Samson was scratchy at No. 3, Harshit was erratic with the ball, but India’s middle-order batters, largely unused so far at the Asia Cup, got crucial time in the middle

Shashank Kishore20-Sep-20252:07

Jaffer: Wasn’t a fluent innings from Samson

As Hardik Pandya stopped himself a quarter of an inch before the advertising triangles at fine leg to complete a stunning catch to dismiss Oman’s Aamir Kaleem, fielding coach T Dilip was full of fist-pumping joy in the dugout.He had followed the trajectory of the ball like a hawk, silently hoping that hours of the innovative catching drills that had challenged fielders to be goalkeepers (even Superman at times), would lead to a something spectacular. Sat next to him, the usually stoic Gautam Gambhir had been frantically chewing his nails until then. The first two balls of the 18th over, bowled by Harshit Rana, had been picked away for boundaries, and the equation was down from 48 off 18 balls to 40 off 16.Even then, you felt this was India’s match to lose. But with their least experienced bowler pitted against a 43-year-old journeyman cricketer revelling in the spotlight, the coaches’ restlessness spoke of the tension that had been bubbling. Oman eventually finished 21 short, but the contest offered India more than just a ‘W’ and two points.Related

• The ovation that made Aamir Kaleem's long journey worth it

• Arshdeep becomes first India bowler to reach 100 T20I wickets

• India go into Super Four unbeaten despite Oman's fight

For the first time in three games, India had the luxury of batting 20 overs, on a sluggish surface with ground dimensions far bigger than in Dubai, where they will play out the rest of their Asia Cup campaign.It also stretched them on the field, with Suryakumar Yadav employing as many as eight bowling options – although he wouldn’t have imagined having to make up for Axar Patel’s overs at any point: Axar bowled just one over and was off the field for the last five-and-a-bit overs after hitting his head on the turf while attempting a catch.That they were able to get such a workout in a setting where the focus was, for a change, entirely on the cricket, helped tick a few boxes. If a workout before the Super Four is what they had hoped for, they certainly got it.India’s middle-order batters, who had twiddled their thumbs in the first two games because they had polished off their chases of 58 and 128 in a combined 20.2 overs for a combined loss of four wickets, got a decent hit, even though none of them could set the stage alight.3:04

What are the challenges of India’s fluid batting order?

Every batter, barring Suryakumar who delayed his entry until the overs ran out, got time in the middle.Suryakumar didn’t bat because Arshdeep Singh, padded up and itching for a hit, leaned in to his captain and declared he was going next when the seventh wicket fell. And then Kuldeep Yadav went in. India finished eight down and Suryakumar had a “DNB” against his name. He revealed with his trademark humour later that it wasn’t a request from Arshdeep but an instruction, one that had the potential to be viewed under a microscope had India been upset. Luckily, though, they were saved that.The only aspect India didn’t experiment with in the batting was their locked-in opening pair of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. This is in line with what they have emphasised through the tournament: the need for the rest of the batters, from No. 3-8, to be flexible, while the openers remain set.For once, though, India deviated from their set left-right policy. This gave Sanju Samson an opportunity at No. 3 after Gill was out early. Samson was scratchy at best, but batted long enough to carve out a half-century.Tilak Varma played a number of adventurous shots•AFP/Getty ImagesHe was helped to a large extent by Abhishek, whose great strength has been to keep bowlers second guessing. When he advances to fast-bowlers, he has an array of options. Like the slice over point, the lofted hit over the covers, or the swat over mid-on – shots he exhibited to similar deliveries off Mohammed Nadeem in the fifth over.This helped Samson ease in after he had struggled for any kind of fluency, pottering to 1 off 7 before finally breaking the shackles when he received a leg-stump half-volley that he flicked for six. That should have flicked a switch, but it didn’t, underpinning the fact that nothing matches time in the middle, even if you look a million dollars in the nets.Tilak Varma showed he can adapt lower down the order if required, hitting 29 off 18 balls. Axar flexed his batting muscle against spin, even as Hardik and Shivam Dube missed out. Hardik was the unluckier of the two, as he was run out to a deflection off the bowler’s hand at the non-striker’s end.Then with the ball, Arshdeep bent the new ball and got it to hold its line, but Harshit was erratic. Kuldeep was his usual self – befuddling batters even as two other wreckers-in-chief, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, ran drinks.2:20

Abhinav Mukund: This is how Abhishek should always bat

But the revealing aspect of India’s workout was giving the new ball to Hardik despite having two frontline pacers – perhaps a sign that, like with the batting, they were focused on continuity looking at the bigger picture.The match itself was one of those exercises where India’s follies were looked at indulgently, until it got too close for comfort.In the Asia Cup circles around the UAE, the running joke ahead of Friday’s game was whether India’s commute from their Dubai hotel to the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi would end up lasting longer than the match itself. The India vs UAE game had wrapped up in barely two hours, and a repeat was anticipated had Oman batted first.But in pushing India right till the end, Oman not only enhanced their own credentials, but also injected some interest into a tournament that had been drifting from one controversy to another while seeing more than its fair share of one-sided contests.For India, it was the closest thing to a dress rehearsal before the Super Four: it was imperfect in parts, yet valuable in every way ahead of round two against Pakistan on Sunday.

It’s been barely a month since the 27-year old made his international debut, but he has been around the T20 circuit for a while

Omkar Mankame24-Nov-2025Mystery spinner Usman Tariq secured Pakistan’s entry into the T20I tri-series final with a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi. It’s been barely a month since the 27-year old made his international debut, but he has been around the T20 circuit for a while.Tariq made his T20 debut for Peshawar in the National T20 Cup in November 2023 and featured in the 2024 PSL but did not make an impact. A strong 2024-25 domestic season, where he picked up 22 wickets in 15 matches, revived his prospects.Tariq’s action is unmistakable: a normal run-up followed by an exaggerated pause at release, almost coming to a complete stop for up to two seconds before delivering side-arm, slinging offbreaks. It’s unconventional, deceptive, and central to his mystery.Related

Usman Tariq reported for a suspect action for the second time in a year

Babar 74, Tariq hat-trick take Pakistan into final

He has been reported for suspect action twice so far, first flagged during the 2024 PSL. He was cleared after testing at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore and continued bowling but was reported again in the next PSL. He passed the assessment again.Tariq played an important role in Quetta Gladiators’ run to the 2025 PSL final, taking ten wickets in five matches, including a three-for in Qualifier 1. In the CPL, he bagged 20 wickets in 10 games for champions Trinbago Knight Riders, finishing as the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker.Tariq impressed on his T20I debut in Lahore by removing Reeza Hendricks and Dewald Brevis, helping Pakistan restrict South Africa to 139 for 9 in the series-clinching win. In his second outing, he finished with 4 for 18 – including that hat-trick – against Zimbabwe to cap a sparkling start to international cricket.

The mood around the game in Dubai is sombre given the current geopolitical climate since the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent military skirmish

Shashank Kishore13-Sep-20251:54

Will we finally have an India-Pakistan Asia Cup final?

It’s been an uneasy build-up to round one of India vs Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. The mood around the match seems more complicated than it appears, and everyone, including the players, can sense that.Each of the first four press conferences so far in the Asia Cup 2025, barring the one with India bowling coach Morne Morkel, has invariably circled back to this match, with a rider – “sentiment back home” – keeping the current geopolitical climate in mind.One of the most natural responses for players, or support staff, has been to say that they’re not on social media. But can it really be possible to zone out completely, especially when there are calls for a boycott from certain quarters in India?Related

• New-look India and Pakistan set to renew old rivalry

• Ten Doeschate: India will be 'as professional and focused' as they can against Pakistan

• Mohammad Nawaz reinvents himself just in time for India

• Gill vs Afridi, Haris vs Bumrah and other contests within India-Pakistan contest

• India, Pakistan training overlap spikes interest

All the while, the BCCI has simply reiterated the Indian government’s stance on the issue: bilateral cricket is off the table, but multi-nation tournaments can proceed as usual. This is despite sections of the country believing the sporting rivalry shouldn’t exist as long as geopolitical relations remain as strained as they are currently.And that anger often finds itself turning into torrents of online hate and vitriol, like it is now. And it’s perhaps knowing all this, that players have walked a tightrope while preparing for the biggest game of the tournament.They’ve had to ensure there is no room for words or gestures to be magnified, perhaps even more so, after a handshake between Suryakumar Yadav and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi at the captains’ press conference was clipped, replayed and debated. Similarly, there’s no telling how a simple moment could be scrutinised next. Like a laugh shared by the captains at the toss, for instance, could be replayed, slowed down and analysed frame by frame on social media, and perhaps even on news TV.Both Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav are first-time captains at the Asia Cup•Asian Cricket CouncilThis kind of scrutiny has already had an impact. Barely two months ago, a group of recently-retired Indian stars withdrew from a legends’ game in England on the very morning they were scheduled to face Shahid Afridi’s Pakistan team. It’s hard to imagine they would have been unaware of the participation of the Pakistani team when they had originally signed up for the tournament.India vs Pakistan is usually the heartbeat of a tournament. The contests are still half-jokingly being called a two-match series, maybe even three, at the Asia Cup. It’s a match-up that is supposed to bring everything else to a grind for the passion it sparks among fans. Yet it feels very different this time.As such, bilateral cricket has been frozen for 13 years, and so the rare meetings at ICC tournaments and Asia Cups should feel festive. But this time it feels empty, because when you have to work to sell an India-Pakistan Sunday showdown in Dubai – a fixture that sells itself most times – you know something has shifted.Tickets for the India-Pakistan Asia Cup fixture aren’t selling like hot cakes•Getty ImagesDespite all this, the organisers remain optimistic. They’re trying to pull out all their trump cards – bundling, unbundling of tickets, ramping up digital and social media campaigns, and pushing the premium seats that usually sell like hot cakes. There’s still a quiet confidence that Sunday will still see a respectable crowd. ‘Respectable’ being the buzz word.When Sachin Tendulkar says he couldn’t sleep the night before the famous World Cup game at Centurion in 2003, you could almost imagine him replaying Wasim Akram’s left-arm angle, Waqar Younis’ yorkers and Shoaib Akhtar’s bouncers.Similarly, on the day of the 2011 World Cup semi-final in Mohali, the team was running purely on adrenaline, with Tendulkar having to make an impassioned speech on how delayed catering resulting in no lunch should make them hungrier on the field.Whether that kind of electricity courses through Suryakumar & co is known only to them. But one thing you can be certain of: the atmosphere will be filtered through a magnifying lens – every handshake, laugh, glance, celebration, send-off having the potential to become a story.Despite all this there’s still an inkling of hope that the old magic and excitement will be back for those four hours, and cricket becomes the story when they take the field on Sunday. Only time will tell if that’s indeed the case.

Everton have now been told that they’ll have to pay a record price to sign an attacking reinforcement, who’s also in the sights of German giants Bayern Munich.

Everton plotting attacking additions

Whilst Thierno Barry certainly did his job against Manchester United, his run for a first Everton goal only continued. The fact that the Toffees were down to 10 men didn’t help his chase for that vital goal, but questions about continuing to arrive as to whether David Moyes should look to January for key reinforcements in the striker’s position.

Ahead of the winter window, several names have already been linked with a move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, including Troy Parrott. The Republic of Ireland striker has been in sensational form for club and country this season and grabbed Everton’s attention by scoring five goals in two games to help Ireland into the World Cup playoffs earlier this month.

The former Tottenham Hotspur youngster would be an excellent addition, but so would Celtic’s Daizen Maeda. The Japan international reportedly wants to leave the Scottish club and could do so for as little as £15m in January – allowing Everton to land a bargain deal.

At his best, Maeda scored 33 goals in all competitions for Celtic last season, before struggling to replicate that in an inconsistent side in the current campaign.

So, Everton certainly have options if they do want to add competition to Barry and Beto this winter. So much so that they may not even need to turn towards Parrott or Maeda. Instead, they could sign Franculino Dju from Midtjylland.

Everton told to pay record fee to sign Franculino Dju

According to Danish outlet Tipsbladet, as relayed by Sport Witness, Everton have been told to pay €35m (£31m) to sign Franculino in January, which would break Midtjylland’s transfer record.

Everton line up January move for England international who Alan Shearer called "world class"

The Toffees have spotted a low-cost opportunity.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 22, 2025

Joined by Bayern Munich and Manchester United in pursuit of the forward, it remains to be seen whether the Toffees are willing to pay such a price to secure his signature after sending scouts to watch him recently.

The Friedkin Group certainly weren’t afraid of splashing the cash in the summer, having made Tyler Dibling their second most-expensive ever signing at £42m and spent £27m on Barry’s arrival.

Dubbed “unstoppable” by scout Jacek Kulig earlier this month, Franculino is well worth the chase for Everton. The 21-year-old has recently taken his total to 19 games in 28 games for the season and that clinical form makes him someone to watch ahead of January.

Everton ready to replace £120,000-a-week star with key January signing

MatériaMais Notícias

O Cruzeiro vai lucrar uma valor milionário com a transferência de Fabrício Bruno ao West Ham, da Inglaterra. Isso porque, o zagueiro é formado nas categorias de base do clube. Com isso, a Raposa terá direito a um porcentual de uma futura venda envolvendo o jogador.

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O Lance! Betting tem apostas a longo prazo para a Seleção Brasileira em 2024! Vem conferir!

A diretoria do Flamengo já aceitou a proposta de 15 milhões de euros (R$ 83 milhões, na cotação atual) feita pela equipe londrina e discute os últimos detalhes para concluir a transferência.

Clube formador, o Cruzeiro tem direito a 2,2% de qualquer negociação envolvendo o zagueiro. Neste caso, a equipe mineira irá faturar cerca de 1,8 milhão com a movimentação.

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Fabrício realizou toda sua formação como jogador nas categorias de base da Raposa e recebeu sua primeira oportunidade como profissional em 2016. Um ano depois, foi cedido por empréstimo para a Chapecoense, onde permaneceu por duas temporadas.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Rebaixado com o Cruzeiro em 2019, foi vendido ao RB Bragantino antes de se transferir ao Flamengo, clube que viveu seu melhor momento como jogador de futebol. As atuações pelo Rubro-Negro, inclusive, renderam a Fabrício Bruno uma convocação para a Seleção Brasileira.

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Tudo sobre

CruzeiroFlamengoFutebol NacionalSeleção Brasileira

Will Smale scored the first hundred of his professional cricket career but as Glamorgan, the Metro Bank One-Day Cup’s reigning champions, still lost to a Ben Foakes-inspired Surrey in a rain-shortened affair.Smale, a 24-year-old from Newport playing his 15th List A match, finished on 105 not out from 106 balls and was chiefly responsible for Glamorgan reaching a 50-over total of 308 for 7 at The Kia Oval.But Foakes, captaining Surrey after Ryan Patel turned his ankle in the pre-match warm-ups, smashed 43 not out from just 17 balls and was joined by Josh Blake in an extraordinary stand of 77 in six overs that snatched the game away from Glamorgan.Heavy rain forced a delay of two hours and twenty minutes after Surrey had made 21 for 1 from 5.1 overs. That resulted in a revised target of 146 in 16 overs, following Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations and a 5.50pm restart, meaning 125 more runs were needed in 10.5 remaining overs.It looked a stiff task but, with 40 still needed from the last three overs, Foakes hit leg-side sixes off Kiran Carlson and Andy Gorvin – after Blake had also struck Carlson for a maximum to long-on.With eight only now required from the final over, Blake hit the first ball for four before being bowled for 27 by Dan Douthwaite’s third ball. And then, in a slightly farcical finish, Douthwaite bowled a high leg-side no-ball, giving new batsman Cameron Steel a free hit. And when he hit high to deep mid-wicket, from another no-ball, Surrey had won with three balls to spare.Will Smale hit his first Glamorgan hundred•Getty Images

Put in by Surrey, the Welsh county initially stuttered to 213 for 6 in the 39th over before Smale was joined by Alex Horton in a superb seventh-wicket partnership of 86 in ten overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Horton, 21 and with just 18 previous white-ball appearances behind him, contributed a jaunty 35 from 30 balls while Smale pressed the accelerator in impressive style at the other end.There were three sixes and seven fours eventually in Smale’s first score of 50 or more in List A cricket, with fast bowler James Taylor and legspinning allrounder Steel bearing the brunt of his late assault.For most of Glamorgan’s innings, however, it seemed as if a predominantly youthful and inexperienced Surrey bowling attack was doing a fine job of working their way through a strong-looking batting line-up.Slow-arm spinner Yousuf Majid might have finished wicketless but he conceded only 41 runs from his ten overs across several spells while fast bowlers Nathan Barnwell and Alex French took 3 for 55 and 2 for 49 respectively.Barnwell had both Sam Northeast (24) and Carlson (25) caught at the wicket before later seeing Zain ul-Hassan lift a straightforward catch to mid-on, while 18-year-old rookie French put the embarrassment of bowling multiple wides in his opening over with the new ball to have Eddie Byrom caught for 9 in his second.French, playing his second List A game, also removed Asa Tribe for 16 in the 12th over and Glamorgan were in danger of underachieving when Douthwaite edged a legcutter from Taylor to give keeper Blake the third of his four catches.Smale and Horton, though, built their stand with steady accumulation at first and then explosive acceleration, with Surrey’s bowlers seemingly powerless to prevent 91 runs being plundered from the final ten overs of the innings.Rory Burns, inside-edging to keeper Horton as he jumped down the pitch on 12 to seamer Ul-Hassan, was an early Surrey casualty and after the restart there was a steady fall of wickets in a frantic finale.Nikhil Gorantla and Ollie Sykes fell swiping – Sykes after two powerful straight fours off Gorvin – and Adam Thomas took 21 off slow left-armer Romano Franco’s only over, including successive blows of 4, 4, 6, 6 before being spectacularly caught diving backwards at long-off by Carlson off Gorvin for 34.

Manchester City are now ready to snap up a “superstar” Champions League player, with the same agent as two members of Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Man City looking to strengthen after Bayer Leverkusen setback

After putting together a solid run to re-establish themselves as Premier League title contenders, Man City have endured a dip in form over the past week, losing 2-1 at Newcastle United on Saturday, before succumbing to a 2-0 home defeat against Bayer Leverkusen.

It was a new-look defence for City, with Guardiola making wholesale changes to his starting XI, bringing in Abdukodir Khusanov to replace Matheus Nunes at right-back, despite the 27-year-old impressing in that area this season.

However, given that both Khusanov and Nunes aren’t natural full-backs, the Blues remain keen on bringing in another option, and there has now been a new update on their pursuit of Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now told TEAMtalk that Man City will be ready to sign Livramento if the opportunity presents itself, saying: “He’s happy at Newcastle, he is in a good position, he wants to push the limits of a new contract. But equally he knows he could secure a big transfer if he really wanted it.

“City have respect for his situation and have had to wait for him to decide what he does next. If he looks to leave, they are right there and will snap him up.”

"Superstar" Livramento could be perfect for Pep

Of course, any player in a Guardiola system must be comfortable in possession of the ball, and the Newcastle defender, who has the same agent as Stones and Nathan Ake, has averaged an 85.4% pass completion rate per 90 over the past year, placing him in the 87th percentile compared to other full-backs.

Once referred to as a “superstar” by Newcastle content creator Kendall Rowan, the three-time England international is also proven in the Premier League, having reached the 100-game mark in his side’s 2-1 win against City, during which the full-back made three clearances, two interceptions and two tackles.

Having been ranked as one of the best right-backs in the world, ahead of the likes of Nunes and Khusanov, Livramento could be a real upgrade for Pep at right-back, but a deal could be on the expensive side…

Related Man City preparing £158m+ bid for star who wants to work under Guardiola

The Citizens are keen to make new signings and could now look to acquire one of Europe’s most prominent attackers.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Nov 24, 2025

Newcastle value Livramento at the £80m mark, which would make him one of the most expensive signings in Man City history, and given that Nunes has been impressing this season, it is questionable whether they should spend that much on another right-back.

MatériaMais Notícias

Autor de dois gols na vitória do Corinthians por 4 a 1 diante do Botafogo-SP, na quarta-feira (14), pelo Paulistão, Ángel Romero comentou sobre a emoção de balançar as redes em partida marcada por homenagens a Sócrates.

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– É um momento marcante fazer um gol hoje num dia de homenagem ao Sócrates. Todo mundo sabe o significado dele no Corinthians e mundialmente, uma pessoa espetacular – disse o atacante.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Após começo complicado no estadual, o Timão engatou uma sequência de duas vitórias e deixou a zona de rebaixamento. Apesar de comemorar o resultado, Romero admitiu que a equipe está em reconstrução e pediu tempo para António Oliveira trabalhar.

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– A gente tem muita qualidade no elenco, era difícil o começo do ano e começamos muito cedo a temporada. Muitos jogadores foram embora, o clube está em uma construção e precisamos de tempo. Vamos precisar de tempo, todo mundo está se doando para ser o mais rápido possível e melhorar a nossa situação – completou o paraguaio.

Mesmo com a vitória, o Corinthians permanece na lanterna do grupo C, com nove pontos conquistados. No próximo domingo (18), o Timão encara o Palmeiras, fora de casa, às 18h (de Brasília), pela nona rodada do Campeonato Paulista.

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Campeonato PaulistaCorinthiansFutebol Nacional

Arsenal took a huge stride towards ending their two-decade wait for a Premier League title, after securing a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace earlier this afternoon.

Eberechi Eze’s goal against his former employers was enough to secure Mikel Arteta’s men all three points in a hard-fought encounter against the Eagles.

Three points alone is a huge deal for the Gunners, but given the slip-ups from their title rivals, the victory has become an even more important one for the club.

Liverpool suffered a 3-2 defeat to Brentford last night, whilst Manchester City fell to a 1-0 loss against Aston Villa this afternoon – resulting in a four-point cushion for Arteta’s side.

However, despite the triumph in North London, numerous players fell way below the high standards they’ve previously set for themselves in England’s top-flight.

Arsenal’s poor performers against Crystal Palace

Despite spending around £65m on the signature of Viktor Gyokeres, the striker has often failed to live up to the expectations of the Arsenal faithful in the last few months.

The Swede may have scored five goals for the Gunners to date, but he’s now without a league goal in any of his last five appearances for Arteta’s men.

His showing against the Eagles was yet another to forget for the 27-year-old, as he only registered 27 touches of the ball in his 90-minute showing – whilst also notching a solitary effort on goal.

Bukayo Saka has been another player who has made himself a fan-favourite at the Emirates, but there’s no denying that his showing against Palace was one below the expectations he’s set for himself.

The England international matched Gyokeres in failing to register a single effort on target, whilst also being unable to register a single chance for any of his teammates.

The 24-year-old also lost possession on 11 separate occasions, producing a somewhat wasteful showing – something which is highly unusual for his usual standards.

The Arsenal star who needs to be dropped after Palace

The three points will undoubtedly be the most pleasing aspect for Arteta, but he will certainly have a few issues to iron out ahead of next weekend’s clash with Burnley.

His men dominated the play in large spells, subsequently having 60% possession, but they were only able to muster three efforts on Dean Henderson’s goal.

Arteta’s side’s total xG of just 1.08 also reflected the lack of threat that the Gunners carried throughout the all-London affair at the Emirates this afternoon.

However, despite the disappointing performances from the aforementioned duo, Leandro Trossard once again failed to repay the manager’s faith in starting the winger.

The Belgian was handed his fifth successive league start this afternoon, but was unable to have the desired impact off the left-hand side of the Gunners’ attack.

He featured for the entirety of the contest, but was unable to hugely threaten the opposition goal – even missing a big chance in front of goal during his performance.

The 30-year-old also only completed one dribble, whilst achieving a tally of just 44 touches – a figure lower than that of goalkeeper David Raya, who achieved a total of 46.

Minutes played

90

Touches

44

Dribbles completed

1

Shots on target

0

Big chances missed

1

Crosses completed

1

Ground duels lost

60%

Possession lost

11x

Trossard’s dismal afternoon was further reflected in his tally of 60% duels lost, often struggling to create any chances against Palace right-back Daniel Munoz.

To top off his afternoon, the wideman was given a measly 5/10 match rating by The Express journalist Tom Parsons – further highlighting how poor he was in North London.

After such a display, Arteta must be left with no choice but to drop the Belgian back down to the substitutes bench, with Gabriel Martinelli deserving of a run off the left-hand side.

It’s a shame to see Trossard struggling to deliver, but given what’s at stake for the club this campaign, the manager has to be brutal if his side are to end their extended wait for a league title.

He’d easily take the #14 from Gyokeres, but Arsenal let him leave for £0

This one-time Arsenal prospect has gone on to become a “world-class” striker.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 25, 2025

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is believed to be privately unimpressed with summer signing Xavi Simons.

Simons’ arrival for £52 million in the summer window brought serious excitement with it, especially after James Maddison was ruled out for the majority of 2025/2026 with an ACL injury he sustained in pre-season.

With Dejan Kulusevski also still on the recovery trail from a knee problem, which forced him to miss Tottenham’s Europa League triumph, Simons was viewed as the answer to Frank’s shortage of creative options in the final third.

However, it has been a slow start for the Dutchman.

Thus far, Simons’ only goal contribution has come from a dead-ball situation, with the 22-year-old setting up Pape Sarr to head home from a corner away to West Ham in September.

This was during Simons’ Premier League debut for his new side, but since that glorious moment at the London Stadium, the ex-PSG sensation has largely struggled to make an impact.

His north London numbers are in stark contrast to his final campaign at Leipzig. Simons bagged 17 goal contributions in just 25 top flight outings, all while averaging a solid two shots on goal per 90 minutes.

Appearances

25

Minutes played

2,157

Goals

10

Assists

7

Bookings

5

Shots at goal per 90 minutes

2

Passing accuracy

82.9%

Average match rating

7.32

via WhoScored

Frank has repeatedly stood up for Simons when asked about his dwindling form by the media, with the Spurs head coach even making a comparison to Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz.

There have even been suggestions that Simons isn’t actually a playmaker at all, and Frank apparently needs to realise this sooner rather than later.

Perhaps the forward’s best position is out wide.

Simons played seven of his last 2025 Bundesliga matches for Leipzig on the left — a position which Frank has also utilised him.

The former La Masia gem was used as a winger against West Ham, Wolves, Everton and Villarreal in the Champions League, but again, he struggled to contribute in the final third.

How Thomas Frank really feels about Xavi Simons at Tottenham

In any case, he needs to start delivering sooner rather than later, with Dutch analyst Johan Derksen criticising the attacker on Vandaag Inside this week.

Derksen believes that Simons is “failing” at Tottenham and Frank is “unhappy” with his summer signing, going on to state that he lacks the speed and strength to succeed in England.

There is still plenty of time for the Netherlands international to adapt, and you can make a serious case that all the comments aimed his way are pretty harsh considering he only arrived a couple of months ago.

There is a settling in period for some foreign players, but the same cannot be said for Dominic Solanke.

According to other reports, Frank has seen enough of the experienced Premier League striker, despite Solanke playing just 49 minutes in total since the Dane arrived.

Thomas Frank makes Dominic Solanke decision with January exit possibility revealed Frank now unimpressed by £140k-p/w Tottenham star, may replace him in January

The Spurs boss doesn’t fancy one of his players, who Ange Postecoglou described as “fantastic.”

ByDominic Lund Oct 27, 2025