Spurs get Thomas Frank off to flier as Erling Haaland sparks revamped City in Wolves win

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, right, celebrates with Tijjani Reijnders after scoring the third goal during the Premier League match between Wolves and City at Molineux. (AP)
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Updated 16 August 2025
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Spurs get Thomas Frank off to flier as Erling Haaland sparks revamped City in Wolves win

  • Frank was seconds away from launching his era in charge with a trophy until a late Paris Saint-Germain revival won the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday
  • City’s failure to defend the title after winning it for the previous four seasons has prompted a major overhaul from Guardiola

LONDON: Tottenham manager Thomas Frank enjoyed a “dream” home debut with a 3-0 win over Burnley, while Erling Haaland inspired new-look Manchester City’s 4-0 rout of Wolves on the opening weekend of the Premier League season on Saturday.

Frank was seconds away from launching his era in charge with a trophy until a late Paris Saint-Germain revival won the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday.

The former Brentford boss replaced Ange Postecoglou despite the Australian ending Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought by lifting the Europa League last term.

Postecoglou was undone by Tottenham’s worst domestic season since 1976-77 as they finished just above the relegation zone in 17th place.

Frank’s bid to revive Tottenham’s league fortunes got off to the perfect start in north London.

Richarlison made the most of the faith shown in him by Frank as the Brazilian turned in Mohammed Kudus’ cross to open the scoring.

The pair combined again on the hour in more spectacular fashion as Richarlison’s bicycle kick converted the Ghanaian’s delivery.

Brennan Johnson was Tottenham’s Europa League final hero with the only goal against Manchester United and he began the new season by racing clear to slot in the third.

“Perfect start or dream start. A good performance against a difficult opponent. I will just enjoy it and I hope the players, the club and the fans enjoy it because that is important,” Frank said.

At Molineux, Pep Guardiola unveiled his City revamp as he bids to bounce back from last season’s third-place finish.

City’s failure to defend the title after winning it for the previous four seasons has prompted a major overhaul from Guardiola.

Despite Haaland’s double, it was new signing Tijjani Reijnders who stole the show with a hand in all of City’s first three goals.

“We knew he is a top signing for the coming years for City,” said Guardiola on Reijnders outstanding Premier League debut after a £46.5 million move from AC Milan.

“Of course we have changed after last season with many injuries and problems — fresh energy this season.”

Reijnders stroked in his first City goal in between two predatory finishes from Haaland.

Another City new boy Rayan Cherki, lured from Lyon in the summer, rounded off the scoring.

For the past two seasons, all three promoted teams have gone down.

Sunderland made the perfect start to attempting to buck that trend with a 3-0 victory over West Ham.

Former Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka is among pool of new signings attracted to the Stadium of Light.

But it was three players key to their promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 who scored.

Eliezer Mayenda’s looping header gave the Black Cats lift off on the hour mark.

Center-back Dan Ballard headed in the second before Wilson Isidor rounded off a huge win in stoppage time.

Newcastle missed the wantaway Alexander Isak as they failed to find the breakthrough against 10-man Aston Villa in a 0-0 draw at Villa Park.

The Magpies were the dominant side even before Ezri Konsa’s red card for bringing down Antony Gordon 24 minutes from time.

Isak had not been involved during Newcastle’s pre-season as he appears determined to force through a move to Liverpool, who reportedly saw a £110 million ($149 million) offer for the Swedish striker rejected.

The two clubs face off in their next league match at St. James’ Park on August 25.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said he wants an end to the saga one way or another.

“From my perspective, you want a resolution quickly. It’s taking away the focus of the players and the supporters,” said Howe

“We want to be united together. We’d like a resolution, but we’re not in control of that.”

Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz struck in the 96th minute to salvage a 1-1 draw at Brighton after Matt O’Riley’s penalty put the Seagulls in front.

Arsenal, top-flight runners-up for the last three seasons, are in action on Sunday when they travel to Manchester United.

Champions Liverpool began their title defense with a 4-2 win against Bournemouth on Friday.


France qualify for 2026 World Cup; Ronaldo sent off as Portugal lose to Ireland

Updated 14 November 2025
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France qualify for 2026 World Cup; Ronaldo sent off as Portugal lose to Ireland

  • Two goals from star striker Mbappe helped two-time champions France to qualify with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine on Thursday
  • Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban imposed for any red card when Portugal play Armenia
  • Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway moved closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 by beating Estonia 4-1 in Oslo

LONDON: Kylian Mbappe and France are going to the 2026 World Cup. And Cristiano Ronaldo might be banned from Portugal’s first game there if his team finally win their European qualifying group.

Two goals from star striker Mbappe helped two-time champion France to qualify with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine on Thursday. But Ronaldo was ejected for the first time in his international career and Portugal will have to wait until Sunday to secure a qualifying spot for the seventh straight time after it was stunned 2-0 by Ireland in Dublin.

Midfielder Michael Olize and substitute forward Hugo Ekitike added the other goals in a dominant second half from France, the World Cup runner-up in 2022.

Mbappe sent the penalty straight down the middle to break the deadlock in the 55th minute before Olize turned inside the penalty area to curl home the second goal in the 76th at Parc des Princes in western Paris. Mbappé poked in France’s third goal from close range in the 83rd following a goal-mouth scramble. Mbappe moved onto 55 goals and just two behind Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time top scorer.

“The French national team will always be better with him in it,” coach Didier Deschamps said about Mbappé. “He makes things easier for us. He performed his role perfectly this evening, as both a player and the captain of the national team.”

Mbappe went close to a hat trick moments later but blazed over after going clean through.

France have won Group D with 13 points, Ukraine and Iceland are tied on seven points and will play for second place when they meet on Sunday.

Ronaldo’s 1st international red card

Portugal will host last-place Armenia in the final qualifying game on Sunday, when Hungary host Ireland at the same time.

Portugal top Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary. Ireland are third with seven points.

Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea on the hour. The referee issued a yellow card but minutes later upgraded it to red after a video review.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said he thought the ejection was “a bit harsh,” pointing out that Ronaldo “has never been sent off before in 226 games.”

Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban imposed for any red card when Portugal play Armenia. FIFA disciplinary rules require its judges to impose a ban of “at least two matches for serious foul play.”

Troy Parrott put the hosts ahead with a close-range header following a corner kick in the 17th minute against the run of play with Portugal dominant. Parrott added his second in the final minute before the break, beating Diogo Costa with a low shot from inside the area.

Haaland’s double

Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway moved closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 by beating Estonia 4-1 in Oslo.

The win virtually secures a spot for the high-scoring Norwegians in next year’s tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Italy had to rely on late goals from Gianluca Mancini and substitute Francesco Pio Esposito to win 2-0 at Moldova and is second in Group I, trailing leader Norway by three points.

Italy will likely have to settle for the playoffs where the four-time World Cup champions were eliminated in the past two editions. They host Norway on Sunday and would have to win by a nine-goal margin to directly qualify because of Norway’s vastly superior goal difference.

Haaland has scored 14 of Norway’s European-best 33 goals in seven group-stage games. The Manchester City striker was born two years after Norway last reached the World Cup.

Still perfect England

Already-qualified England continued to cruise.

They beat Serbia 2-0 at Wembley Stadium to keep a perfect record in Group K and are yet to concede a goal.

Bukayo Saka fired England ahead on a rebound with a left-foot volley in the 28th after an initial shot by Nico O’Reilly was blocked. Substitute forward Eberechi Eze added the second in the 90th off a pass from another substitute, Phil Foden.

Albania beat Andorra 1-0 in the same group to secure the runner-up spot.