Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal added another record to his collection on Tuesday night in the Champions League. His assist for Jules Kounde in Barca's 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt means that he now has more goal involvements in the competition than any other player aged 18 or under, breaking the record previously held by Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe.

Barcelona come from behind to seal win

Barcelona were made to work hard for their three points against Eintracht Frankfurt at Camp Nou on Tuesday night. The Catalan giants went 1-0 down thanks to an opening goal from Ansgar Knauff, but hit back after the break to seal the win. Two goals from Kounde were enough for victory, with Marcus Rashford and Yamal bagging assists in the game for Hansi Flick's side.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportYamal overtakes Mbappe with assist

Yamal set up Barcelona's winner for Kounde which means he has now been directly involved in 14 goals (seven goals and seven assists) in the Champions League for Barcelona. The 18-year-old therefore overtakes Mbappe (ten goals and three assists) for the most goal involvements by a player aged 18 or younger in the competition’s history. Yamal is likely to add to that tally too, as he does not celebrate his 19th birthday until July, giving him plenty more time to add more Champions League goals and assists to his collection.

Yamal banned for Barcelona's next UCL game

However, Yamal will be forced to watch Barcelona's next Champions League match from the sidelines. The teenager picked up his third booking of the 2025-26 competition against Eintracht Frankfurt which brings an automatic one-match suspension. Flick will therefore will have to cope with his brilliant wonderkid for Barcelona's next European outing in January against Slavia Prague.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Flick admits teenager unhappy at being subbed

Yamal was substituted late in the game against Eintracht Frankfurt and appeared to be less than impressed with the decision to take him off before the final whistle at Camp Nou. Flick was asked about his teenage star after the game and spoke about the decision to replace him. He told reporters: "Lamine was a little disappointed when he came on, but he had a yellow card and needed fresh legs. These are three very important points. We controlled the game; it was a very difficult match. They defended very deep. We have to focus on ourselves and get six more points."

He wanted to continue batting but was taken off the field by India A coach and the physio

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2025Rishabh Pant gave India a brief injury scare ahead of next week’s first Test against South Africa in Kolkata by having to retire hurt while batting for India A against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.During the first session of the third day, Pant was struck three times – on his body and helmet – by fast bowler Tshepo Moreki, forcing him to retire hurt on 17 off 22 balls in the 34th over of India A’s second innings.However, he allayed fears of serious injury by returning to bat in the final session, after Harsh Dubey put on 184 for the sixth wicket with Dhruv Jurel, who made an unbeaten 127. Pant took on the spinners, racing to a half-century before declaring India A’s innings on 382 for 7. He was dismissed for 65 when he top-edged a slog sweep off left-arm spinner Kyle Simmonds to the wicketkeeper.Pant had walked out to bat at No. 5 in the third over of the day after overnight batter KL Rahul was bowled for 27 – he added just one to his overnight score – by an inducker from Okuhle Cele. Pant didn’t take long to get going, his first three scoring shots were 4, 4 and 6 – all off Cele – but a series of short deliveries left him wincing in pain.Related

Dhruv Jurel makes case for India Test spot with twin hundreds against South Africa A

Kamboj, Suthar take India A home after Pant 90

Rishabh Pant returns to India's Test squad

While Pant was keen to continue batting, he had to be taken off by India A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar and the physios as a precautionary measure. He was grimacing in pain every time the ball thudded into his bat, and his range of motion was limited due to some taping on his elbow after being hit there.The first blow Pant suffered was to the helmet when he attempted a reverse pick-up shot off Moreki, who had bowled a short ball from around the stumps. Pant was off balance at the point of impact and immediately fell to the ground, forcing the physios to conduct a mandatory concussion test. Once cleared, he pulled out from his stance to take his helmet off and gather himself before taking strike.The second blow had Pant groaning as the ball thudded into his right elbow as he shaped to play a short-arm jab. This time, the physio administered some pain-relief spray and taped the elbow. The third blow to the abdomen from a delivery that cut back in off the seam eventually forced the management to take Pant off the field.Having proved form and fitness with a 90 in the second innings of the first four-day fixture that India A won last week, Pant has had a more challenging time in the second game. In the first innings, he was rapped on the glove by a short ball from Moreki and caught at slip for 24.At the toss of the second game, Pant had kept an exact count of the number of days he’d been away for – 98 – while recovering from a fractured toe after being hit by Chris Woakes during the fourth India-England Test in Manchester in July.He spent two months in rehab at the Centre of Excellence following surgery, and resumed training in early September before playing for India A to get some match time ahead of the South Africa Tests. In his absence, Dhruv Jurel kept wickets during the two home Tests against West Indies as well as the fifth Test at The Oval, which India won to level the five-Test series at 2-2.India play two Tests against South Africa from November 14 in Kolkata, and then from November 22 in Guwahati, a city that will be hosting Test cricket for the first time. India are currently third in the World Test Championship table with 61.90% points; South Africa, meanwhile, are fifth with 50% points.

The 2025/26 season has been one full of inconsistency for Newcastle United. Whether it be on the field or in the treatment room, they cannot seem to string a positive period together.

After drawing 2-2 in last-gasp fashion with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday evening, it meant that Eddie Howe’s men have not won back-to-back games since the end of October.

In the Premier League, they are yet to win consecutive fixtures all campaign long. This cannot go on forever and sooner rather than later, the Magpies are going to need to sustain a period of form.

They have, of course, been hampered by Alexander Isak’s departure but in their bid to replace the iconic Swede, they have not been helped by Yoane Wissa. Signed from Brentford, the DR Congo striker is yet to be seen in the famous black and white stripes due to injury.

That said, he is nearing a return. Perhaps the former Bees forward could be the man to spark some extra life in this Newcastle team.

The tactical tweaks Eddie Howe needs to make at Newcastle

To cut Howe some slack, he has not been helped out by a number of his chief lieutenants this season.

In the last few weeks, Nick Pope has become something of a calamity between the sticks and even if he is now injured, it would not be a surprise to see Aaron Ramsdale replace Newcastle’s no.1 long-term. That feels like a necessary change if they are to improve at the back.

The defence has not been helped by injury either. Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall have both missed games and if Howe can now keep the English duo injury-free, they will be key to any improvement Newcastle make in the future.

Hall, in particular, has been outstanding since returning. He was hailed as the “best player on the field” against Spurs by BBC North East correspondent Andy Sixsmith and looks every bit a left-back who should be in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad next summer.

Hall’s return has led to one key tactical tweak. Dan Burn is no longer playing at left-back. In that position, he had floundered and flattered to deceive, notably described as “the stuff of nightmares” in that role.

It’s in midfield and up top where Howe has struggled to find the most consistency. Summer arrival Anthony Elanga is still without a goal since arriving and Wissa’s injury problems are well-documented.

Anthony Gordon is arguably in the worst form of his Toon career too, scoring just once in nine league outings throughout 2025/26. It’s just as well they also have Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes to choose from in wide areas.

Gordon has been one of the biggest scapegoats of the ongoing campaign but there’s a bigger one in the middle of the park and it’s time for Howe to drop him to the bench.

Newcastle's long-term servant must no longer start regularly

This has been a hugely frustrating season for the likes of Elanga and Gordon but it’s arguably been a worse one for Joelinton, whose performances in the middle of the park are waning.

Signed as a striker by Steve Bruce in a then club-record deal, Howe has worked wonders with the Brazilian, turning him into a no-nonsense midfielder who loves a duel.

He’s been one of the most important components of Howe’s squad throughout the year, delivering his ‘greatest performance’ for the club during that League Cup win at Wembley last term.

Since then, however, it’s been a tale of woe for the former Hoffenheim man. Excusing his first term in England, this is arguably his worst since moving from Germany.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

In the words of journalist Mark Douglas in mid-October, he has been “nowhere near his best” in recent memory, leading to sections of the fanbase calling for him to be dropped from the XI.

He remained on the bench in the defeat to Marseille in Europe but has started the last three league games. His form, however, is not getting much better.

Journalist Charlie Bennett noted that Joelinton was “very sloppy” on the ball during Newcastle’s 2-2 draw with Spurs on Tuesday. The club’s number seven lost the ball 11 times out of 49 touches and had a pass accuracy of only 83%.

Minutes played

90

Touches

49

Accurate passes

29/35 (83%)

Key passes

1

Crosses

0

Shots

1

Dribbles

0

Possession lost

11x

Duels won

3/12

Judging by recent performances, which have been gritty but lacking composure, the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Joe Willock must be wondering what they need to do to start more games.

There is no dislodging the likes of Sandro Tonali and skipper Bruno Guimaraes but there is an extra slot that is being filled, perhaps undeservedly, by Joelinton.

Willock, signed from Arsenal in a deal worth £25m has barely been seen this term. He’s fallen behind in the pecking order and the days of him running riot during that famous loan spell are now a distant memory.

Likewise for Ramsey. He joined from Aston Villa in the summer for a whopping £40m and even if he has struggled with injury, he should now be starting more matches.

The fact that error-prone Joelinton is starting ahead of them on a regular basis should leave the pair rather angry. Newcastle needed some extra drive and the ability to hold onto possession. Ramsey, in particular, with his ability to surge through midfield, could have offered this against Spurs.

Lewis Miley has started the odd game recently and was one of their best players in the win over Everton last weekend. Even he had a right to be fuming that Joelinton has started more games than him.

It’s time for a regular spot on the bench for the big Brazilian.

Fewer passes than Ramsdale: Howe must drop 6/10 Newcastle star after Spurs

Newcastle United were denied another Premier League win by Tottenham Hotspur last night.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

A draw with ten men aside, this has been a phenomenal little period for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

Following an intense week in which they faced Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, they didn’t lose any of those fixtures. Subsequently, they top the Premier League and Champions League heading into the early stages of December.

They’ve managed to do so all with injuries plaguing the squad again. Ben White and Bukayo Saka were asked after the 2-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday if they have the best squad depth in the league.

White, ever the joker, simply replied, “I dunno.” Well, Ben, we’ll answer it for you. Arsenal’s depth is elite and it could well win them the league.

Andrea Berta worked hard to bolster the squad over the summer and it’s just as well considering the fitness issues that have ravaged Arteta’s team again throughout 2025/26.

At the moment they are missing their senior leaders at the back in Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.

Before last week they were also missing all three strikers. Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres are now back in the matchday squad but it means that emergency centre-forward, Mikel Merino, has had to lead the line again. He’s done it superbly well.

Mikel Merino: Arsenal's elite number 9

Nearly a year ago, all of the chatter as the January transfer window opened was about Arsenal’s need for a new striker.

While Kai Havertz’s importance was being elevated and Jesus had enjoyed a fabulous festive period, scoring that hat-trick against Crystal Palace, there was a sense that for the Gunners to win the league, they needed an elite goalscorer.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Jesus then suffered an ACL injury and Arsenal’s need for a new forward was exacerbated. They did not sign one. What happened next? Havertz suffered a hamstring injury. Of course, he did.

As a result, Arteta sought a solution that was outside of the box. Could Merino become the emergency number 9 that Arsenal craved?

Remarkably, he could. It all started with that brace against Leicester City. The Londoners were struggling to find a goal but the Spaniard appeared from the bench to rescue his side.

Since then, he’s not looked back. He ended 2024/25 with nine goals, scoring against Real Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool along the way. While we jest, he genuinely looks like an elite striker now.

The arrival of Gyokeres should have ensured Merino was never needed as a striker again but when the Swede hobbled off against Burnley last month, the former Real Sociedad was back in the limelight.

Well, is he now the number one option to lead the line? Quite possibly. Some of Arsenal’s best displays of the season, chiefly those wins over Spurs and Bayern, have come with Merino up top.

While he didn’t net in those contests, he’s knitted the play together beautifully, linking up with teammates and improving Arsenal’s all-around attacking play.

He has still been around the goals, scoring twice in Europe against Slavia Prague, while finding the net in back-to-back Premier League games, the wins over Chelsea and Brentford. Both of those goals were excellent headers.

So, with Gyokeres and Jesus back on the bench, who deserves the role as Arsenal’s leading man?

What Merino's form means for Gyokeres and Jesus

Arsenal’s big-money summer signing has been electric over the last two campaigns. During 2024/25, Gyokeres bagged 54 goals in 52 games for Sporting but hasn’t hit similar heights after his move back to England.

The Swede has been improving all the time and it was typical that he suffered an injury blow against Burnley, a game he actually scored in.

Gyokeres was beginning to find his feet in the top-flight but it would be a lie if we said Arsenal weren’t a better team at the moment with Merino in it.

So, for the time being, it’s likely the former Coventry City man will have to be patient as he searches for a way back into the side.

The same could be said for £45m man, Jesus, although his time in red and white sadly looks pretty bleak.

The Brazilian has been missing since picking up that ACL injury in the FA Cup 11 months ago and it’s a delight to see him back. Prior to that injury, he was arguably in the form of his Arsenal career, scoring six goals in six games across the festive period.

That injury meant that Arsenal simply had to strengthen in the summer. Gyokeres was a necessity. Jesus has been bumped down the picking order already because of that.

However, the emergence of Merino as a striker and the fact he’s now a genuine option in that position means that Jesus’ Arsenal career looks done.

Havertz is not miles away from returning to the fold and with Merino, Gyokeres and the German all set to battle it out for a place as the central forward, Jesus is unlikely to start another game for the club.

24/25

335 days

48

23/24

89 days

17

22/23

100 days

17

20/21

60 days

14

19/20

34 days

5

18/19

26 days

6

17/18

76 days

13

16/17

68 days

15

There are plenty of games to comes over the forthcoming weeks but such is the strength of Arsenal’s depth that the former Manchester City striker looks set to pay the ultimate price of leaving the Emirates Stadium.

It’s not the way he or the supporters will have wanted his career in England to end. He’s a cult hero, a joyful player to watch when he’s at his peak. However, Arsenal simply have better options now and options who are in form.

Merino’s impact has only rubbed further salt into the wounds. At the moment, he looks like Arsenal’s best centre-forward. How remarkable is that?

£50m Arsenal star who was becoming the new Zinchenko now looks undroppable

Arsenal’s £50m man has revived his career at the Emirates Stadium this week.

1 ByMatt Dawson Dec 4, 2025

Shubman Gill was taken to a hospital for examination after the end of the second day’s play and is currently under observation in the hospital

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2025

Shubman Gill grimaces as he walks off holding the back of his neck•Getty Images

Shubman Gill, who had retired hurt clutching the back of his neck on the second day of the ongoing first Test against South Africa in Kolkata, “will take no further part in the Test match”, the BCCI said on Sunday morning, before the start of the third day of the Test.”[Gill] was taken to the hospital for examination after the end of day’s play,” the BCCI statement said. “He is currently under observation in the hospital. He will take no further part in the Test match. He will continue to be monitored by the BCCI medical team.”Gill’s participation in the remainder of the Eden Gardens Test had come into question on Saturday night itself. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, he was stretchered off from the stadium and hospitalised for what was understood to be a precautionary measure following neck spasms. He had been spotted wearing a neck brace and was accompanied by the team doctor when he left the stadium.Related

The Bavuma-Bosch 'turning point' in Harmer's Test at Eden Gardens

Are Test pitches sacrificing balance in favour of results?

Harmer demonstrates decade-long evolution

He had felt discomfort three balls into his innings after unfurling a sweep to get off the mark with a boundary off Simon Harmer, and immediately called for the physio as he clutched the back of his neck. Gill was quick to leave the field, retired hurt, and didn’t return to bat as India were bowled out for 189.Before the day’s play, Gill was spotted by the broadcasters doing neck exercises in front of the coaching staff and a member of the medical team. In October 2024, too, he missed a Test against New Zealand due to neck stiffness.Terming the injury as “unfortunate”, India bowling coach Morne Morkel ruled out major concerns when asked about Gill’s workload and participation.”Gill is a very fit guy, he looks after himself very well,” Morkel said on Saturday evening. “So, it’s just unfortunate this morning that he woke up with a stiff neck and that carried him into the day, which was crucial for us. Another sort of partnership with him batting around was going to be needed for us at the time and… just bad timing.”In Gill’s absence, Rishabh Pant captained the side during South Africa’s second innings.

India and Pakistan’s unedifying posturing and power plays sapped all joy from the tournament and left only a sense of what the game has surrendered

Andrew Fidel Fernando03-Oct-2025Ninety minutes passed between Tilak Varma putting the final touches on India’s Asia Cup final victory over Pakistan and the start of the post-match presentation – enough time to have played an an entire additional T20 innings. Cricket’s shortest format was in its earliest years considered its most frivolous. Now it is its most glamorous, dynamic and accessible “product” – to be shown off at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as cricket once again attempts to capture America and find fresh audiences. If it is to gain credibility as a truly global sport, there is no better medium.And yet, last Sunday night, following the pinnacle match in the tournament for teams from the sport’s most cricket-obsessed region, there was sufficient petulance to fill half a T20. We know the general outline of events. Suryakumar Yadav’s team refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi, who, vitally, is also Pakistan’s Minister of the Interior. Naqvi, a controversial politician even within Pakistan, refused to cede the handing over of the trophy to a less-polarising figure.Suryakumar had indicated his team would not receive the trophy from Naqvi weeks before, so this standoff was entirely predictable. And yet the post-match presentation, which ordinarily would be a joyous event to cap off three tough weeks of competition, was held hostage, for no reason ultimately – no trophy was publicly handed over.Related

Pat Cummins might miss the first Test after being abducted by aliens

India refuse to accept Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

Salman Agha: India are 'disrespecting cricket' with their conduct

India can come and collect Asia Cup trophy if they want it, says ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi

Rock & Roll It podcast: Asia Cup 2025 review

The 48 hours following the final were characterised by a whirl of high-profile reactions, and reactions to reactions, each additional voice broadening and intensifying a vortex of opinion comprised of precious few cricketing facts. India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, posted on X that India’s victory was an on-field continuation of Operation Sindoor (the Indian name for the skirmish with Pakistan in May), Suryakumar praised Modi for “batting on the front foot” for India in return, and Naqvi posted indignantly that Modi should not be “dragging war into sport”, when only days before, Naqvi himself posted a sports gif that appeared to reference planes being shot down. This was after Haris Rauf, while fielding in an earlier match, had made gestures depicting crashing aircraft, and Sahibzada Farhan had celebrated a half-century by firing his bat like a gun.That Varma had paced his 69 not out more or less perfectly to raise India up from 20 for 3 gained comparatively little attention. That Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi’s intense new-ball overs had set up one of the most electric passages of play in a tournament too short of cricketing tension went mostly overlooked. When politics wraps its tentacles so tightly around the sport, it cannot be a surprise that a little of cricket’s soul is squeezed out.But politics is only one of two major forces currently pressing upon the game’s integrity, the other also plainly evident at the Asia Cup. Suryakumar said at one press conference that “[a] few things in life are ahead of sportsmanship spirit” to explain his team’s decision to refuse public handshakes with the Pakistan players. But handshakes or not, these sides played three times, the tournament having been structured specifically to make an India vs Pakistan triple the most likely possibility, to maximise revenue.Both sides were guilty of moments of unsportsmanlike conduct•AFP/Getty ImagesEven in global tournaments, it has long been taken as read that India and Pakistan always start in the same group, which perhaps confers a small competitive advantage – those teams are able to plan for a specific opposition long before the schedule is announced. More egregiously, with each of the “big five” Asian teams capable of making a deep run in this tournament, the three others (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka) were again stuffed into a “group of death”, the third consecutive Asia Cup in which this has been the case. Pakistan and India, meanwhile, had two Associate sides – Oman and the UAE – to play in Group A.With two teams from each group having arrived at the Super Four, one side was then required to play on consecutive nights to make the schedule work. A Group B team was, of course, saddled with this fate (Bangladesh in this instance, who rested key players for one of these games). In the previous Asia Cup, which was partially played mid-monsoon in Sri Lanka, only the match between Pakistan and India enjoyed the safety of a reserve day in the Super Four stage.As the most profitable version of the Asia Cup played out this year – India and Pakistan facing each other at prime time on three consecutive Sundays – the other six teams, who shook every hand put in front of them, who turned up to every press conference they were contractually required to attend, who, committing significant resources, had planned and trained for months for a tournament whose very schedule was an article of disrespect, seemed, for all this, no more than props in the India vs Pakistan melodrama. Competitive equilibrium is a foundational rudiment of any sport, and yet cricket has for some time been prepared to lay it on the altar of capitalism. What was new here are the depths of absurdity plumbed – these teams more or less insisting on playing each other while making a show of resenting having to do so.The fallout from Dubai will have immediate consequences elsewhere in the cricketing world. In the approach to the ongoing Women’s World Cup, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana was visibly uncomfortable when questioned on the political tension that will attend their campaign, particularly when they play India on Sunday in Colombo. Both her side and Harmanpreet Kaur’s are now required to formulate a plan on how they interact publicly. Do they take cues from the men and refuse handshakes? Will politicians also regard their match as an extension of military operations? South Asian women athletes anyway function in a far more fraught cultural and political milieu than their male counterparts – gender equality a more distant dream in this region than in some others. Now, in the midst of a World Cup, they have this poison dart flying in their direction.India and Pakistan women’s games have largely been devoid of political drama, but that looks set to change•PCBMost worrying about the game’s present direction is that there may be no meaningful shift in the short term. Politically the India-Pakistan relationship – as riven as it has been for decades – shows no signs of easing. And while there is more money in cricket than ever, it is also not about to become any less concentrated in India, which already is a cricketing superpower the likes of which the game has not seen.There was once edifying collaboration among South Asian cricket boards. Most notably, this was in 1996, when Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka together co-hosted the World Cup, in the face of criticism from the traditional cricketing powers that the region could not pull such an event off. Ahead of that World Cup, India and Pakistan put a combined team together in Colombo to demonstrate that Sri Lanka was safe for cricket. Wasim Akram and Sachin Tendulkar travelled on the same team bus, strategised as one, wore the same kit, and delighted in the joy they were bringing to a Sri Lankan crowd together. Such a string of events is unthinkable now.There is no strap of the globe in which cricket is as profound a cultural touchstone as in Asia, nor a region that affords the sport so vast a canvas. In one South Asian afternoon, full tosses could find themselves as easily crashed over freshly harvested paddies in Jaffna as through mango groves in Karnataka, as above the waves in Cox’s Bazaar or down a Himalayan hillside. In a single day, a left-arm wristspinner might find themselves ripping a rubber ball in a match in the morning, a hard ball at academy nets in the afternoon, a tape ball under lights at night. In eastern Afghanistan in the last year, cricket fans gathered in public spaces to celebrate team victories in defiance of Taliban wishes. It took gun-toting men to scatter them.Little of this joy was on display in the aftermath of a gripping Asia Cup final. Instead, an already compromised sport was co-opted, and a shared passion became a tool of political division. An even greater cultural chasm has now been cleaved than when the tournament began. Far from exhibiting the best of our sport in the region in which it is most beloved, this Asia Cup spiralled into a showcase of dysfunction.

Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly making checks on a Premier League goalkeeper, who could replace the out-of-form Guglielmo Vicario.

Thomas Frank responds to growing Tottenham pressure

There was plenty of hope that Thomas Frank could be the man to take Tottenham to the next level when he arrived in the summer. By all means, it was an appointment which made perfect sense. That initial hope is now beginning to fade away, however, and the pressure is growing on the Dane to turn things around, as names like Marco Silva begin to be name-dropped.

It speaks volumes that it was a Cristian Romero brace, which included a late overhead kick, which saved Spurs against Newcastle United, with Frank’s attackers continuing to struggle.

The pressure doesn’t seem to be getting to Frank, though, who told reporters when asked whether he would get time to make his mark in North London: “Yeah, I’m very confident.

“I think the ownership – of course I’m just starting to know them, but it seems like they’re good guys, intelligent people – know how to run businesses and learning about football, learning more now they’ve become owners. I think when we’re dealing with intelligent people, they can see every successful dynasty, every successful club has taken time.

“Yeah you have one where you maybe win one year or the second year, but you can’t sustain it if you don’t build something sustainable. Impossible.”

That said, even Frank may not be able to deny that something needs to change for too much longer. Where that change comes remains is the big question.

Vicario’s position is certainly up for debate. The goalkeeper was booed by his own fans after a mistake against Fulham and Spurs have since been linked with moves for both James Trafford and Bart Verbruggen.

Tottenham make first contact for Verbruggen

According to TeamTalk, Tottenham have now made initial contact for Verbruggen, making checks on the Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper. He’s someone that ENIC reportedly admire and a player that will make their shortlist if they decide to replace Vicario in the coming year.

Tottenham could prove 'irresistible' to manager who Levy was urged to hire before Frank

He’s on the verge of leaving his current club.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Dec 2, 2025

Alas, they’re not the only ones who admire the Dutchman. Bayern Munich are also reportedly big fans of Verbruggen and see him as a potential replacement for one of the best goalkeepers of all time, Manuel Neuer.

Starts

13

14

Clean Sheets

3

4

Save Percentage

68.9%

72.%

Pass Completion

76.6%

75.6%

Whilst Vicario’s recent mistake turned him into public enemy No.1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, his underlying numbers suggest that he’s likely to turn a corner after that moment of madness.

They also suggest that Verbruggen wouldn’t be a major upgrade, despite Fabian Hurzeler’s verdict that the Dutchman is an “unbelievable character”.

The last thing that Spurs need is to waste more funds on those who wouldn’t provide Frank with much-needed upgrades. Unless the Lilywhites find a goalkeeper who is putting up better numbers than Vicario, then they should show faith in their No.1 for at least the remainder of the campaign.

Spurs star is in danger of becoming Dele Alli 2.0 under Thomas Frank

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!