Leicestershire finished day one of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Glamorgan in Cardiff on 285 for 7 with the visitors losing six wickets for 117 runs after tea.A career best 82 from Rishi Patel and a well-made 64 from Hassan Azad had given the Leicestershire hope of setting a competitive first innings score for the first time this season but a frantic evening session so those hopes fade.The visitors were well placed at tea on 168 for two before wickets for Marnus Labuschagne and two preventable run-outs meant that their middle order made limited impact.When Patel was bowled by James Harris, chopping on while attempting a cut shot, Leicestershire had lost their top order and were still short of passing 300 for the first time in the Championship this season.Having won the toss and put Leicestershire into bat Glamorgan would have been hoping for some early wickets to justify that decision. This was not to be with Leicestershire making slow but steady progress as they reached lunch at 82 for 0.Glamorgan went into this game with six seam-bowling options, but it was the part-time spin of Labuschagne who made the breakthrough. Sam Evans came down the pitch to a ball that turned just enough to go past the outside edge and Chris Cooke completed a simple stumping.Labuschagne could have dismissed Azad when the batter was on 46 but David Lloyd failed to hold on to a chance in the slips. Azad made it to 64 and looked completely untroubled before he was run out by a sharp throw from the boundary by Sam Northeast.Patel came into this side for Colin Ackermann who missed out on this match due to an injured thumb. Patel has had some misfortune himself this season with illness and then injury preventing him from making a first team appearance in 2022 until this match. From the very start of his innings he looked in fine touch as he passed fifty for the first time in his first-class career.While Patel stood firm it was chaotic at the other end with the run out of Azad and Labuschagne picking up the wickets of Wiaan Mulder and Scott Steel in consecutive balls.The new ball brought more wickets with Michael Neser, Harris and James Weighell all chipping in to cause more damage to the Leicestershire batting lineup. .Barring some late order brilliance, Leicestershire will be looking to fight their way back into a match. Given how well things had gone for Leicestershire in the first half of the day Glamorgan will be delighted with their efforts after the tea break.

كشف واين روني، مهاجم مانشستر يونايتد السابق، عن اختياره لأفضل 5 لاعبين في الدوري الإنجليزي هذا الموسم، حيث برز العديد من النجوم الذين تركوا بصمتهم في المسابقة الأقوى حول العالم.

وتقترب المسابقة من نهايتها حيث وصلنا إلى الجولة الرابعة والثلاثين، وهي الجولة التي قد يتم الإعلان عن فوز ليفربول باللقب العشرين إذا تغلب على توتنهام في ملعب “أنفيلد”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فان دايك يدافع عن أرنولد: مستقبله أمر خاص.. ونتمنى استمرار تألقه حتى نهاية موسم ليفربول

@primevideosport Wayne Rooney’s top FIVE Premier League players this season… #football #footballtiktok #premierleague ♬ original sound – Prime Video Sport

وتحدث روني عن اختياراته في تصريحات عبر شبكة “أمازون برايم”، وقال: “في المركز الخامس، أعتقد أنني سأختار برونو فيرنانديز، على الرغم من أنه لم يقدم أفضل موسم له، إلا أنه كان اللاعب الثابت الوحيد الذي يواصل تقديم الأداء الجيد في مانشستر يونايتد، لذلك، سأضعه في المركز الخامس”.

أما في المركز الرابع، فقد اختار روني: “مورجان جيبس وايت (نوتينجهام فورست)، لقد قدم موسمًا رائعًا، حيث خلق وسجل الأهداف وكان اللاعب الأهم في الفريق في رأيي”.

وفي المركز الثالث، جاء كول بالمر، حيث أضاف روني: “أعلم أنه لم يسجل الأهداف التي سجلها في بداية الموسم، ولكنني ما زلت أعتقد أنه كان له تأثير كبير مع تشيلسي هذا الموسم”.

وفي المركز الثاني، اختار روني ألكسندر إيزاك من نيوكاسل، مشيدًا بأدائه الممتاز في كل المباريات، وقال: “أعتقد أنه لاعب شامل، يسجل الأهداف وكان له دور كبير في نهائي كأس كاراباو أيضًا، لذلك سيكون اختياري في المركز الثاني”.

وأخيرًا، جاء محمد صلاح في المركز الأول، حيث قال روني: “أعتقد أن أدائه كان ممتازًا على مدار السنوات الماضية، وهذا الموسم أيضًا يبدو أنه يساهم بشكل كبير في اقتراب ليفربول من اللقب لذلك، سيكون هو اختياري الأول”.

It’s no secret that the primary reason behind Manchester City’s enormous downturn in form this season is Rodri’s absence.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner ruptured his ACL against Arsenal in late-September, and the Sky Blues’ season has spiralled into oblivion ever since, winning just three of their last 15 matches, staggeringly losing ten of them.

So, with current options İlkay Gündoğan and Mateo Kovačić ill-equipped to fill Rodri’s ginormous void at the base of midfield, will the beleaguered four-in-a-row Premier League champions dip into the January transfer market?

Man City looking at Premier League midfielder

According to reports from Spain earlier this week, Manchester City have ‘set their sights’ on Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba.

Baleba, a 20-year-old Cameroon international, joined the Seagulls from LOSC Lille in August 2023 for a reported fee of €27m (£23.2m), with the Ligue 1 side retaining a 15% sell-on clause, meaning les Dogues will certainly be hoping Man City make a move.

Baleba has been a key figure for Fabian Hürzeler’s side, starting 15 of the last 18 Premier League matches, while only two outfield Brighton players have accumulated more minutes during this campaign thus far; Kaoru Mitoma and Jan Paul van Hecke, in case you were wondering.

Transfermarkt currently values Baleba at €35m (£29m), but Brighton would surely demand more for one of their most prized assets.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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As noted by Brian Owen of the Argus, the Seagulls have earned a reputation as “tough negotiators”, most notably selling Moisés Caicedo for a British record £115m, as well as Marc Cucurella for a reported £62m, also joining Chelsea, while Benjamin White moved to Arsenal for £50m.

So, if Man City do want to land their man, they’ll have to pay top-dollar, but would Beleba be worth a heavy investment?

How Carlos Baleba would improve Manchester City

Of course, any defensive midfielder Man City sign, or are even interested in signing, will be compared to Rodri, so how do the pair compare?

Carlos Baleba vs Rodri comparison (23/24 & 24/25)

Statistic

Baleba

Rodri

Minutes

2,959

5,686

Appearances

58

67

Touches

1,856

5,625

Passes attempted

1,429

5,177

Pass completion %

90.6%

92%

Progressive passes *

4.00

11.6

Tackles won *

1.43

1.31

Interceptions *

1.64

0.64

Ball recoveries *

6.63

7.30

% of aerial duels won

68.9%

68%

Yellow cards

13

15

Red cards

1

1

Stats via FBRef. (* = per 90 minutes)

Despite his current lay-off, since the start of last season, Rodri has played almost exactly double the number of minutes Baleba has, making the Cameroonian’s statistics all the more impressive.

During this timeframe, on a per-90-minute basis, Baleba significantly exceeds Rodri when it comes to tackles and interceptions, but is marginally behind for ball recoveries, underlining that the Brighton man is better out of possession.

Raj Cohan of Premier League Panel on Twitter described Baleba’s halftime introduction during the Seagulls’ win over Man City in November as “game-changing”, adding he had the “power to smash Haaland out of the way”.

On the flip side, Rodri’s in-possession passing numbers are off the scale, attempting close to a pass every minute, while Baleba’s figures are around half that.

Meantime, Rodri completed 546 progressive passes, defined as a pass that moves the ball “at least 30 meters closer to the opponent’s goal”, over eight per game on average, which is a ridiculously high figure.

Nevertheless, Baleba’s out-of-possession, ball-winning proficiency could be a major asset given that, as Barney Ronay for the Guardian noted, Man City keep letting in the same goal on the counter-attack repeatedly, with Pep Guardiola himself saying his team “conceded the goals we didn’t concede” in the past.

Related Forget Phillips: Man City have an "ideal Rodri back-up" out on loan

Manchester City may already have their perfect Rodri deputy, but it’s not Kalvin Phillips

Posts ByBen Gray Dec 31, 2024

Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games, drawing 2-2 with Aston Villa, drawing 1-1 with Newcastle, beating Ipswich 1-0, and drawing 2-2 with Manchester City.

If you look at this in regard to points, earning six points from a possible 12 isn’t bad at all when you consider the opposition in these four games, and these results have seen Oliver Glasner’s side climb out of the relegation zone, now sitting 17th.

One man in particular has been key with his performances in recent weeks, scoring two goals and becoming “irreplaceable” in Glasner’s system, per the words of journalist Dom Smith.

Daniel Munoz's performances this season

Daniel Munoz has been in superb form lately, scoring a goal against Manchester City. But, his standout performance in this recent run definitely came against the Magpies.

Alongside scoring a 94th-minute equaliser to grab a point for the Eagles, Munoz also won 12/13 ground duels in the game alongside winning a whopping 11 tackles.

The importance of Munoz is key to Glasner’s system, as he is required to hold the width and operate as a fifth attacker in possession, whilst also tracking back and being part of the compact back five out of possession.

The 50-year-old Austrian coach even labelled Munoz’s goal as “amazing” against Man City, speaking about his ability to affect the game from wingback, overloading that side of the pitch.

Often, this role is considered a specialist one, and can drive the price of top players in these positions, but Palace managed to get a real bargain with Munoz, who has already tripled his value.

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?

Daniel Munoz's transfer value in 2024

The 28-year-old was signed by Palace in January 2024, joining from Genk for a fee of around £6.9m. Since joining the Eagles, Munoz has made 34 appearances for the club, scoring two goals, providing six assists, and totalling 2,965 minutes played.

According to Transfermarkt, Munoz has seen his value soar and he is now worth around £19m, nearly triple the fee he was signed for just 11 months ago.

So, how does he compare to a fellow full-back in the Palace squad?

Goals

0.12

0.00

Assists

0.12

0.06

xG

0.18

0.02

xAG

0.11

0.15

Progressive Carries

1.57

2.01

Progressive Passes

2.43

2.36

Shots Total

1.01

0.34

Key Passes

1.00

1.04

Passes into Pen Area

0.50

0.83

Shot-Creating Actions

2.29

2.50

Tackles

3.79

2.71

Interceptions

1.01

0.40

Glasner has established a good dynamic with his wing-backs, the left side being more geared towards progression, as Tyrick Mitchell demonstrates here with his metrics, averaging more progressive carries, more key passes per 90, and more shot-creating actions.

Munoz, on the other hand, is the more direct attacking threat, getting into goalscoring areas more often, taking more shots, generating more xG, and scoring more goals per 90. Both players are expected to do their part on the defensive end, and their industry to get up and down the pitch is key to their roles.

If Palace are to continue on their four-game unbeaten streak and continue to climb their way up the Premier League table, the performances of their wingbacks will be key, with Munoz and Mitchell impacting both sides of the ball at all times.

Their next Olise: Crystal Palace could have a £100m + star in the making

Crystal Palace could have their next Olise with £100m ace in the making

ByConnor Holden Nov 16, 2024

Seamer takes 5 for 11 as Worcestershire slip to fifth defeat in six games

ECB Reporters Network05-Jun-2022Leicestershire Foxes secured their third win in four games with the help of a superb spell of bowling from Naveen-ul-Haq in a 26-run triumph against Worcestershire Rapids at New Road.The Afghanistan pace bowler returned career-best T20 figures of 5 for 10 from four overs as the Foxes comfortably defended a total of 162 for 6.He claimed the prized wickets of Brett D’Oliveira and overseas duo Colin Munro and Dwayne Bravo before cleaning up the innings as the Rapids were dismissed for 136 in 19 overs.All of the Foxes’ wins have come on the road against Yorkshire, Birmingham Bears and now Worcestershire. But they were aided by some poor shot selection by Worcestershire’s batters and the home side remain in bottom spot after a fifth defeat in six games.Moeen Ali put the visitors into bat on the same hybrid wicket used against the Bears on Friday and for the Central Sparks-Western Storm game yesterday in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.Related

Hampshire finally get on the board as Seifert's 55-ball 100 goes in vain

Bopara steers Sussex home after McCoy claims four

D'Oliveira, Haynes help Worcs take down Bears in high-scorer

Steel shows his mettle as Leicestershire end Bears' perfect start

Leicestershire opener, Hamish Rutherford, a former Worcestershire player, was looking to improve on a record of 22 runs in his first five innings in the Blast this summer. Worcestershire bowled a tight line in the opening stages and Dillon Pennington was rewarded when Scott Steel, who had hit half centuries in his previous two innings, holed out to mid-off.Rutherford did not strike a boundary until his 16th delivery but four fours in Pennington’s third over lifted the powerplay total to 47 for 1. Arron Lilley scored freely and smashed Bravo over backward of square for the first six, but two wickets in two overs checked the Foxes’ progress.Lilley tried to work Ed Barnard to leg and was lbw and then Rutherford, having made 29 off 34 balls, missed a straight ball from Moeen. The England allrounder finished with excellent figures of 4-0-18-1.Leicestershire T20 captain Colin Ackermann perished to a fine catch by Josh Baker running back from third man off Barnard, but 59 came off the last five overs thanks mainly to Rishi Patel’s 37 from 25 balls before he holed out to cover off Bravo and then Rehan Ahmed was caught and bowled off a skier by Pat Brown.D’Oliveira, fresh from his career-best 71 against the Bears, gave the Rapids a flying start with 25 off 13 balls with five boundaries before he was yorked by Naveen. Ed Pollock flicked a Ben Mike no-ball over backward square leg for six but on 19 picked out Callum Parkinson in a similar shot off Will Davis.Munro, the Rapids’ leading-scorer in the Blast this summer, was caught behind on one after aiming to cut Naveen. Moeen played one exquisite late cut for four off Parkinson and drilled Will Davis for six over long but then he went lbw to Ahmed’s first delivery which kept low.Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and Jack Haynes went lbw to Parkinson aiming across the line at 91 for 5. Parkinson struck again when Ben Cox picked out deep cover and Bravo was lbw to Naveen who cleaned up the innings by sending back Dillon Pennington and Barnard, who top-scored with 27.

Major League Soccer rules have ensured that its league remains unpredictable, but equality might be limiting growth

It's June 2025. Lebron James and Luka Doncic have just dethroned the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Lebron has averaged 30, seven and seven. Doncic scores 25, puts up three triple doubles and hits the game winner at the buzzer to seal what might be James' final NBA title.

And then … Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka is forced to blow up the whole thing. Lebron goes. So do a number of key role players. The locker room is, more or less, barren. The Lakers have to overpay to rebuild, and bring in a handful of agreeable yet inferior replacements. They start the next season slowly, and watch as their title defense falls apart within a month.

Sound far-fetched?

That is more or less what has happened to the LA Galaxy this season. They were excellent last year. And despite the fact that Inter Miami set a new MLS points record, it was the Los Angeles side who were most well-balanced, and best positioned to win. That proved to be the case, Greg Vanney's side comfortably navigating the playoffs and winning their first MLS Cup in 10 years.

But rather than be rewarded for their success, the Galaxy have had to restructure their roster, trade away key pieces, and are struggling as a result – winless through five games, minus-six goal differential, sitting 14th in the Western Conference. Indeed, their shortcomings this year can be partially attributed to a restrictive system, one that has not only dampened one club's title defense but also speaks to a larger problem of continuity within the league that perhaps limits its global appeal.

• IMAGN
  

  A broken offseason

  First, a review of the Galaxy's transfer moves. Since lifting MLS Cup, the Los Angeles side have been forced to, effectively, disassemble their roster. Gone is star striker Dejan Joveljic – sent to Sporting KC for $4 million despite the team's reluctance to let him leave. Crucial midfield piece Mark Delgado has left. Gaston Brugman, MLS Cup MVP, was traded to Nashville.

  Factor in an ACL tear suffered by Riqui Puig in last year's western conference finals, and the title winners are down three key pieces from a title winning side. It is something of a miracle, meanwhile, that they managed to hold on to MLS Newcomer of the Year Gabriel Pec, who proved himself worthy of a European move on the back of an impressive rookie season.

  Their incomings? A slew of low-budget but necessary moves that don't jump off the page. Matheus Nascimento, a young Brazilian forward, has been brought in on loan from Botafago. He looks a fine player who could have an impact, but is admittedly raw. Christian Ramirez, from Columbus Crew, arrived for a meager $250,000. He might yet be an impact striker, but he is also 33, and has hit double digit goals in MLS just once.

  And this isn't just a run of poor luck or mismanagement. In fact, Taylor Twellman, former MLS MVP and now Apple TV analyst, saw this all coming.

  "What happens in MLS with your salary cap and how it works is when you're successful, more often than not, your players have bonuses that roll into the salary cap, and it makes it a little difficult to navigate that," he told GOAL. "And you've seen some of those moves with [Dejan] Joveljic and [Gaston] Brugman – I think that's going to be interesting."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Playing by the rules

  Piece it all together, and LA are markedly weaker than the side that won MLS Cup last year. And they don't really have a choice, either. For all of the good vibes about the league brought about by Lionel Messi's arrival in MLS, the salary cap rules remain immensely restrictive.

  And they really are far more complicated than they should be. The total roster size in MLS is 31. As of 2025, the MLS salary cap is $5.95 million. That would seem financially improbable for professional athletes. And it is.

  So, MLS has elected to make things tricky. The first 20 players on the roster, if used – some clubs will only employ 18 – have to fit under that number. The maximum allowance is $743,750. Simple enough so far. There are further rules here for homegrown products, Generation Adidas signees, minimum contracts, as well as players under 24. Most teams are able to check all of those boxes.

  Outside of the standard salary cap, MLS has allowed something resembling flexibility. There are six additional roster spots that exist outside of salary cap rules that allow for freer spending. Clubs can elect to tag three players as "designated players" and three as part of an under-22 initiative, or tag two as "designated players" and four under 22s, and also receive $2 million in extra money on the side. It's how LAFC managed to spend so much on Olivier Giroud, and Toronto FC shelled out big for Lorenzo Insigne.

  Got all that? And this is where it gets really complicated. Clubs are also allowed two other types of cash: General Allocation Money (GAM) and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM.) GAM is an annual allotment given by MLS that owners can spend to adjust the salaries of designated players and work around restrictions. In 2025, it totals just under $3 million, and can be traded by clubs (according to information released by the league earlier this month, LA have exactly $0 left to spend.) TAM does much of the same, and cannot be traded between teams.

  Confused yet? This is all needlessly tricky.

• Imagn
  

  Why the rules exist

  This isn't necessarily intentionally designed to constrict teams. In abstract, the rules were shrewd moves that protected clubs as MLS expanded. Don Garber has overseen immense growth as MLS commissioner, but, in turn was forced to limit overspending, and ensure that clubs control their finances.

  Reckless financial mismanagement could have brought about significant issues. These are protective measures. There is also the fact that MLS owners don't necessarily have the same financial power as European clubs. Getting them to spend big, in the early days, was far more difficult. It wasn't until David Beckham's arrival in 2007 that restrictions were loosened.

  It is also worth pointing out that the league has made strides in steadily changing things. The new cash-for-player rule, which allows teams to trade players for unlimited money, has brought about movement around the league. The likes of Evander, Lucho Acosta and Jack McGlynn were all facilitated by the initiative.

  "Probably the biggest innovation we’ve had has been cash trades within the league," Garber told Sports Business Journal before the start of the season. "Think of it almost as an internal transfer market, which is something that’s new. We had Jack McGlynn as the best example of that."

  Garber admitted, too, that it might be time for the salary cap to be lifted – even if it has some clear benefits.

  "In terms of governance, we'd probably change things: maybe not have strict salary caps, maybe not have a centralized entity like the league office making a lot of learned decisions based on committees and the like," Garber said. "But I think we have a model that has driven our success, and I think if that model was adapted around the world, football would be in much, much better shape."

• Getty Images
  

  Working outside of the global sphere

  This, in isolation, wouldn't necessarily be problematic. After all, parity is, objectively, a good thing. It breeds competition and brings about unpredictability. In theory, when everyone is at a roughly equal level, then anyone can win this thing on any given year. Storylines are rife, and chaos tends to ensue. Apple TV analyst Kaylyn Kyle has asserted that it might be the league's greatest strength.

  "It's one of the most exciting [leagues], because you genuinely don't know who's going to win every single weekend. Whereas when you're you're looking at the Prem, you're looking at La Liga, you have those top, top, top teams that seem to get the job done," Kyle told GOAL.

  But is that really what fans want? Part of the appeal of global soccer, in particular, is that there are both dynasties and perennial strugglers. It's what gives fans something to root for – or against. Manchester City, love them or hate them, have captured the imagination worldwide for their dominance of the Premier League. A lot of their fans may live outside of the Northwest of England, but their rise – and subsequent struggles – is a fascinating storyline.

  Going further back, their cross-city rivals, Manchester United, have undergone a similar thing. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, they were the dynasty that pretty much everyone else loved to hate. Yes, Arsenal and Chelsea occasionally broke into the picture, but their dominance of English football made the Premier League one of the most watchable and captivating things every year.

  It also bred a worldwide fan base. Right or wrong, there are a whole generation of supporters who consider themselves United fans based on prior success. The same can be said for Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga, as well as Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. And when those teams do fall out of favor – United's struggles since Ferguson retired have been particularly amusing for some – then it only gets more interesting. "Hate watches" as the cool kids call them, can bring eyes, too.

  More broadly, it leads to a sense of brand building. These clubs are built on stars and success. They are good at what they do, and have the big names to latch onto. Don't know who to root for as a casual fan? Chances are, your eyes latch onto the team with the most bursting trophy cabinet or best players.

The festive period is upon us, but Arne Slot is hardly going to be feeling merry as he prepares for a thick catalogue of fixtures that could define the narrative surrounding Liverpool as they head into the new year.

Admittedly, other teams are in worse positions. Liverpool sit atop the Premier League pile with a four-point advantage over second-placed Chelsea, holding a game in hand too.

Hosting hard-working Fulham in the top flight this afternoon, the Reds will be confident in their ability to get the job done, though Fulham are indeed industrious and capable of leaving higher-profiled opponents unstuck.

Slot has made a masterful introduction to life on Merseyside, taking Jurgen Klopp’s team and working on its mechanics to create something astounding.

The injuries have been mounting, however, and the Dutch coach will need to be careful when naming his team after fielding a strong line-up for the 1-0 win at Girona in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Liverpool team news

Liverpool’s only summer signing, Federico Chiesa, has only made three appearances since his £15m move from Juventus in the summer due to injury, but he’s been back in training – as has Diogo Jota – and could make Saturday’s matchday squad.

Unfortunately, Liverpool’s defence is still hampered by the continued absences of Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsimikas and Conor Bradley, though all will be hopeful of reappearing before the month’s end.

Alisson Becker will be looking to reprise his role after making his anticipated comeback in the Champions League in midweek, keeping a clean sheet against lively Girona in a busy performance.

At the other end of the pitch, Darwin Nunez toiled once again, and perhaps he should be dropped for the visit of the Londoners.

Why Slot must drop Darwin Nunez

Nunez is such a polarising figure, agonisingly wasteful but tenacious as they come and with a personable charm that arrests you even after an ineffective effort at number nine.

But with just three goals and two assists across 19 matches under Slot’s wing, the Uruguay international, 25, needs to up his game or face an uncertain future at Liverpool.

He led the line on Tuesday but was unable to offer little of note, missing a few chances and fading. The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle’s 5/10 match rating reflected this, and he was withdrawn after 70 minutes.

With Jota having returned to first-team training this week, it might be that the Portuguese moves straight back into the starting line-up, with his clinical edge sure to cause a threadbare Fulham backline a weight of problems.

Diogo Jota could feast on Fulham's defence

Jota has missed the past 12 matches in all competitions for Liverpool with a muscular injury. The £140k-per-week ace is back now, and though starting him from the outset might feel like something of a risk – indeed, Slot may opt against it – if he is green-lit, it could be a difference-making decision for the title-chasing Redmen.

As per FBref, Jota ranked among the top 1% of positional peers in the Premier League last season for goals scored (0.79) per 90, making a firm comment on the level of goalscorer that Liverpool have at the front of the ship.

With Mohamed Salah having already chalked up 12 assists from 22 appearances this season – as well as scoring 16 goals – Liverpool will only improve with him in the mix, always clinical and able to pounce on the brilliance of his Egyptian teammate.

Diogo Jota: Liverpool Statistics by Season
Season	Apps (starts)	Goals	Assists
24/25	10 (9)	4	2
23/24	32 (19)	15	4
22/23	28 (15)	7	8
21/22	55 (39)	21	6
20/21	30 (19)	13	1
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see, he’s not always going to be fully fit, but when he is, the dynamic striker will invariably bring goals and assists to Liverpool’s team.

He’s almost Nunez’s inverse, in several ways, for he’s not the flashiest, nor is Jota endowed with the pace and athleticism that his Uruguayan peer possesses, but instead, there’s an express focus to his playing style that has made him one of the Premier League’s deadliest marksmen since he joined the Anfield side from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a £41m fee in 2020.

That’s not to say that he’s a statue. In fact, Jota is actually very clever with his movements and hungry to turn over possession, hailed as a “pressing monster” by assistant coach Pep Lijnders.

Against Fulham, such incisiveness could be crucial, especially since the hosts must make sure that they take full advantage of Marco Silva’s selection woes.

In his pre-match conference, the Portuguese manager confirmed that Joachim Andersen has not yet completed his rehabilitation, which is good news for the Merseysiders given that the £30m summer signing has won 59% of his duels and averaged 5.3 clearances per game, as per Sofascore.

Moreover, Calvin Bassey, the Cottagers’ other usual centre-half, is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards, and the “monster”, as journalist Josh Bunting has called him, having played every minute of the Premier League season so far.

Fulham picked up a point against Arsenal last weekend and have lost only one of their past nine matches in the division, speaking highly of their togetherness and tactical understanding within Silva’s carefully constructed squad.

Liverpool will need to be on their a-game, must not be lulled into a false sense of security.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Likewise, they must be ferocious in attack and pounce on any openings that present themselves to Slot’s men. Jota’s something of a master at taking what comes his way, and that is exactly why, fitness providing, he must start over Nunez for this one.

Slot needs to sell Liverpool "problem" who earns more than Gakpo & Diaz

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In an attempt to sharpen what has been a fairly blunt attack at times this season, Manchester United are now reportedly willing to offer as much as £66m to sign a reinforcement who just embarrassed Andre Onana.

Man Utd transfer news

It would be an understatement to suggest that Manchester United desperately need reinforcements. The Red Devils ditched Erik ten Hag for Ruben Amorim and the former Sporting Club boss has been given reality check after reality check ever since. Switching to his favoured 3-4-2-1 system, the new manager is quickly learning just who is capable of keeping up and just who he’ll likely show the door to, having already exiled Marcus Rashford.

Clearly not a fan of the forward, Amorim could yet receive an instant replacement for Rashford as soon as the January transfer window, with one impressive name already reportedly eyed.

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are now willing to offer €80m (£66m) to sign Matheus Cunha in 2025, but face competition from Paris Saint-Germain in the race to land the Wolverhampton Wanderers star.

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The Red Devils’ interest should come as no surprise, given their need for a clinical goalscorer who suits Amorim’s system and just how ready Cunha seems for his first big move since the Atletico Madrid days. Whether Manchester United can lure Wolves into a sale remains to be seen, however.

The Brazilian will need no introduction to the Old Trafford faithful if he does arrive next year, of course, after playing a starring role in Wolves’ recent 2-0 win over Manchester United.

"Special" Cunha could solve Man Utd problem

If Amorim wants to use the power of Rasmus Hojlund to replicate the role that Viktor Gyokeres excelled in during his time at Sporting, then having a player like Cunha to play behind the forward could prove to be the key to finally unlocking goals galore at Manchester United.

The Brazilian may well be an instant upgrade on Joshua Zirkzee and his arrival would undoubtedly come as a relief to Onana, who was recently left embarrassed when Cunha scored straight from a corner on the way to a famous victory over the Red Devils.

It has not taken the Wolves star long to impress Vitor Pereira either, with the new manager recently telling reporters as relayed by the official Premier League website: “He is a special player. He can do things that can make the difference in small details.

“We try his corner because we want the swing inside to explore this. But you can work a lot and in the end nothing happens. With this kind of player this can happen. I think it is not about work, it is about quality, his individual quality.

“Matheus Cunha is a player, in my opinion, who can reach high standards in this league. I hope not [elsewhere] because we need him.”

Lisa Keightley’s assistant to return home for role with Perth Scorchers and Western Australia men’s teams

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2022

Tim Macdonald and Tash Farrant look on during an England training session in New Zealand•Getty Images

Tim Macdonald will leave his job as England Women’s Senior Assistant Coach after the Commonwealth Games to take up an assistant coaching post with the Perth Scorchers and Western Australian men’s teams.Macdonald played first-class cricket for Western Australia and Tasmania. His family has continued to live Australia since he was appointed full-time assistant to Lisa Keightley – with whom he previously worked at Perth Scorchers and Western Fury – in August 2020. He had initially joined the England Women’s set-up on an interim basis during the T20 World Cup in Australia earlier that year.Macdonald will return home after the Commonwealth Games end in August to take up the role of Senior Assistant Coach – Bowling across the BBL and State competitions.”I’ve loved every minute of working with such an amazing group of players and staff,” Macdonald said. “I’ve learned a great deal and made some life-long friends, but I couldn’t turn down this amazing opportunity to return home to Perth and be closer to my family.”With my family living in Australia, and the ability to travel being heavily impacted by COVID-19, it has been a challenging yet rewarding time to be in this job, but in that time I believe I’ve seen our team improve and our pool of talent get deeper. Had the rain not intervened at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup we could easily have made two global finals in that time. The future is very bright for the England Women’s team.”The stars have aligned for me, and I’m so excited to return home to my new role with WA and the Perth Scorchers and I absolutely can’t wait to get going following our quest for Commonwealth games gold.”England missed out on reaching the T20 World Cup title decider after rain washed out their semi-final against India, who advanced on points from the group stage. England then turned around a three-match losing streak at the start of this year’s 50-over World Cup to finish runners-up to Australia.Jonathan Finch, Director England Women’s Cricket, said: “Tim has played a vital role in continuing to improve the England Women’s team over the last two years, and will continue to do so as we prepare for the summer match programme.”Tim’s departure coincides with the start of the ICC Women’s Championship and there is no doubt his positive influence will be felt over the coming years. We wish Tim all the best in his new role and thank him for the commitment and passion he has given to England Women’s cricket.”