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There is no getting away from it: Tottenham Hotspur’s start to the Premier League season has been nothing short of a disaster.

In four games, Ange Postecoglou’s side have picked up just four points thanks to a draw away to newly promoted Leicester City and a win at home to bottom-of-the-table Everton.

Worse yet, the Australian oversaw his second home defeat in a row to fierce rivals Arsenal on Sunday, despite the Gunners missing two of their best players in Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

There were several poor performers on the day for the Lilywhites, and while Cristian Romero has received plenty of warranted flak for his part in the Gunners’ goal, ushered away from proceedings by Gabriel and leaving the Brazilian unmarked, there’s another key starter who looked anonymous for 95 minutes.

Son Heung-min's game vs Arsenal

Yes, while Son Heung-min wasn’t directly at fault for the only goal in the game like the Argentine defender was, he was partly to blame for his side’s blunt attacking display.

Now, the club captain didn’t make any glaring errors in the game, but he didn’t produce any moments of magic or even many genuine chances for his teammates either, which resulted in a rather tepid performance in what should be one of the most exciting games of the season.

This is a sentiment shared by football.london’s Alasdair Gold, who gave the South Korean superstar – and Romero for that matter – a 5/10 on the day, writing that while he ‘teed up Kulusevski for an early chance’ he ultimately ‘struggled to make an impact.’

While potentially harsh, Gold’s assessment of the 32-year-old’s game is corroborated by his statistics, as in his 95 minutes on the pitch, he amassed an expected assists figure of 0.13 and an expected goals figure of 0.02, failed in 50% of his dribbles, played a single key pass, lost the ball ten times and was offside once.

So, while he wasn’t at fault for the goals, he offered practically nothing going forward, so for that reason, and because his minutes should be managed more this season, he should be dropped to the bench for Wednesday’s League Cup game against Coventry City.

Why Wilson Odobert should replace Son

So, Spurs have several wingers at their disposal who could come in for Son off the left, but Ange should look to give Wilson Odobert his third start of the season on Wednesday night.

Now, like most of his teammates, the young Frenchman has been somewhat underwhelming in attack this season and has failed to score or assist a goal, but he should be given time to adjust to the system, and even though he couldn’t make it count on Sunday, he injected some much-needed energy into his side.

Moreover, thanks to his time with Burnley last year, we know what he can do when given a run of games.

Appearances

33

Goals

4

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.21

For example, despite still being just 18 years old at the start of the 23/24 campaign, the Meaux-born gem was able to score four goals and provide three assists in 33 appearances, which is undeniably impressive considering the Clarets’ form and suggests that in a top side, he might be capable of so much more.

Lastly, if the North Londoners are serious about going far in every competition this year, they will need to manage their first team stars and make use of their squad. So, even though Coventry are a talented team, the former Burnley ace and his fellow prospects like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall should have it in them to get a result against a Championship side.

Ultimately, Romero and his fellow defenders might have been at fault for the goal on Sunday, but Son offered very little going forward, so he should be dropped to allow Odobert the chance to open his Spurs account on Wednesday.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Ange must now drop Spurs ace after 5/10 display

Tottenham suffered yet another defeat to their bitter rivals, Arsenal.

ByMatt Dawson Sep 16, 2024

Cole Palmer donned a balaclava to remain hidden while on a date with girlfriend Connie Grace at London's Winter Wonderland.

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Palmer covered while on date with GraceDonned balaclava and hoodDay off spent at Winter WonderlandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 22-year-old Chelsea star sported a balaclava and hood and paired them up with a puffy jacket as he went out on date night at Winter Wonderland in central London with his beautician girlfriend Connie Grace. Palmer was covered top to bottom on the cold winter night as only his eyes were visible.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE GOSSIP

report that the couple enjoyed a fun date as they went on several thrill rides and rollercoasters. The England international was spotted ducking his head down low and enjoying some arcade games.

DID YOU KNOW?

After a sensational debut outing at Stamford Bridge last season, the youngster continues to dazzle donning the Chelsea shirt. In the 2024-25 campaign, he has scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 18 appearances.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Enzo Maresca's side will be back in action on Thursday as they take on Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League before facing Everton in a Premier League clash on Sunday. Palmer will not feature against Shamrock after being left out of the Blues' European squad.

Manchester United are working on a deal to sign another new face for Erik ten Hag this summer and could be set to thrash out a loan move to bring him to Old Trafford.

Potential busy end to summer for Ten Hag and Man Utd

With the Premier League now back underway, Manchester United are not yet ready to compete according to manager Erik ten Hag. Ahead of the clash with Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday, the Dutch manager admitted as much.

"The team is not ready but the league starts. There are more managers who definitely have this problem but we have to make a start. We can't hide from it. We can't run away from it. We have to deal with it."

They have signed four players this summer, but United fans were only treated to the sight of three of them in the opening night win, with Leny Yoro expected to be sidelined until November with a foot injury.

Nonetheless, they will have been encouraged by what they saw, with Joshua Zirkzee coming off the bench to net the winning goal three minutes from time, while defender Noussair Mazraoui looked solid and dependable.

But with the final days of the transfer window approaching, there is still a lot to do at Old Trafford. The futures of Jadon Sancho, Scott McTominay, Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen remain unclear amid speculation linking them with moves away.

Meanwhile, United are keen to add a midfielder to their ranks before the deadline on August 30th. Now, they may be set to make some progress on that front.

Man Utd in talks over loan move for midfielder

That comes as Fabrizio Romano reports that the Red Devils are locked in talks with PSG over a move for Manuel Ugarte, but that they are now exploring a loan move with an obligation to buy the player in 12 months' time.

Man Utd chiefs open talks to sell £60,000-a-week ace Ten Hag wants to keep

A bid is expected soon.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 19, 2024

It comes with the French side yet to compromise on their £51m asking price for the midfielder, who only arrived in Paris 12 months ago, penning a five-year deal worth £102,000-a-week at the Parc des Princes.

But now, he looks set to leave after being left out of their squad for the Ligue 1 opener last weekend and has his heart set on Manchester United. Romano adds that Ugarte is "pushing a lot" to make the move happen, having already agreed personal terms over a move to Old Trafford earlier this summer.

How Ugarte compares to Casemiro (domestic league 23/24)

FBref

Manuel Ugarte

Casemiro

Appearances

25

25

Tackles and interceptions per 90

6.42

4.59

Clearances

1.16

3.23

Pass accuracy

91.2%

81.8%

Fouls committed per 90

2.14

1.36

Yellow Cards

5

7

Ugarte's arrival could be complicated should McTominay stay at the club though, with a move to Fulham having collapsed and the Cottagers now set to sign one-time Manchester United target Sander Berge instead.

But should a loan move for Ugarte work, it would allow the Red Devils more financial fair play flexibility, with the permanent move not coming into effect for another 12 months.

Sunzamul Islam’s record-breaking 10 for 33 and Player-of-the-Match Taijul Islam’s eight wickets sent Barisal Division crashing to an innings-and-nine-run defeat before lunch on the second day of their National Cricket League match against Rajshahi Division in Savar on Tuesday. Barisal were bowled out for 82 and 60, after electing to bat first, while Rajshahi managed to put up 151 in their only hit as they went on to record their first win of the season.Stat highlights

• Barisal’s match aggregate of 142 runs is the lowest for a team in a match in Bangladesh’s first-class history. The record had stood in the name of BCB Academy, who had scored a total of 167 runs against the visiting Zimbabweans in 2009. In the Bangladesh domestic circuit, Chittagong Division’s 180 against Rajshahi in 2011 was the previous lowest.
• Sunzamul’s 10 for 33 is the most economical haul of ten or more wickets in Bangladesh’s first-class history, topping the earlier mark by Ruyel Miah of Sylhet Division, from two seasons ago – Miah had 13 for 65 against Chittagong.

Barisal’s collapse on the second morning – they began the day on 23 for 1 and got to 53 for 2 – was dramatic, as they lost their last eight wickets for only seven runs in 10.3 overs. The wickets were shared between Sunzamul and Taijul – the former taking 6 for 15, to go with his 4 for 18 in the first innings, and the latter picking up 4 for 23 for a match haul of 8 for 62.Despite the ten-for, Sunzamul didn’t get the match award as Taijul’s 37 from 42 balls – from No. 10 – in a moderate batting effort by his team made a difference to the outcome of the game.The day started with Sunzamul removing nightwatchman Kamrul Islam Rabbi in the ninth over of the morning. At that stage, Barisal looked set to catch up with Rajshahi’s 69-run lead, but then Sunzamul bowled Moinul Islam Sohel for 28, and that triggered the slide. Captain Fazle Rabbi, Salman Hossain, Sohag Gazi and Tanvir Islam all fell to Sunzamul, and Taijul accounted for the rest.In their batting innings, Rajshahi were well served by Tanzid Hasan, the opener, and Junaid Siddique, the No. 3 batsman, apart from Taijul. Hasan scored a run-a-ball 36 with five fours and a six, while Siddique hit 43 in close to two-and-a-half hours – that was the best individual score in the match. Gazi picked up 6 for 65, his first five-wicket haul in three seasons.

GOAL US writers discuss takeaways from U.S. beating Jamaica, and look ahead to Milan-Juventus and MLS conference semifinals

Mauricio Pochettino got the job done in his first duo of competitive fixtures for the USMNT, with his side running out 5-2 aggregate winners over Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals. It wasn't always perfect, but these are the early days in the Pochettino era, and there's a real buzz building around this team. It all feels like there's more to come.

But that won't happen until the semifinals in March, so for USMNT players, it's time again to turn the attention to the club season – with a chaotic Christmas period in sight. That means it's a full sprint for plenty of U.S. stars on the European front, with a blockbuster Milan-Juventus match kicking everything off in full on Saturday. And domestically, MLS playoffs are heating up. Lionel Messi's Inter Miami may be out – and their coach out of a job – but there are still storylines aplenty as the conference semifinals kick off this weekend.

Chaos, then, is expected, with the calendar as frantic as ever. GOAL US writersbreak it all down in the latest edition of… The Rondo.

GettyWhat's the key takeaway from USMNT beating Jamaica?

Tom Hindle: That something is forming here! Let's be honest, it's Jamaica. Sure, there are some Premier League talents here, but when Leon Bailey – he of zero goals this year – is your biggest threat, then you're really not all that. So, the USMNT had no excuses to win against the Reggae Boyz. It wasn't always super sexy, but there's a buzz around the side, and they took care of business. New gaffer, new vibes, new setup. Nothing revolutionary, but a decent start nonetheless.

Jacob Schneider: Pochettino has a system and the players are bought in. Simply put, that's the takeaway. Singularly, was very impressed with Tanner Tessmann. Talks of Spurs wanting to sign Johnny Cardoso make sense, but come next summer, the Lyon man might be the one teams regret not pursuing.

Ryan Tolmich: The USMNT finally has a competitor for Tyler Adams. After several years of really struggling to find another midfield to do that dirty work, Tanner Tessmann shined in that role against Jamaica, putting in two performances that will change the narrative around him. It remains to be seen how he would do against the elite, and Adams has proven he can do it at that level, which is why he's still the guy. For now. Even so, Tessmann is in the mix, having all but secured his spot in the USMNT squad going forward.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHas Pochettino already implemented his style of play?

TH: Yes, but not in the way we all thought. There are a lot of modern tactical ideas on display here: heavy rotations, smart use of space, inverted full backs and such. That was all expected. Defensively, though, things have been a little more unpredictable. That ferocious high press we all expected after a couple of reasonably intense training sessions isn't really there, with the USMNT playing it a little safer than the wider world assumed. Otherwise, this looks a bit like a Poch team, which is cool. Bring on the bigger games.

JS: Absolutely. It was explained when he lined up Tim Weah on the left due to "ocular reasons" – what does that even mean? We don't know, but it absolutely worked out. Factor in the pressing changes, the two central defenders overlapping each other's movement in the box – the signs are all there, and they're all impressive.

RT: Absolutely. This most recent game, beating Jamaica 4-2 in St. Louis after winning the first leg in Kingston, felt like his true arrival. That's the moment in which his ideas really started to take hold. The tactical tweaks, the style of play, the quality on display – this was Pochettino shining through. The U.S. attempted five shots after a build-up of at least 10 passes – that highlights the patterns of play that were on display. It's all a work in progress, but you can see the vision. Now, it's about continuing to execute on that vision.

Getty Images SportWhat's your prediction for Juventus-Milan?

TH: It's a really tough one to call. If it wasn't at San Siro, you'd say Juventus really should win this thing. They're a better and deeper side, while Milan have been maddeningly inconsistent. But the home field advantage could really count for something, especially if Milan grab an early goal, or put the pressure on. Let's be boring, say it's some sort of 1-1 draw – with a goal from Christian Pulisic for

JS: Pulisic will be the best attacker on the field, but will sport the best team. Juventus will take the match 3-1, with a brace from Dusan Vlahovic and a third from Manuel Locatelli off a set piece, while Christian will bag Milan's lone effort.

RT: Serie A is wide open, so whoever win this may look back at it as the moment their season changed. Same for the loser, too, particularly if it's Milan, who clearly need this more than their black-and-white counterparts. Because of that, Pulisic and Milan should be up for it, so we'll go with a 2-1 win at home that keeps them in the Scudetto picture.

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Getty Images SportWith Miami out, who will be MLS Conference finalists?

TH: In the East, let's go with Atlanta-NYCFC. The Five Stripes knocked Miami out and it was all very fun, and they might just have the tools to go a little further here. Sure, Orlando is a different kind of opponent, but if Atlanta set up to hit on the break – and get another top showing from Brad Guzan – then things might just happen. As for the West, it'll be the two LA teams. Minnesota are playing some good stuff at the moment, but the Galaxy are just far too good going forward. LAFC, meanwhile, are pretty well balanced. And if Olivier Giroud remembers how to play football again, they will be MLS Cup faves.

JS: The Sounders will beat LAFC, and the Galaxy will defeat Minnesota FC in the West. In the East, Orlando will fall to Atlanta while NYCFC will best the Red Bulls in the Hudson River Derby. However, you have to worry that the Galaxy are too cocky after Round One, and if Atlanta's magic will wear off after knocking out Messi.

RT: In the West, this is all teeing up for El Trafico, which would be one of the wildest conference finals this league can put on. Both Seattle and Minnesota have the ability to play spoiler, but it really does seem as if it's Los Angeles' year – we'll just have to find out which side of LA. In the East, Atlanta has real "Team of Destiny" vibes, so we'll move them past Orlando. And, in the Hudson River Derby, anything can happen, so we'll take NYCFC due to home-field advantage.

Wayne Rooney aimed a cheeky dig at Leeds fans who targeted him with "sacked in the morning" chants during Plymouth's 3-0 defeat at Elland Road.

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• Plymouth struggling under Rooney
• Remain goalless in seven of their last eight away matches
• Faced 'sack' chants from fans at Leeds

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  It marked another tough visit for the former England captain, who had also faced similar chants at this ground on New Year's Day when his Birmingham squad were thrashed by the Whites. And indeed, Rooney was shown the door the next day by the Blues.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Although Rooney continues to be at the helm at Plymouth for the time being, the game exposed their struggles in every department. From the opening whistle, Leeds appeared to be in total control, ending the game with approximately 80 per cent possession. Plymouth's players struggled to make a dent in the action, recording no shots on target throughout the match, which further highlights the plight of Rooney's men.

• WHAT ROONEY SAID

  On the back of a comfortable victory, Leeds fans reportedly chanted 'sacked in the morning’ around Elland Road. Shades of last season when Birmingham were torn apart and Rooney was axed a few days later.

  However, Rooney later dismissed the chants, remarking with a smile, "I didn’t hear anything, maybe they can sing a bit louder."

  The cheeky response highlighted his experience with hecklers and his ability to brush off crowd criticism, even in the face of what proved to be a rough afternoon for his side.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Plymouth's defeat at Elland Road continued a troubling trend, especially when it comes to their away-game performances. They have now failed to score in seven out of their eight away fixtures this season, underscoring their struggle to find consistent form on the road. With this loss, Plymouth slid into the relegation zone, moving down by goal difference following Luton's 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion.

With their deal to sign Joshua Zirkzee seemingly edging closer and closer, Manchester United have now reportedly held internal talks about welcoming another attacking addition this summer.

Man Utd transfer news

Even without an official new signing through the door as of yet, Manchester United have been stealing the headlines in recent weeks for their potential transfer business. The Red Devils have been linked with both Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt in recent weeks and both players have reportedly given the green light to complete moves to Old Trafford once an agreement is reached with their respective clubs.

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This would be a colossal statement of intent from INEOS.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 9, 2024

They are two Dutchmen some United fans may get the chance to see up close in England's Euro 2024 semi-final clash against the Netherlands if they feature, while their interest shows that those at Old Trafford certainly aren't messing around this summer. Zirkzee, in particular, has the potential to become an important player under Erik ten Hag, who must ensure that his attack is revived ahead of next season.

Too often in the last campaign, the Manchester United manager was left watching a disjointed frontline unable to show any signs of threatening, even against those in the Premier League's bottom half. Now, however, he looks likely to welcome Zirkzee to help boost that attack – and he may even get one more forward through the door.

According to The Athletic, Manchester United have held internal discussions about signing Ivan Toney from Brentford this summer. The England international has been tipped to leave the Bees for some time and may now finally get his move.

That said, it remains to be seen just how much Brentford demand for their forward, who was once reportedly valued at £100m. Whether United are in a position to spend such money if that remains their asking price is currently unknown, especially after potential deals for Zirkzee and De Ligt.

"Amazing" Toney would become Man Utd star

Manchester United's recent history of big-money signings suggests that they ought to be more careful in the transfer market, but Toney is not one they should need to worry about flopping if they push for a deal this summer. The Brentford star is rarely fazed, as proved by his ice-cold penalty in England's recent shootout win against Switzerland. And a move to Manchester United could only likely take his rise to stardom to another level next season.

However, Thomas Frank may not be too keen to lose his star striker, having previously told the official Brentford website: "Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects.

"He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member. Ivan trains well and he’s clearly the number two striker in England, that’s proven by his goals and performances."