Category Uncategorized

Dates and venues announced for home series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2022

India’s home international season is scheduled to begin on January 3 with a T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka, a week after their ongoing tour of Bangladesh ends on December 26. That will be followed by another ODI and T20I series in January, against New Zealand, followed by four Tests and three ODIs against Australia in February and March before the IPL.India host Sri Lanka for three T20Is in Mumbai (January 3), Pune (January 5) and Rajkot (January 7), and three ODIs in Guwahati (January 10), Kolkata (January 12) and Thiruvananthapuram (January 15).New Zealand’s tour of India begins three days later, on January 18, with an ODI in Hyderabad before the teams travel to Raipur for the second game on January 21, and Indore for the third match on January 24. The Shaheed Veer Narayan Stadium in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, will become India’s latest international venue when it hosts the second ODI against New Zealand. The city had previously staged home games of Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2013 and 2015.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India also play three T20Is against New Zealand in Ranchi, Lucknow and Ahmedabad on January 27 and 29 and February 1. This will be India’s second limited-overs series at home against New Zealand in the last 14 months; they had visited immediately after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup in the UAE in November 2021. India had also toured New Zealand for T20Is and ODIs in November this year, immediately after the end of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.A week after the end of the home series against New Zealand, India will take on Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy – the marquee event of India’s home season. Nagpur will host the first Test from February 9; Delhi is the venue for the second Test starting on February 17; Dharamsala will stage the third match from March 1; and Ahmedabad will host the series finale from March 9. India are the current holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after winning the 2020-21 series 2-1 in Australia. The series is also crucial for India’s qualification for the World Test Championship final.The four Tests against Australia will be followed by three ODIs in Mumbai (March 17), Visakhapatnam (March 19) and Chennai (March 22). It will mean that India play nine ODIs at home before the IPL, a crucial part of their build up towards the ODI World Cup at home in October and November next year.

In a move that could see them add to the arrival of Romain Esse, Crystal Palace are now reportedly on red alert in the race to sign one particular Premier League midfielder for Oliver Glasner.

Crystal Palace transfer news

The Eagles have already seen just how much of an instant impact January arrivals can make after Esse scored with his first touch in a Crystal Palace shirt last time out. Despite eventual defeat at the hands of Brentford, there’s no denying that the young midfielder has enjoyed an excellent start at Selhurst Park.

He may not be the only debutant that those in South London have the chance to witness in the coming weeks, however, with the rumours coming thick and fast towards the end of the summer transfer window. Names such as Ben Chilwell have been among those to be mentioned in recent headlines, as the Chelsea left-back looks to end what has become a nightmare at Stamford Bridge.

With Tyrick Mitchell yet to put pen to paper on a new deal and, therefore, heading for the exit door this summer, signing an experienced replacement certainly wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Chilwell may not be the only Premier League ace to arrive either. According to GiveMeSport, Crystal Palace are now on red alert in the race to sign James McAtee from Manchester City this month after Bayer Leverkusen opted out of chasing the midfielder’s signature.

Instead opting to sign Emiliano Buendia on loan from Aston Villa, Leverkusen’s choice has left the door ajar for Crystal Palace to make their move in the coming days and secure another impressive young talent.

Crystal Palace join big race to sign "wonderful" star club may have to sell

The Eagles face plenty of competition…

By
Tom Cunningham

Jan 29, 2025

The question that remains is whether Manchester City will be willing to show McAtee the door following an impressive spell of form amid their growing injury problems. Whether the Eagles push for an answer to that question before Monday’s deadline remains to be seen.

"Fantastic" McAtee needs prominent role

Just as Cole Palmer did and the likes of Jadon Sancho and Romeo Lavia did before him, McAtee needs a starting role that he is unlikely to get at Manchester City. If Crystal Palace or others come calling, then the 22-year-old would be wise to follow in Palmer’s path in pursuit of stardom.

Praised by football talent scout Jacek Kulig for a “fantastic” start to 2025 after scoring a hat-trick in an 8-0 thrashing of Salford in the FA Cup, McAtee is rapidly becoming a player to watch at The Etihad amid growing questions over his immediate future at the club.

As Kulig reiterated, there’s no doubt that McAtee has the talent to become a key starter at a number of Premier League sides with Crystal Palace certainly among those.

Pragmatic refusal of risky chase annoys Lancashire but improves survival prospects

Paul Edwards08-Sep-2022
The 277th Roses match ended at Emirates Old Trafford this evening when rain interrupted Yorkshire’s studious non-pursuit of 302 in 84 overs to beat Lancashire. Rarely can a county have shown so little interest in a target. When the players came off the field for the final time, the visitors were 102 for 3 after 63.2 overs with Tom Kohler-Cadmore on 34 not out after resisting 159 balls and Will Fraine unbeaten on 18 after blocking to death 83 deliveries. It was a low-key conclusion to a match that had been significantly interrupted on its first three days and played on a sleepy pitch whose lifelessness was only truly transcended by the brilliance of Luke Wells on the third afternoon.However, context is all and Yorkshire coach Ottis Gibson was quick to defend his side after a result that keeps them in sixth place in Division One, 25 points ahead of eleventh-placed Warwickshire with both teams having three games to play. In other words, Gibson’s team are not yet safe from relegation but they are a damn sight safer than they would have been if they had risked a dart at the target with an under-strength batting order and cocked the job up. Did the fourth innings of this game make for tough watching at times? Certainly. Did it make tactical sense in the context of a six-month season. Yes to that, too.Understandably, perhaps, Lancashire’s head coach, Glen Chapple took a different view. “We set them 302 in 84 overs which for me is 50-50 game,” he said. “I don’t know what more you can do. It was a flat enough pitch to block if you wanted to but that was a fair target. We’d have got 300 on that no problem, but we can’t judge how positive teams are going to be.””I’m proud of the lads with the way we batted today,” Gibson responded. “Another team could have capitulated today.”But maybe we could all profit in these fervid times from celebrating a game that is comfortable with contrasting tempi and diverse formats. “It is on T20 nights like these where…the true Roses match increasingly resides,” wrote my colleague David Hopps in June as he reviewed Lancashire’s four-run victory in the Vitality Blast. Perhaps so, but maybe the indefinite article would have been a wiser word-choice.For while the Roses match does, indeed, have a secure home on those hot summer nights, it also belongs to this late afternoon in early September with Championship points at stake, rain threatening and spinners like Tom Hartley and Matt Parkinson probing like malevolent dentists. Blast or Champo? It is not a binary choice. Help yourself to both and let us hope the current integrity of both competitions is not polluted by unnecessary reform, well-meaning or otherwise.And the crowd at Emirates Old Trafford did have some biff and bang to amuse them on this high-clouded Mancunian day. That was on offer when Lancashire scored 77 runs in ten overs before the declaration this morning for the loss of Dane Vilas, bowled by Dom Bess for 28, and George Lavelle, caught by Will Fraine off Jonny Tattersall for a single. However, the home side’s batting order has had a vaguely Hanoverian aspect of late, so George Balderson succeeded Lavelle on a day that had already seen Vilas shovel the ball directly behind him and Tattersall take the second – and last? – first-class wicket of his career.The random eccentricities continued when Lyth was dropped at short-leg by Josh Bohannon off the first ball of Yorkshire’s innings but neither the suffering bowler, Tom Bailey, nor Will Williams could make any immediate breakthroughs with the new ball. Indeed, it was the 12th over before Lyth’s careless drive nicked a catch to Lavelle and Lancashire’s morning got much better twenty minutes later when George Hill edged Tom Hartley to second slip, where Vilas took a sharp catch.In retrospect, though, Yorkshire’s lunch score of 30 for two represented their weakest moment of the day. For over an hour in the afternoon session Fin Bean batted with perfect composure to make 25 in two hours and it took a ball that bounced high out of the rough from Tom Hartley to bring about his downfall, George Lavelle taking the catch to complete a dismissal that heartened the watching Simon Sutcliffe, the former Warwickshire bowler who coached both Hartley and Lavelle at Merchant Taylor’s School, Crosby.”I think Fin’s had a very good debut,” said Gibson. “Even though he didn’t go on and get a hundred or a fifty, he faced a lot of balls and spent a lot of time in the middle. Those innings will do the world for him going forwards into the rest of the season.”Bean did indeed bat well twice in this match and his innings on the final afternoon set the tone for Kohler-Cadmore and Fraine’s stroke-starved siege. When their opponents were 81 for 3 after 48 overs, Lancashire asked for the ball to be changed but that is generally a certain sign that the fielding side does not like the shape of the game. Yorkshire were 84 for 3 at tea, at which point Kohler-Cadmore and Fraine’s stand had yielded 17 runs in 19 overs. On the resumption another 18 were scored in 10.2 overs before a shower of rain interrupted play and, as we soon discovered, ended the whole shebang.

The Argentine participated in Atlanta United's iconic Golden Spike tradition before their home game against the Revolution

Pochettino hammers the Golden Spike at Mercedes-Benz StadiumUSMNT coach receives warm welcome from Atlanta United supportersArgentine latest in a long line of celebrities to strike the Golden SpikeGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAFPWHAT HAPPENED

Mauricio Pochettino, the head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team, took part in Atlanta United's pre-match Golden Spike ceremony before their game against New England Revolution at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Pochettino was introduced to the crowd and was serenaded by chants of "USA, USA, USA" as he walked up the podium to hammer the spike. Post that, the Argentine signed a few autographs and took photos with fans as he walked off the podium and back into the stands.

AdvertisementWHAT ATLANTA UNITED POSTEDTHE BIGGER PICTURE

This season Atlanta United has invited Hollywood star David Harbour, Khori Louis, Mia Tuaniga and Merritt Beason from the Atlanta Vibe, Linda Cardellini, Zaytoven and Trinidad James to strike the spike. It has become an iconic Atlanta tradition since 2017 where a pre-selected ATLien is given a hammer that was signed by the club's faithful supporters and strikes a spike placed near the home stand.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty Images SportWHAT’s NEXT?

Following their 1-0 home loss to the New England Revolution, Atlanta United drop to 11th place on the Eastern Conference table with just 9 points after 8 league games. They sit well behind Conference leaders Charlotte FC (16) and face Philadelphia Union next on the road on April 19. After that, go back on the road to face Orlando City on April 26.

Aston Villa fans will be hoping that January is a far more straightforward month for their side in terms of wins being collected, with December proving to be a topsy-turvy period for those with connections to the Villans.

Whilst there were impressive victories over the likes of Manchester City, Unai Emery’s men were also on the receiving end of a bruising defeat here and there, seen in two 3-0 defeats at the hands of Chelsea and Newcastle United.

Therefore, a priority in this transfer window could be to strengthen at the back to ensure more depressing losses don’t come their way, but Villa look to be on the hunt for even more explosive firepower up top.

Aston Villa reignite interest in "unstoppable" attacker

As per a report by the Daily Mail, Villa look set to rekindle their interest in Borussia Dortmund striker Donyell Malen this January, with the Dutchman valued in and around the £25m mark.

The report goes on to state that the Premier League side are looking at around three new additions to attempt to boost morale, with the West Midlands outfit lingering in a below-par ninth spot in the division currently.

The 25-year-old’s arrival on the scene would no doubt raise the entertainment levels up a notch at Villa Park, having once been described as “unstoppable” by talent scout Jacek Kulig when making a name for himself as a goal machine playing in his native country.

This interest being reignited in Malen could signal a potential departure for Jhon Duran, which would be a devastating blow for Emery and Co to take, but one that would be softened by the Dortmund ace entering the building.

What Malen could offer Aston Villa

Much like the enthralling Duran, Malen has a reputation for being a deadlier finisher wherever he’s been across his career to date.

Indeed, the former Arsenal youth player was a hit at PSV Eindhoven before a major move to the Bundesliga opened up for him, with 55 strikes buried from 116 total contests.

Not all of those goals were typical striker-like finishes, however, as can be seen from an outrageous strike for PSV back in 2020, which must have caught Dortmund’s eye.

He has since picked up an impressive 39 goals and 20 assists playing for the German giants, with Dortmund getting a lot of joy out of the 25-year-old when playing him as a winger over lining up him as a traditional centre-forward, which shows off a versatility Emery will likely be a fan of.

Looking at the table above, Malen is an extremely adaptable figure in attack, with his game not too dissimilar to Luiz Diaz – another versatile figure – according to FBref’s similar player’s tool.

Across the last year, the Dutchman matches his Colombian counterpart in many different areas with both players boasting similar shot numbers per game at 3.30 and 3.17 respectively, alongside always being able to receive a ball and make something happen with 9.96 progressive passes being received by Malen over the last year next to Diaz’s 10.16.

Whilst it doesn’t feel a top priority for Emery to recruit more entertaining forward players, Villa will have to be prepared that a team could soon wildly come in for Duran, considering his excellent 12-goal return this season.

Therefore, Malen could be the answer, offering the top-flight side a contingency plan if Duran does surprisingly depart, and further gifting them even more options down either wing.

Aston Villa could save millions by unleashing teen who's outscoring Rogers

Unai Emery will love the look of this Aston Villa starlet.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jan 1, 2025

Peter Handcomb also leaving Australia A squad to be with his pregnant partner; Test quick Scott Boland and Queensland keeper Jimmy Pierson called into the A squad

Alex Malcolm07-Jun-2022

Bowling allrounder Sean Abbott has been ruled out of the rest of the Sri Lanka tour after fracturing his finger in the nets, while Peter Handscomb has also left the Australia A squad to be with his pregnant partner in Melbourne.Abbott was part of Australia’s T20I squad that was preparing for the first T20I of a three-match series in Colombo on Tuesday, although he was not selected in Australia’s XI for game one. But he suffered a fracture to his left index finger while batting in the nets and has been ruled out of the remainder of the tour. He was supposed to link up with the Australia A squad following the T20I series, for the four-day matches, as he is not part of Australia’s ODI squad.Related

Stoinis ruled out of SL ODIs; Head, Kuhnemann called up from A squad

Richardsons, Maxwell, and Wade star in Australia's wobbly but series sealing win

'Told him not to walk out into the ball' – the Warner advice that might have helped Finch

Peter Handscomb to leave Middlesex with immediate effect

Australia keen to expose 'scarcity' of spin stocks in Sri Lanka

Handscomb, who had also announced he was not heading back to captain Middlesex in the county championship following the Australia A series in Sri Lanka, has decided to leave Sri Lanka to head home to be with his pregnant partner as the pair are expecting their first child.Test bowler Scott Boland has been called up to travel to Sri Lanka early to cover for Abbott in the Australia A four-day matches ahead of the two-match Test series. He was originally set to arrive later with the Test-only squad members not required to travel until later in the month.Queensland wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson has been called up to the A squad as cover for Handscomb. Peirson has been called up in the likely event Australia A needs a specialist wicketkeeper in the four-day games if Josh Inglis is required to play in the ODI series as a batter. Josh Philippe is in the A squad but appears likely to only play in the 50-over games.Australia’s selectors have named an Australia A XI for the first 50-over match in Colombo on Wednesday. Alex Carey is set to captain the side with Cameron Green also named. Carey and Green weren’t originally in the A squad but have been added for the two 50-over games as preparation for the ODI series starting next Tuesday.Australia A will feature three specialist spinners in the same XI, with Todd Murphy, Matthew Kuhnemann and Tanveer Sangha all named to play as Australia hope to expose their young spinners to Sri Lankan conditions.Australia A XI for Wednesday: Henry Hunt, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Nic Maddinson, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (capt, wk), Aaron Hardie, Mark Steketee, Todd Murphy, Matthew Kuhnemann, Tanveer Sangha

Tottenham’s chiefs are becoming increasingly interested in a new manager as pressure builds on current Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, it has been reported.

Tottenham's season in tatters

Tottenham threw away another lead this season as they fell to a 4-3 home defeat to Chelsea in their most recent Premier League outing. The Lilywhites roared into a 2-0 lead courtesy of two errors from Marc Cucurella, but were pegged back by goals from Jadon Sancho and Cole Palmer, before Enzo Fernandez and second Palmer penalty left them 4-2 down.

They clawed one back in stoppage time, but it was too little, too late and it was their London rivals who escaped with all three points.

The result, Tottenham’s third loss in four Premier League games, leaves the Lilywhites marooned in 11th in the Premier League with more defeats than wins, though they only remain five points off fifth placed Nottingham Forest.

Postecoglou was keen to stress the positives of the game though: “We had moments to get our third and at half-time we were in a decent position. The second half is a ding dong, especially at the start, they scored but we had a big chance with Son, we didn’t take it and then they [are] 3-2 up.

“I think there were quality opportunities but I don’t think there was an abundance of them. I can’t remember the keepers making a load of top quality saves.

“We more than matched a good side in that department and when there is quality out there you are going to have moments. There were things we could have done better for sure.”

Despite this, there are concerns mounting in north London, with the Spurs boss having been booed by his own fans during their midweek defeat to Bournemouth, and should results not pick up a change could be inevitable.

Should he depart, one man is creeping his way up Tottenham’s radar.

Tottenham chiefs increasingly impressed by Fulham boss

That is according to The Independent, who report that Tottenham’s hierarchy are casting “increasingly admiring looks” in the direction of Fulham boss Marco Silva.

The Portuguese coach, who sets his team out in a much more rigid and traditional 4-2-3-1 at Craven Cottage, has helped Fulham into 10th place this season, and picked up a credible point against Tottenham’s north London rivals Arsenal in his most recent outing.

Evening Standard reporter Dom Smith dubbed him an “underrated manager”, and now it appears that Tottenham have their eye on him should they be forced into making a decision over Postecoglou.

Tottenham's "absolutely ridiculous" 3/10 flop could be their new Ndombele

The talented midfielder was a disaster for Spurs on Sunday.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 9, 2024

Even having sold his best player in back to back summers, Silva’s side have gradually improved since their arrival in the Premier League, and their draw with Arsenal left them three points above Spurs in the table, with far fewer resources.

His work is likely to have caught the eye of other clubs too. Tottenham had shortlisted him over the summer of 2023, but ended up plumping for Postecoglou instead. Could they now return?

Given Celtic’s business model of buying young players at a low cost, providing them a platform on which to perform and ultimately selling them on at a profit, the Hoops experience more squad turnover than most.

Matt O’Riley is a prime example of this transfer strategy, arriving from Milton Keynes Dons for just £1.5m in January 2022, before being sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for £25m last summer, a joint-record sale for a Scottish club, alongside Kieran Tierney’s move to Arsenal in 2019 and Jota who joined Al-Ittihad in 2023.

This merry-go-round has seen plenty of top-quality strikers donning the famous Hoops during the last decade or so, including Moussa Dembele, Odsonne Edouard, Giorgos Giakoumakis and current first-choice centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi to name but a few.

Celtic do often get their recruitment right, particularly at the top end of the park, but this certainly isn’t always the case.

Celtic's worst-ever transfer window?

Following the summer window in 2020, Celtic put out this now infamous “Just sitting there thinking… what a window” tweet, mocking former striker Charlie Nicholas, who had criticised the club’s recruitment, but it turned out he was right.

Of the players pictured, Vasilis Barkas, Shane Duffy and Albian Ajeti were massive flops, Diego Laxalt was underwhelming, David Turnbull was decent, albeit but didn’t live up to his potential, and Mohamed Elyounoussi was sporadically impressive, but without much consistency.

The Hoops’ poor recruitment in 2020 actually extended back to the pre-pandemic January window too, paying £2m for Ismaila Soro’s services from Bnei Yehuda, while Patryk Klimala arrived from Jagiellonia Białystok for £3.5m.

Given that the world shut down and football was suspended mere weeks after his arrival in Glasgow, Klimala made just four appearances, totalling 101 minutes, during his first half-season at Celtic, but there was optimism he could have an impact the following year after an impressive showing in pre-season, most-notably scoring the goal below against Nice.

He then netted on the opening day of the Premiership season as the Bhoys hammered Hamilton Accies 5-1, on target shortly after being introduced as a substitute.

This though, was very much not the start of something, with Klimala scoring just three times in 28 appearances during what proved to be a catastrophic campaign, as Neil Lennon’s team ended up trophyless, finishing a whopping 25 points behind Rangers, with 20/21 still the only campaign since 2010/11 in which Celtic have not been crowned champions.

The Polish striker unceremoniously departed in April 2021, described as “surplus to requirements” by Noel Whelan in Football Insider, sold to New York Red Bulls for $4.8m, with Celtic remarkably getting their money back, despite his unnoteworthy stint in Glasgow, with Klimala becoming something of a globe trotter subsequently.

Patryk Klimala's post-Celtic career

Similar to Celtic, the New York Red Bulls almost certainly regret paying £3.5m for Klimala’s services.

He was actually their top-scorer with eight in 2021, as the New Jersey-based franchise finished 14th in the overall Major League Soccer standings, scoring just 14 goals in 63 appearances overall, losing his starting spot as RBNY improved in 2022.

As a result, the following January, he was sold to Israeli-based club Hapoel Be’er Sheva, scoring a miserly four goals in 23 outings, before his contract was mutually terminated towards the end of 2023 following the escalation of the Israel–Hamas war.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Expand Collapse

Śląsk Wrocław, back in his native Poland, took a chance on Klimala, but this did not pay off, failing to score in any of his 11 Ekstraklasa appearances for the Militarians, so much so that he was disregarded to their reserve side, who ply their trade in the Polish fourth-tier, unsurprisingly scoring four in four at that level, including a hat-trick against Górnik Polkowice, but this would prove to be just the start of his scoring spree.

In September 2024, Klimala joined A-League side Sydney FC and, despite now plying his trade on the other side of the world, he appears to have found a home.

Now 26 years old, he’s scored seven goals in 11 outings for the Sky Blues, bagging the winner on his A-League debut, which just so happened to be a Sydney derby against Western Sydney Wanderers.

He was on target in another Sydney derby victory in late November too, before continuing his scoring spree in defeat at Central Coast Mariners on Sunday, as the Sky Blues sit sixth in the A-League standings.

Patryk Klimala’s career by numbers

Club

Goals

Minutes per goal

Jagiellonia Białystok

11

211

Celtic

3

227

New York Red Bulls

14

289

Hapoel Be’er Sheva

4

281

Śląsk Wrocław

0

N/A

Sydney FC

7

135

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As outlined by the table, the striker has flourished at the start of his life Down Under so, while this doesn’t suggest Celtic should have kept hold of him, it does emphasise that just because a player doesn’t work out at one club, or four in this case, it doesn’t mean they won’t thrive at the right level and in the right environment.

Related Rangers v Celtic: 8 of the best Old Firm League Cup finals

The Glasgow rivals have shared a few cup final classics over the years.

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Dec 8, 2024

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

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is not hiding his shame at his side's poor performances under his stewardship.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Amorim embarrassed by disappointing form
• Suggests players need to be mentally stronger
• United take on Fulham in FA Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United boss joined the club from Sporting CP in November with a lot of hype and expectation, following success in his native Portugal and a 4-1 dismantling of Manchester City in the Champions League. But things are yet to fully turn around for the Red Devils. Amorim has overseen 23 games in charge of the club, winning under half (11) and losing nine – five of which coming at Old Trafford. While he is confident he has the backing to turn the club around, he knows there are few positives to shine a light on.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT AMORIM SAID ABOUT FORM

  Speaking to , Amorim said: "I feel that [people believe in me]. At the same time, I'm embarrassed by that because if you look at our performance and you see our team sometimes on the pitch, it's really hard for me as a coach to take a lot of positives."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There are few reasons to be positive about Manchester United this season. The Red Devils appear destined to finish in the lower reaches of the Premier League table, which would record their worst-ever finish in the process, and their abject performances offer little hope that they can win silverware. Amorim still has chances to win a trophy with either the FA Cup or Europa League but knows his side must improve – particularly at home.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• WHAT AMORIM SAID ABOUT OLD TRAFFORD

  Amorim added: "I think we are so nervous sometimes in the game and you can feel it in the small things. The way that we move sometimes, the understanding of the game, especially at Old Trafford.

  "I feel that sometimes the players are in the dressing room and we go to warm-up and we go inside to start the game, I feel that the air is heavy. These kind of things I think we show a lot in the games.

  "When we suffer a goal or we have a bad moment, you feel like the connection is not there, we lose ourselves. We get lost a little bit. I understand it is more than football, more than tactics, it is something that is in the players' mind."