweek.

Slot told Sky Sports: “It’s never an easy decision because we all know what a great player he is. But it is also up to me to pick the team that I think we need today. That’s why I made the decision”.

Liverpool start the encounter in the bottom half of the table but could rise as high as fifth with victory, with Salah on the bench and available to make an impact if called upon by Slot.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSalah sacrificed as Slot continues with new attacking formula

The absence of reigning PFA Player of the Year winner Salah from Liverpool’s starting XI in recent weeks has meant that Slot has started with the more defensive-minded Dominik Szoboszlai wide right, as he has done again for the trip to Elland Road.

While Szoboszlai has given the Reds more solidity down their right, the alteration in personnel has also begun to get the best out of Florian Wirtz. The 22-year-old put in arguably his best performance in a Liverpool shirt in the victory at West Ham United last weekend, then thought he had scored his first goal for the club against Sunderland at Anfield, only for it to go down as a Nordi Mukiele own goal.

Whether dropping Salah from the line-up is the long-term solution for Slot remains to be seen, but he evidently feels it is the right decision in order for the Reds to turn things around at present, after their well-documented struggles throughout the autumn.

Slot praises Salah's professionalism after dropping to bench

Slot spoke of Salah’s professionalism when the 33-year-old was an unused substitute at the London Stadium last Sunday, telling reporters it was a “fair assumption” that Salah was not happy about the decision but that he “handled himself really well” after he was dropped from the starting XI in the league for what was the first time this season.

Slot added: "That's a normal reaction from a player that's good enough to play for us, and I say that mildly because he has been so outstanding for this club for so many years and will be for the future. He wasn't the only one who wasn't happy that he wasn't starting and that is normal.

"He is so disciplined – he knows what to do to stay fit," Slot said. "No matter if he plays well or if he doesn't play well, if he plays or doesn't play, he will always be that top professional and that's what he was in the last two days.

"With all players around their world, there are also phases in your time at the club that they are human. He's scored so many goals for us and I am sure he will in the future."

"We have to find a way to play without him because he won't be here," Slot said in reference to the Africa Cup of Nations, for which Salah will depart by December 15.

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Getty Images SportSalah and Isak both on bench to face Leeds

Salah was not the only big-name player named amongst the substitutes to face Leeds, as Alexander Isak also had to settle for a place on the bench with Hugo Ekitike starting through the centre. Slot has a wealth of attacking options to call on, and the pair will certainly have their role to play for the Reds in the coming months.

أوضح المدير الفني لفريق بنفيكا، جوزيه مورينيو، موقفه من إمكانية العودة إلى نادي ريال مدريد من جديد، لتولي مسؤولية تدريب الفريق الملكي، خلفًا لـ تشابي ألونسو حال الإطاحة به من منصبه الحالي.

وتحوم الشكوك بقوة حول مستقبل تشابي ألونسو رفقة ريال مدريد، حيث انتشرت تكهنات مؤخرًا حول إمكانية الإطاحة به من منصبه كمدرب للفريق، بسبب تذبذب مستوى الفريق تحت قيادته، وعلاقته المتوترة مع العديد من اللاعبين.

وظهرت تقارير صحفية تربط أكثر من اسم بإمكانية خلافة تشابي ألونسو في تدريب ريال مدريد، مثل يورجن كلوب وزين الدين زيدان، وكالعادة ظهر اسم جوزيه مورينيو في هذا السياق.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ريال مدريد يتلقى صدمة قوية قبل مباراة مانشستر سيتي في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وسُئل مدرب بنفيكا الحالي عن الشائعات التي تربطه بالعودة إلى ريال مدريد، حيث كان رده واضحًا للغاية، حيث نفى كل تلك الشائعات وأغلق باب العودة إلى البرنابيو.

وسُئل مورينيو من جانب صحفي عن ذلك الأمر، حيث أوضح البرتغالي بإيماءات، أنه لا يريد سماع أي شيء عن تلك الشائعات.

وقال مورينيو، في تصريحاته التي نشرتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “ليس الأمر أنني بحاجة إلى إغلاقه، بل إنه مُغلق بالفعل، إنه أمر مغلق، أنت من فتحه”، اختتم ضاحكًا.

🚨 ÚLTIMA HORA 🚨

❌ MOURINHO CIERRA la PUERTA a VOLVER al REAL MADRID.

👀 Sus gestos durante la pregunta lo dicen todo… pic.twitter.com/2DhXVAhsTN — El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) December 9, 2025

Manchester United have been boosted by the news that key centre-back Lisandro Martinez has returned to full training after a long injury absence.

After a concerning start to the season, things really feel like they are falling into place for the Red Devils, following three wins in a row in the Premier League, including memorable victory away to rivals and champions Liverpool.

Ruben Amorim has overcome a hugely testing period and now feels like the right man to take United forward, and having as many players available as possible can only be a good thing, with one game a week this season and no European football helping in that respect.

One player who Amorim has had to do without for many months is Martinez, with the Argentina World Cup winner not featuring since damaging knee ligaments at the beginning of February, in a cruel blow for the defender.

The 27-year-old is arguably United’s strongest centre-back, so not having him available for such an extended period of time has been far from ideal, but ahead of the trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, some great news has emerged regarding his fitness.

Martinez to return to Man Utd action in November

Taking to X on Thursday, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Martinez is now back in training for Manchester United, aiming for a return on the pitch in November.

This is fantastic news for anyone of a United persuasion, with Martinez’s tenacity, quality and winning mentality such a loss over the past eight months or so. It has also left Amorim delighted, with the manager saying: “It’s really good. He gives use that edge in every training session, that is also really good for us.”

The Argentine is a hugely popular figure at Old Trafford, playing with so much passion, and Casemiro has heaped praise on him as a character.

“Licha is on the final straight. He is a soldier who works so hard. He is always in the gym working hard. He is a machine that works so hard. He is one of those players that loves to work hard. It is a pleasure to have him here, he works so much. We arrived [today] at 9am and it is now 4pm and he continues working.”

Where Lisandro Martinez ranks among Man Utd's highest-earning players

It is clearly going to take Martinez some time to get back to his very best, given the severity of his injury, but assuming he makes a full recovery and returns as the player of old eventually, he can continue to be a huge player for United for years to come.

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He is tailor-made to thrive in Amorim’s back three, bringing the ball out with quality and purpose, and he even has the characteristics to potentially be a future captain of the Red Devils if Bruno Fernandes moves on before him, endearing himself to the fans with his love for the club.

Shohei Ohtani's brilliant performance in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series led one former MVP to issue an apology.

During Fox's pregame show before Game 4 of the World Series, Alex Rodriguez was asked about recovering from an 18-inning game and playing the next day. He said comparing how he would handle it to how the Dodgers superstar would wasn't fair because, "I'm human and Ohtani's not."

"You know, Major League Baseball is the greatest, the baddest, the most amazing league around the world of baseball. I now want to take an opportunity to apologize to Shohei Ohtani because he belongs in a higher league if this is all we have to offer," Rodriguez said. "But in all seriousness, this is uncharted territory… we've never seen this before and we'll probably never see this again."

That's high praise from Rodriguez, who, like Ohtani, was a three-time MVP and won a World Series in 2009.

Shohei Ohtani's historic Game 3 numbers

Ohtani was incredible during L.A.'s 6–5 win in the 18-inning marathon that was Game 3. He was 4-for-4, with two home runs and two doubles, then the Blue Jays smartened up and stopped pitching to him. Toronto walked him in each of his next five at-bats, four times intentionally. He reached base times, which is an MLB postseason record and tied the all-time record.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider all but said his team would continue walking Ohtani when his up rather than pitch to him moving forward.

Ohtani set several records during Game 3, including becoming the first player with two home runs and two doubles in a postseason game. He is also the first player to have five walks in a World Series game, while becoming the first player in MLB history to have four hits and five walks in a game, regular season or postseason.

The soon-to-be four-time MVP is also the first player to have four extra-base hits in a World Series game since White Sox second baseman Frank Isbell smacked four doubles against the Cubs in the 1906 Fall Classic.

It's not hard to see why Rodriguez is so in awe of what Ohtani is doing.

Technical consultant during the World Cup says the team needs to find a way to score 300-plus consistently in ODIs

Mohammad Isam14-Nov-20233:00

Shanto: ‘Know how to score 260, need to make a habit of getting 300-350’

Bangladesh’s batters were easily satisfied with their first milestone – a half-century – during the 2023 ODI World Cup and that contributed significantly to their eighth-place finish in the league stage, according to S Sriram, their technical consultant during the tournament.With no hundreds from any of their batters apart from Mahmudullah, Bangladesh won only two of their nine matches – against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka – and just about secured qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Sriram said the team needed to find a way to score 330-plus to remain competitive in ODI cricket.”Our inability to get meaningful hundreds is what hurt the team the most,” Sriram told ESPNcricinfo. “The top-four batters not getting even one hundred is the most disappointing part of the team. The teams that qualified, they have guys who are scoring double-hundreds. I think you win 50-over games in India when someone gets 130-140, and then if you have enough power around that guy, we can put up scores of 330-340. That’s where the game is in India, especially where the wickets are so good. It is slightly different than what we see in Bangladesh. I think that’s where we missed out a little bit.”Related

• Shanto to lead Bangladesh in home Tests against New Zealand

• Confused, chaotic, controversial: picking through Bangladesh's World Cup

• Bangladesh could have done without batting shuffle – Shanto

The ODI World Cup was Sriram’s second stint with the national team, and as a former India cricketer with knowledge of the conditions as player and coach, the expectation from the board was for him to provide information that would enhance Bangladesh’s performance. While Sriram stressed on the importance of a big top-order hundred, Bangladesh and Netherlands were the only teams without a hundred from their top-three batters during the World Cup.The new opener Tanzid Hasan , Sriram said, showed a lack of hunger even when he had the bowling under control, like during his 51 against India in Pune.

“Shanto is someone who wants to get better every day as a batter, person and team man. He wants his team to win. These two are his greatest qualities”Sriram on Najmul Hossain Shanto

“[Tanzid] had everything going for him in that fifty against India. The bowlers were under his control. The wicket was so good. Kuldeep Yadav was only one over away from being taken off the bowling attack. Somebody else would have come [to bowl]. Bangladesh were 97 (93) for no loss, so if he had converted that fifty into a hundred, you wouldn’t even ask me this question. That’s where he let himself down big time. That’s where the mentality has to change. They are satisfied with an international fifty.”Sriram said Tanzid could learn from Najmul Hossain Shanto, who had a stellar 12 months leading into the World Cup across formats. He converted four of his 13 50-plus scores into centuries and cemented his place as the No. 3. Sriram also said New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra was the World Cup’s best example of a young batter fulfilling his potential.”I think Shanto has raised the bar for younger players, by converting his fifties to hundreds in the last six to eight months. If Tanzid doesn’t get satisfied whenever he gets a fifty, and puts the foot on the pedal, he can get hundreds. I think he has huge potential.”My genuine concern is with these players getting satisfied with fifties. You have to push their boundaries and get big scores. That’s where world cricket is going nowadays. All the youngsters coming through are being able to convert fifties to hundreds. Rachin Ravindra is a great example. Take a cue and lead from these players, and be hungry for bigger scores.”Mahmudullah’s 111 against South Africa was Bangladesh’s only hundred in the World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesThe most visible of Bangladesh’s problems during the World Cup, however, was their constant shuffling of the batting order. The prime focus was to utilise Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s good form, often at the cost of stability in the line-up. Mehidy batted at five different positions – from No. 3 to No. 8 – in nine World Cup innings.”It has been discussed a lot, and a lot of people have spoken about it,” Sriram said. “I don’t know the conversations that happened before the World Cup, whether they wanted stability or the team wanted to play the match-up game. My understanding was, how can we make best use of Miraz as an allrounder. He sometimes doesn’t have the power to hit sixes from No. 8. But he has a good temperament, he can build partnerships, he is busy, he can rotate strike, he can soak in the pressure. If we can make use of that, wouldn’t that give us more firepower at the back end?”We know how [Towhid] Hridoy can bat in T20s and the way Mahmudullah got the experience. It was mainly the conversation to lengthen the batting and give us a little more firepower at the back end. Miraz is a touch player. He has qualities as a batter. I think the main thing was, can we maximise his potential? That was the thinking, as far as I am concerned.”Among those who got displaced was Shanto, Bangladesh’s most in-form batter coming into the World Cup. He ended the tournament with just two half-centuries in nine innings and reached double-figures just three times.”Shanto is someone who wants to get better every day as a batter, person and team-man,” Sriram said. “He wants his team to win. I think he was unlucky couple of times. Getting run out for 45 in the last game would have hurt him. He could have got a hundred against Sri Lanka. So little things like that would hurt him a lot more. Getting out early is part of the game. He got out caught down the leg side twice. There were a few unlucky dismissals in between. His biggest learning would be to get a big score whenever he gets a start.Litton Das averaged only 31 at the World Cup•Associated Press”There is not even a question [that he won’t bounce back]. You have seen his form in the last two games. His 90 against Sri Lanka was an amazing innings. Even the 45 against Australia showed the ability to carry on the run rate, which was excellent. His run out was unnecessary and unfortunate.”Another batter who didn’t live up to his potential was Litton Das. Often described as the most elegant batter in the team, Litton got out to soft dismissals often in the tournament, and the BCB is reportedly worried about his lack of focus.”He [Litton] is frustrated with himself more than anyone else,” Sriram said. “He knows his potential. He plays world-class shots but to not be able to do it for longer period of time, frustrates him a little bit. He is also frustrated by the ways he gets out.”Our last conversation was that he said, ‘Coach, I know what you are thinking. Don’t even talk about it. I will figure this out and come back strongly’. Some players go through this. They take longer to unlock their potential. I think it is good that he is thinking that he has the potential but he is letting himself and the team down.”Going forward, Sriram said Bangladesh needed to work out a way of scoring 300-plus consistently in ODIs. “I don’t think they have much other choice,” he said. “That’s the minimum score you need to start winning games. You have to find ways to get 300-350 runs. Once you know you can get 85-100 runs in the last ten overs on a consistent basis, it will make batting in the first 40 overs a little bit easier.”There are a lot of ways to do it. One way is to keep wickets in hand and bat deep. Another way is to keep going hard right through. Bangladesh should figure out what works for them, and give people the right roles. I think getting hundreds from the top four is non-negotiable.”

Chelsea’s scouts have now reportedly been spotted keeping close tabs on a Premier League star ahead of making a potential move in 2026.

Chelsea's January transfer plans

Enzo Maresca is gradually beginning to discover the best formula for success at Stamford Bridge. Without the injured Cole Palmer, the likes of Moises Caicedo and summer signing Joao Pedro have all stepped up – replacing one of the best players in the Premier League in the process. But, there is still something missing before the Blues can become serious title contenders.

As impressive as they are in midfield and going forward at times, Chelsea’s backline still needs work. Amid a number of suspensions and ill-timed injuries, their lack of quality at centre-back has been particularly exposed.

Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill all represent solid options, but it’s difficult to pick a leader out of any of those four players. That must change in 2026. Instead of setting their sights on yet another offensive addition, BlueCo should look to land a major defensive upgrade.

On that front, a number of players have already been linked with moves to West London. Among them is Ronald Araujo, whose Barcelona future continues to be thrown into doubt.

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If the Blues are looking for a defensive standout then signing of La Liga’s finest certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea. Araujo would offer fresh experience to Maresca’s backline whilst still performing at the peak of his powers at 26 years old.

He’s not the only name mentioned in recent reports, however. The West London club have also been linked with a Premier League option, who shares an agent as Liam Delap.

Chelsea scouts spotted watching Ezri Konsa

As reported by The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Chelsea scouts have now been spotted watching Ezri Konsa, who has attracted interest from across the Premier League thanks to his performances at Aston Villa.

The England international is one of a number of players who could yet leave to ease Villa’s PSR problems and, if that does prove to be the case, Chelsea could be lying in wait.

Minutes

3,149

2,936

Progressive Passes

131

90

Tackles Won

34

18

Successful Aerial Duels

121

97

Questions must be asked as to whether Konsa would solve Chelsea’s problems, however. When compared to Colwill last season, it is the Blues’ current star who stands out both in possession and out of it. The last thing that Maresca needs is simply a like-for-like player rather than an upgrade.

That said, the Villa defender has still earned plenty of praise over the years, including from former Manchester City star Micah Richards.

The Sky Sports pundit had nothing but positives after Konsa’s England performance against Switzerland at Euro 2024, saying: “Can you control your nerves? Can you do the basics very well?

“And he has done all of these things. I just think his overall game has been fantastic. He has been excellent, he really has.”

Thomas Frank says Tottenham's 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal was the "complete opposite" of what he had intended for this north London derby. Eberechi Eze grabbed a hat-trick in a very one-sided encounter at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, as Spurs barely laid a glove on their bitter rivals. Now, manager Frank has apologised for this "painful" defeat.

• Frank apologises to Tottenham fans

  Tottenham put in one of their worst performances of the season in arguably their biggest game of the campaign. They mustered an Expected Goals tally of just 0.07 and a paltry three shots on goal to Arsenal's 17. Other than Richarlison's wonder goal, there was very little to be positive about. Spurs approached the game with a 'try not to lose' attitude but ended up being ripped apart by the Gunners. And after the contest, the former Brentford boss struck a contrite tone. 

  He told Sky Sports: "I think it is extremely painful. I won't talk away from that. It was a bad performance. It was completely the opposite of what the intention was when we came here. We can only apologise to the fans for the performance. I think no matter if both teams wanted to play shirt, they got more out of that and we couldn't get out. When the team went long, we didn't win enough duels. That is exemplified by the 2-0 goal and the 3-0 goal, where a player went through two or three players. Bad performance and we lost. I have seen a lot of character and fight in this team but we didn't win enough duels. We can call that whatever we want but we didn't win enough."

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  Tottenham's creativity issues continue

  In Tottenham's 1-0 loss to Chelsea earlier this season, Spurs were widely criticised for producing next to nothing in attack. That happened again against Arsenal, but the scoreline was much less flattering. And Frank stressed they need to address this problem right away.

  He said: "That [lack of creativity] has been an ongoing theme that we are working hard to improve. It doesn't look good today or against Chelsea. We need to keep working on it. There were a lot of things in this game we need to do better. We are four months into it and they are further in their journey as a team and that was very obvious today. Of course there will be noise. We played against our biggest rivals and we lost badly. But we keep noise out and we focus. I know this tam is very competitive. I know this team is competitive and we showed that against Man City and PSG. Of course it looks bad today and it was not good enough."

• Tottenham's plan failed to deliver

  Frank also took full responsibility for getting his approach to the game wrong. However, he felt the way his players performed would have meant that any strategy would have come unstuck against Arsenal.

  The Dane added: "I tried to play a 5-4-1. I will always take responsibility as my choice in the end to take the system then and we changed it at half-time. My view is that no matter what formation we play today, we don't have enough duels or intensity in the decisive moments, and it is very difficult to win a football match. The goals I want to see more in detail. The whole game I need to watch tonight an it will be a difficult watch. We were not aggressive and stepped forward when we could and they played it round us."

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  Daunting PSG test looms

  For the Arsenal game, Frank admitted that he tried to replicate the tactics Tottenham deployed so well in their narrow UEFA Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain in August. But as they fell well short of that against the Gunners, this trip to PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday may be quite daunting. 

  He said: "That's an extremely hard defeat to take. We are all emotional and frustrated and need to look at it with calm heads. I was very confident going into the game that we could be competitive and we weren't, which was disappointing. We tried to do something different that was very successful against PSG. Today it wasn't and I always take responsibility for my decisions and then when it doesn't go the way we want it to go, that's on me."

One of the recent developments at Aston Villa will have an impact on Unai Emery’s future as manager, it has been revealed.

Emery loses key ally as Monchi departs

Sporting director Monchi is known to have been a key Emery ally, which is why the 57-year-old’s recent departure has set off alarm bells, but the manager has been quick to dispel the rumours that there was a falling out.

The Villa boss said: “He was very good, but after two years he needed to have another chapter in his career. Mutual agreement with the club. I wish him the best with his new chapter.

“We reacted quickly to get one person who I know personally. I have a lot of confidence with Roberto Olabe and he is going to help us.”

Indeed, the club hierarchy moved quickly to appoint Roberto Olabe, formerly of Real Sociedad, as Monchi’s successor, with the 57-year-old joining at a difficult time, given that the Villans are currently languishing in the Premier League relegation zone.

After Monchi’s exit, there were some rumours suggesting that Emery could be soon to follow, but journalist Graeme Bailey has recently suggested that Olabe’s appoitment is a clear show of faith in the Spaniard, who could now be in it for the long haul.

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Speaking to TBR Football, Bailey said: “They’re fully committed to Emery. They know they’ve got a world-class manager there.

“And I think the Olabe appointment is a clear sign that they brought him in to help Emery, to be part of the Emery project. It’s a clear sign the Emery project is still green-lit, full steam ahead. If it hadn’t been someone like Olabe, I would have had my doubts.

“But the fact it’s Olabe coming in, I think really underlines the commitment of the owners to Emery, and should give the fans who want Emery to stay some real comfort in that appointment.”

Villa must stick with Emery despite difficult spell

It is fantastic news that Aston Villa plan to stand by their manager, as it would be incredibly rash to dismiss him after going through his first difficult spell since taking over from Steven Gerrard, at which point playing in the Champions League was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Manchester United have reportedly identified Emery as a major target to replace Ruben Amorim, and it is no surprise, given the job he’s done at Villa Park, setting an impressive record last season.

That said, results and performances alike have not been good enough, with Villa recording an xG of just 3.79 across their opening five games, and the 53-year-old needs to put things right sooner rather than later to avoid further scrutiny.