أثنى جلين موراي لاعب برايتون السابق، على أداء محمد صلاح بمباراة ليفربول وساوثهامبتون بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
وكان محمد صلاح مرة أخرى هو البطل لفريق ليفربول، حيث قلب النتيجة بعد أن تأخر الفريق 2-1، ليحقق الفوز 3-2 على ساوثهامبتون.
وتحدث موراي عبر “بي بي سي راديو 5 لايف”، وأشار إلى أن صلاح لم يظهر إلا في آخر 30 دقيقة من المباراة.
وقال موراي: “كان الشوط الثاني رائعًا، كانت المباراة مفتوحة وصادقة، وكان الفريقان يحاولان الفوز بالنقاط الثلاث”.
اقرأ أيضًا | صحف إسبانيا: ليفربول يفرض “قانون صلاح” والفرعون يشعل جنون الجماهير قبل مواجهة ريال مدريد
وأضاف: “نجم اللقاء، شخص كان هادئًا جدًا في الـ60 دقيقة الأولى أو نحو ذلك، شخص فعلها مرارًا وتكرارًا على مر السنين، محمد صلاح، سجل هدفين ليضع ليفربول في المقدمة 3-2، ويضعه بفارق ثماني نقاط في قمة الدوري عن أقرب ملاحقيه”.
ورفع محمد صلاح رصيده في ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز إلى 10 أهداف، بفارق هدفين عن إيرلينج هالاند متصدر القائمة.
Philander’s 4-16 contains tourists before late South African wickets give England hope
The Report by Valkerie Baynes27-Dec-2019
Vernon Philander celebrates the wicket of Joe Root•Getty Images
South Africa’s bowlers, led gallantly by the retiring Vernon Philander, put their side in a commanding position before a cache of top-order wickets left England with some hope after an intriguing second day at Centurion.Philander did not concede a run from his opening five-over spell, which yielded one wicket, before finishing with the remarkable figures of 4 for 16 off 14.2 overs as England were restricted to just 181 in response to South Africa’s first-innings 284. He was well supported by strike bowling partner Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, the latter critically accounting for middle-order danger men Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow as the hosts thrived where the visitors had toiled the day before.But, with the second-day pitch offering enough variation and bounce to sow some uncertainty in the batsmen’s minds, England’s bowlers were able to make inroads late in the final session, sending South Africa to the close at 72 for 4 with debutant Rassie van der Dussen not out 17 and nightwatchman Nortje on 4.In all, 15 wickets fell in the day, but with South Africa’s lead approaching 200 it looked like a collapse of 7 for 39 by the tourists may turn out to be the most significant passage of play.South Africa had resumed on 277 for 9 before Stuart Broad had Philander caught behind off the 11th ball of the day. Broad, who had dismissed Rabada with the last ball on day one, finished South Africa’s first innings with four wickets, as did Sam Curran.Philander and Rabada had England floundering at 15 for 2 early in their reply. Philander dismissed Rory Burns in the fourth over of the innings, caught behind by Quinton de Kock with a beautiful delivery that zeroed in on off stump and clipped the bottom of the glove.Burns had already produced one nervous moment when he seemed to take his time in calling for a review when he was given out, caught behind off Rabada, on the first ball of the innings. Replays showed Burns had merely clipped his front pad with the bat and the decision was overturned.Rabada had Dom Sibley caught behind in a messy dismissal that initially wasn’t given out by umpire Paul Reiffel, prompting a review from South Africa before Sibley walked. Joe Denly called Sibley back to wait for the DRS result, but Reiffel instructed Sibley to keep walking as his reaction had suggested he’d hit the ball, which was confirmed on replay.Joe Root and Denly were given a tough examination, with Root needing to be checked over by the physio after being struck a heavy blow on the helmet by a Rabada bouncer. Denly, on nought, survived a dropped catch a short time later when he edged Rabada towards first slip van der Dussen, who grassed the chance as de Kock dived across him.The England pair set about launching a rescue mission, pushing their team to 60 for 2 at lunch, but Philander, who conceded his first run – a single to Root – on the 34th ball he bowled, struck with his 37th when he saw Root coming down the pitch and induced an outside edge that went through to de Kock.Denly shared a 72-run stand for the fourth wicket with Stokes but, having brought up his half-century with a lovely driven four off Dwaine Pretorius, Denly was gone three balls later edging the same bowler through to de Kock.Stokes was a welcome sight at the crease for England, who know only too well his ability to produce heroics when needed and who would have been worried by his absence from the field for a large part of the third session on day one as he was feeling unwell, but his stay at the crease was curtailed as Nortje came to the fore. Nortje bowled Bairstow through the gate with a rapid delivery that kept a little lower than expected and then had Stokes caught behind for 35.An excellent catch at short leg by Zubayr Hamza sent Curran back to the pavilion and handed Rabada his second wicket and when de Kock brilliantly caught Buttler off the bowling of Philander, he joined Mark Boucher (four times), AB de Villiers and Denis Lindsay as the only South African wicketkeepers to take six catches in an innings. Only four keepers have taken seven, and none of them for South Africa.England conceded a first-innings lead of 103 a short time later after Rabada had Broad caught by Dean Elgar and Philander bowled Jofra Archer.Early breakthroughs for James Anderson, Broad and Archer lifted England’s spirits, however. Anderson, who also took a wicket with the first ball of the match, struck in the first over of South Africa’s second innings to dismiss Aiden Markram lbw for 2. Broad then had Hamza caught down the leg side by a diving Buttler, who then took another tidy catch leaping to his right after Archer found Elgar’s inside edge.England had their fourth when Archer had Faf du Plessis caught at long leg via a down-on-one-knee scoop that flew straight to Curran.Van der Dussen and Nortje saw their side through to the close without further loss and, with their first-innings top-scorer de Kock still to make an appearance, South Africa held the upper hand.
كشفت تقارير صحفية عن قيام مشجعي كرة القدم الإسرائيليين بتمزيق أعلام فلسطين أثناء مسيراتهم في أمستردام في ليلة الأربعاء، على خلفية زيارة مكابي تل أبيب إلى أياكس.
والتقى مكابي تل أبيب مع أياكس في منافسات الدوري الأوروبي، وتعرض الفريق الإسرائيلي لهزيمة بخمسة أهداف دون رد.
وبحسب ما ورد من صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية، ظهر عشرات الأشخاص المقنعين الذين يرتدون ملابس سوداء وهم يهتفون ويصرخون “اذهبي إلى الجحيم يا فلسطين”.
Israeli hooligans Maccabi Tel Aviv remove terror propaganda in Amsterdam pic.twitter.com/kSS2gK8Nax — Dirk Varkenshuid (@kosherronin) November 7, 2024
يذكر التقرير أن أحدهم صعد إلى منتصف الطريق أمام مبنى وأزالوا العلم الفلسطيني من شارع روكين الرئيسي، ونزعوها من منازل المواطنين.
Maccabi fans gaan de straten af en trekken alle Palestijnse vlaggen van mensen hun huis en ze hebben taxi chauffeur belaagd, taxi’s gaan nu de confrontatie aan met Maccabi fans pic.twitter.com/S1IuguaQYP — ❌❌❌ (@yassienee) November 7, 2024
وظهر أيضًا أحد الأشخاص وهو يضرب سيارة أجرة بقضيب حديدي قبل أن ينطلق السائق.
كما وقعت اشتباكات بين مشجعي فريق مكابي وسائقي سيارات الأجرة في هولندا.
يشير التقرير إلى وقوع اشتباكات يُزعم أنها بين مشجعي مكابي ومجموعة من مشجعي أياكس المغاربة.
07.11.2024, Ajax🇳🇱 – Maccabi Tel-Aviv🇮🇱, Ajax (Moroccans group) attacked Maccabi Tel-Aviv fans last night, Tel aviv fans crawling for help from police, click here for more: https://t.co/jlO2F2ragB pic.twitter.com/Qjra3wztoH — Hooligans.cz Official (@hooliganscz1999) November 7, 2024
ولم تقم شرطة أمستردام بإلقاء القبض على أي شخص ولم تؤكد أن مرتكبي الوقائع العنيفة من مشجعي فريق مكابي.
فيما أدلى داني دانون، السفير الإسرائيلي لدى الأمم المتحدة، بتصريح حصري لفوكس نيوز ديجيتال مساء الخميس.
وقال دانون: “نحن نشهد مذبحة ضد اليهود والإسرائيليين في أمستردام، في عام 2024، يجب أن تتوقف هذه المذبحة، لم تكن عبارة “عولمة الانتفاضة” مجرد شعار لهؤلاء المؤيدين للإرهاب، أحث الحكومة الهولندية على مساعدة جميع الإسرائيليين واليهود على الفور، لقد حان الوقت للرد بقوة ضد هؤلاء المشاغبين الهمجيين”.
اقرأ أيضًا | فيديو | برسالة قوية.. جماهير باريس سان جيرمان تدعم فلسطين ولبنان
وعبر حسابه على منصة “إكس” نشر مقطع فيديو وكتب: “نتلقى تقارير مزعجة للغاية عن عنف شديد ضد الإسرائيليين واليهود في شوارع هولندا”،
كما كتب “هناك مذبحة تجري حاليًا في أوروبا في عام 2024، هذه هي الوجوه الحقيقية لمؤيدي الإرهاب المتطرف الذي نحاربه، يحتاج العالم الغربي إلى الاستيقاظ الآن !!”.
ونشرت سفارة إسرائيل في الولايات المتحدة مقطع فيديو وعلقت: “تعرض مئات من مشجعي فريق كرة القدم مكابي تل أبيب لكمين وهجوم في أمستردام الليلة أثناء مغادرتهم الملعب بعد مباراة ضد أياكس، وقد شارك الغوغاء الذين استهدفوا هؤلاء الإسرائيليين الأبرياء بفخر أعمالهم العنيفة على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي”.
كما أدان النائب ريتشي توريس، ديمقراطي من نيويورك، أعمال العنف، قائلاً: “لقد أدت شيطنة إسرائيل الهستيرية والمبالغ فيها إلى اندلاع عالمي للهجوم المعادي للسامية والتخريب والعنف”.
كما كتب على إكس: “إن المظهر الأكثر وحشية لمعاداة السامية هو المذبحة التي تتكشف حاليًا ضد مئات اليهود الذين كانوا يشجعون نادي تل أبيب لكرة القدم في أمستردام”.
وواصل: “أولئك الذين يحرضون على معاداة السامية لديهم الآن دماء مذبحة القرن الحادي والعشرين على أيديهم، الوضع مزرٍ للغاية لدرجة أن الحكومة الإسرائيلية ترسل فرق إنقاذ لليهود المعرضين للخطر، أشعر بالغثيان من حدوث مذبحة في القرن الحادي والعشرين”.
أفادت قناة RTL الهولندية بأنه تم اعتقال العشرات ليلة الخميس، معظمهم قبل المباراة.
وقال متحدث باسم الشرطة الوطنية الهولندية للصحيفة: “كانت هناك اضطرابات، لا يمكننا تحديد من ينتمي إلى من، ليس من السهل التمييز بين المجموعات، وكلهم تقريبًا يرتدون ملابس داكنة”.
وقالت الشرطة إنها “منعت مواجهة بين مجموعة من سائقي سيارات الأجرة ومجموعة من الزوار الذين قدموا من الكازينو المجاور”، بحسب ما ذكرت “ديلي ميل”.
وأفادت الصحيفة البريطانية بأنها لم تتمكن من العثور على لقطات لسائقين ومشجعين يشتبكون شخصيًا.
على الرغم من ذلك، أحد المصادر عبر الإنترنت أشار إلى تحالف من سائقي سيارات الأجرة وأوبر يقوم “بطرد المشجعين من المدينة”.
وعلّق أحد السائقين عبر إكس: “الترهيب والتخريب في مدينتنا: “مشجع مكابي يلحق الضرر بسيارة أجرة، هذا النوع من العنف ضد السائقين المجتهدين أمر غير مقبول، حان الوقت لجعل أمستردام آمنة مرة أخرى”.
ويظهر أحد مقاطع الفيديو المنشورة على حساب عبر إنستجرام “Week4Palestine” رجلاً، يُفترض أنه من مشجعي إسرائيل، في نهر أمستل، ويظهر صوتًا: “قل فلسطين الحرة وسنذهب”.
وقد تم التعليق على الفيديو: “عندما لا تقوم العمدة بواجباتها، سيتعين على سكان المدينة القيام بذلك بأنفسهم!، شارع من؟” “أوه نعم، شارعنا، حصل صهيوني على درس سباحة مجاني”، وقد أرفق المنشور بوجه مبتسم.
وأشارت “هآرتس” الإسرائيلية إلى أن المشجعين الذين سافروا إلى هولندا لمشاهدة مباراة مكابي تل أبيب وأياكس أمستردام يوم الخميس تعرضوا للهجوم في عدة أماكن في المدينة بعد المباراة من قبل أشخاص يهتفون “فلسطين حرة” ويوجهون الشتائم باللغة العربية.
⚠️ Graphic videos ⚠️
Hundreds of fans of the @MaccabiTLVFC soccer team were ambushed and attacked in Amsterdam tonight as they left the stadium following a game against @AFCAjax.
The mob who targeted these innocent Israelis has proudly shared their violent acts on social media.… pic.twitter.com/R3vRAIKrIG — Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) November 8, 2024
وتقول وزارة الخارجية الإسرائيلية إن السلطات في هولندا أفادت بإصابة 10 إسرائيليين.
ولم يعلق أياكس ولا مكابي تل أبيب على الاضطرابات قبل مباراتهما في الدوري الأوروبي ليلة الخميس.
Chelsea's 3-2 win over Newcastle United on Monday night underlined the absurdity of their season this year, as they have seemingly managed to flip from brilliant to terrible on a match-to-match basis.
Mauricio Pochettino has a team full of promising youngsters, but he hasn't been able to get a consistent tune out of them for more than a couple of weeks at a time.
That said, a few starters, such as Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher, have improved their reputations over the campaign.
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher celebrates.
However, as crucial as the Englishman has been this season, one of his teammates with far fewer appearances this year, earns four times as much per week.
Conor Gallagher's salary at Chelsea
Gallagher joined the Blues' youth setup at just six years old and, bar a few loan moves, has been with the club ever since.
A boyhood Chelsea fan, the Epsom-born ace made his full debut for the first team in a Premier League clash away to Leeds United in 2022. While the result was far from ideal, he would play another 44 games for the Blues, scoring three goals and providing one assist.
Starting XI on Gallagher's full debut
Leeds United 3 – 0 Chelsea: August 2022
GK – Edouard Mendy
RB – Reece James
CB – Thiago Silva
CB – Kalidou Koulibaly
LB – Marc Cucurella
CM– Jorginho
CM – Conor Gallagher
RM – Ruben Loftus-Cheek
LM – Mason Mount
ST – Kai Havertz
ST – Raheem Sterling
All Data via Transfermarkt
His importance to the team and overall effectiveness have grown massively this year. He has 37 appearances, four goals, seven assists, and has even captained the side on 17 occasions.
However, despite playing so many games for the west Londoners this season and scoring important goals, like the winner against Leeds in the FA Cup, the Englishman remains one of the worst-paid starters at the club, taking home £50k-per-week.
Now, while that is a frankly unimaginable amount of money for the vast majority of people, it isn't in the world of football, especially when one of Gallagher's teammates is earning four times as much as him.
Ben Chilwell's salary at Chelsea
The Chelsea man in question is Ben Chilwell, who joined the club from Leicester City in August 2020 for around £50m.
Now, the former Foxes star is clearly a talented player. After all, he wouldn't have 19 England caps and 168 Premier League appearances to his name if he wasn't, but it would be hard to call his move to Chelsea a success as things stand for one key reason: his injuries.
Ben Chilwell's injuries at Chelsea
Season
Injuries
Days Out
Games Missed
2020/21
2
84
7
2021/22
1
178
45
2022/23
2
117
20
2023/24
3
108
19
Total
8
487
91
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Across his four seasons at Stamford Bridge, the "unlucky" full-back, as journalist Paul Brown described him, has missed a total of 91 games – an average of 22.75 – and spent at least 487 days on the sidelines – an average of 121.5.
It's still happening to the 27-year-old today, as he was forced to miss the game on Monday night due to a knee injury. This situation would be less of a problem if the club hadn't invested so much in the Milton Keynes-born gem.
The finances of Ben Chilwell's Chelsea career
Transfer Fee
£50m
Total Wages
£35.6m
Total Cost (so far)
£85.6m
Appearances
103
Cost per Appearance
£831k
Minutes
7324
Cost per Minute
£11.6k
Goals
9
Cost per Goal
£9.5m
Assists
12
Cost per Assist
£7.1m
Goal Involvements
21
Cost per Goal Involvement
£4m
Stats via Transfermarkt & Wages via Capology
His £50m transfer fee, combined with the 136 weeks he earned £190k and the last 49 weeks in which he's been earning £200k, means the club has spent a whopping £85.6m on his services so far.
That translates to roughly £831k-per-appearance, £9.5m-per-goal, or £4m-per-goal-involvement, which feels like a lot of money for not much in return.
Ultimately, Chilwell is still a quality left-back, but if he can't stay fit for even half a season, it seems absurd that he should be earning four times as much as Gallagher, and it might be time for Todd Boehly and Co to cash in and find a full-back who can play 35+ games a season.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
Neste domingo, Botafogo e Macaé fecham a última rodada do Campeonato Carioca. As equipes se enfrentarão às 18h, no estádio Nilton Santos, com objetivos distintos. Apesar de já estar eliminado da fase semifinal da competição, o Glorioso está de olho na classificação para a Taça Rio, enquanto o time da região dos Lagos apenas cumpre tabela, uma vez que já está rebaixado para disputar a segunda divisão do Cariocão.
>Botafogo tem interesse em Auremir, volante do Cuiabá
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Para o Macaé, o jogo não vale muito senão conquistar a primeira vitória no Campeonato Carioca de 2021. Até aqui, o time da região dos Lagos tem apenas 3,3% de aproveitamento na competição, com um ponto conquistado.
Para o Botafogo, além da vaga na Taça Rio, é uma chance de se recuperar na temporada. O clube de General Severiano tem apenas duas vitórias no Estadual e foi eliminado precocemente da Copa do Brasil. Dessa forma, um resultado positivo e uma vitória convincente pode trazer confiança ao elenco para a sequência da temporada.
Sobre os desfalques, o Botafogo não contará com Gilvan, que está com uma lesão muscular. Por outro lado, Pedro Castro,recuperado de uma subluxação na patela do joelho esquerdo, deve retornar ao time titular. A informação é do site ge.
FICHA TÉCNICA BOTAFOGO X MACAÉ
Data/Hora: 25/04/2021, às 18h Local: Estádio Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ) Árbitro: Alexandre Vargas Tavares de Jesus Assistentes:Rachel de Mattos Bento eThayse Marques Fonseca Quarto árbitro:Andrew Ferreira de Mello Onde ver: Pay-per-view e tempo real do LANCE!.
BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Marcelo Chamusca) Douglas Borges; Jonathan, Kanu, Sousa e Paulo Victor; Luiz Otávio, Ricardinho e Pedro Castro; Felipe Ferreira, Marco Antônio e Matheus Nascimento.
Lesionado:Gatito,Romildo (protocolo de Covid-19), Gilvan Rafael Navarro e Kayque. Suspensos: – Pendurados:Marco Antônio,Paulo Victor eGilvan.
> Confira a tabela do Campeonato Carioca
MACAÉ (Técnico: Luciano Lamóglia) Ricardo;Rossales, Dante, Álvaro Acevedoe Patrick; Helton, Ronan, Edy e Junior Araújo; Alemão e Romário.
Lesionados: – Suspensos: – Pendurados:Rossales.
PALPITES:
Na redação do LANCE!, 80% das pessoas que responderam à enquete acreditam em vitória do Botafogo, 10% acreditam na vitória do Macaé e os outros 10% em empate.
Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson has been reacting to a positive off-field Elland Road update on one specific player.
Leeds’ Championship form
The Whites have been in fine form in the Championship under Daniel Farke, winning all five league games in 2024, conceding just once during that time.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke.
The latest second-tier win came on Friday evening at Bristol City, with Wilfried Gnonto scoring the only goal of the game in the second half. Talking after the match, Farke praised Gnonto, saying: "I was hoping it would be like this. I'm happy and delighted for him. In recent weeks he was there with good work. A goal or assist was missing and that he's there with a crucial goal, I'm delighted."
Wilfried Gnonto celebrates a goal for Leeds United in the Championship.
Leeds now find themselves above Ipswich Town in the league standings, a point off second-place Southampton, who have a game in hand. Away from the pitch, the Whites have also been working behind the scenes to extend the contracts of two highly-rated youngsters – Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph – and Gnonto could be the next to put pen to paper on a new deal.
Wilfried Gnonto contract update
Phil Hay shared an update on Gnonto’s future last month, saying that the club were looking to seal an agreement with the forward, with a new deal thought to be close.
Reacting to that update, Robinson, who contributes for Sky Sports, labelled it as a “really good sign coming out of the club”. Talking to MOT Leeds News, the pundit said: “It’s a really good sign coming out of the club. It’s very hard to keep players happy who aren’t playing and Willy Gnonto hasn’t started every game this season.
“He’s been a bit-part player at the best of times, started some games, been in and out of the squad. But that’s what big squads do and that’s what good squads do.
“You liken it to Manchester City in the Premier League and the way that they rotate their squad. Players realise and appreciate that in a good, strong squad that is playing a lot of games they aren’t necessarily going to start every game.
“With a new manager coming in his relationship with him must be good if what we’re hearing, that he’s going to sign a new contract, is right.”
Gnonto seems to be finding his feet under Farke, taking his opportunity following an injury to teammate Dan James last month.
He was the match-winner last time in the Championship on what was just his second league start since October, and after the transfer request saga in the summer that saw him refuse to feature in a number of games, Farke appears to be slowly getting the best out of the Italy international, something which could prove helpful in the run in.
Whilst Newcastle United endured a January transfer window to forget, those at St James' Park can at least turn their attention towards the summer window in an attempt to make up for a disappointing month. In need of reinforcements, the Magpies are now looking at a future gem for Eddie Howe.
Newcastle transfer news
Much of Newcastle's focus during the January window was seemingly on keeping hold of players after the likes of Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Kieran Trippier all linked with moves away, albeit without completing departures in the end. Since deadline day, however, the focus has been able to switch to potential summer targets.
Names such as Amadou Onana, Anton Stach and Matias Soule have already been mentioned as potential summer targets, as PIF look to splash the cash once again at St James' Park.
The rich owners will be hoping to get things right this time, having failed to invest wisely last summer, welcoming the since-banned Sandro Tonali, injury-prone Harvey Barnes, Lewis Hall, who is now out-of-favour, and the young Tino Livramento, the sole success story to this point. And when June arrives, they could get off to the perfect start by hijacking Arsenal's deal.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle are eyeing a move for Amario Cozier-Duberry if Arsenal's new contract with the youngster collapses. It will be a tight race for Cozier-Duberry's signature if he doesn't extend his stay in North London, however, with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Anderlecht all in the same position as Newcastle. Romano posted the news of the potential "free transfer" on X.
Although Arsenal remain in control of the situation, when June arrives it will be interesting to see just where Cozier-Dubbery lines up, with plenty of clubs interested.
Cozier-Duberry can follow in Miley's footsteps
It speaks volumes that Cozier-Duberry is attracting interest from around European football at just 18-years-old. The right-winger will be hoping to follow the path of Bukayo Saka by breaking into the first team, but given that Saka is still only 22-years-old himself, the question must be asked whether or not Cozier-Duberry will ever gain a starting place in the current Arsenal side.
With that said, the teenager's attention could instead turn towards Newcastle and following academy graduates such as Lewis Miley, who has starred on the biggest stages already this season, despite being just 17-years-old. Cozier-Duberry can look at the chance that Howe has given Miley as a major encouragement, which could give him an interesting decision to make.
Lewis Miley for Newcastle United against Paris Saint-Germain.
Game time and a pathway into the first team should be at the heart of the winger's decision, and if that's not guaranteed at The Emirates, then it would be wise to look towards Newcastle and Howe ahead of this summer.
Jurgen Klopp would typically play down the notion that his side are firmly at the front of the Premier League title race, but with each passing matchweek, the chances of gleaning the glinted trophy increase.
Liverpool were abject last season; limp and listless, a fifth-place finish spelt the end of an illustrious run in the Champions League and forced Klopp to enforce sweeping changes to the midfield – something that, frankly, was long overdue.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
It wasn't that the Anfield bosses were… circumspect, but perhaps a little too fixated on landing the perfect player to enhance the existing ranks, though last summer the right moves were made to charge the pursuit of silverware this season.
And now, past the Premier League season's midpoint, Liverpool are to travel to AFC Bournemouth to maintain their grasp on the top position, though given that the Cherries have won seven and lost just one of their past nine outings across all competitions, this won't be easy.
Liverpool team news vs Bournemouth
Klopp is juggling more than a few absences at present, though the German will still be convinced that his available members have what it takes to level the Vitality Stadium with all three points.
Victory this afternoon will take the Reds five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, albeit having played an extra match.
Player
Reason
Expected Return Date
Joel Matip
ACL injury
01/09/2024
Stefan Bajcetic
Stress response
24/02/2024
Thiago Alcantara
Groin/Hip injury
24/02/2024
Kostas Tsimikas
Shoulder injury
04/02/2024
Andrew Robertson
Shoulder injury
04/02/2024
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Knee injury
30/01/2024
Dominik Szoboszlai
Thigh injury
30/01/2024
Wataru Endo
No return date
Asia Cup
Mohamed Salah
No return date
African Cup of Nations
With an extended list of absentees, Liverpool will need to produce a cohesive and fluent performance against Andoni Iraola's men, with the likely return of Alexis Mac Allister to the starting fold in the Premier League coming at the perfect time, having now recovered from a knee injury.
Why Alexis Mac Allister must start vs Bournemouth
Liverpool signed Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion for a bargain fee of £35m in June, with the dynamic midfielder basking in a brilliant 2022/23 campaign that saw him win the World Cup with Argentina and lead the Seagulls toward European qualification for the first time in the club's history.
Liverpool's weary midfield was at the epicentre of the struggles last term and Mac Allister, energetic, intelligent and enterprising, was viewed as the perfect fit to rekindle the fire at the heart of Klopp's system.
He hasn't played quite the role that he might have expected, deployed as the holding midfielder across 18 of his 21 appearances, but he has been vital for the fluency and progression.
As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old has completed 88% of his passes in the top-flight this term, averaging 2.1 tackles and 5.9 ball recoveries per match and succeeding with 64% of his attempted dribbles.
Asserting control against a Bournemouth team that will look to break with a high-intensity approach and inflict damage on the counter will be paramount, and Mac Allister offers the technical control to ensure that Liverpool make good use of their best qualities and craft openings to kill the game off.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Passing
Discipline
Dribbling
Tackling
Direct free-kicks
*Sourced via WhoScored
Indeed, as per FBref, the £150k-per-week dynamo ranks among the top 16% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for shots taken, the top 20% for progressive carries and the top 19% for progressive passes and successful take-ons per 90.
While fellow summer signing Wataru Endo's industriousness and tenacity in his defensive midfield duties have allowed him to serve well in Mac Allister's absence over the past month, there is a gulf in technique between the respective players and the latter will be essential in ensuring Liverpool grab all the goods on the south coast.
On the note of absentees, influential vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold is also still in a period of convalescence after injuring his knee in the FA Cup victory over Arsenal earlier in the month, and, with Joe Gomez deputising at left-back, youngster Conor Bradley could be in line to continue his exciting run of form.
Conor Bradley could shine again
Hailed for his "eye-catching cameo" at the Emirates Stadium by The Athletic's James Pearce, Bradley was handed his first domestic start of the season several days later as Liverpool hosted Fulham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals, producing an arresting display down the right channel and being crowned the Man of the Match.
During that game, the 20-year-old made six tackles, won ten ground duels, completed 88% of his passes, made two key passes for his teammates and succeeded with two dribbles, performing admirably against the fleet-footed Antonee Robinson.
Having spent the 2022/23 term on loan in League Two with Bolton Wanderers, earning the club's Player of the Season award after achieving promotion, Bradley was touted for a senior role this season but was struck with injury in pre-season and only made his first appearance at the end of November, against Union Saint Gilloise in the Europa League.
Calm and composed in possession and eager to join attacking surges when the opportunity permits, Bradley has the trappings of a rounded full-back and will relish the opportunity to impress in the Premier League.
It's a big ask to entrust a relatively untested youngster with a starting berth in a big match, but Klopp has full confidence in Bradley's abilities and he has already demonstrated his potential against high-class opposition earlier this month, receiving effusive remarks after efforts against Arsenal and Fulham.
Unleashing the promising full-back – as well as Mac Allister – could prove the perfect formula to help ruin Bournemouth's day, and their fine recent run, at the Vitality Stadium.
With Pakistan about to leave for England – well before any other World Cup side – coach Mickey Arthur believes his side can go all the way in the tournament.Addressing the media for the final time before their departure, Arthur and captain Sarfaraz Ahmed expressed complete satisfaction in the squad selected to mount a World Cup challenge, with Sarfaraz declaring “all fifteen players” as trump cards.”We leave very, very well prepared,” Arthur said. “We leave with a team that has both the talent and attitude to be successful. Our preparation over here has been outstanding, and our preparation leading into the World Cup is brilliant with a series against the world No. 1 side in their own conditions.”That will give us an opportunity to test ourselves and to test our combination, and to head to the World Cup with a lot of confidence. We know if we play to our potential, we have the ability to go all the way.”The warm-up against England next month, followed by the World Cup, comes against the backdrop of an alarming fall in Pakistan’s ODI form since the start of 2018. In that period, Pakistan have managed just four wins in 22 matches against teams they will face at the World Cup, a run that included whitewashes by New Zealand and Australia, with a torrid Asia Cup and a 3-2 away loss in South Africa sandwiched in between.Sarfaraz, however, believed it was time to look ahead rather than reflect on that run.”We should leave what happened in past in the past,” he said. “Seven or eight of our players were rested for the Australia series. Yes, we did make some mistakes in the past, but we won’t repeat them. I can assure you that we have prepared hard and we will stretch ourselves to the limit to ensure things go our way at the World Cup.”Arthur sounded the alarm over Pakistan’s fitness standards when he became coach in 2016 and set a non-negotiable benchmark that has arguably become the defining feature of his time at the helm. Now, with three years of hard work finally being put to the test at a World Cup, he said he was delighted with the attitude of the players towards fitness, saying that every player was making impressive progress.”We’ve got the base in terms of our fitness,” Arthur said. “All our players are at a level they need to be. For us now, the focus shifts onto skills and execution because we’ve done the hard work. Fitness doesn’t guarantee you success, but it guarantees you a better chance of recovery. We’ve got 20 games in the UK. We need to recover quickly and it gives you a better chance of runs and wickets, and we’re very happy that we’re well prepared in that department.”For all the positive talk, the excitement has been dampened significantly by the news of Shadab Khan’s unavailability for the series against England. A virus is set to keep him out of action for at least four weeks, with ESPNcricinfo understanding he is a major doubt for the World Cup. The 20-year old is arguably the one player Pakistan don’t have a suitable replacement for, what with him being a world-class leg-spinner in addition to the ever-improving strides he is making as a batsman.Aaron Finch took the attack to Yasir Shah•Getty Images
Yasir Shah replaces him for the ODIs against England, but a paucity of leg-spin options means he is also a front-runner to take Shadab’s spot at the World Cup, should it come to that. In the recently concluded series against Australia, Yasir took four wickets at just under 71 with an economy rate of 5.66, but Arthur said he saw signs of improvement as the series went on.”We wanted a wrist spinner [for the England series],” Arthur said. “Wrist spinners are in vogue in cricket at the moment, all teams have good wrist spinners.”The key for Yasir is to challenge both edges. If Yasir’s challenging both inside and outside edges of the bat, he becomes a different beast. If he only challenges the outside edge, players can line him up and hit him one side of the ground. That means he has to bowl his googly more often. In the UAE, the wickets were especially flat and didn’t turn. If we get on a wicket that just grips a little bit, Yasir is a bowler we still feel can be a weapon for us. But time will tell on whether we decide to pick him for the final World Cup squad.”Sarfraz was candid on Pakistan’s plans for the batting order in England, saying he would bat in the top five, while calling Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik the “backbone of this team”, and revealing they would play together. That was a point of discussion among fans in Pakistan following the release of the World Cup squad, with concerns that a middle order comprising Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz, Hafeez and Malik would lack the necessary power hitting.Asked whether he viewed his side as underdogs or favourites for the World Cup, Sarfaraz decided humour would be safer than hubris. “When we go as favourites, we stray into trouble,” he smiled. “We have a good team, but going with the underdog tag seems better.”Pakistan open their tour of England with a match against Kent at Beckenham on Saturday.