Premier League
Tottenham’s Summer Statement: Xavi Simons and a Clear Creative Plan
Simons’ £51.8m move gives Tottenham a marketable, creative spark capable of changing their attack. .
Tottenham’s late-window capture of Xavi Simons felt like the conclusion of a hectic transfer saga and the start of a different approach. The club completed a £51.8 million ($70 million) deal for a 22-year-old who arrived with a high profile from early youth days at La Masia.
Simons was already widely known long before his senior breakthrough. He had a million Instagram followers and a Nike deal by the time he was 14, developing a reputation as the “boy with golden curls”. His senior path has taken him to Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig and included a hugely successful loan at PSV Eindhoven. He can speak six languages and has recorded 63 goal contributions over the past three seasons.
The move came after a summer in which Tottenham showed clear ambition. The club opened business with West Ham United over Mohammed Kudus and pursued Forest captain Gibbs-White, only for Evangelos Marinakis to keep his skipper at the City Ground. Arsenal’s move for Eze under Daniel Levy’s nose, and the collapse of other targets, left Thomas Frank with a creative void after James Maddison’s ACL tear in Seoul and Dejan Kulusevski’s expected absence until the new year.
Chelsea were reported as rivals for Simons, a reminder of how often the Blues have targeted high-profile talent. The draft also recalled earlier Chelsea swings for Eden Hazard and Willian that Tottenham failed to convert. Still, BlueCo’s market activity allowed Spurs to sign Simons, a player who can be both a marketable face and a footballing solution.
Frank will ask Simons to add invention and unpredictability to an attack that has relied on Pape Matar Sarr’s pressing and Kudus’s ball retention. Simons is not an elite athlete, but he excels in transition and tight spaces and the manager has said he can “unlock defences”. The player himself sees the move as right for his development, calling Frank the “right coach” to advance a game defined by moments of magic.
For supporters, Simons’ unveiling offered a rare sense of uplift: a talent of this profile rarely ends up at Tottenham, and the club will now expect him to deliver both on and off the pitch.
Arsenal
Gameweek 16 Preview: Predicted Scores and What’s at Stake
Gameweek 16 predictions: expected scorelines, current form and the biggest pressure points. Previews
With Gameweek 16 approaching, the Premier League landscape remains fluid at both ends of the table. Wolverhampton Wanderers are still yet to secure a win and look the only side who appear nailed-on for relegation. At the top, Arsenal lead but their advantage was cut after last weekend’s late defeat at Aston Villa. Arsenal recovered with a 3–0 win away at Club Brugge where Noni Madueke starred, and they head into this weekend heavy favourites against bottom-placed Wolves.
Chelsea have drifted since being tipped into the title conversation. The Blues sit fifth and eight points behind Arsenal after an embarrassing defeat at Leeds sandwiched between draws with Arsenal and Bournemouth. Enzo Maresca’s return to his homeland ended badly when he was beaten by Atalanta midweek. A positive result against Everton is essential; Everton arrive on the back of four wins from five and sit just a point behind Chelsea.
Liverpool found respite in Milan, beating Inter at the San Siro courtesy of a controversial late penalty. That win was timely following draws with Sunderland and Leeds, but the defence remains a concern and there is no guarantee Mohamed Salah will be available despite Arne Slot deciding to recall him to the matchday party. Brighton’s attacking threat makes Liverpool’s task difficult and a fourth straight home match without victory is possible.
Fulham’s form is unpredictable: wins over Sunderland and Tottenham were followed by a nine-goal thriller with Manchester City and a late defeat to Crystal Palace. Burnley have lost six on the spin and may struggle to stop Fulham’s momentum.
Other narratives to watch: Manchester City travel to Crystal Palace after a key win over Real Madrid; Tottenham’s strong away form sees them as favourites at Nottingham Forest; the Tyne-Wear derby returns with Sunderland ahead of Newcastle in the standings but Newcastle unbeaten in four; Brentford have strong home form and will be a tough test for Leeds; Manchester United will hope the 4–1 win over Wolves sparks a run as Bournemouth arrive winless in six.
Predictions follow the most likely scores based on recent form.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Salah Added to Liverpool Squad After ‘Positive’ Talks With Arne Slot
Salah recalled to Liverpool squad after “positive” talks with Arne Slot; start for Saturday unclear.
Mohamed Salah has been recalled to Liverpool’s squad for Saturday’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion after what have been described by several outlets as “positive” discussions with manager Arne Slot.
The situation had produced intense speculation following Salah’s claim that he no longer had a working relationship with Slot. Slot told his Friday news conference that he would discuss the evolving situation with Salah in person, with the two thrashing out whether he’d be included in Liverpool’s squad for the visit of Brighton.
Reports say the pair held constructive talks and the decision was taken to include the forward in the group for the fixture. If he does play on Saturday, it could be his final appearance in a Liverpool shirt for up to six weeks. The 33-year-old will join up with Egypt on Monday, Dec. 15, potentially missing seven games if the Pharaohs make the AFCON final.
Inclusion in the matchday squad, however, does not guarantee a start. Slot made a tactical change in midweek, opting against a traditional winger against Inter and experimenting with different attacking combinations. The reigning PFA Player of the Year was overlooked by his manager against West Ham United, Sunderland and Leeds, a sequence that contributed to last weekend’s public outburst.
Against Inter the former Feyenoord boss started Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitiké up top for just the second time this season. The pairing produced limited chemistry but did yield a positive result, and Slot may again weigh form when selecting his XI. Given Isak’s poor form, Slot could keep the Swede on the bench at the weekend and allow Ekitiké to lead the line, opening the door for Salah to return on the right.
Rewarding the Liverpool legend with a start after his recent antics might not be an outcome Slot desires. All eyes will be on the 47-year-old when he drops his XI on Saturday afternoon.
Brentford
Thiago and Maresca honoured for November performances
Igor Thiago named November Player of the Month; Enzo Maresca wins Manager award in November. Update.
Brentford striker Igor Thiago has been named the Premier League Player of the Month for November, while Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca took the Manager of the Month prize.
Thiago becomes the fourth different recipient of the Player of the Month award this campaign and the first Brentford player ever to receive the honour. On the recognition he said: “It means so much to me,” Thiago admitted. “I’m really happy to receive this because it means my hard work on the pitch has paid off.
“I’m surprised! But hopefully I can receive more of these this season. I’m so happy and proud of myself.”
The list of winners earlier in the campaign includes Jack Grealish for August (Everton), Erling Haaland for September (Man City) and Bryan Mbeumo for October (Man Utd).
Maresca claimed his second Manager of the Month award after Chelsea collected a league-high 10 points across November. The Blues beat Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley as they began to build momentum, and they salvaged a hard-fought draw with league leaders Arsenal despite playing most of that match with 10 players.
“This kind of thing, it’s because you do the right things,” Maresca reflected. “Performances and results were fantastic.”
The manager award returns to Maresca’s desk for the first time since September 2024. He is the fourth different winner of the Manager of the Month prize this season; previous monthly recipients are Arne Slot (Liverpool) for August, Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace) for September and Ruben Amorim (Man Utd) for October.
Both individual awards underline a strong November for the recipients and their clubs. Thiago’s accolade is a first for Brentford at this level, while Maresca’s recognition follows a string of results that produced the highest points total in the division for the month.
