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Jadon Sancho has reactivated his Instagram account ahead of his return to Borussia Dortmund on loan from Manchester United.

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Sancho already in DortmundReturns to Instagram just hours after landingLoan deal set to be announcedWHAT HAPPENED?

The 23-year-old has already flown to Germany before his impending move to the Black & Yellows. And immediately upon his return, Sancho reactivated his Instagram account which he had to deactivate due to a row with Erik ten Hag for his'scapegoat' remark that left him exiled from all first-team facilities since August.

He has deleted all former posts and teased his imminent move to Dortmund on his display picture with an image from his earlier stint at Signal Iduna Park.

@sanchooo10 Instagram

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It will be a straight short-term loan with no-buy option, which means that Sancho will return to Manchester in the summer. He had been training with the academy players at Carrington to keep himself fit and ready for a fresh challenge after it was made abundantly clear that he had no future at Old Trafford.

DID YOU KNOW?

Jadon Sancho is the only player since 2004-05 who has scored and assisted at least 15 goals each within a single Bundesliga season, doing so in 2019-20 (17 goals and 16 assists).

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Sancho is set for his medical at Dortmund before re-signing with his former employers until the end of the campaign. It remains to be seen if Sancho is handed a run-out on Saturday by coach Edin Terzic against Darmstadt in the Bundesliga or if he is made to wait until January 20 to get back to competitive action against Koln at RheinEnergie Stadion.

The 22-year-old forward put his team on his back against the Vancouver Whitecaps while sending a message to the national team

While American soccer's focus was fixated on an American, born English-raised superstar setting the world on fire in France, there were games played stateside on Wednesday night. And the biggest statement in those games was made by a U.S. men's national team forward, Jesus Ferreira, who showed that he still has plenty to say in a striker race that has been dramatically changed by Folarin Balogun's arrival.

Ferreira wasn't the only superstar on the scoresheet on Wednesday, the first midweek session of the MLS season. Several contenders ran absolutely rampant, with their superstars leading the way. That includes Thiago Almada, Atlanta United's World Cup winner, who continues to find new ways to dazzle as his time in MLS ticks down.

Still, it wasn't all good news, as several struggling teams continued to struggle. A midweek match wasn't a cure for their ailments, and now all involved face a short turnaround before another busy rivalry weekend.

GOAL takes a look at the big winners and losers from Wednesday night's MLS action:

Getty ImagesWINNER: Jesus Ferreira

FC Dallas star Ferreira has been scoring all season, but his brace on Wednesday night felt like it came at an important time. As American soccer raves over their newest recruit, Balogun, Ferreira is having a hell of a season, and drawing European interest himself. Napoli are the latest team to be linked to the 22-year-old, and a move to the Serie A champions would be nothing to sneeze it.

Ferreira was at his best on Wednesday in a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, scoring both of his team's goals to lead the charge. He now has eight goals on the young season, tied for second-best in MLS, and he's showing no signs of slowing down.

Like Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Daryl Dike and the rest of the USMNT strikers, Ferreira now has a point to prove. Is Balogun's arrival a rising tide that will raise all of the USMNT forward boats? We'll find out, but Ferreira was the first to offer a hell of a response to the upcoming competition.

AdvertisementLOSER: Chicago Fire

New-ish coach, same Chicago Fire. After a brief high point over the weekend thanks to a win over 10-man St. Louis City SC in Frank Klopas' first game back in charge, the Fire did what they've been doing all season under Ezra Hendrickson on Wednesday night: Squandering leads.

Playing in Charlotte, the Fire took the lead in the 29th minute thanks to Kacper Przybylko, but it was all downhill from there. Charlotte FC youngster Brandon Cambridge proved to be their undoing, scoring the game-tying and game-winning goal just weeks after being voted Player of the Matchday in MLS Next Pro. It was a superstar performance from a very new face, and one he'll remember for a long, long time.

The Fire, though, had another night to forget. This team simply can't protect leads, and that has been, and will continue to be, their undoing.

GettyWINNER: Atlanta United

When Atlanta United are in this kind of mood, they're downright frightening. The Colorado Rapids were the unfortunate team on the end of the Atlanta bulldozer, falling 4-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The wild part is that the Rapids were very much in it, at least until the 80th minute.

Luiz Araujo scored at that point, making it 2-0 with a goal that, Atlanta will hope, could do wonders for his confidence. Then came one from Tyler Wolff in the 87th and a Giorgios Giakoumakis exclamation point in the 90th.

The pick of the bunch, though, was the first, which came from none other than Thiago Almada. How could you not put a man on the post on an Almada free-kick? The Rapids found out the hard way what happens when you don't, as the World Cup winner scored yet another stunner.

Atlanta have had some rough moments, but make no mistake: when this team is on, they are so damn good. Wednesday night provided more evidence of just what this team can be.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: LA Galaxy

They simply can't stop the bleeding. It isn't getting any better for the LA Galaxy, who continue to find ways to lose games. The latest defeat came in Columbus, as the Crew sealed a 2-0 win to end their own four-game winless slide.

The Galaxy seemed to have turned something of a corner, tasting victory in two of their last four after failing to win any of their first seven. But, even after a win over the San Jose Earthquakes over the weekend, a rotated Galaxy team came crashing down to earth.

Even with the Galaxy chasing, Greg Vanney was still unwilling to put Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez on the field with Dejan Jovelic, instead using the former to replace the latter in the second half. The Galaxy cannot get two of their three best players on the field together, and that will remain a problem going forward.

Still, despite being a shutout, this one was down to the defense. Efrain Alvarez failed to track back in any meaningful way before Jalen Neal got absolutely destroyed by Lucas Zelarayan for the opener. And, on the second, Lucas Calegari was totally posterized by Malte Amundsen for a close-range header.

There's no side of the ball where the Galaxy are clicking right now, and that's why they are where they are: at the very bottom.

The Reds were reduced to 10 men after just 57 minutes but claimed three precious points thanks in no small part to their new Hungarian midfielder

Liverpool picked up their first win of the season on Saturday afternoon, beating Bournemouth 3-1 at Anfield despite seeing Alexis Mac Allister sent off just before the hour mark.

The Reds started the game horrifically and were deservedly punished for their sloppiness – which was personified by Trent Alexander-Arnold – when Antoine Semenyo drilled the ball past Alisson after the hosts had lost possession in their own half.

Liverpool drew level thanks to a moment of magic from Luis Diaz before taking the lead when Mohamed Salah made amends for missing a penalty by converting the rebound.

Mac Allister then saw a straight red for clattering into Ryan Christie – much to the shock of the summer signing, who clearly felt that the foul was more deserving of a yellow – but Liverpool responded admirably to being reduced to 10 men, with Diogo Jota sealing a vital victory with a tap-in.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Reds on show on a dramatic afternoon at Anfield…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Alisson Becker (6/10):

All over the place in the opening quarter, during which he got himself booked for a wild lunge on Jaidon Anthony after losing possession outside his penalty area, but made some crucial stops in the second half to keep Bournemouth at bay.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (3/10):

Recovered well from his dreadful start, even going close to scoring, but the errors he made early on were atrocious. He got away with the first – when he unintentionally diverted a long ball past Alisson and towards an open goal – thanks to a marginal offside call but he was punished by Semenyo for losing the ball carelessly in the middle of the park.

Ibrahima Konate (6/10):

Like nearly everyone else in the Liverpool backline, was horribly shaky early on, missing tackles that he really should have made. But he did improve the longer the game wore on and played his part in Klopp's teams seeing it out.

Virgil van Dijk (6/10):

Nowhere near as culpable as some of his team-mates for Liverpool's poor start but he has to take his share of the blame for Bournemouth's opener, given he put Alexander-Arnold under serious pressure with his pass. The captain defended well thereafter, though, and was unlucky not to get a goal, with his fine header coming back off the bar.

Andy Robertson (5/10):

Still seems to be struggling with the extra responsibility placed upon his shoulders because of the use of Alexander-Arnold as an auxiliary midfielder. He just doesn't look comfortable as a left-sided centre-back – which is effectively what he's asked to be with his fellow full-back further forward – and it seriously restricts his offensive contribution.

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Dominik Szoboszlai (8/10):

One of the few players to shine at Stamford Bridge – and performed even more impressively here, winning the penalty with a neat turn – and embarrassingly exaggerated fall – just inside the area. The Hungarian was involved in nearly all of Liverpool's best attacks and he also took the shot which led to Jota making it 3-1. A seriously exciting talent on the ball, Szoboszlai looks set to become a star at Anfield.

Alexis Mac Allister (4/10):

Once again struggled in a central defensive midfield role that he's unlikely to be asked to play again, given Liverpool's reinforcements will be bedded in by the time he returns from suspension. The red card itself was harsh – there was zero malice in the challenge and it didn't constitute serious foul play – but he only had himself to blame for mistiming his tackle so badly.

Cody Gakpo (5/10):

Showed the odd flash of what he can do when he got the chance to break forward from deep but the midfield role is just not working for him – or Liverpool. With Endo now on board, it should be ditched soon, allowing Gakpo to start challenging Jota for the No.9 role again.

Getty Attack

Mohamed Salah (6/10):

A ninth goal in nine appearances against Bournemouth but Salah was desperately fortunate to find the back of the net here, with the ball falling so nicely for him after seeing his spot-kick saved by Neto. Also squandered some great chances from open play – just has he did at Chelsea the week before – and was too selfish in possession at times.

Diogo Jota (8/10):

Took the wrong option a few times early on but teed up Luis Diaz for the crucial equaliser before getting on the scoresheet himself after being first to react to Neto failing to hold Szoboszlai's deflected effort. Got a real shot of making the centre-forward role his own because of his pressing, striker's instincts and mobility.

Luis Diaz (8/10):

Caught in possession a couple of times early on but Liverpool's livewire turned the game in his side's favour with an outrageous piece of skill, with the crafty Colombian teeing the ball up for himself before volleying home. He really is a great game-changer.

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Wataru Endo (6/10):

Brought on soon after Mac Allister's dismissal and made an encouraging debut, only misplacing one pass.

Joe Gomez (5/10):

Introduced in place of a hobbling Alexander-Arnold with 15 minutes to go.

Harvey Elliott (5/10):

Replaced Jota in the closing stages and butchered one break with a poor pass but worked tirelessly for the 10-man Reds.

Konstantinos Tsimikas (N/A):

Only came on with five minutes to go.

Darwin Nunez (N/A):

Not given anything like enough time to stake his claim for a starting spot.

Jurgen Klopp (6/10):

Clearly red the riot act at half-time because Liverpool were far better after the interval – both before and after Mac Allister's dismissal. But the Gakpo midfield experiment needs to be immediately ditched now that Endo is on board.

Emile Heskey admits that Mohamed Salah appears destined to leave Liverpool in a £150m deal, but he feels a replacement may already have been lined up.

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Egyptian the subject of big-money offerReds rejected all approaches for nowSale expected to happen in 2024NOT FOR SALE!

The Reds were able to fend off interest shown in the Egyptian superstar from Al-Ittihad towards the end of the summer window, but the Saudi Arabian outfit remain keen and are expected to rekindle their interest at some stage in 2024.

AdvertisementWHAT ARE THE ODDS?

Former Reds striker Heskey – speaking on behalf of – told GOAL when asked if the chances of Salah seeing out his contract are now less than 50-50: “Probably! They are not going to go away. He is the biggest Muslim football player in the world. The biggest win for them would be to get the biggest Muslim football player in the world. They are trying to take over all sports – boxing goes there, the Formula One, UFC. Football is arguably one of the biggest in the world, and Salah one of the biggest Muslim stars, so I wasn’t surprised that they went after him. It was a huge offer and I expect them to keep coming and keep raising that bar. It’s not just for the duration of his contract, they are probably looking for him to be an ambassador for them for life. I don’t see them going away.”

ASKING PRICE

Salah will turn 32 next summer, while entering the final year of a deal at Anfield that is due to expire in 2025, and Heskey said when asked if £100m ($124m) could be enough to do a deal at that stage: “I think they will still stick to the 150 ($186m). I think that will be sat there. I don’t think it will be done in January, I don’t think Liverpool will want to disrupt and disturb what they have at this moment in time – they are pushing up there towards the top of the table. I don’t think they will disturb that, but I think they will push again – 100 percent because they will want Mo Salah.”

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WHO’S NEXT?

If Liverpool were to raise big money for Salah, would they then look to bring in a ready-made superstar as his replacement – given how valuable that he has been to the cause down the years? Heskey responded to that poser by saying: “Very good question. I don’t think it’s in Liverpool’s ethos to do that. When it comes to their recruitment, I don’t think that is how they see things – they look at the full package and potential going forward. I don’t know if Jurgen would want to go and get a superstar with all of the stuff that comes with it. Would he really want to do that? I don’t think he would. They have probably already eyed up who could be the next Mo Salah."

Sundowns crashed out of the Caf Champions League on Saturday after drawing 1-1 with the Angolan giants who won the tie 2-1 on aggregate.

GOAL runs the rule over the individual performances of Masandawana players after the Tshwane giants were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

BackpagepixDenis Onyango – 6/10

Largely untroubled in the first half.

Onyango made routine saves from long-range efforts after the restart with Downs leading, but he was well beaten by Tiago Azulao, who sent him the wrong way from the penalty spot.

AdvertisementBackpagepixThapelo Morena – 6/10

Started well on the right side of Downs' defence.

Morena dribbled the ball well and beat his opponent on a couple of occasions, but his delivery into the Petro box was poor and he was rarely tested defensively.

BackpagepixLyle Lakay – 7.5/10

Put in a good performance at left-back. 

Lakay went up and down the wing well using his speed and combined well with his teammates. His well-taken free-kick led to the equalising goal.

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BackpagepixRushine De Reuck – 6/10

Recalled to the starting line-up to replace an out-of-form Mosa Lebusa.

De Reuck passed the ball around well, helping his side move out of the tight spots they were put in by Petro's press and also contained Azulao, who could only score from the spot-kick.

A Hollywood mishap at Sheffield United put a brief smile on Chris Wilder’s face, with the Blades boss saying Cameron Diaz “can play up front for us”.

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Blades struggling at both ends of the fieldScrapping for survival as a resultIn desperate need of inspiration from somewhereWHAT HAPPENED?

A Premier League relegation battle is being played out at Bramall Lane, with the clock seriously ticking on a bid to rise out of the bottom three. Wilder has returned to Sheffield in a bid to aid that cause, having previously overseen a successful promotion push and top-flight consolidation.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

He has a tough task on his hands, with the Blades currently rooted to the foot of the division – seven points from safety with 13 games left to take in. There has been little for Sheffield United to laugh about of late, with five goals being conceded in each of the club’s last three home fixtures across all competitions.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wilder was, however, given a chuckle following a humbling 5-0 defeat against Brighton. Long-serving local journalist Alan Biggs asked the Blades boss about those currently ruled out through injury, with the question posed of whether there is “any prospect of getting Archer and Cameron Diaz back quickly?”

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GettyWHAT WILDER SAID

Wilder, who is without Cameron Archer and Ben Brereton Diaz at present, saw the funny side of that mix up as he quipped back with: “Cameron Diaz? She can play up front for us! Like that. You've brightened me up for five seconds!”

The USMNT and star defender Sergino Dest teased a "big announcement" to be shared on NBAonTNT Tuesday night.

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Sergino Dest teases "big announcement"USMNT defender to share on NBA on TNT Tuesday nightLook ahead at big Spring & SummerGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The USA fullback, with a cheeky smile on his face, told fans to tune into the show Tuesday evening. The news arrives less than 24 hours after the USSF and Gregg Berhalter announced their 60-man preliminary roster for this March's Concacaf Nations League semifinal against Jamaica.

AdvertisementWHAT THE USMNT AND DEST SAID

The official USMNT account posted that fans will want to watch the NBAonTNT pregame show Tuesday evening, with the defender teasing a "big announcement."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The announcement could be something as simple as a brand collaboration between the NBA and U.S. Soccer – or it could be something unexpected! Regardless, the tease should excite fans, especially with the coming months ahead. First up for the USMNT is, of course, the Nations League semifinals, before being followed by the Copa America and then the Paris Olympic Games.

The USMNT's Spring and Summer of soccer is coming fast, and now, the excitement is starting to build up.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT, PSV AND DEST?

The Dutch club have a massive match at the weekend, when they take on second-place Feyenoord in the Eredivisie. Despite holding a 10-point lead over their rivals in the table, a loss would see the pressure ramp up going into the business end of the season.

The USMNT meanwhile, will be preparing for their March 21 match against Jamaica. Berhalter's final 23-man roster for the tournament is due March 11.

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are staring group-stage exits in the face, while it was a good week for English right-backs and in-form Napoli

As Bon Jovi famously sang, "Woah, we're halfway there," and at the midpoint of this season's Champions League group stage, there are a number of giants who find themselves living on a prayer as their European fate hangs in the balance.

It was another week of eye-catching continental results and performances, with some teams now within touching distance of the knockout rounds, while others wonder if there is even a place in the Europa League in their future.

But who had the best week? And who needs to move on and forget it ever happened?

GOAL breaks down matchday three's Champions League winners and losers…

Getty ImagesWINNER: English right-backs

The battle to be England's starting right-back at the World Cup is set to be one of the stories of the autumn around the Premier League clubs, and two of the prime candidates showed out on the European stage this week.

There might still be question marks over Trent Alexander-Arnold's defensive capabilities, but there are very few players in the world – full-back or not – who can strike a dead ball like the Liverpool man can, as illustrated by his stunning free-kick goal against Rangers on Tuesday.

Twenty-four hours later, it was Reece James' turn to showcase his credentials as he shone for Chelsea in their resounding win over AC Milan, getting himself on the scoresheet in the process.

There was even an impressive European debut for Manchester City teenager Rico Lewis in their victory over FC Copenhagen, suggesting that the conveyor belt of talented English right-backs is not about to slow down.

So with Kyle Walker facing a race against time to be fit for Qatar 2022, who are you starting against Iran on November 21 – Alexander-Arnold, James or someone else?

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Spanish teams not named Real Madrid

While defending champions Madrid are making serene progress through the group stages, winning three of three so far, the rest of the Spanish contingent in this season's competition are facing an uphill battle to reach the knockout stages.

Barcelona have now suffered back-to-back defeats as they went down 1-0 to Inter at San Siro, meaning they have just three points from their opening three games.

They do still have home matches against Inter and Bayern Munich to come, but anything less than four points from those two games could leave them vulnerable to a second successive group-stage exit.

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, have also lost consecutive games on the road as they followed up defeat at Bayer Leverkusen with an insipid display against Club Brugge on Tuesday.

Sevilla are in an even worse position, having picked up just one point from their opening three matches, with Wednesday's 4-1 home loss against Borussia Dortmund the final straw as Julen Lopetegui was sacked just minutes after full-time, with Jorge Sampaoli waiting to take over the reins.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Napoli

Top of Serie A and with three wins from three in the Champions League, it is difficult to find a team having a better start to the season compared to what was expected of them than Napoli.

Lorenzo Insigne, Kalidou Koulibaly, Dries Mertens and Fabian Ruiz all left the club this summer, but they have bounced back from having their spine ripped out in incredible fashion, with Tuesday's 6-1 win away at Ajax the crowning moment of their campaign so far.

Georgian superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, AKA Kvaradona, might be getting all the headlines, but the likes of Victor Osimhen, Giacomo Raspadori, Piotr Zielinski and Giovanni Simeone are also thriving in attack for Luciano Spalletti's free-wheeling side.

They now look odds-on to win their group and go into the knockout stages as a seeded side, and if they can maintain this form in the second half of the season, then a deep run in the knockout rounds is not beyond them.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Ajax

On the other side of the coin, Ajax's heaviest defeat in any competition since 1964 has sent shockwaves through Dutch football, with questions now being asked as to whether new manager Alfred Schreuder is the right coach to see them through their current transition.

Like Napoli, the Dutch champions lost a host of star names over the summer, including Antony, Lisandro Martinez, Sebastien Haller and Ryan Gravenberch, as well as manager Erik ten Hag, and the decision to go for developmental replacements means falling back in Europe was perhaps inevitable.

That said, the way in which they collapsed against Napoli was concerning, with some atrocious defending on display at the Johan Cruyff ArenA.

All is not lost, though they will likely need to win away at Napoli or at home to Liverpool in their next two matches to have any hope of a top-two finish.

Tottenham bounced back from a shaky start to earn a much-needed 4-0 away win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

As Tottenham trudged down the tunnel at half-time it felt like they were sleepwalking into another poor result. Then, Harry Kane happened.

Spurs were fortunate to not be losing at the break, but against recent convention and despite being second best for long spells, they completed the first 45 minutes unscathed and were rewarded early in the second period – snapping an embarrassing 10-match streak of conceding the first goal in the process.

Kane majestically climbed above the Palace defence to nod home the opener and he produced a textbook driven finish to double his side's lead soon after. Matt Doherty and Son Heung-min – who looked unable to hit a cow's behind with a banjo beforehand – added some gloss to the scoreline as Spurs secured a much-needed victory.

Tottenham have been playing poorly for a long time now, yet they are still remarkably well-placed in the Premier League table. And if they can keep up the level of attacking efficiency they showed in the second half in south-east London, who knows how high they can climb?

GettyThe Winners

Harry Kane:

It is hard to overemphasise just how badly Tottenham needed a goal after limping to half-time against the Eagles. And, like he has done so many times before, Kane obliged – twice. It is challenging to find a new angle on the England captain, such has been his effortless brilliance for so long.

However, with so many of their Premier League rivals lacking a free-scoring number nine, this could be the season that the 'Kane factor' plays its most significant role in deciding where Spurs finish in the table.

Bryan Gil:

The mop-topped Spaniard's start to life in north London has been rather underwhelming. Questions have been asked about his lack of physicality and his contribution to the Spurs' cause has been negligible in nearly 30 appearances prior to the Palace match.

Could this be the moment when the narrative shifts? Gil was better tonight. Much better in fact. He wriggled free of his marker several times early on and kept his mettle in the wake of a string of crunching challenges to play a decisive role after the interval. After being involved in Kane's first goal, he then provided the assist – his first in the Premier League -for the No.10's second. It was a beautiful, firmly hit pass into Kane's feet and a reminder of what Gil can bring to the table in the absence of Dejan Kulusevski.

Son Heung-min:

Let's not beat about the bush. Son did not play well here. His first half consisted of sloppy passes and a bizarre sequence following a Spurs corner routine, which culminated in him dribbling the ball out of play. After this he missed an absolute sitter, firing a one-on-one straight at Vicente Guaita. Even his 'assist' did not paint him in the best light, as his blocked pass fortuitously fell into Matt Doherty's path.

But then, it came. The goal that seemed about as likely as pigs flying for the previous 71 minutes. As soon as the ball struck the back of the net Son exploded, in similar fashion to when he broke his previous seasonal goal drought against Leicester back in September, ripping off his protective mask and sprinting towards the travelling fans.

After the rest of his teammates returned to his half, Son lingered with the Spurs faithful a few moments longer, kissing the badge and showing his appreciation. It was the look of a man who had just had the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders and Tottenham will be hoping it signals the beginning of his 2022-23 renaissance.

AdvertisementGettyThe Losers

Djed Spence:

Spence must be the worst trainer in the world. There is no other excuse for him to be so consistently ignored by his manager. Spurs pulled out all the stops to sign the flying wing-back in the summer amid some stiff competition. And yet, you can count his Premier League minutes this season on one hand.

Even as Tottenham streaked ahead, Spence's number remained absent from the fourth official's electronic board as other fringe players were given their chance.

Spurs' European qualification rivals:

Manchester United, Newcastle, Liverpool and Co. would've been licking their lips after Spurs' first-half display as it seemed to suggest that Conte's side were en route to dropping yet more points in the race for European qualification.

However, in the end, Kane dragged his side to a victory that leaves fifth-placed Spurs five points ahead of Liverpool and a mammoth eight above Chelsea down in 10th. There will be countless twists and turns before the season is out, but Tottenham will be mightily relieved to keep pace with those above them.

Antonio Conte's transfer budget:

In case you hadn't noticed, Conte is pretty keen for Spurs to strengthen in January. After their New Year's Day defeat to Aston Villa he bemoaned his lack of "creative players" – the latest in a long line of not-so-subtle jabs at Daniel Levy.

Unfortunately for the Italian, winning 4-0 against a team as good as Crystal Palace is not the best way to hammer home that your squad isn't fit for purpose. Keep arresting the slide and Levy has the perfect excuse to keep the chequebook firmly in his inside pocket. Not that Spurs fans are likely to give their chairman an easy ride this month. Chants of 'We want Levy out' echoed around the capital even after the fourth goal went in…

GettyTottenham Ratings: Defence

Hugo Lloris (8/10):

Showed great reflexes to keep Ayew out in the first half. Went on to make several other fine stops in a real return to form.

Cristian Romero (6/10):

A bit rash to start with. He settled nicely though, and flew into some typically forceful challenges.

Eric Dier (6/10):

Excellent in the air, even when target man Jean-Philippe Mateta entered the fray. Recovered from a shy start to enjoy a comfortable second half.

Clement Lenglet (6/10):

Lost Ayew in the box on the half-hour mark, which could have proved fatal.

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GettyMidfield

Matt Doherty (7/10):

Nothing went right for him in the first half. Like his team, his performance after the break was unrecognisable. Finished well for his goal after blazing one over previously.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (7/10):

Got in the way of Kane's long ball – which summed up his first-half display. Much improved after half-time.

Oliver Skipp (7/10):

A big night for him after not playing for so long. He rose to the occasion pretty well, protecting the back four and remaining tidy in possession.
Ivan Perisic (6/10):

Nowhere near his best early on as he barely ventured into Palace territory, but picked up his customary assist for the opener.

The north Londoners clinched top spot in Group B as they ran riot in the first half against their French opposition

Arsenal's return to the Champions League group stage this season hasn't always been a walk in the park, but their 6-0 victory over Lens on Wednesday sealed their progression to the knockout stages for the first time since 2016 in some style.

Clearly motivated to enact their revenge on the French strugglers following that shock defeat in the reverse fixture, the Gunners frequently tore their opposition to shreds, with five different players: Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard, getting on the scoresheet before the break. The half-time winning margin was a record for an English team in the competition.

With the result essentially ensured, things rather died down in the second period. The only real action of note was Arsenal receiving a debatable penalty for handball, which substitute Jorginho calmly converted. However, the Gunners fans lucky enough to be in attendance on this bitterly cold night in north London won't forget those first-half fireworks any time soon.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Emirates Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

David Raya (6/10):

Had one sketchy moment in the first half, but put in a largely confident display.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (8/10):

Notched two assists in a mightily-impressive performance. Ben White has a fight on his hands for the starting spot.

William Saliba (6/10):

Did not start brilliantly but Lens soon stopped troubling him once the goals started flying in.

Gabriel (8/10):

Outshone his defensive partner on this occasion. His impassioned celebration of a clearance at the death delighted the home crowd.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (7/10):

Kept Arsenal moving in possession and never troubled defensively. Taken off at half-time.

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Martin Odegaard (7/10):

Took his goal superbly and orchestrated Arsenal's effective press.

Declan Rice (7/10):

An extremely comfortable night for the dominant midfielder.

Kai Havertz (7/10):

His second goal in as many games will do the German a world of good. Was tidy other than that.

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Bukayo Saka (8/10):

Didn't know much about his goal, but they all count! Absolutely outstanding work for Jesus' strike.

Gabriel Jesus (8/10):

Took his goal so, so well and also set up the opener. Never looked like giving it away.

Gabriel Martinelli (7/10):

Created the fourth out of nothing and was always testing the opposition on the dribble.

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Jakub Kiwior (7/10):

Was solid, especially considering how infrequently he's played this season.

Ben White (6/10):

Came on with the game won but didn't offer as much as Tomiyasu going forward. Nearly scored a header.

Reiss Nelson (5/10):

Nice for him to get some football, though he didn't make much of an impact.

Jorginho (7/10):

Introduced to give Rice extra time to recover before the Wolves game on Saturday, but still got on the scoresheet from the spot.

Eddie Nketiah (N/A):

Brought on for the closing stages.

Mikel Arteta (8/10):

You can't have many complaints with that scoreline, but he might have taken off the likes of Odegaard and Saka a little earlier to save their legs.