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With eight wickets in the T20I series, Glenn is the joint-leading wicket-taker with fellow spinner Sophie Ecclestone

Valkerie Baynes14-Jul-20240:54

Glenn: We’ve shifted to a resilient, aggressive style without forcing it

It seems whenever the England men’s football team play a big match, Sarah Glenn brings her A game.In England Women’s opening T20I against New Zealand, the footballers were about half an hour into their Euro 2024 clash with Switzerland – which England won on penalties to reach the semi-final – when Glenn walked off the field at Southampton with a crucial 3 for 16 to her name as the hosts went 1-0 up in the five-match series.On Saturday, some 24 hours before England face Spain in the Euro final, she sat in the post-match press conference at The Oval with 4 for 19 from yet another victory over New Zealand, who go into Wednesday’s fixture at Lord’s with one last chance to return home with a solitary win from eight matches.Glenn is the joint-leading wicket-taker in the T20I leg of New Zealand’s visit with fellow England spinner Sophie Ecclestone. Glenn has eight wickets at a better average of 6.87, and her economy rate of 4.34 is the best across both teams. Charlie Dean, the other prong to England’s enviable spin trio, was rested on Saturday as part of her side’s rotation policy throughout this series, but Glenn and Ecclestone – six of New Zealand’s eight wickets fell between them – had it covered.Ecclestone and Glenn are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the ICC’s T20I bowling rankings and Dean is at No. 8. Ecclestone has held the top spot since February 2020 but England now find themselves in a position where they have enough players in form with bat and ball to experiment ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October.That is a testament to the depth they have been building, which appears to be peaking at the right time. It was only in May, after two home white-ball series against Pakistan that ended in victory for England but lacked the ruthlessness they have shown against New Zealand, that England head coach Jon Lewis suggested his squad faced a challenge keeping up with the standards of big stars Ecclestone and Nat Sciver-Brunt.Suzie Bates leaves the field after being bowled by Sophie Ecclestone on Saturday•Getty Images”Everyone’s performing at some point,” Glenn said. “I feel like we’re not kind of relying on big names anymore. Everyone has taken their turn to step up and I think that’s so exciting, especially the young ones and every single player. You could pick any XI at the moment, from not just this squad but also back into the regional teams. Everyone’s performing really, really well and pushing for their place. It’s really exciting.”New Zealand’s reliance on big names – Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr – has left them looking toothless on this tour. That was emphasised by the fact that the closest they have got to beating England was when Devine reached a first half-century for any of those three in the T20Is with 58 in the third game in Canterbury. There, England won by six wickets with just four balls remaining after Alice Capsey’s 67 not out.In both of Glenn’s pivotal performances, she has claimed wickets in clusters. She took three in an over in Southampton and had two double-wicket overs on Saturday. She bowled Georgia Plimmer with a straight delivery that crashed into middle stump, then sent down a half-tracker that Amelia Kerr slapped straight to Capsey at midwicket, a dismissal Glenn admitted she would take but wasn’t keen to see on replay.Glenn also bowled Jess Kerr and had Maddy Green caught at mid-on, the latter saying: “They’re a world-class spin attack and Sarah has been able to come in and change the game. Unfortunately, we haven’t played it very well. She’s bowling well and we need to be at our best to compete with the likes of Sarah Glenn and their spin attack. We just weren’t at that today unfortunately and that sort of swung the momentum of our innings pretty crucially.”Against the backdrop of a football game that will grip the country on Sunday night, Glenn was asked how she prepares for big occasions.”I think it’s just that balance of switching on and switching off,” she said. “We set meetings to chat through fields or certain batters on their team, for example, so we put those in place just to have those chats and clear our heads before the game. And then in between that, switch off. We’re in the changeroom, got the tunes on, chatting a lot of rubbish, to be honest. It’s just that real balance of being really clear on what we want to do before and giving ourselves the best chance to win, but also enjoying it and playing with a smile on our face.”For the record, Ecclestone is the dressing room DJ, and Glenn believes “it absolutely is” when asked, “Is it coming home?” That makes sense, given that the team bus has had “It’s coming home” written in lights above the windscreen, where the destination would normally show. Even though this series hasn’t produced a big-game occasion – despite a healthy crowd at The Oval playing their part – soon enough England will be preparing for just that, and hoping the destination is the same.

The opener scored his maiden ODI fifty in only his second game to rescue New Zealand from a perilous 0 for 2

Deivarayan Muthu13-Jul-2022Finn Allen’s T20 strike rate of 178.92 is the best among batters who have played at least 50 innings in the format. That strike rate jumps up to 186.54 in the powerplay, and this ability to dash out of the blocks earned him an IPL gig with Royal Challengers Bangalore even before he had made his international debut for New Zealand.Allen has since broken into the Vitality T20 Blast and The Hundred as well, his rise somewhat highlighting the changing landscape of cricket. But while he’s hot property in the T20 world, does he have the range of skills to succeed in 50-overs cricket? On Tuesday, Allen was asked that question during New Zealand’s second ODI against Ireland, on a Malahide pitch that was two-paced, offering assistance to both seamers and spinners, with the overnight and early-morning rains juicing it up even further.Related

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After Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy swung the ball prodigiously in the powerplay in the afternoon, it was Mark Adair’s turn to let it rip later in the evening in Ireland’s defence of 216. Adair yorked Martin Guptill first ball and then breached Will Young’s defences with a sharp inducker. New Zealand were 0 for 2 in two balls, and The Village raised itself in a massive roar.In the early exchanges, Allen looked to bash his way out of trouble, like he often does at the Basin Reserve for Wellington Firebirds in the Super Smash. He dashed out of the crease to Craig Young but almost yorked himself in the process. He swung hard at a pull against Adair and almost ended up dragging it back onto his off stump. Soon after, he wound up for a lusty leg-side slog against Adair but missed the line.But once he had sussed out the conditions, and when the ball stopped swinging, Allen’s natural game came to the fore. Adair erred too full in the ninth over, and Allen walloped him for 6,4,4,4. Having scored just 6 off 18 balls at one stage, Allen charged to a 47-ball half-century, his first in ODIs, coming in just his second game. His 101-run third-wicket partnership with captain Tom Latham was central to New Zealand chasing down their target and wrapping up the three-ODI series with one game to go.”I supposed I recognised that it wasn’t easy early on” Allen told NZC’s in-house media team after the game. “Me and Tommy had good comms. We kept each other in it and kept reiterating to trust our base and just go from there. There’s lot more time than we realise at times in 50-over cricket, so it was nice to just sit in and bat with him and spend a bit of time in the middle and once we sort of got one away, we became a bit more free-flowing, which is nice.”Tom Latham and Finn Allen added 101 after getting together at 0 for 2•Sportsfile/Getty ImagesAllen has played just 29 List A games so far, including his two ODIs, and and has an average of 27.96 to go with a strike rate of 108.71. As the first of those numbers might suggest, he’s still learning to adjust to the pace and pattern of play of 50-overs cricket.”Obviously having Tommy there… It helped a lot in talking with him but for me I’m still figuring out the pace at which I want to go about my one-day cricket and sometimes on those wickets, you have to sit in and realise that they’re bowling well and get through that,” Allen said. “We still finished the powerplay on 56, I guess, so we came out of it nicely.”Just recognising that there are tough periods in the game that you’ve to get through and once you get through that, you’re kind of set in a way. So, yeah, a lot of learnings for me today and obviously, as I said, nice to spend time with Tommy out there today.”New Zealand will be particularly pleased that Allen could adapt on a difficult pitch against a promising Ireland attack. They had to rejig their batting line-up to accommodate Allen at the top, with Henry Nicholls dropping down to the middle order. Allen’s inclusion could potentially allow New Zealand to use their accidental T20 opener Daryl Mitchell as a finisher alongside Michael Bracewell in white-ball cricket.Allen, who plays under Bracewell’s captaincy at Firebirds, wasn’t surprised by the allrounder’s brilliance in Ireland. After securing an unlikely victory with his maiden ODI century in the series opener, Bracewell took 2 for 26 and made an unbeaten 42 off 40 balls in the second match. His figures on Tuesday were the most-economical ten-over spell by a New Zealand spinner since Daniel Vettori’s 4 for 18 against Afghanistan in Napier during the 2015 World Cup.”The Beast [Bracewell] was challenging the bat the whole innings and the whole time he was bowling,” Allen said. “It was also really good to see him get the rewards for that and his batting has been pretty outstanding as well.”He’s done exactly what he’s been doing in domestic cricket out here [in international cricket] and showing everyone what he can do. That guy has got ice in his veins and he backs himself 100%. He’s got really good options that he’s taking and he’s just executing really well. So it’s so good to see such an awesome guy and everyone back home is pretty stoked to see him do well. So it has been phenomenal to watch.”

This week, we bring you unforgettable moments from the venue that’s hosted more ODIs than any other

Mohammad Isam11-May-2020The iconic finishesSharjah shot to the limelight in 1986, when Pakistan needed four to win off one ball, and Javed Miandad swung Chetan Sharma off his hips and into the pages of folklore. For most of the next two decades, India and Pakistan simply couldn’t stop meeting in Sharjah, with Bollywood stars (and even the infamous gangster Dawood Ibrahim) thronging the VIP gallery.In 1995, Hashan Tillakaratne nearly pulled off a Miandad moment of his own, after scoring a valiant hundred that got Sri Lanka to the brink of victory in a record chase of 334 against West Indies. A West Indies victory looked a formality when they reduced Sri Lanka to 103 for 5, but Tillakaratne hadn’t had his say yet.The only tied matches in Sharjah also involved Sri Lanka. On both occasions, it was their match to win before they surrendered the initiative. In 1996, they restricted New Zealand to 169 but struggled in their chase, particularly against Danny Morrison. They looked to have won it when Chaminda Vaas took a single to level the scores, with two wickets and 15 balls remaining, but Sajeewa de Silva shouldered arms to Morrison, fatally, and Tony Greig wondered aloud: “Well, could this be a tie?”Three balls later, it was.Three years later, Sri Lanka gave away the game from an even better position, against Pakistan. Chasing 196, they were 157 for 1 with close to 15 overs remaining. Then Romesh Kaluwitharana was caught behind off Abdul Razzaq, and Sri Lanka collapsed spectacularly. Shoaib Malik removed the set Russell Arnold, before Wasim Akram and Razzaq cleaned up the rest of the line-up.Geniuses at workLara made not one, but two 150-plus scores in Sharjah. Against Pakistan in 1993, his 153 at the top of the order enabled West Indies to chase down 285 with 4.3 overs remaining. His highest ODI score, a brilliant 129-ball 169, also came in Sharjah, in the same match where Tillakaratne scored that hundred in the chase.Wasim Akram picked up 122 ODI wickets in Sharjah, at a remarkable average of 19.50•Getty ImagesThree years later, Sharjah became Sachin Tendulkar’s bastion, as he scored two of his most iconic ODI centuries in back-to-back matches against Australia: the Desert Storm 143 that dragged India into the final, and the 134 on his 25th birthday to seal victory in the the triangular tournament.Tendulkar finished with seven Sharjah hundreds, as did Saeed Anwar, who said before the 1999 World Cup that playing in front of big crowds at this venue had made him a stronger batsman mentally. Four of his seven hundreds came in 1993, and the best of the lot, arguably, was this 131 against West Indies in a chase of 261.Sharjah wasn’t just a batsman’s paradise, though. Wasim Akram took 122 wickets here, at an incredible 19.50, including two hat-tricks in the space of seven months in 1989-90 (As a bonus, this video also includes his two Test-match hat-tricks). There were numerous other match-winning spells, including two wickets in the first over of a tournament final against India in 1999.The everyman’s stadiumBut Sharjah wasn’t just about the big stars. Navjot Singh Sidhu made his maiden ODI hundred here, and took a dubious catch on the boundary – his feet surely touched the rope here – to help the seam-bowling allrounder Sanjeev Sharma pick up five wickets against West Indies. In 1991, Aaqib Javed bagged what were then world-record figures of 7 for 37 against India, including a hat-trick. Muttiah Muralitharan broke Javed’s record nine years later, in Sharjah again.England were also-rans in ODI cricket in the 1990s, but even they tasted success in Sharjah, when Adam Hollioake led an experimental side featuring a number of one-day specialists to victory in a quadrangular tournament also involving India, Pakistan and West Indies. Zimbabwe pulled off three wins in Sharjah against the world champions Sri Lanka in 1997-98, including this one and this one.For more such YouTube playlists, click here.

Sonia Bompastor has rued Chelsea's 'frustrating' loss to Everton on Sunday, a result that leaves the club falling behind Manchester City in the WSL title race. Chelsea have now failed to win their last three league matches following a 1-0 home defeat, despite dominating at Kingsmeadow as the Blues again failed to find the breakthrough as they fell to a narrow loss.

Getty Images SportChelsea dominated but failed to find the breakthrough

Honoka Hayashi's first half strike was enough to separate the two teams in west London on Sunday as Everton ended Chelsea's historic unbeaten run. It was the first time the Blues had lost a league game under Sonia Bompastor, who succeed Emma Hayes at the Chelsea helm last May.

Everton's 1-0 victory in the capital saw Chelsea lose a WSL outing for the first time since a 4-3 loss at Liverpool back in May 2024, a run of 34 matches since they last tasted defeat. After falling behind early on, Chelsea peppered the Everton goal, amassing 30 shots and 79% possession as they failed to find the breakthrough.

And after the defeat at Kingsmeadow, Bompastor lamented the "really frustrating" defeat which leaves Chelsea's title defence hanging by a thread.

Advertisement'I don't think the players could have done a lot more'

Following the defeat to Everton, Bompastor said: "It’s a really frustrating result. It's tough, but I think if we analyse the performance and look at the statistics, I don't think the players could have done a lot more. Maybe we could have been more efficient again, more clinical.

"We created enough shots, crosses, and we hit the woodwork three times. It's just one of these games where the ball didn't want to go in, and it was tough. If you want to win games, you have to make sure you score goals. I think, again, if you look at our statistics, we are creating enough to win the games, but we are just not being efficient at finishing the chances. I think, for now, what we need to solve is more like how we can get back to scoring goals.

"In the game tonight, we knew we had to be really switched on and focused on the transitions from Everton. I think they scored from one of these early on in the game, and then things changed after we were running after the result."

Getty Images Sport'We were not focusing at all on the unbeaten run'

While Chelsea's unbeaten run ended at 34 matches, Bompastor added that her side were not thinking about the streak, stating: "For me, we were not focusing at all on the unbeaten run. It was not one of our aims going into this new season. Our mindset was more like we started the new season from zero.

"We haven’t won anything yet. We want to be able to compete in every competition. We want to win trophies. Going into every game, we know it will be tough. This league is competitive."

Defeat at Everton means Chelsea have now failed to win their last three league matches as the Blues struggle in their title defence. Sunday's loss combined with Manchester City's 3-0 win at relegation threatened Leicester means City sit six points clear at the top of the WSL table having won their last nine league outings as they responded perfectly to the opening weekend 2-1 loss to Chelsea.

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What next for Chelsea?

Chelsea are next in action at Brighton next weekend as they look to get back to winning ways. The trip to the south coast will be the Blues' final league game of 2025, and they return to domestic action with successive London derbies in 2026 with respective welcomes of West Ham and Arsenal.

The Blues then kick off February with a decisive trip to league leaders Manchester City, in a game that should have huge ramifications in the WSL title race.

City, meanwhile, round off the year with the welcome of Aston Villa next weekend, and start 2026 with a home game against Everton and follow up their meeting with the Toffees with a trip to the London City Lionesses.

Christian Pulisic’s impressive season for AC Milan has hit another setback, with manager Massimiliano Allegri revealing the American is expected to miss this weekend’s Serie A matchup against Lazio. The winger, who scored the decisive goal in Milan’s derby win over Inter, withdrew from training on Wednesday due to muscular discomfort, raising concerns about his availability for the upcoming fixture.

Getty Images SportPulisic is unlikely to play

At his prematch news conference, Allegri said Pulisic “is unlikely to play,” while noting that there were still two days for the situation to change. He added that the rest of the squad is in good condition. Pulisic missed training on Wednesday after reporting muscular discomfort, prompting Allegri to be cautious given the American’s recent recovery from a hamstring issue.

“Pulisic is unlikely to play, although there are still two days until the match and anything can happen,” Allegri said according to ESPN.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRecent injury history

The timing is particularly frustrating for Milan, as Pulisic had only recently returned to full fitness after a hamstring injury suffered during U.S. national team duty in October. He made a substitute appearance in Milan’s 2-2 draw with Parma on Nov. 8 before starting and scoring the winner in the derby against Inter on Nov. 23. With seven goals and two assists in just 10 appearances across all competitions this season, Pulisic has been instrumental to Milan’s strong start despite missing four games earlier in the campaign.

Impact on Milan's tactical approach

The timing of the setback underscores Pulisic’s rise as Milan’s attacking catalyst since his €20 million ($22 million) move from Chelsea. His versatility under Allegri this season has made him a central piece of the system, with no player in Serie A producing more goal contributions than Pulisic since his arrival in 2023 (48, tied with Inter’s Lautaro Martínez).

Losing Pulisic against a well-organized Lazio side would be a significant blow to Milan’s attacking options and could force tactical adjustments, especially with the Serie A title race tightening at this stage of the campaign.

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Getty ImagesWhat's next for Milan?

Milan currently sit second in the Serie A table with 25 points, level with Napoli and just two points behind leaders Roma, making the Lazio fixture crucial to their title aspirations. 

Manchester City have now moved into pole position in the race for an “incredible” star, with Pep Guardiola captivated by him.

Man City's January transfer plans taking shape

It is clear that Man City could do with bringing in some additional attacking firepower this January, given that Erling Haaland has scored more than half of their 27 Premier League goals this season, although Phil Foden is showing signs he could be getting back to his best.

City survived a scare to defeat Leeds United 3-2 on Saturday, with their academy graduate bagging a brace, scoring the all-important third goal in stoppage time.

However, with Haaland perhaps still in need of additional support in attack, the Blues are looking to sign a new forward, and they are now exploring a move for AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Semenyo is not the only target though, with Guardiola’s side setting their sights on a new midfielder, amid Rodri being unable to overcome his injury woes, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.

According to a report from Spain, Man City are now the clear favourites to sign Anderson, but they will have to shell out one of the highest transfer fees in their history to get a deal done, with a €100m (£88m) asking price being touted.

Guardiola has been left captivated by the midfielder, who has attracted interest from some of the world’s biggest clubs, including Manchester United and Liverpool, but City have now moved into pole position in the race for his signature.

The Blues’ financial resources should also give them the edge, and there is every indication he would be a fantastic addition to Guardiola’s squad…

"Incredible" Anderson has earned move to top club

The central midfielder has been nothing short of a revelation for both club and country this season, most recently putting in a top performance against Brighton & Hove Albion, despite Forest losing 2-0, winning more duels and completing more dribbles than any other player.

Elliot Anderson’s key statistics

Number completed

Dribbles

6

Duels (won)

17 (12)

Accurate passes

62/71 (87%)

Crosses (accurate)

13 (6)

Lauded as “incredible” by journalist Konstantinos Lianos, the Forest star has also received high praise from England manager Thomas Tuchel, who said: “He is an elite player with the right attitude and a lot of talent. He is fulfilling his role in the best way possible so we are very happy with him.”

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With Rodri still struggling on the injury front, it would be ideal to bring in a new midfielder who could help keep the pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race, and Anderson has proven himself as a top player this season.

Newcastle United just can’t string together a consistent run of results in the Premier League this season.

Three wins have been collected back on home turf at St James’ Park, but Eddie Howe’s up-and-down Magpies remain winless on their travels, with back-to-back defeats in London at the hands of West Ham United and Brentford very much souring the mood on Tyneside.

Howe is under severe pressure to turn the Toon’s fortunes around four years into his position as their boss, with journalist Jordan Cronin labelling the current situation as “unacceptable”, as Newcastle now loiter just two points above the relegation zone.

Journalist Luke Edwards further weighed in by saying there are “huge problems all over the pitch”, with the sad decline of Dan Burn an indictment of this.

How Dan Burn let Newcastle down vs Brentford

While it was a collective effort that saw Newcastle slip to their third away defeat of the season, the 6-foot-7 defender did, ultimately, gift Brentford a platform to win when he was sent off late on, which then handed Igor Thiago a penalty.

When he was still on the pitch, the calamitous number 33 was all over the shop, standing in as a left-back option again as the 33-year-old only completed 20 accurate passes and successfully won just one tackle.

He has been saved, somewhat, by being the hero who gave Newcastle a 1-0 lead in the Champions League against Athletic Club.

But, that was only a temporary respite from his awful form in the Premier League, with Burn also poor at the London Stadium when winning none of his ground duels.

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

Even when Newcastle were victorious versus Fulham to see out October, the Blyth-born warrior looked way off the pace, with only three of his 11 duels won during the 2-1 win. Thankfully, on that occasion, it didn’t cost his team dear.

But, with two horror shows on the road now in a row, and Burn finding himself suspended, it feels like the perfect opportunity to ditch the 33-year-old for Lewis Hall to come in.

Burn isn’t alone in looking like he’s on borrowed time as a Howe mainstay, however, with another waning first-teamer needing to be replaced if the Toon want to turn around their topsy-turvy campaign.

"Petrified" Newcastle man is also on borrowed time

Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes came out after the 3-1 defeat at Brentford to deliver a rallying cry, stating that “we need to stick together” to navigate the current choppy waters at St James’ Park.

While a sense of togetherness and a strong core have helped Howe to succeed at Newcastle in the past, it’s clear that Burn and his defensive teammate in Nick Pope, aren’t at the required standard anymore, and will soon need to be shelved from his starting XI.

Games played

110

Minutes played

9845 mins

Goals conceded

107

Clean sheets

43

This will be easier said than done for the under-fire Newcastle boss, though, with Pope 110 games down now on Tyneside under the former AFC Bournemouth manager’s reign, with the 33-year-old once even branded as “one of the best shot-stoppers” he has worked alongside.

Still, much like with Burn, the 6-foot-6 ‘keeper might well have overstayed his welcome now as a key part of the first-team jigsaw, having been described as “petrified” last season by journalist Adam Clery, when injuries had frustrated his campaign.

Now, he’s looking unsure and shaky with unconvincing displays in between the sticks, with Pope unable to put his towering frame to good use when Kevin Schade scrambled home his equaliser last time out from a long throw-in.

With the England international also, arguably at fault against West Ham when failing to palm away Lucas Paqueta’s stinging effort, it’s clear that Aaron Ramsdale should be handed more first-team chances shortly, over the declining number 1, with Pope further set to miss matches for the Three Lions in the international break through injury concerns.

If he remains out of action, Ramsdale is the easy choice to replace him, with one Newcastle-based social media account going as far as to state that Pope’s constant errors are “crucifying” Howe and Co. It’s a pity for somebody who has largely been so consistent during the Howe era. Such has been his reliability that it’s not too big a stretch to suggest he’s been one of the best signings of the present day.

That said, Newcastle desperately need to turn results around when the break is over, and the aforementioned duo of Pope and Burn simply have to be discarded to try and kickstart that positive sequence.

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Sandro Tonali maintained an interesting stance about a move away from Newcastle United earlier this week and now Real Madrid are reportedly preparing a move worth over £40m.

It’s an all too familiar feeling for Newcastle, who were forced to bid farewell to Alexander Isak for a Premier League record in the summer as they scrambled to find his replacement. Now, they potentially face the prospect of losing more key men amid reported interest from around English football in Sven Botman and, of course, Tonali.

It’s the last thing that Eddie Howe needs in the middle of the Magpies’ current domestic form. In the Champions League, his side have been close to perfect, but that couldn’t be further from the case in the Premier League with just three wins in their opening 10 games.

The Newcastle boss admitted in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Brentford that his side must rise up the ranks in the Premier League after a disappointing run.

Missing out on Champions League qualification would only make Newcastle’s attempts to keep hold of key men even tougher, especially if Real Madrid do come calling for Tonali.

Tonali shares exit stance as Real Madrid prepare move

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid are now preparing a move to sign Tonali from Newcastle worth €50m (£44m) in 2026. Now, whilst the Magpies are unlikely to accept such a low offer for a player that cost them £55m, Madrid’s attempts would certainly spark some interesting questions about the midfielder’s future.

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Despite recent reports revealing that the Italian has already signed a new deal which could keep him at St James’ Park until 2029, Tonali refused to rule out an exit away from the club when questioned about his Newcastle future earlier this week.

Described as “excellent” by Howe, Tonali’s admission will undoubtedly concern those on Tyneside, who saw Isak force his way out of the club in the summer. The last thing they need is another summer-long transfer saga.

PIF's "massive overpay" is quickly becoming Howe's new Almiron

Last season Tottenham Hotspur may have won the Europa League but there is no hiding behind the fact that domestically, things were a complete write-off.

Former boss Ange Postecoglou proclaimed that things are always better in season three, but sadly for the craggy-faced Aussie, he didn’t see in his third campaign at the helm.

The writing had been on the wall for a while, really. Spurs were a mess at the back. It’s “who we are, mate” Ange also exclaimed when asked about his philosophy and high line. Yet, those who fail to adapt and change…ahem, Ruben Amorim, often fail.

The truth is that Postecoglou did not change his ways, leading to the concession of 65 Premier League goals, the fifth-worst record in the division last term.

With Thomas Frank now at the helm, he made an immediate attempt to improve the backline before anything else and that decision has been vindicated.

Spurs look like a different outfit now. They are more organised, more structured, and the numbers showcase that. They have kept five clean sheets already in 2025/26 across all competitions and have shipped just five goals. Only Arsenal (3) have let in fewer.

While Frank will take a lot of the plaudits, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero’s partnership has looked like one of the best in the division.

Why Van de Ven and Romero complement each other so well at Spurs

Since arriving in north London, Romero has attracted his fair share of criticism.

He’s too hot-headed, too rash, too ill-disciplined to ever be a competent defender. Those were the cries from certain sections of the media and fanbase. Alas, there is a reason that he is captaining the side and there is a reason that Real Madrid have reportedly courted him.

The Argentine is a typical South American defender. He’s brutish, has a never-say-die attitude and when faced with a striker, it’s not often they get the better of him.

Indeed, he’s only been dribbled past 0.3 times per match under Frank so far, winning 65% of his ground duels and another 65% of his aerial duels.

To put those numbers into context, he’s winning more aerial battles than Arsenal’s imperious Brazilian, Gabriel (60%) and a similar number of ground duels to William Saliba (66%).

Romero is the more aggressive of he and Van de Ven, but the Dutchman’s recovery speed and ability to sweep in behind his defensive colleague is why they work so well.

Last term, no player was quicker in the English top-flight than Spurs’ number 37.

Yet despite all of that, the club have a defender in their ranks who stands an excellent chance of disrupting this fine partnership. Step forward Spurs’ new Mousa Dembele.

Spurs have found the defensive version of Dembele

What a player Dembele was in his prime. Part of a very special Spurs team including the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, the Belgian was the glue that held everything together.

In the words of Kyle Walker, “Dembele was probably the best player I’ve ever seen play football” while Eric Dier, now of Monaco, stated that he was “a freak of nature”.

An all-action machine, it was nigh on impossible to get the ball off Dembele. He was a fine dribbler but he was also a duel monster.

From 2012 to 2019, no player in the Premier League had a better success rate for dribbles than Dembele’s tally of 77.9%. The next best during that time frame was Nemanja Matic on 73.1%.

As for winning duels, during the 2015/16 season, only three players, of which one was N’Golo Kante, won more tackles per match. Dembele won 3.6 while Kante topped the charts with 4.7.

Why is this all relevant now? Well, it looks like Spurs have found another duel machine, someone capable of dominating play in a similar manner, albeit from defensive phases of play.

That player is Luka Vuskovic. Spurs first reached an agreement to sign the centre-back in 2023 for £12m from Hajduk Split when he was only 16.

They had to wait until 2025 for the young Croatian to finally arrive but it was worth the wait. Vuskovic scored in pre-season against Reading and more than looks the part.

Now 18, the teenager has already made a habit of scoring regular goals. At KVC Westerlo in the Belgian top-flight last season, he scored seven goals in 36 outings.

Now on loan at Hamburg in Germany, he’s already showcasing why he’s so highly rated. The youngster has featured on four occasions, scoring once and breaking a little bit of history along the way.

During Hamburg’s clash against Union Berlin last weekend, he won a mind-blowing 18 aerial duels. To sum up just how incredible that statistic is, no player has won more aerial duels in a Bundesliga game across the last ten seasons and he is the first player to win 18 aerial duels in a single match in Europe’s top five leagues over the last five seasons.

While Dembele may not have been as menacing in the air as that, it demonstrates Vuskovic’s imperious duel-winning ability and his capability to overpower his opponents.

When asked what he thought of his teammate, Hamburg full-back Miro Muheim simply described him as a “monster” after the game. Rather apt if you ask us.

But, as the Athletic’s German Football correspondent, Seb Stafford-Bloor, outlines, the Croat is also “good with the ball at his feet”, emulating Dembele with that area of the game too.

Vuskovic has completed 85% of his passes in the Bundesliga so far and has also been successful with 100% of his dribble attempts, according to Sofascore.

Not just a beast physically, he’s technically brilliant, just as Dembele was from further forward. An exciting player no doubt, and one who could well make this Spurs backline even better.

You bet Frank can’t wait to get him back in the fold next season.

17-year-old Spurs prodigy is their most exciting academy star since Kane

Tottenham Hotspur have been on the look out for the next Harry Kane ever since he left for Bayern Munich.

By
Matt Dawson

Oct 1, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur has been the home to numerous top-level youth talents over the last couple of years, with attacker Mikey Moore one of the players on their constant conveyor belt.

The 18-year-old has spent the vast majority of his life as a Lilywhite, before making his debut in the first-team last campaign under Ange Postecoglou due to the injury crisis.

Despite his tender age, the youngster racked up a total of 19 senior appearances, ten of which came in the Premier League, with three of his outings coming from a starting role.

Moore even registered his first senior goal for his boyhood club in the Europa League, scoring in the victory over Elfsborg and helping the club end their 17-year wait for a piece of silverware.

However, after Thomas Frank’s appointment during the off-season, he’s been shipped out on loan to Scottish side Rangers in the hope of more consistent game time.

He’s not the only young talent on the books who has caught the eye, with one other youngster set for a huge future in North London during the years ahead.

Luka Vuskovic’s future as a Spurs star

Back in the summer of 2023, Spurs forked out a fee in the region of £12m for the signature of teenage centre-back Luka Vuskovic from Hajduk Split.

However, he’s spent a couple of years out on loan, with his spell on loan at Westerlo catching the eye – but for his attacking quality rather than his talent at the back.

The Croatian scored seven times and registered two assists in his 36 outings, a simply staggering feat for a young defender who is trying to establish himself at the top-level.

Such form led to the sensation being involved in the first-team’s squad pre-season plans, even registering a goal and an assist in the 2-0 victory over League One outfit, Reading.

Many fans were calling for the youngster to be included in the Dane’s Premier League squad for 2025/26, but it wasn’t meant to be, with Vuskovic sent on loan to Bundesliga side Hamburg this summer.

The prospect of top-flight German football to many youngsters may be a daunting one, but the 18-year-old has taken to the task like a duck to water – already netting his first goal despite making just three appearances.

However, his showing against Union Berlin on Sunday was his best to date, winning 18 aerial duels and making 12 clearances – helping his current side keep a needed clean sheet.

There’s no denying that he could be a huge player for Frank in the future, but the new manager already have another hugely promising talent on the books in North London.

The Spurs star who’s a bigger talent than Vuskovic

As previously seen by the aforementioned talents at Spurs, they do have a plethora of upcoming stars who could potentially catapult them to continued success in the years ahead.

Their recruitment strategy has certainly aided their ability to create a strong youth setup, with many taking the jump and already cementing themselves in Frank’s plans for 2025/26.

Lucas Bergvall may only be 19, but he’s already established himself as a regular starter, featuring in all six of the Lilywhites’ Premier League outings to date – even scoring once against West Ham United.

The Swede could be joined by youngster Luca Williams-Barnett for many years to come, with the 16-year-old already making huge waves across various levels despite his tender age.

The attacking midfielder has been starring way above his age group over the last few seasons, with the youngster featuring in the U18s for the majority of 2024/25.

He ended the year with a staggering 23 goals and nine assists in his 24 outings for the Lilywhites, resulting in a jump up once again – now becoming a key member of the U21 side.

Williams-Barnett has once again exceeded expectations, already notching eight goal contributions in his first six appearances of the new campaign.

The 16-year-old has let his age get in the way, subsequently starring five years above his age group – something which has caught the eye of first-team boss Frank in recent weeks.

He was handed his first senior appearance against Doncaster Rovers in the Carabao Cup last week, coming off the bench for three minutes – leading to analyst Ben Mattinson labelling him as a “superstar”.

Given his tender age, there’s no denying that the attacker needs more time in the academy system to develop before being able to make the jump into the first-team squad.

However, that’s not taking away from the fact that Williams-Barnett is a player with mammoth potential, with the club desperately needing to manage him in the right way.

In the years ahead, he could have a huge part to play in the Lilywhites’ hunt for success, with the youngster having the chance to create new history for the club alongside centre-back Vuskovic.

Spurs may already have their new Luka Modric & it's not Palhinha

Tottenham Hotspur have found their next Luka Modric in North London, and it is not Joao Palhinha.

By
Dan Emery

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