وصل البرتغالي جوزيه بيسيرو، إلى القاهرة منذ قليل، استعدادًا لتولي تدريب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وتوصل مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، لاتفاق مع بيسيرو لتولي تدريب الفريق خلال الفترة المقبلة خلفا للسويسري كريستيان جروس.

وجاءت المفاوضات بين إدارة النادي والمدرب البرتغالي بعد دراسة عدة أسماء، قبل أن يتم الاستقرار على بيسيرو لقيادة الفريق في المرحلة المقبلة. 

وعلم بطولات، أن بيسيرو وجهازه المعاون بالكامل سيحصلون على راتب شهري إجمالي قدره 70 ألف دولار خلال الأشهر الستة الأولى.

وفي حال نجاح المدرب في قيادة الفريق للتتويج ببطولتين على الأقل من أصل ثلاث بطولات يشارك فيها الزمالك هذا الموسم، وهي الدوري المصري، كأس مصر، وكأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، فسيتم تعديل قيمة العقد ليصل إلى 85 ألف دولار شهريًا بعد أول ستة أشهر. 

مران الزمالك | جروس يودع اللاعبين.. وتأهيل الثنائي المصاب

ويضم الجهاز المعاون لـ بيسيرو في الزمالك، نونو فيريرا مدرب عام، ونونو ميجيل مدرب حراس مرمى، بالإضافة إلى فيتور هوجو ألميدا محلل الأداء الذي سبق له العمل في الأهلي المصري، ومايكل جوزيه مدرب الأحمال، الذي يملك خبرات سابقة مع منتخب نيجيريا ونادي الحزم السعودي.

كما اقترب أيمن عبد العزيز من الانضمام للجهاز الفني ليكون المساعد المصري في الطاقم الجديد. 

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة بتروجيت يوم الأحد المقبل 16 فبراير، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ14 من الدوري المصري، ويعقبها مواجهة أمام الغريم التقليدي الأهلي.

ويأمل الزمالك أن يسهم هذا التعاقد في استعادة الفريق لمكانته الطبيعية، خاصة بعد الفترة الصعبة التي مر بها في الفترة الأخيرة، حيث يحتل الفريق حاليًا المركز الثالث في الدوري المصري برصيد 26 نقطة، ويسعى للعودة بقوة إلى المنافسة على جميع البطولات الممكنة تحت قيادة بيسيرو.

Tottenham Hotspur got their Premier League campaign underway in underwhelming fashion last night with a 1-1 draw away to Leicester City.

Ange Postecoglou's side were far and away the better team in the first half but struggled to put away their chances before Jamie Vardy punished them in the second 45.

There were a couple of good performers for the North Londoners, such as goalscorer Pedro Porro, but there were more disappointing displays, especially in attack.

One of those who failed to provide much was Brennan Johnson, and if the Lilywhites want to get the most out of Dominic Solanke this season, they may want to consider signing a new rightwinger. Interestingly, they have already been linked with someone who'd be the perfect solution this summer.

Johnson and Solanke vs Leicester

So, the first thing to point out is that while Johnson is a talented winger, and certainly of the level required to play in the Premier League, there are still question marks over whether he's good enough to play for a top side like Spurs, and unfortunately for him, his performance last night did little to sway those concerns.

In his 79 minutes on the pitch, he struggled to have any impact at all, and aside from a shot in the first half that was straight at the Foxes' keeper, he looked largely clueless on the ball and seemingly unable to time a run off of it.

Unsurprisingly, he failed to impress football.london's Spurs correspondent, Alasdair Gold, who gave him a 4/10 at full-time and wrote that he was 'not decisive enough in his play.'

In contrast, Solanke looked lively on his debut for the club, and while he'll be disappointed that he couldn't put away the chances he had, the signs were positive, and given that it was his first game in about three weeks, the rustiness is entirely understandable.

The £65m marksman looks like he could be the goalscorer that Postecoglou and the fans have been after ever since Harry Kane left last summer, but to get the most out of him, a new rightwinger might be needed, and the ideal candidate was already linked with the club earlier this summer.

How Coman could unlock Solanke

Yes, the player in question is Bayern Munich ace Kingsley Coman, who was touted for a move to Spurs earlier this month.

The report revealed that the North Londoners are keen to sign a new wide player this summer, and the Frenchman was one of the players they were interested in.

The good news for Daniel Levy and Co is that other reports from this month claimed that Bayern would be willing to sell the talented winger for just £34m, or better yet, loan him out for the season.

However, would the former Paris Saint-Germain gem really help unlock Solanke more than Johnson? Yes, yes, he would.

The primary reason the "1v1 specialist", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, would be a better teammate for the striker than the former Forest man is that over the last two seasons, he has maintained a more impressive goal involvement-to-game ratio.

For example, in his 62 appearances across the 22/23 and 23/24 campaigns, he produced 24 goals and assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 2.58 games.

In contrast, the Welshman produced 28 goals and assists in 82 games across the same period, which breaks down to a goal involvement on average every 2.92 games.

Coman vs Johnson in 22/23 & 23/24
22/23	Coman	Johnson
Appearances	35	44
Minutes	2173'	3303'
Goals	9	10
Assists	7	3
Goal Involvements per Match	0.45	0.29
Minutes per Goal Involvement	135.81'	254.07'
23/24	Coman	Johnson
Appearances	27	38
Minutes	1737'	2506'
Goals	5	5
Assists	3	10
Goal Involvements per Match	0.29	0.39
Minutes per Goal Involvement	217.12'	167.06'
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Just imagine how much more effective the former Bournemouth ace would be playing alongside the rapid Frenchman, who'd either be able to provide him with a brilliant pass to bury in the back of the net or terrify defenders with his brilliant skills and, therefore, open up more space for the Englishman to exploit himself.

Lastly, the Bayern ace has been playing at the highest level for most of his career, so he could bring a much-needed winning mentality to Postecoglou's squad, which could help them avoid collapses like the one they suffered against Leicester.

9 duels lost: Spurs' 4/10 ace was as bad as Solanke vs Leicester City

It wasn’t the opening game fans were hoping for.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 20, 2024

Ultimately, while Johnson isn't a bad player, he doesn't look like the type of winger who will supercharge Solanke or help Spurs climb up the league. Therefore, Levy and Co should return for Coman before the window slams shut.

Manchester City are back in Premier League action this weekend as they face Brentford, but ahead of that game it has emerged that a key player for Pep Guardiola is wanted by a Saudi Pro League team. It has been a strong start to the 2024/25 season for City and they will be looking to continue that without any uncertainty around their key players' futures on Saturday.

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1 ByBrett Worthington Sep 9, 2024 Man City transfer news

The Blues had a quiet but productive summer transfer window, as they added two players to the squad and allowed several unwanted individuals to leave. While concentration will be on the campaign ahead, it appears as though the club's higher ups already have targets in mind for 2025.

Man City’s hierarchy are said to be looking to sit down with Kevin de Bruyne and Rodri over new contracts at some point this season. De Bruyne is in the final year of his contract at the club, and interest from Saudi Arabia emerged over the summer but never materialised. Meanwhile, Rodri still has three years left to run on his current deal, but the club are worried about Real Madrid sniffing around.

While they hope to sit down over a new deal for de Bruyne, it has also been reported that they have their eyes on a potential successor for the Belgian. Bayern Munich and Germany international Jamal Musiala is open to joining City in 2025. The 21-year-old has reportedly delayed contract talks with the European giants, and with him having one year remaining on his contract from next summer, a move could be on the cards.

Munich are said to be wanting £100 million+ for the player, but he is said to be someone that Guardiola has been “dreaming” of signing for a while now.

Man City star braced for £40m-a-year Saudi offer

According to Football Insider, Saudi side Al Nassr are interested in signing Mateo Kovacic in the January transfer window. The Saudi Arabian team, who have Cristiano Ronaldo on their books, were interested in signing the Croatian in the summer but failed to land the midfielder.

Now, the report goes on to add that Ronaldo has asked the club to sign Kovacic, and they are said to be preparing a contract offer worth £800,000 a week, which is just over a frankly ridiculous £40 million a year.

However, Man City and Guardiola, who is said to be a “big fan” of the player, are expected to stand in the way of the move, as they are unwilling to sell Kovacic in January.

Apps

50

Goals

4

Assists

1

Kovacic has been a key player for the Blues early in this season, as the Croatian has stepped up in the absence of Rodri. Kovacic has started all three of City's league games and scored in the opening day win against Chelsea. The midfielder is under contract at the Etihad until the summer of 2027, so City are in no rush to move the player on.

Home side move into three-figure lead after rounding up Derbyshire in first innings

ECB Reporters' Network05-Jul-2021Nottinghamshire, looking to book their place in the top division in the concluding phase of the LV= Insurance County Championship, will take a lead of 107 runs into day three against Derbyshire at Trent Bridge.Haseeb Hameed made 57 and Ben Duckett is unbeaten on 69, although Derbyshire’s pace-bowling allrounder Fynn Hudson-Prentice checked Nottinghamshire’s progress with 4 for 50 as the home county closed on 256 for 7.Related

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Earlier, from 91 for 5 overnight, Derbyshire subsided to 149 all out in the morning session, Luke Fletcher taking 3 for 36.Derbyshire’s last five wickets fell for 32 after the partnership between Hudson-Prentice and Leus du Plooy that began on Sunday was ended just inside the first hour when the former drove Dane Paterson straight to cover.With five fours, Hudson-Prentice had been the only Derbyshire batsman to hint at assertiveness against an attack that delivered 36 maidens, 10 each from Fletcher and Brett Hutton, nine in 15 overs from Paterson.Du Plooy fell without addition to the total, having faced 141 balls for his 30, drawn into chasing a wide delivery from Fletcher. Paterson removed Alex Thomson leg before, Michael Cohen – dropped on nought – drove airily at Hutton to be caught behind, and Ben Aitchison found the fielder on the square-leg boundary.Two wickets in two balls from Hudson-Prentice had Nottinghamshire 25 for 2 as Ben Slater miscued to mid-on and Ben Compton edged to third slip. But Hameed and Steven Mullaney fashioned a measured recovery to 94 for 2 at tea with six fours apiece, Hameed driving handsomely through the off side, Mullaney profiting mainly from cuts and pulls.Hudson-Prentice removed both soon after tea, Mullaney wafting at a short ball outside off to be caught at first slip after a stand of 78, Hameed passing fifty for the fifth time this season but then tickling a thin edge through to keeper Harvey Hosein.Duckett helped Lyndon James add a rapid 61 in 13 overs to give Nottinghamshire the lead but one wicket again brought another. James flashed at one from Cohen to be caught at second slip before Aitchison juggled and then held a chance at first slip as Liam Patterson-White departed in a double-wicket maiden for the left-arm quick.Joey Evison was caught behind as Aitchison claimed Derbyshire’s seventh wicket but Duckett timed the ball nicely and his 10 boundaries enabled Nottinghamshire to claim a second batting bonus point in a marathon final session of a 104-over day following Sunday’s rain.

Sporting CP manager Joao Pereira has been fired following a poor run of form, just six weeks after he replaced Ruben Amorim.

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Pereira axed after just a month in chargeEx-U23 coach promoted to senior teamThree wins in eight games saw him firedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Just six weeks after Amorim's departure to join Manchester United, Sporting CP have fired former U23's coach Joao Pereira, who stepped up to the senior side to replace Amorim.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

At the point of Amorim's departure, Sporting were top of the Liga Portugal and looked favorites to clinch the title for the second year running. However, since naming Pereira as head coach, Sporting have won just three games from eight, which included a 5-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League, less than a month after a 4-1 win over Man City in the same competition.

The Sporting hierarchy had enough of the lackluster performances and in a showing of un-Christmassy spirit, announced Pereira's dismissal with six minutes of Christmas Day remaining.

WHAT SPORTING SAID

Sporting announced Pereira's exit on X, writing: "A Lion forever. Thank you, Joao Pereira."

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WHAT NEXT FOR SPORTING CP?

Sporting have turned to Rui Borges, formerly of Vitoria de Guimaraes, in a bid to get their season back on track. They host Benfica on Sunday, having slipped a point behind their Lisbon rivals in the title race.

Mitchell Starc is prepared to improvise to give himself the best chance of being ready for Test cricket amid a schedule crunch which is further complicated by the quarantine requirements in Australia, but Test captain Tim Paine is not confident of having all his players available to face Afghanistan.Starc is one of Australia’s multi-format names who could be impacted by the very tight turnaround between the T20 World Cup and start of the home Test season against Afghanistan in Hobart.If Australia and/or Afghanistan reach the final in the UAE on November 14 there would only be 12 days before the first ball of the Test on November 27 which is inside the mandatory 14-day period returning travelers have to quarantine for.Various solutions could be sought by Cricket Australia with one option to try and gain exemption for the Test to be played under the quarantine rules used against India in Brisbane last season following the Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney.For Australia’s Test players who are part of the T20 World Cup the Afghanistan match will be their only chance of red-ball preparation ahead of the Ashes starting on December 8.Related

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“It’s a very interesting one,” Starc said from St Lucia. “The way of the world at the moment throws up a lot hurdles and then you are throwing two weeks of quarantine, like we are going to have to do coming back from this tour as well, there’s a lot of question marks.”You look back to the summer and we played Sydney under restrictions, Brisbane was under full quarantine so there’s certainly precedence set there in how we approach different games especially in Australia.”In that respect I don’t think there’s any hurdles to get around in playing cricket under quarantine conditions, it’s just some of the finer details that government and cricket will have to work together [to sort out].”But for the few multi-format players we all want to play as much cricket as we can, Test cricket is certainly the pinnacle for a lot of us, certainly it is for me, as is a World Cup so it will be hard to pick and choose.”Limited-overs captain Aaron Finch has made clear he expects to have all first-choice players available for the World Cup. “The T20 World Cup is an international event, the one piece of [limited-overs] silverware that was eluded us. They’ll be no management for Test cricket, I can tell you that much,” he said last week.Mitchell Starc during the 2012 T20 World Cup•AFP

Speaking a few hours after Starc, Paine endorsed that the strongest T20 side should be selected and had faith in anyone who missed the Afghanistan Test being ready to face England.”It does look tight,” he said. “From our point of view we’re probably expecting not to [have the players]. We’d like our a T20 side to go as deep as they can. Our players have come into an Ashes series before without any red-ball cricket, if we have to do that in the professional era guys can cope with that.”Although for the next six weeks in West Indies and Bangladesh Starc’s attention will be on white-ball bowling, as the Test matches draw nearer towards the end of the year he will delve on past experiences to ensure he is ready.”There’s been some really tight turnarounds whether it be white-ball tournaments into Test series or away tours where we’ve had to improvise and make sure we get a little bit of red-ball bowling in so it wouldn’t be the first time,” he said. “Throws up another hurdle with quarantining after a World Cup and the tight turnaround we might be faced with, but the multi-format players have all played cricket for quite a while now and have experienced the same situation in slightly difference circumstances before.”For now, Starc is working on fine-tuning his T20 skills as he sets his sights on a first appearance at a T20 World Cup since 2012 having missed the 2016 edition in India due to injury. If the Bangladesh tour gets final approval there will be up to 10 T20s over the next month and while Starc will be unlikely to feature in them all it’s a rare chance for an extended focus on the format.Starc was a central figure in the successful run Australia’s T20 side put together in 2019-2020, featuring in eight of the nine matches against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa, and then played the three-match series against England last year. He only had one game against India last season due to withdrawing from the squad, did not play in the BBL and opted against the IPL with the hectic schedule in mind.”It’s a great opportunity for the group to start preparing with a bit more focus on that World Cup,” he said. “Don’t think I’ve played 10 T20s in the last four years let alone in the space of a few weeks so personally it would be nice to get a bit of a rhythm of T20 cricket.”The back end of the summer I was heavily focused on the red-ball so put the white-ball to the side. To prepare for this tour it’s all been white-ball focused with what’s coming up in the next few months. Preparing for shorter spells, more of a focus on staying unpredictable or [using] variations. I don’t change a whole lot in my preparation across the formats but certainly they’ll be a lot more planning and focus on tactically what we’ll take on this series.”This story was update with Tim Paine’s comments

Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement may have enjoyed a far better start to the 2024/25 campaign if he had got his own way with regard to several transfer targets.

Despite making 11 signings during the summer transfer window, Rangers are still light in a few areas, notably in the attacking department at Ibrox.

A move for Albion Rrahmani looked like it would materialise, but the striker eventually ended up joining Sparta Prague, where he fired them into the group stages of the Champions League just a few weeks after joining.

Failing to bring in a centre-forward of this quality could come back and haunt Clement, especially considering Danilo’s injury woes recently.

The Belgian isn’t the first Rangers manager to miss out on key targets during a transfer window, however, as it has been happening on a regular occurrence since the Light Blues returned to the Premiership in 2016.

Steven Gerrard’s three and a half year stint is the longest for one man since promotion and the former Liverpool captain could have built a team that might have dominated Scottish football if everything went to plan…

Gerrard’s success in the transfer market at Rangers

It may have taken the Liverpudlian a couple of seasons acclimatising in Glasgow before he had a squad ready to claim major titles, but the Englishman was establishing the building blocks from his very first summer window.

Players such as Connor Goldson and Ryan Kent joined the Gers in 2018, with both players contributing massively between 2018 and 2023.

Gerrard also knew when to find a bargain too. Joe Aribo joined ahead of his second season in charge of the club, costing just £300k due to cross-border transfer rules. Three years later, the club sold him for £6m to Southampton.

A similar scenario evolved regarding defender Calvin Bassey. The young left-back arrived in Scotland from Leicester City in a similar move to that of Aribo. He eventually broke into the first team properly during his second season, helping the club reach the Europa League final and win the Scottish Cup.

A few weeks later, Ajax signed him for a fee just shy of £20m, a stunning piece of business by the club.

Gerrard did make a few transfer howlers, however, no doubt about that. One name that stands out is Juninho Bacuna, who arrived following the Premiership title success in the summer of 2021.

Juninho Bacuna’s statistics at Rangers

With just a couple of weeks left of the window, Gerrard secured the services of Bacuna from Huddersfield Town in a bid to bolster his midfield.

Despite going out of the Champions League, hopes were high that the club could retain their league title while going far in the Europa League.

The midfielder had played over 100 games for Huddersfield, including 21 in the Premier League, so clearly knew how to perform at the highest level. Gerrard couldn’t bring the best out of him, however, as the Curaçao international struggled to hit the ground running at Ibrox.

The 27-year-old lasted just six months at Rangers, making 12 appearances in all competitions. He may have scored once and grabbed three assists in the process, but it was clear Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who had taken over from Gerrard, wasn’t a fan.

Bacuna joined Birmingham City in January 2022, ending a dismal period north of the border. It was a signing which should never have happened if Gerrard had managed to get his own way with another transfer target – Joey Veerman.

When Rangers missed out on Joey Veerman

After winning the 2020/21 league title, the former England captain was expected to be backed in the transfer window by the board.

Steven Gerrard’s signings for Rangers in 2021

Player

Club signed from

Year departed

John Lundstrum

Sheffield United

2024

Fashion Sakala

KV Oostende

2023

Juninho Bacuna

Huddersfueld Town

2022

Nnmadi Ofoborh

Bournemouth

2023

Via Transfermarkt

Several targets were being assessed, including Dutch defender Danilho Doekhi, but the player moved to Union Berlin instead. Veerman was another player on Gerrard’s wish list, having shown plenty of promise during his spell at Heerenveen.

Indeed, the Ibrox side looked to strike an agreement with the Eredivisie side reportedly worth around £7m to lure him to Scotland to bolster his options in the heart of the pitch.

No move came to fruition, with Veerman admitting that he was priced out of a move due to his former club’s massive asking price, which meant Rangers ended up signing Bacuna instead.

Since this near miss, the Dutch midfielder has gone from strength to strength, shining for PSV Eindhoven and the Netherlands national side.

Joey Veerman’s market value in 2024

Six months after Rangers showed interest, PSV managed to sign the player for a fee in the region of £4.6m, lower than what Heerenveen asked for just a few months prior.

Veerman emerged as one of their key players during his first full season, registering 23 goal contributions as the club won the Dutch Cup under Ruud van Nistelrooy, before taking his game to new heights last term.

Across just 29 league matches, Veerman scored five times and grabbed an impressive 16 assists as the club claimed the Eredivisie title with ease. These performances saw him claim a place in the Netherlands side for Euro 2024, showcasing his progress over the previous few years.

Despite costing just under £5m, the midfielder is now worth a staggering £34m according to Transfermarkt, proving that PSV certainly hit the jackpot with the player who was once wanted by the Light Blues.

While there was no guarantee that Veerman would have taken to life in Scotland with ease, considering how well he has progressed in the previous three years, his abilities surely would have shone through in the Premiership.

Having to resort to signing a player such as Bacuna was effectively settling for second best, especially as the Ibrox side failed to retain their league crown, relying on a Scottish Cup victory to salvage any sort of pride, domestically anyway.

With Veerman now a star of European football, how might Rangers have looked that season if Gerrard was sufficiently backed by the board during the summer of 2021?

Related Rangers hit gold on £8m ace who's worth more than Dessers & Igamane in 2024

Alex McLeish hit the jackpot on a former Gers striker

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Sep 17, 2024

It hasn’t come together for West Ham United under Julen Lopetegui. The atmosphere hasn’t quite turned toxic but there’s an undeniable sourness about the London Stadium right now, with limp performances yielding poor results.

This evening, the Irons have a chance to turn such concerns around, though will find a tough test against Liverpool at Anfield in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, who won the trophy last year, swept West Ham aside in the quarter-final with a 5-1 thrashing, though Klopp is now going and Arne Slot’s side have already lost against Nottingham Forest on home soil this year.

1.

Jarrod Bowen

44

20

2.

Mohammed Kudus

45

14

3.

Tomas Soucek

52

10

4.

Lucas Paqueta

53

8

5.

Michail Antonio

32

7

6.

James Ward-Prowse

51

7

Liverpool are not infallible, and Lopetegui has a ferocious frontline that could hurt the hosts. Jarrod Bowen is invariably effective up front, while Mohammed Kudus and Crysencio Summerville offer pace and electric quality to swarm and overpower their opponents’ wide zones.

West Ham team news

West Ham enforced a host of changes for the second-round Carabao Cup victory over Bournemouth at the end of August, and you can expect Lopetegui to do the same after the battering handed by Chelsea on Saturday.

Niclas Füllkrug will be assessed after a period of injury – the £27m summer signing from Borussia Dortmund, aged 31, has yet to score for the Irons and has missed the past two top-flight fixtures with an Achilles injury.

But that aside, there are options aplenty for the club’s Spanish head coach to pick from. Expect some of the most infrequent starting members to receive the nod.

West Ham's last game against Liverpool

Let’s be candid – it’s going to be a tough one. Liverpool might have been beaten on home turf already this season but have looked pretty devastating for the most part, with the squad slotting into their new way of life.

27/04/24

Premier League

London Stadium

2-2 draw

20/12/23

Carabao Cup

Anfield

5-1 loss

24/09/23

Premier League

Anfield

3-1 loss

26/04/23

Premier League

London Stadium

2-1 loss

19/08/22

Premier League

Anfield

1-0 loss

West Ham have not defeated Liverpool in any competition since a thrilling 3-2 victory in the Premier League in 2021, one of the Reds’ two defeats in a season that saw them miss out against Manchester City to the title by a single point – again.

But last time out, David Moyes’ Irons halted a five-match losing streak against the forthcoming opposition, effectively ending Liverpool’s fading hopes of winning the league with a hard-fought 2-2 draw that saw Mohamed Salah and Jurgen Klopp come to a fractious blow.

There were many impressive performances, with Moyes hailing West Ham’s “incredible” performance. There was one player who put in a storming display. He must be unleashed alongside Jean-Clair Todibo, who joined this summer.

Who Lopetegui should unleash against Liverpool

Todibo started against Bournemouth in the previous round but that stands as the sole starting berth that the Frenchman has been awarded since moving from OGC Nice on a loan deal that has a purchase option of around £35m.

He struggled to influence the game and was withdrawn by Lopetegui at half-time. Todibo, 24, has not played since, but with West Ham’s defence struggling, this is the time for him to be unleashed and prove that he can become a starring member. But he would do well to find a reliable anchoring midfielder in front of him to help against the Reds’ attacking tidal wave.

Indeed, Edson Alvarez could be key on Wednesday evening. Todibo’s ball-playing quality could ensure the Mexican midfielder, who is so tough and authoritative in the tackle and duel, refinds his feet after flattering to deceive against Chelsea on Saturday.

Minutes played

90′

Touches

58

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

29/35 (83%)

Key passes

1

Dribbles (completed)

1 (1)

Tackles

4

Interceptions

3

Clearances

4

Total duels (won)

14 (7)

Alvarez was awarded an 8/10 match rating by Hammers site Claret & Hugh after his last effort against Liverpool, with the publication writing: ‘Made same crucial blocks and interceptions one of which started the move which led to the first goal. Slow to close down for the Liverpool equaliser but otherwise back to his best.’

It was an excellent display, and one that saw Luis Diaz and Salah thwarted in their efforts to score and send Liverpool back into title contention.

That kind of relentless duel output will determine West Ham’s success in the midfield battle. Liverpool are purring with a partnership of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister in the Premier League but there’s a high chance that both could be rested for this one, and West Ham must capitalise.

Alvarez also won ten duels against the Cherries in August, and if he can bring that kind of iron-clad energy to this one, he might just prove to silence Diaz and Salah again.

The 6 foot 1 titan ranks among the top 9% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 14% for interceptions, the top 2% for blocks and the top 5% for clearances per 90. It’s evident that, when at his best, he is one of the most robust and active defensive midfielders in the game, and this could be vital in ensuring that Todibo succeeds.

Liverpool will present a tough test indeed, but if West Ham can battle and match the physicality of the Anfield side, there’s a good chance that they can inflict some damage. Remember, a draw at 90 minutes will take the match to spot-kicks…

Lopetegui needs to axe West Ham ace who earns more than Soler & Todibo

He’s not been at the races this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 24, 2024

One Chelsea star could be facing a battle for his immediate first-team future under Enzo Maresca, with the Italian already showing that he's prepared to be ruthless in axing members of his squad.

Chelsea end summer transfer window with 13 new signings

Todd Boehly and BlueCo spent a whopping £271 million on 13 new signings over the summer window, with Joao Felix, Mike Penders, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Renato Veiga, Estevao Willian, Filip Jorgensen, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aaron Anselmino, Caleb Wiley, Omari Kellyman, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho joining the west Londoners.

Chelsea have struck gold on amazing star who's worth far more than Sancho

Enzo Maresca could hit the jackpot on a winger he has recently signed

By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 31, 2024

Sancho, who signed on deadline day in a last-minute switch from Man United, joins on a season-long loan with the obligation to make it permanent for around £20-25 million next summer.

Chelsea also attempted a late marquee deal to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli, but the Blues could not get him over the line in time. Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli reached an agreement with Napoli, including on personal terms, to sign Osimhen, but they never got the final green light from the Nigerian – so they ended up sealing a deal for Ivan Toney instead.

"The Al-Ahli offer to Osimhen is a €30m salary on a four-year deal," wrote reliable journalist Ben Jacobs on X.

Victor Osimhen's Serie A Statistics 2023/24
Appearances	25
Goals	15
Assists	3
Shots per 90	3.86
Key passes per 90	1.05
Successful take-ons per 90	0.73
WhoScored

"There are €40m in bonuses on top taking the total package to €160m. Al-Ahli also prepared to sanction a release clause. Osimhen has agreed to terms but is waiting to see whether Chelsea counter. Al-Ahli offer to Napoli has been accepted. It is €68m plus add-ons taking the total package close to €80m."

It was yet another frantic transfer window for the Blues, who also managed to offload a number of fringe players who Maresca had previously axed from his squad. Trevoh Chalobah, Raheem Sterling, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Romelu Lukaku and Armando Broja all sealed last-gasp exits from Stamford Bridge, but the likes of Ben Chilwell couldn't quite muster a late move yesterday.

Mykhailo Mudryk battling for Chelsea future under Maresca

Another player who was sporadically linked with a summer exit, Mykhailo Mudryk, will now be put to the test under Maresca as he attempts to justify his initial £62 million price tag.

The Ukraine international, who has played 45 Premier League minutes so far this season, and featured in both of Chelsea's Conference League qualifying ties against Servette, is facing a crunch few months as he looks to impress his new manager.

Journalist Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard has suggested that Mudryk is battling for his Chelsea future under a ruthless Maresca, who showed throughout the transfer window that he is prepared to omit players who are not pulling their weight.

Kilpatrick suggests the 23-year-old is "increasingly in danger" of becoming a fringe player, with his place in the pecking order "precarious", despite starting two of Maresca's opening three games in charge.

Middlesex slip to heavy defeat despite Jack Davies’ debut half-century

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2021

Alastair Cook made 92 not out•Getty Images

Alastair Cook and Tom Westley crashed big half-centuries as Essex crushed Middlesex by nine wickets in the Royal London Cup.England legend Cook clocked his 48th List A fifty to end 92 not out while Eagles captain Westley returned an unbeaten 87, the pair putting on 159 together.Essex were only chasing 212 after Shane Snater’s 3 for 45 and two-fors for Simon Harmer and Ryan ten Doeschate, and completed a comprehensive victory with 11 overs to spare to maintain their 100 per cent record in the competition.Westley won the toss and restricted Middlesex to a below-par 212, with runs not flowing particularly freely on a green-tinged wicket under thick grey clouds.Sam Robson was the exception to the rule has he stroked 18 in nine balls before he was strangled down the leg-side by Snater. Joe Cracknell was leg-before to Snater and Australian Peter Handscomb was excellently snaffled at first slip by Cook as the visitors slumped to 31 for 3.Middlesex then produced their two, much needed, partnerships of note as Max Holden and Robbie White added 49 before Holden top-edged a sweep to the short boundary and was replaced by Jack Davies, who put on 67 with White.Related

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Neither White nor Davies scored at any great speed but ticked along, the former falling for 47 lbw to Paul Walter, while List A debutant Davies reached his half-century in 67 balls.Middlesex lost their last five wickets for 39 runs as Luke Hollman was lbw to Westley, James Harris chipped straight back to Harmer, Thilan Walallawita edged ten Doeschate behind and then the Dutchman produced cat-like reactions to pouch a return from Davies. Snater ended up at the top of the wicket pile, returning 3 for 45, as Ethan Bamber pulled into the leg side to end the innings.Essex’s chase looked in little doubt from the moment Will Buttleman cut Walallawita to the boundary with the fourth ball. Cook looked in sumptuous form with pure timing trumping outright power. An on-drive through midwicket, a straight drive and a push through the off side typified his style and got him motoring.Buttleman flicked straight to Robson at short midwicket, having put on 54, with Cook in a rare batting misjudgement from the hosts.Cook reached his 20th format fifty for Essex in 60 balls with a flick off his legs, with Westley unfurling some glorious stroke play as the duo reached a century partnership in 118 deliveries.Westley moved to his half-century in 59 balls before threatening to overtake his experienced partner, and eventually preventing him from reaching three figures.