Overview
- Tottenham lost 0–2 to Newcastle in the Premier League and Mathys Tel, who began the match, slipped while taking a free kick in the 68th minute; the shot flew well over the goal and he was substituted shortly after.
- Former Spurs player Jamie O’Hara told talkSPORT the free kick was "one of the worst" he had seen and said Tel was "simply not good enough," comments that were widely amplified by media outlets.
- Fan reaction on X echoed the punditry with derisive posts calling the free kick the worst they'd seen and urging Tel not to play, turning a single on-field error into a major talking point.
- Manager Roberto De Zerbi said the club’s bigger problem is mentality and that mindset cannot be bought on the transfer market, a remark that followed Tottenham’s second defeat and left them with zero points after two league games.
- Tel joined Tottenham from Bayern in 2025 on a long-term deal through 2031 after three years in Munich, and his modest goal and assist totals have intensified debate about his form and what the club should do next.