All posts by h716a5.icu

Liverpool stepped out to a roaring Anfield. It was a din, crashing, bouncing, shaking the pitch and speaking to the players that this was a showdown for the ages.

Manchester City were brushed aside, swept toward a chastening defeat by an unstoppable Red force. Virgil van Dijk rightly played down title talk in his post-match interview, but Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over the beleaguered champions has opened up a chasmic gulf, 11 points, that even City, usually so invincible, capable of clawing back from bruising setbacks, surely cannot bridge.

Arsenal (and Chelsea) sit nine points behind Liverpool in joint-second place, and while both outfits pose a threat, this was a performance for the ages, mere days after Real Madrid were put to the sword in the Champions League.

The Anfield crowd sang, and the squad met them with the most awe-inspiring of efforts. This is beyond the city’s wildest dreams. Jurgen Klopp is gone, Liverpool were heading into the gloomy bogland of an era ended – wasn’t that the narrative?

Only, Arne Slot is proving to be the architect of something special, something magical. He’s inherited a sparkling squad, and with Mohamed Salah at the front, all walks can be conquered before summer stretches down to Merseyside next year.

Mohamed Salah does his talking on the pitch

Salah has been vocal regarding his contractual situation of late, but that hasn’t stopped him from forging perhaps the most incredible individual campaign of his career to date – at this stage, in any case.

Man United

16

15

6

21

Man City

22

12

7

19

Tottenham

20

12

2

14

Arsenal

17

11

2

13

Chelsea

23

8

4

12

The 32-year-old has now scored 13 goals and added 11 assists across 20 matches in all competitions for Slot’s Liverpool, seemingly operating with a feverish desire to claim the biggest prizes and continue an illustrious journey.

The ultimate big-game player, Salah came up with the goods once again on Sunday, savagely pouncing on the Citizens’ weaknesses to carve through a delivery for Cody Gakpo’s opener, before dispatching the penalty to seal the deal after the interval.

Fantastic. The stuff of titles, that. However, trophies are not lifted solely by the flashiness of a club’s superstars. Adversity must be overcome and those outside the limelight must come up trumps to guide their team through tough periods.

The brilliant Ibrahima Konate picked up an injury against Real Madrid and may not feature again until the new year, but Joe Gomez made his first Premier League start of the season and proved himself (once again).

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Arne Slot's real Liverpool hero against Man City

Konate, shoved to the ground by Endrick on an otherwise exultant Wednesday evening, has been cruelly sidelined while at the height of his powers, but Gomez isn’t exactly untested in the biggest, toughest situations for Liverpool.

He thrived. The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle bestowed upon the 27-year-old an 8/10 match rating, writing: ‘Slotted into central defence with the minimum of fuss and covered the right flank when required. One good tackle on Haaland first half and so solid throughout.’

Erling Haaland was a shadow of his usual self, and this is largely down to Gomez’s almost innate partnership with Van Dijk, who he served alongside with regularity during triumphant Premier League and Champions League campaigns back in the dog days of Klopp’s tenure.

Van Dijk will take the spotlight, naturally, but we must tip our hat to this wonderfully dynamic player. He stepped in, he stood strong against the waves of City pressure. Albeit, soft, soft waves, really just lapping at Anfield’s toes. He was the most important player, in a sense, for he stood in for an irreplaceable Konate against the finest team of recent memory. He ran the show.

As per Sofascore, Gomez won both of his duels on the evening, also completing 88% of his passes and succeeding with four long balls, catching the eye with the gumption and accuracy of such balls, struck high and carried aloft through to the surging Luis Diaz, the charging Gakpo.

Stand up, Liverpool. You’ve scored a pair of brilliant victories this week, and the title’s yours to lose. There is, however, a long old road still to walk, and it’s filled with peril.

Good thing the Reds have Joe Gomez, ay?

Liverpool star who left under Rodgers is now on par with Mbappe & Haaland

A former Liverpool striker is still going strong in 2024…

ByRoss Kilvington Nov 30, 2024

It’s been a dreadful couple of weeks for Tottenham Hotspur since their incredible win away to Manchester City.

Ange Postecoglou’s side drew at home to AS Roma and Fulham, lost away to Bournemouth and then managed to throw away a 2-0 lead against Chelsea to lose 4-3 yesterday afternoon and now find themselves 11th in the Premier League.

While one or two starters put in a decent enough performance, most of them were dire, including one international who’s in danger of becoming Spurs’ new Tanguy Ndombele.

39%

Possession

61%

2.90

Expected Goals

2.83

3

Goals

4

6

Big Chances

3

13

Total Shots

17

5

Corners

10

17

Fouls

11

316

Passes

517

Spurs' poor performers

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth examining a few of the other Spurs players who put in a notably poor performance yesterday, starting with Pape Matar Sarr.

The young midfielder looked busy throughout the encounter, but that’s about the only positive thing you could say about his game, as aside from running about a bit, he offered very little in attack or defence.

In fact, his most significant contribution to the game was giving away a second penalty in the 83rd minute thanks to a rather foolish challenge on Cole Palmer, so it wasn’t a massive surprise to see Spurs writer Alasdair Gold award the 22-year-old a 4/10 match rating.

Moving back into the defence, it was another performance to forget from Destiny Udogie, as while he wasn’t as bad as Sarr, it was still a disappointing day at the office for the Italian.

In his defence, the former Udinese gem looked bright for parts of the first half but ultimately couldn’t make an impact going forward, registering an expected assists figure of 0.01 and was equally ineffective at the back, losing five of nine ground duels, being dribbled past once and committing three fouls.

However, while both of the aforementioned starters were underwhelming, neither was quite as bad as the player who could become the team’s new Ndombele.

Spurs' new Ndombele

So, to get straight to the point, the player we are talking about is Yves Bissouma, who put on a horror show of a performance for Spurs yesterday evening.

The Mali international failed to have an impact going forward and was a complete liability in defence, clearing out Moises Caicedo in the penalty area in the 61st minute to hand Palmer the chance to level the score from the spot, which he did with ease.

It wasn’t just the “absolutely ridiculous” challenge on Caicedo, as Jamie Carragher described it, that led to Alasdair Gold awarding the midfielder a 3/10 match rating, though it was also the fact that he committed three fouls, lost five of 11 duels, lost the ball four times, was dribbled past once and generally felt like a walking disaster throughout.

Minutes

79′

Touches

32

Fouls

3

Penalties Conceded

1

Dribbled Past

1

Possession Lost

4

Duels (Won)

11 (6)

Shots

0

With that said, why is he at risk of becoming this team’s Ndombele?

Well, simply put, despite being an undeniably talented midfielder, the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace can be incredibly awkward in games and cause more problems for his side than he can solve, as evidenced by yesterday’s clash.

This is also how Ndombele was perceived for much of his time in North London, with former professional Trevor Sinclair describing the Frenchman as “clumsy” in an interview in December 2020.

The former Lyon star was an incredible prospect when the Lilywhites spent around £63m on him in 2019, but over the following years, he couldn’t string together any runs of impressive form, akin to Bissouma today, and eventually saw his contract terminated in the summer.

Ultimately, while there is still time for Bissouma to turn things around, he’s already made several high-profile blunders on and off the pitch this season, so unless he can get himself together, he could go the same way as Ndombele at Spurs.

Their own Palmer: Ange must rue selling Spurs' "unbelievable" game-changer

The sensational international is tearing it up away from Spurs this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 7, 2024

Capitals will have to clear RT-PCR testing on the morning of the game for the match to take place

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Apr-2022Wednesday’s match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals will take place in Mumbai instead of Pune, subject to Capitals clearing RT-PCR testing on the morning of the game. In case the match cannot take place as scheduled on April 20, the IPL will reschedule it.By late afternoon on Tuesday the prospect of the match taking place as scheduled brightened as Capitals were given permission to conduct a training session. The IPL, though, laid down the condition that only the players and the coaches would be allowed for the session which would be at the BKC ground on Tuesday evening.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the decision to change the match venue was taken by the IPL at a meeting on Tuesday, in the wake of several members of the Capitals’ contingent testing positive for Covid-19. In a media release, the IPL said it has shifted Wednesday’s match from the MCA stadium in Pune to the Brabourne stadium “to avoid any further incident due to any undetected case during a long-distance bus journey in a closed environment.”Related

Capitals-Royals clash moved from Pune to Wankhede Stadium

Inconsistent Capitals and Kings clash under Covid-19 cloud

Delhi Capitals allrounder Mitchell Marsh tests positive for Covid-19

The IPL also said there were five confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Capitals contingent: Patrick Farhart (physiotherapist, tested positive on April 15), Chetan Kumar (massage therapist, tested positive on April 16), Mitchell Marsh (tested positive on April 18), Abhijit Salvi (team doctor, tested positive on April 18), and Akash Mane (social-media content team member, tested positive on April 18).On Monday, Capitals issued a statement confirming Australia allrounder Marsh was hospitalised, after testing positive for Covid-19, while the rest of the cases were asymptomatic.It is understood that Marsh was moved to hospital as a precautionary measure after he reported feeling unwell, including experiencing chills. The others who tested positive have been moved to a separate facility outside the team hotel because the hotel where the Capitals are staying had laid down the condition that anyone testing positive, including those that are asymptomatic, would need to move out of the premises.The IPL became concerned as soon as Farhart became the first known Covid-positive case this season. Ahead of Capitals’ clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore last Saturday, the IPL had asked both teams to not physically mingle after their match at the Wankhede Stadium. Both teams were seen waving at each other from a distance after the match, which Capitals lost. Doubts over Capitals’ game against Kings grew as additional cases emerged and the Capitals’ contingent was asked to isolate in their rooms on Monday.Since April 16, the IPL said, all members in the Capitals’ bubble have undergone four rounds of RT-PCR tests. In the latest round, conducted on Tuesday morning, all members outside of those that tested positive, had returned negative results. As per the protocol, all those that have tested positive will need to isolate for seven days and then return negative results on the last two days after which they would be able to rejoin the bubble.While IPL has managed to create a Plan B for Wednesday’s match, it will closely monitor the development, considering a Covid-19 outbreak had forced the suspension of the league at the halfway stage in 2021. Back then, there were multiple points within the IPL bubble that were identified to be vulnerable. This time, too, there were concerns around the bubble being breached, considering all teams, barring Mumbai Indians, are staying at hotels where other guests are allowed. While teams are staying on separate floors, where no one outside the bubble is allowed, players and support staff are allowed to use public spaces like the swimming pools within restricted timings.GMT 1210 The piece was updated with news of Capitals getting permission to conduct a training session.

GOAL selected the 50 best footballing talents from around the world born on or after January 1, 2001 – but are they living up to their potential?

Since NXGN's launch in 2016, GOAL has profiled the 50 best footballing wonderkids on the planet on an annual basis. Some of those recognised for their talent as teenagers are now household names, but others have not yet realised their potential.

So, after theNXGN 2025 list was revealed, check out where the stars of 2020 are now:

Every NXGN list

Dembele, Tielemans & 2016's best wonderkids

Mbappe, Donnarumma & 2017's best wonderkids

De Ligt, Kluivert & 2018's best wonderkids

Haaland, Sancho & 2019's best wonderkids

James, Oberdorf & 2020's best women's wonderkids

Pedri, Ansu Fati & 2021's best wonderkids

Le Tissier, Bennison & 2021's best women's wonderkids

Bellingham, Musiala & 2022's best wonderkids

Dumornay, Fowler & 2022's best women's wonderkids

Gavi, Garnacho & 2023's best wonderkids

Shaw, Thompson & 2023's best women's wonderkids

Yamal, Mainoo & 2024's best wonderkids

Caicedo, Moultrie & 2024's best women's wonderkids

Getty Images50Pablo Moreno (Juventus)

2020: Having scored more than 200 goals at youth level for Barcelona, teenage forward Moreno was beginning to make a similar impact in Turin, while having also earned a place on the first team's bench during the 2019-20 campaign.

2021: Moreno joined Manchester City in a swap deal in the summer of 2020, before being sent on loan to Girona. He managed 26 appearances in the Spanish second tier, scoring twice.

2022: The forward was loaned back to Girona for a second successive season, but struggled for game time, starting just once in the league all campaign. He left City to join Portuguese side Maritimo in the summer of 2022.

2023: Moreno made 22 appearances across all competition in 2022-23, but failed to find the net as Maritimo suffered relegation. His contract was terminated, and he returned to the Spanish second division with FC Andorra.

2024: The attacker started just one league game through the 2023-24 campaign as he continued to struggle in getting his career going.

2025: Moreno joined Osasuna B in the Spanish third tier over the summer, but he has yet again failed to make any kind of positive impact.

Advertisementasianadotmy49Luqman Hakim (Selangor)

2020: Already a Malaysia Under-23s international at the age of 18, Hakim had seen a move to Belgian side KV Kortrijk be put on hold due to Covid-19 restrictions.

2021: Hakim eventually arrived at Kortrijk in the summer of 2020, but made just one appearance in his first season with the club. He did, however, make his full international debut in May 2021.

2022: The forward failed to make a first-team appearance in 2021-22 as reports began to swirl that he might return to Malaysia in a bid to earn minutes at the senior level.

2023: Hakim did manage two appearances for Kortrijk in the first half of 2022-23, but was loaned to Icelandic second division side Njardvik on a year-long deal in February 2023.

2024: In January 2024, Hakim joined Japanese third-tier side YSCC Yokohama in a bid to gain regular first-team minutes.

2025: Those minutes weren't forthcoming, as Hakim made just one league start during the 2024 season, and he is now back at Kortrijk as he contemplates his next move.

48Luca Unbehaun (Borussia Dortmund)

2020: Having been snapped up from Bochum in 2016, Germany youth international Unbehaun was working his way through the youth ranks at Dortmund.

2021: The first-choice goalkeeper for Dortmund's reserve side, Unbehaun did make the first-team bench on a number of occasions.

2022: Unbehaun missed a lot of the 2021-22 season with a hand injury, but remained the No.1 for Dortmund's reserves, who played in the German third tier.

2023: The goalkeeper's wait for a first-team debut at Dortmund went on, though Unbehaun was named on the bench for a number of Champions League matches. At the end of the season, he left BVB having never made a first-team appearance, joining third-division side SC Verl.

2024: Unbehaun was first-choice at Verl as he looked to finally get his career moving in the right direction.

2025: A move to the Dutch second tier followed for Unbehaun, as he joined FC Emmen ahead of the 2024-25 season, and he has been the club's first-choice goalkeeper through the campaign.

Getty Images47Naci Unuvar (Ajax)

2020: Having become Ajax's youngest-ever goalscorer at the age of 16, Unuvar was being tipped to eventually replace Hakim Ziyech in the first team, despite reports linking him with Barcelona.

2021: Unuvar endured a difficult campaign, as he struggled to kick on in Amsterdam, and played solely for Jong Ajax in the second division.

2022: Unuvar performed much better for Jong Ajax in 2021-22, racking up double-figure totals for both goals and assists, while also earning a couple of first-team appearances.

2023: The winger spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Turkish champions Trabzonspor, but he started just one league match for the club. Ajax then sent him back out on loan, this time to Twente, in the summer of 2023.

2024: Unuvar started just two Eredivisie games for Twente, though he enjoyed a couple of eye-catching cameos over the course of the season. He was then sent on loan to Espanyol in Spain during the summer that followed.

2025: Having managed just two substitute appearances in La Liga, Unuvar's loan was cut short, and Ajax cancelled his contract in January. Twente picked him up shortly after, and he has taken up a similar role as an impact substitute since his return to Grolsch Veste.

Tim David was finally recalled by Mumbai Indians but it was a largely quiet week for those in the IPL

Alex Malcolm02-May-20223:35

Can David be Pollard’s successor for Mumbai?

County cricket
The world’s No.1 ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne returned to his run-making best for Glamorgan with scores of 130 and 85 in a cracking division two clash against Derbyshire. Labuschagne’s century in the first innings helped edge Glamorgan to a lead but he made a sensational near run-a-ball 85 in the second as Glamorgan fell just 21 runs short of chasing 331 in 55 overs on the final day. They held on for a draw. Michael Neser took 4 for 63 in the first innings at Derby.Matt Renshaw made a statement for Somerset scoring 129 in their innings rout of Warwickshire at Taunton. The left-hander was the only player in the match to pass 71 as he set up Somerset’s match-winning score of 458. It was Renshaw’s 14th first-class century and his first as an opener since his last century for Somerset at Taunton back in 2018. Australia’s chair of selectors George Bailey took notice of his return to form at the top of the order after he was named in the Australia A squad to tour Sri Lanka.Related

Labuschagne, Northeast drive Glamorgan as thrilling chase proves just out of reach

Versatile Renshaw rising back up Australia's ranks

Pat Cummins rested for Sri Lanka T20Is; big guns return for white-ball leg

Not to be outdone, Marcus Harris produced his second century of the English summer in a run-feast against Surrey at Bristol. After Surrey piled up 603, Harris made 124 in reply for Gloucestershire sharing in a 296-run opening stand with Chris Dent. Harris has scores of 136, 67 and 124 in his first three county matches of the season, although his first two performances came on far tougher surfaces, as Gloucestershire and Surrey scored 1046 runs in three days for just 12 wickets in the draw before rain washed out the final day.Mitchell Marsh lofts one over the off side•BCCIIPL
It wasn’t a great week for the Australians at the IPL with very few outstanding performances. Mitchell Marsh produced his best score of the tournament to-date after an interrupted start due to injury and Covid-19. He looked in superb touch as he smashed 37 off 20 balls on Sunday for Delhi Capitals against Lucknow Super Giants. He feasted on Jason Holder and Dushmantha Chameera with three cracking sixes but fell to the spin of Krishnappa Gowtham as Capitals fell short in the chase. David Warner missed out making just 3 while Marcus Stoinis made 17 not out of 16 deliveries in a far from fluent display. He struck a boundary first ball and a six off his penultimate delivery but scored just seven runs off the bat from the other 14 balls he faced and was dropped at deep midwicket. Stoinis managed just 1 off four balls in his previous outing against Punjab Kings.Warner’s low score was his first in six matches after smashing 42 off 26 balls with eight boundaries in Capitals’ win over Kolkata Knight Riders last week. Marsh made 13 off seven in the same game but Aaron Finch, on return from a shoulder issue, missed out for KKR, clean bowled for 3 off seven trying to launch one across the line.Tim David was finally picked for Mumbai Indians, having been left out of the previous six games, and delivered with a match-winning 20 not out from nine balls to guide Mumbai home to their first win of the tournament over Rajasthan Royals. He struck two fours and a six and was out there with Daniel Sams as he hit the winning six in the final over. Sams took 1 for 32 from his four overs with the ball. Riley Meredith also bowled superbly taking 2 for 24 from his four overs to help restrict Royals to just 158 for 6.Glenn Maxwell produced a special cameo for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujurat Titans cruising to 33 from 18 balls. He launched Mohammed Shami over square leg twice for six and then switch-hit Rashid Khan for four over cover, with the ball landing just short of the rope. He then sliced a Lockie Ferguson yorker over backward point for four but fell trying to go again in the 19th over. However, RCB were unable to defend 170 with Josh Hazlewood delivering a rare expensive spell giving up 36 runs in 3.3 overs without a wicket. This came after he took 2 for 19 against Royals last week including the prized scalp of Jos Buttler in a wicket-maiden. But RCB failed to chase 145 with Maxwell falling for a first-ball duck.Did you see?
Pat Cummins has been running the drinks in KKR’s last two matches. He was left out of the loss to Gujarat Titans last week with suggestions he was being rested due a niggle. But he was not selected for KKR’s clash against Delhi with Tim Southee preferred after Cummins had been too expensive with the ball in his first four games of the tournament. He is also going to be rested from Australia’s T20I series on the multi-format tour of Sri Lanka in June.Injuries
Finch did have a shoulder issue that had forced him out of KKR’s line-up last week for one match after making a half-century against Royals. But he recovered quickly to take his place in the side against Capitals and there are no concerns long-term.Matt Renshaw set up the innings with a hundred•Getty ImagesPerformance of the week
Renshaw’s century for Somerset was the standout performance of the week, in both the context of the game and of his career. He was the only player in the match to pass 71 making 129 in a game where only four other half-centuries were scored across three innings. But it was significant in that it was only his third innings back opening the batting having spent the past two years batting at Nos. 3-5 after he was dropped from Queensland’s Sheffield Shield team back in 2019 and took a break from cricket. With a Test hundred under his belt in 2017 as an opener, and Australia’s current opening pair of Warner and Usman Khawaja both set to turn 36 this year, the 26-year-old is returning to his best at the right time.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil appears to be hanging onto his job by a thread after his side were smashed 4-0 by Everton in the Premier League earlier this week.

The Telegraph’s John Percy has reported that the English head coach will not be sacked before the clash with fellow strugglers West Ham United on Monday night, however.

Wolves are currently 19th in the table and have won just two of their 14 matches in the division, with both wins coming in November – against Southampton and Fulham.

With O’Neil under mounting pressure at the Molineux, the Old Gold board are reportedly looking at potential replacements for O’Neil in the dugout.

Wolves eyeing former Premier League managers

According to The Telegraph, Wolves are eyeing up Graham Potter, Rob Edwards, and David Moyes in the event that they decide to part ways with their current head coach.

The report claims, however, that there are doubts over whether or not Potter, whose last job was at Chelsea, would be willing to take on a relegation battle midway through the season.

It also states that Edwards, whose Luton team are 19th in the Championship, is an outsider in the running to replace O’Neil at the Premier League side.

This suggests that Moyes, who Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once said he admired for his long career and calm head in the dugout, could be the most likely candidate at this moment in time.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast's Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Wolves could, now, land a big upgrade on the struggling O’Neil by deciding to move for the out-of-work tactician to help them to avoid relegation from the top-flight.

Why David Moyes is an upgrade on Gary O'Neil

The former Manchester United head coach, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, is an experienced boss who has managed in 19 Premier League seasons.

His team finished in the top half of the table in 13 of those 19 seasons, with West Ham, Everton, and Manchester United, and this shows that he knows how to manage a successful side at that level, whilst he has also excelled in Europe – winning the Conference League with the Hammers in 2023.

Since FBref started collecting xG data in the 2017/18 campaign, no Moyes team has ever finished inside the bottom four for Expected Goal Difference, which essentially shows how well the team is coached by the quality of chances they create minus the quality of chances that they concede.

Whereas, O’Neil finished 14th with Wolves last season but his side were 17th on Expected Goal Difference, with -21.00, and his Bournemouth side avoided the drop in 15th in the previous campaign despite finishing bottom on Expected Goal Difference, with -25.3.

This means that the Englishman’s teams, in both of his full seasons as a manager to date, have struggled in the Premier League, conceding far more high quality chances than they create, and that appears to finally be catching up with him this term.

Club

Games

Wins

Draws

Losses

West Ham (2nd spell)

230

103

43

84

West Ham (1st spell)

31

9

10

12

Sunderland

43

8

7

28

Real Sociedad

42

12

15

15

Man Utd

51

26

10

15

Everton

518

221

134

163

Preston

211

103

53

55

Moyes has a proven track record of coaching teams well in the English top-flight and has shown, with Everton and the Hammers, that he can take them to the next level to finish in the top half to compete in Europe, which is why he would come in as a big upgrade on O’Neil.

Wolves could hire “genius” 4-2-3-1 coach who'd be perfect for Ait-Nouri

Wolverhampton Wanderers fans will be crying out for an upgrade on Gary O’Neil.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 5, 2024

Christian Eriksen hinted at a Manchester United exit in the summer as the midfielder addressed a potential return to Ajax.

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Eriksen has only a few months left in his contractThe midfielder is already seeking a fresh challenge Could reuntite with Ajax for a second stintFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 33-year-old midfielder, who joined United in 2022, signed a three-year deal following a short but impressive stint at Brentford, which marked his return to professional football after recovering from a cardiac arrest suffered during Euro 2020 while representing Denmark.

Since joining the Red Devils, Eriksen has made 99 appearances, scoring seven goals and playing a crucial role in helping the club secure the FA Cup last season under Erik ten Hag. However, reports suggest that United will not be offering an extension, leaving the experienced midfielder in search of a new club ahead of the 2025-26 season.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT ERIKSEN SAID

Speaking to , Eriksen revealed that he is yet to decide on his future.

“I haven’t thought about it that much. It’s the same principle as last time, the contract expires in the summer, so in my head I’m prepared to find something new. I’m actually fine with that, whatever it is, it’s not something I’ve decided yet,” he said.

"Before my cardiac arrest, I spent years in England, then moved to Inter and thought I'd never come back. Two years later, I was back in England, and now it's almost been four years here. Careers don’t always follow a set plan. I don’t have a checklist of things I must accomplish—I’ll take things as they come and decide what’s best for me and my family."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

One possible destination for Eriksen could be Ajax, the club where he spent five successful years before moving to Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. Last summer, Ajax were linked with an interest in bringing him back, and their sporting director, Alex Kroes, confirmed that discussions had taken place. When asked about the possibility of a return to the Dutch club, Eriksen refused to dismiss the idea.

“No, I’m not closing the door on anything,” Eriksen explained. “I’ll see what comes up and whether it’s something that fits. That was last summer. We’ll have to see where they stand this summer. Of course, it’s also about the interest from the other side and not just from the player.”

DID YOU KNOW?

While Eriksen remains open to new challenges, he has ruled out a return to Denmark's Superliga or a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.

"I am not going to the USA – we are not going that far," he confirmed. "We would like to stay in Europe, but it is too early to go home to Denmark. I feel like I have some good years abroad left."

Federico Chiesa is tipped to leave Liverpool at the end of the current campaign and return home to Italy and the familiarity of Serie A.

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Liverpool expected to move on ChiesaWinger has barely featured since arrivalSerie A & Napoli transfer most plausibleFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Having seen their gamble last summer fail to pay off, Liverpool could quickly bid farewell to Chiesa. calls it "goodbye for sure", with the upcoming summer transfer window an opportunity to move on, and Serie A the "possible" destination for the Euro 2020 winner.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Injuries have defined Chiesa's career since an international breakout during Italy's European Championship triumph nearly four years ago. Juventus gave up and let him go surprisingly cheap – for just £12.5 million ($16.2m) – but the winger has fared worse at Liverpool. A combination of fitness issues and failing to suitably impress Arne Slot has resulted in just 11 appearances across all competitions – and only 25 minutes in the Premier League.

DID YOU KNOW?

Napoli is considered the most likely option for the winger. He is believed to have the admiration of Antonio Conte, while the club didn't replace Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after cashing in on the Georgian in January when he left for Paris Saint-Germain. Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho has also been strongly courted.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Napoli is thought to be an agreeable option to Chiesa, but an important caveat of leaving Liverpool would be accepting a salary cut to move elsewhere. The Reds could also sanction a loan if a permanent deal doesn't prove to be viable.

Sean Williams is attending to personal matters, and was granted “compassionate leave” by the board

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2022Blessing Muzarabani has returned to the Zimbabwe squad and will lead the pace attack against Afghanistan in the three-match ODI series starting June 4 in Harare. Left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu also returned to the squad of 15 that will be led by Craig Ervine, after last playing an ODI nearly three years ago. The selectors also picked uncapped fast bowler Tanaka Chivanga, who made his T20I debut against Namibia last month.Muzarabani missed the T20Is against Namibia at home because he was a net bowler with IPL side Lucknow Super Giants, who played their maiden IPL season and finished third on the points table.Compared to the ODI squad that toured Sri Lanka earlier this year, Sean Williams misses out because of personal matters for which Zimbabwe Cricket has granted him compassionate leave. Richard Ngarava and Wellington Masakadza will miss the series too, as they are yet to fully recover from lower back and right shoulder injuries, respectively.Related

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But Tinotenda Mutombodzi didn’t make the cut this time. The squad saw the return of Donald Tiripano as well to bolster the pace attack. Tiripano featured in the recent T20Is against Namibia but went wicketless in the three games he played. Ndlovu, meanwhile, was among the wickets regularly while representing Northerners and Matabeleland Tuskers in T20s and first-class games.Chivanga went wicketless while opening the bowling against Namibia in the opening T20I and leaked 23 runs in two overs, but was more successful in the A series against South Africa at home in April-May. He was the top wicket-taker for Zimbabwe A in the T20Is, picking seven wickets in five games at an economy rate of 8.58. In the ODIs, he picked three wickets in as many games.Zimbabwe’s three ODIs against Afghanistan are part of the World Cup Super League and will be played on June 4, 6 and 9 at the Harare Sports Club; all three are day games.Squad: Craig Ervine (captain), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Tanaka Chivanga, Luke Jongwe, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Ainsley Ndlovu, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Donald Tiripano

Leeds United are back in action in the Championship for the first time since Christmas as they travel to Stoke City for an away match on Boxing Day.

The Whites are currently second in the division and will be hoping to maintain their place in the automatic promotion spots with a win over Narcis Pelach’s side this evening.

Daniel Farke’s men ran out convincing 4-0 winners against Oxford United at Elland Road last weekend, thanks to goals from Dan James, Jayden Bogle, Brenden Aaronson, and Manor Solomon.

The German head coach could still make some changes to his starting line-up from that match, however, and one player who could be dropped is Joel Piroe.

Why Joel Piroe could be dropped

The Dutch forward was selected to start as the number nine for Leeds against Oxford and was directly involved in one of the four goals, teeing up Solomon to score in the second half with a pass into the box for the winger.

Piroe, however, has only scored one goal in his last seven games in the Championship and his all-round play has still left plenty to be desired.

Shots

3

Goals

0

Passes completed

10

Duels won

0/2

Dribbles completed

0/0

As you can see in the table above, the former Swansea marksman was a lightweight at the top end of the pitch, completing just ten passes and losing 100% of his duels, whilst he was also wasteful with his shot attempts.

The left-footed forward’s work out of possession has been dismal throughout the season, as he has lost a staggering 73% of his duels on the ground and in the air.

With this, and the hectic festive schedule, in mind, Farke must drop the Leeds lightweight to the bench and offer Mateo Joseph another chance to impress from the start.

Why Mateo Joseph should start

The Spain U21 international, who was once described as “dynamite” inside the box by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has started ten of his 22 appearances in the Championship so far this season.

Despite his inexperience and age, having turned 21 in October, has fared better in duels than Piroe, winning 36% of his ground duels and 30% of his battles overall, which suggests that he offers slightly more than the Dutchman in physical contests.

Joseph has scored two goals, created four ‘big chances’, and recorded three assists in the division, despite only starting ten games, and this shows that the youngster does have the ability to make an impact in the final third.

However, the academy graduate has only scored two goals from 3.61 xG, and his wasteful finishing could be why Farke has not opted to select him as a starter week-in-week-out over Piroe.

The Dutchman’s poor display, despite assisting the fourth goal, against Oxford could provide Joseph with an opportunity to come in and show the manager that he has what it takes to be the leading number nine for Leeds moving forward this season.

Leeds signed "Pablo Hernandez’s successor" but then sold him for 10x less

Former Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta did not do his best work on this deal.

ByDan Emery Dec 26, 2024