Daily Star

Premier League frontrunners Arsenal have been dealt a significant injury blow as Gabriel Magalhaes was forced to leave the pitch while playing for Brazil.

The Gunners defender was in the starting line-up for Carlo Ancelotti's team in their friendly match against Senegal at the Emirates Stadium. With Brazil leading 2-0 courtesy of goals from Estevao and Casemiro, Gabriel was injured just past the hour mark.

Pictures reveal the Arsenal defender leaving the field accompanied by the Brazilian medical team. He can be seen lifting his shirt to his face and then clutching his left groin area, suggesting that's where the issue lies.

This injury will undoubtedly concern Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who already has several injury worries ahead of the Premier League's return next weekend. The Gunners are set to face rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby on Sunday, November 23 at the Emirates Stadium.

Striker Viktor Gyokeres, winger Noni Madueke, forward Gabriel Martinelli and midfielder Martin Odegaard are all major doubts for the match. To add to their woes, it has been revealed that full-back Riccardo Calafiori has returned to Arsenal from the Italy camp due to an injury, reports the Mirror.

An injury to Gabriel would be another significant setback for the team. The defender has been instrumental in the side's run of seven consecutive clean sheets.

This streak was ended in last weekend's 2-2 draw with Sunderland. A late equaliser from the Black Cats meant that Arsenal had to settle for a single point.

Despite the setback, Arsenal still sit at the summit of the Premier League table. The Gunners have accumulated 26 points from their first 11 matches.

This puts them four points clear of closest challengers Manchester City, who have 22 points. Current champions Liverpool find themselves languishing in eighth position, having managed just 18 points from their opening 11 fixtures.

After the clash with Sunderland, Arteta gave a candid assessment of his side's display. "Obviously, the last feeling is disappointment and frustration because we wanted the three points," he said.

"We have to navigate through a really tough game. We knew that, it was very disruptive. We have to deal with situations, obviously, that are difficult to deal with.

"They do it really well and we conceded a goal that is not in our standards. But after that, I think the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage. They scored the first goal, they scored the second goal and we totally dominated the game.

"You have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six or seven players there. It can be from a direct play, it can be from a throw-in, it can be from any situation. We can defend the action better, and today we haven't done it; we conceded the goal.

"And in the last minutes we have another massive chance with Ricky and Mikel to win, which I think we deserve to do. But it didn't happen, but I think it shows what we've done in the last ten games.

"Winning them in the manner that we've done it, with clean sheets, missing seven players in the front line. So it shows you how difficult it is."

Benjamin Sesko was forced off during Manchester United's dramatic 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Saturday with an injury update emerging for the Red Devils

Manchester United could be without Benjamin Sesko for several crucial fixtures even if his knee problem proves to be minor.

The 22-year-old picked up the injury during the closing stages of last weekend's 2-2 stalemate with Tottenham and with Ruben Amorim having exhausted all his substitutions, United were compelled to see out the final moments a man down.

Spurs appeared to have capitalised on that numerical advantage when Richarlison diverted a Wilson Odobert effort beyond United keeper Senne Lammens, only for Matthijs de Ligt to nod home a dramatic late leveller.

Despite bagging another stoppage-time goal to salvage a point, injuries took centre stage in Amorim's post-match media conference. After confirming problems for Harry Maguire and Casemiro, Amorim acknowledged regarding Sesko: "We have to check. He had something in his knee, let's see."

As Sesko is expected to stay at United's Carrington training base during the November international window, sources have indicated the injury isn't as severe as initially thought, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Slovenia chief Matjaz Kek, however, wants Sesko assessed by his nation's medical staff as the final international break of the campaign gets underway.

As reported by Epika, the Slovenia manager stated: "We also want the player to be examined by our medical service. Our doctor is an expert in this field.

"Of course I'm worried about the player, the only thing I'm interested in is his well-being, we're ready to do everything for that and we've never sent anyone onto the field if there was the slightest risk.

"But the national team is something very special and I expect maximum respect from everyone. Slovenia deserves that, even if there's a superpower like England on the other side, and something as exceptional as the Premier League."

Even with more than two weeks to rest, as United don't resume domestic duties until Monday, November 24 against Everton, Sesko is likely to be doubtful for that clash. The following weekend sees Amorim's squad travel to Crystal Palace, and just four days later they host West Ham United.

A recovery period of just over three weeks would mean Sesko missing all these matches. Beyond this, there's another quick turnaround for United in mid-December when they face Wolves on Monday, December 8, before welcoming Bournemouth to Manchester.

The hectic Christmas and New Year schedule then kicks in, with Amorim likely eager to have Sesko fit, especially with Bryan Mbeumo and Amad due to depart for AFCON. During this period, United will face Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Wolves, Leeds United and Burnley within 17 days.

A serious knee issue could see Sesko sidelined for all these games, but hope will remain that he can make a comeback this month.

Ruben Amorim's resurgent Manchester United's good form almost ended as they blew a 1-0 lead at Tottenham but recovered from a late Spurs comeback to draw 2-2.

A nightmare injury was pivotal in them failing not to collect all three points, but they managed to leave with one, after Harry Maguire went off with a suspected hamstring problem in the second half and the Red Devils lost all defensive stability in the England star's absence.

Spurs and United went into the game on 17 points each in the table, knowing that a victory would move either one of them up to second place, just five points behind leaders Arsenal, ahead of the Gunners' teatime trip to Sunderland. The game ended with United in seventh and the home side in third, due to goal difference.

Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring for United in the first half and they controlled much of the game. But Mathys Tel equalised for Spurs following Maguire's withdrawal and then Richarlison scored what looked like an injury time winner. Yet United were not done there.

In the 95th minute goalkeeper Senne Lammens came up for a United corner and defender Matthijs de Ligt, unmarked at the back post, headed into the net to make it 2-2, sparking rapturous celebrations in the away end and silencing the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

United had started brightly, with Bruno Fernandes pulling the strings and one ball finding Mbeumo, who squared it past the on-rushing Guglielmo Vicario, but there was no team-mate available to capitalise. Richarlison missed the host's best chance of the first half, with a poor header after good work from Brennan Johnson.

But in the 32nd minute, United made them pay for a defensive calamity, as October's Premier League Player of the Month, Mbeumo, struck again. Spurs repeatedly failed to clear their lines, before a stunning ball from Amad Diallo found the Cameroon star, who converted with a precise header.

Premier League pundit and Spurs striking legend Jermaine Defoe observed: "You have to stop the cross if you are Spurs. Man Utd keep it alive well, it's poor marking but it's such a controlled header."

Mbeumo, who has scored five goals against Spurs in the Premier League, his joint-most against an opponent in the competition, continued to shine in the second half, but it was a United team-mate who then stood up to be counted when his side needed him most.

In the 55th minute, Tottenham winger Wilson Odobert whipped in a ball towards the six-yard box, where defender Cristian Romero having surged forward found himself facing away from goal, and backheeled towards the net. United's summer signing Lammens reacted brilliantly to save it with one leg.

And he was called into action again soon afterwards, saving well from Joao Palhinha, as he again showed why Amorim was so keep to replace Andre Onana with the young Belgian.

Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said: "Lammens' positioning was really good on both chances. They were quite close to him, relatively easy saves but very good positioning."

Johnson thought he had equalised just after the hour mark, but he was a long way offside when he collected a pass from Richarlison and slotted past Lammens into the bottom corner.

Maguire was replaced by Leny Yoro in the 73rd minute and with him went United's defensive stability. Just over 10 minutes later, Spurs were level, thanks to a lovely turn and finish from Tel.

Destiny Udogie played a low ball to him just near the penalty spot, and he took a good first touch and then fired high into the net.

And things went from bad to worse for the visitors when Benjamin Sesko also hurt himself late on and had to be withdrawn, meaning United were forced to finish the match with 10 men.

In the 91st minute, a Spurs corner fell to Wilson Odobert outside the box, and his shot was flicked on by Richarlison past Lammens, who on this occasion could do very little.

Murray commented: "It had to be instinct from Richarlison, he is low on confidence and his little flick has landed in the corner. All of a sudden, the stadium absolutely erupts.

"Sesko had limped off for Manchetser United and he had left them to 10 men after already making five substitutions. If I were Ruben Amorim, I would have left him on to stand out there and be a body."

But the drama was not done there, as De Ligt got up highest to head in from four yards as the clock approached 96 minutes.

And having only had 10 men at the time, huge credit has to be given to United for showing the strength of character to salvage a point from the game.

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman has opened up on his decision to retire from professional football at the age of 26, just weeks after winning the Europa League

Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Alfie Whiteman has called time on his professional football career. The 27-year-old made the choice at the conclusion of last season, whilst still just 26.

Whiteman was part of Ange Postecoglou's Europa League-winning squad, having progressed through the club's youth ranks before penning his first professional contract.

Throughout his stint at Tottenham he enjoyed two loan periods - both with Swedish outfit Degerfors - but never truly appeared likely to break into the first team and consistently found himself far down the hierarchy.

His lack of first-team opportunities prompted him to explore alternative pursuits, including drama lessons, media work, and photography. The Athletic reports that he anticipated continuing his footballing journey when Spurs released him at the season's end.

Nevertheless, the keeper decided to hang up his gloves on his own terms during the summer and is now pursuing a photography career, acknowledging that he was dissatisfied as a professional footballer.

He revealed: "I signed for Spurs at 10 years old. Then I left school at 16 and went straight into this full-time life of football.

"When I was around 17 or 18, living in digs, I just had this feeling inside of, 'Is this it?' Getting on the mini bus, going to training, doing the Sports Science BTEC and going home to play video games. I realised, 'Oh, I'm not happy here' from quite a young age.

"The stereotype of a footballer is generally quite true. It's the golf, washbag culture. I was that young footballer. I wanted the Gucci washbag and I drove the Mercedes. You all just become a reflection of each other.

"You're a product of your environment. It's the way football is in this country; it's so shut off from anything else. You go to training and then you go home, that's it."

Whiteman added: "Football is a short career regardless, even if you do really well, and I knew that I didn't want to stay in it.

"It was about trying to gain experience and be proactive in learning about these things I was also interested in, but mainly because I was enjoying it, and was surrounded by the kinds of people that were doing what I enjoyed as a job.

"They were making things. It was really inspiring."

Former DJ and tech entrepreneur Brooklyn Earick is reportedly leading a 12-man consortium that has launched a record-breaking £4.5billion takeover bid for Tottenham Hotspur.

According to The Sun, Earick and his partners are offering a hefty £3.3billion to buy out the entire club from owners ENIC and the Lewis family, with an additional £1.2billion set aside for player investments.

The 41-year-old has rallied a group of NFL and NBA investors to back his ambitious vision for the North London club, with a 'Tottenham 3.0' blueprint that includes massive investment in the playing side.

If successful, this total package would surpass the £4.25-billion record for a football club purchase, set by the Todd Boehly-led consortium that bought Chelsea in 2022.

Despite Earick's proposed bid, Tottenham's majority shareholder ENIC insists the club is not on the market, even following Daniel Levy's departure earlier this month. On September 4, Spurs confirmed that Levy had stepped down as Executive Chairman after a 25-year tenure, reports the Mirror.

In a statement at the time, Levy said: "I am incredibly proud of the work I have done together with the executive team and all our employees. We have built this club into a global heavyweight competing at the highest level."

He added: "More than that, we have built a community. I was lucky enough to work with some of the greatest people in this sport, from the team at Lilywhite House and Hotspur Way to all the players and managers over the years.

"I wish to thank all the fans that have supported me over the years. It hasn't always been an easy journey but significant progress has been made. I will continue to support this club passionately."

The news comes as Tottenham boss Thomas Frank hailed Joao Palhinha’s role as emergency centre-half and opening goalscorer in the 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Doncaster.

Palhinha’s improvised strike, a Jay McGrath own goal and Brennan Johnson’s stoppage-time breakaway comfortably disposed of League One Rovers.

On-loan Portuguese midfielder Palhinha stepped into an injury-hit back-line while Archie Gray, often forced to play auxiliary centre-back under previous boss Ange Postecoglou, took his preferred midfield role.

“Joao’s been very good for us since he joined,” said Frank. “He slotted into that centre-back role, played very well and scored a goal. I’m very pleased.

“Archie can play centre-back and right-back but I see him as a midfielder and I like to see him there.”

Thomas Frank has made it clear he wants Harry Kane to return to Tottenham as the Spurs boss spoke about the possibility of the England captain returning to the Premier League

Thomas Frank has made it very clear that he wants England captain Harry Kane back in a Tottenham shirt.

Kane is believed to have a release clause in his Bayern Munich contract, which will be worth £56.7million next summer if the striker activates it by informing the German side, before the end of January, of his intention to leave.

Ex-Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy confirmed after Kane’s sale in 2023 that the North London club also inserted a buy-back clause into the deal and that gives them first option on the prolific forward.

With Kane just 47 goals off Alan Shearer’s Premier League record of 260, the 32-year-old England skipper has always been expected to return to England at some point.

There are said to be fears within Bayern that after three seasons they could lose Kane, who has netted a remarkable 98 goals in 103 games for the Bavarian giants, along with laying on 29 assists for his team-mates, before the four-year deal he signed comes to a close.

With the Premier League’s top sides currently all packed to the brim with expensively-assembled strike forces, a move back to Tottenham where he is the record goalscorer could end up being the most likely return route for Kane

“There’s a lot of Tottenham fans including myself who would like to see Kane back,” admitted Spurs boss Frank. “He’s a top player. Personally, I don’t think he will do it right now, if I’m honest, he’ll probably stay in Bayern and continue performing well.

“He was top scorer last year and won the championship, he’s doing fantastic now. I don’t know what he’s thinking.

“Myself, I’m a traveller, I like to travel, I like to explore things as well. He’s been here for many years so why not enjoy the time at Bayern a little bit more. But he’s welcome. If he wants to join us, he’s more than welcome.”

Over the years, Kane developed ties with the powerful Lewis family who own Tottenham and often holidayed at their Bahamas resort.

The biggest obstacle to any return would be the England captain’s wages, which are reported to be around £400,000-a-week at Bayern. That is far beyond Tottenham’s current wage structure.

However, the Lewis family have taken on a more prominent role at the club with the departure of Levy and are expected to inject funds and alter the way Spurs operate going forward. That could mean a change to the wage-to-revenue ratio that is currently the lowest in the Premier League.

Tottenham battled back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Brighton but Thomas Frank was left fuming on the touchline as he raged at a controversial referee decision

Thomas Frank lost his cool on the touchline during Tottenham's 2-2 comeback draw against Brighton.

Frank is known for his animated presence, but on Saturday he seemed on the verge of losing his cool, reminiscent of former Spurs boss Antonio Conte at his most fiery.

Spurs travelled to the south coast and found themselves a goal down after just eight minutes when Yankuba Minteh struck. Yasin Ayari then added a second on the half-hour mark, beating Guglielmo Vicario from distance with an effort that the Italian should have dealt with.

But as Tottenham fought their way back into the game, with Richarlison halving the deficit minutes before half-time. Frank lost his cool minutes before introducing £52million summer signing Xavi Simons in search of an equaliser.

Richarlison had seemingly made a regulation challenge on Brighton left-back Ferdi Kadioglu, only for referee Chris Kavanagh to blow his whistle.

Frank erupted in fury on the touchline towards the referee, gesticulating wildly and shouting. Kavanagh merely looked on as fourth official Tom Nield spoke to him to gauge his reaction.

Luckily for Frank, his touchline demeanour falls somewhere between Conte and Postecoglou, so he had already cooled down by this point and avoided any sanctions from the officials.

Speaking after the draw, Frank told Football London: "I thought the players looked strong and were intense throughout the game.

"Even though we had a midweek game, which I'm very happy with the physical preparation during pre-season and everything the team have done, with big help from the performance staff at Tottenham.

"So the mentality, the physical aspect, I thought was key, and coming here, where last year we came here and were 2-0 up, lost 3-2. Now we’re 2-0 down and come back 2-2. I think it's good.

"If there should have been a winner in my eyes, and maybe I'm slightly biased, I think it should have been us. I think the amount of crosses, the amount of touches in the opponent's box, the amount of near chances, was more than enough to win the game."

Tottenham Hotspur will make their long-awaited return to the UEFA Champions League tonight when they take on Villarreal, but the game will not be shown on TNT Sports

The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League season gets underway tonight with Tottenham Hotspur squaring off against Villarreal.

The Spanish side will be guests at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first round of matches in the competition's League Phase.

This evening marks Spurs' return to the Champions League, their first since 2023, following their Europa League victory last season which secured them automatic qualification.

It's also a European debut for Thomas Frank, the former Brentford manager, who takes charge of his first game in Europe's premier competition tonight.

The Danish boss has had a promising start at Spurs, with his team currently third in the Premier League standings. They claimed a resounding 3-0 win over West Ham in their derby match on Saturday, adding to their earlier triumph over Man City in August.

On the other hand, Villarreal have had a somewhat inconsistent start to their La Liga season, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in their latest outing. Despite only two victories from four games, the Spanish outfit sits sixth in their domestic league.

In anticipation of tonight's match, Frank spoke to Sky Sports about his impending Champions League debut, stating: "I am hugely looking forward to it, I know it will be special when we have that Champions League anthem playing, that will be the moment.

"Really looking forward to the first two minutes, the anthem, and then it's focus on the game,"reports the Mirror.

Unlike the majority of Champions League matches, tonight's game won't be aired on TNT Sports, but there is a method to watch the match entirely free of charge.

When is Tottenham vs Villarreal?

The match between Tottenham and Villarreal is set to commence at 8pm, with Gabby Logan spearheading the coverage from 6.30pm alongside Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick. Jon Champion and Alan Shearer will provide the commentary.

How to watch Tottenham vs Villarreal for free.

The Tottenham vs Villarreal match will be shown on Amazon's Prime Video and can be streamed at no cost by signing up for an Prime 30-day free trial. Prime Video is airing one Champions League match every game week free for Prime members, including Galatasaray vs Liverpool on 30 September.

Tonight's match also marks the premiere of Prime Vision, a brand-new alternate broadcasting feed brimming with real-time statistics, graphics, and AI-driven insights, including a tactical map and advanced analytics.

For the most recent domestic games, Sky Sports is the go-to destination, offering more than 1,000 matches this season across the Premier League, EFL, Carabao Cup and more, all included with Sky's £35 Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.

The Apprentice host branded the former Liverpool and England ace a “double barrel idiot” for comments he made on Sky Sports about outgoing Spurs chairman Daniel Levy inheriting a "complete mess"

Fuming Alan Sugar is threatening to sue Jamie Redknapp after he took a swipe at his ownership of Spurs.

The Apprentice host branded the former Liverpool and England ace a “double barrel idiot” for comments he made on Sky Sports.

Football pundit Redknapp, 52, was speaking about the surprise exit of Spurs chairman Daniel Levy last week and praised him for making the club a financial success.

He compared the condition of the London club when Levy left to how it was left by Lord Sugar, following his stint as chairman and part-owner between 1991 and 2001, and claimed he had inherited a “complete mess”.

Business guru Lord Sugar, 78, has hit back on social media by threatening legal action against Redknapp and his employer.

He fumed: “Jamie Redknapp is a double barrel idiot. He talks a load of rubbish.

“He said when Daniel Levy took over Spurs Alan Sugar left the club in a right mess.

“He and SKY will be hearing from my lawyers Monday.”

Redknapp, who also played for Spurs, had been working as a pundit for Sky during coverage of his former side’s 3-0 win at West Ham.

Ahead of the London derby, he said Spurs fans should be positive about the future despite Levy’s exit.

He said: “I think from Spurs’ point of view, it’s a great time to be optimistic.

“Whoever takes over - you think back to how Alan Sugar left the club, it was a complete mess.

“Daniel Levy has left this club in a really good way... and the people in charge now can look at this club and really believe that this can go forward.”

Lord Sugar followed his post up with another message, which read: “I am coming after you Jamie Redknapp idiot.”

Tottenham have issued a staunch statement saying the club "is not for sale".

On Monday morning, PCP International Finance, the investment vehicle led by former Newcastle shareholder Amanda Staveley, confirmed it had been interested in a potential move to buy the club.

However, it confirmed that “it does not intend to make an offer for Tottenham”, with owners Enic and the Lewis family insisting the club is not for sale.

Takeover rules mean the company cannot return with an offer for the Premier League club in the next six months.

A Tottenham statement said: “The Board of Tottenham Hotspur Limited (’Tottenham Hotspur’, the ‘Club’ or the ‘Company’) is aware of recent media speculation and confirms that its majority shareholder, Enic Sports & Developments Holdings Ltd, has received, and unequivocally rejected, separate preliminary expressions of interest in relation to proposals to acquire the entire issued, and to be issued, share capital of ENIC from (i) PCP International Finance Limited; and (ii) a consortium of investors led by Dr Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng through Firehawk Holdings Limited (the ‘Consortium’).

“As a consequence of Enic’s majority ownership interest in Tottenham Hotspur, were any offer made to acquire Enic and complete, a mandatory offer would be required under Rule 9 of the Code to acquire the shares of Tottenham Hotspur not already held by Enic.

“The Board of the Club and Enic confirm that Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale and Enic has no intention to accept any such offer to acquire its interest in the Club.

“The person responsible for arranging the release of this announcement on behalf of Tottenham Hotspur is Peter Charrington (non-executive chairman).”

Approaches to buy the club were made in the wake of chairman Daniel Levy stepping down from his role after 25 years in the position.

Levy's departure now means that the Lewis family trust is in charge of running the club, along with non-executive chairman Peter Charrington and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham.

Staveley sold her stake in Newcastle in July 2024, and appears ready to return to football club ownership.

However, both Staveley, operating through PCP International Finance Ltd, and the Asian consortium, led by Dr Roger Kennedy and Wing-Fai Ng, have until 5pm on October 5 to commit to making a bid or announce they do not intend to make an offer. Although that deadline can be extended.