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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta believes criticism of his team's playing style is only coming from a "very small minority" of observers. The Gunners have won 10 out of 11 games this season but have not been scoring freely and have struggled to break down teams that defend deep. On Sunday, they needed an 80th-minute goal from substitute Noni Madueke to edge past Nottingham Forest. It was just their 11th goal in seven Premier League games so far. The Gunners won the Premier League last season by conceding the fewest goals in the league and scoring the most from set-pieces. They have not registered a set-piece goal yet this campaign in any competition. Asked about the debate surrounding their playing style, Arteta said: "I don't have that impression because I heard that the style was incredible. We have scored so many goals, we have more possession, more shots, different players participating, no goals on set-pieces. "So the story is completely different to last year. "I think we are talking about a very small minority [criticising the team]. I think the other ones, they know. I think they have enjoyed a lot the way we have played and dominated games this year. And I think we have proven that." Arteta says there is room for improvement when they play teams with deep-lying defences. "The low block demands a different kind of game to the high block. A team that is constantly putting the ball in the last line. It's different." said the Spaniard, whose side face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday. "I think it requires something different to the team. Still, I think on Sunday, we could have done things better. And that's in our hands. And we need to recognise that openly as well." Goalkeeper David Raya says the players are not irritated by questioning of their style, and suggests Arsenal's record so far this season speaks for itself. "People have their own opinions. We have our own opinion. At the end of the day, we have lost one game in 11 this season and if you call that boring or irritating, I don't know what to say," he said. "We enjoy playing football. We enjoy going out there every single day to win football matches, and that's the most important thing." Raya on Konsa, and more from Arteta - read latest Arsenal news, analysis and fan views Madueke's 'anger and conviction' shows he's more than a 'finisher' Ask about Arsenal - what do you want to know?

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Manchester United targeting Lewis Hall and Adrien Truffert, Real Madrid remain interested in Riccardo Calafiori and Liverpool and Arsenal both keen on Xavi Espart. Manchester United are plotting a major defensive overhaul next summer and will revisit a deal for Newcastle and England left-back Lewis Hall, 22, who is keen to move to Old Trafford. Bournemouth and France defender Adrien Truffert, 24, is also a target. (i news) , external Real Madrid remain interested in signing Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori, but Arsenal have made it clear an extraordinary offer would be required for them to sell the 24-year-old. (CaughtOffside), external Liverpool and Arsenal are both interested in Spanish defender Xavi Espart, but Barcelona would reject offers for the 19-year-old, who has a release clause in excess of £84m. (Teamtalk), external Newcastle are keen on making a move for AC Milan and England defender Fikayo Tomori when the 28-year-old becomes a free agent in the summer. (Football Insider), external Arsenal are targeting a January move for Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi, 22, with the German reportedly valued at £42m. (Sun), external Argentina midfielder Emiliano Buendia is set to sign a new contract at Aston Villa , while talks with Sweden's Victor Lindelof, 32, and 19-year-old Englishman George Hemmings are also progressing. (Athletic), external Manchester United are continuing to monitor the situation of Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr, 28, with Galatasaray also still interested in the Senegal international. (Teamtalk), external Tottenham and Spain right-back Pedro Porro, 27, would "seriously consider" the chance to join either Barcelona or Real Madrid. (Football Insider), external Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez, 28, is set to leave Manchester United at the end of the season. (Mail), external Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan has been named among 147 football club officials to receive 45-day bans from the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) for breaching betting rules. In September, it was announced 448 people had been provisionally suspended and referred to the TFF's professional football disciplinary board over allegations they had placed bets while in office. Like players and coaches, match officials are forbidden from participating in betting activities by TFF regulations, as well as those of Fifa and Uefa. The TFF said the people involved had held posts at clubs in the top two divisions in Turkish football over the previous five years. Of those, some 147 were found to have breached betting rules and will be barred from carrying out duties within football during the suspension period. There were insufficient grounds for disciplinary action in the other 301 cases. The Turkish football authorities have clamped down on betting in the sport over the last year. In November 2025, 149 referees and 1,204 players were given bans following a TFF investigation. Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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Botman was shown a yellow card - the correct sanction for a reckless foul - by referee Jarred Gillett for the Dutch centre-back's 18th minute challenge on Villa striker Nicolas Jackson on Saturday. The defender went in strongly and over the top of the ball, though contact on the opponent was with his trailing leg. "I think it's reckless," Gillett said of the challenge. "Even though you get a touch on the ball, it's still reckless." The VAR, Stuart Attwell, decided to support the on-field call of a caution because there was "no secondary scissor action" and contact was "not with the studs". "I know the referee said yellow card but it was so high and hopefully maybe next time a red card, but it was a yellow," Jackson said after the game. "I nearly broke my leg, but anyway, it's part of football." Webb says the on-field decision would have remained whether Gillett showed a yellow or a red card. Villa won the game 1-0 through a 36th-minute Johan Manzambi goal. On Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb said that "robust tackling" is "part of the English game" but that referee still had "a responsibility to ensure players' safety". "The referee in the moment, on the ground, sees it as a reckless challenge - no doubt a high-end reckless challenge - as Botman comes in and gets a touch on the ball," Webb said. "There's obviously some speed he comes in with. The VAR looks at that decision and tries to identify whether that was clearly wrong. "We don't want the referee's decision to be re-refereed by the VAR. We want the referee to have ownership of the decision and the VAR to only step in when there's an element that's clearly wrong. "So if the VAR had seen strong stud contact from Botman's extended leg into the ankle or shin of Jackson, or there had been a closing of the scissor, I think we'd have probably come out with a different outcome after the VAR had looked at it. "But he doesn't see that. He realises it's subjective, and he allows it to stay on the field with the referee's call standing. "Equally, if that had been a red card, for sure it would've been check complete by the VAR as well. "So, it's a good example really of how the referee's call is working in the Premier League this season. "A lighter-touch approach: let the referees referee the decision and the VAR step in when there's something clearly really wrong." After seven rounds of Premier League games there have been 21 VAR interventions, with nine of those subjective. At the same point last season, there had been only three, with zero subjective. However, mistakes are markedly down relative to the number of interventions. This season, the Premier League Key Match Incidents Panel has judged one VAR intervention was wrong - Man City's offside winning goal at Man United - with one missed to award a penalty to Arsenal at Aston Villa. Last season, there had been four errors for missed interventions after seven rounds. Villa's Manzambi shows Newcastle what they missed out on

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Burnley will set an unwanted English football record if they fail to beat Portsmouth in their next home match on Saturday, 31 October. The Clarets have not won a home league match since beating Leeds United 2-0 in the Premier League on 18 October, 2025. Sheffield Wednesday currently hold the record for the longest time a team in England's top four divisions have gone without winning a home league match. The Owls failed to win a league game at home for 376 days between April 2025 and May 2026. Burnley's match against Pompey in the Championship later this month comes 377 days after that win over Leeds. Should the Clarets fail to beat John Mousinho's side, they will hold the outright record. The record does not include teams that have dropped out of the English Football League and returned to the EFL since. Only teams to have been on a winless run while in one of England's top four leagues are considered. Following that win over Leeds 12 months ago, Burnley have played 21 home league matches. The last six of those were in this season's Championship, with the previous 15 coming in last season's Premier League. Of those 21, Burnley have been held to 10 draws and lost the other 11 fixtures. Burnley did win in the FA Cup at Turf Moor in January 2026, beating Championship side Millwall in the third round. They were then knocked out in the fourth round by Mansfield Town, again at Turf Moor, meaning another home defeat for the Clarets. In this season's Carabao Cup first round, Burnley beat Notts County but required a penalty shootout to do so. This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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Former Norwich City and Finland striker Teemu Pukki has announced his retirement from football at the age of 36. Pukki, who quit international duty last year, is Finland's men's all-time top scorer with 43 goals in 133 matches, while his number of caps is the country's second highest. He scored 88 goals in 210 appearances for Norwich between 2018 and 2023, helping the Canaries twice win promotion to the Premier League. "I've gained a lot more from football than I ever dreamed of when I was a little boy." Pukki wrote on Instagram., external "I've seen the world and gained experience because of football and I don't think I could have gotten anything like football anywhere else. "It hasn't always been fun or I haven't been able to enjoy it, but the love for football has remained - always. Big thanks to the great clubs and their fans." He has played for HJK Helsinki in his homeland since 2025 and will retire following the conclusion of the Veikkausliiga season on 8 November. Pukki also counts Schalke, Brondby and Minnesota United among his former clubs, while he also scored nine goals in 38 appearances for Celtic between 2013 and 2015. There was a time when if you told a stranger you were a Norwich fan they would reply with, "Jeremy Goss!" In the last few years that has been replaced with, "Teemu Pukki!" The unassuming Finn arrived on a free transfer in the summer of 2018 to very little fanfare. Pukki's previous foray into British football had been with Celtic and their supporters were quick to tell Norwich fans that their new acquisition wasn't up to much. With the help of one Emi Buendia teeing him up, Pukki cemented himself as an all-time Norwich great, winning two Championship titles, two player of the season awards and sits fourth among the club's all-time leading scorers. That partnership with Buendia was the stuff of dreams for Norwich supporters and was described as "magical" by head coach Daniel Farke. Thank you, Teemu. You will always be welcome to throw a 'Pukki Party' in Norfolk. Pre-match, post-match and topical Canaries content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about Norwich

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In the Champions League, players will receive a one-match ban should they receive four yellow cards. This rule runs from the start of the league phase until the end of the quarter-finals. After then, all yellow cards are wiped out and players cannot be suspended for multiple yellow cards. The same rules apply for both the Europa League and the Conference League. During the opening two rounds of Champions League, five players received two yellow cards, meaning they are entering this week's third round of matches two cautions away from a one-match ban. Players can also be suspended if they pick up six, eight or 10 yellow cards. This would also result in a one-match suspension every time a player hits an even number of yellow cards above four. This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said Cristiano Ronaldo "let the team and let me down" during the Dutchman's spell at Old Trafford. Portugal forward Ronaldo was in his second spell at United when Ten Hag took charge in the summer of 2022 but left in controversial circumstances a few months later. "He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him," Ten Hag told The Athletic, external. "I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United. "Obviously, he's one of the best in football history. I respected him a lot. But at that time, as a manager, I had to make a rational decision and keep the players I admire in." Ten Hag had dropped Ronaldo for a Premier League game at Chelsea in October 2022 after he had refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham three days earlier. Ronaldo gave an interview in the November in which he said he felt "betrayed" by United, did not respect Ten Hag and was being forced out of the club prior to his departure being "mutually agreed". Ronaldo given 30-day suspension and £215 fine by Portuguese FA Ronaldo was 36 when he returned to Manchester United from Juventus in 2021, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was manager. Under Ten Hag, he scored just three goals in 16 outings before his exit during the 2022-23 campaign. "It's the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he's exhausted," added Ten Hag. "But he couldn't. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn't prepare himself. "Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team. "He was telling the players, 'save your legs at the training'. I understand it when you are top fit - you have sessions you can save the legs. But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels." The publication of Ten Hag's interview comes as Ronaldo has been given a 30-day suspension and fined 255 euros (£215) by the Portuguese Football Federation for leaving his country's international camp last month. Ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United in October 2024, having won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and FA Cup in 2024. On his time at Old Trafford, Ten Hag added he wanted to sign Frenkie de Jong, Harry Kane and Declan Rice, and was against the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli in August 2024. "I said for the first season, 'centre-half, there's a problem, centre-midfield, there is a problem, and especially I need a strategist, then we need goals'. And that was the biggest issue in all my three years: goals," said Ten Hag. Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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Celtic' s mauling of Hearts eliminated many of the question marks hanging over Martin O'Neill's side - but one significant question remains. What does Sunday's incredible seven-goal victory tell us about record signing Kasper Hogh's place in the team? Benched for the visit of last season's Scottish Premiership runners-up, a dynamic front three of Camilo Duran, Callum Osmand and Haissem Hassan were integral to a scintillating attacking display. In the aftermath of last Thursday's chastening Europa League defeat at Benfica, during which Hogh was hooked at half-time, O'Neill backed the 25-year-old to end the campaign with 20 goals. But is the £11m man now fighting for a starting spot? Jota 'met some demons' during long injury absence 'Four points is nothing' - O'Neill stays cool after statement win Celtic score seven in humiliation of title rivals Hearts Having scored in just one of his 12 Celtic appearances - a hat-trick at Kilmarnock in August - O'Neill acknowledges his marquee summer acquisition is low on confidence, with a Europa League match against Celta Vigo to come on Thursday. "He has lost a bit of confidence, but we will get that back during the course of time," the veteran boss said in the lead-up to Sunday's demolition of Hearts. "We have game after game after game between now and January, but he will score goals for us, there is no question about it, and it is just a matter of tinkering around, but that's the nature of the business." The Denmark forward did come off the bench at the weekend to set up Benjamin Nygren for Celtic's seventh goal. He also assisted the Sweden midfielder during the 2-0 win at Motherwell seven days earlier. However, Hogh's performance in the 4-1 defeat in Lisbon, sandwiched between those two Premiership victories, intensified the debate surrounding his place in the team. "If I'm a creative player and I've got Duran and Hogh to pick from, I'm taking Duran every day of the week," former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan said. "He looks to get off the side of defenders. If you put a ball into the area, he's more likely to be alive to it." Hogh was brought off at the break in Lisbon, with Duran, who has been the standout of Celtic's summer arrivals, moved to the centre of the attack. With Hassan and Osmand on either side, O'Neill's frontline looked far more potent in a much-improved second-half display. The same trio that finished Thursday's match started on Sunday, and Hearts simply could not live with them. An Osmand double helped the champions establish a 5-1 half-time lead, while Duran's ninth goal of the campaign was one of two Celtic goals after the break. Listen to live match commentary on BBC Sounds and follow text updates on the BBC Sport website and app. It seems inconceivable that an £11m signing would not be a guaranteed starter for a Scottish club. That said, Celtic fans were encouraged to see Hogh embrace fellow forward Osmand as he left the pitch at half-time on Sunday. There is therefore nothing to suggest, from the outside, that ego will get in the way if the Dane spends time out of the first-choice XI. Sunday's emphatic 7-1 victory has gone some way towards settling the debate, at least for now: Celtic's best forward line appears to be one that does not include their record signing. "There have been question marks over whether Celtic's best attack involves Hogh. For me, it doesn't," BBC Scotland pundit Andy Halliday said on The Monday Night Club. The former Hearts, Rangers and Motherwell midfielder added: "There's no doubt there's a goalscorer in there with Hogh. You don't score in the Champions League against Manchester City, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid if you're not. He's just a goalscorer who isn't scoring goals." The same cannot be said of Duran, who is thriving in a Celtic shirt and has 14 goal contributions - nine goals and five assists - in 15 games, many of which have come while playing in a wide role. However, O'Neill has said that the Colombia international prefers to play centrally, and Halliday believes he can offer Celtic much more in that position - but what does that mean for Hogh? "You look at Duran as a number nine on Sunday, the part he plays in the third goal, the fourth goal," Halliday said. "When Jamie McCart takes a loose touch, Hogh wouldn't be close enough or quick enough to get on to that loose ball and spring Celtic into attack. Duran isn't just a goalscorer, he's so much more than that - and you saw that on Sunday. "O'Neill still reckons Hogh will score 20 goals this season. It's hard to suggest he wouldn't, given his previous record at Bodo/Glimt, but at this moment in time, he isn't doing enough to be in Celtic's attack. "O'Neill's searching for his best team and best front three, and the three you saw on Sunday are that." Visit our Celtic page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views

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The SPFL expects "strong interest" after inviting broadcasters to bid for the UK rights to show Scottish Premiership matches from the 2029-30 campaign. The league's current five-year, £150m agreement with Sky Sports, which allows the broadcaster to show up to 60 games a season, began last term and will end at the conclusion of the 2028-29 campaign. Premier Sports can also show up to 22 Scottish top-flight fixtures per season, but the SPFL says it is "flexible about the number of games that it shows live in future". "Securing strong broadcast partnerships is an essential element in maintaining a balanced and sustainable income mix for the SPFL and its clubs," said SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster. "We anticipate strong interest from broadcasters in what is widely recognised as one of Europe's most exciting national league competitions." The SPFL confirmed that a separate contract with Premier Sports covering broadcast and sponsorship rights for the Scottish League Cup is in place until at least the end of the 2030-31 season and will not be affected by this announcement. Moyes insider doubts potential Celtic move - gossip Hearts roll out red carpet... and Celtic walk all over it

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Paris St-Germain v Barcelona - a fixture that could prove to be the most exciting in this season's Champions League. The free-scoring teams start match week three as the league phase's top two, with PSG ahead of Barcelona on goals scored and with no other sides having netted more this term. PSG were 2-1 winners when they met at this stage last season, with Luis Enrique's side going on to win a second successive Champions League title, having also beaten Barcelona over two legs in the quarter-finals three seasons ago. "It will be a fascinating game on Tuesday," French football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Sport's Euro Leagues podcast. Since the start of the 2025 Club World Cup, Barca and PSG rank second and third respectively for most goals scored per match by clubs in Europe's top five leagues. Barca have netted 192 times in 68 games at a rate of 2.82 per match, with PSG scoring 154 in 67 games at 2.3 per outing. Often dubbed the least competitive of the five major European leagues, PSG have dominated French football in recent times. They have won 12 of the past 14 Ligue 1 titles, including the past five. Three of those five were by nine or more points. Barca are defending La Liga champions and have won three of the past four titles. Last season they finished eight points clear of arch rivals and runners-up Real Madrid. PSG became only the second team in the Champions League era to win it in back-to-back seasons, after Real Madrid. In the past two seasons only Bayern from Europe's big five leagues can match Barca and PSG for back-to-back titles. A further look into recent statistics shows the high praise directed at PSG and Barca is warranted. In expected goals (xG) per league match in Europe's top five leagues since last season, Barca (2.56) and PSG (2.22) rank second and third respectively. Only Bayern (3.06) are above both. Barcelona are also second for goals scored and goals scored per match in that time, with PSG sixth and fifth in those metrics respectively. However, PSG have played fewer league games than Barca, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester City, who are all high performers in those tables. PSG's squad depth has allowed them to make wholesale changes frequently in Ligue 1 games and still get results. They beat Strasbourg 3-1 on Saturday despite making eight changes to the team that won 4-2 in the Champions League three days earlier. "They've earned the right to rest their players," said European football journalist Raphael Honigstein. Barca have also added squad depth this season that has led to an increase in attacking firepower. In 10 of their 11 matches in all competitions this season they have scored three or more goals. In six games they have scored five or more. "The biggest and most obvious difference is the squad depth that they've added through some brilliant signings in the likes of Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi," said BBC Sport's Spanish football reporter Elizabeth Conway. "They've brought real pace and directness to the attack, and Gabriel Jesus has given them another option up front. It's been pivotal." At the helm of PSG is Spaniard Luis Enrique, who has plenty of connections with Barca. Enrique spent the past eight years of his playing career at the Camp Nou between 1996 and 2004, before managing the club's B team in his first managerial role. Enrique, 56, spent three years in charge of Barca's first team between 2014 and 2017 before going on to manage Spain. As Barca head coach, Enrique won La Liga twice, the Copa del Rey three times and the 2014-15 Champions League title. Enrique is not alone in swapping Barcelona for the French capital. Forward Ferran Torres made the same move over the summer shortly after scoring the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup final. PSG's star forward Ousmane Dembele also spent time at Barca before joining PSG. As well as the collective success of both sides, the individuals starring at PSG and Barcelona are among the world's best. Of the top 14 players on the 2025 Ballon d'Or list, eight of them were current players at PSG or Barcelona. Dembele and team-mate Vitinha finished first and third respectively, with Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal second. Next Monday's 2026 Ballon d'Or list is also likely to be a similar story. Of the 30 players listed for the award, 13 play for the two clubs. Lamine Yamal, who has eight La Liga goals this season, is among the favourites for this year's award. "He's still only 19 and he's still very much developing," said Laurens. "The variety that he has in his game, the dribbling and the skills - just everything that he does is just so, so good now. "You take him out - [it is] still a very, very good team. Let's say you put Adeyemi on the right and Gordon on the left, and Raphinha - it's still a great front three. "But you put Lamine Yamal in there and suddenly it becomes a phenomenal front three." The student playing in La Liga: Introvert Rodri's unique rise to top PSG on different level - but where do they rank against other great sides?

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An unlikely friendship has led to an even more unlikely partnership, with US rock band Wheatus sponsoring a Worcestershire youth football team. Nunnery Wood U13s Phoenix, based in Worcester, now wear kits bearing the Teenage Dirtbag band's logo after coach Graham approached them for support. The connection began when Graham and his son Bertie, both fans of the group, met members of Wheatus at a gig in Gloucester and stayed in touch afterwards. "I thought Wheatus' logo would look amazing on a football shirt," Graham said, adding: "I cheekily asked if they fancied sponsoring the team, and they said yes." Graham has been a fan of Wheatus since the band's self-titled debut album was released in 2000 and won tickets to meet the sextet at Gloucester Guildhall in 2023. After introducing his son to their music he knew he needed to take Bertie along, however, he was too young to attend at the time. 'Apocalyptic' fly-tip to stay until fix found Held at gunpoint at 19, father-of-two still living with PTSD 19 years later Teens arrested for waving 'gun' at young boys But the band managed to pull some strings that enabled the then nine-year-old to meet his heroes. Once the meet and greet was over, Graham stayed in touch with the band's bassist Matthew, as they had "lots in common". The New York rock band formed in 1995, with their biggest hit topping the UK charts in 2000. Their second single, a cover of Erasure's A Little Respect, reached number three. Frontman Brendan B Brown said agreeing to sponsor the side required little thought. "We have fans who are no longer fans, they're more like family members, and Graham is one of those guys," he said. "Graham and Bertie are part of that family." Brown said the band wanted to help remove financial barriers that could prevent young people from taking part in sport. "Just knowing that a little bit of funding is out there making it possible for a bunch of kids to get on the pitch, that's really enough for me," he said. "We weren't always in a position to donate funds to anything - lately that's changed." Brown added that he thought the new kits looked "rad and totally awesome", and even teased a private gig could be in store as a treat. "If they really do very well, they do deserve at least an acoustic performance in the locker room," he said. "Wouldn't that be appropriate, that they get a private show?" Bertie said it would be "really cool" if Wheatus were ever able to perform for the team. Brown suggested that could be a possibility, joking that if the players continued their success they might earn such a gig. Tell us which stories we should cover in Hereford & Worcester Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds , Facebook , external , X , external and Instagram , external . 'Not in our DNA' - will 3v3 change the future of English football? Boys run after steam train during football team talk Youth football games for 750 children cancelled over bad behaviour

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After every round of Premier League matches this season, BBC football pundit Troy Deeney will give you his team and manager of the week. Here are this week's choices. Do you agree? Give us your thoughts using the comments form at the bottom of this page. Bart Verbruggen ( Brighton ): I was looking at other teams, but there were so many games this week with very poor quality. Even David Raya against Forest had two shots to deal with, terrible from a goalkeeping point of view, so Verbruggen goes in for his clean sheet. Levi Colwill ( Chelsea ): He goes in only because Chelsea got a clean sheet in the league for the first time since January. He stepped up with the young goalkeeper Mike Penders in there. Gabriel ( Arsenal ): Arsenal win 1-0 and get the job done. He was right at the heart of it. A lot of people talking about Ezri Konsa, I like him but Gabriel offered that bit more in terms of experience and quality that you need to get the job done, so he goes in. Luka Vuskovic ( Brighton ): It is the same reason Verbruggen was in. Everyone else can't defend. He was good. They had a clean sheet against their nearest rivals. Diogo Dalot ( Manchester United ): Played at left-back and I thought he was amazing. Could he offer a little more in terms of quality? Absolutely. But high energy, dealt with the physical threat, defended well and offered an outlet going forward in a game that was very scrappy. Manchester United just needed to show resilience and he was right at the front for that. Sander Berge ( Fulham ): It was a massive game against Hull, a six-pointer and if Fulham lose that they are going down in my opinion. But they got the job done and he was at the heart of everything good for them. Diego Gomez ( Brighton ): He scored from the halfway line, nothing more needs to be said. Pedro Neto ( Chelsea ): Two goals, wins the game for Chelsea. He is one of those players when you look at him you think 'he is good, but I don't know why he is good', but in this game he put it all together. With all the talk of Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer, he could have a sneaky good season because these guys will take the attention of defenders and Neto can get in with his pace at the back post. Johan Manzambi ( Aston Villa ): By far the player of the month so far. An unbelievable young talent from Switzerland, 21 years of age, carrying this Aston Villa team with an aura and humbleness of 'I want to learn and do more', but also 'I'm the man of this team, give me the ball, let me show you what I can do'. James Maddison ( Tottenham ): Welcome back James Maddison. Spurs needed a bit of quality in the final third and we were unsure who would score for them, and Maddison puts it in the top corner. Great to see him back, great to see him healthy and great to see him smiling. Erling Haaland ( Manchester City ): For already the third time and with probably another 10 times to go, Mr Erling Haaland. Started up top, job done, two goals against a really poor Ipswich team and he could've had a hat-trick. Unreal from him. Fabian Hurzeler ( Brighton ): He is doing an unbelievable job. A lot of people, including myself, were wondering whether he doing a 'pat myself on the back lap of appreciation tour' after beating Arsenal - but actually what he was showing is that he is a very good manager who can continue to deliver week in and week out. He was fantastic, got the tactics spot on and also introduced some players who had been out injured.

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Roberto de Zerbi has used all the tools at his disposal to discover the missing spark in struggling Tottenham Hotspur , from acting as an amateur psychologist to team bonding dinners, then a sunshine break in Marbella. The answer, at least when Spurs finally moved off the bottom of the table with their first Premier League win this season against Coventry City, came in the shape of James Maddison as he made his first start in 18 months. He missed most of last season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in pre-season, before fracturing his shoulder in the opening-weekend defeat at Brentford in this campaign. The 29-year-old finally made it back into the Spurs starting line-up to face Coventry - and delivered in spectacular style to set them on the way to a 3-1 victory that De Zerbi hopes will finally give their season lift-off. Maddison could barely keep the smile from his face as he warmed up, then made his mark in the 14th minute by showing what Spurs have been missing with a brilliant right-foot finish from 20 yards, taking Mohammed Kudus' pass first time to arc a sweeping strike high beyond Coventry City keeper Carl Rushworth. It was a moment of sweet relief for Maddison, the goal getting loud gasps of admiration from Spurs supporters as it was shown several times on the stadium's big screens. Maddison shines on return - Tottenham v Coventry ratings Tottenham overcome Coventry to end winless start Even though the goal came against his former club, Maddison celebrated with his trademark imaginary dart throwing motion before kissing the badge on his Spurs shirt. Maddison's significance to Spurs is illustrated by the fact they had won just 12 out of 57 Premier League games since his last top-flight goal, in a 1-0 victory against Manchester United in February 2025. They had averaged less than a point a game since then. And since his last start, at Liverpool on 27 April 2025, Spurs had won only 11 of 49 league games in between, losing 23. Spurs cannot kid themselves that this was a glorious victory. It was actually only their sixth win in the past 37 home league games - drawing 10 and losing 21 - and just their fourth league victory overall in 2026, having played 27, drawn 10 and lost 13. And it was the first time they scored three goals or more at home in the league since the opening day of last season, when they beat Burnley 3-0 in Thomas Frank's first game in charge. There are still too many nerves around Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and in De Zerbi's team for calm and relaxation. The victory margin flattered them somewhat, with Jack Rudoni equalising for Coventry City before Omar Marmoush's strike for his first goal for the club, then another from Ben Davies in stoppage time after a dreadful Rushworth error finally allowed Spurs to enjoy the relief of victory. And there were other things to celebrate. As well as Maddison's successful return to the starting line-up, there was the sight of Dejan Kulusevski finally back as an 87th-minute replacement for Kudus after 526 days out with a knee injury. Maddison got a deserved standing ovation when he was substituted for Conor Gallagher after 69 minutes, but the reception for Kulusevski was arguably even more rapturous as he finally took to the pitch again after such a long battle to regain fitness. It was Maddison, however, who claimed the major plaudits after he was the driving force behind the win that has proved so elusive - his positive approach playing with a smile on his face provides refreshment of its own after such a depressing sequence of results. He was eager to get on the ball, was constantly probing and prompting, all before he inevitably tired after the break. "I spoke to the gaffer this weekend about it, feeling like it was the right moment for me to go back into the starting XI after a bit of a stop-start start to the season," Maddison told Sky Sports. "I just wanted to play well and show my abilities, show what the team has missed the last 18 months. The gaffer asked me to play and wanted to enjoy watching from the side. Hopefully I did that, and a goal is always nice." If his aim was to show what Spurs have been missing, this was very much mission accomplished. And as well as Maddison and Kulusevski, Marmoush will gain confidence from his strike, another superb curling effort that gave Rushworth no chance. De Zerbi will know this is only a start, with a tough trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening (17:30 BST). He welcomed the return of Maddison and Kulusevski, saying: "They are different players, different talents, different personalities. With them in the dressing room there is a different atmosphere." What changes the atmosphere in the dressing room and beyond most are victories. Now De Zerbi and Spurs can actually build on three points at last, and the sights of Maddison and Kulusevski back in action will have the Italian hoping they can accelerate an improvement after the misery of recent times. Latest Tottenham news, analysis and fan views Ask about Tottenham - what do you want to know?

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Tottenham finally got their first Premier League win of the season against Coventry City . Here's how I rated the players and you can see how you scored them below. What do BBC Sport's player ratings mean? Antonin Kinsky: Fumbled first-half corner and not great with his feet. 5 Tosin Adarabioyo: Powerful in the air and did well in the physical challenges until he went off injured. 6 Jan Paul van Hecke: Disappointing night. Uncertain moments and lost possession for Coventry City's goal, but did make one brave clearance. 5 Micky van de Ven: Superb tackle to stop Brandon Thomas-Asante in the first half and solid all-round display. 7 Archie Gray: Busy and did his best to give Spurs some creative edge. 6 Sandro Tonali: Occasional flashes but still struggles to justify his £100m price tag. Needs to produce more. 6 James Maddison: Brilliant strike on his first start for 18 months. Always prompting and probing. Revelled in his return to the starting line-up until understandably tiring. 8 Andrew Robertson: Some trademark surging runs and always willing to join the attack but picked up an injury. 6 Mohammed Kudus: Mixed night. Some good things but too often short of end product. 5 Omar Marmoush: Had struggled but then scored a superb goal. 6 Dominic Solanke: Tireless but little luck. Booked and had a shot on the turn over in first half. 5 Conor Gallagher (on 69, Maddison): Not able to get into the game. 5 Mateus Fernandes (on 69, Tosin): Little impact. 5 Ben Davies (on 69, Robertson): Experienced head to close out the win and got himself a goal. 6 Subs not used: Dubravka, Senesi, Olusesi, Williams-Barnett. Carl Rushworth: No chance with first two goals but a horror show for the third from Ben Davies. 5 Milan van Ewijk : Long throws a threat, especially in the first half. Caught an elbow when trying to challenge Marmoush for his goal. 6 Bobby Thomas: Vital headed clearance and tower of strength in defence. 7 Ethan Pinnock: Another dependable performance as Coventry looked solid and well-organised at the back. 6 Jay Dasilva: Quiet night. Booked for challenge on Kudus. 5 Caleb Yirenkyi: Not able to exert much influence and was substituted. Booked for a poor challenge on Gray. 5 Matt Grimes: Always busy but not able to have a significant impact. 5 Brandon Thomas-Asante: Industrious and was only denied a goal by Van de Ven's superb first-half tackle. 6 Jack Rudoni: Showed great determination to bustle his way through for his goal. 7 Tatsuhiro Sakamoto: Some dangerous deliveries and had a good chance in the first half. 6 Sidiki Cherif : Some nice lay-offs and full of effort. Hurt his shoulder in an awkward fall. 6 Frank Onyeka (on, 60 Yirenkyi): No effect. 5 Taiwo Awoniyi (on 60, Cherif): Bustling but unable to provide threat. 5 Ephron Mason-Clark (on 78, Thomas-Asante). Subs not used: Bentley, Simms, Mfuni, Torp. Rate players out of 10 for this game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle. You must be signed in to a BBC account to play. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Play BBC Sport's Match of the Day Predictor game