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Oct 31, 2026, 8:40 PM GMT
After deciding late that he wanted a career in sports journalism, Daniel worked his way up the ladder in an unconventional manner.
Having opted against university, Daniel worked with Sky Sports as a freelance contributor and translator during transfer windows while also volunteering on several other blog pages and outlets to get a portfolio of content together.
Daniel then worked with Barnet FC as part of their social media team before starting his own website, which focused on football and MMA content.
That eventually led to work with 90min and Reach PLC with The Mirror, Daily Record, Daily Express, and Manchester Evening News.
Following that, Daniel spent two-and-a-half years with Breaking Media covering Everton, Rangers, Leeds, West Ham and other clubs before joining GiveMeSport as a Premier League editor.
As well as football, Daniel is a huge MMA fan and has appeared on YouTube and podcast content too.
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Tottenham made it three wins in a row with a dominant 2-0 win over ten-man Crystal Palace on Saturday evening.
Spurs were given a major advantage after just 12 minutes when Jean-Philippe Mateta was handed a straight red card for a poor challenge on Micky Van de Ven, and they took advantage just 12 minutes later when Archie Gray headed home from a corner for his first goal for the club. De Zerbi's side didn't create much else in the first half but went into the break ahead.
In a relatively uneventful second half, Spurs didn't create too much, but they doubled their lead late on when Jan Paul van Hecke headed home at the second attempt after an excellent save by Dean Henderson.
The Czech goalkeeper had absolutely nothing to do in the game as Spurs dominated against Palace's 10 men.
A brilliantly taken header after being rewarded with another start at right-back. Had little to deal with defensively after Mateta's red card, but didn't put a foot wrong. Substituted at half-time, so the club will be hoping it's nothing serious.
Defensively, Spurs were solid, dealing with any transition threats easily, and he managed to score with a fine header too to wrap up the points. But Van Hecke helped the team in build-up too with his quality in possession, and is finally starting to show the player the north London club felt they were signing from Brighton.
Van de Ven has bounced back brilliantly from his poor form last season to once again become an incredibly important piece of the Spurs team, and his leadership, pace, and quality on the ball make him indispensable. Another solid, all-round performance.
Some wicked deliveries into the box saw him create some opportunities in attack, while defensively he was able to keep Palace's forwards quiet for the most part.
Tonali is growing into his role as a leader in the Spurs midfield, and his all-action style means that De Zerbi is capable of controlling games, and the £100m transfer fee is quickly being forgotten.
Another excellent performance in the middle of the pitch from the Portuguese midfielder, who is really starting to find his feet under De Zerbi. He was excellent at breaking up play to keep momentum for the team when going forward, and now looks undroppable in this new role.
A livewire in the attack, his dribbling and direct running caused problems for Tyrick Mitchell all night, while he drifted across the forward line and continued to be effective.
Despite the team playing against ten men for the vast majority of the game, Marmoush struggled to have any sort of impact in the final third. It was a poor showing from the Egyptian, and it's no surprise that fans are questioning his signing.
Tel finally had a big moment in a Spurs shirt against Chelsea, but he went back to his dithering self on the wing. His final ball was disappointing, and he wasn't progressive enough, and now there's every chance he can find himself back on the bench next week.
The only natural striker in the squad continues to struggle under De Zerbi. He got next to no service on the day, but he also did very little to help himself with his movement, and it's hard to see how he keeps his place when everyone is fit.
Did it happen before or after?
Round 1 of 9
The World Cup winner came on at half-time and was excellent with his forward running and creativity.
Came on in place of Solanke to offer a late run from deep as a threat, but ultimately struggled to make a real impact.
Only got a handful of minutes at the end, but made a huge impression with his dribbling and was unfortunate not to get an assist when Kudus missed an open goal after his brilliant work out wide.
| Tottenham Players Graded vs Crystal Palace |
|
|---|---|
| Player |
Grade |
| Antonin Kinsky |
C |
| Archie Gray |
B |
| Jan Paul van Hecke |
A |
| Micky Van de Ven |
B |
| Andy Robertson |
C |
| Sandro Tonali |
B |
| Mateus Fernandes |
A |
| Mohammed Kudus |
A |
| Omar Marmoush |
D |
| Mathys Tel |
D |
| Dominic Solanke |
E |
| Pedro Porro |
C |
| Destiny Udogie |
N/A |
| Dejan Kulusevski |
N/A |
| Conor Gallagher |
C |
| Luca Williams-Barnett |
B |