Category Uncategorized

South Africa have named a 15-man squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, with allrounder Muhammed Bulbulia appointed captain for the tournament, to be staged in Namibia and Zimbabwe from January 15 to February 6 next year.Bulbulia, who has impressed in recent youth competitions, will lead a group looking to secure South Africa’s first Under-19 World Cup title since their only triumph in 2014.South Africa have been placed in Group D, where they will face West Indies, Afghanistan and Tanzania.Before the main event, South Africa will sharpen their preparations with three Youth ODIs against India at Willowmoore Park, Benoni, from January 5 to 7.Head coach Malibongwe Maketa praised the squad’s development and maturity, noting the progress the group had made since coming together at lower age-group levels.”What has impressed me most is the growth these players have shown,” Maketa said. “From meeting them as 16-year-olds to seeing who they are now, it’s clear we’re developing not just cricketers, but good young men for this country.”Cricket-wise, their understanding of the intensity required at international level has been outstanding. They’ve gone back to work with their coaches and returned with a new level of intent at every session — exactly what’s needed to compete at a World Cup.”I’m very confident in this group. The progress they’ve made, combined with a culture built on hard work, resilience and putting the team first, gives me real belief. They’ve embraced those values with hunger and quiet confidence.”South Africa open their World Cup campaign on January 16, taking on Afghanistan at the HP Oval in Windhoek.Squad: Muhammad Bulbulia (capt), JJ Basson, Daniel Bosman, Corne Botha, Paul James, Enathi Khitshini Tembalethu, Michael Kruiskamp, Adnaan Lagadien, Bayanda Majola, Armaan Manack, Bandile Mbatha, Lethabo Phahlamohlaka, Jason Rowles, Ntandoyenkosi Soni, Jorich van Schalkwyk.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras inicia a semana de preparação para pegar o Vasco, pelo Brasileirão, com mais clima de despedida na Academia de Futebol.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalPalmeiras encanta imprensa espanhola com jovens da base: ‘Berço de estrelas’Futebol Nacional09/06/2024Fora de CampoNarrador elogia Andreas Pereira e relembra erro do meia em Flamengo x Palmeiras: ‘Marcado’Fora de Campo08/06/2024Fora de CampoTorcedores do Palmeiras zoam Andreas Pereira com gol pela Seleção: ‘Ídolo do Verdão’Fora de Campo08/06/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

Enquanto vive a ansiedade do retorno de Dudu e da chegada de Felipe Anderson, Abel Ferreira pode estar perdendo o zagueiro Luan e o meia atacante Luís Guilherme.

continua após a publicidade

Luan está praticamente acertado com o Toluca-MEX e deve fazer a sua despedida após sete anos de Palmeiras diante do clube que o criou, na quinta-feira.

Já Luís Guilherme viajou para Londres nesta madrugada de domingo para acertar com o West Ham-ING e pode nem mais vestir a camisa do Maior Campeão do Brasil.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Clique aqui para assinar e assistir o Verdão no mata-mata da Libertadores pelo Star+!

Enquanto perde mais dois importantes peças do banco de reservas, a torcida já cobra por mais reforços para o time encarar as dificuldades do segundo semestre.

Arsenal want to trigger the special release clause in Karl Etta-Eyong’s Levante contract, and the timeline of when a deal could be done has now been revealed.

The Gunners are looking to sign a new striker, despite adding Viktor Gyokeres to their ranks during the summer transfer window, with the Sweden international making a solid start to life in north London, scoring six goals in all competitions and receiving high praise for his display against Burnley.

However, Mikel Arteta continues to struggle on the injury front, with Gyokeres missing the 2-2 draw at Sunderland prior to the international break due to a muscle problem, while Kai Havertz hasn’t appeared since the opening day victory against Manchester United due to a knee issue.

With Gabriel Jesus’ future also in doubt, given that Flamengo have already opened talks to sign the Brazilian striker, it could make sense to bring in a new centre-forward in the January transfer window, and there has now been a development in their pursuit of a La Liga star.

Arsenal planning to trigger Karl Etta Eyeong's release clause

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now planning to trigger the special release clause in Etta-Eyong’s Levante contract, with the centre-forward allowed to sign for a Premier League club for a fee of €40m (£35m).

The striker is keen on a move to the Premier League, which suggests the door could be open for a deal to be done, and if everything progresses nicely, an announcement could be made within a matter of weeks.

The north Londoners are willing to pay the full release clause, such is their level of interest, and there are plenty of signs that £35m would be a savvy investment, with the 22-year-old making a flying start to the campaign.

Indeed, the Cameroon international has adapted very well since making the move to Levante in the summer, chipping in with six goals and three assists in his opening 12 La Liga appearances.

Scout Jacek Kulig has also singled the Douala-born striker out for high praise on X, courtesy of the start he has made at Levante.

With Jesus’ future up in the air and Havertz struggling on the injury front, Arteta could do with strengthening his attacking options this winter, and Etta Eyong could be a fantastic addition to the squad at just £35m.

Viktor Gyokeres named among the best strikers in the world The Best 15 Strikers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best number nine right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Liverpool are now battling Real Madrid for the signature of FC Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano, amid a new update on his future at the Allianz Arena.

The Reds finally managed to get one over on Madrid on Tuesday night, defeating the Spanish side 1-0 at Anfield in the Champions League, courtesy of Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half header, which was the Argentinian’s first goal of the season.

The result was extra sweet, given that it was the first time Trent Alexander-Arnold has returned to Anfield since controversially leaving in the summer, with Arne Slot bringing in Jeremie Frimpong as a replacement.

However, it would be fair to say Frimpong hasn’t made an immediate impact, having only been used sparingly by Slot even prior to his recent injury, which has ruled the right-back out of the last four matches in all competitions.

The manager was also keen to bring in a new centre-back in the summer, narrowly missing out on Marc Guehi on deadline day, given that Crystal Palace were unable to sign a replacement, but a potential alternative has now been identified.

Liverpool battling Real Madrid for Dayot Upamecano

Having gotten the better of Real Madrid on the pitch, Liverpool are now trying to one-up their European foes in the transfer market, with a report from Spain revealing the two clubs are battling it out for Upamecano, although there could be competition from elsewhere.

Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United are also in the race for the defender, amid uncertainty surrounding his future at Bayern, as he is still yet to put pen to paper on a new contract to extend his stay at the German club beyond the end of the season.

Talks over a new deal have now stalled, which suggests the 27-year-old could be on the move in the summer, but Bayern would be unwilling to sanction a move during the January transfer window.

Slot is personally a fan of the centre-back, with the Dutchman of the belief he could adapt to life in the Premier League swiftly and stabilise his backline, and there are plenty of indications the Liverpool manager could be on the money.

Hailed as “outstanding” by Joshua Kimmich, the Bayern star is vastly experienced at the top level, having made 60 appearances in the Champions League and won 11 trophies, across what has been a very impressive career to date.

Despite the contract uncertainty, the Frenchman also remains a key player for Bayern Munich, most recently starting in the 2-1 victory against Paris Saint-Germain, making six clearances and winning four duels to keep the reigning European champions at bay.

That said, Liverpool haven’t always been successful when recruiting from the Bundesliga, with Florian Wirtz yet to adapt to life in the Premier League, failing to register a goal or an assist.

As such, it would be less risky to simply go back in for Guehi, who has already proven himself in the Premier League.

Upamecano and Guehi have been named among the world's best centre-backs The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

The centre-forward position at Celtic has been a tricky one for Brendan Rodgers to deal with for a long time now, possibly stretching back to January 2024.

Adam Idah was brought in to compete with Kyogo Furuhashi in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, before they battled it out again in the 2024/25 season.

Both Idah and Kyogo left the club this year, the latter in the summer and the former in January, and Kelechi Iheanacho is currently the first-choice number nine at Parkhead.

Why Celtic may sign another striker in January

Iheanacho has scored three goals in six matches for the Hoops in all competitions since his move to the club on a free transfer from Sevilla, but two of those three goals came from the penalty spot, per Transfermarkt. One goal from open play in six matches is not an ideal return for the Nigeria international.

Celtic bid £10m to sign Kasper Dolberg from Anderlecht on deadline day, only to miss out on his signature to Ajax, which suggests that there is cash in the bank to spend on a striker when the January window rolls around.

This means that the Hoops may dip back into the market to sign a striker in the hope of bringing in a reliable goalscorer who Rodgers can trust to deliver consistent quality.

The arrival of a new centre-forward at Parkhead in January could spell the end of Johnny Kenny’s time at Celtic, as he has not kicked on in Glasgow this year.

Why Johnny Kenny is on borrowed time at Celtic

The Irish number nine returned to the club in January after a loan spell with Shamrock Rovers to play a supporting role in the second half of last season.

Kenny scored one goal in eight appearances in the Scottish Premiership as a back-up to Idah and was only handed one start by Rodgers. This did not suggest that he was likely to kick on and become a regular in the 2025/26 campaign.

English League One side Bolton Wanderers had a bid of £500k turned down by the Hoops during the summer transfer window, as they decided to keep him as part of their squad for the first half of this season.

Appearances

8

3

Starts

1

0

Unused substitute

6x

2x

Goals

1

1

Big chances missed

2

3

Big chances created

1

0

Assists

1

0

As you can see in the table above, Kenny has only made three appearances as a substitute in the Premiership so far this term, which shows that Rodgers does not trust him to play regular minutes.

At the end of last season, former Fulham and Leeds star Ross McCormack suggested that he needed to go to League One or the Championship in England.

McCormack said: “I would imagine you’re probably looking at maybe a loan down south somewhere, bottom end of League One or top end of the Championship and see how he goes.”

Bolton are currently ninth in League One in England, so not quite the bottom end of League One. They were willing to pay £500k to sign the Irishman from the Hoops in the summer, and that would have given him an opportunity to go away and play regular minutes to develop as a player.

Instead, Kenny is rarely getting on the pitch for Celtic. His development is stalling by not gaining experience in a competitive environment, which is why he should be looking to move on in the next window to take the next step in his career.

Rodgers must sell Celtic flop who's now worth even less than Adam Idah

Celtic must sell this flop whose value has dropped millions and is now worth less than Adam Idah.

ByDan Emery Oct 14, 2025

When you take that and the idea that Celtic may want to enter the market to sign another striker in January, the Irishman may be on borrowed time at Parkhead, as moving away from the club could be the best for all parties involved.

Esmae MacGegor takes 3 for 19 but Essex succumb in final over

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Jul-2025Amanda-Jade Wellington played a match-winning innings under pressure as Somerset beat Essex by four wickets at Taunton’s Cooper Associates Ground to register their first win of the Vitality Blast T20 campaign in their tenth game.The Australian international raised 29 from 23 balls, struck four fours and shared in a crucial stand of 45 off 29 balls for the fourth wicket with Fran Wilson, who contributed 41, as the home side chased down a victory target of 156 with three balls to spare.Esmae MacGregor claimed 3 for 19 to keep Essex in the hunt, but Wellington and Alex Griffiths, required to score 16 runs off the final 17 balls, held their nerve to carry the cider county to their first win of the season at headquarters.Returning from England A duty, Jodi Grewcock top-scored with 45 from 34 balls and shared in a stand of 58 for the third wicket with Cordelia Griffith, who contributed 31, as Essex posted 155 for 5 after being put into bat. The pick of the Somerset bowlers, Wellington returned figures of 1 for 25 from four overs.Deputising for the injured Sophie Luff, stand-in Somerset captain Niamh Holland won the toss, inserted the opposition and watched her bowlers reduce the visitors to 30 for 2 in 4.1 overs. Lauren Winfield-Hill plundered three boundaries in moving effortlessly to 19 from 14 balls, only to be cut down in her pomp by an Olivia Barnes delivery that pinned her in the crease. Three balls later, fellow opener Grace Scrivens followed the former England batter back to the pavilion after pulling a shortish ball from Erin Vukusic to midwicket for 6.Charged with the task of repairing the damage, Griffith and Grewcock advanced the score to 40 for 2 at the end of the powerplay and 66 for 2 at the halfway stage, despite finding boundaries hard to come by. The 50 partnership occupied 45 balls and Griffith, having raised 31 from 29 balls, was beginning to accelerate when she attempted to pull Mollie Robbins to the deep midwicket boundary and succeeded only in finding Griffiths with the score 88 for 3.That was the cue for Grewcock to take centre stage, the England A batter opening her shoulders to harvest three successive fours in an over from Barnes as the fielding side came under real pressure for the first time. Grewcock had made 45 from 34 balls and was eyeing a half-century when she gave the charge to Wellington’s legspin and holed out to Vukusic at long-on.Essex were 115 for 4 in the 16th over with work still to do as Jo Gardner joined Maddie Penna in the middle. These two staged a useful stand of 40 from 27 balls, Australian Penna scoring 21 at a run a ball and the forthright Gardner 22 from 12 deliveries, to hoist Essex to a competitive total.Somerset required the reassurance of a good start and Bex Odgers and Holland provided exactly that, adding 41 in five overs before the former blotted her copybook and top-edged to short third for 20 off the bowling of Eva Gray. Holland had also scored 20 when she surrendered her wicket in similar fashion next over, skying a catch behind off MacGregor as the home side slipped to 41 for 2.Buoyed by her half-century against Hampshire last time out, Wilson hit the ground running as Somerset passed 50 in the seventh, while debutant Ruby Davis calmed any nerves by straight-hitting Gray for four as the third-wicket partnership began to profit. These two added 46 in 36 balls and were threatening to take the contest by the scruff of the neck when Davis, having raised 19 from 16 balls, attempted to reverse sweep MacGregor and was adjudged lbw with the score 87 for 3 in the 12th.Wellington drove Grewcock down the ground and pulled Sophia Smale for four to serve notice of her intentions, but Abtaha Maqsood and MacGregor kept things tight to push the asking rate above eight. Somerset’s fourth wicket pair took 15 off the 15th, bowled by Smale, at which point they required 35 off the last five.Victory looked to be a formality, only for Wilson to dance down the wicket and lose off stump to MacGregor with 24 needed off 22 balls. Wellington then hit Scrivens to long-on in the final over, but Griffiths and Chloe Skelton saw the job through.

Steven Smith got creative in his recovery from the finger injury that ruled him out of the first Test against West Indies, finding a baseball batting cage in New York where he was able to face throwdowns before rejoining the squad in Barbados.Smith suffered a compound dislocation of his right little finger when he dropped Temba Bavuma at Lord’s during the World Test Championship final but, despite the gruesome nature of the injury which made Smith feel “sick” when he saw it with team-mates noting how he went pale, he avoided the need for surgery.Given he was limited in what he could do early in the recovery, and needed to be careful how much he sweated, he opted to travel the five hours to New York where he owns an apartment.Related

• Smith set to play but won't field in the slips because of injured finger

• Smith on track to return and reclaim No. 4 spot in Grenada

• However you get 'em – Head, Carey, Webster show the way

• Chappell: Smith's new approach to batting is revolutionary

Smith began facing tennis balls and soft cricket balls before moving to hard ones in his second session in the cage, sending the footage back to Barbados to the Australia medical staff, who were happy with his progress.”My mate actually told me about it, which was ideal because it was pretty warm there [in New York],” he said. “Underneath this bridge there was a batting cage, and he was able to throw me a few balls there, so it was good to be in the shade, it was pretty hot there.”After returning to the Caribbean, Smith had his stitches removed on Sunday and fitted with a thinner splint, which should make things easier when wearing batting gloves. He will have his first proper net against bowlers on Tuesday in Grenada, but was confident of being able to slot back into the side, which would mean Josh Inglis dropping out.”For me, it’ll just feel like training as normal, I think,” he said. “I don’t really feel any pain or anything. [It’s] just getting used to the splint on and the slight limited movement. It’s not too bad, I’ve got a lot of movement there now, so that feels good. Hitting the ball felt completely fine.”Fielding some balls in front of the wicket will probably be the strangest thing for me, I don’t think I’ve ever done that in a Test match. Fielding at either probably mid-on or mid-off or fine leg, is a bit different to standing at the second or first slip.”Smith watched the first Test closely and joked “there was probably a few occasions I was happy that I wasn’t out there,” given the amount the pitch was offering for the quick bowlers. He had sympathy with the challenges posed to the top order and, in a similar vein to coach Andrew McDonald, acknowledged it could take time for things to click for the likes of Sam Konstas, citing his own wait for a maiden Test century, which came in his 12th match and 23rd innings.”These guys are good players, there’s been a lot of talk around it but… we just need to give them an opportunity,” he said. “It doesn’t always come around straight away. We’ve just got to give them an opportunity and let them get used to playing in these conditions and in international cricket. These guys have some really good talent and I think they have bright futures.”The injury made Steven Smith feel “sick” when he saw it with team-mates noting how he went pale•Getty Images

The squad will travel to Grenada on Monday, where none of the current team has played before. The last time Australia were on the island was for a pair of ODIs in 2008. Due to the short turnaround between Tests, the incumbent fast bowlers are not expected to train much in the lead-up. Given his lack of batting in the last couple of weeks, Smith said he would likely have two sessions.The previous Test at the National Stadium was in 2022 when England toured. It was a low-scoring affair dominated by the pace bowlers. The visitors were bundled for 120 in their second innings as West Indies clinched the series 1-0 with the medium pace of Kyle Mayers claiming 5 for 18. Anything similar will leave left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann on the sidelines again. With Josh Hazlewood taking five wickets in Barbados, it would be a very tough call for the selectors should they opt to leave out a quick at any point in the series.West Indies’ former captain Kraigg Brathwaite will be playing his 100th Test, while Mitchell Starc will notch up No. 99 and could join the century club in Jamaica. Starc also needs nine more wickets to reach 400.

Noor Ahmad took 4 for 31 for CSK, who slowed KKR down in the four overs after the powerplay

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2025Noor Ahmad took four wickets on a sharply turning surface as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) kept Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to 179 for 6 in Eden Gardens’ last league match of IPL 2025. On one of the most spin-friendly surfaces of the tournament – there were 20 not-in-control shots against spin during KKR’s innings, the joint second-most of any innings this season – CSK’s three spinners took a combined 5 for 84 in 11 overs.Given the conditions, and given the fact that they have Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali in their attack, KKR may well have been the happier side going into the innings break.Choosing to bat first, KKR probably knew they had to make the most of the powerplay, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz set the tone before becoming the first batter dismissed for 11 off nine balls. He hit a four and a six, swung hard and missed on numerous occasions, and then chipped one straight to midwicket.Narine and Ajinkya Rahane continued in that spirit, and took KKR to 67 for 1 at the six-over mark, hitting eight fours and two sixes between them during the powerplay. Neither looked in full control – Rahane survived a chance when a diving Matheesha Pathirana put him down at long leg – but both went hard at the bowling in this period. Narine, coming into this game having scored 118 runs off 48 balls against R Ashwin while only being dismissed once, took 14 off the offspinner in the fifth over.With the fields spread, Ashwin’s next over, the seventh, only went for two. With the ball often turning square, KKR didn’t hit a single boundary in the first four overs after the powerplay, and lost two wickets. Both fell in Noor’s first over, with Narine stumped after the ball slipped between his legs, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi feathering one behind.Rahane and Manish Pandey, who came in for the injured Venkatesh Iyer, then put on 32 off 28 balls, before Andre Russell arrived to give KKR the late push they desired. His 21-ball 38 was the driving force behind KKR scoring 70 off their last six overs, even though Pathirana closed out the innings with a 20th over full of singles.

Arsenal have now reached an agreement for a “creative” player to leave the Emirates on deadline day in what has been described as an “unbelievable deal”.

Carragher and Keane blast Arsenal after Liverpool defeat

The Gunners fell to a 1-0 Premier League defeat against Liverpool prior to the international break, with Mikel Arteta’s side struggling to create from open play at Anfield, despute the introcuduction of new signing Eberechi Eze in the second half.

Dominik Szoboszlai’s late free-kick was the difference between the two sides, and after the game, Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane weren’t impressed with what they saw from Arsenal in the final third.

Carragher said: “You bring [Martin] Zubimendi in, Eze’s come in. It’s only three games but the two away games that we’ve seen Arsenal this season, nothing has changed. Heavily reliant on set-pieces, don’t create anything in open play and are the best team in Europe for me defensively.”

Keane was also critical, saying: “I think when they’ve got the defensive record that they have and they’re great at set-pieces, we’ve got to give Arsenal credit for that. If you’re just dependent on that all the time, and you come to Liverpool away.

“It’s hard to score at Liverpool. Do something a little bit different. Rice taking corners, they’re taking ages. You’re looking at Arsenal, do something off the cuff. Do something quickly. There was rushing towards the end when they were chasing a goal. Going forward they’re a bit robotic. You have to find something else.”

Arsenal outgoings	To	Fee
Kieran Tierney	Celtic	Free
Jorginho	Flamengo	Free
Nuno Tavares	Lazio	Undisclosed
Marquinhos	Cruzerio	Undisclosed
Takehiro Tomiyasu	N/A	Released
Karl Hein	Werder Bremen	Loan
Ismeal Kabia	Shrewsbury Town	Loan

Now, Arsenal are set to let go an attacker who has previously come in for praise from Arteta.

Arsenal reach deadline day agreement for Fabio Vieira exit

As per Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal have reached an agreement for Fabio Vieira to join Hamburger SV before the deadline.

The 25-year-old will join on a loan with an option to buy for more than €20m, following Albert Sambi Lokonga to the German side, with Plettenberg describing it as “an unbelievable deal” for Hamburger.

Vieira, who cost Arsenal around £34m in 2022, has made 49 appearances for the Gunners, scoring three times and providing 10 assists. He was hailed by Arteta following an FA Cup victory at Oxford United in 2025 after providing two assists.

“He has the quality. He is a really creative player and has the capacity to decide games in the final third. The moment we got him into the right spaces he made the difference.”

Now, though, Vieira’s future lies in Germany, potentially for the long run if he impresses in 2025/26.

Jamie Carragher immediately expressed his concerns over Arne Slot's tactics after Liverpool had won their opening game of the new season against Bournemouth. So he was never going to hold back after watching the disturbingly ragged Reds slump to a second consecutive defeat in Tuesday's Champions League clash with Galatasaray.

"I don't feel like I'm watching a top team," Carragher told after watching his former side lost 1-0 at RAMS Park. "Liverpool are not playing football at the moment, they are playing basketball. It's just end-to-end, and I don't think top teams play like that.

"I expressed that to the manager early on. He's obviously a fantastic manager but while Liverpool were a top team last season, they were also a workman-like team, and they've sprinkled a bit of stardust on it, in terms of the transfers they have brought in.

"But they haven't gained anything going forward, and they've lost a lot defensively. So, I think for the manager now, last season was such a smooth ride for him, that he's now got to really earn his money. He did last season, by winning the Premier League, which was unbelievable.

"But there are few problems he has got to fix, and it will be really interesting to see how he goes about it, because he's spent a lot of money on certain players. But, right now, the balance of the team is not right."

So, what exactly are the problems facing Slot as he looks to avoid losing three games on the spin for the first time since arriving at Anfield in the summer of 2024? And can they all be resolved ahead of Saturday's suddenly daunting trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea? Below, GOAL takes an in-depth look at Liverpool, who are top of the Premier League and yet looking increasingly disjointed the longer this season goes on…

• AFP
  

  Floundering Florian Wirtz

  Liverpool spent more than £400m on new signings during the summer but, for one reason or another, Hugo Ekitike is the only one to have made an instant impact on the first team.

  Given the money spent on Florian Wirtz and the fact that he's yet to contribute a single goal or assist, the German's starting spot has come under the most scrutiny so far and Carragher even went so far as to argue that the £100m man should be benched this weekend.

  "He's just not at the races at all," the former defender said on . "He's a young boy, coming to a new league, and has plenty of time to go as a Liverpool player.

  "But, right now, I think he needs to come out of the team, Liverpool go back to what they were last season, and then go from there and try to build some confidence and some defensive stability because, right now, it looks like a mess."

  Some of the criticism being levelled at Wirtz has been over the top. Indeed, it's worth noting that the only Premier League player to have created as many chances in all competitions this season (21) is Jack Grealish, who is being lauded right now for his return to form at Everton.

  However, there is no denying that Wirtz has struggled with the intensity of English football – Slot has admitted as much himself – and looks like a pale imitation of the thrilling attacking talent that illuminated Bundesliga and Champions League games for Bayer Leverkusen.

  Even Carragher has acknowledged that Wirtz cannot be held solely accountable for Liverpool's defensive frailties this term, though, and the fact that the hugely influential Alexis Mac Allister has been in and out of the starting line-up because of his fitness problems hasn't aided the 22-year-old's integration at all.

  Nonetheless, Slot has a big call to make on Saturday because playing a proper No.10 like Wirtz instead of a more industrious attacking midfielder like Dominik Szoboszlai has undeniably affected Liverpool's general solidity due to the issues elsewhere. 

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  Cody Gakpo's dramatic dip in form

  Slot put Wirtz on the left-hand side of his attack for last weekend's loss at Crystal Palace in what was an ill-advised attempt to shoehorn the Germany international into this starting line-up. However, it was also reflective of Cody Gakpo's very sudden struggles.

  After looking perfectly placed in pre-season to fill the void left by Luis Diaz on Liverpool's left wing, Gakpo hit the ground running, with the Dutchman directly involved in three goals in his first two Premier League games of the current campaign. Unfortunately, he's looked painfully predictable since then, with full-backs very much wise to the fact that all Gakpo wants to do is cut inside onto his favoured right foot to get a shot away.

  As a result, his demotion to the bench for the game at Selhurst Park came as no surprise and he didn't exactly make a compelling case for a Premier League recall with his performance in Istanbul. Indeed, there's every chance that Slot would have started Ekitike on the left-hand side at Stamford Bridge to accommodate Alexander Isak through the middle.

  However, with the in-form Frenchman (the one bright spark up front against Gala) expected to miss the trip to west London through injury, Gakpo will likely get another opportunity to prove his worth, as it's hard to see Rio Ngumoha starting against the club he left in such acrimonious circumstances – even if the 17-year-old appears utterly impervious to pressure.

  The bottom line is that Slot could really do with Gakpo vindicating Liverpool's decision to sell Diaz to Bayern Munich.

• AFP
  

  Alexander Isak's injury and involvement issues

  Ekitike's probable unavailability for a second consecutive Premier League outing is hardly ideal from a striking perspective either.

  Of course, unlike his "stupid" suspension for the game at Palace, Ekitike's absence against Chelsea is not his fault, with the former Eintracht Frankfurt forward having been forced off with a muscular problem at RAMS Park. The net result, though, is that Slot doesn't really have any other option than to start Isak at Stamford Bridge, even though he's still nowhere near fully match fit.

  The Swede's summer strike may have belatedly forced Newcastle to sell him to Liverpool but his total lack of a pre-season has been there for all to see in his first five outings for his new club. Isak has just one goal to his name – against Championship side Southampton in the Carabao Cup – and has yet to complete 90 minutes once. It's unlikely, then, that he'll last the entire game at the Bridge.

  However, what's imperative is that Liverpool get Isak into the game more while he's on the field. There was still half an hour to play when he came on against Galatasaray but even though Wirtz gave him a sight of goal with a lovely ball over the top just minutes after Isak's introduction, he would only touch the ball four times in total.

  Interestingly, that disturbing lack of involvement might well convince Slot to stick with Wirtz in the No.10 role, as the 22-year-old linked very well with Isak during their time on the field together in the 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Alexis Mac Allister's still playing catch-up

  There have been understandable calls for Liverpool to go back to basics against Chelsea and restore the midfield three that played such a pivotal role in last season's title triumph. However, while Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai are fully fit right now, Alexis Mac Allister is still not right physically.

  It wasn't meant to be like this, of course. As Slot has stated, Liverpool brought a premature end to Mac Allister's 2024-25 campaign "to have him ready for the first day of pre-season".

  However, the Argentine's nagging muscular problem took longer than expected to heal. "As a result of that," Slot explained last week, "he walks behind the music, as we say in Holland, while you say, he's playing catch-up".

  Based on what we've seen so far from Mac Allister, that's still very much the case. He may have started all five of Liverpool's Premier League games to date, but he's not lasted more than 65 minutes since missing the 3-2 win at Newcastle in August and he was way off the pace after coming on for the final half hour in midweek.

  The Reds clearly need Mac Allister at Chelsea. One could easily argue he was their most reliable performer over the previous two seasons and there's a very real possibility that we won't see the best of the new Liverpool until we see the return of the old Mac Allister.

  So, Slot needs to decide if starting the World Cup winner in west London in his current condition is a risk worth taking, especially as the much-maligned Curtis Jones was one of the few players to perform at an acceptable level against Gala…