Daily Mail

Tottenham plan to extend Yves Bissouma's contract to stop him leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Bissouma's current deal expires in June, but the club has a one-year option they intend to trigger to preserve his value if he is not sold in January.

Spurs performed a similar contractual move last season with Son Heung-min, activating an extension before selling him to LAFC in the United States for an MLS record fee of £20million in July.

Bissouma, 29, is unlikely to play again for Tottenham. He made 52 appearances in all competitions last season and started the Europa League final in May but has yet to make a single appearance under Thomas Frank.

Bissouma was dropped as a disciplinary measure for persistent lateness from Frank's first squad ahead of the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in August, then struck by an injury in training soon afterwards.

On his return to fitness, he injured a knee while playing for Mali in October and required surgery, which has kept him out since. He has not been named in the Champions League squad.

Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and Archie Gray have shared the load of the two defensive midfield positions in Frank's usual 4-2-3-1 system.

Bissouma's latest recovery schedule has him in a fight to be fit in time for international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Morocco in December and end with the final on January 18.

Compounding a torrid few months, there were court revelations in November of how he had been a victim of fraud with £800,000 stolen from a bank account with Coutts.

Tottenham will listen to offers in January with Fulham among those monitoring his situation but prospective buyers hoping to see his price cut as his contract winds down will be disappointed if the option is triggered and extends his deal until 2027.

There was fleeting interest in the summer from Turkish clubs Fenerbahce and Galatasaray but it came to nothing. Spurs wanted more than £10m for a player who cost them £25m from Brighton in 2022.

Bissouma, who has been in the Premier League since 2018, when he joined Brighton for £15m from Lille, is settled and thought to favour continuing his career in England.

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes is a major doubt for next Sunday's north London derby after being sent home from international duty with an injury.

The towering defender had to be withdrawn midway through Brazil's 2-0 victory against Senegal on Saturday after going down clutching his thigh.

He appeared in some discomfort as he trudged towards the dugout flanked by medical staff in concerning scenes for Gunners fans.

Tests have now revealed that Gabriel suffered 'a muscle injury in his right thigh', meaning he won't travel with Brazil to Lille for their friendly against Tunisia on Tuesday.

The defender will instead return to Arsenal's north London training ground for treatment.

Gabriel may well therefore miss his club side's clash with fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates next weekend.

Giving an early update on his player's injury after Brazil's win in London, Carlo Ancelotti said: 'I don't know what happened, he had a problem with his thigh.

'The medical staff have to check tomorrow. I'm really disappointed he's got an injury. I hope he recovers well and soon.'

Gabriel's injury comes at arguably the worst possible time for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, who face a crucial few weeks with games against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea to come after the international break.

They currently sit top of the league and four points clear of Manchester City, who are in blistering form heading towards the festive period.

Gabriel, along with centre-half partner William Saliba, has enjoyed an impressive start to the season.

Arsenal have conceded a mere five Premier League goals thus far and kept clean sheets in seven of their 11 games.

Gabriel's been key to such success but has also contributed going forward. He's scored twice for Arteta's men already this season in their bid to win a first Premier League title for more than 20 years.

Thomas Tuchel has scolded England star Djed Spence over his behaviour after he ignored Tottenham manager Thomas Frank last month.

The England boss was unimpressed with how Spence, who is three caps into his international career, blanked Frank following Spurs' 1-0 defeat by Chelsea.

Interestingly, Spence was an unused substitute during Thursday’s 2-0 win over Serbia at Wembley despite starting the last international in Latvia in October.

‘Yeah, I didn’t like it,’ said Tuchel, who was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

‘Because the players know they are not only national players when they are the 10 days in camp, they are always national players and the standard of behaviour is always important.’

Tuchel revealed he has spoken to Spence about the incident but did not consider leaving him out of the squad. Jude Bellingham is in line to start here in Tirana, but Ezri Konsa has returned to Aston Villa with a calf issue.

Meanwhile, Tuchel has told his England players to let Albania run through on goal rather than risk a red card and miss matches at next summer’s World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently sweating on his early involvement in North America after his red card against Republic of Ireland this week.

If Portugal qualify automatically and his ban is extended to three matches for violent conduct - he elbowed defender Dara O’Shea - he will miss the first two group games at the World Cup.

Wayne Rooney was also suspended for England’s opening two matches at Euro 2012 after being sent off in the final qualifier.

Tuchel’s side are already qualified and play their final match in Albania on Sunday, and the head coach warned: ‘It is important, I’m aware of it and we will talk about it - no red cards please!

'Because we are through, and we are in a position with the last man and the player holds the shirt he gets the red card, so if there’s a doubt, then it would be smarter not to do it.

‘If we can avoid it, no red card, but I don’t want to make it too big a subject, because then you have a cloud above you. But if you have the choice, don’t do it.’

After 35 years of squabbles between two families, a man named Benn finally found a way to beat a Eubank. That it was comfortably the dullest encounter of the genre will not matter in the slightest to the guy who succeeded where his father twice failed.

And so, when it was done, Conor Benn climbed to the top rope and roared like a maniac at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with no need to wait for the formalities of the scorecards, such was the resounding nature of his revenge over Chris Eubank Jr.

Where the older man triumphed by unanimous decision in a wild, raw slugfest in April, the younger levelled their individual rivalry with speed and control 203 days later.

The official scores of 119-107, 116-110, 118-108 in Benn’s favour captured the nature of the evening, but concealed a pair of surprises. Primarily, that Nigel’s son could limit his aggression and emotions to a functional place, but also in how flat the contest was when set against the chaos of the first.

Were it not for the fire and fury of the final round, when Benn twice dropped Eubank, we would be questioning if more money has ever been spent on such an anti-climax. We still might given the purses for a non-title fight that saw Eubank Jr pocket an estimated £10million and Benn £8m.

But at least there was some bang for the buck and possibly some closure, too, on a rivalry that has been stretched out to excessive lengths to make a fight between men who belong in different weight categories.

In regards to the latter, Eubank Jr might eventually offer a detailed range of excuses for his desperately lethargic performance. And some might even be valid in consideration of the rehydration clauses that limited his ability to recover from a draining weight cut to make the 160-pound limit.

But it is more likely that his age – 36 and the elder by seven years – simply caught him up. He looked slow and old and thoroughly beaten, taking the family score to 2.5-1.5 across two generations.

Benn was happy to see this one as the last dance between them. He said: ‘It has been some journey and this is the end of the Eubank-Benn saga. Everyone who said I can’t box, put that in your pipe and smoke it.’

To sell it as a boxing masterclass would be a mistake – but it was an impressive dismantling of the opposition. There were also some conciliatory words for Eubank, with Benn adding: ‘Listen, this is generational, never done before, so credit to Chris. Thank you for sharing the ring with me. Not bad for two silver spoon kids.’

Eubank, for his part, alluded to difficulties in making the weight. He said: ‘ I have been through hell and back to get to this night. It is what it is. I tried hard. He fought hard and tough and he has power. I don’t know how he did it.’

The last sentence could be vulnerable to differing interpretations in light of the narrative around Benn’s failed drugs tests prior to the first fight.

But this one had no such drama in the build-up. Indeed, there were a significant number of empty seats ahead of the first bell, which told a story of fading novelty. Without the benefit of a scandal to leverage, or even the mystery of whether Eubank Snr would be present, much of the spice was sapped from an event that was never much more than a money grab for all concerned.

On that front, there was still sufficient demand to use this grand stadium for its host. Besides, an attendance upwards of 55,000 on a drizzly night in November is not to be sniffed at.

But it was telling that 2,000 tickets were gifted to local cab drivers by the Saudi overlords and seats that initially cost £100 were going for as little as £28 on secondary markets by the morning of the fight.

For those present, including Thierry Henry, Rod Stewart and Pierce Brosnan among the notables, Eubank Jr promised to dish out an ‘a**-beating’ and that this would be ‘a fight of the decade contender’.

He didn’t and it wasn’t.

Benn, as expected, showed the extra aggression, but with fewer of the rough edges we saw in April. Rather than hunting with haymakers, he was favouring the jab and repeatedly dipped below waist-height in manoeuvres to draw the taller man down.

Did it work? It was enough to take the early rounds but not to cause damage. Barring a couple of moderate right hands that he absorbed around the jaw and body, Eubank seemed content with the arrangement, but why? Was it by design to sap Benn’s strength? Or just a failure to get those ageing fists flying at a moving target?

Either way, he left himself a lot of ground to make up on the cards. By the halfway point, it was hard to make a case for Eubank having won a single round, with the possible exception of the third, when he finally landed a couple of decent shots.

The rest was a reliable pattern of slow jabs into cold air, quickly followed by a more accurate retaliation from Benn. He was too quick for Eubank and too young.

That was highlighted in the seventh when, finally, there was a moment of legitimate excitement. Eubank had landed a strong jab, but as he stepped forward to follow it, he swallowed a left from Benn and then a far harder right that snapped his head back. Benn leaned forward and laughed in his face.

The eighth saw an improvement from Eubank, featuring one driving right flush on Benn’s cheek, but it was only a precursor to more frustration. The 12th round knockdowns settled it all rather emphatically as those right hands from Benn dropped Eubank to the canvas.

With them, he hopefully brought a close to a once-thrilling rivalry that has been allowed to go on too long.

Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest updates and result as Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn face off in the latest chapter of their rivalry, with Riath Al-Samarrai reporting from the stadium.

ROUND SEVEN: Benn lands big!

Benn smells blood here. Eubank Jr looks really weak, and he may already need a knockout.

Benn going hard early and Eubank has to grab.

According to CompuBox, it's 35-21 to Benn in terms of jabs landed so far.

He's defending really well, too.

A BIG RIGHT HANDS FROM BENN! Eubanks says fine. Words exchanged at the bell!

Jones: 'Benn is taking advantage'

Barry Jones, former featherweight world champion, speaking on DAZN:

He looks lethargic and it’s usually due to weight issues. Everyone struggles to make weight, he overadvertised it, but it might be an issue.

Benn is taking advantage of every frailty, boxing under instruction.

ROUND SIX: Life in Eubank?

Eubank's corner are calling for more jabs and we are seeing that early doors here.

Benn, though, isn't worried, but does eat a right hand to the chin.

A big right from Benn, but Eubank hits back instantly. He's more in this round.

Potentially the closest round we have had - it ends with Eubank falling to the floor again. I think Benn pushed him.

ROUND FIVE: Benn smelling blood

Come on, Eubank. Not that I'm necessarily cheering him on, but just show us something.

Barry Jones on commentary for DAZN is questioning whether this is one fight too many for Eubank. Maybe too early to say that, but he is being schooled.

He is throwing but missing. A jab and an uppercut.

A good left jab from Benn as the crowd urge him on.

A bit better with a low jab, but he is feeling for it.

Benn then fires in two strong shots - Eubank laughs. The first signs of a real attack that we have seen.

ROUND FOUR: Benn well on top

They are starting to slog it out a bit more now. We are in a fight. It was a weird start from Eubank.

Good left jab from Benn. Then they exchange good lefts. Looks like the right eye of Eubank could be swelling...

He tried for a right hook but misses. Another body shot from Benn.

It's his round again.

ROUND THREE: Eubank Jr wakes up!

Benn lands another jab early. He's throwing that shot a lot more than he did in the first fight.

Eubank is now trying to come forward a little bit more. He narrowly misses a big uppercut but then lands a left on the back foot.

Eubank hits the deck, but he's pushed over. Much closer, now, with Eubank now getting his hands going.

ROUND TWO: Eubank Jr struggling to settle

Bo Mac is telling Eubank to relax in his corner. Benn's round first up, for sure.

Benn hits the deck but it's no knockdown. Benn bundled over, really. Kevin Parker wants a word with both men. It's quite a long one.

Benn is throwing a lot here and hits another good body shot.

The Destroyer is looking very quick here. Eubank is silent, not really moving much, and on the back foot. Is it deliberate?

Either way, I think it may be two rounds to Benn.

ROUND ONE: Benn on the front foot

It's Benn on the front foot early, with the loser of the last fight taking the centre.

A good body shot from Benn as we pass the minute mark. Eubank being very selective with his shots.

Really good from Benn. Quick shots but then he eats one from Eubank.

Benn goes for a big shot and it gets a bit scrappy as referee Kevin Parker calls for them to separate.

A decent first round. Both men looking comfortable.

We are underway!

There's a pause for a round of applause for Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, and we are just about ready to get underway here.

Cheers for Benn. Boos for Eubank. That has changed a little since last time.

One final pep talk from both fathers. Chris nods his head. Conor confident.

And the first bell rings. A roar from the crowd.

Talk about A-listers...

Good evening, gentlemen...

Just James Bond and Rod Stewart. No worries.

Rod didn't seem too impressed with 50 Cent, though!

Here's Eubank Jr - and 50 Cent!

We are hearing there has been a delay backstage. Games until the very end!

LOUD boos for Eubank Jr. Here he comes!

It's the usual Still D.R.E. for him, until 50 Cent comes out! Riath said he was there!

The Eubanks walk with pure swagger. What a dynasty. We spoke about proud fathers...

A warning that there is strong language in the below video.

'It's a fun touch'

I’m a pretty cynical soul on a variety of boxing topics, but any ring walk that involves a marching band of drummers is a fun touch in my book. Hat tip to Benn.

We still await Eubank Jr

It's a nice moment seeing Conor and Nigel together. That is one proud father.

Benn finishes his walk on by being drummed to the ring, and the crowd is on his side here. So keen to see if he can get revenge here.

It's going on a long time, I can't lie.

Benn makes his way to the ring

After Sweet Caroline plays, Adam Smith takes control on DAZN as the crowd lets out a huge cheer.

It's then over to Michael Buffer. You know the voice.

Benn is out first. A mixture of cheers and boos.

He takes his time. Ready or Not by The Delfonics is his choice of music to start with.

Then, after the Big Ben chimes, In the Air Tonight breaks out. Bop, to be fair.

Nigel is loving it too.

Bellew: 'This favours Benn'

Tony Bellew, former cruiserweight world champion, speaking on DAZN:

They are going straight back it and I think that favours Benn. He will have healed quicker and he will want to go into the fire quicker.

Technique and game plan will go out in the window again. Benn has to go there, he is the shorter guy. I can't see this being anything but another classic.

'50 cent is here'

Our sources tell us 50 Cent is in Eubank’s dressing room.

Meanwhile, a variety of staff are mopping down the ring after that Catterall-Essuman bloodbath. Fair play to Catterall – excellent performance.

How Benn spent Eubank Jr's fine

You may remember that Eubank Jr was fined £375,000 for missing weight last fight - if not only because I mentioned it earlier.

Well, Benn has revealed how he spent that money: on a Rolls Royce.

He loves it, too. Fair enough.

Celebrities in town!

The pictures are still filtering through, but we have some famous faces in the house tonight.

How's Jason Statham for you? How about Rosie Huntingdon Whitley? Thierry Henry?

PIERCE BROSNAN is here too! Mega.

Undercard results

The undercard has just finished up here in north London, with Jack Catterall claiming a dominant win over Eko Essuman.

Here are the full results from the other fights:

Adam Azim def. Kurt Scoby by 12th round TKO

Richard Riakporhe def. Tommy Welch by second-round knockout

Ishmael Davis def. Sam Gilley by unanimous decision

Mikie Tallon def. Fezan Shahid by fifth round knockout

Benn vibing ahead of go time!

I'll be honest, I'm not cool enough to know what song this is. Not even close.

But that is besides the point - the Destroyer is chilled, confident, and, seemingly, read.

A good sign for his fans.

That, and I now have a song stuck in my head that I do not know the name of.

Hands being wrapped

We're getting closer and closer to go time here - and the two fighters for the main event have been getting their hands wrapped ahead of the ring walks.

Both look very calm. No time to stress now - no going back!

Joshua vs Fury on the cards?!

Turki Al-Sheikh has told DAZN that Anthony Joshua is set to fight in Riyadh in February and then have a big London fight in London.

Not named were mentioned, but Hearn, AJ's promoter, said recently: 'Our plan is really cemented with Turki Al-Sheikh for 2026. And that's a big fight in February, and then Tyson Fury.'

Jake Paul first though of course, pal.

Nelson: 'Conor can snatch Eubank Jr's heart'

Johnny Nelson, former cruiserweight world champion, speaking to WhichBookie:

My prediction is that Conor Benn will beat Chris Eubank Jr. by way of a tight points decision.

Conor’s main threats, which he must use to good effect in this fight, are pace and pressure. With pace and pressure, he can snatch Eubank Jr’s heart.

He can snatch his lungs, drain his energy and put him under immense pressure. I’m not sure Benn can stop him; I don’t see a one-punch knockout happening there. That said, I could see a situation where the onslaught is so constant that the referee has to step in.

Inside Conor Benn's dressing room

Here's a look inside the dressing room of the Benn camp. Sort of, anyway.

You may recognise this - especially if you're a Tottenham fan. But no football teams in here today - just Benn and his boxing team.

Plenty of room. Very nice.

Nigel Benn: 'I know we are going to get a victory'

Nigel Benn, Conor Benn's father and former boxer:

Conor's fitness is another level. It was about his mindset. His team behind him is relaxed. No stress.

I know we're going to get a victory, I'm 100 per cent sure of that. Conor had him more in trouble than he had Conor [last time].

Hearn: 'I wouldn't be surprised if it's his last fight'

Eddie Hearn, Conor Benn's promoter, speaking to The Sun:

I just know that a lot of people around him didn't want him to carry on fighting after the last fight. And I think this fight will be the same kind of fight in terms of how taxing it'll be, how tough it'll be.

I just think he's coming to the end of his career. What is he, 36? You can't have too many fights like that, so let's see how he performs on Saturday, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was his last fight.

Is the rivalry losing its shine?

As of last night, there were still a few tickets on sale ahead of tonight, with the anticipation admittedly not as high as the first fight between these two.

What's the reason for this fight? Family pride? Boxing success? Money?

Well worth reading the below from the legendary Jeff Powell, who has tried to break down tonight and what's on the line. Spoiler: He's not too impressed. But still well worth it.

You can read by clicking here or below.

JEFF POWELL: This second fight in north London is a masterpiece in the marketing of a family rivalry which is being lauded above its standing in the annals of this hard old game.

Hearn gets one over on Eubank Jr

Speaking of Hearn - he and Eubank Jr have been at each other's throats the whole time during this rivalry, pretty much forming one of their own.

Every time the former has tried to speak, the actual fighter has refused to let him, speaking over him, and it all came to a head when he claimed Hearn was responsible for the blocking of his ambulance in April - something he has categorically denied.

In the final presser, though, Hearn had a trick up his sleeve. He displayed cards, essentially reading everything he wanted to say, and there was nothing Eubank Jr could do about it.

ANOTHER sabotage?!

Surely not...

The Eubank camp have been stuck in a lift inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium... and Eubank Jr is convinced Hearn has set it up!

'The sabotage begins,' he said, laughing at his dad - who, interestingly, was shaking his head.

He continued: 'Now the lift doesn't work. It's OK. It's OK, Conor. You can stop the lift, you can stop the cars from coming in. It won't change your fate, my friend.'

I must warn you about the below clip - there is strong language!

'A fading novelty?'

A pretty sedate atmosphere here through the undercard so far. There’s a significant number of empty seats in the stadium despite the best efforts of those selling the show – 2,000 tickets given away to local cab drivers and massively reduced prices on the secondary markets. Indifference or a fading novelty?

Either way, it will be a large crowd in excess of 55,000 for an outdoor fight on a drizzly night in November. For those interested, Benn drew the louder cheer upon his arrival and hour or so ago.

...and recovery!

The issue around the state Eubank Jr was in after his last fight rang true. He was interviewed after the ring despite being seriously dehydrated, and put in an ambulance. He has since claimed that Eddie Hearn was responsible for the delay in the ambulance getting to hospital. We don't know what will happen this time.

This time, Daily Mail Sport was granted exclusive access to Eubank Jr's training camp in Dubai. We watched him power through a brutal conditioning session, trade blows with sparring partners and unveil a cutting-edge recovery routine designed to extend his career.

There is so much to his recovery now. deep massages, but not getting involved with the cold - no chance.

Click here or below to ready more from Charlotte Daly. Again, well worth it, I feel.

EXCLUSIVE BY CHARLOTTE DALY: Nine months on from dismantling Conor Benn in their first meeting, he is back in camp, back in the grind, and back in pursuit of a statement.

Inside Eubank Jr's preparation...

Eubank was dehydrated after the last fight. He cut down to 160.05lbs last time, still missing weight by half an ounce, resulting in a £375,000 fine. Ouch.

This time, though, he weight in LESS than Benn, coming in at 159.1lbs yesterday, with his rival at 159.3lbs.

The second generation star shared a clip of his brutal preparations for this fight, wearing a full sweat suit, roasting himself as he set to work on the exercise bike while draped in a towel and wearing a plastic hat.

He is ready to go.

And here are the Benns!

Not far behind him... Conor Benn is here too! Not quite flanked by his father Nigel, but the former boxer isn't too far behind.

It's white and blue for him tonight. A lot more level-headed this time around, apparently. We will see.

The Eubanks are here!

Last time out...

It was 202 days ago, on Saturday April 26, that 67,000 fans made their ways into the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to witness what would ultimately be one of the best fights in quite a long time, to be fair.

Two fighters who hated each other - perhaps still do - going head to head in an absolute slog fest. Capturing the nation, the Eubank name would rise, with the Benns falling courtesy of Conor.

It was a bout a long time in the making. Years, in fact. They had been due to do battle back in 2022, before Benn tested positive for banned substance clomifene.

That would be the main ammo for Eubank's jibes his rivals' way in the build-up to the April bout. So much so that he at one point slapped an egg across the then-28-year-old's face. Eggs were blamed for the positive test.

Nonetheless, Eubank dropped a ton of weight, dominated the fight, and was then rushed to hospital with dehydration. Talk about drama.

And that leads us to tonight.

Will it be repeat or revenge?

Goooooood evening one and all and welcome to Daily Mail Sport's live coverage of Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II.

We're back in north London and back inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight, seven months on from the pair's chaotic first bout in the very same arena that saw the former run out victorious. It's just a little bit colder and a little bit more windy this time.

For one reason or another, we are here for a second fight, and it could, could, be a lot closer.

We are expecting ring walks in around an hour. Until then, we have plenty of build-up to provide and lots of undercard bouts to bring you up to date on, so strap in, stay tuned, and enjoy.

Thierry Henry led a host of stars from sport, stage, and screen as gracing the ringside seats for a taste of the boxing action on Saturday night.

Manchester United star Mason Mount and Liverpool player Curtis Jones were among the footballers present for the clash between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, rapper 50 Cent were also in attendance - with the in the Eubank dressing room and helping his entry singing Many Men (Wish Death) and other tunes.

British music royalty in the form of Rod Stewart was represented in the seat next to Brosnan. Olly Murs was also there and supported his boxer friend Sam Gilley - with whom he has sparred for four years - for his defeat by Ishmael Davis.

Meanwhile, Jason Statham, a hard man of the cinema and husband of Huntingdon-Whiteley, posed for pictures alongside Saudi Arabian boxing chief Turki Al-Sheikh.

Henry, who posed for a photo with businessman Steven Bartlett and former boxer Tony Bellew, told TNT Sports: 'I love everything about it [boxing]. The commitment, the discipline. The story [of Eubank Jr vs Benn], the dads, the hate, the love after.

'My dad's favourite was MIke Tyson so my favourite was Mike Tyson. He was almost unreal, the way he got into the body of the opponent. I only saw him on TV but what a fighter he was.'

While not receiving as much attention as their first, this London clash is still a big deal as the fighters once again revive the old Eubank-Benn rivalry their fathers started.

Eubank Jr came out victorious 116-112 on all of the judges' scorecards last time out.

Daily Mail Sport was granted exclusive access to his training camp, overseen byBrian 'BoMac' McIntyre, trainer of the supremely talented American boxer Terence Crawford.

There, Eubank Jr told Charlotte Daly that he wants to do better than a points victory this time.

'We've got to throw in banana skins, catch Benn off guard. I want to stop him. For that, I've got to fight differently.'

That's why he brought in BoMac. 'I decided to team back up with BoMac because he's smart, cunning, cerebral,' Eubank Jr says. 'He studies guys, figures them out, finds the weak points. I wanted new eyes on this fight.'

Eubank Jr joked he had been sabotaged by Conor Benn after getting stuck in a lift on arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The boxer and his legendary father smirked as the elevator stalled as they rolled up for his second fight against Benn this year.

Eubank Jr is looking to make it back-to-back wins in the family feud after inflicting Benn's first defeat of his career on him back in April.

The 36-year-old has promised the show will be a 'fight of the decade contender' despite there being no belts on the line.

'The sabotage begins again, huh?' he said after the lift ground to a halt. 'Now the lift doesn't work.

'It's okay. Stop the lifts, stop the cars from coming in, it will not change your fate, my friend.

'An a***-beating is coming. That schooling is hours away. Only a few hours left.'

Divin Mubama scored one penalty and missed another as Lee Carsley’s England Under-21s maintained their perfect start to Euro 2027 qualifying.

Amid the wind and the rain of Storm Claudia, St Andrews took a battering as the two sides slugged it out in treacherous conditions.

England should have gone in front in the first half when Mubama’s penalty, won by Chelsea’s Tyrique George, was excellently saved by Ireland’s Noah Jauny.

Chances would be at a premium all night long, Ireland left to rue a near-stunner from distance when Manchester United academy star Jacob Devaney almost picked out the top corner from 25 yards.

Carsley’s side dominated the ball, just as they did in their previous qualifier against Andorra, and the breakthrough on the hour mark brought palpable relief.

Lewis Hall, who will hope to catch the eye of seniors boss Thomas Tuchel for the next international break in March, burst down the left wing and was fouled by Jad Hakiki, leading to a second penalty. Replays showed it was harsh on the visiting Ireland players.

Mubama scored, despite Jauny getting a hand on it, and George added a second in stoppage time as England’s perfect record - which includes not conceding a single goal through five games - goes on.

Daily Mail Sport picks out three key takeaways from a sodden St Andrews…

Tyrique ripe for loan

Tyrique George won’t be going to the World Cup next summer - but he absolutely can solidify himself as a bonafide Premier League starter between now and then based on this confident and classy display in Birmingham.

Chelsea Confidential exclusively reported last month how the Blues will sit down with George in the coming weeks to work out what the future holds.

The youngster nearly left in the summer - a £22million deadline-day transfer to Fulham broke down in the final few minutes - but he has since been welcomed back into the fold by Enzo Maresca and Co with open arms.

While he typically plays as a striker for Chelsea, he was operating wide on the right here in a 4-2-3-1, allowing him to dominate in a one v one match-up.

George stood out among his peers in England Under-21’s last qualifier, a narrow win over Andorra in which he scored, and he was very bright here, further underlining why a January loan move could be best for all parties.

Chelsea don't intend to try and force George to leave this January, either permanently or on loan, but will hold talks with the teenager and his camp to see what is best for everyone.

George, 19, is one of the focal points of this new-look Lee Carsley side and it was his clever run that won the first half penalty Divin Mubama would go on to miss. He later

But having not started a league game for Chelsea yet, a loan exit would give George the minutes he needs to go to another level, while also buying Chelsea time to work out whether he is one they can risk letting get away.

Hall makes World Cup pitch

Back in his first England camp in a year, Lewis Hall played like a player who had a point to prove. Not just to himself, or Carsley, but also to Tuchel, who will receive a glowing report card on the Newcastle United full-back.

Hall got 71 minutes here in the driving rain, effortlessly comfortable defensively and a willing runner in attack.

Asked in the lead-up to this qualifier if he was more cautious on the pitch now after two troubling injuries - a broken foot kept him out for months, while he has recently come back from a torn hamstring - Hall said the opposite is now true.

‘Not at all if I’m honest,’ he said.

'If anything it’s made me more hungry and given me that extra bit of desire to get back to the levels that I was at last year.’

Tuchel likes Hall having known him from his days at Chelsea.

And while Hall is behind some of his peers in terms of making his case to go to the World Cup, there is absolutely no clear No 1 out of Nico O’Reilly, who started against Serbia, Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was left out of the squad, Djed Spence, and Hall as left back options.

All bring something a bit different but here was Hall, the best player on the night for England in a hard-fought win, sending a timely reminder that now back to fitness (and form), he is on course to peak at the right time for Tuchel’s World Cup plans.

Melia is a diamond that needs polishing at Spurs

From an Ireland point of view, it was good to get a proper look at Mason Melia ahead of his January move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Melia has not really hit the radar on these shores but he will pitch up in north London in January as the record sale for a League of Ireland player.

The deal, which could rise to £3.2m in add-ons, is a statement from Tottenham that they believe they’ve found a diamond in the rough.

This was a good test here up against Chelsea’s Josh Acheampong, arguably Melia’s toughest to date against a Premier League caliber defender.

Melia battled hard and got one opportunity in the box, only for the ball to get trapped under his feet.

But there was plenty of off the ball work that showed coaches will love his running and work rate as he prepares to team up with Tottenham starlet Luca Williams-Barnett in their Under-21s.

Quietly Spurs’ academy are building a devastating front line.

Even in the crazy world of rock and roll, Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose has got a reputation for being a bit of a wild man: fighting, showing up late – or failing to show up at all, and much, much more.

And it can be revealed that the latest chapter in a big book of bad behaviour came when he insisted, bizarrely, on spending the night at Tottenham Hotspur's £1billion football stadium in North London.

Rose was booked to play consecutive nights with GNR at the 62,850-seater stadium – then brand spanking new.

But he ended up staying, and sleeping on an IKEA bed in the away dressing room, after throwing a wobbly and refusing to go back to his five-star hotel in Mayfair.

A perfectly placed source says: 'Axl said he didn't want to go back to the Dorchester between his two consecutive nights at Spurs' stadium.

'He said, ''Find me a nice suite in the stadium'. You don't really say no to him when he is insisting.

'This was the first music gig in a brand new stadium, but the problem was that there is no such thing as a suite in it.

'So someone was sent out to the Ikea on the North Circular to buy him a bed and bedding.

'They weren't sure where to set it up and thought about one of the hospitality boxes, but that felt like a bad idea.

'In the end, they put him in the away dressing room. Apparently he was really happy with it.

'The next day, the roadies packed the bed and the bedding and everything away into one of their vans, and off they went with it.'

The stranger than fiction eventshappened in July 2022, during the band's Covid-delayed UK tour.

And he's coming back! Earlier his month it was announced that Guns N' Roses – whose hits include Sweet Child O'Mine, Welcome To The Jungle and Paradise City – will headline the Download festival at Donington in June 2026; their only UK gig.

Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit are the other headliners. Presumably he won't be wanting to kip backstage this time around.

AXL, whose real name is William, has fallen out with pretty much everyone in his time. He reportedly had a fist fight with David Bowie in 1989, after Bowie showed too much interest in Rose's then-girlfriend Erin Everly.

He also had a brawl with fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger in a nightclub in 2006, which was captured on camera.

The band's lead guitarist Slash quit in 1996, saying: 'Axl and I have not been capable of seeing eye to eye on Guns N' Roses for some time.

'I'd like to think we could work together in the future, if we were able to work out our differences.'

That took some time — he returned in 2016.

The box office on Sydney Sweeney's latest film – the boxing drama Christy – may have disappointed, but you can't fault the girl for her efforts to hype up an audience.

After learning to box for the film, Sweeney, 28, has told a sports website that she fancies stepping into the ring for a charity fight – perhaps even a pay per view bout.

In an interview with SportsCasting she said: 'There was a moment in the middle of filming where I was like, ''Should I give it all up and fight? Because I love this''.

Christy [boxer Christy Martin, on whose life the film is based] said she'd sign me up. So, this isn't as hypothetical as you actually think it is.

'Yeah, I'd totally do a charity bout. That'd be so sick.'

She added: 'It's a surprise, you'll have to wait, I'm serious. You gotta stay tuned for the pay-per-view and you'll see it.'

Christy Martin, who trained with Sweeney and says she will promote the fight, added: 'I have some names that we can't throw out yet.'

GARY OLDMAN says that he is preparing for the day when his great role as slobbish spy chief Jackson Lamb in Apple TV's Slow Horses comes to an end.

Oldman said: 'For the past five years, I've had to sort of carry around whiskers and long hair. When I'm not being Jackson Lamb, I'll tie up my hair.

'I've got a bit of a tummy. I carry him around with me a little. It will be a mix of sadness and joy to finally let him go. I hope to get my boyish figure back!

'But it'll be a sad day. He's been really good company.'

Fans need not panic – yet. Next week Oldman starts filming Slow Horses series seven in London, which will be based on Mick Herron's book Bad Actors.

Herron published a further book in the Slough House series, Clown Town, in September this year, which looks likely to form the basis of an eighth series. But after that, who knows?

After a career in which he has played (among others) Dracula, Harry Potter's godfather Sirius Black and Winston Churchill, the Oscar-winning actor has found that Jackson Lamb has become a part of him, too.

'I loved him when I first met him – and I still love him,' he said, adding: 'The more I find out about him, the more fascinating and kind of intriguing he is.

'In season three, I had my shirt off, and I think it was a critic that said that I looked like a garlic bulb that had learned to walk.

'And you may think that people would be insulted by that comment. But I laughed, and I was actually rather chuffed, because it's sort of what I've been going for.'

He said becoming Lamb was now 'second nature' to him. 'I put the glasses on, and the clothes, and you sort of fall directly back into him. I just feel like he's really part of me now.'

Oldman reflected that he would love to be as thick-skinned as Lamb, who seems to actually enjoy being insulted. 'You can't judge him, because he doesn't care!' he marvelled. 'You know, the shell is impenetrable... In a sense, it's his spy craft.'

He added that it would be fun to introduce Lamb to Dracula, who he played in 1992. 'I think Lamb and Dracula would be an interesting match. Dracula would come to him and say:, ''I have crossed oceans of time''.

'And Lamb would say, ''I couldn't give a s*** what you've crossed''.'

SHE was criminally underused in the first series of Landman, but Demi Moore has a bigger role in the second series, which starts streaming on Paramount+ from Sunday.

The show, which is set in West Texas, stars Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, the titular 'landman' whose job it is to find, and set up, potential new oil fields.

Fans may remember that Moore's character Cami Miller was widowed at the end of the first series.

Now, though, she is stepping up to run her husband's oil company.

In real life, Moore is far removed from the dog-eatdog world of the oil business, and her favourite piece of land is her ten-and-a-half acre plot in Aspen Lakes, Idaho – the holiday home where she spent most of Covid with her daughters and their partners.

'This land, for me, is like a grounding of my soul,' she said. 'It is home in the deepest sense of the word. As somebody who moved around a lot as a kid, [it's] truly a sanctuary to me.

'I rescued baby ducks before the summer started, released those ducks – and now I have 36 coming to be fed on a daily basis.'

Introducing the banknote which is also an Easter Egg: an Arnold Schwarzenegger $100 bill.

The money features in the remake of The Running Man, which is out this week, and is a neat reference to Arnie, who starred in the 1987 movie of the Stephen King book.

Director Edgar Wright said: 'We called before we started filming, because he had given his permission to put him on the money, and I told him on the call, ''Oh, we made you the hundred''.

'And he goes, ''I'm very happy about that''. He got the highest denomination of the money.'

Wright even handed over a giant version of the note to actor and politician Schwarzenegger in an Instagram video this week.

Superstar author Richard Osman may have found his next big idea. The Thursday Murder Club writer told Ruthie's Table 4 podcast that he's a big fan of the hotel breakfast buffet.

'I always think it could be a great restaurant: a hotel breakfast restaurant... but in the evening. People would go nuts for it.'

Former Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis has received a pardon from Donald Trump after being fined £3.8million and given three years on probation by a New York judge last year.

The east London-born billionaire, 88, whose family is still in control of Spurs, was spared jail when he admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and two counts of securities fraud in January 2024.

Lewis initially denied all the charges against him, with his lawyers accusing prosecutors of making an 'egregious' error, but later changed his plea to guilty after a non-custodial sentence was agreed.

He was accused and ultimately convicted of passing on tips about companies in order to benefit friends, personal assistants, private pilots and romantic partners.

But now Donald Trump has chosen to pardon Lewis for his 'terrible mistake', as the Brit dubbed it at the time. The news is expected to be officially announced by The White House later today.

Lewis, who also owns Mitchells & Butlers, said in a statement: 'I am pleased all of this is now behind me and I can enjoy retirement and watch as my family and extended family continue to build our businesses based on the quality and pursuit of excellence that has become our trademark.'

A source close to the family added: 'Joe and the Lewis family are extremely grateful for this pardon and would like to thank President Trump for taking this action.

'Over his long business career, Joe has been a visionary, creating businesses across the world which multiple generations of his family are now taking forward. There is so much more to the Joe Lewis story than this one event.'

Lewis's crimes were alleged to have been committed between 2013 and 2021 while he was still the owner of Tottenham. It was thought his 'brazen insider trading scheme' enabled him and his accomplices to make millions of pounds in profit.

He told a judge in a Manhattan court last year: 'I am so embarrassed and I apologise to the court for my conduct.

'While I possessed material non-public information about certain publicly traded companies, I agreed to make recommendations. I knew at the time what I was doing was wrong and I'm so embarrassed.'

Lewis handed over his majority ownership of Spurs to his family in 2022, a year before he was charged.

The club has since been overseen by Lewis's daughter Vivienne, his son Charles and Vivienne's son-in-law Nick Beucher.

The family took full operational control of Spurs earlier this year upon Daniel Levy's departure.

Lewis, who has been retired since 2022, has received one of 75 pardons handed out by Trump this week.

Among those to have been let off are Rudy Guiliani and Mark Meadows, who were accused of trying to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.

Metropolitan Police confirmed on Thursday that a 19-year-old man had been arrested after allegedly abusing Manchester United star Mason Mount when Ruben Amorim's men travelled to Tottenham last weekend.

The former Chelsea star received a welcome to be expected from the supporters of his former derby rivals on Saturday afternoon when he was brought on for Matheus Cunha in the 72nd minute.

But as per a statement from the force, one member of the crowd was forcibly removed after he allegedly targeted the midfielder with specific vile abuse.

A statement shared with Daily Mail Sport read: 'On Saturday, 8 November a member of the crowd was removed from a football match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

'The man had been heard making an offensive comment by a member of staff, who reported it to the police.

'The man, aged 19, was arrested that day on suspicion of intentionally causing harassment, alarm, or distress. He was later bailed pending further enquiries.

'No specific victims have been identified during the investigation.'

Tottenham had previously released their own statement to the Athletic condemning a potential offense and threatening the 'strongest possible action' against any of their supporters who might use discriminatory language.

'The club is aware of a supporter being arrested for alleged verbal abuse of an opposition player during Saturday's Premier League fixture against Manchester United,' Spurs' statement began.

'Prior to the game, all ticket holders received guidance regarding discriminatory chanting and, specifically, homophobic chanting.

'We will now support Met Police in their investigation and, once concluded, any supporter found to have used discriminatory language will be a subject to the strongest possible action in accordance with our Sanctions and Banning Policy. We will also ensure they take part in a fan education programme,' continued the Spurs statement.

'We work tirelessly with all our supporters' associations to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans on matchdays, and have a zero tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination.'

Tottenham were forced to issue a similar statement when Man United faced off with the London club at Old Trafford at the start of last season, when away supporters targeted Mount, and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with homophobic chants.

The club were later hit with a £75,000 fine after their fans were found guilty of the offence - after halving their initial £150,000 sanction as they admitted to the breaches.

Mount has been dogged by homophobic abuse as a former Chelsea player, with Blues loanee Ben Chilwell similarly targeted last season on duty for Crystal Palace.

Earlier this month, a Man United fan was given a three-year banning order for making a homophobic comment about Chelsea on social media.

It is understood that the supporter referred to fans of the west London club as 'rent boys', a slur that has been used for decades and which has been deemed a hate crime by the Crown Prosecution Service.