Liverpool have complained to the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) about the decision to rule out a goal by Virgil van Dijk during Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. The Reds have raised "serious concerns" after seeing Van Dijk's effort chalked off as Andy Robertson was ruled to be offside when he ducked out of the way of Van Dijk's header as it flew past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Liverpool fume at disallowed goal
With Liverpool trailing 1-0, Van Dijk thought he had equalised when he headed home a corner in the 38th minute of the game but saw referee Chris Kavanagh rule out the goal and the decision backed by video assistant referee, Michael Oliver. The Premier League confirmed the decision, explaining: "The referee's call of offside and no goal to Liverpool was checked and confirmed by VAR – with Robertson in an offside position and deemed to be making an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper."
However, Liverpool have now been in touch with the PGMOL and refereing chief Howard Webb to express their "serious concerns" about the decision, as reported by . The Reds "do not accept that the decision to disallow the goal" was "subjective" and feel that Robertson was not affecting Donnarumma's vision. Liverpool also think "the usual checks and balances that are central to the VAR process did not take place" and feel if they had, then a different decision may have been reached.
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'Wrong decision' – Slot blasts decision
Liverpool manager Arne Slot made it clear he did not think the right decision had been made by the match officials. He told : "I think it's obvious and clear that the wrong decision has been made, at least in my opinion. Because he [Robertson] didn't interfere at all with what the goalkeeper could do. Immediately after the game someone showed me the goal that the same referee allowed City against Wolves last season [John Stones’ last minute winner]. So, it took the linesman 13 seconds to raise his flag to say it's offside. So, there was clearly communication. That could have influenced the game in a positive way for us because in the first half we were so poor.
"We would have been lucky going 1-0 down at half-time, let alone if it was 1-1 or 2-1 down. So it has been an influential decision, which is not to say that we then would have had a result over here because you cannot predict how the second half would have gone."
Van Dijk reacts to controversial call
Van Dijk was also quizzed on the decision after the game but did not want to waste time talking about it any more. He told : "In football the officials are deciding the key decisions and we have to deal with it on the pitch. There is no point discussing this from my point of view. The reality is that we lost 3-0 and that is a big blow. It doesn't matter what I say [about the goal] because anything I say will be in the media and the whole international break will be about my comment on the decision. I just focus on the fact we lost. You guys can debate if it should have stood."
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Liverpool in crisis?
Liverpool went on to lose 3-0 at the Etihad as the defending champions suffered their fifth Premier League defeat of the campaign so far. Television pundit Roy Keane insisted the struggling Reds "are in crisis" after their latest defeat and believes they looked a "really weak team" against Pep Guardiola's side despite a summer of heavy investment.
However, the international break does allow Slot and his team some time to reset after falling eight points behind league leaders Arsenal. Liverpool return to action against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and then continue their Champions League campaign against PSV.
Northern Superchargers rode their momentum to a maiden Women’s Hundred title with a convincing seven-wicket victory over Southern Brave.Two wickets apiece to Kate Cross and Annabel Sutherland, followed by an unbroken 60-run partnership between Sutherland and Nicola Carey allowed Superchargers to pass a target of 116 with 12 balls to spare and reverse the result of the 2023 final before a record crowd for the women’s competition of 22,542 at Lord’s.Ten days after her “savage” omission from England’s World Cup squad, seam-bowling stalwart Cross blew the game open with two wickets in as many balls which left Brave reeling at 28 for 2.Sutherland removed Freya Kemp and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Brave’s highest run-scorers for the match with 26 and 25 respectively, to restrict them to 115 for 6.Carey and Sutherland remained not out 35 and 28 respectively after their fellow Australian Phoebe Litchfield’s 13-ball 26 had set the run-chase alight following the early loss of Davina Perrin, a centurion in the eliminator, and Alice Davidson-Richards.Brave now have just one trophy to show for four final appearances in the Hundred’s five-year history and, despite entering Sunday’s match unbeaten in 2025, they never really got their innings going after being sent in to bat.After a sluggish start in which the first 19 balls yielded just 15 runs, they looked to break the shackles as Maia Bouchier launched Sutherland for six over deep square leg, followed by Wyatt-Hodge’s 86m effort off Cross over long-on. But then Bouchier picked out Hollie Armitage, stationed at extra cover, and Cross bowled Laura Wolvaardt for a first-ball duck.Sophie Devine, whose bowling had earned her four Player-of-the-Match awards through the tournament, never looked settled at the crease and when Sutherland beat Wyatt-Hodge with a length ball that jagged in, Kemp took charge of a 47-run stand with Devine. Were it not for Kemp’s 16-ball knock, Brave’s total could have looked even more sub-par, although they needed more from her.Devine’s laboured stay of 23 off 28 balls ended when Lucy Higham had her caught by Litchfield at deep extra cover and Kemp followed, skying Sutherland high in the air over midwicket so that Carey had plenty of time to run in and await the catch.With the dot balls mounting – Superchargers sent down 42 in all – Brave captain Georgia Adams panicked into a non-existent single off Cross, who had plenty of time to toss the ball to keeper Bess Heath, the bails whipped off with Adams well short of her crease after being sent back by Chloe Tryon.With Tryon struggling to pick gaps in the field, Mady Villiers offered an 11-ball cameo 17 not out but she ran out of time to have a decisive impact.Perrin was unable to reprise her starring role of 24 hours earlier, managing just 17 after her 42-ball century had led Superchargers into the final.Kate Cross wheels away in celebration•Julian Finney/Getty Images
Kemp dropped a straightforward chance at deep midwicket to remove Alice Davidson-Richards on 6 but Devine covered the mistake two balls later when she removed the dangerous Perrin, holing out to Boucher at long-on.Litchfield unleashed with four off the last ball of Devine’s set followed immediately with 4, 4, 6 off Villiers. But Villiers responded with the wicket of Davidson-Richards, who attempted a reverse paddle only to see the ball bounce off wicketkeeper Rhianna Southby’s pad for a stumping.Litchfield had faced just five balls for 19 runs at that point but, after a 15-minute stoppage for an unexpected sun shower, she faced just two more deliveries as Tryon entered the attack and had Litchfield out to a mis-timed sweep collected by Lauren Bell at short backward square.Tryon could have had Carey out lbw next ball but Brave chose not to review, and Bell was luckless when she clipped the top of Sutherland’s pad and the ball struck the bails, which remained in place despite the wicket lighting up. It was the first time Bell had gone wicketless in a match this season.That left Superchargers needing 16 off the last 20 balls and Carey and Sutherland made light work of their task, taking 10 runs off Villiers’ set of five and Sutherland sealed victory with a six off Adams.
Celtic have now been told how long they’ll have to wait to appoint Kjetil Knutsen with their search for a new manager taking another frustrating blow.
The Bhoys have been in no rush. After Brendan Rodgers’ shock exit, they know that they can’t afford to get their next appointment wrong and have handed Martin O’Neill the position on an interim basis to buy themselves some time.
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A boost for the Bhoys…
ByTom Cunningham Nov 8, 2025
To the 73-year-old’s credit, he has so far rolled back the years in the dugout. A Champions League defeat at the hands of Midtjylland aside and victories over Old Firm rivals Rangers and Falkirk have represented a step in the right direction.
Even after those three games, however, O’Neill has continued to distance himself from the permanent job. In midweek, he told reporters that he’ll be at Celtic until they no longer need him, before revealing that he’d be “absolutely fine” if Sunday’s Kilmarnock clash is his final game.
Alas, as the search for the next Celtic manager has continued, so have the rumours that they could yet turn to O’Neill until at least the end of the season. And it’s easy to see why. The Northern Irishman is about as experienced as it gets, representing a safe option until the right candidate emerges.
A decision to keep their interim boss until at least next year would also allow Parkhead chiefs to play the long game and perhaps land a frontrunner for the job in the long-term.
Celtic handed fresh Knutsen problem
As Graeme Bailey told 67 Hail Hail, Knutsen wants to finish his Champions League campaign with Bodo/Glimt before taking any job with Celtic. This means that the Bhoys could be forced to wait until next year with the Norwegian side’s last group game coming in 2026.
As things stand, they sit 29th and unlikely to qualify for the next stage. This means that their final Champions League game may well be against Atletico Madrid in January before Bodo take a break from football altogether until March. It’s then that it would make perfect sense for Knutsen to take the job.
Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen.
What also helps Celtic’s pursuit is that the 57-year-old is reportedly keen to take the job if he gets his Champions League wish. So, the big question for Celtic will be whether he’s worth the wait.
A deeper dive into his history suggests that the Bodo/Glimt boss is certainly an interesting option. Having managed the club since 2018, Knutsen can boast four Norwegian league titles and showed his managerial expertise in full with a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on the European stage this season.
O Corinthians foi atropelado pelo Bahia e perdeu, em casa, pelo placar de 5 a 1, em jogo válido pela 35ª rodada do Brasileirão. Os gols do Tricolor de Aço foram marcados por Rezende, Cauly, Thaciano (2) e Ademir. O primeiro tempo terminou com 3 a 0 para os baianos. No intervalo e após a partida, a torcida do Timão vaiou e entoou cantos de protesto contra a equipe, em protesto pelo péssimo desempenho em campo.
Com este resultado, o Bahia deixa a zona do rebaixamento e alcança a 15ª posição, com 41 pontos conquistados no campeonato até aqui. Por outro lado, o Corinthians segue com sinal de alerta aceso: o time segue na 12ª colocação da tabela com 44 pontos, e não se vê completamente livre da ameaça do rebaixamento.
+ Veja a tabela e simule os resultados do Timão no Brasileirão
CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM A PARTIDA
>!GOL DO BAHIA! Nem deu tempo de aquecer e o Corinthians já saiu atrás no placar: Luciano Juba cobrou escanteio do lado esquerdo em direção ao primeiuro pau. Rezende atacou a bola e desviou para marcar o gol do Bahia.
>!DE PLACA! Mais uma vez, a jogada começou pelos pés de Luciano Juba pelo lado esquerdo. O lateral encontrou Cauly por dentro, que tabelou com Thaciano dentro da área, gingou para cima da defesa do Corinthians e encheu o pé para ampliar o placar em Itaquera.
>!VAR EM AÇÃO! Após consulta ao VAR, o árbitro do jogo enxergou pisão de Gil no atacante Biel e assinalou pênalti para o Bahia. Thaciano balançou as redes e marcou o terceiro gol do Tricolor de Aço.
>!VAIAS E PROTESTOS! No fim do primeiro tempo, a torcida do Corinthians vaiou muito a equipe e entoou cânticos de protesto contra o elenco. O principal deles dizia ‘Bando de c*, tem que ser homem para jogar no Coringão’. Clima tenso em Itaquera!
>!REINATO AUGUSTO! O Corinthians pressionou a saída de bola do Bahia, Giuliano recuperou na entrada da área, e enfiou a bola para Yuri Alberto, que acabou desarmado na marca do pênalti. Na sobra, Renato Augusto finalizou de fora da área para diminuir a vantagem do Bahia.
COMO FOI O PRIMEIRO TEMPO? O sistema com três zagueiros implementado por Mano Menezes não funcionou, e o Bahia teve total liberdade para jogar no espaço entre os volantes e zagueiros do Corinthians. O primeiro gol, de bola parada, teve pouco impacto no direcionamento da partida, tamanha era a superioridade do Tricolor de Aço. Vale destacar a troca feita por Mano Menezes logo aos 21 minutos, prova de que o treinador estava insatisfeito com o desempenho da equipe durante a primeira etapa.
E A ETAPA FINAL? O Corinthians até teve a posse de bola durante o início da segunda etapa, mas seguiu exposto aos contra-ataques do Bahia. As substituições de Mano Meneses também não surtiram efeito algum. Nem mesmo o gol de Renato Augusto, mais na base da aleatoriedade do que pelo mérito da equipe, deu ânimo ao Timão, que seguiu sem rumo em campo. O Bahia, por sua vez, queria mais e estava organizado para isso, tanto que marcou mais duas vezes, ampliando o vexame em Itaquera.
+ Clique aqui e confira mais detalhes da partida
OS NÚMEROS DA PARTIDA
O QUE VEM POR AÍ? Na próxima rodada, o Corinthians vai a São Januário para enfrentar o Vasco da Gama. A partida acontece na terça-feira (28), às 21h30 (hora de Brasília). O Bahia, por sua vez, recebe o São Paulo na quarta-feira (29), às 20h (hora de Brasília). Ambos os jogos são válidos pela 36ª rodada do Brasileirão.
FICHA TÉCNICA CORINTHIANS 1 x 5 BAHIA Local:Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo (SP) Data e hora:24/11/2023 (sexta-feira), às 21h (de Brasília) Árbitro:Marcelo de Lima Henrique (CE) Assistentes:Nailton Junior de Sousa Oliveira (Fifa/CE) e Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos (PR) VAR:Pablo Ramon Gonçalves Pinheiro (VAR-Fifa/RN) Público e renda:39.403 pessoas e R$ 2.449.046,00 Cartões amarelos:Gil (18’/1ºT) e Renato Augusto (30’/1ºT) para o Corinthians; Vitor Hugo (47’/1ºT), Thaciano (5’/2ºT) e Gilberto (19’/2ºT) para o Bahia. Cartões vermelhos:- Gols:Rezende (4’/1ºT) (0-1), Cauly (16’/1ºT) (0-2), Thaciano (29’/1ºT) (0-3), Renato Augusto (21’/2ºT) (1-3), Ademir (30’/2ºT) (1-4) e Thaciano (40’/2ºT) (1-5)
CORINTHIANS:Cássio; Gil, Lucas Veríssimo e Fábio Santos (Wesley, aos 21’/1ºT); Fagner, Maycon, Giuliano (Matheus Araújo, aos 22’/2ºT), Matheus Bidu (Pedro, aos 29’/2ºT) e Renato Augusto; Romero (Matías Rojas, aos 29’/2ºT) e Yuri Alberto (Felipe Augusto, aos 22’/2ºT).Técnico:Mano Menezes
BAHIA:Marcos Felipe; Gilberto (Cicinho, aos 36’/2ºT), Kanu, Vitor Hugo, Luciano Juba (Camilo Cándido, aos 28’/2ºT); Nicolás Acevedo, Rezende e Yago Felipe (Lucas Mugni, aos 42’/2ºT); Cauly (Rafael ratão, aos 42’/2ºT), Biel (Ademir, aos 28’/2ºT) e Thaciano.Técnico:Rogério Ceni
Gary Neville has named why Manchester United teammate Nani “frustrated” him the most, but admitted he would still get in any Premier League team right now.
Neville criticises Man Utd’s current "ageing" spine
United appear to have turned a corner in recent weeks, having won three successive matches for the first time under Ruben Amorim before Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Tottenham vs Man Utd
November 8
Man Utd vs Everton
November 24
Crystal Palace vs Man Utd
November 30
Man Utd vs West Ham
December 4
Wolves vs Man Utd
December 8
However, Neville appeared on The Overlap’s Stick to Cricket show and had some criticism for the team’s “ageing” spine.
He said: “I think your spine of a football team is critical. When I first came into Man United, our spine was (Peter) Schmeichel, (Steve) Bruce, (Gary) Pallister, (Roy) Keane and (Eric) Cantona and so we were all scattered around it.
“I think Maguire and (Matthijs) De Ligt should be doing a lot better than they are. You know, you look at the experience that those two have got. De Ligt’s played a mountain of games at sort of different levels, the highest level. Harry’s played so many times for England. You’ve got the midfield, Casemiro and Bruno have got massive experience.
“Up front, they haven’t got the experience. But to me, that spine of Bruno Fernandes (31), Casemiro (33), Maguire (32) and De Ligt (26) is ageing, but should be doing a lot better at holding it all together than they do.”
Man Utd have a "beast" in the academy who's another Casemiro in the making
Manchester United would benefit from the emergence of the next Carrington superstar this season.
1 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 5, 2025 Neville names Nani most frustrating Man Utd teammate
Neville was also asked by ex-England cricket captain Micheal Vaughan for the player who frustrated him the most during his career.
The former Man Utd right-back chose Nani, saying he was “erratic” but a winger who “could win you games”.
The Portuguese forward made the move to Old Trafford in 2007 and spent eight years in Manchester, making 230 appearances in all competitions in a United shirt.
He contributed to more than 100 goals during that time, winning four Premier League titles and one Champions League.
It isn’t just Neville who found Nani frustrating, with Wayne Rooney also calling the forward his worst Red Devils teammate.
“My worst team-mate – there are a lot more than you’d probably think. On the pitch, the toughest one was Nani. He was frustrating to play with.”
Gary Neville names the best Premier League XI of all-time with no Man Utd legends
Chelsea made it back-to-back league wins at the expense of managerless Wolves on Saturday night as the Blues cruised to a 3-0 victory on home turf. The win lifted the west London side up into second and closed Arsenal's lead at the top to six points. The result, meanwhile, leaves Wolves rooted to the foot of the table with just two points from the opening 11 games.
Chelsea looked threatening early on, with captain Enzo Fernandez at the heart of everything for the Blues in the first half. The Argentine forced Sam Johnstone into action in the third minute as the midfielder's free-kick looked to be looping into the far corner.
Johnstone was required again minutes later, this time to deny Alejandro Garnacho after the winger was played in brilliantly by compatriot Fernandez. The former Manchester United winger should have perhaps done better as Chelsea pushed for the breakthrough.
And it was Fernandez again who was playing a central role for the west London side, this time as he came close to scoring an Olimpico. Johnstone was left stranded as the 24-year-old's corner lofted over the Wolves shotstopper, and it took a Toti Gomes clearance off the line to prevent a stunning opener.
Chelsea continued to push for the opener, and finally found the breakthrough shortly after the restart. Garnacho worked the ball onto his right and played an inch-perfect cross from the left for Gusto to head in his first ever senior goal.
Midway through the second half and Joao Pedro doubled Chelsea's advantage. Estevao, who'd been on the pitch for 68 seconds, played a low cross into the box that was deflected into the path of Pedro, who made no mistake from close range.
Garnacho was again involved in Chelsea's third as the Argentine broke down the left. The summer signing sped away from two Wolves defenders before presenting Pedro Neto with a simple finish for the Portuguese winger to net his third league goal of the season.
Chelsea could ultimately have put up a big score against Wolves as Marc Guiu missed a couple of late chances but the Blues will have been thrilled with what proved to be a comfortable home win.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…
AFPGoalkeeper & Defence
Robert Sanchez (6/10):
Rarely called upon against a blunt Wolves attack but made a couple of solid claims.
Malo Gusto (8/10):
Granted the license to get forward and it paid off. Headed past Johnstone early in the second half to break the deadlock with what was his first ever senior goal.
Wesley Fofana (7/10):
Carried out his defensive duties with ease. Distribution vital as the Blues dictated the play against the Premier League's basement boys.
Trevoh Chalobah (7/10):
Another solid if unspectacular showing from the defender. Tidy on the ball as Chelsea dominated possession. Made a key clearance from a Hugo Beuno cross that was destined for Jacob Strand Larsen after the Blues had gone ahead.
Marc Cucurella (7/10):
As Chelsea focussed their attacks down the left, he linked up well with Fernandez and Garnacho.
AdvertisementAFPMidfield
Moises Caicedo (7/10):
Fairly wasteful in possession but made up for it by protecting the backline well.
Enzo Fernandez (8/10):
Forced Sam Johnstone into action with an early free-kick that was destined for the top corner. Provided a fine pass for Garnacho in the 12th minute that the winger failed to convert. Almost scored an Olimpico midway through the first half.
AFPAttack
Pedro Neto (8/10):
A regular thorn in the side of the Wolves backline. Bagged Chelsea's third with a comfortable finish.
Joao Pedro (7/10):
Settled nerves as he scored Chelsea's second midway through the second half.
Alejandro Garnacho (9/10):
Should have done better when played in by Fernandez early on. A regular threat down the left, it was his inch-perfect cross for Gusto that provided the breakthrough. Provided the assist for Neto's first and Chelsea's third.
Liam Delap (5/10):
Didn't get sent off, which is a marked improvement on his last showing against Wolves.
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AFPSubs & Manager
Estevao (7/10):
Replaced Liam Delap midway through the second half. Made an immediate impression as his low cross was deflected to Pedro to double Chelsea's advantage. Played a fine cross late on that Guiu couldn't connect properly with.
Marc Guiu (5/10):
Missed a fairly easy chance shortly after coming on. Should have scored during his short time on the pitch
Reece James (6/10):
Kept things simple after his introduction
Jamie Gittens (N/A):
Replaced Pedro in the 83rd minute.
Andrey Santos (N/A):
Came on for Fernandez late on.
Enzo Maresca (9/10):
Made a couple of personnel changes following the midweek draw with Qarabag and his selections paid off as Chelsea dominated.
Liverpool didn’t just keep an eye on developments at Anfield last weekend, with Fulham winger Kevin coming to the attention of the Reds’ recruitment chiefs.
Arne Slot has found himself under a bit of pressure recently due to a frustrating run of results for the Reds, which has seen them fall behind Arsenal in the league standings.
Nevertheless, Liverpool got back on track after defeating Aston Villa on Merseyside last weekend, putting in a controlled performance to move within seven points of top spot, and the Dutch boss paid tribute to the home support for their role in cheering their side onto all three points.
He said: “To get the support the players got, the support I got, is what makes this club special. They don’t forget if you have been a part of something special and they help you when things are difficult.
“We were not winning games, we were losing them and the fans felt the players needed some support – that’s what you get from these supporters.”
The going doesn’t get any easier for Liverpool, who will now prepare for a mouthwatering Champions League clash against Real Madrid on Tuesday evening.
Debates are there to be had over whether Dominik Szoboszlai or Florian Wirtz start, and there could be an awkward reunion in store with former icon Trent Alexander-Arnold, adding another layer to the spectacle.
Either way, there is plenty to look forward to after a turbulent Premier League run for Liverpool over the last few weeks, and it appears that they also had eyes elsewhere in the top-flight last weekend as club scouts took a detailed look at a rising star.
Liverpool chief scout blown away by Fulham winger Kevin
According to Football Insider, Liverpool chief scout Barry Hunter watched Fulham winger Kevin against Wolves over the weekend, and it is fair to say the Brazilian made an impression on his first Premier League start.
Becoming a landmark arrival at Craven Cottage for £34.6 million, he shone in a 3-0 victory for the hosts, making a mark due to his flair and versatility.
Kevin vs Wolves – how did he fare?
Successful dribbles
5
Touches in opposition box
5
Passes into final third
4
Ground duels won
7/13
Statistics from Fotmob
While he is still finding his feet in the top-flight, Kevin registered his first assist for the Cottagers against Wycombe Wanderers last week and looks to be someone who, in the long-term, could be an asset to any Premier League club.
Capable of playing on either flank, he could be a suitable rotation option in the future for the likes of Mohamed Salah and Federico Chiesa, albeit it would be difficult to land him so soon after his move to Fulham.
Mohamed Salah could leave next summer to open up space for Kevin
Ultimately, Liverpool’s scouting team are merely putting in the groundwork necessary to profile signings in windows to come, though their admiration of Kevin may be one to watch in the coming months.
Leeds United will be aiming to stay put in the Premier League past the end of the 2025/26 season, but that will be easier said than done.
The last time the Whites managed to stay up at the first time of asking after triumphantly securing promotion to the top-flight was when the revered Marcelo Bielsa still occupied the Elland Road dug-out, with an unbelievable seventh place position somehow pulled off come the close of the memorable 2020/21 campaign.
Ever since that major high point, though, Leeds have struggled when keeping their heads above water in the elite division, having fallen back down to the Championship with a whimper in 2023.
Daniel Farke is the boss who will be aiming to rewrite the depressing script in West Yorkshire, however, with it not being all doom and gloom since the Argentine’s sombre exit, either, as several exciting stars have called Leeds home since his sacking in early 2022.
Some of Leeds' best signings since Bielsa left
Even with Championship football regularly being on the menu after the enigmatic South American’s departure, Leeds have been blessed with possessing some exceptional talents.
Georginio Rutter has to go down as one of Leeds’ best bits of business in terms of the entertainment he offered in the rebuild after Bielsa, with the £35.5m purchase from Hoffenheim tallying up a ridiculous eight goals and 18 assists for the Whites, leading to Paul Merson even comparing him to Arsenal great Dennis Bergkamp for his audacious footwork.
Amazingly, too, Wilfried Gnonto never crossed paths with Bielsa at Elland Road, with the Italian attacker a real force to be reckoned with when unleashed, as seen in him firing home 22 goals to date for the Whites.
Moving away from the attack, Ethan Ampadu has also become a mainstay in the middle of the park since joining for £7m from Chelsea in the summer of 2023, as Leeds also finally stormed back up to the Premier League.
There’s even a compelling enough argument already to suggest that Sean Longstaff joining for £12m this summer just gone is one of the best bits of business since Bielsa left the building, with five big chances created by the ex-Newcastle United man helping Leeds push up to 15th in the early league standings.
Yet, despite the Newcastle-born ace experiencing such a promising start to life in West Yorkshire, he arguably lags just behind this Farke stalwart still in this argument, who is continuing to shine very bright as one of the first names on the German’s teamsheet.
Leeds' best signing since Bielsa left
There’s no guarantee that Longstaff will be able to keep up these excellent early levels at Leeds across a full Premier League season, having been regularly injury-prone at St James’ Park.
Farke won’t have any lingering concerns about Joe Rodon pulling up with an injury anytime soon, however, with the commanding Welshman now starting a staggering 94 consecutive games for Leeds as he remains one of the vital parts of his manager’s jigsaw, even as new signings aplenty – such as Longstaff – joined this off-season.
Games played
9
Goals scored
2
Assists
0
Touches*
67.2
Accurate passes*
49.2 (91%)
Ball recoveries*
2.8
Clearances*
6.4
Total duels won*
5.2
Clean sheets
2
Having also collected a mammoth 48 clean sheets across his first century of appearances for Leeds, Rodon has only cemented himself as a key Whites first-teamer during the infancy of this new season.
The Swansea-born warrior has even chipped in with two goals so far this campaign to ensure the top-flight newcomers already have three league wins under their belt, the latest of which steered his side to a valuable win over struggling West Ham United.
Yet, it’s his unwavering determination for Leeds that stretches all the way back to the 2023/24 campaign, which means he is surely their best signing since Bielsa sadly left Elland Road behind, with the £10m spent on his permanent services at the close of that promotion near-miss season continuing to look like a bargain amount.
He will only be seen in an even more glowing light if his imposing displays result in Leeds beating the drop, with Farke’s “unbelievable” assessment of the 28-year-old after his debut two years ago still ringing true today.
Farke has found a new Dallas-type player in “unbelievable” Leeds star
Daniel Farke has now stumbled upon Leeds United’s next Stuart Dallas-type figure in this unbelievable star.
Liverpool have lost seven of their last ten matches in all competitions after they were hammered 3-0 by Manchester City at The Etihad in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Premier League champions have now lost five of their 11 matches in the division so far this season, per Sofascore, after losing four of their 38 games in the 2024/25 campaign.
After the match, as shown in the clip above, former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane suggested that the Reds should not be considered in the race for the title, and it is hard to argue with.
The current run of form, their position in the league, and their performance against Manchester City do not suggest that they are likely to retain their crown in the 2025/26 campaign.
Liverpool’s current situation is particularly frustrating for the club when you consider the significant money that they splashed on new signings during the summer transfer window in a bid to strengthen their squad.
Attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record, at the time, fee of £116m, yet he failed to make an impact once again.
Why Liverpool should be worried about Florian Wirtz
It is fair to expect that a £116m signing would be able to make a fairly immediate impact for the club, but he has been anonymous far too often in his Liverpool career so far.
The Germany international produced 16 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for Leverkusen in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which led to the Reds splashing a gigantic fee on his services.
This shows that he has the technical ability to make an impact in the final third. That was further evidenced by his two assists against a Bundesliga team in Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League last month.
However, the physicality and intensity of the Premier League has proven a bit too much for Wirtz when it comes to making an impact with goals and assists at the top end of the pitch.
Per Sofascore, the 22-year-old attacking midfielder has no goals and no assists in 11 appearances in the division for Liverpool since his £116m transfer to Anfield in the summer.
Vs Man City
Florian Wirtz
Minutes
83
Pass accuracy
88%
Crosses completed
0/2
Key passes
0
Big chances created
0
Shots
2
Shots on target
0
Duels won
4/8
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Wirtz’s performance against Manchester City on Sunday lacked substance, with no shots on target, key passes, or ‘big chances’ created.
He was efficient in his passing and won half of his duels, to his credit, but his lack of physicality meant that he was unable to really threaten the Cityzens backline, marshalled brilliantly by Ruben Dias.
Liverpool should, therefore, be worried because his performances are not improving and his only goal contributions, outside of the Community Shield, came against a Bundesliga team.
Wirtz needs to adjust to the intensity of the English game, and quickly, to start proving why the Reds were right to spend so much money on his signature this year.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The Germany international is not the only player whose performances are concerning, though, as central defender Ibrahima Konate put in another disappointing display.
Why Ibrahima Konate should be dropped by Liverpool
The French centre-back must be ruthlessly ditched from the starting line-up by Arne Slot when the team returns to action after the international break, because he put in a dismal showing against City.
For the opening goal from Erling Haaland, Konate was unable to time his jump correctly and allowed the Norwegian giant to beat him to the header, which landed in the back of the net.
That was followed up by some passive defending in the second half for the third goal. Jeremy Doku seemed destined to cut onto his right foot to shoot from distance, but Konate did not shape his body to react to the situation and allowed the shot to come in almost uncontested.
The France international, who was called “horrific” by Liverpool supporter Lawrie on X, was even worse than Wirtz against Pep Guardiola’s side, as he made costly errors for two of the three goals, whilst the German midfielder simply did not do much of note.
Whilst Wirtz, at least, won half of his duels in the game, Konate struggled with the physical challenge posed by Haaland, which is not a surprise given the Norway international’s presence and style of play.
Vs Man City
Ibrahima Konate
Minutes
90
Tackles
0
Interceptions
0
Ground duels won
2/5
Aerial duels won
1/3
Dribbles
0
Shots
0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the former RB Leipzig man lost the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air, which shows that he was far too easy to beat in duels throughout the match.
On top of that, the central defender did not step in to make a single tackle or interception, and did not attempt any dribbles to get his team up the pitch to bypass the first line of City’s press.
Passive was the word of the day for Liverpool and Konate, as evidenced by both the result and his individual statistics, which is why Slot may want to shake things up with some changes to his starting line-up after the break.
The France international could find himself out of the team when the Reds next play, with Joe Gomez waiting in the wings for his chance to start at the heart of the defence next to Virgil van Dijk.
Man City fans' brutal chant sums up Florian Wirtz's time at Liverpool
The German struggled, yet again, for the Reds against Manchester City.
ByJames O'Reilly Nov 9, 2025
Whilst it is now down to Slot to decide whether or not that is the right call to make, Konate’s performance on Sunday has given the manager a decision to make.
The Boston Red Sox signed Alex Bregman right before the start of spring training. The addition of the Bregman has made things a little awkward in Fort Meyers this winter because the Sox already had Rafael Devers who has been starting at third for the team for the better part of a decade.
Devers has no intention of switching positions and Bregman has said he's just happy to be there and willing to play wherever Alex Cora puts him—But questions remain, including the ones asked of first baseman Triston Casas earlier this week that resulted in him saying he thought Devers should stay at third while Bregman should play second.
Anyone who thinks Bregman should start at third over Devers obviously disagrees with Casas, but the folks at 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston really didn't like his answer. Especially host Tony Massarotti, who went on a rather colorful rant about it on Tuesday's show.
"That was Triston Casas," Massarotti asked. "Oh my gosh, I thought it was Abner Doubleday speaking there, the guy who invented the game. Because Triston Casas as we know, invented everything. Although I did hear that Triston Casas has changed his title. He is now Red Sox assistant general manager, first baseman and player-slash-coach. Tirston Casas holding all three positions and titles.
"Shut your pie hole," Massarotti continued. "Shut your pie hole. This guy knows everything. I've been saying this for a couple of years. He knows everything. He's got the answers to everything. He knows it all."
Massarotti also called Casas an "a–hole" and the hosts went on to name the first baseman "The Tool Bag of the Day."
All this because Casas basically publicly supported a teammate.