Scotland lose four wickets in four balls after coming within touching distance

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2021In a see-saw low-scorer that went down to the final over, with Scotland needing 13 to seal the series, Wellington Masakadza proved to be the hero for the visitors. Zimbabwe came storming back to win by 10 runs and level the three-match T20I series at 1-1.Masakadza picked up two wickets and effected a run out as Scotland lost four wickets in four balls. The left-arm spinner first removed Safyaan Sharif off the first ball when he was caught by Ryan Burl at long-on before running out Mark Watt, who sacrificed his wicket at the non-striker’s end while trying to steal a second.Then with 13 needed off four, Masakadza all but sealed the game when he dismissed the well-set Michael Leask, who had held the lower order together in making a 20-ball 25 until that point. In trying for a big hit, Leask top-edged a slog towards long-on where Sean Williams held on to a superb catch.That catch wasn’t the sole contribution by Williams. He was pivotal to Zimbabwe’s innings, forging a remarkable recovery from 20 for 3 in the third over. He batted through the innings from there on to make 60 off 52 balls, with five fours and a six. Along the way, he struck up vital partnerships with Craig Ervine (71-run stand for the fourth wicket) and a quick fire 42 off 26 balls with Burl. This late overs impetus lifted Zimbabwe and gave their bowlers a total of 136 to defend.Scotland started poorly, the cream of their batting dismantled inside the fifth over as they slipped to 16 for 4, with Tendai Chatara and Richard Ngarava doing bulk of the damage. Richie Berrington, who rescued them with a match-winning half-century in the series opener, threatened to pull off a repeat, until he fell to Williams – that man, again – for 42. At that stage, Scotland needed 45 off 35, with Matt Cross well set. However his dismissal, also for 42, in the 18th over, turned the tide in Zimbabwe’s favour and Masakadza made the most of it.The third T20I will be played on Sunday.

Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, has made a personal intervention in a bid to ensure this winter’s Ashes tour is able to take place, after raising the issue of a travel ban on the families of England’s cricketers with his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, although any special dispensation seems unlikely.Johnson, who is currently on a diplomatic visit to Washington DC, met with Morrison over dinner on Tuesday where he sought assurances about this winter’s series. The first Test is due to get underway at Brisbane on December 8, but the trip remains in doubt after a number of England players expressed reservations about the strict quarantine measures that are likely to be in place for the duration of the tour.”I raised it [with Mr Morrison] and he said he was going to do his best for the families,” Mr Johnson told reporters in Washington. “He totally got the point that for cricketers it is very tough to ask people to be away from their families over Christmas. He merely undertook to come back and see if he could find a solution.”In response, Morrison said: “I would love to see the Ashes go ahead, as I shared with Boris last night. But there’s no special deals there. I don’t see a great deal of difference in skilled workers or students, who will be able to come to Australia when you reach the vaccination rates.”International travel is set to resume when Australia reaches 80% double vaccination for over 16s but, nationally, that figure is unlikely to be reached before the Ashes squad is due to arrive.The ECB has been in extensive negotiations with their counterparts at Cricket Australia in recent weeks, in a bid to find a workable solution to an impasse that could yet derail the tour. At this stage, the prospect remains that England will, at best, send an under-strength squad and, at worst, boycott the series entirely, due to the complex relationship between Australia’s state and federal governments, and the challenge of moving freely around the country through the differing quarantine measures that are currently in place at different venues.Related

• Marnus Labuschagne: Important family can travel for the Ashes

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It is understood that the prospect of families not being allowed to join has receded but the 14-day quarantine period could still make it unworkable for many to fly into the tour. One development on the horizon that could yet assist is the New South Wales government announcing they will trial a seven-day home quarantine system from the end of September for those who fit certain criteria although it remains a long way from being an option for the Ashes.With a number of England’s players set to travel direct to Australia from the T20 World Cup, which begins in the UAE next month, CA has promised to give a final update on the Ashes quarantine arrangements by Monday. Despite the threat of withdrawals, Stuart Broad is one player who has committed to travel – potentially even as captain – telling The Mail on Sunday that he “would be happy to get on a plane to Australia in November”.Jos Buttler is one England player who has indicated he may not make the Ashes tour•AFP/Getty Images

That sentiment was shared on Wednesday by Dan Lawrence, the Essex batter who featured in three Tests this summer, and who captained his side to a two-day victory over Northamptonshire in their final fixture of the county season. Afterwards told ESPNcricinfo that he would “go in a heartbeat” if selected for this winter’s tour.”It’s such an individual, case-by-case basis,” Lawrence said. “For me personally, I’ve got no reason not to go to Australia, and if I was selected, I’d go in a heartbeat. It’s above my pay grade to find out what’s going on – we haven’t had any information yet, there are still negotiations going on. But just to get on the trip will be my first goal and I’ll be doing everything I can in the next six-eight weeks, because it’s a massive tick in a player’s career to play in an Ashes in Australia.”According to The Times, government support for the Ashes tour has been tempered by frustration at the ECB’s withdrawal from their two-match tour of Pakistan, which was due to take place in Rawalpindi on October 13 and 14. The paper reports that the Prime Minister and senior officials within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office believe that the decision, which was made on player welfare grounds rather than issues of security, has damaged relations between the UK and the Pakistan government.On Tuesday, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Christian Turner, issued a statement via Twitter, distancing himself from the ECB’s decision not to tour, which he said had been made independently of the country’s government.”The British High Commission supported the tour, did not advise against in on security grounds, and our travel advice for Pakistan has not changed,” Turner said. “I have been a champion of international cricket’s return to Pakistan and will redouble my efforts in advance of England’s autumn 2022 tour. My thanks to all at the PCB who have worked so hard in support of that.”

With the January transfer window approaching sooner rather than later, one Champions League player has already packed his bags with Everton the only club named in the report as his potential next destination.

Everton transfer news

Everton’s star signalled major alarm bells throughout Goodison Park as another relegation battle in the Premier League began to form. Since throwing away points from winning positions against both Bournemouth and Aston Villa, however, the Toffees finally found their feet before the international break, drawing twice and securing their first win of the season against fellow strugglers Crystal Palace.

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To say that Sean Dyche needed that recent run would be an understatement, amid rumours that the Friedkin Group have turned their attention towards the likes of Maurizio Sarri in preparation of completing their takeover at Everton. For now though, the former Burnley boss remains at the helm and tasked with continuing Everton’s turnaround in a crucial six-pointer against Ipswich Town after the international break.

If that remains the case by the January transfer window, then Dyche may even be handed a much-needed boost in the form of reinforcements, given recent links to a Champions League winger who looks destined to leave his current club.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Samuel Chukwueze has already packed his bags at AC Milan with Everton the one club named as a possible destination. Valued at a reported €14m (£12m), the Nigerian has started just twice in the Serie A so far this season and is increasingly in need of a fresh start away from the San Siro.

Having only completed a move to Milan in the summer of 2023, a move away in January would sum up just how badly things have gone in Italy for Chukwueze in the last 14 months. However, what is Milan’s loss could quickly prove to be Everton’s gain if they make their move and get the winger back to his scintillating best.

"Great" Chukwueze would be impressive coup

Even after a difficult Milan spell, Chukwueze is more than capable of making an impact once he regains some much-needed confidence, which could come courtesy of Everton. This is still a winger who caught the attention of those in Italy after lighting up La Liga at Villarreal, and is still a winger who may well prove to be an impressive coup if those at Goodison Park take full advantage of his desire to leave Milan.

Of course, it must be said that those at the San Siro will still be frustrated that things are yet to work out for the winger who earned the praise of teammate Rafael Leao last season. The Milan star dubbed Chukwueze “great” but the 25-year-old has so far failed to replicate the 13 goals and 11 assists that he managed for Villarreal in the campaign prior to his move. Leaving the door open for Everton to make their move, they could now take full advantage in January.

Redbacks only bowled a side out once last season and have claimed four Sheffield Shield wooden spoons in a row

Andrew McGlashan23-Sep-2021

South Australia head coachJason Gillespie is confident his bowlers can put last season’s toil behind them as they bid to lift themselves off the foot of the Sheffield Shield for the first time in five seasons.The 2020-21 campaign was back-breaking for the Redbacks’ attack with none of the regular bowlers who played more than a single match taking their wickets at less than 45. The leading wicket-taker was Chadd Sayers with 13 at 46.76 in what became his final season while among the others Wes Agar, who earned an Australia limited-overs call-up for the tours of West Indies and Bangladesh, claimed four wickets at 144.25.They did not bowl a side out twice all season – although came within one wicket of doing so in Perth – and only once took all 10 wickets in an innings, that coming in the final game against Victoria.In an attempt to find a solution, South Australia have recruited to the bowling unit in the off-season with the lively fast bowlerBrendan Doggett joining from Queensland alongside allrounder Nathan McAndrew from New South Wales. Doggett, however, won’t be available for the opening match against Western Australia as he builds up his workload.Related

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“Our bowling was below par, we acknowledge that and accept that, we need to be better with the ball in both forms of the game,” Gillespie told ESPNcricinfo. “We will be better than what we were. Brendan Doggett has come on board and Nathan McAndrew to complement the guys we have.”David Grant showed real progress in four-day cricket last year, Wes didn’t have the four-day form he would have like, Dan Worrall is a quality swing bowler, Nick Winter is another swing bowler, so we’ve got a number of options. We believe we’ve developed a bit of depth through progression and recruitment.”Spin-bowling returns were also meagre after the early false dawn of legspinner Lloyd Pope taking a five-wicket haul on the opening day of the season. He would take only another three wickets and averaged 86.25 overall. In the second half of the campaign, left-arm wrist spinner Joe Medew-Ewen and allrounder Sam Kerber were given a chance with the latter in the squad for Friday’s opening round against Western Australia alongside Pope.Gillespie also hoped that another winter recruit, Nathan McSweeney, could play a role with his offspin having impressed during pre-season.Having twice managed to save games after poor first-innings during the Adelaide-based hub that started last season (against Tasmania and Victoria) and almost doing it a third time against Queensland, there was an uplift in run-scoring after the BBL which heartened Gillespie.”From a batting perspective we did show some real progression I thought particularly pre and post Big Bash in the Shield, we challenged the batters to put more runs on the board particularly in the first innings,” he said.Gillespie has also had the benefit of a full pre-season in a largely lockdown-free Adelaide to work closely with the squad compared to last season when he was still completing quarantine during the first round of matches. A lot of the focus of the winter has been on “empowering players” to lead discussions around their personal development and wider game tactics, but he insisted there had been no timeline put on turning the fortunes of the state around.”We’ve put a line through last season, it’s done. We’ve taken the lessons and put things in place that we feel will make us progress this year. I’m not looking over my shoulder and I don’t want players and support staff looking over their shoulder either. We are progressing nicely, our goal was to create the best possible environment for our players to thrive and we feel we are well on the way there.”

Jamie Carragher says it was "bizarre and ridiculous" of Ruben Amorim to label this Manchester United team the "worst" in the club's history.

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Amorim gave damning assessment of Man UtdCarragher labels comments 'ridiculous' Says they may damage mood in dressing room Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The coach made headlines after he gave a scathing assessment of his squad following their 3-1 loss to Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday. United have won six of the 15 games they have played since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November and they currently sit 13th in the Premier League table.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Carragher said United have been "a joke" for some time, the former Liverpool defender was baffled by Amorim's comments and argued they were unnecessary and may have a negative impact on a squad already low in confidence.

WHAT CARRAGHER SAID

Carragher said on : "I don't know Man Utd's history as well as Gary Neville but I must say it was one of the most bizarre and ridiculous things I've ever heard a manager say. Why you would make a comment like that… that's the type of comment a pundit would make, someone in my position, and you'd have to defend that. I don't know what he gains from that, what the benefit is. We all know it's a poor Man Utd team. They'd lost another game at home to Brighton, they'd done that in the last couple of years anyway. We know it's a tough season, we know it's a poor team. He has just loosened it up. That will be a quote that follows him for the rest of the season. He said to the journalists there: 'I'll give you your headline'. Why you would like to do that as a manager, I'll never know."

He added: "It doesn't help you confidence-wise going forwards. I've not got much sympathy for the players in the Man Utd dressing room, they've been a joke for a few years now. A few weeks ago, after they played Liverpool, where Lisandro Martinez was talking about the mentality that was different – I nearly couldn't stop laughing when I saw that. The amount of times Man Utd have thrown the towel in with bad performances over the last four or five years. What I would say is how can the manager go into the dressing room between now and the end of the season and continually try to build them up and give them belief to beat the opposition, whoever they come up against, when he has said they're one of the worst teams in Man Utd history? At no point can I see what he'll gain from that."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

United were unbeaten in three matches before losing to Brighton and Amorim will hope his players can shake off his criticism to bounce back with a win against Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday.

اعترف نادي بايرن ميونخ بأن لديه هدف في سوق الانتقالات الصيفية يريد تحقيقه لتدعيم صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم وهو التعاقد مع أفضل لاعب ألماني بالوقت الحالي.

ورغم تصدر بايرن ميونخ جدول ترتيب الدوري الألماني برصيد 61 نقطة وتواجد الفريق في دور الـ 16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا، إلا أن الأداء لا يزال متذبذبا تحت قيادة المدرب الشاب، فينسنت كومباني.

لذلك ترى إدارة بايرن ميونخ أنها ترغب في المزيد من الصفقات لتدعيم الصفوف وهو ما اعترف به الرئيس الفخري لنادي بايرن ميونخ، كارل هانز رومينيجه.

اقرأ أيضًا | الصبر نفد.. بايرن ميونخ يتخذ قرارًا هامًا بشأن مستقبل كيميتش

وقال رومينيجه في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الكتالونية: “ليس سرًا أن هدفنا يجب أن يكون التعاقد مع فلوريان فيرتز (لاعب باير ليفركوزن)”.

وأضاف: “نريد ضم اللاعب من أجل تعزيز صفوفنا في السنوات المقبل، وليس لإضعاف باير ليفركوزن”.

ويمتلك فيرتز عقدًا مع باير ليفركوزن حتى 30 يونيو 2027، وبايرن ميونخ ليس النادي الوحيد الذي يسعى لضمه بل هناك ريال مدريد، مانشستر سيتي الذي يراه البديل الأنسب للرحيل المتوقع لصانع الألعاب، كيفن دي بروين، بنهاية الموسم الحالي، ويعد فيرتز أفضل لاعب ألماني في الوقت الحالي.

Following such a disastrous start to the season, INEOS now reportedly want to sell one Manchester United star as early as the January transfer window, according to their former scout.

Man Utd transfer news

A year on from making their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, Erik ten Hag’s side beat their own record after failing to find a way past Aston Villa in frustrating fashion. That 0-0 draw did at least see the Red Devils avoid yet another defeat after their humiliation at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in the week prior at Old Trafford, with the North London club soaring to a 3-0 victory.

Yet, even after such a poor start, INEOS look set to stick with Ten Hag in what could quickly prove to be a costly decision. Instead, Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks set to make a ruthless decision on the sales front when the January transfer window arrives.

According to former Old Trafford scout Mick Brown, who was close to Sir Alex Ferguson, INEOS now want to sell Casemiro as soon as possible following his own poor start to the campaign, in which he’s lost his place to summer signing Manuel Ugarte.

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Brown told Football Insider: “I’m told they’ll look to cash in on him as soon as they can, on the 1st January if possible. He’s one of the biggest wage-earners and he’s not going to feature regularly in the first team.

“He’s been benched because he hasn’t been performing and can’t do it any more. I’m sure they would love to offload him if they could to get him out of the squad and off the wage bill, which would allow them to spend some money.

“Whether it’s a move to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere, you’ve got to find someone who’s willing to pay the money both to United and to him. They’re not going to make back anywhere near what they paid for him but they’ll look to bring in some money if they do let him go.“

Man Utd right to show Casemiro the door

It wouldn’t be absurd to suggest that Casemiro should never have found himself on his way to Old Trafford in the first place, given that he was already on his way past the incredibly successful peak that he enjoyed at Real Madrid. His arrival has proved to be quite the error and one that has seen INEOS quickly change the transfer policy that was in place before their arrival.

Earning a reported £350,000-a-week, the Red Devils must show the Brazilian the door in the January transfer window. With Ugarte to choose from and Casemiro now an unreliable option even from the bench, the best outcome from all parties is a swift winter exit to end what has become a miserable spell.

Tottenham Hotspur look to be steering in the right direction after an up-and-down start to the campaign, but now face Manchester United at Old Trafford in a Premier League clash that both teams desperately need to win.

United, who won the FA Cup before the summer, have not started well under Erik ten Hag, thrashed on home turf already by Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

The Red Devils and Spurs are level in points in the standings – seven after five matches – though Tottenham have scored nine goals to tomorrow’s opponents five. Ange Postecoglou will hope to utilise that ostensible attacking advantage to score a statement win.

14/01/2024

Premier League

2-2 draw

19/10/2023

Premier League

2-0 loss

12/03/2023

Premier League

3-2 loss

04/10/2020

Premier League

6-1 win

04/12/2019

Premier League

2-1 loss

Postecoglou’s side beat Qarabag 3-0 in their Europa League opener on Thursday evening despite playing the majority of the contest with ten men after Radu Dragusin was sent off early on.

Skipper Heung-min Son hobbled off in the second half in what could be a significant blow to the visitors’ attacking fluency. Will he make it to the starting lineup? We reckon Postecoglou could ring six changes for the match at the Theatre of Dreams, following the midweek triumph.

1 GK – Guglielmo Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario has not missed a minute in the Premier League since he was signed from Serie A side Empoli for an initial £17m fee in August 2022.

That won’t change on Sunday.

2 RB – Pedro Porro

Rested for the midweek Europa League tie, Pedro Porro’s completeness will be crucial against Man United, with the Spaniard set to tussle against one of Alejandro Garnacho or Marcus Rashford.

He scored on the opening day of the term and has averaged two key passes and 2.6 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore.

3 CB – Cristian Romero

Postecoglou spoke of some “fresh guys” who had been rested for the continental clash, and Cristian Romero is one of them. A tough-tackling titan if there ever was one, he’s a monstrous presence in defence and will strike fear into the hosts’ attacking line, who have not yet found their shooting boots in 2024/25.

4 CB – Micky van de Ven

Micky van de Ven continues to exceed expectations. The Dutch defender is as dynamic as he is dominant in the backline, though he has struggled to hit the same sharpness in the duel so far this season, winning just 38% of his ground battles. That needs to change.

5 LB – Destiny Udogie

He was given a rest against Qarabag, but Destiny Udogie ended up playing around 80 minutes of football on Thursday, replacing youngster Lucas Bergvall after 12 minutes following Dragusin’s dismissal.

A physical specimen with pace and power in abundance, Udogie will be a constant thorn in Man United’s flank.

6 CM – Pape Matar Sarr

Reprising his role in the middle of the park after a goalscoring display against Qarabag, Pape Matar Sarr hasn’t actually played over 45 minutes of football in the English top flight since the opening day of the season.

Minutes played

90′

Goals

1

Touches

60

Shots (on target)

2 (1)

Accurate passes

46/50 (92%)

Long balls

2/2

Ball recoveries

3

Tackles + interceptions

2

Total duels (won)

4 (2)

He scored in the Europa League, though, and will bring the energy and drive to Postecoglou’s midfield that will be needed to overcome United’s efforts.

7 CM – Rodrigo Bentancur

With Sarr looking to keep his starting berth, Postecoglou will need to choose between Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur to complete his midfield, and he should well opt for the latter.

The Uruguayan, aged 27, is an all-encompassing star, and having completed 92% of his passes in the Premier League this term, will bring the control that his team need to leave Manchester with a positive result.

8 RW – Dejan Kulusevski

The best player of the campaign so far? There’s a case for it. Dejan Kulusevski brings something unique to Postecoglou’s side, and though he’s been fashioned into a central midfielder for the early matches of the year, Son’s injury could see him revert to his typical right-flanking role.

The £110k-per-week star is Tottenham’s lifeblood in attack. He works and works and works. Tireless. Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir is a big fan, summing up his importance: “Dejan Kulusevski really is a special special player. Works so hard, covers every blade of grass. Hell of an engine on him, and just so much heart.”

9 AM – James Maddison

James Maddison has endured a challenging 2024, but he’s started the current campaign with conviction and was virtually unplayable as the Lilywhites defeated Brentford in the Premier League last weekend.

Ranking among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and progressive passes and the top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, he could be the catalyst tomorrow.

10 LW – Brennan Johnson

With Son probably set to start from the bench – having been dubbed a doubt by Postecoglou – Brennan Johnson will be tasked with performing on the left wing. The Wales international came under fire for his early-season performances but has responded emphatically, scoring in each of his last three matches.

Oliver Glasner managed to get his third point of the season, having drawn three games in a row now. However, their most recent 0-0 draw against Manchester United still came with its negatives.

Crystal Palace were only able to hold 33% possession, with the away side generating 1.70 xG in the game. The Red Devils should have scored if not for Dean Henderson making seven saves.

If the plan is to continue with a back five, looking to hurt teams by attacking through the wingbacks, working it inside to Eberechi Eze, Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Philippe Mateta, the Eagles could do with some extra pace in those wide areas, which could see Glasner try something new.

Daniel Munoz, the unfortunate one to be dropped

Daniel Munoz has started all seven of Palace’s games this season, playing 610 minutes for Glasner’s side so far. The 28-year-old has played in a right-wing back role, tasked with providing width in attack, but also tracking back to form a back five out of possession.

From his heatmap against Leicester (Sofascore), you can see how high up Munoz is asked to play, looking to provide an attacking threat down that right-hand side, getting into good crossing positions, and making runs in behind to stretch the field of play for Palace, often freeing up space for the likes of Eze and Daichi Kamada.

Glasner could perhaps make a slight tactical tweak in this game, sticking with the same system, but removing Munoz (a natural fullback) with a more natural winger, who can create dangerous opportunities from this position on the pitch.

Palace's new wing-back option

Palace signed Ismaila Sarr from Marseille this summer, for a fee of around £12.5m. The 26-year-old winger has been praised for having “raw pace” by Troy Deeney, and this could be exactly what Glasner needs to insert into the side to give the Eagles a bit more bit going forward.

Since joining Palace, Sarr has only appeared off the bench, coming on in all seven games so far, playing 145 minutes in total. But could this be the week to start him, making a slight tactical adjustment to the side, and looking to grab their first victory of the season.

This tactical change would see Sarr playing in a new role, as a right-wing back, having to do his bit defensively, but then being able to provide the width for Palace, stretch play with runs in behind, and cause the opposition problems with that electric pace.

You can see from the metrics, Sarr would offer much more going forwards, adding extra creativity with his pass selection from wide areas (2.50 passes into the penalty area, and 4.17 key passes per 90), and threat running in behind, to generate chances for himself and his teammates.

On the other hand, by replacing Munoz with Sarr, you do lose defensive output, with Munoz averaging 3.67 tackles per 90, and 1.02 interceptions per 90. Comparatively, Sarr – who former Watford teammate Ben Foster called a “freak talent” – hasn’t made a tackle yet, and has only made 0.59 interceptions per 90.

Glasner will have a difficult decision to make, either go for the safer option in Munoz, or start Sarr to get on the front foot, open things up for the likes of Eze and Kamada, and go for their first Premier League win of the season.

Glasner must drop Clyne to unleash Crystal Palace star in a new system

The Eagles return to league action against Manchester United this evening…

By
Connor Holden

Sep 21, 2024

The two talismen proved their worth once again by netting in a 4-0 rout of Spurs that gives Arne Slot a chance to lift a trophy next month

There's a rumour doing the rounds on Merseyside right now that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have agreed new contracts with Liverpool. The fans are praying that's the case, as both men underlined their astronomical value to the club in Wednesday night's 4-0 rout of Tottenham, which saw the Reds progress to the Carabao Cup final 4-1 on aggregate.

The currently unstoppable Salah created the game's opening goal for Cody Gakpo and scored the second himself from the penalty spot, after Darwin Nunez had been felled by Tottenham's atrocious new goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky.

The impressive Dominik Szoboszlai made it 3-0 after taking a clever pass from Conor Bradley in his stride before Van Dijk capped a fantastic win for the hosts with a towering header reminiscent of his winner in last year's final.

GOAL rates all of the Liverpool players on show as the reigning champions set up an intriguing Wembley showdown with Newcastle United on March 16…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Caoimhin Kelleher (6.5/10):

A deserved start for Alisson's wonderfully reliable No.2 and he couldn't have hoped for an easier clean sheet. Truth be told, he probably would have liked a little more to do. Son Heung-min did hit the bar at one point but the Irishman didn't actually have a save to make!

Conor Bradley (8/10):

As expected, replaced the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back and the England international would have been proud of the first-time through-ball that Bradley played into Szoboszlai. One superb sliding challenge on Son also evoked memories of the right-back's 'reducer' on Kylian Mbappe a couple of months back.

Ibrahima Konate (7/10):

Little was asked of the France defender but he impressed with his aggression and anticipation.

Virgil van Dijk (8/10):

Really enjoyed his duel with Richarlison before the Brazilian was forced off injured. Coasted through the rest of the game before emphatically heading home the fourth.

Andy Robertson (7/10):

There were a few misplaced passes but the Scot kept Dejan Kulusevski quiet and also put over a couple of decent crosses. Robertson is definitely starting to look a little like his old self in the past few weeks.

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Ryan Gravenberch (7.5/10):

Such a classy operator. As well as doing a fine job screening the back four, the Dutchman's distribution was excellent and his footwork fantastic. He's got this wonderful ability to jink past opponents and he was very unlucky not to get what would have been a deserved goal with a well-struck drive that hit the post.

Curtis Jones (7/10):

Came in for his first start since getting injured against Lille last month and performed with his characteristic energy and composure. Ran himself into the ground before being wisely replaced with 20 minutes to go.

Dominik Szoboszlai (8/10):

Offered a constant goal threat, going close twice to scoring before coolly slotting home the killer third. His relentless pressing also played a pivotal role in Tottenham having no time on the ball.

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Mohamed Salah (8/10):

The man is on fire. Another goal-and-assist contribution from the Egyptian King, who is easily the most effective forward in world football right now. If he stays fit, anything is possible for the Reds this season.

Darwin Nunez (7/10):

No goal once again but the Uruguayan more than justified his inclusion with a dynamic display. His work-rate was exceptional and he created a number of chances for his team-mates before being taken off.

Cody Gakpo (8/10):

Causes constant chaos on the left wing with his ability to fly past his man and dig out a cross from the byline – or cut inside onto his favoured right foot. Took his goal really well, too, as it was not an easy shot to control and he's not netted 10 times in his past 10 appearances at Anfield.

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Diogo Jota (6.5/10):

Took over up top from Nunez and had a couple of half-chances.

Alexis Mac Allister (6.5/10):

Replaced Jones in midfield and bagged a late assist with his corner for Van Dijk's goal.

Harvey Elliott (N/A):

Only came on with less than 10 minutes to go.

Luis Diaz (N/A):

Part of a late double substitution with Elliott.

Jarell Quansah (N/A):

Brought on just before the finish to give Van Dijk a deserved ovation from an adoring Anfield crowd.

Arne Slot (8/10):

Things couldn't have gone much better for the Dutchman, with both Jones and Nunez vindicating their recalls as Liverpool reached a cup final in his first season in charge. He's now got a glorious chance to lift a trophy before we even reach the business end of the season.