Mikel Merino salvaged a 1-1 draw for Premier League leaders Arsenal, but they will feel like this was two-points dropped against a Chelsea side who were reduced to 10 men after just 38 minutes when Moises Caicedo was sent off. In an extremely feisty London derby that was littered with early yellow cards, it was no real surprise to see a dismissal, with Caicedo seeing red for a brutal tackle on Merino seven minutes before the interval.

It was a big blow to Chelsea, but they dealt with it well and got themselves in front just after half-time when Trevoh Chalobah flicked on Reece James' corner and his header looped over everyone and into the far corner.

Arsenal hit back quickly, however, and got back on level terms when Merino rose to power Bukayo Saka's cross past Robert Sanchez, and you felt at that point the visitors would go on to make their extra man advantage count.

But they struggled to create any clear cut chances and had to settle for a point which keeps them six points clear of the Blues and moved them five clear of second-placed Manchester City.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Stamford Bridge…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

David Raya (6/10):

Got caught out a bit by the free-kick that led to the corner which Chelsea scored from. Didn't have much to do in terms of saves.

Jurrien Timer (7/10):

Class act as always. Amid all the chaos, especially in the first half, he was the one calm head in the Arsenal back four.

Cristhian Mosquera (6/10):

Surprisingly named in the XI due to the training ground injury suffered by William Saliba. Looked edgy on the ball as Chelsea pressed, but never hid and played his part,

Piero Hincapie (6/10):

You could see him trying to talk Mosquera through the game at times. Played the senior defensive role quite well. Almost set up a late winner with his cross into the box. Booked.

Riccardo Calafiori (5/10):

Stupid booking in the first half. Chelsea dealt with him quite well, so he wasn't his usual attacking threat. Replaced by Lewis-Skelly at half-time.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Martin Zubimendi (6/10):

Booked in the opening minutes so was always walking a tightrope. Found very little as was in a constant battle with Enzo.

Declan Rice (7/10):

Probably the one player who showed any consistent quality for Arsenal. Produced one exceptional tackle to deny Neto. 

Eberechi Eze (5/10):

Never really got into the game. Looked frustrated by the constant fouls and stop-start nature of the game.

Getty Images SportAttack

Bukayo Saka (6/10):

Was in and out of the game, but found a moment of real quality when he got to the touchline and picked out a perfect cross for Merino to score.

Mikel Merino (6/10):

Not his best game. His touch and passing range was off at times, but still popped up with a crucial goal.

Gabriel Martinelli (5/10):

Had one shot well saved in the first half. Looked rusty, which is no surprise given this was his first start in well over a month.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Myles Lewis-Skelly (5/10):

On at half-time to replace the booked Calafiori, but picked up a yellow himself almost immediately.

Martin Odegaard (6/10):

Good to see him back. Got involved, but was unable to unpick the lock in the Chelsea defence.

Noni Madueke (6/10):

Booed relentlessly on his return to Chelsea. On the fringes of things. 

Viktor Gyokeres (N/A):

Couldn't get into the game, though did look like he was about to score the winner right at the death, but Timber took Hincapie's cross off his head.

Mikel Arteta (6/10):

It felt like his late attacking changes didn't work. It made the game more open and Arsenal lost any control.

Ultimately, Pakistan’s overnight hope was built on a bed of straw. South Africa did not even need to huff or puff particularly hard to blow the house down. It took them five balls to dismiss an ostensibly back-to-form Babar Azam, nine runs to take four wickets that put the conclusion beyond doubt, and one session to dispatch the paltry 68 they had been set for victory. Along the way, Simon Harmer took six wickets to take his tally to exactly 1000 first-class wickets, becoming the fourth South African to do so.It took South Africa to a thumping eight-wicket series-levelling win, their first in their defence of the World Test Championship title. For Pakistan, it is their first home defeat after winning the toss since they resorted to spin-friendly tracks at home, their recent third innings malaise coming back to haunt them in its full splendour. Babar’s little tickle into the onside off the day’s second ball got him to a first home Test half-century since 2022, but what should have been the bedrock of his innings was instead its culmination point. Three balls later, he stepped back into his crease off a similar, gentle off spinner, but this one kept slightly low, and rapped him just below the knee roll to begin Pakistan’s slide.A superb Harmer kept the pressure on, but there was assistance aplenty from a Pakistan side that immediately began to go to pieces. Harmer gave Rizwan generous flight, who stretched out well beyond his crease try and get to the pitch to defend. Instead, he got an inside edge onto the pad, which looped up to Tony de Zorzi at short leg, and Harmer went to 999.Related

• South Africa are selecting based on character rather than just stats now

• Mahmood bemoans another Pakistan collapse: 'This is not acceptable'

• South Africa prove they can win with spin on the subcontinent

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• Deja Vu for Masood as SA's tail wags and Pakistan's plans unravel

The four-figure dismissal was all about Harmer, though, and a microcosm of what has made him so successful for so long. He went around the wicket to Noman Ali, flighting it well and landing on a sixpence into some of the footmarks the left-arm bowlers have created. It spat up and away from Noman, kissing the outside edge on its way into Kyle Verreynne’s hands. Harmer threw his head up into the sky and let out a roar to rouse any part of Pindi that might still have been asleep.But Pakistan kept hoisting themselves by their own petard. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Agha worked themselves up into calling for a run, taking on Ryan Rickelton who dived forward to effect a direct hit that sent Shaheen on his way, and Pakistan had gone from 105 for 5 to 105 for 8 – yet another middle and lower order collapse in a series they have been sprinkled like confetti.Ryan Rickelton collided with Shaheen Shah Afridi while running him out•AFP/Getty Images

At the other end stood Agha, not so much like a rock of resistance as a young oak waiting to be felled. Maharaj duly did the honours in his first over, the arm ball cutting Agha in half as he chopped back on. Sajid Khan tried to take him on the following over, only to find himself well adrift of his crease for Verreynne to do the honours.Pakistan turned immediately to spin, but there was no intimidating South Africa with a target this shallow. They were off and away with an Aiden Markram mow across the line for four, and Rickelton began to get his kicks in shortly after. Pakistan kept recycling through some combination of their three finger spinners, and South Africa kept putting them away for four, speeding towards the target as lunch approached.Noman got Pakistan the dubious consolation prize of a late couple of wickets when South Africa’s target was in single digits. Markram was trapped in front as he went for another one of his productive sweeps that had fetched him six of his eight fours in the innings, and found Tristan Stubbs’ outside edge for a duck three balls later. But Rickelton made the ignominy official with a whack over long-off for six in the following over.After the previous Test, Pakistan captain Shan Masood had talked about how Pakistan would look to play if they lost the toss to try and stay competitive. South Africa showed they had been listening carefully, and across these four days, executed that plan to perfection.

West Ham United have made an offer to sign a new defender ahead of the January transfer window and have already received a reply.

West Ham defence among worst in the Premier League

So far in the Premier League, the Hammers have had their fair share of defensive issues under both Graham Potter and now Nuno Espirito Santo.

In fact, the Irons are yet to keep a single clean sheet in their opening 11 top flight fixtures, having the second-worst defence in the division after conceding 23 goals.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Only bottom of the table Wolves have let in more (25), with Nuno selecting Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo at centre-back in recent weeks.

Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen was dropped by Potter early into his first season at the London Stadium, with Nuno continuing to use Alphonse Areola in goal.

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This is the dream West Ham starting line-up that Nuno could build in the January window.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 15, 2025

If the Irons are to avoid the drop, then clean sheets and defensive stability will need to be worked on over the coming months, with the January transfer window also giving the club the chance to bring in new faces.

Now, it looks as if those behind the scenes at West Ham have their eyes on a defensive gem and have already submitted a bid.

West Ham make £15m+ bid to sign Tiago Gabriel

According to reports in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, West Ham have made an ‘official offer’ to sign Lecce central defender Tiago Gabriel.

The Hammers’ proposal is thought to be worth €18m (£15.8m), however, this has already been rejected by the Serie A side as they value their 6ft 4 defender at €25m (£22m).

Lecce’s valuation applies to next summer, so it looks as if there is no chance of a January move materialising.

The report adds the 20-year-old has ‘impressed with his on-ground defending and has also been very dominant aerially’, something which can be backed up by FBref as Gabriel ranks in the top 2% of defenders when it comes to aerials won.

Tackles

93rd percentile

Aerials won

98th percentile

Blocks

85th percentile

Clearances

80th percentile

Tackles and interceptions

94th percentile

% of dribblers tackled

99th percentile

Long pass completion

93rd percentile

Also capable of turning out as a right-back if required, Gabriel is under contract at Lecce until 2027, however, both parties have the option to extend that until 2029.

He’s made 11 Serie A appearances in what is proving to be his breakthrough campaign, and by the looks of things, West Ham like what they see.

West Ham flop was compared to Pirlo, now he's "National League standard"

It has been a series of ups and downs for Jaiswal, but with the bat, he managed to end on a high

Sidharth Monga02-Aug-20253:22

Bangar: ‘Jaiswal’s Sehwag-esque impact makes it easier for batters to follow’

A five-Test tour can feel like a lifetime within a life. It can be a selfish existence, even for those working on it on the outside, but more so for cricketers. There is no other responsibility or commitment other than to look after every aspect of your game. Everything else is taken care of for you, which is a privilege, but it takes a huge emotional toll to deal with this constant examination of your game, the variety of conditions and situations, and the vagaries of sport.For Yashasvi Jaiswal more than others, this tour of England has been a lifetime of ups and downs. He started with a dominating century at Headingley, but dropped catches and saw them play a huge role in losing the unloseable Test, was taken out of the cordon, has had the odd spray from the captain for not being on the field, and has also seen the team’s fortunes go up and down.Jaiswal might have got starts but a second big score eluded him till the end. He has tried to do all the right things, he has tried to keep his emotions on an even keel, but he is also an intense person, whose reaction to anything is to go into the nets and face more balls. He does that any break he gets: before the start of play, lunch, tea, between innings or whenever anyone is available to throw balls at him. It must have taken some effort to keep him away from training two days before this match. Or perhaps his family’s presence in London might have helped.Related

• England made to toil amid mishaps of their own making

• Jaiswal hundred, Siraj's late strike make India favourites

• Akash Deep joins nightwatch lore with Oval knock to remember

• Butter-fingered England spill six chances

What must have really freed up Jaiswal’s mind, though, was the nature of the pitch. This was not the kind of pitch where you can battle it out and hope for things to get easier. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley enjoyed success by being attacking. When Jaiswal walked out for his final innings of the series, India were trailing by 23 – only 23, thanks to a big effort from just the three fast bowlers – and needed a big third innings to give themselves hopes of levelling the series in the tour finale.There was an hour and 40 minutes on the second day to go to stumps, so it wasn’t as if India needed to bat time. Jaiswal came out and cut the first ball hard. The sound echoed in the stadium although Duckett denied him any runs. This much was clear, though: Jaiswal was going to look to score off anything remotely loose. He was not going to let the three standing England bowlers settle into any rhythm.Opening in Test cricket is a lot about taking care of many things that can go wrong, and it isn’t always possible to cover them all. Here, Jaiswal was focussing more on what can go right. It was as though he told himself he had done what he could in preparation, and now just needed to trust the universe.Throughout the whole innings, Jaiswal showed an exaggerated return to what has worked for him in the past: both in attitude and with his rituals. His walks to square leg between balls became longer, sometimes ending up in hand-shaking distance of the square-leg umpire. Even at the non-striker’s end, he would walk almost to midwicket between balls, switching off into a world of his own. It was as though his emotions were bubbling up and he wanted to keep them in check. So was his attacking intent, but that he didn’t want to check.Yashasvi Jaiswal brought out his own version of Bazball•Getty ImagesJaiswal’s first six scoring shots were boundaries, the last of those hit so hard that the worst possible result would be a half chance, which burst through the hands of Harry Brook at second slip. The universe was now beginning to look after him. A hook shot later in the evening didn’t stick in Liam Dawson’s hands. If a series is a life, it was coming a full circle. He dropped four at Headingley, and was now the beneficiary of two in a crucial period before stumps on the second day.This innings was not about head position or stance or guard or being in control. This innings was more about trusting his game built on painstaking hard work, about trusting everything will fall in place if he let instinct take over. This was more about his emotions.This innings was also about squaring certain things off, about the circle of life, about collecting receipts. Like Faizal Khan in , Jaiswal was now saying he will avenge dropped catches, low-control innings, and even time-wasting, which he did almost comically by cramping up at the non-striker’s end in what proved to be the last over before lunch. Although it wasn’t necessarily gamesmanship; he has tended to struggle with cramps in a few of his long innings.Jaiswal’s emotions were on an all-time high when he was in his 90s, going off at non-striker Karun Nair for not alerting him to a change in the field and then not running a third that could have got him his hundred. The release of emotion upon reaching the hundred said a lot.Jaiswal has ended his series as he began: a belligerent century to end up with a tally of 411 and an average of 41.10. Top-six batters overall have averaged 48.77 in the series so far; Jaiswal is used to being head and shoulders above his peers in his young career so far. That is probably why he was edgy.A century in challenging conditions should be succour if Jaiswal had been hurting. It is said you don’t become a great cricketer without having at least one bad tour of England. Jaiswal, who clearly aims to end up as a great, hasn’t had a bad tour by any measure, but has had all the extremes in one tour. A whole lifetime’s worth of ups and downs.

Tottenham’s unbeaten Champions League run came to a dramatic end at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night against PSG, but there were positives to take from the thrilling encounter.

The European champions were rocked by Thomas Frank’s plucky Spurs side, who gave Luis Enrique a real nightmare, with PSG mounting two separate comebacks to secure a pulsating 5-3 victory.

Midfielder Vitinha claimed a memorable hat-trick, with PSG having to rely on moments of sheer quality just to overcome the north Londoners in France.

Frank’s men stunned the home side by taking a deserved lead on 35 minutes through Richarlison, who headed home from close range after brilliant build-up play involving youngsters Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. The Brazilian’s opener looked set to give Spurs a halftime advantage, but Vitinha crashed in a spectacular 25-yard equaliser via the crossbar just before the break.

Randal Kolo Muani

8.7

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

8.4

Vitinha

8.4

Willian Pacho

8.1

Joao Neves

8.0

via WhoScored

Tottenham regained their lead five minutes into the second period when Randal Kolo Muani fired home against his parent club, converting the rebound after Gray’s effort was cleared off the line. However, PSG responded immediately with a devastating 13-minute blitz that turned the contest decisively in their favour.

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Vitinha curled home his second goal after being afforded excessive space to cut inside, before Fabian Ruiz completed the turnaround six minutes later following a costly turnover from Pape Matar Sarr outside his own penalty area. William Pacho then extended PSG’s advantage to 4-2 after Tottenham failed to clear Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s corner adequately.

Kolo Muani bundled his way through to drill home his second goal with 18 minutes remaining, briefly offering Spurs hope of salvaging something from the match. Those aspirations were dampened moments later, when Cristian Romero’s handball gifted PSG a penalty, which Vitinha confidently converted to complete his hat-trick and seal all three points.

The loss was Tottenham’s first in nine Champions League matches and leaves them sitting 15th in the league phase standings. Despite showing attacking intent and twice taking the lead, Frank’s young side were ultimately undone by defensive lapses during crucial moments in the second half.

Kolo Muani’s man of the match display against PSG, a club he’s still under contract with, gave Spurs major hope that they could have the answer to their striking problems after all.

The Frenchman, who’s suffered repeated injury setbacks since joining on loan, bagged his first goals for the Lilywhites and proved a real mence against one of the continent’s top sides.

However, Kolo Muani wasn’t Tottenham’s only bright spark on the night.

Thomas Frank praises "very impressive" Archie Gray in Tottenham loss to PSG

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Frank reserved special praise for Gray, who linked up with Bergvall for Spurs’ opening goal of the contest and provided real energy in midfield.

The 19-year-old has spent most of this season out with a calf injury so far, and before that, found it hard to get consistent first-team minutes with Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Bergvall all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Much like last season, Gray responded with a solid performance when called upon last night, and it could be time for the Englishman to earn Frank’s starting nod much more often.

The former Leeds United sensation was given a baptism of fire under Ange Postecoglou last season when asked to play multiple unfamiliar roles during Spurs’ 24/25 injury crisis, and he’s done arguably done enough to earn the club’s favour.

With the 2026 World Cup just round the corner, Gray will be hoping that he can potentially stake his claim in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, but he’ll need Frank’s faith with more game time.

Australia have been inconsistent in ODIs since the last World Cup and are missing some key players for this series

Tristan Lavalette18-Oct-2025Garbed in Australia’s bright new yellow ODI kit, as he leads the team on their first steps towards a title defence at the 2027 World Cup in the absence of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh could not avoid a question he has started to be increasingly asked.Given his outstanding form in white-ball cricket, and injury concerns mounting for the Australia Test team, is Marsh starting to think about the possibility of an unlikely Ashes call-up?”I’ve got tickets to day one and two. Haven’t asked the wife yet, so that’s about as much thought as I’ve given it,” a smirking Marsh said to reporters in his trademark style of completely playing down his chances of resurrecting a Test career that looked over after he was dropped last summer.Related

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The wait for 'Ro-Ko' is over and it's okay to be a bit emotional about it

While it was a humorous way to end the press conference on the eve of Australia’s three-match ODI series against India, it did underline that the Ashes is hovering over basically everything in Australian cricket right now.It has overshadowed the build-up of this series, no mean feat given India’s heft in the sport. While these ODIs and T20Is against India are widely viewed as the entrée ahead of the Ashes, they do have longer-term implications given that there are World Cups in each format over the next couple of years.We’re at the halfway mark in the ODI World Cup cycle, meaning it’s time for teams to start strategising. Australia are in transition in the 50-over format, with several unknowns over their batting order after the retirements of Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.Australia’s batting-order has been weakened further with Josh Inglis, Alex Carey and Cameron Green not playing in the first ODI in Perth. While Carey is currently on Shield duties, Inglis is on the sidelines due a nagging calf injury and Green has been pulled out of the series after suffering a side strain.The developments, of course, have Ashes implications. “He’s okay, it’s on the very, very minor end. It’s a cautious take on it but he’s all good,” Marsh said of his WA team-mate Green.This series is an important opportunity for Matt Short after a run of injuries•AFP/Getty ImagesIt does mean Australia have an opportunity to experiment with batter Matt Renshaw and batting allrounder Mitchell Owen set to make their ODI debuts, while Josh Philippe will take the gloves and play his first ODI in more than four years.After his recent hot run of form at the domestic level, Marnus Labuschagne has been recalled as Green’s replacement but won’t play in the first ODI even though he is making the long journey to Perth to link up with the group.”Across the board in our white-ball teams over the last 12 month, we’ve seen a lot of guys get opportunities, so it always brings excitement to those guys,” Marsh said. “We just have to be really clear on their role and they will enjoy playing cricket for Australia.”A golden opportunity is likely to be presented to Matt Short, who has been on the verge of Australia’s white-ball sides but inconsistencies and, of late, injuries have proven hurdles.Short has thrived at the top of the order in domestic white-ball cricket, but will likely have to settle at No. 3 with Marsh and Head having established such a dynamic opening partnership.”We know he opens for Victoria and Strikers and in T20 cricket around the world,” Marsh said of Short, who has opened the batting in 11 of his 13 ODI innings. “But we see no difference opening the batting and No.3. We’re comfortable with him batting there.”After missing the South Africa series with concussion, Mitch Owen will get a chance in ODIs•AFP/Getty ImagesAustralia’s form has been patchy since their 2023 World Cup triumph, having most recently lost to South Africa 2-1 in northern Queensland in August, a time of year where little attention is on cricket.There will be considerably more spotlight on this India series and it feels very much like Australia will now start ramping things up in cricket’s middle format.Australia will face a tough test against top-ranked India, similarly in transition under new captain Shubman Gill but still boasting Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.”Had the privilege of playing against them quite a lot over the journey,” Marsh said of Kohli and Rohit. “They’re obviously legends of the game, Virat is the greatest chaser ever in this format. I think you can see by the ticket sales that a lot of people want to come and watch them.”More than 50,000 fans are expected at Optus Stadium, a nod to the pulling power of India but also indicative of Ashes fever in the air in a city that will host the first Test in just five weeks.”To see the stadium packed out against India, it’s going to be a great experience for our group,” Marsh said. “I believe it’s going to be a high scoring affair, but getting through the first 10 overs for both teams will be a challenge and maybe where the game’s won and lost.”

Manchester United have been told that they could sign a long-term target for a much smaller fee than has been mooted ahead of the January transfer window. The Red Devils were able to sign coveted players such as Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko this summer but their hunt for a central midfielder goes on. Now, one agent has claimed that a certain target could be available for no more than €40 million (£35m/$46m).

• Man Utd eye midfield maestro

  In 2025, United have been linked with Atalanta midfielder Ederson as they try and solve their problems in the centre of the park. The 26-year-old, who can play in defensive midfield, in the centre, and further forward, has been watched by a number of top teams, including Liverpool, but for now, he remains with the Serie A side. In the past, reports have suggested he could cost up to €80m (£70m), but that is said to have put off potential suitors. Now, however, Brazilian agent Andre Cury thinks he could be available for less than half of that.

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• Getty Images
  

  'A spectacular player'

  Agent Cury, who represents Ederson and also Chelsea's Estevao, has suggested that the ex-Cruzeiro man will be available in 2026 for a cut-price fee as his contract expires the following year. He also said the Brazilian is a "spectacular" player.

  He told Cadena SER: "Atalanta were asking for a lot of money, between €60m and €75m. He’s close to the end of his contract, they could even lower his price by half, to between €30m and €40m, but he’s a spectacular player with some of the best stats in Europe for his position."

• Agent talks up Barcelona move

  Ederson's representative appears to be drumming up interest for his player as he believes the midfielder would fit in nicely at Barcelona, a team the former Corinthians player has also been linked with.

  Cury added: "A player I think could adapt very well to Barça’s system, contributing a lot of physicality and stamina, is Ederson, who plays for Atalanta. It’s an opportunity because his contract is expiring. Atalanta hasn’t wanted to sell him despite receiving very high offers. I think they’ll complete the transfer in this winter or summer window."

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  What comes next for Ederson?

  Going by his agent's comments, it seems that Ederson, who has played 151 times for the Italian top-flight team and scored 14 goals, could be on the move in 2026. But whether United, Liverpool, Barcelona, or anyone else signs him, remains to be seen. The player himself will have an eye on making Brazil's World Cup squad so his future may only be settled after that tournament finishes next summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action in the Premier League this weekend as they prepare to welcome London rivals Fulham to North London on Saturday night.

Spurs are looking to bounce back from successive defeats to Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in their last two games, losing 5-3 to the French giants in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Lilywhites have not won in the Premier League since they beat Everton 3-0 at the end of October, with one win in six in all competitions since, which is why it is so important for Thomas Frank’s team to win this weekend.

They will have to get one over Fulham in order to do so, though, and it is a club that they have many connections to through players who have played for both.

Ranking Fulham players who have played for Spurs since 2010

Counting all players who played for Spurs since 2010, there have been ten players who either played for Fulham before or after their time in North London.

Perhaps most notably, given that Dimitar Berbatov left Tottenham in 2008, is central midfielder Mousa Dembele, who played 240 matches for Spurs between 2012 and 2018, after signing directly from the Cottagers.

1

Mousa Dembele

2

Scott Parker

3

Clint Dempsey

4

Joao Palhinha

5

Carlos Vinicius

6

Lewis Holtby

7

Paulo Gazzaniga

8

Manor Solomon

9

Josh Onomah

10

Ryan Fredericks

As you can see in the table above, academy players like Ryan Fredericks and Josh Onomah rank at the bottom, with several less notable Spurs players before the top four.

It is hard to say anyone other than Dembele should be at the top, given that the Belgian star, renowned for his ability on the ball, is the only player on the list to play more than 100 games for the club, with 240, per FBref.

He was once ‘irreplaceable’ for Spurs, as shown in the post above from 2018, and Frank can unearth his own version of the midfielder by playing Lucas Bergvall on Saturday night.

Why Lucas Bergvall could be Tottenham's next Mousa Dembele

One of Dembele’s most notable attributes during his time with Spurs was his dribbling. Speaking about his former international teammate, Youri Tielemans once said: “His dribbling was amazing, you just couldn’t take the ball off him.”

Chalkboard

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

He was brilliant at carrying the ball up the pitch from the middle of the park, and Bergvall is a central midfielder who can offer similar qualities for Spurs in the present day.

Per FBref, the Sweden international ranks within the top 9% of his positional peers in the Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for progressive carries per 90 (2.30) and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90 (1.55).

This shows that he is one of the most productive dribblers among central midfielders in Europe, which is why he could develop into being Frank’s own version of Dembele in the middle of the park.

Bergvall, like the Belgian, does not carry a huge goal threat, having scored once in the Premier League this season, but he can get the team up the pitch with his ability to drive forward with the ball at his feet.

The Swedish star, who was dubbed a “generational talent” by the club’s head of scouting Rob Mackenzie, started as part of a box midfield against PSG earlier this week, but playing further up the pitch ahead of Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur restricted how much he could drive from deep.

Therefore, unleashing him in a midfield three against Fulham on Saturday could allow him to provide supporters of both teams with a reminder of a player who once starred for them.

Own Kvaratskhelia: Spurs could see £50m bid accepted for PL "superstar"

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ByDan Emery Nov 28, 2025

Bergvall only attempted one dribble, which he completed, against PSG, and playing him further back on the pitch to use as a threat in transition could help Spurs to win their first Premier League game of the month this weekend.

Ashes hopeful Marcus Harris was run out for 61 as Victoria reached 167 for 3 following South Australia’s 350 for 9 declared

AAP05-Oct-2025Marcus Harris looked set for a statement pre-Ashes innings before a sharp piece of fielding left the Victoria No.3 kicking himself at a missed opportunity on day two of the Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia at Adelaide Oval.The match was evenly poised when bad light stopped play late on Sunday afternoon, with Victoria 167 for 3 after SA declared at 350 for 9.Harris had been patient, compiling 61 from 149 balls and hitting three fours as he tries to force his way back into the Australian Test team for the Ashes. Peter Handscomb then called for a quick single after pushing into the covers.Daniel Drew pounced and his excellent direct hit caught Harris centimeters short of his ground at the striker’s end after Harris slightly veered his run and failed to stretch or dive with both options likely to have saved him.Handscomb was looking set at stumps on 38 and Oliver Peake finished unbeaten on 11.SA made the perfect start with the ball when Wes Agar had promising opener Campbell Kellaway caught at first slip for a second-ball duck.But Harris and Blake Macdonald then settled in for a 93-run stand. Macdonald was dismissed when looking set, caught behind for 45 when he chased a wide Lloyd Pope delivery.Earlier, the home side resumed on Sunday morning at 270 for 3 and Test quick Scott Boland eventually broke up the partnership between Henry Hunt and Jake Lehmann that had dominated the opening day.They added another six runs for a stand of 218 before Boland had Hunt caught behind for 126 from 307 balls.Boland also claimed Lehmann as the sixth wicket for 113 off 188 deliveries with Handscomb taking a sharp chance at second slip.Mitchell Perry took another wicket on Sunday to finish with 4 for 75, while Boland and Doug Warren snared two wickets apiece.South Australia No.8 Hanno Jacobs scored 41 from 52 balls on his Shield debut for South Australia, which included two fours and a six.

Phillies fans weren't having it after watching their team get dominated by the Dodgers for two games of the National League Division Series.

On Monday night, Philadelphia fell to Los Angeles 4-3 after losing Game 1 by a score of 5-3 on Saturday. Things got so bad for the Philly faithful that they actually booed their own closer.

The Phillies trailed the Dodgers 4-1 entering the top of the ninth inning, and Jhoan Duran came out to his closer entrance, which features the stadium lights going off, flames, etc. It’s an entrance that exudes confidence and a sense of inevitability when Duran is entering a game with the lead and looking to close out a win. When his job is “keep the deficit to three runs,” the pyro is far less endearing.

The team's fans were not impressed or enthused, and booed as he entered the game.

Video is below.

That's rough.

Duran did his job. He allowed a double and a walk, but got out of the frame without allowing a run.

Philadelphia mounted a ninth-inning comeback, as Alec Bohm singled to lead off the inning, then J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos followed with doubles to cut L.A.'s lead to 4-3.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson then called for Bryson Stott to bunt Castellanos over, but the veteran outfielder was thrown out going to third. Harrison Bader followed with a single, but Max Kepler and Trea Turner authored back-to-back groundouts to end the game with the tying and go-ahead runs on base.

One of MLB's best home-field advantages has now been squandered. The Phillies were 55-26 at home this season, and they lost the first two NLDS games in their own park. Now they'll have to win each of the next three games to advance. That's a tall order when facing the defending World Series champs.