Liverpool moved to five points clear at the top of the Premier League table with an emphatic 4-0 win away at Bournemouth at the Vitality on Sunday.

The Reds now have cup clashes with Fulham and Norwich to come over the next seven days as they get a break from the rigours of top-flight action.

They did, however, make fairly light work of their league duty on Sunday with an assured and impressive showing – particularly in the second half.

There were a number of superb performers for the Reds on the south coast, including the two scorers – Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota – but one player who went under the radar with his display was central midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

Nunez and Jota's match-winning brilliance

With Mohamed Salah away on international duty, Liverpool's other forwards had to step up and that is exactly what they did as Nunez and Jota ruthlessly dispatched the Cherries during the second half.

The first goal came via a composed finish from the Uruguay international, who brilliantly ghosted away from his marker to finish coolly from his Portuguese teammate's pass.

That was then followed by two strikes from the former Wolverhampton Wanderers star. The first was a clinical near post-finish after Cody Gakpo slotted him through and the second came after a clever cutback from Connor Bradley allowed him – after an initial missed strike – to rifle the ball into the far corner.

Nunez made it four with his second goal in stoppage time as he stretched to poke Joe Gomez's deep cross into the bottom corner at the far post.

Mac Allister's vital contributions

As well as Jota and Nunez, Mac Allister was sublime for Liverpool and played a key role in the victory with his showing in the middle of the park.

He was Jurgen Klopp's unsung hero as the former Brighton star quietly went about his business. No thrills or spectacular moments from the World Cup winner but plenty of little moments that all added together to form a complete performance.

Mac Allister constantly battled hard in midfield to ensure that Bournemouth did not get the better of them in transition when the ball broke loose, as he won 14 of his 19 duels throughout the game.

Alexis Mac Allister	Vs Bournemouth (via Sofascore)
Minutes played	90
Ground duels won	12/17
Aerial duels won	2/2
Tackles made	Nine
Interceptions	Three

As you can see in the table above, the Argentina international was outstanding defensively with 12 tackles and interceptions combined to break up attacks from the hosts.

This prevented Alisson from being worked as much as he may have been had the central midfielder not stepped in on numerous occasions to win possession back.

Meanwhile, his midfield partners Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott managed nine tackles and interceptions combined between them, which illustrates how impressive Mac Allister's defensive contributions were.

Along with his strength out of possession, the 25-year-old whiz created four chances for his teammates at the top end of the pitch – four more than Jones and Elliott combined (zero).

This shows that the Reds maestro was impressive with his work on and off the ball throughout the game at the base of Klopp's midfield, which is why he was the unsung hero as Jota and Nunez stole the headlines with their respective braces to win the match but he was just as good with his vital contributions in and out of possession.

Durham’s Australian skipper reaches 109, Alex Lees unbeaten on 70 as visitors lead by 96 runs

ECB Reporters Network08-Jul-2019Cameron Bancroft led the way with a century as Durham turned their County Championship match against Leicestershire on its head at the Fischer County Ground.Bancroft’s ton, his second of the season in the Championship, came as part of an impressive opening partnership of 187 with Alex Lees, and came after the visitors had bowled Leicestershire out for 212, conceding a first-innings deficit of 95.Bancroft hit 13 fours in going to his hundred off 134 deliveries before being eventually dismissed by Will Davis, losing his middle stump to a delivery which seamed back and stayed a touch low. Even so, Durham finished the day leading by 96, with nine second-innings wickets in hand.Resuming on their overnight score of 124 for 4, and looking to extend their first-innings lead into three figures, Leicestershire quickly lost Harry Dearden, who had added just four to his overnight score when he edged Chris Rushworth to Bancroft at second slip.Lewis Hill had made only eight when he was leg before to a delivery from Ben Raine which both seamed back in and kept a little low, and there was a first first-class wicket for debutant left-arm seamer Jack Campbell when Gavin Griffiths edged a delivery pushed across him low to Bancroft, again at second slip.Colin Ackermann, playing with unaccustomed deliberation, pulled Campbell to the midwicket boundary to reach his 50, but Rushworth quickly cleaned up the long Foxes’ tail, pinning Chris Wright leg before, getting Davis caught behind and then bowling Mohammad Abbas to leave Ackermann unbeaten on 62. Rushworth finished with 5-55 and Raine 4-49.

The former batsman takes over Aaron Hamilton, who was in charge of the side for more than four years

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2019

Ed Joyce retired from all forms of cricket in May 2018•Getty Images

Former Ireland batsman Ed Joyce has been appointed the interim head coach of the country’s women’s team, replacing Aaron Hamilton, who was in charge of the side for more than four years.After retiring as a player in May 2018 following Ireland’s Test debut, Joyce assumed a new role overseeing leadership development and acting as a batting coach in the Ireland performance system.Hamilton’s exit comes after Ireland women lost all of their last eight T20Is, including four in the World T20 in the Caribbean last year. Joyce takes over the role just two months before the World T20 qualifying tournament in Scotland.”I’m excited by the talent and potential of this young squad – there were some extremely encouraging performances from several players during the West Indies series and this bodes well leading into potentially more important games later in the summer,” Joyce said.”It’s a great opportunity for me to further my journey in coaching, albeit on an interim basis until the end of the T20 World Cup qualifier. I have been coaching some of the top order batters on a 1-on-1 basis, as well as joining squad sessions in the lead-up to the West Indies series that just finished. On a personal note, I enjoyed working with Aaron during the last few months and wish him and his family well with the next step.”Joyce’s sisters Isobel and Cecelia were both a part of the Ireland squad at the World T20, but retired at the end of the disappointing campaign along with Clare Shillington and Ciara Metcalfe.

UEFA have requested that only captains speak to referees at Euro 2024, meaning that Harry Kane will be charged with keeping England team-mates quiet.

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Article continues below

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UEFA want end to abuse of officialsAny player bending rules will be bookedOnly skippers can approach refereeWHAT HAPPENED?

Domestic divisions around the world have tried for some time to put rules in place that limit the abuse aimed in the direction of match officials. Cautions are handed out for dissent, but groups of players still have a tendency to swarm around referees when contentious decisions are made.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

European football’s governing body are attempting to crack down on that ahead of their showpiece event in Germany this summer, with competing nations being made aware that only those donning the armband will be allowed to speak with on-field decision makers – with anybody else that speaks up running the risk of collecting a yellow card.

WHAT UEFA DIRECTOR SAID

UEFA's managing director of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, has said: “Being a referee in the modern game is very difficult. The official in the middle takes between 200 to 250 decisions per match – that is one every 22 seconds – in difficult and sometimes controversial situations, under huge pressure, with each of them scrutinised and re-watched from multiple different angles by fans and pundits alike. They (referees) receive a lot of information from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), and we are ready to speak and share more details with the players and coaches to help them understand how a decision was taken. Explaining a decision with up to 22 players mobbing you is impossible for a referee. It can lead to a breakdown in communication, with the beautiful game turning very ugly very quickly.

“We ask that all teams ensure their captain is the only player who speaks to the referee. We ask the captains to ensure their team mates do not encroach upon and surround the referee, allowing direct conversations to take place in order that the decision be relayed in a timely and respectful manner. Importantly, we want only the captain from the team who wishes to discuss a decision to be able to approach the referee.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

UEFA have pointed out that if a team’s goalkeeper happens to be their captain, then an outfield player can be nominated to speak with the match referee. Prolific Bayern Munich striker Kane will be hoping that he does not have too much to argue over the coming weeks, with England set to open their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on Sunday.

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos setores com mais mudanças no São Paulo nesta temporada é o ataque da equipe. Com as saídas de Tréllez, Carneiro e Toró, o Tricolor teve diversas alterações em relação ao setor ofensivo da última temporada. Isso sem falar na saída de Brenner, que foi vendido ainda no início deste ano ao FC Cincinnati.

Carneiro foi mais um: relembre gringos que não deixaram saudade no São Paulo

Para as reposições, o novo técnico Hernán Crespo ganhou os reforços de Bruno Rodrigues e Éder. O primeiro já estreou, enquanto o ítalo-brasileiro espera o estadual ser retomado para ter uma chance de estar à disposição da comissão técnica do clube do Morumbi.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA DO CAMPEONATO PAULISTA DE 2021

RelacionadasSão PauloSão Paulo anuncia a contratação do meio-campista WilliamSão Paulo30/03/2021São PauloElenco do São Paulo realiza trabalhos físicos e construções ofensivasSão Paulo30/03/2021São PauloPaulinho Boia, do São Paulo, avança em recuperação de artroscopiaSão Paulo30/03/2021

O recorte é ainda maior se pegarmos desde o começo da temporada de 2020 para este ano.Nada menos que sete atacantes deixaram o Tricolor.No ano passado, o Tricolor começou a temporada com 13 jogadores ofensivos, como pontas e centroavantes: Toró, Éverton, Rojas, Antony, Helinho, Galeano, Paulinho Bóia, Alexandre Pato, Pablo, Brenner, Tréllez, Carneiro e Fabinho. Vale ressaltar que Luciano chegou somente no meio do ano.

No elenco de Hernán Crespo, o São Paulo tem como atacantes e pontas: Rojas, Paulinho Bóia, Galeano, Luciano e Pablo, além dos recém-chegados Bruno Rodrigues e Éder. Entre os titulares, Luciano se firmou como destaque e Pablo vem tendo chances com o treinador argentino.

Segundo apurado pelo LANCE!, as contratações para o setor ofensivo não são prioridade no momento. A diretoria acredita que a comissão técnica tem opções para o ataque. A situação pode mudar caso surja alguma oportunidade de mercado, como foi a contratação do meia William, que estava no futebol mexicano.

The January transfer window is due to slam shut later this evening and it has been confirmed that there is one player who will not be turned up to sign for Leeds United.

Latest Leeds transfer news

Daniel Farke's side is soon set to be bolstered by the addition of Connor Roberts on loan from Premier League side Burnley, with the finishing touches being put on the deal – as per Phil Hay.

However, one of the Welshman's teammates, who had been linked with a move to Elland Road, will not be joining him in Yorkshire as the Whites are not attempting to complete a deal for Manuel Benson.

A swoop for the talented Belgian wizard is 'not on the menu' for Leeds before the deadline passes, according to Yorkshire Evening Press reporter Graham Smyth.

The Yorkshire-based outfit are now making a late deadline day blunder as Benson has the quality to come in as a big upgrade on Wilfried Gnonto to improve the depth of the squad.

Wilfried Gnonto's struggles this season

Farke has primarily utilised the Italy international off the bench on the right flank but he has not been able to provide consistent quality on the pitch.

Gnonto has made 21 appearances in the Championship so far this season, with 14 of those coming as a substitute, and has contributed with one goal and one assist.

The 20-year-old whiz does, however, rank within the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers for progressive carries (6.16) per 90, but the youngster has not produced enough in the final third to go along with his progressive play on the ball.

Whereas, Benson has proven himself to be a terrific Championship attacker who can provide goal contributions on a regular basis without being a consistent starter.

Benson's Burnley brilliance

The 26-year-old forward played a crucial role in Burnley's title-winning team during the 2022/23 campaign as he made a big impact off the bench.

Benson only started 14 of his 33 league appearances for the Clarets but that did not stop him from being a difference-maker for Vincent Kompany on many occasions, as you can see in the table below.

Appearances

33

Starts

14

Goals

11

Assists

Three

Big chances created

Four

As you can see from those statistics, the winger, who had reportedly been a target for Leeds last month, does not need to be in the starting XI week-in-week-out to contribute with goals and assists.

The Belgian magician ranked within the top 1% of Championship attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals (0.66) per 90, and the top 1% for progressive carries (7.13) per 90.

This shows that Benson has the dribbling ability to carry his team up the pitch at an exceptional rate, like Gnonto, and has the quality in front of goal to win matches by finding the back of the net.

Therefore, Farke and Leeds are enduring a late deadline day howler by not swooping for the gem, who is reportedly in talks with Sunderland, who would come in as a big upgrade on the Italian winger, who has not showcased consistent end product in front of goal in the way that Benson did for Burnley in the Championship.

Manchester United will look to bring in a new director of football over the coming weeks, with a current Premier League official seemingly top of the list, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Man United's January window

The Red Devils were quiet in the winter window, which shouldn’t come as a major surprise given current director of football John Murtough’s comments back in December.

“Looking ahead to the January transfer window, we are not expecting it to be particularly busy. There will always be the possibility of deals around the edges of the squad, particularly in terms of finding opportunities for players who are not playing as much football as they would like.

“However, we’ve always been consistent in saying that we do not see January as the optimal time to do business and our recruitment strategy remains focused on summer windows.”

In fact, United and Erik ten Hag failed to make a single signing in January, with the main focus being on several outgoings. A number of players left the club on loan, including Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek and Hannibal Majbri, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS now looking ahead to the summer to conduct the majority of their business.

The Old Trafford shake-up is already in motion with the news of Manchester City's chief operating officer, Omar Berrada, being appointed to replace Richard Arnold, and it looks as if one man is in line to replace Murtough as director of football.

Romano shares Man United director of football “plan”

Talking in his daily briefing in the last 48 hours, relayed by One Football, Romano said that the “plan” is to bring in Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth in the coming weeks.

“We know Man United need a new director of football, and the plan remains to try to bring Dan Ashworth to the club in the next weeks.”

This isn’t the first time that the 52-year-old has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, with reports back in December saying that the Newcastle man was “very keen” on the Red Devils role. He was named as the club’s top target at the time, and it doesn’t look as if that has changed.

Gary Neville is a fan of Ashworth, with the Red Devils legend taking to X earlier in the season to share an interaction he had with the Newcastle man prior to the Magpies’ 3-0 win at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup.

“On my way up to the gantry last night, I bumped into Dan Ashworth. He transformed the FA’s structure, set Brighton up for this incredible period of success and has now built a strong foundation for the new owners at Newcastle. He’s competent, highly qualified and knows what he’s doing.

“Will work with his coach, recruitment team and other departments coherently and calmly. In the last two matches, Manchester United have played two clubs that have installed proper football departments to support the team on the pitch and off it. The complete opposite of United. We haven’t got a sporting director! I used to travel up to Newcastle and feel sorry for their great fans when the energy and enthusiasm had been sapped from them under Mike Ashley. It was painful to see.

“Last night, we saw the Theatre of Dreams turn into the Theatre of Nothing. Every single United fan bored and flat. On the pitch, the players in shock, the performances woeful and a manager struggling in front of our eyes. We’ve seen it before, we know how it ends and we’ve had enough.”

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich and reuniting him with his former manager Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

The United boss is thought to be very keen on the idea of working with De Ligt again after their stint together at Ajax, although any move will of course depend on whether he's still in the job by the summer, with the Red Devils currently languishing down in seventh place in the table.

It's possible that the centre-back could become one of his top transfer targets for 2024 as he considers his future in light of limited game time at Bayern, where he's only started four of the ten Bundesliga games for which he's been available this season. And now, Ten Hag has received further encouragement from Germany.

De Ligt could receive green light to leave

According to Sky Sports, Man Utd target De Ligt could leave Bayern this year. If the reigning Bundesliga champions receive a "suitable offer", it's "likely" that he'll be allowed to move on, and that means his "chapter" at the club could soon be "history". Bayern bosses are aware of the player's current dissatisfaction, and that makes him a "candidate" to move on in the off-season.

Over in Manchester, United are "watching developments closely", and it's very much "conceivable" that De Ligt links up with Ten Hag again in the Premier League unless anything major changes between now and the end of the campaign.

United interest in Bayern target Araujo sets up transfer poker

The next question is how much Bayern will demand for De Ligt. It was only 18 months ago that they paid up to £60m to sign him from Juventus, and already there's talk of a departure. That move ranks as one of the ten biggest defensive transfers in football history, and incidentally, De Ligt also occupies third place after his £77m move from Ten Hag's Ajax to Juve in 2019.

He's still relatively young at 24, and his contract runs until 2027, so all these factors point to sizeable demands, possibly comparable to the £57m outlay for Lisandro Martinez in 2022. That's in addition to the player's reported £263k-per-week salary, which is thought to be one of the highest at the club.

However, if De Ligt remains outside Thomas Tuchel's first-choice XI in the coming months and Bayern express an openness to offers, that naturally reduces the strength of the club's negotiating position because he'd appear a less valuable asset.

One intriguing subplot here is that both United and Bayern have shown an interest in Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo. Tuchel has already added Tottenham's Eric Dier to his squad this month, but he's after another reinforcement in defence, with PSG's Nordi Mukiele also considered.

In a strange way, it might actually be wise for United to let Bayern have a free run at Araujo and hope they can secure his services, before pouncing on De Ligt, who by that point would be categorically surplus to requirements. The stage is set, then, for a game of transfer poker.

The Women's Super League is gearing up for matchday 13 this weekend, and the league has revealed which referees will be officiating each game as we enter the second half of the campaign.

With this in mind, Football FanCast has pieced together a handy guide for each game, as we take a look at the recent form and referee appointments, as well as their respective stats from the season so far.

Aston Villa

vs

Bristol City

3rd February, 12.30pm

Manchester United

vs

Brighton & Hove Albion

4th February, 12pm

West Ham United

vs

Arsenal

4th February, 12.30pm

Manchester City

vs

Leicester City

4th February, 1pm

Liverpool

vs

Tottenham Hotspur

4th February, 2pm

Chelsea

vs

Everton

4th February, 6.45pm

WSL Table: Latest 2024/25 Women's Super League standings

Check out the latest Women’s Super League standings.

ByStephan Georgiou Jan 19, 2025 Aston Villa vs Bristol City Stacey Pearson

4

13

0

0.5

The first Women's Super League game of the weekend kicks off at 12.30pm on Saturday 3rd February when Aston Villa host Bristol City.

The referee taking charge of this fixture is Stacey Pearson, and she will have the assistance of officials Sophie Dennington and Nicoleta Bria on the sidelines.

Pearson has overseen four games in the WSL this season. One of those games did involve Aston Villa, but it is one they will want to forget after they tasted defeat against Everton.

Manchester United vs Brighton Megan Wilson

1

3

0

0

Manchester United sit well adrift of the top three, but three points will surely be on their radar this weekend when they face a home game against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Referee Megan Wilson will be holding the cards for this one, and she will have assistants Magda Golba and Harley Hetherington providing eyes from the touchline.

Neither side have played under Wilson this term and the game on Sunday will be just her second WSL game with the whistle this term.

West Ham United vs Arsenal Mel Burgin

4

12

0

0

West Ham United host title-chasers Arsenal on Sunday with the Gunners looking to make it three wins in a row and potentially draw level on points with Chelsea.

Mel Burgin will be holding the cards for this meeting and will have the duo of David Middleton and Ruby Sykes operating the flanks.

This will be the first game of the term Burgin has overseen West Ham, but she has officiated an Arsenal game this term, with the Gunners beating Everton 2-1 last month.

Manchester City vs Leicester City Lisa Benn

2

2

0

0

The WSL's in-form team, Manchester City, will host Leicester City on Sunday in what will be expected to be a routine victory for the home side.

Referee Lisa Benn will be joined by Abby Dearden and Ali Rahjoo as her assistants. Benn has not officiated a game involving either of these sides this season and she is still yet to award more than one yellow card in a WSL game.

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur Lauren Impey

5

15

0

0.2

Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, with only goal difference separating these two sides in fifth and sixth respectively.

Referee Lauren Impey will be given the responsibility of running the rule over proceedings. She will have assistance on the flanks from Lisa Rashid and Levi Gray.

Impey has overseen two Spurs games and one Liverpool game this season. Interestingly, they've both won all three of these combined games under Impey's watch.

Chelsea vs Everton Emily Heaslip

4

20

3

0.25

Capping off the weekend of WSL action will be the league leaders, Chelsea. They may go into this game against Everton having been leapfrogged at the top of the table, depending on how results go elsewhere.

The experienced Emily Heaslip will be in charge of this one, and she will be working alongside Emily Carney and Chloe-Ann Small.

Heaslip has overseen a game each for these sides this season, and coincidentally, both of these games ended in 1-1 draws. Surely we aren't in for a repeat this Sunday?

Wolves were brought crashing back down to Earth on Saturday afternoon following their 4-2 victory over Chelsea as they lost 2-0 at home to Brentford in the Premier League. It was a second home defeat on the bounce for Gary O'Neil's side, who fell to goals from Christian Norgaard and Ivan Toney in either half.

Wolves hit the jackpot by selling £16m star who's now a free agent

The attacker struggled since leaving Wolves.

ByTom Lever Feb 13, 2024

And to make matters worse, they lost forward Matheus Cunha to an injury in the first half. The Brazilian reported a hamstring complaint before leaving the field, and O'Neil was cautious with his update despite the player's optimism.

“With Cunha it’s too early to tell, he felt something in his hamstring. He seems to think he doesn't feel too bad at this moment. But sometimes it can feel like that and be bad and sometimes they can feel bad and not be too bad.

“So let's try not to guess and let’s wait until the medical team come back with some really accurate pictures on it and hopefully we can get them both back available as soon as possible.”

O'Neil had been looking forward to unleashing a fully-fit squad before the Brentford game as Hwang Hee-chan returned from the Asian Cup with South Korea, but Hwang missed the match with a minor issue and now Cunha could face a spell out.

"Unbelievable" Cunha could be a huge miss

Speaking to GiveMeSport, reporter Dean Jones reacted to O'Neil's Cunha injury update, warning it could be a "disaster" for the manager after the player's headline-grabbing performances of late. He did, however, point out that Wolves currently sit in a pressure-free 11th place, a full 13 points clear of the relegation zone.

"It would be a disaster for Wolves to lose Cunha because he has been unbelievable. I think he is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. I know he has been getting a few more headlines because the goals have started to come recently but, even before that, you could see that he was head and shoulders above everyone on the field at times due to his technical ability.

"Losing a player of that quality is very significant for Wolves. But there will be relief, from their point of view, that they are at least in a very comfortable position in the league at the moment. This could have been a lot worse if they were stranded towards the bottom end of the Premier League, like many people expected they would be."

Cunha was one of the league's in-form players

In terms of end product, Cunha got off to a pretty slow start this season after his £35m move from Atletico Madrid was made permanent in the summer, scoring only two goals in his first 12 appearances. However, between then and last weekend, he came alive with nine goals and six assists in 15 games, most recently netting a hat-trick against Chelsea.

Nominated for the Premier League's Player of the Month award for December, he soared into the top 10 in the division's goal involvement charts and matched Liverpool's Darwin Nunez, Man City's Phil Foden and Chelsea's Cole Palmer.

1

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

22

=2

Erling Haaland

Man City

21

=

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa

21

4

Son Heung-min

Spurs

18

5

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal

17

6

Cole Palmer

Chelsea

16

=7

Darwin Nunez

Liverpool

15

=7

Phil Foden

Man City

15

=7

Matheus Cunha

Wolves

15

=7

Dominic Solanke

Bournemouth

15

He was without doubt one of the most in-form players in the league, and while Hwang's return will soften the blow, Wolves fans will be gutted if the reunion of their top-scoring duo has to wait.