Well, that was stressful. But three points are all that matter as Arne Slot’s Liverpool hit the business-time road in the Premier League.

The title is the destination, and the Reds are seven points clear once again. Wolverhampton Wanderers are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table and nearly left Anfield with something to prop them away from the drop zone, but Slot has proved that he can win in different ways, perhaps the marker of a champion.

Liverpool – Upcoming Fixtures (all comps)

Date

Competition

Opponent

19/02/25

Premier League

Aston Villa (A)

23/02/25

Premier League

Man City (A)

26/02/25

Premier League

Newcastle (H)

04/03/25

Champions League

TBC

08/03/25

Premier League

Southampton (H)

11/03/25

Champions League

TBC

16/03/25

Carabao Cup

Newcastle (N)

Mohamed Salah’s first-half penalty proved to be the match-winner after the talented Matheus Cunha halved the deficit beyond the hour mark, but it wasn’t Salah’s most impactful display.

The title run-in is going to require big performances from many players, with Luis Diaz getting his name on the scoresheet and putting in a top display with Cody Gakpo absent through injury.

Luis Diaz returns to form

It was a game that lacked verve and initiative from the hosts. In midfield, Ryan Gravenberch was untidy and toiled. Andy Robertson had a tough time producing the fluent and dynamic performance that was possibly expected of him against one of the division’s biggest strugglers. Trent Alexander-Arnold was also messy, albeit with some slick passing interspersed throughout.

But one man certainly stepped up in Diaz. The Colombian has been an important part of Slot’s first season, starting the campaign off prolifically before spending much of his time in a reshaped striking role – it’s a testament to his movement and connectivity, but a damning indictment of Slot’s thoughts on Darwin Nunez.

He bundled in following neat work from Diogo Jota after just 15 minutes and also won the spot-kick that Salah converted. Sure, he was quieter after the break, but this was indicative of the collective

Gakpo has scored in seven straight Anfield appearances but was sidelined after picking up a knock during last week’s draw at Goodison Park. Slot is unsure whether his saluting scorer will be fit for the forthcoming trip to Aston Villa.

Diaz needed to step up, and step up he did. The 28-year-old had gone five successive Premier League matches without a goal – all played at centre-forward – but reminded the world of his quality here. It was a big result, and Diaz came up with the goods.

However, Diaz may not actually be the biggest winner of the event. Indeed, there’s one player who made a statement and could now prove to be Slot’s own – but different – version of Divock Origi.

Slot has found his own Divock Origi

Saying that veteran holding midfielder Wataru Endo is to be Slot’s own version of Origi over the coming months might seem peculiar, but his off-the-bench effort against Wolves showed that he can be a clutch presence for the Anfield side over the coming months.

Make no mistake, Liverpool were dire in the second half against Wolves, fighting off ten shots while failing to take a single shot of their own.

It was a game that demanded Endo’s involvement, and thus he was brought on for Diaz for the final 25 minutes (including stoppage time) completing all five of his passes and winning three ground duels, as per Sofascore, instrumental in clearing away the danger in the final moments, with Liverpool under the kosh.

After such an important effort against a well-worked Wolves performance, Slot may hold regrets over his decision not to introduce the Japanese midfielder sooner in the Merseyside Derby, with Liverpool a goal to the good but threatened by Everton’s tenacity.

In July 2014, over a year before Jurgen Klopp came, Liverpool signed Origi from LOSC Lille for £10m, part of the many-faceted attempt to replace Luis Suarez.

How curious that his signing ended up paying dividends, for Origi sealed Liverpool’s Champions League final victory over Tottenham Hotspur in 2018/19 after bagging twice in the historic 4-0 win over Barcelona – firing many further important goals home besides.

He scored 41 times for the Merseysiders, with Klopp rather generously claiming “he’s one of the best finishers I have ever seen in my life.” Such words carry substance, in fact, with the Belgium international’s composure and self-belief allowing him to come up trumps so many times, to be Liverpool’s source from deep within the wellspring when attacking inspiration had dried up elsewhere.

Now, Endo can be Slot’s own late-game hero. Liverpool were far too passive at the weekend (and maybe against Everton too) but Endo’s “warrior-like cameo,” as reporter Lewis Steele noted, will not be forgotten.

When Klopp signed Endo from Stuttgart for a £16m fee, many Premier League rivals tittered. Liverpool have fumbled bids for Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, they cried, with the 2023 Anfield exodus the watershed point that would send the club in a downward spin.

But he’s proved himself worthy of a place in this side, playing first for Klopp, now Slot. The 32-year-old is committed and willing to star as a ball-winning presence late on. Slot has opted against using Endo from the outset in the top flight this season but he has played 11 times, called into business when Liverpool need to shore up.

Klopp had a secret weapon in Origi who proved to be a golden ticket toward success in the later stages of games when Liverpool needed to add a dimension.

Endo, an anchoring midfielder with limited technical quality, might be the inverse, but he came up clutch against the Old Gold and has proved that he could be a crucial part of the journey over the business months, maybe the difference-maker in building the points total and staving off Arsenal.

Related Now worth £15m more: Liverpool have struck gold on their answer to Cunha

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Feb 17, 2025

Everton have languished for far too long, and David Moyes decided that enough was enough.

The purple patch that has followed the Scotsman’s galvanising return to Goodison Park will not be maintained in its total fluency. There will be twists and turns.

Sean Dyche deserves credit for steering the Toffees away from danger, keeping them afloat last season despite an eight-point deduction – and comfortably at that.

But Dyche and his team had run out of steam, falling into a state of discordancy that effectively precluded any impactful attacking style.

Farhad Moshiri’s dysfunctional rule came to a head in the overtures, with The Friedkin Group completing their much-anticipated takeover in December and quickly realising that change was needed at the Premier League club.

One of the core cruxes of the issue stands as the countless transfer blunders in recent years. There have been many misfired signings, but what about the sales that should never have been?

Everton's biggest transfer blunders

There have been several bitter sales for the Merseysiders in recent years, but the decision to sell homegrown star Ross Barkley to Chelsea for only £15m in 2018.

He’s been through the ebb and flow of a football career but has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, a valued member of Aston Villa’s squad right now after being hailed as “not far off player of the season” by pundit Paul Merson when Luton Town were in the big time.

Ademola Lookman would certainly add to the frontline, with the Atalanta forward understood to boast a £50m price tag as Arsenal weigh up a bid later this year, having been sold as a flop for £22.5m, a decent figure at the time but it hardly scratches the surface now.

More recently, Everton have been searching for a new centre-forward and appeared to shortlist Tom Cannon in January, looking to sign the Championship goalscorer for £10m after cashing in on him in September 2023, sold to Leicester City for about £7m.

Selling a rising talent before their time is a blunder that the Toffees have suffered before – perhaps Moshiri should have learned his lesson after getting rid of a young Antonee Robinson for a paltry fee.

Everton must regret selling Antonee Robinson

This season, Robinson has been one of the standout full-backs in England, perhaps Europe. The Fulham star is firing on all cylinders, blending attack with defence with athleticism.

The 27-year-old has been on fire this term; Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley has even gone as far as to describe him as “one of the best left-backs in the world.”

The USMNT international cut his teeth with Everton, awarded the club’s U18 Players’ Player of the Season in 2015. He never actually made his senior debut for Everton, instead transferring to Wigan Athletic for a nominal £2m figure in 2019 after a loan spell with the Latics.

Now a fully-fledged sensation with Fulham, Jedi has proved that he can throw down with the best of them, certainly head and shoulders above Everton’s current left-back: Vitalii Mykolenko.

Mykolenko hasn’t been disastrous at left-back this season, but he’s not set the division alight. By contrast, Robinson has showcased incredible pace, power, and potency up and down the flank, moving to and fro, to and fro, with such skill and assuredness that it’s perfectly understandable why outfits like Liverpool have been gearing up to make a potential summer bid.

Assists

0.40

0.00

Shot-creating actions

2.56

1.12

Touches

73.20

48.37

Passes attempted

61.44

37.99

Progressive passes

3.72

3.60

Progressive carries

3.52

0.99

Successful take-ons

1.00

0.22

Ball recoveries

4.20

2.56

Tackles + interceptions

4.40

3.06

Clearances

3.20

4.36

Even from a defensive standpoint, Mykolenko’s domain, Robinson is more active and decisive in winning balls and making crunching challenges. The Everton man makes more clearances, but this is indicative of his shoed-in nature.

The fact that Wigan paid just £2m to snap him up speaks volumes, especially with Liverpool’s aforementioned interest leading to a reported valuation of up to £50m, which marks an incredible 2400% rise from his value when last on Merseyside.

With ten assists from 25 Premier League matches in 2024/25, Robinson is proving to be a player of many parts, each slick and stylish and significant. No defender has claimed more assists. He’s also won 62% of his aerial battles and has yet to make a single mistake, as per Sofascore.

Everton must curse the day Marco Silva sold him.

Moyes has hit the jackpot with Everton ace who's giving "Pienaar 2.0 vibes"

David Moyes is righting the wrongs at Everton.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Feb 20, 2025

Wrexham and Birmingham City have been told they should be "strong candidates" to secure another promotion and reach the Premier League next year.

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Wrexham & Birmingham promotedBacked to challenge in ChampionshipBoth sides eye Premier League dreamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Aston Villa star Lee Hendrie sees no reason why newly-promoted League One sides Wrexham and Birmingham can't challenge for promotion to the Premier League next season. The ex-midfielder feels both teams have the financial backing to secure yet another promotion, this time in 2026.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT HENDRIE SAID

He told Football League World: “I think the spending power always comes into it. I think that favours them being promoted, so they're in a really good position and predicament. After what Wrexham and Birmingham have done last season, why shouldn't they be real strong candidates of going and getting promoted again?

"I think that we see teams coming out of League One, and they probably haven't got the money and the strong incentives to bring in players that can have that bounce factor to go again. This is a different case with Wrexham and Birmingham City. I feel that they'll be amongst play-offs, and there is a big case to say that they'll go up automatically. However, that all depends on the teams that are coming down and the investments there, but I do feel that they have real strong stakes, both of them clubs, to go and get a promotion again, be it play-offs or automatically."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Wrexham already made history by securing an historic third-straight promotion last month, and Birmingham broke the points record for a single professional season as they romped to the League One title. Due to the players they have and the financial might at their disposal, not many would be surprised to see them competing at the top end of the Championship next season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Before that, Wrexham and Birmingham round off their seasons against Lincoln City and Cambridge United, respectively, on Saturday.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo chegou ao terceiro jogo seguido com derrota. Neste sábado, o Internacional venceu o Rubro-Negro por 3 a 1 no Beira-Rio, em partida válida pela 11ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Wanderson (2) e Pedro Henrique marcaram os gols do Colorado, e Andreas Pereira descontou para a equipe carioca.

+ Veja a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os resultados dos jogos

Agora, o Internacional volta a campo na próxima quarta-feira, às 20h30, para enfrentar o Goiás na Serrinha. Já o Flamengo rebe o Cuiabá no Maracanã, no mesmo dia e horário. Ambas as partidas são válidas pela 12ª rodada do Brasileirão.

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MAS JÁ?

O Internacional precisou de apenas 44 segundos para abrir o placar no Beira-Rio. Depois de retomar a posse no campo de ataque, a bola chegou até Alan Patrick. O camisa 10, por sua vez, enfiou um ótimo passe para Bustos, que invadiu a área pela direita em liberdade. O lateral, então, levantou a cabeça e cruzou rasteiro para Wanderson fazer o primeiro gol do Inter.

MARCAÇÃO FORTE

Logo após o gol, o Inter abaixou as linhas, o que fez o Flamengo jogar praticamente todo no campo de ataque. No entanto, a marcação colorada foi bem feita, e o Rubro-Negro mostrou muita dificuldade em furar o sistema defensivo do rival.

FLA ERRA, E O INTER APROVEITA

Nesse cenário, o time gaúcho explorou os contra-ataques e ampliou a vantagem justamente dessa forma. Após toque de bola errado de Everton Ribeiro no meio de campo, Alan Patrick aproveitou o presente e tocou para David.O centroavante puxou o ataque e acionou Wanderson pelo lado esquerdo. O camisa 11, por sua vez, invadiu a área, cortou para dentro e bateu no canto, sem chances de defesa para Diego Alves.

FLAMENGO DÁ O TROCO

O Rubro-Negro voltou melhor do intervalo e diminuiu o placar da mesma forma que sofreu o segundo gol. Aos 12 minutos, Willian Arão desarmou Alan Patrick no campo de ataque e lançou bom passe para Bruno Henrique. O camisa 27, pelo lado esquerdo, cruzou na medida para Andreas Pereira, que pegou de primeira para balançar as redes do goleiro Daniel.

INCRÍVEL

Depois do gol, o Flamengo manteve a pegada, pressionou o Inter, mas não conseguiu marcar. A equipe gaúcha, por sua vez, teve uma chance de matar o jogo, mas desperdiçou. Aos 33 minutos, Pedro Henrique venceu marcação do Rubro-Negro e cruzou para Taison, que, mesmo dentro da pequena área, pegou muito forte na bola e isolou.

VITÓRIA COLORADA

Já nos acréscimos, a arbitragem assinou pênalti de Matheuzinho em cima de Pedro Henrique. Na cobrança, o camisa 28 jogou a bola para um lado e Diego Alves para o outro. Com o terceiro gol, o Internacional matou o jogo e garantiu mais três pontos.

SITUAÇÃO NA TABELA

Com o resultado, o Internacional chegou à terceira colocação do Brasileirão, com 18 pontos conquistados. Já o Flamengo é o 15º do Brasileirão, com 12 pontos.

FICHA TÉCNICA
Internacional 3 x 1 Flamengo

Estádio: Beira-Rio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
Data e hora: 11 de junho de 2022, às 21h
Árbitro: Braulio da Silva Machado (FIFA/SC)
Assistentes: Alex dos Santos (SC) e Thiaggo Americano Labes (SC)
Quarto árbitro: Douglas Schwengber da Silva (RS)
VAR: Daiane Caroline Muniz dos Santos (FIFA/SP)

Cartões amarelos: Carlos de Pena, Taison e Bustos (INT), Matheuzinho e Marinho (FLA)
Cartões vermelhos: –
Gols: Wanderson (1-0) (00’/1ºT), Wanderson (2-0) (21’/1ºT), Andreas Pereira (2-1) (14’/2ºT) e Pedro Henrique (3-1) (46’/2ºT)

INTERNACIONAL (Técnico: Mano Menezes)
Daniel; Fabricio Bustos (Rodrigo Moledo, 39’/2ºT), Vitão, Gabriel Mercado e Renê; Rodrigo Dourado (Johnny, 21’/2ºT), Gabriel e Alan Patrick (Alemão, 21’/2ºT); Carlos de Pena, Wanderson (Taison, 21’/2ºT) e David (Pedro Henrique, 31’/2ºT).

FLAMENGO (Técnico: Dorival Júnior)
Diego Alves; Matheuzinho, Rodrigo Caio, David Luiz e Filipe Luís (Ayrton Lucas, 37’/2ºT); Willian Arão (Pedro, 37’/2ºT), Thiago Maia (Marinho, 00’/2ºT) e Andreas Pereira; Everton Ribeiro (Diego, 37’/2ºT), Gabigol e Bruno Henrique.

Everton are already struggling to score goals this season, netting just 19 times in 23 Premier League games, only Southampton scoring fewer in this time frame (16). The Toffees have also generated the lowest xG in the division this season, with 24.87 xG, while boasting an average of just 0.1 xG per shot.

And things could be set to go from bad to worse, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin looks set to be out for weeks, Armando Broja – on loan from Chelsea – looks likely to miss a significant amount of the season with another injury issue and Beto is now being linked with a move away from Goodison Park this month.

This could see David Moyes’ side obtain another centre-forward in the last few days of this window, as they look to provide cover for their injured forwards whilst also adding much-needed goal-scoring power alongside Iliman Ndiaye, who has taken much of the onus so far.

Latest on Everton's search for a new striker

According to reports from Italian outlet TuttoSport, Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi could be a potential late move for Everton in the striker department. This has been linked to Beto’s return to Serie A, as he is Everton’s only fit forward currently, meaning he would need to be replaced before leaving the club.

The Forest striker has also been linked with a move to West Ham this month, which broke down as the Hammers went on to look at other striker options, potentially leaving the door open for Everton to swoop in last minute for the 27-year-old.

Awoniyi has made 20 appearances so far this season, only scoring one goal and totalling 401 minutes played, with the majority of his minutes coming from the bench, as the 27-year-old striker now finds himself behind the in-form Chris Wood in the pecking order.

Why Awoniyi could be Moyes' next Yakubu

Moyes may be looking to repeat the success of having landed another Nigerian striker from a Premier League rival during his first stint in charge, with Yakubu joining from Middlesbrough in 2007 for around £11.25m.

Yakubu made 107 appearances for the Toffees under Moyes’ management, scoring 33 goals, providing 12 assists and totalling 6,747 minutes played. ‘Feed the Yak and he will score…’

Awoniyi could provide Moyes with a similar story to that of his compatriot, the £50k-per-week striker joining Everton from Nottingham Forest, bringing important goals to the squad and offering a target man for other players such as Ndiaye to work off of.

When comparing Awoniyi’s 2023/24 record and Calvert-Lewin’s record so far this season, you can see the Forest man offers much more output and clinical finishing, with a drastic difference in their goals/shot ratio, with 0.21 goals/shot for Awoniyi vs a 0.07 goals/shot ratio for Calvert-Lewin.

Transfer Focus

Whilst the Englishman’s aerial stats are far superior, much of that can come down to Everton’s play style, hitting their frontman directly on a more regular basis.

Nottingham Forest icon Steve Hodge praised Awoniyi as an “extraordinary” player, labelling the striker “really clever” after a goal he scored against Manchester United.

Moyes could well be given his next Yakubu in Awoniyi, a strong solo striker who can play with his back to goal, bully defenders and bring other creative outlets into play, dealing with direct balls that suit Everton’s play style and most importantly, putting the finishing touch on balls into the box to add goals to the team.

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First Test at Rawalpindi may face rearrangement following postponement of domestic match

Andrew Miller08-Nov-2022

Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, says that his team will put its faith in the ECB’s security delegation ahead of their tour of Pakistan, amid concerns that next month’s first Test in Rawalpindi could require a switch of venue following last week’s attempted assassination of the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan.Imran, Pakistan’s victorious captain in the 1992 World Cup, was replaced as Prime Minister earlier this year following a vote of no confidence in the national parliament. On November 3, he sustained bullet wounds to his lower leg, after being shot at during a protest rally in the city of Wazirabad, about 180km south-east of the capital, Islamabad. One person was killed in the attack, with at least ten others wounded.Speaking in Adelaide, where he is preparing for Thursday’s T20 World Cup semi-final against India, Stokes acknowledged that the incident had caused some concern within the England squad, but said that he and his players would place “100 percent trust” in their veteran security advisor, Reg Dickason, who has overseen England’s touring arrangements for more than a decade.”Obviously what happened there last week was a bit of a shock to see,” Stokes told reporters in Adelaide. “But we’ve currently got Reg Dickason out there.Reg Dickason, pictured, on a visit to the Gadaffi Stadium, has overseen England’s security arrangements for more than a decade•EPA

“He’s been the main [security] man for England for many years now. In my opinion he’s the best man to be out there to assess the situation.”But we can’t really comment on anything until we’ve all the information back from Reg once he’s out there. But the players and the people going out on that tour 100 percent trust him. He’s a man you trust with your life, Reg.”In the wake of last month’s successful staging of seven T20Is in Karachi and Lahore, there is no suggestion at this stage that the tour is under direct threat. It is understood that the ECB – which attracted criticism for its abrupt cancellation of last year’s goodwill visit to the country – is keen to allow the situation to stabilise before any decisions have to be made.Related

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Nevertheless, supporters of Imran’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI), are expected to resume their “long march” towards the capital later this week, as they continue their demands for a general election, meaning they are likely to pass through Rawalpindi towards the third week of November.That date is likely to overlap with England’s anticipated arrival from their training camp in Dubai on November 26-27, with the first Test at Rawalpindi – England’s first in the country since 2005 – set to begin on December 1. England are due to play two subsequent Tests, in Multan from December 9-13 and Karachi from December 17-21.This week, the first day of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy match between Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Rawalpindi had to be postponed due to ongoing public protests by Imran’s supporters, who blocked the Pindi-Islamabad highway on Monday.The PCB held a meeting with the local government in an attempt to determine the fate of the QEA game. However, it wasn’t clear on Tuesday whether the game would be able to start on Wednesday or be further delayed.Dickason, who heads up the security firm ESI Risk, is expected to leave for Pakistan later this week, after he has overseen the arrival of England’s ODI players ahead of their three-match series against Australia next week. His previous involvement with the England squad includes the 2016 tour of Bangladesh, which took place in the wake of a terrorist attack in the capital, Dhaka.”We have the best security officer in the world in Reg Dickason trying to find out information for us,” Stokes added. “Whatever Reg says, the players and the ECB will listen because he knows exactly what he is doing.”

Philippe Clement is no longer the manager of Glasgow Rangers. Although inevitable, it felt as though the Belgian should have been relieved of his duties months ago, especially after a dismal start to the season at Ibrox.

The Premiership title race was all but over by the time Santa was delivering presents. The 3-0 win over the Parkhead side at the start of the year showed signs of recovery, but in the club’s very next game, they drew 3-3 with Hibs, surrendering a two-goal lead.

The Scottish Cup defeat to Championship side Queen’s Park was the nail in the coffin and, in truth, Clement should have walked after that. Keeping him as manager was prolonging the malaise around Ibrox.

At the time of writing, the Light Blues have lost five and drawn five of their 27 league games thus far. This sort of form will never be good enough to claim the domestic title, especially with how impressive Celtic have been.

It appears that big changes could occur at the club in the coming months, as 49ers Enterprises looks set to complete a takeover of Rangers, which could revitalise the club—both on and off the field.

While it looks like an interim boss will be appointed until the summer, the next permanent manager must be the right one, otherwise the club will forever be going around in circles.

Might there already be a name in the running for the vacant role already?

The latest on Rangers' hunt for a new manager

Naturally, there will be plenty of names thrown about surrounding the manager’s job at Ibrox, with some familiar faces likely to be mentioned by the media.

Eurosport contributor and journalist Luca Chianti has given an update, however, saying on X: “Rangers board will move quickly to appointment new manager with Steven Gerrard preferred by board and in talks, also concurrent discussions with ex Everton manager Sean Dyche.”

Dyche was sacked by Everton a few weeks ago following an underwhelming start to the 2024/25 season which left the Toffees in danger of relegation.

His style of play isn’t something many of the Ibrox faithful would want to see in Glasgow, rather someone who prefers a more attacking philosophy indeed.

Gerrard, on the other hand, could be a solid candidate, regardless of his previous two managerial roles ending in failure.

He lasted less than a year at Aston Villa, while his spell in the Middle East came to an end in January, leaving Saudi outfit Al-Ettifaq after just 18 months in charge.

While not perfect, Gerrard brought Rangers from the doldrums to the summit of Scottish football in just three years. He managed to get the best out of a talented squad of players while performing miracles in Europe, restoring pride to the Gers.

It is no secret that the former Liverpool icon is looked highly upon by the supporters due to the part he played at the club. Could a second spell in Glasgow get the Gers going again? Or is it a step too far?

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers statistics

Gerrard inherited a torrid squad when he took over in May 2018 and, quite naturally, it was going to take time for him to imprint his vision on the team.

The Light Blues failed to win a trophy during his first two seasons, although they reached the League Cup final in 2019, while also securing three wins against Celtic, the most of any manager since Walter Smith.

The 2020/21 campaign was his crowning glory, leading the team to an undefeated Premiership season which saw the club claim their first league title in a decade.

So impressive was this achievement, that even Sir Alex Ferguson hailed it as “magnificent” and it was down to the talents of several players, including Alfredo Morelos.

2021/22

22

12

1.86

2020/21

56

44

2.52

2019/20

54

36

2.17

2018/19

60

32

1.9

In the current Rangers squad, there is a player who has shown a remarkable likeness to the former Gers talisman. Hamza Igamane has a long way to go to match the numbers Morelos notched at Ibrox, but with the right coaching, anything is possible.

How Gerrard could bring the best out of Hamza Igamane

During his time working under Gerrard, Morelos went from a bustling out-and-out centre-forward to one who could drop deep and link up well with others around him despite not sacrificing his predatory instincts inside the penalty area.

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Indeed, Morelos played 158 matches for Gerrard at Rangers. During that time, he scored an impressive tally of 83 goals while grabbing 36 assists.

This works out as a goal every 1.9 games, and it is no wonder they went on to win the league title in 2020/21.

Igamane has certainly been one of the few bright sparks for the Gers this season, despite the poor results. Like Morelos, the Moroccan youngster seems to come alive when the Europa League anthem is played, scoring four goals in the competition from just four starts.

One came against Tottenham Hotspur, while the striker registered a goal every 91 minutes in Europe’s secondary competition.

Morelos is the club-record goalscorer in Europe for Rangers, netting 29 goals in 63 games for the Light Blues. If Igamane remains at the club and pushes on from this solid campaign, he has a chance to potentially break this.

Gerrard would bring the best out in him, that’s for certain. Clement failed to truly showcase a proper style of play during his time in charge, often leaving the main striker isolated in several games.

On the flip side, the Englishman tends to use a 4-3-3 system which brings the best out of a front three. During the 2020/21 season, Morelos was often flanked by Ryan Kent and either Ianis Hagi or Joe Aribo, two players who created chances aplenty for him.

Hagi is still at the club, while Gerrard could utilise the talents of Oscar Cortes, Nedim Bajrami and Ross McCausland similarly.

The board have got to look ahead to the future. The 44-year-old has achieved success in Glasgow before and there is no reason why he couldn’t do so again.

After Clement's sacking: Rangers must also get rid of £16k-p/w flop

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The 23-year-old, turning out for Goa this season, recorded the feat against Rajasthan

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Dec-2022Arjun Tendulkar emulated his illustrious father Sachin Tendulkar when he hit a century on Ranji Trophy debut on Wednesday in Porvorim. This was also Arjun’s first-class debut, for Goa, following a decent white-ball season for his new team.Sachin had scored his maiden first-class century on debut for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in 1988, against Gujarat, as a 15-year-old. Thirty-four years later, Arjun, a fast-bowling allrounder, hit 120 off 207 balls on day two of Goa’s Ranji opener against Rajasthan.Unbeaten on 4 overnight, having walked in with the score on 201 for 5, Arjun stitched together a 221-run partnership with the other overnight batter Suyash Prabhudessai, who hit 212 off 416 balls.At stumps, Goa had racked up 493 for 8 in 163.2 overs against a bowling attack that had the likes of Aniket Choudhary and Kamlesh Nagarkoti in their ranks.Arjun had moved to Goa from Mumbai at the start of the season in search of more game time. Prior to the season, he had featured in just two T20s for Mumbai.Arjun had a decent white-ball season. At the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, he picked up ten wickets in seven matches with an impressive economy rate of 5.69. He was Goa’s second highest wicket-taker in the tournament behind Lakshay Garg. Arjun also played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he was Goa’s leading wicket-taker, returning seven wickets in eight outings at an average of 32.37 and an economy rate of 4.98.Arjun is part of Mumbai Indians in the IPL but is yet to feature in a game for them.

Aston Villa have a variety of attacking options that Unai Emery will be hoping can claw them up the Premier League table and into a spot for a European finish. They’re currently tenth in the top flight, with 42 points to their name, but just four off a top-four spot.

Three January additions helped to strengthen in attack, with Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio joining the club on loan, and Donyell Malen permanently from Borussia Dortmund.

They have been added to the firepower in forward areas that include the likes of Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey, all of whom are flying this season.

Another attacker who Emery has in the squad is Leon Bailey, but he has struggled this season.

Bailey’s 2024/25 campaign

Bailey is into his fourth season at Villa Park, after his summer move in August 2021 from German outfit Bayer Leverkusen. They paid the 2023/24 Bundesliga champions just £25m to sign the winger almost four summers ago.

The Jamaican has had an up-and-down time of things at Villa Park. This season has been a real struggle, after registering 28 goal involvements last term. In 33 games across all competitions, he has scored one goal and has three assists to his name.

Things have been especially tough going for the 27-year-old in the Premier League this term. Bailey, who has operated on both flanks, has managed just one goal and two assists in 22 games, with his sole strike coming in a 2-1 win over Leicester City.

It has certainly been a tough season for the Villans number 31. With his disappointing performances this term, it might not be a surprise to see that Bailey’s market value has crashed to as low as £31.4m, according to Transfermarkt.

Incredibly, that is not as low as one of his former teammates, despite impressing since his move.

The former Villa player worth more than Bailey

Over the past few seasons, Villa have done a lot of business which has enabled them to spend so heavily and build a squad that has taken them to the Champions League. One of their biggest sales was that of Moussa Diaby.

Market Movers

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The Frenchman left Villa Park just one year after joining, also from Leverkusen. Villa were able to sell him for an impressive £50m, with the former PSG academy star moving to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Ittihad.

Diaby performed well for Villa during his one-season stint in that famous Claret and Blue shirt and was described as “electric” by Statman Dave. In 54 games for the club, he scored ten goals and grabbed nine assists, with his 14 goal involvements in the Premier League crucial for helping his side into the Champions League.

Diaby record by competition for Villa in 2023/24

Competition

Games

Goals

Assists

Premier League

38

6

8

Conference League

11

3

1

FA Cup

3

1

0

Carabao Cup

1

0

0

Conference League qualifiers

1

0

0

Stats from Transfermarkt

Since his move to the Middle East, it has been a mixed bag for Diaby. He has performed well, but the winger has missed a substantial portion of Al-Ittihad’s season through injury. The French winger has been unavailable nine times this term.

However, he has been an assist machine for the Saudi side. In 17 games across all competitions, the 25-year-old has scored once, but managed 13 assists, including grabbing two against Al-Hilal.

Despite his impressive performances, the winger’s value has dropped dramatically. As per Transfermarkt, he is now worth just £28.9m, almost half of the amount that they sold him for in the summer – and even less than Bailey.

Although Diaby has had a better campaign than Bailey this season, the values suggest that Villa made the right choice with who to sell. Getting £50m for the Frenchman has proven to be an excellent deal given his injury issues. Perhaps the Villans made the correct call with who to sell after all.

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And just like that, another transfer window has slammed closed. It was a somewhat anti-climatic end to the winter market, but Everton still managed to get a deal done.

Gone are the days of frantic and breathless deadline-day drama. Manchester City were the only team to bring a player into their first-team squad for a transfer fee (Brighton’s new forward, Stefanos Tzimas, not joining until the end of the season).

Everton weren’t able to sign a new centre-forward, but David Moyes will be delighted with the signing of Charly Alcaraz from Flamengo.

Why Everton have signed Charly Alcaraz

Everton still lack a fresh striker to spearhead the new Moyes era. However, Alcaraz’s dynamism and fluidity across a number of midfield positions will serve to thread offensive positions together.

Last summer, Alcaraz joined Flamengo for an €18m (fee £15m) fee. It was the Brasileiro Serie A club’s record signing.

Now, he’s back in the Premier League, arriving at Goodison Park on loan until the end of the season, although a permanent buy option worth £12m will be activated should Alcaraz complete an undisclosed number of top-flight appearances.

Able in the middle of the park and playing off the central striker’s shadow, the 22-year-old brings some flair and excitement, crucially already having played 19 times in the Premier League with Southampton, notching four goals and two assists.

Alcaraz has a budding playmaking skill and will seek to thread balls through to Beto. However, there’s a member of Moyes’ squad who can achieve this to a greater effect.

Frustratingly, he’s yet to grace the field under the Scotsman’s management.

The Everton star who is worth more than Alcaraz

Dwight McNeil has missed Everton’s past nine Premier League matches with a knee injury and is still expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

The attacking midfielder had been applauded by reporter Joe Thomas for his “magic” ability on the ball and will be a central cog in the Moyes machine when he does return, but Alcaraz will be able to operate in his area for now, with Abdoulaye Doucoure struggling to impress in his advanced deployment.

McNeil started the campaign in fine fettle, serving as a creative hub for a Sean Dyche side that was decidedly lacking in inspiration, posting three goals and three assists from eight opening Premier League games.

Energetic, potent and invariably creative, McNeil’s absence over the past few months undoubtedly added to the sapped nature of Dyche’s attacking line.

The 25-year-old has gone from strength to strength on Merseyside since leaving relegated Burnley for £20m in July 2022 and he’s sure to be excited about the future now that Moyes is in the dugout.

As per Football Transfers, the ball-playing specialist is worth £24m at present, about double the figure that was agreed for Alcaraz’s prospective permanent signing this summer.

It’s also worth noting that only two months ago, McNeil boasted a market value of £34m, with his fitness purgatory seemingly the cause of the depreciation, for his performances over the opening months of the campaign were worthy of such a figure.

Market Movers

In any case, Everton have hit the jackpot with this one, but with both Alcaraz and McNeil in the mix, there are exciting signs of stepping toward a more modern and expansive tactical style.

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