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New Zealand fast bowler Ben Sears will have a stint in Victoria Premier cricket in Melbourne as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.He will play six games – five T20s and a 50-over one-dayer – for Melbourne University Cricket Club with the hope he will then be available for the start of the Super Smash competition with Wellington in late December. Should Sears be fit he will be in New Zealand’s plans for the T20 World Cup in February.Related

• O'Rourke out for at least three months with back stress fracture

• New Zealand's pace depth maintains formidable home record

Sears, 27, has been sidelined since the T20I series against Australia in early October having had a previous hamstring injury which ruled him out of the Champions Trophy in February. The decision has been made to send him to Melbourne due to a lack of short-form cricket currently being played in New Zealand with the Plunket Shield taking place.”Ben has missed a large portion of cricket in two out of the last three summers, so it was important for him to get as much cricket as possible on grass wickets leading into his Super Smash return,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said.”He’s a big part of our future plans and with an important period of T20 cricket ahead of us, we want to ensure Ben has the safest and most appropriate return to play plan in place. He’s been progressing well and we’re looking forward to seeing how he gets on in Melbourne.”Sears, who has played one Test, four ODIs and 22 T20Is, is one of a number of New Zealand’s quicks who have recently been sidelined. Will O’Rourke is continuing his recovery from a back stress fracture, Lockie Ferguson has had a hamstring problem and Adam Milne an ankle injury. Kyle Jamieson, meanwhile, is having his comeback from a back injury carefully managed.Their has depth has been on show in recent white-ball series against West Indies and England with Jacon Duffy, Zak Foulkes and Blair Tickner all impressing.

Travis Head was lauded for an “out of this world” innings by Australia captain Steven Smith, after his offer to open the batting in place of the injured Usman Khawaja produced one of the most devastating innings seen in Test cricket, but admitted he had to overcome some self doubt leading into the match.Head flayed 123 off 83 balls with 16 fours and four sixes as Australia chased down 205 in 28.2 overs to complete an astonishing two-day victory at Perth Stadium when, just a few hours earlier, England were in control of the game.Head had been lean on runs in the first part of the season with a mixture of T20Is, ODIs and one Sheffield Shield outing. He has often shown an ability to flick a switch but admitted there had been a few nagging thoughts leading into the series.Related

• Khawaja's back issues to be examined as Australia float flexible batting order

• McCullum backs Crawley; calls on England to show greater 'conviction'

• A generational flaying takes its place in England's Ashes lore

• Head adds to career catalogue of mind-blowing knocks on the biggest stage

• Smith stalls talk on Head's permanent role as Ashes opener

“Probably not the prep that I would have liked going into the Test, but the process was right, the method was right,” he told Channel 7. “I did a lot of training. I trained all four days here, which is unheard of for me. I just found a little bit of rhythm.”I’m never going to doubt my own ability, but I think when you have a big gap in Test cricket and you’re lying in bed a couple of nights before, you’re like, can I do it? Can you still produce it? Can you, as a cricketer each year, keep rolling out good scores in big moments? It’s not going to get much bigger than this.”I think your mind just takes you to, am I good enough to still do it against the absolute best? I’m pleased to slap around a little bit today and get a score and get into the series and to be 1-0 up is a great way to contribute. But I wasn’t worried too much.”When Khawaja suffered further back spasms late in England’s second innings it became clear Australia would again need to reshuffle the batting. Unlike the opening day when Marnus Labuschagne partnered Jake Weatherald, they opted for the aggressive route of Head, who does the role in white-ball cricket for Australia and has previous opened in Tests on the subcontinent.”I was pretty keen to do it,” Head told Channel 7. “Just felt like the moment was right. I felt like if I could get away, obviously the plans that they’ve had over the years with me, with short-pitch bowling where they’ve come to me, I thought that if I could get away with a new ball, [that could] probably take a little bit of sting out of it. [It] could help [Weatherald] at the other end…I feel like when we stack Marnus and Smudge at three and four, it just feels right. So nice that I could move up.”Felt like I got off to a great start. Weathers played beautifully. And once we sort of got 50, 60, I thought that’s a great blueprint, a great start. You see the numbers start ticking down, and you think, you’ve got two world-class batters behind you, hopefully make their job a bit easier.”At the post match presentation, Smith said the innings stood up against any that he had seen. “He played some outrageous shots, even when he shanked it he got it in the gaps. One of those days when you’re on, you’re on and you make the most of it and he got us home. We probably did quite like how it [the top order] worked in the first innings and Travis was like ‘I want to do it’ and I was like ‘go for your life’…that was just incredible to witness.”It’s right up there with knocks I’ve seen from anyone. Fourth innings, albeit day two, the wicket was probably almost at its best to bat at the end there, but the way he went about his business, played some really nice shots early, and when they went short he played the way he wanted to and was kind of toying with them I suppose.”Speaking separately to Fox Cricket, Head said he would have been all right with getting out early because it was the right decision for the team. “Quite easily could have been out first over,” he said. “It didn’t really matter. I thought that was the right process, right way of thinking, go out there, see what happens and it’s worked today.”Once the runs started to flow, Head sensed it was his moment to really unleash and produced a fearsome display of strokeplay as Australia hunted down the target at speed.”I was able to sort of get through Gus [Atkinson] and Jof [Archer] with a new ball, who were dangerous in the first innings. Then sort of seized an opportunity where I could be a little bit more aggressive in moments when they moved the field. They started with a third man, brought third man back up, and then felt like I could get away again…and ride the wave for the first 50 runs. Then once I got past then, I thought, we’ll just pin the ears back and see what happens.”

Newcastle United are now reportedly eyeing a January move to sign Davide Frattesi from Inter Milan, as the midfielder continues to struggle for a starting place at the San Siro.

The Magpies were interested in the midfielder in the summer and could now return for a missed target in the theme of their January transfer window. Alongside Frattesi, Newcastle have also been linked with James Trafford, who has been forced to play backup to Gianluigi Donnarumma after both joined Manchester City in the summer.

The England international could do nothing but watch as the Citizens came away 2-1 losers at St James’ Park, courtesy of an impressive brace from Harvey Barnes.

Speaking to reporters at full-time, Eddie Howe was full of praise for his side – saying: “I’m well aware of my record against Manchester City, that is something I take no pride in, really. Trying to figure out a way to beat them is very, very difficult.

“Even today’s game, it was so tight. The margins in Premier League games against them are so fine, but we came out on the right side today.

“I thought it was a great performance from the players, full of energy, heart and bravery. I’m delighted with how we played. The mindset was key and the attitude. The energy was back that was missing against Brentford and West Ham. Our running ability and power was there.”

Newcastle have already got a bigger talent than Barnes who's "like Mbappe"

Newcastle United have a bigger talent than Harvey Barnes in an 18-year-old who is similar to Kylian Mbappe.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 24, 2025

The Newcastle boss will be desperate for his side to kick on domestically now, before potentially welcoming further additions in the January transfer window.

The Magpies were boosted on the PSR front by the sale of Alexander Isak in the summer and could yet use that to pick up where they left off at the end of the summer window.

Newcastle now eyeing Davide Frattesi

As reported by Tuttomercatoweb and relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle are now eyeing a move to sign Frattesi in January. Those at St James’ Park were denied the opportunity to sign the midfielder by Inter Milan in the summer, but he’s started just once in Serie A ever since.

Now, the door seems to be open for the Magpies to make their move and add further depth to their midfield. What should also make any deal easier is the fact that Frattesi is represented by the same agency as Newcastle star Sandro Tonali.

Frattesi’s current struggles at Inter come as quite the surprise, given that former Italy boss Luciano Spalletti told reporters last year: “With the intensity and quality he has, he can really get at opposition defensive lines.

“He has the sense of curiosity to go out and attack. But he also has to do better to more technically clean with the ball at his feet. If he keeps working hard he can get even better.”

It now looks as though that improvement will have to take place elsewhere and potentially in the Premier League. After missing out in the summer, Newcastle have an ideal opportunity to make up for lost time.

Newcastle have already signed their answer to Haaland and he's not even a CF

Martin O’Neill may reportedly have taken charge of his last game as Celtic’s interim manager, according to a significant new update that has emerged.

O’Neill is such a popular figure at Parkhead, with the 73-year-old bringing positivity back to the club after a frustrating end to Brendan Rodgers’ time in charge.

The Northern Irishman has addressed his future at Celtic in recent days, still pinching himself at making a return, but admitting he doesn’t know what the next step is.

“I have to go back down to London again, I’m going to go into a darkened room and come out on Thursday and think ‘has this really happened?’ So I should imagine at some stage or another during the course of the next week, whether it be tomorrow, whether it be Saturday or Sunday of next week, that somebody will let me know what’s happening.

“No, I genuinely don’t know. But if they make an announcement in, let’s say, in the next week or something about a new manager, I will take this fortnight and I was nearly going to say rather morbidly, to my grave, but hang about. Well you never know, but it’s been fantastic.”

O’Neill will ultimately know that he isn’t the long-term answer for Celtic, with his appointment only a short-term fix, and now a new update has emerged regarding his future.

O'Neill may be replaced at Celtic during international break

According to a fresh claim from Football Insider, O’Neill’s spell in charge of Celtic could reach its conclusion during the current international break.

A new “development” took place last weekend, with Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy now one of the leading contenders to come in at Parkhead alongside Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen. It is stated that top target Nancy is now “available” and ready to join the Hoops straight away after his current club were knocked out of the MLS playoffs.

As mentioned, O’Neill won’t be expecting to get the Celtic job permanently, despite some good results in charge, but if he has managed his last game for the club, he will depart as popular as ever.

Shock Celtic manager frontrunner receives backing from Parkhead higher-up

The Bhoys may well now have found their preferred choice to succeed Martin O’Neill.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 11, 2025

Ultimately, the Hoops have to make the right appointment to take the club in the right direction, and if they feel they have found the correct choice during the international break, an immediate change is needed.

Nancy looks to be an interesting option currently, having won 109 out of 209 matches in management in North America, but the one main risk is that he hasn’t proven himself in Europe, unlike Knutsen with Bodo/Glimt.

Approach imminent: Manager with 209 wins to 70 losses excited by Celtic

تحدث ماركو أسينسيو، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي فناربخشة التركي عن أمنيته في تمثيل منتخب إسبانيا في كأس العالم 2026 المقبل.

وصعد منتخب إسبانيا لكأس العالم للمرة الـ 17 في تاريخه بعد التعادل أمام تركيا في الجولة الأخيرة من تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة إلى المونديال، وتصدر مجموعته.

ويشارك 48 منتخبًا في النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم، صيف 2026، حيث تمتلك قارة أوروبا 16 مقعدًا في النظام المستحدث للمنافسة العالمية.

وقال أسينسيو، في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “آس”: “لقد نمت خلال مباراة إسبانيا ضد تركيا لأنني لم أرغب في التأخر عن التدريب صباحًا، تأخرت المباراة كثيرًا بسبب فارق التوقيت”.

وأكمل: “كأس ​​العالم بطولة مميزة للجميع، والتواجد مع المنتخب الوطني أمر بالغ الأهمية، هدفي هو اللعب لإسبانيا مجددًا وأعمل بجد لتحقيقه، إذا استدعاني المدرب فسأرغب في تمثيل بلدي على أكمل وجه”.

اقرأ أيضًا | برشلونة يحسم موقفه من خوض مباراة ودية في المغرب أو بيرو

وعن مباراة جالطة سراي، كشف: “أحتاج إلى التسجيل، ستكون مباراة صعبة لكن لدينا مباريات مهمة أخرى قبلها، أولها مباراة تشايكور ريزي سبور، سنركز على هذه المباراة، نتعامل مع كل مباراة على حدة لكن بالطبع مباراة الديربي مهمة جدًا لنا وللجماهير وللنادي بأكمله ونريد الفوز”.

وأردف: “لعبت كجناح أيمن وجناح أيسر ولاعب وسط متقدم،، كنت أُجري خلف الدفاع طوال المباراة، لكل مركز أسلوبه الخاص، وأحاول التكيف قدر الإمكان، الأهم هو ما يُقرره المدرب لكنني أشعر براحة أكبر كلاعب وسط مُهاجم”.

وعن أهدافه مع فناربخشة: “قبل وصولي تعرفت على المشروع وأهداف النادي، فناربخشة يطمح دائمًا للفوز والنجاح في دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وأتم: “رئيسنا يُظهر لنا ثقة كبيرة ودعمًا كبيرًا وهذا أمر أساسي، عندما يتواصل الرئيس مع اللاعبين بهذه الطريقة يُعزز ذلك ثقته بنا ويُظهر ثقته بنا وهذه الثقة تنعكس على أرض الملعب”.

Alejandro Garnacho has been told that facets of his game are not at a good enough level for a big club like Chelsea or Manchester United. The 21-year-old swapped Old Trafford for Stamford Bridge this summer and despite showing flashes of quality for Enzo Maresca's team so far, some of his detractors still feel there are some glaring holes in his game.

Garnacho 'not at the level you need'

Former United winger Lee Sharpe believes that the Argentina international's decision-making is just not good enough. While he praised his technical ability, athleticism, and X-factor capabilities, he still needs to improve a great deal to become a more complete player.

He told Adventure Gamers: "It’s always the same with Alejandro Garnacho. His issue is, and has always been, his decision-making in the final third. Skill-wise, pace-wise wise and his ability to excite people is second to none. But sometimes, he tries to shoot when he should pass and vice versa – he can get stuck in little areas, and it’s probably not quite at the level you need at a big club like Manchester United or Chelsea. Whether that is something that improves with age and experience, I don’t know. He has been in the Premier League for several years now and you would expect him to have developed in those areas, but I don’t think he has."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGarnacho's attitude comes into question

Garnacho was once seen as one of Argentina's most exciting rising stars but he has been frozen out of the country's national team for nearly a year. Incidentally, former Argentine international Oscar Ruggeri thinks the youngster needs a bit of a reality check.

He said: "He's no better than anyone else, you're a football player, enjoy it, but you shouldn't be so full of yourself. It's pointless because you miss out on so much. Someone has to bring him down to earth. They're not calling him up to the national team. If he comes back down to earth like he was, they'll call him up again because he's phenomenal on the pitch."

Indeed, former United defender Paul Parker feels the way he left the Red Devils, and the way he carried himself in his final few months there, were unprofessional.

He added: "His conduct on and off the pitch was disrespectful. All he wanted to do was score a goal or have a near miss so he could act like Ronaldo. Now he's gone to a club where there’s a lot more ego. He will alienate himself or it’ll be a battle there. United fans backed him when he was going through things both on and off the field. His brother was tweeting things and they backed him and he said nothing. He’s stuck two fingers up at the club that nursed him."

Maresca comes to Garnacho's aid

This year, Garnacho has come under heavy fire from pundits for his antics but Chelsea head coach Maresca believes in the young winger.

After his goal in the Blues' 2-2 draw with Qarabag in the Champions League in midweek, the Italian said: "Now, when you don't win, I can understand that it's always, but I think Garnacho, he has done well in the second half. We gave him the chance. He's slowly, slowly improving."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Garnacho?

With Garnacho not having to worry about playing for Argentina this month, the ex-United ace will hope to start for Chelsea at home to Premier League basement side Wolves on Saturday night. If results go their way, they could move into the top four by the end of the weekend.

Just 21 wickets in four days at Trent Bridge as spinners struggle to exploit hybrid pitch

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 25-Jun-2025

Pocketing 12 points for a draw was enough to keep Nottinghamshire top of the Rothesay County Championship table with eight of 14 matches played, although they now find defending champions Surrey breathing down their necks after the match against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge ended in stalemate.Nottinghamshire led Division One by 10 points going into this round but Surrey’s victory over Worcestershire at New Road has closed the gap to two ahead of next week’s second batch of fixtures with the Kookaburra ball, when Surrey meet Durham at the Kia Oval and Nottinghamshire travel to Somerset.Matthew Revis supplemented Finlay Bean’s superb double-hundred for with an unbeaten 93 but with Yorkshire’s first innings stretching to lunch on day four before Nottinghamshire could bowl them out for 510 on a generally benign pitch, the chances of a positive outcome were almost non-existent.Part-time off-spinner Freddie McCann finished with a career-best three for 53 before Nottinghamshire, who had made 487 in their first innings, reached 148 for one in their second innings, opener Ben Slater passing fifty for the sixth consecutive innings – four of them against Yorkshire – in making an unbeaten 74. The players shook hands on a draw at ten to five.All-rounder Liam Patterson-White, who was three for 129 from 52 overs of left-arm spin overnight, could not add to his wickets tally in Yorkshire’s first innings, but the additional 10 overs in his final analysis of three for 146 puts him 10th in Nottinghamshire’s table of bowling marathons.Not since 1929, when off-spinner Sam Staples sent down 408 deliveries – also against Yorkshire – to claim fourth spot in that list, has any bowler exceeded Patterson-White’s 372 bowled in a single first-class innings for the county.Farhan Ahmed, the 17-year-old off-spinner, bowled 50 overs for his one for 126, although it is not the first time he has hit that milestone despite this being only his 13th match. In the draw against Surrey here last year – also played with the Kookaburra ball – when he broke all manner of records in taking his career-best seven for 140 on his Championship debut, he was in his 51st over when he took his final wicket.With little help for the seam bowlers in using the Kookaburra ball, Nottinghamshire had hoped that a used, hybrid pitch in the prevailing dry conditions might provide significant assistance to the spinners. Yet though two thirds of the Yorkshire innings was against spin, there was never enough turn to unsettle the more capable batters hugely.McCann found some turn, bowling George Hill (30) and Jack White – the former via an inside edge – and having Dom Bess (26) stumped, but by then the Yorkshire innings was beginning to peter out. Will O’Rourke departed in a somewhat farcical run-out.Yorkshire’s left-armer, Dan Moriarty, bowled Haseeb Hameed, but Nottinghamshire were otherwise untroubled through the 48 overs that remained in the match – even when Yorkshire skipper Jonny Bairstow, having handed the wicketkeeping gloves to Bean for the final session, brought himself on to bowl in what turned out to be the last over of the match.His over of what appeared to be off-spin was only his second in professional cricket, the other – also wicketless – having been against Durham in 2014.

Manchester United could surprise everyone by mounting a Premier League title challenge this season, according to Rene Meulensteen, who was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's staff during six dominant years between 2007 and 2013. Ruben Amorim's side have put together back-to-back league wins for the first time under the Portuguese and have enjoyed statement victories over Chelsea and Liverpool in recent weeks.

• Why Man Utd can't be ruled out of race

  Meulensteen was speaking to , who offer the latest online casinos, and said that the margins in the Premier League are so fine, a bit of momentum for his former club, combined with injuries potentially affecting the likes of Arsenal, could alter how everything pans out.

  "There will be little twists and turns around the corner. If Arsenal lose maybe one or two players and maybe they lose one or two games, everything changes," the Dutchman said.

  "That could easily happen in a run-in. So I still think Arsenal, Man City, and Liverpool are going to be fighting for the Premier League and we can't rule out Man Utd if they go on this run we are hoping for. It could be three wins in a row and suddenly the whole momentum shifts into a positive power."

  "Then suddenly it could be wide open because they're only two points off Liverpool despite how the season has started," Meulensteen added.

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  'Project 150' at Man Utd

  Winning the Premier League this season would be ahead of schedule for United, who are undergoing a major rebuild on the pitch following a disastrous season in 2024-25. A rebuild behind the scenes has already taken place since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired his minority stake and control of sporting decisions, with chief executive Omar Berrada outlining to staff in 2024 the idea of 'Project 150'.

  The United hierarchy are targeting Premier League glory by 2028, the year which will mark the club's 150th anniversary, since the foundation of Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878. In recent days, Ratcliffe has publicly thrown his support by Amorim, despite the external pressure that had been mounting on the head coach, insisting the former Sporting CP boss will be given the patience of three years to get it right. It suggests that if United are to make good on achieving the objectives set out in 'Project 150', which also includes winning the Women's Super League for the first time, Amorim will still be around.

• Amorim: Prepare every game like it's a final

  Amorim said in August that his team is not ready for an open title challenge, calling on "small" positive changes and improvements to get them to the point of becoming a genuine challenger by the time 2027-28 rolls around. But the philosophy he preached at that time, treating every game like a one-off final, could also lend itself to building momentum and ultimately launching a challenge under the radar.

  "Success is to win titles and we don't know if we are going to achieve that, we are not in the moment where we can say that we are clearly fighting for the league. We just need to make small steps," he explained. "Small steps means to prepare every game like it is a final. For us, it is a final, we have that pressure in this club. In the end, I don't know what is going to be success. It depends the way you are seeing the team.

  "We just want to be really competitive, trying to dominate games, trying to score goals, not to get fans bored to see our games! So we have small things – if we put check, check, check, in the end it is going to be better. That is the most important thing. I think everyone knows that we have a goal, not for this season, but in three years to win the Premier League. We are going to get these steps done to reach that goal but, of course, in this club, every week the narrative is going to be different. So we need to be prepared for that, block the noise, do the job and try to win games."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  The chance to build momentum

  Momentum is the key behind whether United can, or cannot, challenges the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool this season. Consistency has been almost impossible to come by during Amorim's reign to date, hence why The United Strand has been allowed to become a thing, but back-to-back Premier League win for the first time since May 2024 is at least a big step in the right direction.

  This is where not competing in Europe this season, and early Carabao Cup elimination, might actually be a blessing disguise. While rivals are stretched across multiple competitions right now, United have no other distractions outside the Premier League this side of Christmas. It's a single game each week for the foreseeable future, starting with the visit of Brighton on Saturday and then a trip to Nottingham Forest as November begins.

A 2-0 lead is the worst lead. So goes the footballing cliché. But it’s a saying aptly applied to Arne Slot’s Liverpool as they continue to face adversity when two goals to the good this season.

Three times had Liverpool ceded their lead when two goals up before meeting Everton in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

After a barnstorming start to the all-Liverpool clash, the Reds looking back to their ferocious best, old habits crept in, with Idrissa Gueye pulling one back after the interval and casting an anxious blanket across most of Anfield.

However, this time Slot’s men didn’t need to dig deep and find a last-gasp winner, instead coming together to repel the impressive Toffees and see the game off.

Five wins from five in the Premier League. The hosts might have made a slight meal of things in the second half, but they got the job done once again, with a series of players stepping up.

Liverpool's best performers vs Everton

Virgil van Dijk is imperious as Liverpool’s leader and centre-back supreme, but Ibrahima Konate performed very well indeed against Everton, putting that shaky start to the season firmly behind him.

Against Everton, the France international won seven of eight aerial duels that came his way (data courtesy of Sofascore), while making eight clearances and two tackles, showing off that physical robustness when powering forward to stamp out danger or cover a wandering midfielder.

In the first half, Liverpool won 55% of the duels, but after the break, it was Everton who showed more impetus in the challenge, flipping that to a 56% success rate against the Anfield side.

That doesn’t tell the full story, though, and Dominik Szoboszlai is a testament to that, having only won half of his eight duels but thrived in an all-action midfield role, leading the press and showing off his first-rate stamina as the match wound down, instrumental to snuffing out a late comeback.

(GK) Alisson Becker

6/10

(RB) Conor Bradley

6/10

(CB) Ibrahima Konate

8/10

(CB) Virgil van Dijk

7/10

(LB) Milos Kerkez

6.5/10

(CM) Ryan Gravenberch

9/10

(CM) Alexis Mac Allister

6/10

(RW) Mohamed Salah

7/10

(AM) Dominik Szoboszlai

7.5/10

(LW) Cody Gakpo

6/10

(ST) Hugo Ekitike

9/10

Record signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak both entered the fray either side of the hour mark, but neither could write their names into the headlines as the visitors applied pressure and pushed for an equaliser.

That pairing have the skills and styles to emerge as Liverpool’s new version of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, but it’s two higher-flying members of Slot’s squad who are emerging as such stars of old.

Liverpool's new version of Gerrard & Torres

Torres and Gerrard formed one of the most iconic partnerships in Premier League history, turning aside opponents from every which way. Liverpool’s legendary skipper once said El Niño was “the best striker in the world”, before he up and left for Chelsea.

Hugo Ekitike has some stiff competition in Isak at number nine at Liverpool, but he’s playing like a man who knows it right now, having scored his fourth goal of the season after calmly collecting from a delicious Ryan Gravenberch pass and sending the ball past Jordan Pickford.

Liverpool’s £69m striker built on Gravenberch’s earlier goal, an incredible finish, dinked up and over Pickford and down and into the net after Mohamed Salah lobbed into space.

The duo have been incredible this season; they are proving invaluable proponents of Slot’s tactics, so coolly hitting the right heights under the head coach’s guidance.

Last season, Gravenberch announced himself as a major contender for a top side, but he now appears to have taken his game to the next level.

Peter Crouch remarked after the match for TNT Sports that he believes Gravenberch “has been Liverpool’s best player this season”, and it would be hard to contest that, so influential has he been across every corner of the midfield.

Now that he’s kindling a devastating attacking side to his game, the Dutchman is truly shaping into a new, modern version of Gerrard, who was the king of complete performances when in his heyday.

Moreover, Gerrard was a constant thorn in Everton’s side, with no man having scored more in the Merseyside derby than him.

Steven Gerrard

Liverpool

9

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

8

Divock Origi

Liverpool

6

Robbie Fowler

Liverpool

6

Tim Cahill

Everton

5

Dirk Kuyt

Liverpool

5

Torres was hardly a pushover on derby day, either, scoring three times against the Blues over five appearances as a Liverpool player; all three strikes came during his first two contests.

Ekitike appears up for the task of emulating the one-time hero, and he might even be playing with an air of the Spaniard’s flair too, with former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster saying during the game that the 23-year-old “looks like prime Fernando Torres running around Anfield”.

There was something Torres-esque about the way Ekitike worked overtime, just as it should be in a meeting of intense rivalry. The Frenchman completed all four of his dribbles, won seven duels and made two tackles for Slot’s side.

Isak, to be sure, has his work cut out this season and beyond. But Liverpool want to defend their Premier League title while challenging for silverware across all the other fronts too this term, and the duality of elite options at centre-forward will go a long way toward achieving that.

Boasting a combined Transfermarkt valuation of £130m and showcasing a budding partnership when Grav threaded through for his new frontman, there’s plenty of reason to be excited on the Red half of Merseyside, with such players already shaping this new charge toward the title.

Gravenberch, too, shares the midfield with a host of world-class players, but it’s hard to argue against the Netherlands international being the first name on the team-sheet right now, immovable and brilliant in the middle of the park.

Slot may be brewing a bigger talent than Isak in "special” Liverpool teen

Liverpool boast one of the finest prospects in Europe in this up-and-coming star.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 19, 2025

Barcelona sporting director Deco has provided details regarding Marcus Rashford's season-long loan move from Manchester United, confirming that the reigning La Liga champions will not have to pay any penalty should they decide not to sign the Englishman permanently next summer. United have inserted a purchase option for the in-form Rashford but Barca appear set to wait until late in the season before making any decision.

Rashford: Barcelona's Plan C

Barcelona's fragile financial condition meant that they failed in their endeavours to sign prime left-wing targets Nico Williams and Luis Diaz, with the former staying put at Athletic Club and the latter moving to Bayern Munich. Ultimately, the reigning La Liga champions signed Rashford on a season-long loan from United, with an option to buy him for £26 million (€30m/$35m) next summer.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRashford's great start away from United

The England international has made a terrific start in Catalunya, proving his importance to head coach Hansi Flick early on in the season. Rashford has featured in all eight games for Barca so far, which includes his rip-roaring brace against old foes Newcastle in the Champions League, as well as three assists in La Liga. The Catalans are keen on analysing Rashford's performances throughout the 2025-26 season before making a decision on his potential long-term future at the club.

Deco dives into financial details behind Rashford's move from Man Utd

Speaking to , Deco dispelled rumours that Barca would be required to pay a penalty should they opt not to sign Rashford permanently next summer.

"He's on a simple loan, there's no penalty, and if we want him, we have an option to buy," said Deco. "It's too early to talk about decisions for next season, but what matters is that we're happy with him. What we thought he could bring to us, he's bringing. He's a very high-level player; he exploded very early, then he had great seasons at United, then he had years of more complicated management with changes of coaches, and perhaps he struggled too because they demanded a lot of things from him there. But we're happy with him; that's the most important thing. These aren't decisions for now; now it's time to focus on the games to come. A decision will be made, but that's not being discussed right now."

He didn't provide much information regarding the details of the purchase option, though. "I don't know, [the purchase fee] is not that high but I don't have to say it either, there's a contract between the clubs but it has to be discussed," he added.

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Getty Images SportIn-form Rashford in for a start against PSG?

Flick will have a huge selection headache on his head when picking his starting XI for Wednesday's blockbuster Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain. With Lamine Yamal returning from injury, it is likely that Rashford will drop to the bench. However, the Barca manager might bear Rashford's fiery form in mind and name him as a surprise inclusion in the XI.