شارك المصري محمد صلاح في مباراة فريقه ليفربول أمام أستون فيلا، ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتعادل ليفربول أمام خصمه أستون فيلا بنتيجة 2/2، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين على ملعب “فيلا بارك”، ضمن منافسات الجولة التاسعة والعشرين من البطولة الإنجليزية.

اقرأ ايضاً.. رجل مباراة ليفربول وأستون فيلا في الدوري الإنجليزي

وشارك محمد صلاح أساسيًا في مباراة اليوم أمام أستون فيلا، وخاض اللقاء بشكل كامل.

وبحسب شبكة “فوت موب” حصل محمد صلاح على تقييم 8.4 من 10 في لقاء اليوم وهو الأعلى بين لاعبي الفريقين.

وتمكن محمد صلاح من تسجيل هدف ليفربول الأول في مواجهة اليوم، بالإضافة إلى صناعة الهدف الثاني لـ أرنولد.

ولمس محمد صلاح الكرة 38 مرة من بينها 9 داخل منطقة الجزاء، وقام بالتسديد على مرمى الخصم في مناسبتين.

وقام محمد صلاح بصناعة فرصتين في المباراة، ووصلت دقة تمريراته إلى 67%. ملخص لمسات محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول واستون فيلا بالدوري الانجليزي

Bairstow, Duckett post imposing 173 but it’s only just enough in epic at Headingley

Valkerie Baynes24-Jul-2021Welsh Fire 173 for 4 (Bairstow 56, Duckett 41) beat Northern Superchargers 168 for 7 (Brook 62, Ahmad 4-13) by 5 runsA blistering half-century to Jonny Bairstow capped by a devastating bowling performance from Afghanistan legspinner Qais Ahmad delivered Welsh Fire a nail-biting five-run victory over Northern Superchargers in their Hundred clash at Emerald Headingley.Harry Brook launched a valiant rescue mission after the hosts had stumbled to 50 for 4 inside the first half of their sizeable run chase. He nearly pulled it off with a knock of 62 from just 31 balls which was every bit as impressive as Bairstow’s.Having seen Jemimah Rodrigues rack up a jaw-dropping 92 not out off 43 on the same excellent batting track in the afternoon match – the highest score across the men’s and women’s competitions so far – Bairstow would doubtless have wanted to press on. But, even though they only have him for the first two matches before he reports for England Test duty, Welsh Fire won’t have any complaints.The crowd swelled from the 5026 for the afternoon match between the women’s sides, won by Superchargers on the back of Rodrigues’ innings, to 10,324 for the men. The relative lack of students in fancy dress suggested the throngs in the pubs lining the route to the ground at lunchtime had decided to stay put. But the largely civilian-clad fans in attendance were in strong voice, quietened briefly when Ben Stokes fell cheaply, but whipped into song by Brook’s charge.Bairstow blitz
If you could only write one player’s name on the Hundred, Bairstow would have to be right up there in lights and, in his first outing of the tournament, he lived up to that billing with an explosive innings that included five fours and three sixes.He launched David Willey over wide mid-off for six on the 11th ball of the match and then hit Willey’s next two deliveries for four. He drove Mujeeb Ur Rahman past a diving Stokes at mid-off for another four and then pummelled Brydon Carse into the fifth row over deep midwicket. Bairstow brought up his fifty off 28 balls with a mammoth six off Mujeeb that sailed into the stands 20 rows back over deep midwicket.Jonny Bairstow came out of the blocks firing for Fire•Getty ImagesStokes, captaining in place of the absent Faf du Plessis, brought himself on and made the breakthrough with his third legitimate delivery, a back-of-a-length ball which Bairstow pulled straight to Willey at deep midwicket. Ben Duckett got in on the act with 41 off 27 balls, including six fours. Combined with Jimmy Neesham’s unbeaten 30 off 11 balls and Glenn Phillips’ 23 off 14 – including two sixes, the first of which he powered off Adil Rashid high into the stand cleared by Liam Livingstone in the T20I last weekend – they helped push Fire to what was comfortably the highest total of the competition to date.Brook no challengers
Brook had been in fine touch for Yorkshire this season with a Championship century and seven scores above 40 in his last eight T20 matches at Headingley. On this occasion, he clattered five sixes and three fours to keeper the Superchargers in the hunt.Brook shared a 68-run stand with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, in the side after recovering from a broken finger which kept him out of much of Yorkshire’s Blast campaign. When Kohler-Cadmore was run out on the 74th ball, Superchargers still needed 55 runs to win and Brook didn’t stop. In the next set of five, he picked off another four and a six off Liam Plunkett, who had bowled with good pace in his first pro game for nine months but was expensive.Brook’s impressive effort ended however, when he was trapped lbw by Ahmad, two balls after the same bowler had John Simpson holing out to Ian Cockbain at long-on during a frenetic passage of play in which Carse also survived a drop and failed run-out attempt by Matt Critchley.Superchargers needed 11 off the last set of five but Jake Ball held his nerve, despite copping a hefty blow to the heel of his hand as Matty Potts struck the penultimate ball back at him with force. Carse managed just one off the last ball instead of the six needed to tie and Fire prevailed.Qais on songWelsh Fire accounted for both Superchargers openers in the space of five balls, Adam Lyth spooning Critchley straight to Tom Banton at cover after a short and sweet 25 off 14 and Chris Lynn caught by Ian Cockbain off Ahmad for a run-a-ball 11.Ball then had Stokes caught by Phillips at deep cover for just 5 and when Willey’s attempted drive off Ahmad resulted in a low edge to Critchley at backward point, he was forced to walk off to a blast of “Where’s Your Head At” by Basement Jaxx and Superchargers were in terrible trouble.Just 20 years old, Ahmad ended with 4 for 13 off 20 balls – Stokes was the only other bowler to concede less than a run a ball – his early dismissal of opener Lynn and his role in ending Brook’s innings proving pivotal.

The energetic and youthful duo were key to the Red Devils' classy performance against Liverpool, and now there can be no going back

To paraphrase UK indie landfill greats The Automatic, 'What's that coming over the hill, is it a midfield?' Manchester United's lack of a proper presence in the middle of the park has been a concern for around a decade, but when up against a Liverpool team that have made huge strides in that area this season, it was the Red Devils who ruled the centre of the pitch.

Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte struck up a fine partnership in the 2-2 draw at Anfield, with help from Bruno Fernandes dropping deep to help them out of possession, and they managed to prevent Liverpool from ever getting comfortable while also building sustained attacks. It was a radical transformation from the shambolic defeat at home to Newcastle six days earlier, when United's midfield was staffed by Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, with Joshua Zirkzee in front of them before he was hauled off in the 33rd minute for Mainoo.

The return of the suspended Ugarte and Fernandes as well as Mainoo playing from the start made a world of difference, and it is now crystal clear that Mainoo and Ugarte should start every game together when possible. They can be the foundation upon which Ruben Amorim can rebuild his team from the rubble and make performances like Anfield the norm, not the exception.

• Getty
  

  More energy, more understanding

  Starting Mainoo and Ugarte over Casemiro and Eriksen lowered the average age of United's midfield duo from 32 to 21, and the change in personnel not only significantly raised the energy levels, it also led to a better understanding between the two players. Whereas Casemiro was in his own world against Newcastle, shanking hopeless shots over the bar and passing the ball out of play, Mainoo and Ugarte worked together to disrupt Liverpool's flow.

  The Uruguayan helped Mainoo rob Curtis Jones in the first half, leading to a sustained period of possession from United which led to Rasmus Hojlund finding himself one-on-one with Alisson. Ugarte won three out of four tackles, more than anyone else on the pitch, and he often turned defence into attack in an instant. In the second half, for example, he stuck out a foot to prevent Trent Alexander-Arnold finding Mohamed Salah, prodding the ball in the direction of Matthijs de Ligt who started a United counter.

  Ugarte also began the move for Harry Maguire's last-gasp chance with a raking cross-field ball out to Fernandes having previously robbed Alexis Mac Allister to help United see out the first half with another long period of possession.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Oozing calm

  Mainoo played a more subtle role in the impressive team performance, giving United control and purpose when in possession, gliding around in tight spaces and often dribbling his way out of trouble. His calmness was pivotal to the times when the visitors serenely rolled the ball around the pitch, preventing Liverpool from dictating the play.

  Mainoo and Ugarte's teamwork meant Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool's most influential midfielders this season, had poor games, and subsequently Salah was unable to torment United as he has done so often in this fixture, not withstanding the penalty he scored to give Liverpool the lead.

  Mainoo and Ugarte had been paired together on four previous occasions and it has to be said that Anfield was the only time it really worked. They started alongside each other in the terrible 3-0 defeat by Tottenham in September, the only such time during Erik ten Hag's tenure, as Mainoo picked up an injury in the next league outing at Aston Villa that would sideline him for two months. Some slack can also be cut towards Ugarte as that was his full Premier League debut and United played the whole of the second half with 10 men due to Fernandes' sending off.

• Getty
  

  The No.1 partnership

  The combination did not work well in the defeats by Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Wolves, although it did have success during the derby win at Manchester City, when Mainoo began on the bench but was forced to come on in the 14th minute to replace the injured Mason Mount. It is clear, though, that it has to be Amorim's top choice from now on.

  Ugarte has the advantage of having played under the Portuguese for two seasons at Sporting CP in the same 3-4-2-1 system, and his ball-winning ability is crucial to the system working. Paul Scholes described Ugarte as "untouchable" while analysing the game for , saying: "Ugarte is quality on the ball, he’s surprised me a little bit and he’s done better than I thought he would do when I watched him at Paris Saint-Germain. He’s really grown in confidence. He helped defensively as well as in the attack, and played with composure. At this point, the United midfield has to be him plus another."

  Scholes named Mainoo as the best option alongside Ugarte, and that was no surprise given how good he has been since breaking into the United first team last season amid a dearth of quality elsewhere in midfield.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Recipe for disaster

  While Mainoo and Ugarte are only at the start of their promising careers, Casemiro and Eriksen are at the end of theirs. The Brazilian and the Dane have had fantastic careers, but can no longer cope with the intensity of the Premier League. Eriksen was routinely substituted in the 60th minute in his first season at Old Trafford and, understandably, he is even slower two years on.

  Casemiro initially transmitted his winning appetite to United when he joined from Real Madrid in 2022, but he had a dismal second campaign and there has been little sign of improvement. He remained on the bench at Anfield and that was a relief to many United fans after his cumbersome performance in the 3-0 defeat by Liverpool at Old Trafford in September.

  The main concern for United is that they will inevitably have to fall back upon at least one of their veterans in the second half of the season as Mainoo and Ugarte cannot play every minute of every game. Against a top-eight side, that is a recipe for disaster.

Leicestershire’s success limited on opening day at Merchant Taylors’ School

ECB Reporters Network11-Jul-2021

Middlesex 280 for 3 (Robson 138*) vs LeicestershireSam Robson’s first century since the season’s opening day gave Middlesex the early advantage in their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Leicestershire at Merchant Taylors’ School.After acting captain Tim Murtagh won the toss, the former England opener struck 13 fours in his unbeaten 138, sharing half-century stands with Josh De Caires, Stevie Eskinazi and Daryl Mitchell as the hosts reached 280 for 3 before bad light ended play three overs ahead of the scheduled close.Ben Mike, Ed Barnes and Abidine Sakande took a wicket apiece for the visitors.Robson was positive from the outset, getting well forward in defence against the seamers. Boundaries though were few and far between, a straight drive off Sakande a rare exception.At the other end De Caires, in only his second game for the hosts, survived a bang on the helmet as he and Robson raised 50 for the first wicket, only the second time a Middlesex opening pair had managed the feat all season.The stand reached 73 before De Caires chopped a short one from Ben Mike into his stumps, part of an eventful spell for the seamer which included an official warning for running on the pitch.Robson’s 50 came soon afterwards from 72 balls with four fours and he and Eskinazi prospered either side of lunch despite some miserly bowling from Will Davies and Callum Parkinson.The 50 partnership was raised before fate took a hand and Eskinazi pulled up after taking a sharp single and had to retire injured.Max Holden, recalled to the first XI in the wake of skipper Peter Handscomb’s positive Covid test, survived an early caught behind shout to hit some stylish boundaries. However, he failed to make the most of being dropped at second slip by Marcus Harris off Barnes, edging the same bowler through to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis shortly afterwards.Robson though continued unperturbed, cutting Sakande to the point boundary to reach his century from 172 balls on the stroke of tea.The centurion rode his luck a little in the final session, flashing a couple through the slips and surviving a confident appeal for lbw from Davies.But New Zealand international Mitchell played with increasing assurance for his 38 and it was a shock when he drove Sakande to Harry Swindells with the pair just shy of a century stand.

Inter Miami's Uruguayan forward addressed a potential reunion amid links to the Brazilian at MLS Media Day

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Inter Miami have been linked with potential move for NeymarBrazil star out of contract in six monthsSuarez says reunion would be 'exciting', Javier Mascherano insisted MLS salary cap makes move "impossible"Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

MIAMI – Inter Miami star Luis Suarez addressed a potential reunion with former Barcelona teammate Neymar, saying at MLS Media Day on Thursday that it "makes you excited to have a player like him and the quality he can bring to the team."

The comments come amid links to the Brazil star is out-of-contract at Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal in six months. Neymar revealed to CNN Sport earlier this week that he is open to playing with Suarez and Lionel Messi again, but that he is an Al-Hilal player at the moment, and is happy in Saudi Arabia.

“Obviously, playing again with Messi and Suarez would be incredible," the 32-year-old said. "They are my friends. We still speak to each other. It would be interesting to revive this trio. I’m happy at Al-Hilal, I’m happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows. Football is full of surprises."

Suarez told reporters he would love to play with his former teammate again, but that nothing is certain.

"Everyone knows what Neymar is as a player, what we generated, the era we were together, today we are in another era, much older than we were at that time," Suarez said. "Well, as he and everyone else said, anything can happen, but well, these are expectations and illusions that can be generated, but to make them concrete is difficult."

Manager Javier Mascherano insisted that a move for the player is impossible due to MLS salary cap rules.

"We cannot talk about Ney because we have nothing. Obviously, Ney is a great player. Everyone or every coach in the world wants him, but at the moment, you know the MLS rules about the salary cap. For us, in this moment, it's impossible," he said.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Neymar and Suarez played together at Barcelona from 2014 through 2017, forming the famed "MSN" trio with Messi up top in their front-three formation. During that stretch, the trio scored a stunning 364 goals across all competitions, creating one of soccer's most dynamic attacks. Alongside Neymar, Suarez recorded 180 goal-contributions while the Brazilian added 138, and Messi with a staggering 219.

Since the Uruguayan's move to South Beach at the start of the 2024 MLS season, Suarez helped Miami to the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield while being a finalist for MLS MVP and MLS Newcomer of the Year. His debut campaign saw him score 20 goals and record nine assists across 27 regular season matches.

Neymar, meanwhile, has struggled to stay healthy since his move to Saudi Arabia in 2023. The Brazilian tore his ACL on international duty just months after his arrival, being sidelined for 330 days with the Saudi side before returning this past fall – only to fall victim to a hamstring injury in November, 2024.

His contract expires in June 2025.

DID YOU KNOW?

Neymar has made just seven appearances across all competitions for Al-Hilal since his blockbuster move to the Saudi Kingdom in 2023. In total, he's played just 428 minutes of soccer for the club since signing his two-year contract worth a reported $300M.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

With MLS preseason set to begin shortly, the are getting ready to prepare for the 2025 campaign. They take on Liga MX side Club America on Jan. 18 as part of their preparation.

Aston Villa reached the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, overcoming a potential banana skin against League One outfit Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 away from home. It was a professional performance from the Villans, who now go into the hat for the next round, to be drawn on Wednesday night.

Unai Emery’s side did not actually take the lead until the second half, with Wycombe making life tough for the Villans in the first 45 minutes. However, Emiliano Bunedia, in his first start after picking up an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2023, gave the Premier League outfit the lead.

Jhon Duran, irresistible as ever, got himself on the scoresheet 30 minutes after Buendia’s opener. The Columbian, who has five goals this season, scored from the penalty spot to double Villa’s lead.

The hosts managed to pull back a late goal in the 95th minute through Richard Kone. However, it was too late for the League One side, and Villa made it safely through to the next round.

There were certainly some standout performers against the Chairboys, with Villa’s quality unsurprisingly shining through. One player who was particularly impressive was Amadou Onana.

Onana’s stats vs. Wycombe

Belgian international midfielder Onana has been in superb form for Villa this term, and worked hard in the hour he played at Adams Park. The former Everton midfielder has already scored three times for his new club, in just seven appearances.

It was something of a surprise that the Belgian started against the third-tier outfit on Tuesday. Emery has selected him from the start in all of Villa’s games so far this season, and the trip to Adams Park presented him with a chance to rotate.

With that being said, Onana did start and was unsurprisingly impressive throughout the hour he spent on the pitch. He received a 7/10 post-match rating from John Townley of Birmingham Live. He noted that, whilst the Belgian ‘is a few levels above’ the Wycombe side, ‘they did their best to limit’ his impact on the game.

Onana’s Sofascore stats suggest he was busy throughout his night’s work. He had 60 touches of the ball, and completed 46 from 54 attempted passes, with a pass accuracy of 85%. The midfielder also completed two interceptions and won one duel.

It was a steady performance from Onana, who continues his good start to life at Villa Park. However, he was perhaps not the standout player on the night, with Bunedia also performing well against Wycombe.

Bunedia’s stats vs. Wycombe

It has been a long road to recovery for Buendia since he ruptured his ACL a little over one year ago. It is fair to say that the Argentine’s first start since his injury went superbly. Not only did he skipper the Villans on the night, but also managed to get on the scoresheet.

It was a smart finish from the former Norwich City midfielder, who leapt highest inside the penalty box to meet a deflected ball that ricocheted off the defender. He looped his header over Franco Ravizzoli in the Wycombe goal to give his side the lead.

It was a performance that earned him an 8/10 rating from Townley following the game. The journalist praised him for how well he ‘linked the midfield and attack’, crediting him for a ‘brilliant header’.

Indeed, his stats on Sofascore also reflected such an impressive performance. The Argentine had 48 touches against Wycombe, completing 85% of his passes and creating one chance. Off the ball, he worked hard, winning seven from 13 duels and his only tackle.

Buendia stats vs. Wycombe

Stat

Number

Pass accuracy

85%

Passes completed

29/34

Touches

48

Duels won

7/10

Fouls won

5

Chances created

1

Goals

1

Stats from Sofascore

It was no doubt a performance that would have pleased both Buendia and Emery, given the length of his injury. It may put him in line for his first Premier League start since the 2022/23 campaign, ahead of Villa’s next outing against Ipswich Town on Sunday afternoon.

It would not be unsurprising to see Emery unleash him in the top-flight next.

Related Imagine him & Duran: Aston Villa could soon unleash incredible academy star

He could start alongside Duran for Aston Villa.

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Sep 24, 2024

Southampton dramatically progressed to the next round of the EFL Cup after beating Everton in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out last night, handing Russell Martin’s men their first win of the season in what has been a tricky early patch of games.

The Saints would get back into the game during normal time owing to a Taylor Harwood-Bellis equaliser, after Abdoulaye Doucoure – who was captaining the Toffees for the night – had opened the scoring at Goodison Park.

Harwood-Bellis was also donning the armband for the visitors and put in an imposing performance himself, with the ex-Manchester City man standing out at the back for his South Coast side.

Harwood-Bellis' performance vs Everton

Missing from the starting line-up during Southampton’s last Premier League loss to Manchester United, the 22-year-old will now be banging the door down for more first-team opportunities moving forward, after a calm and controlled display against Sean Dyche’s hosts.

Away from helping his team get back into the contest by heading home an effort past stand-in Toffees goalkeeper Joao Virginia in the first half, Harwood-Bellis also notched up a ridiculous 172 touches in the game, as per Sofascore, as Martin’s men dominated the possession at a hefty 74%.

On top of that, the impressive Saints number six also tallied up a staggering 150 accurate passes as a stylish operator on the ball, alongside managing 14 accurate long balls to clear away the danger when Everton looked dangerous.

The towering 22-year-old also held his own in the physical battles that came his way up against the likes of Beto for the home side – who comes in at a frightening 6 foot 4 frame – with four duels won from five in the Tuesday night clash.

That defensive prowess was also showcased as he managed to block two shots and make three interceptions to further keep the Toffees at arm’s length away from Doucoure’s opening strike.

Harwood-Bellis also confidently tucked away his penalty in the lottery of the shoot-out, with Martin now tempted to throw the young defender into the deep-end next in Premier League action, owing to the fact Jack Stephens will also be suspended for his side’s next test in the top-flight.

That might well not be the only change to the defence that Martin will consider, with Charlie Taylor also standing out as a top performer at the back at Goodison Park, who has only been given one cameo in the top league this season to date, after signing for his new South Coast employers in the summer.

Taylor's performance vs Everton

That lone appearance so far for Southampton in the league came at home versus Nottingham Forest, when the Saints boss decided to give the experienced defender a run-out late on in that disappointing 1-0 loss.

Now, he could be clamouring for a starting spot moving forward, even if that means Kyle Walker-Peters would have to be shuffled back out to the right flank temporarily, in order to accommodate for the former Burnley man slotting in.

Stat

Taylor

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches

100

Accurate passes

76/81 (94%)

Key passes

2

Accurate long balls

2/4

Accurate crosses

2/3

Looking at the table above, Taylor was crucial in getting his team back on level terms in normal time, with his cross inch perfect for Harwood-Bellis to head home from.

Moreover, the 31-year-old full-back also amassed an equally impressive amount of touches next to his teammate’s glowing total, managing 100 touches of the ball with 76 accurate passes also registered.

Even if he doesn’t displace Saints’ starting full-backs immediately, Martin will be well aware that his summer recruit can be a useful option to rely upon in crunch games to come, having also accumulated 162 Premier League appearances so far across his playing days.

The Saints boss will hope his side can kick on after this dramatic Tuesday night win and pick up their first points in the top flight soon, with a clash against fellow relegation-threatened outfit Ipswich Town up next.

Meet Southampton's best academy prospect since Ward-Prowse

Southampton are very excited about what this youngster could go on to achieve.

1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 11, 2024

A significant update has emerged regarding Sean Dyche’s future as Everton manager, with the date of his possible sacking revealed.

Dyche under huge pressure at Everton

Dyche has been in charge at Goodison Park since January 2023, and while he deserves credit for ensuring the Blues haven’t suffered relegation from the Premier League, he is now under real pressure to keep his job.

Everton have only accumulated one point from their opening five league games in 2024/25 to date, coming away to Leicester City last weekend, and failure to win at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon would see more fans lose patience with the manager.

With the pressure building on Dyche all the time, it is only natural that potential successors are now emerging to come in and replace him, including ex-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri. The Italian resigned as head coach of Lazio back in March and could be an intriguing appointment by incoming owners The Friedkin Group, who will know him well from their experience in Serie A with Roma.

Graham Potter has also been mentioned as an option, as he still looks for a new job, while current stand-in England boss Lee Carsley has been linked with the Everton job too. It remains to be seen if he could be given the Three Lions role full-time, however, having impressed in charge to date.

Potential Dyche sack date revealed

According to a significant update from The Boot Room, Dyche could be sacked as Everton boss before October’s international break, with the Englishman very much in last chance territory, which would mean ending his reign on approximately Monday October 7th.

The report states that he “has been the subject of a vote of confidence but sources believe that he will be lucky to be still in charge” by the time the Blues’ international players return from representing their countries.

This seems a fair situation, in truth, with Dyche just about having enough credit in the bank to remain in charge for the time being, but rightly finding himself under lots of scrutiny. Performances and results have been nowhere near good enough so far this season, and blowing 2-0 leads in back-to-back games at home to Bournemouth and away to Aston Villa suggests there is a weak mentality on show, which starts with the manager at any club.

Dyche feels like he is hanging by a thread at this point, and he will know how vital getting at least a draw against Palace this weekend is. The Eagles aren’t exactly flying themselves, having been outplayed by Manchester United in their 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park last Saturday, so this should be seen as a good chance to get points on the board.

Then comes the visit of Newcastle United on October 5th, prior to the internationals, so Dyche essentially has these two matches to save his job, if the update is to be believed.

Branthwaite will love him: Everton could appoint "genius" Dyche replacement

He’d be a breath of fresh air for the Merseysiders…

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 27, 2024

Goodison needs to be at its rocking best on both occasions, getting Everton out of the mire and also giving their current boss more time to prove himself.

Liverpool are back in Premier League action, and Arne Slot will be determined not to leave a sour taste in the fans’ mouths before the agony of the international break.

Oh yes. Selhurst Park will be the final action ground before the interminable boredom of a midseason pause, but Liverpool are top of the table after six matches and will remain as such if victory is achieved over Oliver Glasner’s side, who are winless so far.

Slot has won eight of his nine competitive matches at the helm since inheriting Jurgen Klopp’s side, and he really is proving to be a worthy successor, tinkering at this wonderful squad and adding his flair.

But Palace have foiled high-flying Liverpool before. The Reds have only won one of their past four fixtures against the Eagles and lost at Anfield in their most recent outing, annihilating the optimism around triumphing in the title race.

Liverpool must ensure such a blunder does not occur today, and luckily, Slot has a squad of (almost) full fitness.

Liverpool team news

Harvey Elliott continues to sit on the sidelines as he recovers from a fractured foot suffered with England U21s in September; the rising star is targetting a return this month.

Frustratingly, Federico Chiesa is a doubt after picking up an unknown injury this week, though he could feature. The dynamic forward, Slot’s only senior signing thus far, missed out against Bologna in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

But Slot, always cool, has maintained that he is confident in his team, and though he named a strong team in midweek, his team selection throughout his opening months on Merseyside suggests that changes will be minimal in south London.

However, there will be one or two tweaks, with Darwin Nunez likely to head back to the bench after flattering to deceive at the spearhead against Bologna.

Why Darwin Nunez must be benched

Just over two years ago, Liverpool signed Nunez from SL Benfica in a deal rising to a club-record £85m. He’s bobbed up and down, like a buoy caught in a storm, never quite sinking but struggling for air at times.

Last season, Nunez made progress, there’s no doubting that, but despite a healthy return of 18 goals and 13 assists across 53 matches, he continued to be plagued by severe profligacy in front of goal, missing 27 big chances, as per Sofascore, despite scoring only 11 times.

Slot has not been convinced, not yet. Nunez is erratic but he’s also influential and indefatigable. That said, the Uruguay international lacks composure and is not crisp enough in his link-up play, nor does he employ the desired combativeness, winning duels for his team.

Liverpool’s rather indifferent display against Bologna did not cost them, for Mohamed Salah placed a wonderful assist for Alexis Mac Allister and rifled a swept strike of his own to seal the 2-0 victory in the second half.

Nunez had a fantastic opportunity to prove himself, with Diogo Jota only fit enough to make the bench after injuring his foot in training, and he toiled.

Jota must return to the starting line-up, but Nunez must actually be followed to the bench by Luis Diaz, who has been tremendous this season, with five goals from six Premier League games.

That said, it’s time for Cody Gakpo to get to strut his stuff from the outset.

It's time to unleash Cody Gakpo

Gakpo’s got to feel the slightest pang of frustration right now. He’s only been afforded two starts all season, otherwise restricted to off-the-bench efforts. Moreover, both berths have come in cup competitions, and he’s excelled both times.

It’s clear that Gakpo, who is now enjoying his second full season at the Anfield side, was mismanaged to a degree, for he is clearly at his best on the left wing and this was a role that did not come readily to him under Klopp and his assistant manager Pep Lijnders, who still hailed his a “special skill set”.

Diaz has been immovable on the left wing for the Merseysiders in the Premier League, and though he won 11 duels in the Champions League in midweek, also completing five of his ten attempted dribbles, the Colombian’s goal threat sometimes evades him, and his Dutch peer has demonstrated this term that he can match his ball-carrying and aggressiveness.

Indeed, Diaz has been brilliant this season, crackling with electricity down the left flank, but there’s little question that Slot must appease two titans, and Gakpo surely deserves a shot now. After all, he’s been brilliant in each of his starts – let’s dig into them in a bit more detail.

Minutes played

90′

68′

Goals

2

0

Assists

0

1

Touches

58

43

Shots (on target)

6 (4)

3 (2)

Accurate passes

31/33 (91%)

18/22 (82%)

Key passes

3

2

Dribbles (completed)

2 (2)

7 (4)

Tackles + interceptions

4

2

Total duels (won)

9 (4)

11 (7)

Slot would be wise to keep things fresh, shuffle the pack a bit. Diaz was energetic and animated against Bologna, but he is still partial to a performance of minimal goal threat, even if he is coming on leaps and bounds under new management this season.

Gakpo, further to the point, offers a more dynamic skillset in a way that could be perfect for Jota’s sharpshooting at Selhurst Park.

As per FBref, the Netherlands star ranks among the top 3% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for passes attempted, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 3% for both tackles and interceptions per 90.

The Athletic’s James Pearce has already hailed Jota and Gakpo as a partnership this year, commenting that they were “lethal in the final third” against West Ham in the Carabao Cup, winning 5-1 and both scoring twice.

It’s his time to shine, no doubt he deserves it. Gakpo is a multi-functional forward with plenty of ways to positively contribute toward the success of Slot’s team, but he must now start to earn regular minutes, with the perfect chance up ahead against Crystal Palace.

Klopp wanted to sign "world-class" £85m star but Liverpool got Gravenberch

In hindsight… this all worked out okay.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 4, 2024

Surrey suffer rare shocker in five-wicket defeat, with only Clarke standing firm

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2021

Glamorgan made it three wins from five Royal London Cup matches and stayed in the hunt for qualification for the knock-out stages with a five-wicket hammering of Surrey.Surrey made just 132 from 44.1 overs with only Rikki Clarke standing firm with 35. It was a total Glamorgan reached with ease thanks to an innings of 58 from 52 balls from Hamish Rutherford.This was Surrey’s first defeat of the competition as they had a day to forget. The visitors won the toss and chose to bat on a glorious Cardiff morning, but Mark Stoneman nicked Michael Hogan’s first ball of the day to Nick Selman, who took a neat catch at second slip, and that set the tone for a rare Surrey shocker.Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson nearly claimed a stunning catch at mid-on to dismiss Hashim Amla off the bowling of Lukas Carey, but he unfortunately spilled the ball. Carey nonetheless dismissed Ryan Patel, again caught smartly by Selman at slip, and then Amla went too – this time caught behind by Tom Cullen for just four.Jamie Smith was the next to go, caught by Cullen from Joe Cooke’s bowling, leaving Surrey at 35 for 4.Such a position called for responsible batting, not something Nico Reifer delivered when he smacked Andrew Salter up in the air to be caught by Rutherford.Tim David also fell to Salter – Selman again the catcher – as Surrey slipped to 63 for 6.Salter finished with career-best List A figures of 3 for 37 and when Clarke was finally dismissed by Andy Gorvin, Surrey had inched their way to a below-par total.Veteran Clarke – who will retire at the end of the season after a fine career – was Gorvin’s first Glamorgan wicket.Carey finished with 2 for 28 and the outstanding Hogan 1 for just 18 runs from his 10 overs.Rutherford struck two superb boundaries through cover in the same Matt Dunn over at the start of Glamorgan’s reply, but the Surrey quick did bowl Selman for six. Rutherford’s calm batting – it was particularly pleasant to watch his off-side strokes – took Glamorgan to 52 for 1 after 10 overs.New Zealand’s Rutherford reached 50 off just 45 balls with 10 fours as he and Steven Reingold, who scored 40, put Glamorgan in complete control.Rutherford slog swept Dan Moriarty for six into the Sophia Gardens stands to bring up the 100 and although he was caught next ball, he had already done the hard work.Billy Root was dismissed for 18 with Glamorgan within one run of victory, but Cullen finished the job with 23.1 overs still to be bowled of the home side’s second innings.