Sports
Diego Simeone in Confrontation With Ben White After Atletico vs Arsenal
Diego Simeone was at the heart of the controversy as Atletico Madrid and Arsenal played out a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg.
The tie in the Spanish capital was a tale of three penalty decisions. First, Viktor Gyokeres converted for the visitors after being bundled to the ground by an opposition player. Then Julian Alvarez levelled the tie from 12 yards after a Ben White handball.
However, Arsenal looked like they were going to be given the chance to win the game from the spot when Eberechi Eze was tripped inside the area by David Hancko.
Despite initially pointing to the spot, the referee eventually went to the VAR monitor and overturned his decision, which prompted Steven Gerrard and Ally McCoist on commentary to speculate Simeone played a part.
Diego Simeone Argues With Arsenal’s Ben White
As animated as ever on the sidelines, Simeone was constantly firing his team up and letting everyone know what he thought of certain decisions. His presence and fiery nature in such close proximity to the referee during the VAR review played a part in the overturning of the penalty in the eyes of many.
It wasn’t just during the game where the long-term Atletico boss wore his heart on his sleeve, either. Fan footage from the Wanda Metropolitano stands showed the Argentine getting into a tussle with Arsenal defender Ben White as they approached the tunnel.
It appears that the highest-paid manager in world football took issue with the England international walking across the Atletico Madrid badge, which is on the floor leading towards the tunnel. Watch the footage below.
He wasn’t the first one to get in White’s face, but Simeone jumped in when he saw one of his players arguing with the Gunners star. At first, it looks like he was stepping between the two players to squash the issue, but then as they approach the tunnel, it appears to get heated.
White is even shoved backwards, although it’s unclear if that was Simeone’s doing as staff and players quickly got involved. Whatever Simeone did or said, it definitely didn’t appear to diffuse the situation.
Time Is Up: Arsenal Must Cash In on 5/10 Dud After Atletico Madrid Draw, He’s Not Good Enough
He’s not good enough for the top level.
Simeone Called Out For Behaviour vs Arsenal
Martin Keown and Steve McManaman, part of TNT Sports’ coverage of the game, were less than impressed with Simeone’s touchline antics.
The former brought up the 56-year-old when discussing the penalty incident, saying: “Simeone though, his actions to the sideline, the drama he creates, the scenes around it… the referee buckled under the pressure, went to the screen and didn’t stand by his decision.”
Those thoughts were echoed by McManamand, who even labelled Simeone’s actions ‘atrocious’. The ex-Real Madrid man stated:
“I have to echo Martin, I thought the behaviour of Simeone and his assistants, when the referee was trying to come over to the monitor, was atrocious.
“The constant haranguing of the fourth official…”
Sports
Spurs Have Already Sealed £8.5m Transfer Better Than Fernandes
Tottenham Hotspur’s owners are putting their money where their mouths are and backing new head coach Roberto De Zerbi in the summer transfer market.
Spurs have finished 17th in the Premier League in back-to-back seasons, failing to live up to the ‘big six’ billing. They only survived in the top flight on the final day of last season, beating Everton 1-0 to stave off relegation to the Championship and condemn fierce rivals West Ham United to the second tier instead.
De Zerbi rescued the club in the final two months of the campaign, saving them from what looked like a perilous position.
Now the plan is clear – for a season like that to never happen again.
Spurs owners are following through with their vow to invest in the squad
The Lewis Family, who own the club, made a statement to the fans after the final game of the season, saying: “We take responsibility for rebuilding Spurs. Our ambition is to recapture the spirit of the club and bring back the excitement, the fearlessness and the bold football we have always felt defined us. That means football comes first. The board and executive team have laid out their plans to meet this ambition.
“This will require investment – in our teams, the academy, our backroom functions and more – and we are fully committed to this. We are not selling the club. We are all in. We are investing in it. You will see more of this in the coming months.”
That vow has already bore fruit with three defensive signings arriving at the club early in the transfer window. Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke have already joined the De Zerbi revolution in N17 and more signings are set to follow.
After addressing the defence – Spurs have conceded 246 goals in the last four Premier League seasons combined – the Italian has turned his attention to the midfield department.
They have seen one bid of around £75million rejected by Newcastle for Sandro Tonali, while there are talks over bringing Mateus Fernandes to the club from West Ham. Spurs face a battle with Manchester City for Tonali and Manchester United for Fernandes, with reports suggesting it is not one or the other, but that the Lilywhites would be keen to add both to their ranks.
But with a new plan to bring in big-money signings and change to a more ‘win now’ approach, there are sure to be some painful decisions to be made with current members of the squad.
Two young players are ready to leave Tottenham
And that is already being seen, with talk of two talented youngsters wanting to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in search of more game-time elsewhere. Nineteen-year-old defender Luka Vuskovic has been the subject of two bids from Brighton & Hove Albion, having impressed on loan with Hamburg in the Bundesliga last season. He is a highly-rated centre-back reportedly keen to leave having never made an appearance for the Lilywhites.
There is a feeling that Vuskovic, who started Croatia’s World Cup opener against England, could go on to become a £100million player if nurtured the right way.
And then there’s Lucas Bergvall, the 20-year-old Swede whom Spurs beat off competition from Barcelona to sign in 2024 for just £8.5million.
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Bergvall got perhaps more game time than he would have expected in the 2024/25 season due to a wealth of injuries to first-team stars, but did not look out of place at all, becoming a firm fans’ favourite in Ange Postecoglou’s second season and winning all three of the club’s end of season awards.
Three different managers and Spurs battling relegation stunted his opportunities in 2025/26 and with big-money signings being touted and having only played 113 minutes under De Zerbi in the final seven games of the season have led to the 20-year-old seeking pastures new too.
As Mauricio Pochettino alluded to in 2019, before he was sacked, a painful rebuild was required and seven years later it looks like that is finally happening and supporters may have to come to terms with some decisions that, on the face of it, look very strange and disappointing.
Bergvall would be a painful loss at Spurs
Bergvall falls into that category. Signing Tonali, a ready-made, 26-year-old midfielder makes a lot of sense. Signing Fernandes, while letting Bergvall go, however, does not.
The Hammers star has two years’ experience in the Premier League – like Bergvall – and is aged just 21, a year older than the Swede.
Fernandes also has two relegations to his name, having gone down with Southampton before making the move to the London Stadium last summer and then suffering the same fate.
Now that is not all his fault, of course, but does Fernandes, offer anything better than Bergvall, given they both play in the same position and both prefer to be an 8 rather than a 6?
True, we’ve probably seen more of what Fernandes is capable of, but Bergvall being buffeted around the pitch, playing as a 6 a 10 and even wide does him a disservice. We really need to see what he can do in his favoured position on a regular basis before just discarding him.
And then there’s the price tag. West Ham want around £80million to sanction a deal for Fernandes. Spending that kind of money on Tonali again makes complete sense, but doing it twice, for a player who may or may not be better than what you already have, who cost just £8.5million is confusing.
Ask any Spurs fan and they will tell you they have been waiting a long time for the club to truly invest and embrace a win now approach rather than being in transition and ‘building for the future’. Bergvall may well be for the future, but he has already shown he is for the here and now too and is probably just as good, if not better, than an £80million Fernandes and that is why his exit will really hurt.
Fabrizio Romano Reveals How Much Tottenham Will Sell Lucas Bergvall For
Spurs signing Tonali could come at a greater cost than a giant fee alone
Sports
Arsenal Make Shock Offer to Sign Savinho on Loan
Arsenal have made a shock offer to sign Manchester City forward Savinho on loan, with their Premier League title rivals making their stance on a move clear.
Arsenal have had a quiet start to their summer transfer window, which isn’t too surprising because the Gunners don’t need to major work on their squad after a season where they won the Premier League and finished as runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
While some of their rivals like Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have already made signings, with three in the case of the latter, the Gunners are taking their time to ensure they land the right targets who will improve them as they look to retain their Premier League title and go one better in Europe’s elite club competition next term.
Arsenal chiefs will be considering any position where they feel they can sign an upgrade, but their attack appears to be one area where there could be activity in the summer window.
With some doubts over the future of Gabriel Martinelli, the north Londoners have been looking at left-sided attacking options, with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers emerging as a key target in recent weeks.
He isn’t the only left-sided Premier League player on the radar though.
Arsenal Hold Talks With Man City Over Savinho Deal
According to RTI Esporte, in Savinho’s homeland of Brazil, Arsenal have held talks with Manchester City over a potential move for Savinho.
The Gunners are said to have expressed an interest in signing the 22-year-old on a loan deal from the Etihad, but the proposal was instantly rejected by City, who will only consider permanent offers to let the forward leave.
Tottenham appear to be the club best placed to prise the ‘extraordinary’ Brazilian away from City, having shown interest in buying him last summer.
The report claims that Spurs have opened initial talks with City and the player’s representatives over a move, with the player also attracting interest from Clube Atletico Mineiro in his home nation.
RTI Esporte claim that City would be willing to sell for around €50m (£43m) with Arsenal and Tottenham needing to decide what they’re going to do next.
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Arsenal Making Progress on Morgan Rogers Deal
While negotiations over a move for Savinho have fallen flat, according to RTI Esporte, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed that Arsenal are making progress over a move to sign Aston Villa and England star Morgan Rogers.
The Gunners want to add a starting left-winger and Rogers fits the bill, with the Englishman having the added bonus of being able to operate in the No.10 role too.
The north Londoners have now made the 23-year-old their top transfer target and club chiefs are expected to submit an offer to Villa for his signature soon.
While he has firm interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, Rogers is said to be keen to seal a move to the Premier League champions, with Villa reluctant sellers if their asking price is matched.
That number is around £100m, according to GMS sources, with Arsenal set to begin formal talks with Villa imminently.
Sports
Darren Cann Thinks Ghana Deserved Penalty vs England
Former referee Darren Cann – who officiated in the Premier League and Champions League during his career – has delivered a strong verdict on an incident in England’s goalless World Cup draw with Ghana that saw Ezri Konsa bring down an opponent in the penalty area. After the final whistle, much of the discussion centred on the Three Lions’ lacklustre attacking display.
It was a complete contrast to last week, when Harry Kane and his fellow forwards tore Croatia apart in a 4-2 opening victory. But for the fourth major tournament in a row, England failed to win their second match, quickly bringing the feel-good factor back down to earth. Kane had just three touches in the opposition box on Tuesday night, while England largely lost the midfield battle, with some fans singling out Jude Bellingham for criticism.
However, not enough attention was paid to the fact that Thomas Tuchel’s side may have been fortunate to escape with even a point. It was only after the match had concluded that analysts focussed on an incident late on in which Ghana could easily have been awarded a penalty, despite a VAR check not even being recommended at the time.
Former Referee Casts Verdict on Possible Ghana Penalty
As Prince Kwabena Adu beared down on Dean Henderson’s goal, the Aston Villa defender appeared to jump, both footed, before lunging into a reckless challenge to stop him. Analysing the moment for the BBC, Cann said (watch the incident below):
“We had our hearts in our mouths when we saw Ezri Konsa make that challenge. As an England fan, I’m absolutely delighted it wasn’t given. But I have to be honest, this should have been referred to the referee.
“Konsa makes no contact at all with the ball, he brings down his opponent. He’s airborne, he’s out of control, he makes contact with the attacker and no contact with the ball. For me, this is a penalty kick.”
He continued: “In this tournament, most of the time, they’ve gone with the on-field decision. In general, they’ll stick with the on-field decision unless it’s clearly, clearly wrong.”
England Brought Down To Earth By Ghana
Heat may or may not have played its part in Boston this week. But regardless of the conditions, Tuesday night’s action will serve as a wake-up call to England in the fact that they still don’t look like a finished product early into this summer’s tournament.
While last week, questions were asked about the defence that leaked two goals with ease and ensured Croatia always had belief in the match, this week has shone light on Tuchel’s attacking options. It also suggested his options from the bench aren’t as strong as other nations, with none of them making a result-altering impact.
Next week, against rock bottom Panama, the mission will be to strike a perfect balance. They are heavy favourites to dispatch their Latin AMerican opponents with relative ease to finish top of Group L, but nothing should be taken for granted.
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