GREEK TEEN KOSTOULAS SAVES BRIGHTON WITH A WILD LAST-MINUTE BICYCLE KICK
Greek teenager Charalampos Kostoulas saves Brighton with a late overhead kick. Explore the VAR drama and Mitoma's 100th game.
Charalampos Kostoulas lit up the Amex with a wild late overhead kick, grabbing Brighton a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth.
Bournemouth struck first in this south-coast derby, and honestly, it got messy. Referee Paul Tierney started by booking Amine Adli for diving after a tangle with Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen. But then VAR official Jarred Gillett told Tierney to take another look. Off went the yellow card, on came a penalty, and Marcus Tavernier buried it.
Bournemouth looked set to finally end their miserable run away from home, nine games without a win and counting. Then, out of nowhere, Greek teenager Kostoulas showed up. Since joining Olympiakos in July, that’s already his second goal. Talk about making a name for yourself.
Bournemouth’s habit of falling apart late struck again. They’ve now let in 12 goals in the last 15 minutes of matches this season—no one else in the Premier League comes close.
Kostoulas’ acrobatics kept Brighton three points above Bournemouth in the middle of the table.
Brighton came out sharp, with Ferdi Kadioglu forcing a save from Djordje Petrovic in the opening minutes. But Bournemouth’s lead arrived in the 32nd, and, well, chaos followed. Adli went down in the box, Tierney flashed a yellow for diving, then VAR got involved. Turns out, Verbruggen did clip Adli’s thigh, so the yellow disappeared, and Bournemouth got their penalty. Brighton fans lost it, chanting at Tierney, but Tavernier just stepped up and smashed it in.
Kaoru Mitoma marked his 100th Premier League game—the third Japanese player to hit that number after Maya Yoshida and Shinji Okazaki. He almost celebrated with a goal, curling one just over right after halftime.
Lewis Dunk wasted a good header, and Yankuba Minteh forced another solid save out of Petrovic. Still, Fabian Hurzeler’s side refused to quit. Deep into stoppage time, Jan Paul van Hecke nodded the ball down, and Kostoulas did the rest—one touch on his chest, then a bicycle kick from ten yards. Goal. Game tied. The Amex went wild.
MANCHESTER UNITED OFFER MANUEL UGARTE IN AUDACIOUS BID FOR NOAH SADIKI
Manchester United are ready to offer Manuel Ugarte to Sunderland for Noah Sadiki. Get the full 2026 transfer details here.
Manchester United can’t seem to settle on their midfield, so it’s no surprise they’re considering some unexpected moves. The latest rumour, thanks to GiveMeSport, says they’re weighing up a deal that’s as practical as it is ambitious. Manuel Ugarte, who never really got going under Ruben Amorim, now looks like more of a bargaining chip than a building block. Michael Carrick and his team wonder if that £42 million could do more good elsewhere.
Ugarte’s drop-off has been pretty harsh. Before Amorim got the boot, he was ready to let Ugarte leave in January—ideally for good, not just a loan. But the transfer market rarely plays out the way clubs hope, and the word from Old Trafford is that they’re willing to get creative.
Here’s where Sunderland comes in. Their 20-year-old midfielder, Noah Sadiki, keeps turning heads. He arrived from Union Saint-Gilloise for £15 million, and since Sunderland moved up, he’s looked mature beyond his age—full of energy, sharp, and tactically switched on. Inside the club, people call him “incredible,” and you can feel the buzz.
United see Sadiki as a perfect fit. He’s quick, he covers ground, and he plays with urgency—everything you want in a modern Premier League midfield.
Money talks, though, and Sadiki wouldn’t cost a fortune. Brighton wants a wild £100 million for Carlos Baleba, which just doesn’t work for a club trying to be smarter with its spending. If United can throw Ugarte into the mix as part of a swap, it takes the sting out of the price and shakes up the squad at the same time.
From a supporter’s point of view, it’s hard not to feel let down when a £42 million signing gets sidelined so fast. But honestly, United has clung to bad investments before, and it never ends well.
Sadiki’s appeal is obvious: he’s young, driven, and coachable—the kind of player you build a team around. Fans have watched other clubs leap ahead by recruiting with a plan, and this move hints that United are finally catching on.
Of course, there’s always risk. Everyone knows promise doesn’t guarantee anything in the Premier League. Even so, taking a shot on Sadiki seems way more sensible than blowing £100 million on one player.
If Ugarte isn’t part of Carrick’s vision, using him to freshen up the squad isn’t failure—it’s progress. For supporters desperate for a sense of purpose, that new approach might matter just as much as whoever actually signs next.
DAVID ORNSTEIN CONFIRMS THOMAS FRANK SACK IS "MATTER OF WHEN."
Thomas Frank is on borrowed time at Tottenham. Discover the candidates to replace him, from Francesco Farioli to Xabi Alonso.
Thomas Frank’s days at Tottenham look numbered. People around the club say it’s not a question of if he’ll get sacked, but when. And with two new names suddenly in the mix for the manager’s job, things are moving fast.
Tottenham brought in Frank over the summer, hoping he’d steady the ship after Ange Postecoglou’s chaotic run. Sure, Ange ended their 17-year trophy drought, but finishing 17th in the league was enough for Daniel Levy to show him the door.
Frank hasn’t exactly turned things around. He’s managed just 11 wins in 32 games. Now, after Saturday’s embarrassing 2-1 loss at home to West Ham, the mood around the club is rock bottom. On Sunday night, David Ornstein summed it up: Frank’s getting sacked—it’s just a matter of time.
Fraser Fletcher, our guy on the ground, thinks Frank will get a stay of execution, at least until Tuesday’s Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund. But nobody expects him to last much longer. After the loss to West Ham, Fabrizio Romano said Frank’s “on borrowed time.”
Tottenham tried to back him up last week—brought in John Heitinga (formerly an assistant at Liverpool) to join the coaching staff. They even staged a feel-good photo with Frank and Heitinga. But then came another defeat, and now Frank’s job hangs by a thread.
Romano didn’t sugarcoat it. Frank’s position isn’t safe, and the club’s already talking about what comes next. Internal meetings are happening, and with Champions League football looming, everyone knows the decision is coming soon.
Fletcher says any real shakeup won’t happen until the summer, with Heitinga likely taking over as interim if Frank goes before then. Meanwhile, Tottenham have started looking at fresh options. One is a rising Premier League manager who’s caught their eye with what some call a “rare skill”. The other is Francesco Farioli, the 36-year-old Italian making waves at FC Porto, where he’s won a staggering 86% of his games.
And that’s not all. Sources say Tottenham have also checked in on Xabi Alonso, recently departed from Real Madrid, though he seems to be holding out for a bigger job. Oliver Glasner’s name is in the mix too, but Crystal Palace aren’t letting him go without a fight. Even Xavi Hernandez—yes, the Barcelona legend—has been approached about the role.
So, with all these names flying around, we’ve ranked nine possible candidates for the Tottenham job, from contenders with real credentials to the long shots.
And it’s not just the manager’s seat that’s shaky. There’s trouble brewing on the transfer front, too, with a marquee summer signing now desperate to leave after being pushed to his limit. The drama at Tottenham just keeps coming.