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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.

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.

Soumya’s record double-century in the Dhaka Premier League will give the batsman confidence ahead of the World Cup, says Tamim

Mohammad Isam in Dhaka24-Apr-2019Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das, both talked up as among the most talented top-order batsmen in Bangladesh, have been frustratingly inconsistent in their international careers so far. With the World Cup coming up, Tamim Iqbal, the senior opening batsman, is hoping the two youngsters grab their chances as best as they can, first in the tri-series in Ireland and then at the showpiece event.The only time Liton has really shown his ability was at last year’s Asia Cup final, in which he dominated India’s bowling to make 121 as Bangladesh went down off the last ball. Soumya made a sound start in 2015 but has had to mostly fight for his place in the ODI team since 2016. Earlier this year, he made a maiden Test hundred, against New Zealand in Hamilton, and yesterday, he became the first Bangladeshi to score a List A double-hundred.Tamim said that a score like the unbeaten 208, which came in a crucial Dhaka Premier League game for Abahani Limited on Tuesday, was bound to give Soumya confidence ahead of the bigger challenges. The batsman was having an ordinary time in the league, having scored just 197 runs in 11 innings, but hit 106 and then the record double-ton in Abahani’s last two matches.

Liton and Soumya have enough chances, and I am sure this is the right time to show the world how good they areTAMIM IQBAL

“It is a great achievement to become the first Bangladeshi to score a (List A) double-hundred,” Tamim said on Wednesday. “Although we will play in completely different conditions and against vastly different bowling attacks (when on tour), scoring runs is still a positive. It will give him confidence, regardless of where he has scored these runs. If he had made 10 and 5 in his last two innings, it would have left a percentage of doubt in his mind.”But now he knows he has scored the runs, and how he has done it. When you are in bad form, you forget how to score runs. Therefore, it is very positive for him that he has two big knocks before going to Ireland.”Since the 2015 World Cup, Tamim has had five different opening partners in ODIs: Soumya, Liton, Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque and Mohammad Mithun. When Tamim was out with injuries occasionally in the last two years, Bangladesh used five different opening pairs. There is currently no word on who should open with Tamim in a best-case scenario, but it will be one of Soumya and Liton, the only other openers in the World Cup squad.Liton Das goes downtown•Getty ImagesBut while Soumya has shown that he has some form on his side, Liton followed up his poor New Zealand tour with only two fifties in eight DPL outings for Mohammedan Sporting Club. Tamim, however, felt that both batsmen could fulfil their potential in the coming months.”A regular opening partnership means that the two know each other’s game quite well,” he said. “For example, if I am hitting the fielder, he needs to take that extra chance. I can do the same if the other batsman is struggling.”But if somebody is not settled at the crease or in the team, it’s very unfair to go and tell him, ‘brother, now you take the risks’. But I am confident that Liton and Soumya have enough chances, and I am sure this is the right time to show the world how good they are.”Tamim agreed that Bangladesh were still waiting to identify their ideal opening pair, which every successful cricket team must possess.”It happens in every profession where your colleague of 20 years, for example, will know how you operate, and what you like and dislike. There was always understanding between some of the best opening pairs in the world like Hayden-Gilchrist, Ganguly-Tendulkar or Sehwag-Tendulkar,” Tamim said. “If you look back at those games, they seem to be having fun in the middle and they each knew what the other wants.”We haven’t had that opportunity yet but those two who have been picked in the World Cup squad, I am sure they can represent Bangladesh for the next 10-15 years. I feel this is the best time for them to perform.”

Pep Guardiola admits his "game plan was not good" during Manchester City's FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United.

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Guardiola admits he got tactics wrongCity beaten at WembleyDreams of double up in smokeWHAT HAPPENED?

City were beaten by their bitter rivals at Wembley, as their dreams of a Premier League and FA Cup double crumbled. A mistake from Stefan Ortega gifted United the opener, as he rushed out of his goal and Josko Gvardiol headed the ball over the goalkeeper's head, allowing Alejandro Garnacho to score. Kobbie Mainoo then added a second prior to half-time before Jeremy Doku pulled a goal back. City, however, couldn't muster a late comeback.

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Guardiola made a number of bold tactical decisions throughout the game, substituting both Nathan Ake and Mateo Kovacic at half-time, then hooking Kevin De Bruyne before the hour. And he has now admitted that he got his tactics wrong.

WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

He told reporters: "Congratulations to Manchester United for winning the FA Cup. I think my game plan was not good.

"The second half was much, much better. We were more intense, in part because we were 2-0 down and had nothing to lose. It was a tight game. We gave away the first goal, they made a good transition for the second so credit to United for the second goal. We tried. We had clear chances in the second half which wasn't easy because they had man marking and defended the pockets but we had the chances and unfortunately we scored a goal a little bit late. Maybe it could have been different but the team was there like all the time when we lose.

"Disappointed today, it's normal teams can lose finals but this season has been extraordinary fighting for all the trophies in a good way. We will rest and come back next season."

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

City will begin preparations for next season as they aim to win a historic fifth successive league title. It remains to be seen how they will invest in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to sign a new defender who is already in the Premier League, according to an update from a reliable journalist.

Spurs tracking Bournemouth's Zabarnyi

The Lilywhites have made a generally positive start to the new campaign having won nine, drawn three and lost four of their opening 16 games, meaning that they currently find themselves fifth in the table in the top-flight. However, Ange Postecoglou’s form has recently been hindered by injuries, and with Micky Van De Ven and Ashley Phillips both being out on the sidelines for the foreseeable, the manager needs to enter the market to find replacements to bolster his numbers at centre-back.

Tottenham make contact over move to sign £60m "tank" for Ange

Ange Postecoglou is not messing round with January around the corner…

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Dec 10, 2023

Bournemouth’s Illia Zabarnyi has been highlighted as a potential target, with the colossus having impressed during his 23 appearances in this division since putting pen to paper on the south coast from Dynamo Kyiv back in January (Transfermarkt – Zabarnyi statistics). The Ukraine international isn’t a new name to the hierarchy at Spurs, who saw a late bid rejected for him last summer.

Now, if the following update is to be believed, Daniel Levy is considering taking a second bite of the cherry to secure his 21-year-old long-term target. Taking to X, The Daily Mirror's Ryan Taylor revealed that Tottenham are still scouting Zabarnyi and are wowed by his high level of performance since the start of the season.

“Fabio Paratici wanted to sign Bournemouth’s Illia Zabarnyi from Dynamo Kyiv. Data analytics suggested he was a player of huge potential. Spurs rate him very highly & his Premier League numbers are now flagging up on several key defensive algorithms.”

Zabarnyi is a "physically imposing" rising star

Standing at 6 foot 2, Zabarnyi provides a real presence at the heart of Bournemouth’s backline, which he’s proven so far this season where he’s averaging 3.8 clearances and 2.1 aerial wins per game in the Premier League (WhoScored – Zabaryni statistics).

The Kyiv native will also know what it takes to compete and be successful at a high level having secured three pieces of silverware since the start of his career, something that most of Ange's young squad in north London have not had lots of opportunities to experience yet.

Postecoglou’s target additionally only pockets £25k-per-week as it stands (Bournemouth salaries), so he would be a more than affordable option for the board to recruit because that would make him the joint fourth-lowest earner on the books (Tottenham salaries).

As described by GOAL, Zabarnyi is a “physically imposing” centre-back and there’s no doubt that he would strengthen the current defence should he put pen to paper, so this could be a situation to keep a very close eye on should any developments occur in the weeks ahead.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland appeared to copy one of Homer Simpson's catchphrases while celebrating against Nottingham Forest.

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Haaland copied Homer Simpson's catchphrase Scored after coming on as a substitute Man City register crucial win over Forest WHAT HAPPENED?

The Norwegian forward came on as a substitute replacing Jack Grealish just after the hour mark and found the back of the net in the 71st minute from Kevin De Buyne's assist, thereby sealing a crucial 2-0 win for his side against Nottingham Forest.

After scoring the all-important goal, Haaland approached one of the microphones kept near the sideline and appeared to copy Homer Simpson's catchphrase – where the animated character says 'Woo-hoo' – from the famous American sitcom The Simpsons.

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Before the 23-year-old scored the decisive second goal, Josko Gvardiol had handed the reigning champions the lead in the first half. It was important for the Cityzens to register all three points after title rivals Arsenal had earlier grabbed the bragging rights in the north London derby by beating Tottenham 3-2.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

Pep Guardiola's side will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on Wolves in a vital Premier League encounter at Etihad Stadium.

Manchester United's injury list continues to grow week after week. During a narrow 1-0 win over Luton Town in the Premier League on Saturday, the Red Devils suffered losses to both Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Hojlund.

The latter is undoubtedly a bigger blow for Erik ten Hag. While United have the likes of Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat who can come in for Eriksen, Anthony Martial is the only backup centre-forward but has scored just one goal all season from 15 appearances.

However, there is another left field option that Ten Hag should consider amid Hojlund's absence from the squad.

Manchester United injury updates

Eriksen was replaced in the first half at the Theatre of Dreams on Saturday afternoon and is expected to be out until around mid-December. Meanwhile, Hojlund suffered a muscle strain on his right calf and will be out for the rest of November, ten Hag has confirmed. Both injuries are significant blows for United who face Galatasaray on November 29 in a must-win game.

Furthermore, the Dutchman confirmed that both Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez will be out of action until after Christmas, while Luke Shaw is not expected to return to the first team fold until the end of this month.

Nevertheless, despite United's struggles for form and a consistent starting eleven, Ten Hag does have adequate cover at the back and in the middle of the park but with one-goal Martial being the side's only backup centre-forward, the Dutch boss should look to do something out of the ordinary.

The left field option to replace Rasmus Hojlund

It looked as though Scott McTominay's career at Manchester United was over during the summer, with ten Hag telling the midfielder he was no longer part of his plans. However, McTominay's redemption arch with the Red Devils has been a sight to behold.

The 26-year-old is United's top goalscorer in the Premier League this season alongside club captain Bruno Fernandes with three apiece. Two of McTominay's goals came in stoppage time against Brentford right before the October international break.

The English giants were 1-0 down before he entered the fray with just three minutes of normal time to go. The Man United boss admitted that McTominay was "fabulous" during his cameo versus the Bees.

In recent weeks, Ten Hag has started to recognise McTominay's goalscoring prowess, deploying him in more advanced positions to link up with Hojlund.

The Scotland international even assisted the first of the Dane's brace against his former side Copenhagen last week with a beautiful ball across the face of the goal.

With Hojlund absent for the next few weeks, Ten Hag could start using his number '39' as a striker. While McTominay was always a midfielder in United's academy, he still featured up top a handful of times and became a regular goalscorer in the U21s.

In the Premier League this season, McTominay is averaging 0.52 goals per 90 from an xG per 90 of 0.17. In contrast, Martial has failed to convert a single opportunity from an xG of 0.14 per 90.

Additionally, McTominay is getting more shots away than his French teammate, boasting 1.72 shots per 90 and 1.21 shots on target per 90 to Martial's lowly 1.43 shots per 90 and 0.72 shots on target per 90. Furthermore, McTominay and Hojlund both share the same goals per shot rate in all competitions this season with 0.21 per strike.

McTominay is far more potent this season than Martial, and while his experience as a number '9' is limited, perhaps Ten Hag could unearth a revelation by asking the £60k-p/w star to lead the line until Hojlund returns.

Newcastle United have been handed a boost in their efforts to sign an "ice cold" attacking star, according to an update from journalist Ben Jacobs.

Newcastle need attacking depth

The Magpies will have the chance to make new signings next month, with the January transfer window arriving and allowing Eddie Howe the opportunity to bolster his squad options. It has been a season to remember for Newcastle so far, although not always for positive reasons, and injuries have decimated them at times, making it hard to hit top gear in both the Premier League and the Champions League.

In attack, both Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson have been injury-plagued, and it has been difficult for both to enjoy extended runs in the team this season, playing a part in their hit-and-miss form.

For that reason, Howe could look to bring in another option to provide competition for them soon, with Romelu Lukaku linked with a move to Newcastle, and VfB Stuttgart ace Serhou Guirassy also potentially heading to St James' Park.

Newcastle handed Serhou Guirassy boost

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs provided an update on Newcastle's interest in Guirassy, saying he is keen on the idea of moving to the Premier League, acting as a clear boost for the Magpies.

"With Guirassy, it's slightly different [to Ekitike] because he's on fire. He’s scored 16 goals in all competitions this season. So, there's real quality there, but he’s not a player that Stuttgart want to lose mid-season. So, that has its complications.

"From the player's perspective, if he does move to the Premier League, and I’m told there is an openness broadly to do so, he won't want to go from playing every week into double figures, scoring freely, having a breakthrough season, to suddenly being on the bench, which would lend itself probably more towards a summer move as well."

Guirassy is enjoying an incredible season to date, scoring a remarkable 15 goals in his first ten Bundesliga appearances in 2023/24, which has proven to be a record-breaking effort from the Newcastle transfer target.

The 27-year-old could be such an exciting signing by the Magpies, and while a summer move looks much more likely to happen than a January transfer, he could be worth waiting for, rather than taking a punt on somebody else next month.

Serhou Guirassy's Bundesliga stats this season

Total

Appearances

10

Goals

15

Assists

1

Guirassy's scoring record has been hailed as "pure psycho" by Stuttgart teammate Deniz Undav, who added that he is "ice cold in front of goal and just enjoys himself", and it may be that Newcastle continue to track his form over the next few months, making sure that he retains this consistency and isn't simply going through a purple patch.

The Guinean does look like the real deal, however, only being outscored by Harry Kane in the Bundesliga this season, and his shot conversion rate of 48% is only just behind the England superstar's tally of 49%, further outlining why he could be a fantastic signing for Howe.

A BBC pundit has described a potential exit rumour surrounding one West Brom hero as "crazy", with his Hawthorns future up in the air at the moment.

West Brom's January transfer plans

The Baggies may have lost 2-1 away to Southampton in their last Championship game, but they still find themselves in a good position to finish in the playoff places this season. Granted, they have just slipped out of those positions and into seventh place currently, but they are only behind Sunderland on goal difference, and look primed to continue their good run for the rest of the campaign.

When the January transfer window opens in the New Year, there will be a chance for West Brom to bring in some new faces, with Barnsley midfielder Callum Styles seen as a transfer target. On the flip side, Baggies midfielder Tom Fellows has been linked with a move away from the club in January, with his contract at the Hawthorns expiring next summer.

Tom Fellows West Brom exit claim

Speaking to Football League World, BBC pundit and former England international Carlton Palmer described talk of Fellows potentially leaving West Brom as "crazy".

"Tom Fellows, West Brom's talented young forward, is attracting attention from elsewhere. West Brom are working hard to get Tom to commit to a new long-term contract and are hopeful of doing so.

"I really can't believe that clubs are still at this moment in time are not securing the services of talented young players on long contracts, and then putting themselves in the position that WBA have currently done."

Palmer is spot on in his assessment that West Brom have played the situation surrounding Fellows' future badly, with the 20-year-old now in a position where he could look for a new challenge and even leave for free at the end of the season, if he doesn't sign a new deal.

Tom Fellows' West Brom Under-18s record

Total

Appearances

35

Goals

12

Assists

9

The Englishman has been hailed as "very quick" by Baggies manager Carlos Corberan, and still has so much to give the team, even if Fellows' statistics so far this season show that he has only made seven appearances in all competitions, all of which have been from the substitutes' bench.

While the youngster leaving in January wouldn't necessarily be the end of the world in the short-term for West Brom, they should be looking to keep hold of their best emerging talent, so losing him would have to be considered a blow, especially if it was to a rival.

Lionesses star Lauren James provided a no-look assist to Aggie Beever-Jones as Chelsea took the lead with a second-minute goal at West Ham.

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• Chelsea take early lead at West Ham
• Lauren James provides no-look assist
• Aggie Beever-Jones with opener in WSL

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After a through ball found its way to James in the box, without looking, the England star laid it off to team-mate Beever Jones – whose strike found the corner to make it 1-0 to the Blues at the Chigwell Construction Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

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  Beever-Jones' goal means Emma Hayes' Chelsea are currently back on top of the Women's Super League due to a superior goal difference to second-placed Manchester City. The Blues are aiming to win a fifth straight WSL title in Hayes' last season with the club before taking up the head coach role at the United States Women's National Team this summer.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  After this match, Chelsea host Ajax in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, with the Blues currently holding a 3-0 first-leg advantage. Four days later, they take on Arsenal in the FA Women's League Cup final.

Olly Stone was in the wickets as top v bottom in Division Two had a predictable outcome on the first day in Rhos-on-Sea

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2018
ScorecardWarwickshire, the Division Two leaders, had the better of the opening day against Glamorgan, the bottom club, on the opening day at Colwyn Bay. They closed on 116 for 3, 87 runs adrift, with Ian Bell undefeated on 43.Their accurate attack dismissed the home team in 49.4 overs, with only all- rounder Craig Meschede, with an undefeated 53, able to cope with an attack which observed the virtue of bowling an excellent line and length.Olly Stone led the way with splendid figures of 13-4-28-4, which included a second spell of 3 for 19 from his eight overs. Stone was well supported by Keith Barker’s left arm seamers and the reliable off- spin of captain Jeetan Patel, who took three wickets.After an uncontested toss, Glamorgan were soon in familiar territory at 38 for 3, with the three out of form and inexperienced top trio back in the pavilion. They were all caught by wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose, who held on to edges from the seamers who obtained enough movement from the pitch to trouble the batsmen.Kiran Carlson played some pleasing strokes through the off side, and it came as something of a surprise when he played back to a full- length ball from Patel and had his off stump knocked back after scoring 32. The Warwickshire captain has now taken 799 first class wickets and will surely claim his 800th in Glamorgan’s second innings.Meschede, playing his first championship game of the season after a lengthy absence due to a calf injury, invariably contributes at this venue, and his valuable innings was made from 75 balls which included a six and eight fours that enabled Glamorgan to gain a batting point.Warwickshire had 36 overs to face after tea, before Meschede was in action again, dismissing Dominic Sibley with his first ball, when the former Surrey batsman was struck in front on the back leg after scoring seven.The left handed Will Rhodes looked in good touch, punishing Hogan for three successive fours in an over, but when the Glamorgan captain was replaced by Graham Wagg, the former Warwickshire player induced a snick from Rhodes that was well taken low down to his left by Cooke.Enter Ian Bell, who, in the corresponding game at Edgbaston scored two unbeaten centuries and he only just got down to his first ball that kept low from Meschede, but thereafter was soon unfurling some trademark drives through the offside.However, the former England batsman should have been dismissed on 32, when he edged Andrew Salter’s arm ball to Selman at slip, only to see the fielder miss the ball at shoulder height.Bell, who before this game, needed 104 to reach 20,000 first class runs ,then settled with Jonathan Trott to share a productive partnership of 63 in 18 overs, before Trott edged Smith to second slip, where Selman atoned for his earlier miss.