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PRIORITY ONE: THOMAS FRANK TARGETS PSG AFTER ROMERO'S 'STYLE' WARNING
Spurs boss Thomas Frank remains detached from criticism after the Arsenal loss as his team faces a crucial test of style against PSG.
Even a tough loss to Arsenal wasn't enough to get to Thomas Frank.
The Tottenham coach often says he doesn't pay much attention to the chatter around the club, except for what his press officer tells him or what reporters ask.
Sitting in Paris before a Champions League game against the champs, just days after a 4-1 defeat, Frank insisted that hasn't changed.
I don't read anything—no articles, no social media. So, I don't know if people are upset, he said.
Frank is smart, though. He probably has an idea what Spurs fans thought of the game and knows where the team needs work.
He's also heard enough this season to know people aren't thrilled with the way they play. Some home games have ended with boos, and after the Arsenal game, Frank and the players walked over to clap for the mostly empty away section.
Spurs now play Paris Saint-Germain tonight in what feels like the least important game of the week.
Fulham is coming to north London on Saturday, and that's a key game for Frank. If they don't win and win big, he'll have a hard time avoiding the criticism.
The Champions League isn't as risky since Spurs already have eight points from four games. A few more points should be enough to get them to the next round.
Frank's team needs to almost double their current points to finish in the top spots and move straight to the final 16, and a good result against PSG would help.
But that's not the biggest thing right now. How they play in this game will matter more than the score.
Losing 3-1, but really going for it against PSG, creating chances, even if they fall short against a better team, would be better than a boring 0-0 tie.
Frank's time at Spurs won't be judged by the PSG game. It'll be judged by whether Spurs start playing better together on offence.
Spurs have three of the five lowest xG scores in the league this season.
They were great defensively in the UEFA Super Cup against PSG in August, holding a 2-0 lead until the last few minutes despite having the ball only 25% of the time.
That was okay for Frank's first game, but it would be worrying if they haven't improved after a few months.
The fans need to see improvement, and so do the players. They can only be told to defend and disrupt so many times before they want to create. Too often, Frank's approach has made the players scared of the other team.
That can't be fun, and it won't work for long. Cristian Romero didn't like the mood at Spurs under Antonio Conte's style and praised Ange Postecoglou's more attacking style.
"It's the way Tottenham always played," Romero said in 2023. It's about taking risks and trying to control the game.
Again, a year later, the Spurs captain said, "We play in a fun style, and we're all happy with how the coach sets us up."
If Romero, a defender, doesn't like sitting back, the forwards definitely don't.
There's no such thing as an easy game at a club like Spurs, but fans will accept some losses.
This is one of those games, but only if Frank and his players show they're trying.
"THE LEAST HE COULD DO": JOSE MOURINHO DEMANDS MCTOMINAY'S SHIRT ON LIVE TV
Jose Mourinho provided classic entertainment, revealing he demanded Scott McTominay's shirt because he gave him his debut—a debut that paved the way for his Serie A MVP status.
Jose Mourinho revealed the funny story behind him getting Scott McTominay's shirt after the Champions League game between Benfica and Napoli. Benfica won 2-0 with goals from Richard Rios and Leandro Barreiro. Mourinho joked with reporters, showing them McTominay's shirt from a bag he brought to the press conference.
Thanks to an old player
McTominay, who's now doing well in Serie A, got his start thanks to Mourinho, who gave him his debut at Manchester United nearly ten years ago. Mourinho first played him in May 2017 against Arsenal and then started him against Crystal Palace. McTominay quickly became a regular player in midfield during the 2017–18 season, sometimes even playing instead of Paul Pogba. Mourinho left Old Trafford in 2018, but McTominay played over 250 games for the club.
Mourinho entertains in the press room
Mourinho is known for making press conferences interesting, and this one was no different. Benfica's players were celebrating their big win, which keeps their hopes in Europe alive. Mourinho walked in with a bag, making the reporters curious. When someone asked if he was giving out gifts, Mourinho used his usual dry humour.
"The bag is mine," Mourinho said. It's Scott McTominay's shirt. I was the one who gave him a chance; I even benched Paul Pogba for him. The least he could do was give me his shirt.
After some ups and downs in Manchester, McTominay turned things around by moving to Napoli in 2024. He helped them win the league, played great in midfield, and scored 13 goals. He even finished 18th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings and was named the 2025 Serie A Player of the Year, the first Scottish player to get that award.
Benfica wins
Mourinho was happy about Benfica's win. The two-goal victory over Napoli was one of their best games in Europe this season, and he wanted to talk about how important it was.
He said, We deserved to win. We played a great match. Some people might say Napoli weren't at their best, but I don't agree. Benfica did great, controlling the game the whole time. It's great for us to beat Napoli like this and still have a chance in this competition.
He continued, We have six points. Benfica lost at home to Qarabag early on. If we hadn't, we'd have nine points and be close to qualifying. The schedule is tough, but that loss put us in a difficult spot right away. It was important to win today, or we would have been out.
Pressure at home
Benfica's situation in the league isn't as good. They're third, eight points behind Porto. With pressure from fans and a tough schedule in December, they can't afford to make any more mistakes if they want to win the title. They need to keep up their performance when they play Moreirense on Sunday. After recent stumbles in the league, Benfica needs to avoid another bad game if they want to stay close to Porto and Sporting in the title race.
LUCKY ESCAPE: MALICK THIAW'S VAR REPRIEVE STILL LEAVES UCL SUSPENSION LOOMING
Newcastle's draw with Leverkusen secured a crucial point, but three key players—Thiaw, Joelinton, and Burn—are now just one yellow card away from a critical Champions League suspension.
Newcastle drew with Leverkusen after a tough match, with a final score of 2-2.
Bruno Guimaraes scored an own goal, putting Leverkusen in the lead. Anthony Gordon then equalised with a penalty in the second half. Lewis Miley, a substitute, made it 2-1 for Newcastle before Alejandro Grimaldo levelled the score in the 88th minute.
This point should be enough for Newcastle to move on to the next round of the competition. But it makes it harder for them to get straight to the last 16 by finishing in the top eight.
Eddie Howe's team also has a few players who need to be careful to avoid suspensions in the coming Champions League games.
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NUFC Trio Could Be Banned from Champions League
Malick Thiaw is the latest Newcastle player at risk of a Champions League ban after getting his second yellow card this season.
When Leverkusen was up 1-0, things looked even worse for Newcastle when Thiaw fouled Patrik Schick near the penalty box. The referee initially called a penalty and gave Thiaw a yellow card, but VAR showed the foul was outside the area.
Newcastle got lucky as Thiaw wasn't sent off, and Leverkusen only got a free kick, which didn't lead to anything.
If a player gets three yellow cards in the Champions League before the semi-finals, they automatically get a one-match ban. So, Thiaw will likely be banned if Newcastle advances further in the competition.
This means Thiaw is just one yellow card away from being suspended for Newcastle's last two group matches against PSV Eindhoven and Paris Saint-Germain.
Joelinton is also close to a ban, having received a booking in the first two group matches. He managed to avoid a booking in Newcastle's last four Champions League games, and he scored in their 2-0 win over Athletic Club last month.
Joelinton is also one yellow card away from a suspension in the Carabao Cup, but has only been booked three times in the Premier League so far. To be banned in the Premier League, he needs two more bookings before matchday 20.
Dan Burn is also at risk of a ban after getting his second yellow card against Marseille.
All yellow cards are cleared after the quarter-finals and don't carry over to the semi-finals.
What About Other Newcastle United Players?
Aaron Ramsdale, Joe Willock, and Anthony Gordon are the other Newcastle players who have received yellow cards in the Champions League this season. They would need two more bookings to face a ban.
The only exception is if they get a red card.
But, for a bad foul, UEFA can make the punishment worse, like extending it to other competitions or making the ban longer.
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