Mais de 60 mil pessoas estiveram no Morumbi para ver a vitória do São Paulo por 3 a 1 sobre o Palmeiras, na noite desta quarta-feira (30), pela ida da final do Campeonato Paulista. Logo antes do apito inicial, os torcedores deram o ‘ar de graça’ em um show na arquibancada.
RelacionadasCampeonato PaulistaCalleri brilha, São Paulo derruba invencibilidade do Palmeiras e abre boa vantagem em final do PaulistãoCampeonato Paulista30/03/2022VídeoVÍDEO: Veja a festa da torcida do São Paulo no Morumbi na final do PaulistãoVídeo30/03/2022São PauloThais Regina, do São Paulo, celebra vitória no Brasileirão FemininoSão Paulo30/03/2022
Olha essa energia. Meu estádio está lindo hoje. https://t.co/NOjkrZ4Rnl
— São Paulo – LANCE! (de 🏠) (@lance_saopaulo) March 31, 2022
Quem torce pro São Paulo sabe que um dos gritos que a torcida mais gosta de cantar é o clássico ‘Toca no Calleri que é gol’. E ele veio ainda na primeira etapa, com o gol de pênalti marcado pelo argentino, para colocar o Tricolor em vantagem no marcador.
Calleri, inclusive, marcou o terceiro do São Paulo na partida e foi ovacionado pela torcida.
Estamos na frente! https://t.co/lNqyRh4cVW
— São Paulo – LANCE! (de 🏠) (@lance_saopaulo) March 31, 2022
Outro destaque da partida foi o atacante Eder, que pela primeira vez desde que chegou ao São Paulo, no começo da última temporada, teve seu nome gritado pelos torcedores.
O jogador foi uma aposta de Rogério Ceni neste início de ano e conseguiu a sua vaga na titularidade da equipe.
Jogou muito meu atacante https://t.co/VqoZLY3msW
— São Paulo – LANCE! (de 🏠) (@lance_saopaulo) March 31, 2022
Por fim, o ídolo e treinador Rogério Ceni também recebeu homenagens das arquibancadas. A independente e a Dragões da Real estenderam bandeirões para homenagear o ídolo são-paulino.
Mito! https://t.co/AsOqI8Jwde
— São Paulo – LANCE! (de 🏠) (@lance_saopaulo) March 31, 2022
It is finally over between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Gary O’Neil. After avoiding relegation in the 2023/24 campaign, the Old Gold could not carry on that momentum this term. Sitting 19th in the table with nine points to their name, the owners decided that enough is enough and sacked O’Neil.
It seems like they might have already found their replacement. According to a report from Sky Sports, the Midlands club are looking to bring Vitor Periera to Molineux. It is believed there is “a broad agreement” with his current club, Saudi side Al Shabab.
There will be a big task on Pereira’s hands, as he looks to guide Wolves to safety. He’ll have to lean heavily on a couple of his big stars if they are to survive.
The Wolves stars Pereria will need to rely on
When thinking of Wolves’ two biggest names, Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri immediately spring to mind. Despite the torrid form on display at Molienux, both have had an impressive season.
Brazil international Cunha has scored eight times and grabbed three assists in 16 Premier League games. He averages 0.68 goals per game this term and has contributed to 11 out of 24 of the goals Wolves have scored in the top flight.
Ait-Nouri is also flying this term, with three goals and three assists to his name from left-wing back. Encouragingly, the soon-to-be Wolves manager Pereira favours a back three, meaning he could be unleashed in a wing-back role and spend plenty of time in the attacking third.
The incoming boss at Molineux will also need his midfielders to step up. Joao Gomes will be key for the Portuguese manager and is superb defensively. According to FBref, the Brazilian averages 5.12 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe. His ability off the ball will be crucial for Pereira.
Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes vs Arsenal
However, Gomes is not the only midfielder who the Portuguese manager will be hoping to see find his best form in the centre of the park. Mario Lemina could have a role to play at Molineux and will be looking to turn things around after a tough few months.
Lemina’s 2024/25 season
It has not been the best few weeks for Gabon midfielder Lemina. Following the 2-1 defeat against West Ham United last weekend, he got involved in a scuffle with Hammers star Jarrod Bowen.
This resulted in Lemina being stripped of the captaincy, which he was only given by O’Neil in the summer. The former Wolves manager explained they had “decided to move the captaincy” on and give it to Nelson Semedo.
It has been a torrid few weeks for the 31-year-old, with the manager who sacked him as captain now himself, sacked from his position. There might be a big job on Pereira’s hands to help the midfielder find his way again.
Lemina has had an important role to play so far for the Old Gold this term, despite the disciplinary issues he has faced. He has featured in all 16 games in the Premier League, chipping in with one goal and three assists.
Defensively, the 31-year-old is an aggressive player, who will scrap and fight for the ball in midfield. His stats via FBref from this term are impressive. Notably, he has won 5.14 tackles and interceptions, which ranks him in the top 5% of midfielders in the Premier League.
Tackles and interceptions
5.14
95th
Clearances
3.31
98th
% of dribblers tackles
67.9%
92nd
Aerial duels won
1.55
87th
Ball recoveries
4.73
42nd
There is no doubt that Lemina could be an important player for Pereira. The £45k per week star is clearly a strong defensive midfielder, as the statistics show, and pairing him alongside Gomes could form a solid duo for the incoming Wolves boss.
Of course, there are disciplinary issues to bear in mind, but Lemina seems as though he has conducted himself well, and he will get a clean slate under the new manager. Pereira will be hoping to revive the Gabon international’s career at Molineux and count on him to spark an immediate upturn in form.
Pereira could turn "lightning" Wolves flop into his very own Neto
This Wolverhampton Wanderers flop could turn around his time at Molineux under Vitor Pereira.
Glasgow Rangers have shown plenty of improvement in recent weeks, which has eased the pressure on Philippe Clement.
At the end of November, it looked as though it was a matter of when, not if, he would be sacked from his position at Ibrox. Fast-forward a month later and the Gers have delivered some decent performances in both the Premiership and Europa League.
The Gers drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur, for example, taking the lead against the North Londoners, while coming so close to defending their League Cup trophy, losing on penalties to Celtic.
The next few games could make or break the Light Blues season. If they can win them all, then the gap to Celtic will close at the top of the league table. Could a title challenge be on the cards?
Several players have finally begun to showcase their true talents under the Belgian, including Hamza Igamane, who is now a key member of the squad.
Hamza Igamane’s Rangers stats
Eyebrows were raised during the summer when the Ibrox side spent £1.7m on signing Igamane from the African side AS FAR.
He was certainly a signing that looked like one for the future as Clement began to establish a player trading model at the club which could reap the benefits in the future.
Indeed, Igamane didn’t make an appearance for the Gers until a ten-minute cameo during the first Old Firm game of the season, enduring a baptism of fire in the process as the club slumped to a 3-0 defeat.
It has been in Europe where the young centre-forward has begun to prove just how important he is to Clement, scoring four goals in just four games for the club, including that wonderful effort against Spurs.
Across these four appearances, Igamane has also averaged 1.3 key passes and succeeded with 1.3 dribbles per game, indicating that he has been a major threat in Europe.
Even more impressive is the fact that Igamane is the highest-ranked player in the competition, according to FotMob with a rating of 8.18.
Recently, Everton sent scouts to monitor the player during the match against Spurs and if he keeps up these performances, especially on the continent, there will be plenty more suitors taking an interest, that’s for sure.
While it is inevitable that his future lies away from Ibrox, when the time comes, Rangers will be hoping to make a serious profit on the player. In recent weeks, his market valuation has risen.
Hamza Igamane’s market valuation
While £1.7m appeared to be a rather lavish fee for a player who had not played senior football outside of Africa before, this could soon turn into a bargain.
Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, Igamane has a current market value of £2m and this is only going to rise exponentially as time goes on.
Hamza Igamane’s stats for Rangers this season
Metric
Europa League
Premiership
Goals
4
2
Assists
1
0
Successful dribbles per game
1.3
0.9
Key passes per game
1.3
0.8
Shots per game
1.5
2.3
Via Sofascore
Imagine if he maintains his performance level until the end of the season. This value might end up skyrocketing which could allow Clement to cash in on the striker.
He isn’t the only player who has seen their valuation soar in recent weeks, however, as Nicolas Raskin has become one of the most valuable players in the first-team squad.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?
The Rangers star who is worth more than Igamane
Michael Beale may have lasted just ten months at the helm of the Ibrox side, failing to win a trophy in the process, but he did sign Raskin for the club.
As the 2023 January transfer window was entering the dying embers, Beale was working hard to bring the then Standard Liege midfielder to Scotland in order to bolster his midfield.
In the end, he managed to secure his signature and during the second half of 2022/23, Raskin offered glimpses of his talents and it looked as though Beale had signed a player with a bright future indeed.
The 2023/24 campaign didn’t quite go to plan as Raskin suffered from a couple of injuries while failing to break into Clement’s starting XI as he preferred others at the heart of the midfield.
By the end of the season, his future at Ibrox was in doubt and when he suffered yet another injury setback during pre-season, it looked as though he was never going to live up to his full potential.
Six months later, the midfielder is arguably Rangers’ most consistent performer of late. In the Premiership, the Belgian gem has averaged a 90% pass success rate along with averaging 3.5 tackles per game and winning a staggering seven total duels per game – a success rate of 63% – which has enabled the midfielder to break down opposition attacks with ease.
His former boss at Standard, Luka Elsner, hailed Raskin during an interview with the Rangers Review, saying: “Nico is able to bring fire to a game by himself and always gives his best. For me, those are the qualities that stand out and make him some kind of special player.”
Nico Raskin’s market value in 2024
Due to his stunning displays for the Light Blues in recent weeks, his market value has increased as he is now worth more than twice the value of Igamane.
According to Transfermarkt, Raskin is now worth £5.4m and there is no doubt that this valuation will continue to rise between now and the end of the season, especially if he continues to impress.
Given how well Igamane has improved in the previous few weeks, having someone such as Raskin who is worth two times more proves that the club could certainly be onto a winner with the Belgian.
Clement now has a midfield trio which could become mainstays in the heart of the pitch, pushing the club towards glory before the end of the campaign.
Like Igamane, Raskin’s future will be away from Scotland, but if any club wishes to snap him up, they are going to have to pay a lavish transfer fee, that’s for sure.
Rangers could repeat Barisic masterclass with exciting January transfer
Rangers could make a move for a talented midfielder in January…
Arsenal are now ensuring that they are being constantly updated on a new defender’s situation as they look to exploit a potential contract standoff, according to a fresh report.
Arsenal's defence continues evolving
Arsenal continue to upgrade in defence as they look for a first Premier League title under Mikel Arteta. The arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City ousted Kieran Tierney, before the Ukrainian himself was sidelined by the arrivals of first Jurrien Timber and then Riccardo Calafiori, both of whom can play across the backline.
Now, it has emerged that Kieran Tierney will be leaving the club on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season, and Zinchenko could well follow him out of the door with the left-back having started just two Premier League games this season.
Arsenal readying bid for "world-class" star who's like White & Timber
Arsenal could be about to make a huge statement signing in January.
ByEthan Lamb Dec 23, 2024
And though Arsenal fans will be more keen to see attacking reinforcements arrive at the club as opposed to more defenders, especially following the latest injury news to both Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling, it is clear that Arteta values his defensive lynchpins as far more important to get right than his attacking ones, having signed at least one defender in every summer transfer window since his arrival at the club.
Defenders signed by Mikel Arteta at Arsenal
Riccardo Calafiori
Jurrien Timber
Jakub Kiwior
Ben White
Takehiro Tomiyasu
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Gabriel
Nuno Tavares
Cedric Soares
Pablo Mari
Now, reports suggest that he is ready to follow up on yet another defender, with the club being consistently updated on his potential availability.
Arsenal keeping tabs on elite defender
That comes according to a report from The Boot Room, who claim that Arsenal are now demanding to be kept in the loop over the future of French international defender Theo Hernandez. The rampaging fullback is Milan’s highest ever scoring defender but has struggled since the arrival of Paulo Fonseca over the summer.
He has started 10 Serie A games but was dropped for their clash with Genoa and began their win over Hellas Verona on the bench. As it stands, the Frenchman’s £81,000 a week deal at San Siro expires in 2026, and Milan Live claim that “to date there has been no significant progress on his renewal”, meaning that “everything suggests that the left back could be sold in the next transfer window”.
Theo Hernandez
Dubbed “brilliant” by CBS reporter Marco Messina on X, the defender will have no shortage of suitors should he depart Milan, and the Boot Room claim that Arsenal “are being constantly notified” about a potential move.
The Gunners have admired the defender “for several years”, and his fall out with Paulo Fonseca has left them weighing up a potential move, though Chelsea, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are also named as potential suitors.
Hernandez would be a major upgrade on Zinchenko in an offensive sense, with the Frenchman having managed two goals and two assists already this season from fullback, adding to his nine goals and assists in last season’s Serie A campaign. No price tag is mentioned, but any move to sign the Frenchman would almost certainly be costly, with the fullback among the best in the world in his position.
While Milan may not wish to sell, they could be forced to allow him to leave if they cannot make progress on a new deal, and Arsenal now stand to profit in a major way.
Veteran Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has suffered a fresh injury and will remain out of action for a considerable period of time.
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Fresh injury setback for Neuer Suffered a muscle injury against Leverkusen earlier in March Will remain sidelined for a significant period of time Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Neuer sustained the injury in the first leg of Bayern's Champions League round of 16 fixture against Bayer Leverkusen on March 11. He subsequently missed the club's second-leg tie and the next two Bundesliga matches against Bochum and Union Berlin as 21-year-old custodian Jonas Urbig made his first senior appearance for the Bavarian side.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Now the German giants have announced that the veteran goalkeeper, who was working on a comeback from his muscle injury, has suffered a reaction, that will keep him sidelined for a significant amount of time. Neuer's replacement Urbig has also sustained a foot injury while on international duty with the Germany Under-21 side.
AFPDID YOU KNOW?
In the absence, of Neuer and Urbig, Sven Ulreich is likely to feature in Vincent Kompany's lineup in the club's upcoming games. Ulreich has appeared in only two matches for Bayern in the 2024-25 campaign, with both of his appearances coming in September 2024.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?
Kompany's side, who currently enjoy a six-point lead at the top of the table over defending champions Leverkusen, will be next seen in action on March 29 after the international break as they take FC St. Pauli in a Bundesliga clash.
Kyle Walker will start for England in Thomas Tuchel's first game in charge against Albania on Friday night, according to reports.
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Tuchel's first game as England boss
Three Lions host Albania
Walker set to start
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
Getty Images Sport
WHAT HAPPENED?
Tuchel was announced as the new Three Lions boss back in October 2024, but he did not start in the role until January and so has had to wait until now to oversee a match. His first opponents will be Albania, who are managed by ex-Barcelona and Arsenal full-back Sylvinho, in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley Stadium.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
There has been much debate and discourse over who Tuchel should select, with many critics hoping to see a less conservative side than that under Sir Gareth Southgate. However, it appears the German coach will too lean on experience and defensive solidity to begin with.
AFP
DID YOU KNOW?
The were first to report on Friday that Walker, who is on loan at AC Milan from Manchester City, is likely to start for England against Albania. The 34-year-old has stumbled through an up-and-down season so far, but looks set to play from the off ahead of the other right-backs in Tuchel's squad – Chelsea's Reece James and Newcastle United's Tino Livramento. Tuchel is expected to line England up with a back-four formation as opposed to the three-at-the-back system he used during his successful stint at Stamford Bridge.
WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?
After facing Albania, England will return to action on Monday when Latvia head to Wembley for their second World Cup qualifier.
Sussex youngster claims eye-catching 3-47 to keep Leicestershire at bay
David Hopps14-May-2022
Archie Lenham made an impact with the ball•Getty Images
Leicestershire 210 and 195 for 5 (Patel 67*, Azad 54, Lenham 3-47) trail Sussex 450 (Clark, 138, Carter 72, Haines 50) by 45 runsNearly a year has elapsed since Archie Lenham made a dramatic entrance into county cricket as a 16-year-old having a whale of a time in the T20 Blast.In all that time, Sussex have failed to win a Championship match, a winless run stretching back to April 2021 in Cardiff when Ollie Robinson bowled them to victory, but Lenham has promised to end their anguish after adding a Championship memory to his teenage dream.As he is a year older now, a young shaver no longer, it is probably wise to intimate that no more do spectators come over all protective if anybody hits him a long way. He looks slightly less vulnerable now, more game-hardened. He will doubtless be mightily relieved about that and, anyway, by the time his third over had finished with three wickets for eight runs to his name he had underlined the point for himself.A coltish legspinner in T20 has the advantage of scoreboard pressure on the batting side and can take wickets by hanging in there. And by looking particularly young which can lead to batters muttering “play the ball not the bowler” in a desperate attempt not to be psyched out by the experience. In the Championship, especially when the opposition are faced with a deficit of 240 and can pick him off at will, the challenge is much harder.In his third Championship match, spread over three seasons, he was more than up to it. As tea loomed, and Leicestershire had chipped away 94 runs with relative comfort, Sam Evans their only casualty, he changed the face of the match. Hassan Azad, the Foxes’ most anchored batter, was lbw on the back foot against his third delivery. At the end of his third over he struck twice more in successive deliveries, bowling Colin Ackermann with a ball that dipped and left him to graze off-stump, and then befuddling Lewis Hill, first ball with a turning googly as the new batter blindly propped forward. Three very different balls, all well executed.Related
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The pitch is turning (it is a fine sight as many surfaces have refused to wear this summer) and Leicestershire have a decent spinner in the slow left-armer, Callum Parkinson. They will be desperate to give him something to bowl at, and woe betide them if they don’t because judging by his exasperation if people misfield off his own bowling, he is a hard taskmaster, his standards not undermined by the county’s position at the foot of the Second Division.They finished the third day still 45 runs adrift, heartened by Rishi Patel’s unbeaten 67 from 201 deliveries. It was a worthy effort, and he is an attractive player, but there is an uncontrolled element to his game which can make his attacking shots rather less than a done deal. One of those, on 30, should have brought about his downfall when he mis-pulled Henry Crocombe to backward square leg only for Delray Rawlins to get himself into a good position but shed the catch. Wiaan Mulder met Lenham more assertivlve than anyone but he became the fourth lbw victim when he shouldered arms to a delivery from Rawlins that would have gone on to clip off stump.Leicestershire had fielding follies of their own as Sussex added 64 to their overnight score. Robinson reached 26 thanks to drops off consecutive balls from Ben Mike, by Patel at second slip and Hill at third man, but it is luck with the ball that Robinson needs if he is to attract the England selectors and today at least it was Lenham who was attracting attention. Spinners bowled 36 overs in all, limiting Robinson to 11 wicketless overs, solid enough, but no clear message to England’s selectors in only his second match of the season about his form or stamina levels.Lenham also added a personal-best 48 with the bat before he was dismissed trying to pull Chris Wright and so missed out on a maiden half-century. “Two PBs, so a good day for me,” he said. “I was a bit annoyed to get out on 48, but never mind, I had a dream start with the ball and those three wickets got us right back in the game. I just feel lucky to be playing first-class cricket early in my career, and I’m loving it. That said, it feels like a long day and I’m pretty tired right now.”
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.
Southampton (Away)
Liverpool (Home)
Nottingham Forest (Away)
Wolves (Home)
Newcastle United (Home)
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.
ByJack 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?
Liverpool were handed an unanticipated break last weekend, with Storm Darragh wreaking chaos across England and preventing the Merseyside derby from being played.
It’s not the end of the world. Liverpool remain first-placed in the Premier League, four points ahead of Chelsea and with a game in hand – Arsenal and Manchester City trail further still.
Mohamed Salah for Liverpool
It’s a fantastic position to be in, even if title talk is still premature. Given that Liverpool are first in the Champions League group phase only adds to the excitement, and means that Arne Slot can approach Tuesday evening’s fixture against Girona with rotation in mind.
The Dutch coach has been… hesitant to ring the changes since replacing Jurgen Klopp in the summer, but the games are coming thick and fast and you could make a case that Liverpool looked leggy during the draw against Newcastle United one week ago.
Liverpool – Remaining Fixtures in 2024 (all comps)
Date
Opponent
Competition
10/12/24
Girona (A)
Champions League
14/12/24
Fulham (H)
Premier League
18/12/24
Southampton (A)
Carabao Cup
22/12/24
Tottenham (A)
Premier League
26/12/24
Leicester (H)
Premier League
29/12/24
West Ham (A)
Premier League
The Reds are six points ahead of those outside the automatic zone, so changes can be afforded against today’s Spanish opponents, who have lost four of five matches on the continent so far this season and sit ninth in La Liga too.
Liverpool team news
Liverpool have been forced to contend with a host of injuries and absences in recent weeks, but Slot will be delighted to see Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota on the cusp of a comeback after respective periods in the infirmary.
Federico Chiesa was also cleared but has since fallen ill and will play no part in Spain.
Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsimikas and Conor Bradley serve as longer-term absentees, meaning Liverpool’s backline is weakened and stretched at one of the most testing points of any given season.
A host of youngsters, including Trey Nyoni and James McConnell, have travelled to Spain with the first team and might play a part in the matchday squad. Tyler Morton is out after picking up a knock in training.
Trey Nyoni scores during pre season.
Certainly, Slot would be wise to issue a healthy dosage of rotation.
Why Slot should rotate vs Girona
Alisson’s return is a momentous boost for a Liverpool side ready to chase down silverware across every possible front, but it’s crucial that the Brazilian isn’t rushed back. And anyway, Caoimhin Kelleher is a top-class goalkeeper and well worth his place between the sticks.
Liverpool's Caoimhin Kelleher and Virgil van Dijk
In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister is suspended (separate from the one-match ban that will be applied domestically against Fulham this weekend), but he’s been worked to the bone too and it’s not the end of the world that the Argentine is provided some time to recuperate.
Liverpool have alternative options. Ryan Gravenberch could start in the deep-sitting midfield role but Wataru Endo will be pressing for that anchor, and Curtis Jones should return to the starting line-up too.
Dominik Szoboszlai might fancy a starting berth, but this is actually the perfect opportunity for Slot to hand Harvey Elliott his very first start of the campaign.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Slot must unleash Harvey Elliott
It’s been a cruel start to an exciting new era for Elliott, whose marginal role at the very beginning of the campaign saw him make just one substitute appearance before fracturing his foot on international duty with England U21s in September.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot and Harvey Elliott
He’s been fit for several weeks now but only afforded one brief cameo, but now, it’s surely time for Slot to hand the 21-year-old his maiden starting berth under new management.
He’s definitely got the technical quality to make a marked difference within the Dutchman’s system. Klopp commented at the end of his dynasty last season that his one regret as he patted the overhanging Anfield crest one last time was that he didn’t play the skilful playmaker more often.
Harvey Elliot – Comparison vs Midfielders (past 365 days)
Stats
Per 90
Percentile
Goals
0.20
Top 9%
Assists
0.59
Top 1%
Shot-creating actions
5.22
Top 1%
Progressive passes
8.12
Top 5%
Progressive carries
2.91
Top 3%
Successful take-ons
0.73
Top 39%
Blocks
1.41
Top 6%
Stats via FBref
Elliott’s ball-playing quality, his progressiveness and flair, have even seen Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham listed off as his most comparable player via stats-based website FBRef, with the Three Lions superstar also adept at shifting forward and influencing play with awe-inspiring goals and fiercely penetrative bursts into the box.
Given that Liverpool’s young maestro has scarcely featured under the new regime, it seems clear that he must be unleashed from the outset for this one.
Jude Bellingham celebrates for Real Madrid
After all, as a player of the Bellingham-type mould, he might be the perfect cog to unleash for this one. Los Blancos might not have reached their first form this term but Bellingham has been excellent of late, posting five goals and three assists from as many matches.
One of his recent masterful performances came against Girona, with the 21-year-old scoring and assisting against Girona in La Liga at the weekend across an hour of football, withdrawn due to fatigue.
As per Sofascore, Bellingham also completed 100% of his dribbles and won every one of his contested duels, showcasing that his particular style stands a great chance of sending Girona, who play expansive football and thus can be caught by high-class technicians, packing.
Slot must ensure that Elliott gets a starting role in the Champions League. The young gun will desperately want to show what he’s made of, and he might just prove to be the star against Girona.
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It’s set to be a busy January transfer window for Manchester City.
In the summer, the four-in-a-row Premier League champions recorded around £126m of profit, signing Savinho from within the City Football Group for a reported £30m, but recorded massive profit thanks to the sales of Julián Álvarez (£81.5m), João Cancelo (£21m), Liam Delap (£20m), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (£20m) and others.
Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez
Thus, Pep Guardiola’s side should be able to spend big this month, should they so choose.
Adding defensive reinforcements will surely be a priority, considering Kyle Walker, Rúben Dias, Nathan Aké, John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Joško Gvardiol have all intermittently missed matches due to various injuries so far.
Alongside 20-year-old Rico Lewis, the Sky Blues have just seven defenders for four positions, so there’s certainly space in the squad for another defender, perhaps possibly two, to arrive in January.
Man City looking to sign young defender
According to a report by Rob Dawson of ESPN, Manchester City are ‘in talks’ with Lens as they aim to sign Abdukodir Khusanov.
Furthermore, Steve Pearson of TEAMtalk believes the Ligue 1 club value their centre-back at around £25m, although this figure is unclear, with Luke Entwistle of Get French Football News believing his price tag to be €40m (around £33m).
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In an interview with DAZN France on Sunday, prior to Lens’ Ligue 1 fixture against Toulouse at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, general manager Pierre Dréossi confirmed Khusanov “will leave” the club this month, after the defender was left out of les Sang et Or’s matchday squad for their first game of 2025.
So who is Khusanov, and why do Manchester City believe him to be the man to fix their defensive issues?
How Abdukodir Khusanov could boost Man City's defensive options
The 20-year-old Uzbek international began his senior career with Enerhetyk-BDU Minsk in Belarus, before joining Lens for a miserly €100,000 in July 2023, and what an exceptional piece of business and scouting that has proven to be.
To date, he’s made 31 appearances for the French side, starting each of their last 14 matches that he was available for, sitting out two due to suspension, prior to Sunday’s loss at the hands of Toulouse, left out by English manager Will Still.
Abdukodir Khusanov in international action
At international level too, he’s quickly established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet for Uzbekistan, starting all three matches at last summer’s Olympics, while the White Wolves are currently in a strong position in World Cup qualifying, on course to make it for the very first time.
Should he join, Khusanov would become the first player from Uzbekistan to feature in the Premier League, the 125th different nation to be represented.
The young defender’s performances have been earning rave reviews, labelled as a “future legend” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so should he make the move to Manchester, supporters should be excited about what they’re set to see.
Of course, Man City already have many high-quality, expensively assembled centre-backs in their squad, so how does Khusanov compare to his, potential, future teammates?
Appearances
13
25
17
21
10
10
Minutes
975
2,116
1,315
1,785
494
653
Pass completion %
88.1%
92%
94.3%
94.1%
93.5%
93.6%
Tackles
15
37
11
17
7
9
Blocks
17
31
11
15
3
7
Interceptions
26
25
15
8
4
4
Clearances
57
63
37
48
12
17
Aerial duals won %
69.2%
54.5%
63.4%
44.7%
73.3%
55.6%
As emphasised in the table above, Khusanov faces stiff competition if he’s to establish himself as a regular starter at Manchester City, but he certainly boasts the attributes to succeed.
His pass completion %, while a little lower, is comparable, while, of the six players analysed, he ranks third for tackles, second for blocks and top for interceptions.
Gvardiol, the second-most expensive defender of all-time, sits top for more metrics than anybody else, and is Man City’s best-performing defender this season, according to Sofascore.
That said, Khusanov shares many of the same attributes, notably in his ability to play out from the back, underlining that he would more than likely be a success should he join the Premier League champions.
Like Gvardiol, who was only one year older when he moved to Eithad, it could also signal the arrival of one of the best young defenders in the game. That certainly bodes well for the Citizens.
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