Arsenal legend Ian Wright slammed the club's women's side for displaying a soft performance against Chelsea.
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Kylian Mbappe fired Paris Saint-Germain into the lead with a sensational goal against Montpellier on Sunday.
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Liverpool head coach Arne Slot stood in front of the advertising panel and maintained his cool demeanour: “There are lots of challenges ahead.”
Indeed, Arne. However, you said something similar in November, and the Red players have maintained startling consistency to break away from the title-chasing pack.
Arsenal have been Liverpool’s biggest challenger this season with Manchester City, who have now succumbed to Slot’s blade twice, fallen by the wayside. The Gunners’ injury woes have effectively neutralised their attacking threat.
Thus, creating a wider gap at Pep Guardiola’s den was essential after the Emirates hosted West Ham United and lost on Saturday, especially after recent draws on the road in the Merseyside derby and against Aston Villa.
Liverpool put Man City to the sword, with Mohamed Salah’s absurd campaign taking another leap forward.
That’s 11 Premier League games with a goal and an assist claimed in 2024/25 – he’s in a different stratosphere to his rivals, both domestically and across the continent.
However, Liverpool are a team of many parts, and there’s another man who stepped up to the plate, putting in a performance for the ages.
|
Mohamed Salah in 2024/25 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Competition |
Apps (starts) |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Premier League |
27 (27) |
25 |
16 |
|
Champions League |
7 (7) |
3 |
4 |
|
Carabao Cup |
4 (2) |
2 |
1 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
Dominik Szoboszlai was uncontainable on Sunday evening, the Hungarian machine thrashing against the City defence with matchless energy and drive.
The contrast with the ageing Kevin De Bruyne was stark. The Belgian, 33, is one of the greatest players in Premier League history, but clearly past his best.
Slot’s tactical precepts have seen Jurgen Klopp’s midfield signing dovetail into a new system that enjoys his unrelenting engine – but has also streamlined his technical production.
As per FBref, Szoboszlai ranks among the top 6% of positional peers in England’s top flight this season for pass completion, the top 8% for passes attempted and the top 18% for progressive passes per 90, illustrating his ball-playing aptitude.
An attacking midfielder with plenty of dynamism, Szoboszlai thrived in a tweaked role, operating in flux with Curtis Jones as a makeshift false nine. Reporter Lewis Steele hailed the 23-year-old’s energy, saying he “never stops running” and is “silky in possession.”
He assisted Salah with a skimmed pass from an expert corner routine, arcing away from goal and flicking Alexis Mac Allister’s grounded delivery into space.
It was an all-encompassing performance and a marker of Szoboszlai’s protean technical ability, with Liverpool operating without a centre-forward. The home side claimed 66% of the match possession, but it mattered not for Slot’s side, who showed their ability to mix things up and play against the flow of the control. Although that said, Liverpool always looked in charge regardless.
|
Dominik Szoboszlai vs Man City |
|
|---|---|
|
Match Stats |
# |
|
Matches (starts) |
90′ |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Shots (on target) |
3 (1) |
|
Accurate passes |
19/24 (79%) |
|
Key passes |
1 |
|
Dribbles |
1/1 |
|
Recoveries |
3 |
|
Tackles |
2 |
|
Ground duels |
3/7 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
It was a breathtaking performance and a reminder to the rest of the division that Slot’s Liverpool unit are so much more than the output of one man. Liverpool content creator Asim Mahmood was in awe at full-time, remarking: “What an absolute monster of a shift he put in today.”
Unfortunately, one man’s gain is another’s deflation. There was one part of the visitors’ bench that cut a dejected figure on a momentous occasion.
Swaddled in overlayers at the Etihad as the rain lashed down, Darwin Nunez hardly looked a face of optimism as he sat and stayed on the bench, Slot not bringing Liverpool’s £85m striker into the equation following his poor form this season.
Nunez had every right to be upset. He is Liverpool’s club-record man and this is the so-called toughest fixture on the calendar. He wants to succeed. But he can have no complaints, with erratic and disjointed performances limiting him to off-the-bench roles here and there.
The 2-2 draw at Villa Park last week summed up his struggle, with the in-form Szoboszlai breaking free on the right and guiding a spinning cross-box pass into Nunez’s path. The goalmouth gaped, but the ball flew wide.
Slot seemed able to forgive the miss, for this is the life of a striker. However, he rebuked Nunez’s “behaviour” in the period after, suggesting that the Uruguayan lacked work ethic and commitment.
For a number nine who has scored six goals and added five assists across 35 matches this season, it’s clear to see why Slot isn’t impressed; Nunez doesn’t exactly produce the slickest of all-round play, completing just 70% of his passes in the Premier League this term, averaging at 5.5 per game, as per Sofascore.
With Luis Diaz and now Szoboszlai filling in at number nine to circumvent Liverpool’s lack of a true central striker, Slot appears happy to keep Nunez on the sidelines. It’s damning, and suggestive that he’s off in the summer.
To say that Nunez is poor is reductive. He’s immensely talented but is also hot-headed, lacking the clinical edge that the finest goalscorers need in the Premier League. Moreover, his overall output has actually regressed under Slot’s wing, whose tactics have limited him and confirmed his ultimate departure. It’s for this more nuanced reason that Slot will cash in.
In January, Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr were ready to sign the £140k-per-week Liverpool forward and had even presented a package in excess of €75m (roughly £62m) plus add-ons, as per Fabrizio Romano.
Nunez is affable and popular with the Liverpool fanbase. He has a certain indefinable quality, able to reel you back in when returning to a more positive light.
His quick-fire brace to turn the tide against Brentford in January restored hopes that he would play an increased part in the title charge over the business months, but his efforts since have lacked clarity and conviction.
Liverpool need a new striker this summer, to be sure, but Szoboszlai appears to have been the latest man to shift ahead of Nunez in the pecking order this season.
It could be a long and peripheral period over the coming months for the £85m man.
Liverpool star who dropped a 3/10 at the Etihad could now be axed by Slot
Liverpool are on the verge of a precious league title but it’s not all positive at Anfield.
4
By
Matt Dawson
Feb 24, 2025
Aston Villa have become a club who rarely get things wrong in the transfer market these days, with a number of top talents consistently walking through the door at Villa Park. Unai Emery meanwhile has been the perfect manager to mould those players into a squad capable of sending shockwaves throughout the Premier League.
As the January transfer window edges closer and closer every day, too, Villa have reportedly already planned ahead, with their interest in some Liga Portugal talent coming to the fore when the winter window swings open.
Proving their newfound power in the market during the summer by signing the likes of Moussa Diaby, Nicolo Zaniolo, and Pau Torres, Villa will be looking to flex their muscles once again come January, especially after their start in the Premier League this season. As things stand, Emery's side sit fifth and just four points behind Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the league.
Following the international break, the Villans square off against West Ham United, who have got off to a similarly impressive start in the current campaign. If Villa can defeat the Hammers, they could end the weekend of action sitting as high as third in the table. A finish of such prestige may not be too much of a fantasy, either, if Emery gets his targets.
Their form makes the latest Fredrik Aursnes transfer news all the more interesting. According to Record, via Sport Witness, Villa are interested in signing the Benfica midfielder in January, but have been told that he is untouchable, with the Portugal club hoping to hold out until at least next summer. The news follows the trend of interested in Liga Portugal stars for Villa, who were given the same answer when it came to their reported interest in Pedro Goncalves.
Playing an important part for Benfica, Norway international Aursnes has earned the interest of Aston Villa, after helping his side get off to a near-perfect start to the Liga Portugal season. As things stand, Benfica sit second after eight games, only behind table-toppers Sporting by a single point. Meanwhile, in his debut campaign last time out, he helped his side to the league title in Portugal's top flight.
Aursnes' stats are even better than current Villa midfielder John McGinn in certain areas, as per FBref.
|
Player |
Progressive Carries |
Progressive Passes |
Blocks |
Tackles Won |
Interceptions |
Pass Completion |
|
Fredrik Aursnes |
23 |
51 |
12 |
7 |
5 |
81.9% |
|
John McGinn |
8 |
42 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
77.9% |
It's no surprise, then, that Aursnes has earned such high praise during his time in Portugal, including from Zach Lowy, who posted on X: "Fredrik Aursnes has been chosen as the Champions League Player of the Week. Another excellent display for Benfica by the Norwegian — he’s been one of the best signings in Portugal this season."
Whilst Villa have reportedly been told that any offer for the Benfica midfielder will be refused, if they can do some convincing and sign Aursnes in January, then he may well be the difference between a standard season and one that will go down in history at Villa Park.
Christian Pulisic celebrated his third successive CONCACAF Nations League title by wearing beer goggles in the dressing room.
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It wasn’t too long ago that calling Wolverhampton the ‘Lisbon of the north’ would be considered a criminal offence. But ever since Nuno Espírito Santo made his mark on the middle of England suburbia, between 2017 and 2021, the Portuguese manager has changed the perception of the West Midlands.
Bringing with him a surfeit of Portuguese talents to introduce to the Wolves squad, there was a point in time when Molineux boasted more players from the Iberian nation than FC Porto, Portugal’s most celebrated football club. In their recent history, there have been 24 players from Portugal to don the orange shirt of Wolves.
In comparison to other countries, only England, Scotland, and Ireland have been represented more for Wolves, with much being owed to the Portuguese revolution and Espírito Santo’s relationship with agent Jorge Mendes for the club’s current Premier League status after years of League One and Championship mediocrity.
Football FanCast takes a look at all 22 non-academy Portuguese players to star for Wolves since Jorge Mendes linked up with the club, outlining their time in central England and the impact they had.
With a Wolves stint as ebbing and flowing as Chiquinho’s, one could be forgiven for struggling to remember the name.
The winger joined from Estoril in January 2022 but only made eight appearances before a serious knee injury in pre-season halted his career and forced the youngster to take a few steps back.
Having signed for £2.9m on a three-and-a-half-year contract, Chiquinho only stayed in the West Midlands for 18 months before a loan move to Stoke City was cut short in favour of another loan move to FC Famalicão in his home country’s top division in 2023.
At 23 years old, he remains a Wolves player, so he is one to keep an eye on should he return for selection next summer.
Arriving on loan from Ajax in 2024, Carlos Forbs looked to add youthful exuberance to the Wolves attack. Formerly on the books in the youth ranks at Manchester City, Forbs sealed a switch to Ajax in 2023 – despite interest from Wolves.
And although the youngster earned a decent chunk of playing time in his campaign in the Netherlands, he was off again in the summer, with Wolves getting their man at the second attempt, becoming their latest Portuguese recruit to date.
Signing from Braga in 2024, Rodrigo Gomes became one of Wolves’ first signings of the summer as a key target for former manager Gary O’Neil.
O’Neil appeared to temper expectations over the youngster following his arrival, but it was clearly a move with the long term in mind, and with compatriot Vitor Pereira at the helm, it remains to be seen whether he can make a name for himself at Molineux.
Toti Gomes’ football career had threatened to mirror that of Chiquinho, a childhood friend. He joined from Estoril in 2020, and having failed to clinch a regular starting spot, he found himself offloaded on short-term loans, with Swiss club Grasshopper Zürich looking a likely future home for the centre-back at one point.
However, he was recalled by Bruno Lage back in the 2021/22 campaign and looks as if he could yet find himself a Wolves regular before long. Indeed, he is still young and impressed his manager when called upon during Romain Saiss’ AFCON absence – and has worked his way back into the team’s plans of late under Gary O’Neil.
11 goals, 63 appearances, and five major trophies for Benfica tells the story of a talented player that hasn’t quite reached the expected heights when he joined Wolves in 2022 to only tally 13 runouts for the West Midlands club after brief spells with PSG and Valencia following a burgeoning start to life in football.
At 26 years old, he has time on his side. However, although still contracted to Wolves, he has been on loan to boyhood club Benfica for the last two seasons, so his impact in the Premier League is yet to be determined.
There’s every reason to believe he’s capable, considering he has 32 international caps. Molineux might spell out unsettled ground for the Portuguese winger, but if he is able to rediscover the trickery and combination play that became his bread and butter over in his home city, he will no doubt bejewel his parent club upon returning in 2024.
It’s quite remarkable that Bruno Jordão is still technically a Wolves player. He made his debut, scoring against Reading in a third-round EFL Cup tie following his £8m move from Braga B in 2019, but hasn’t hit the same high notes since.
He went on to make his debut in the Europa League against RCD Espanyol and his Premier League introduction as a late substitute against Chelsea after spending time injured on the sidelines – but he has only made one appearance to add to his three for Wolves since, moving to Famalicão, Grasshopper Zürich, and Santa Clara in underwhelming loan moves in the last three seasons.
When the midfielder returns to Molineux next summer, he will be 26. If he is to revive a career that has barely started, his best bet is perhaps to seek pasture’s new.
“Diogo is amazing and everybody knows the relationship we built. What Diogo did for us is absolutely fantastic,” said ex-Wolves manager Nuno Espírito Santo when his superstar winger joined Liverpool for £45m in 2021.
It brought an end to his Molineux days, with the forward leaving with 44 goals and 19 assists in 131 appearances. He lit up the Premier League in Wolves’ most recent golden generation and has since gone on to eclipse those numbers at Liverpool, where he has turned consistent attacking returns into fruit in the form of an FA Cup and League Cup.
The Portuguese danger man remains a revered figure in Wolverhampton, with his efforts to take Wolves out of the Championship not going unnoticed.
There was a time when Roderick Miranda was knocking loudly on the national team door to compete for a position in defence ahead of Real Madrid’s Pepe and Borussia Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro, just months after lifting the European Championship in 2016.
But then there was his time at Wolves – very much a blot on the timeline for a player with tremendous talent in the defensive arts. In England, he played 14 games under Nuno to help Wolves win the Championship, but he fell out of favour and slowly faded into non-existence before revitalising his career for current club Melbourne Victory.
There’s definitely a player in there somewhere, but it just didn’t work out in England.
A metronome in the middle of the park, João Moutinho is another to slide off the Wolves’ Portuguese production line and make a weighty impact at the club. He was Nuno’s dream midfield man, with his ability to keep his teammates ticking with cross-field passes and the flair to dribble his way out of tight spaces making him an important part of the backbone in the club’s revolution.
With 175 appearances in England towards the end of his career, his mentoring and furtherance of younger players at the club went under the radar. However, when he took to the pitch, he demanded undivided attention. Now back in his birth nation, Moutinho is seeing out his playing days at Braga.
Still at the club, Pedro Neto might just be the best Portuguese attacker in Wolves’ history when fit. Although injury has plagued his time in the Midlands, the glimpses he’s shown of his peak performances have drawn interest from the continent’s biggest clubs, most recently from Manchester City.
Neto is well-versed in being a full-back’s living and breathing nightmare, while his direct, aggressive mentality to drive to the touchline and whip in a cross displays his traditional wing play – a feature not many wide-men in football possess anymore.
The only thing that would take the Braga academy prospect’s game to the next level was if he played with like-minded attacking players, alongside if he was less injury-prone. A prime Raul Jimenez to latch onto his creativity would cause havoc for any opponent.
In the manager's own words, the Cole Palmer-inspired comeback must signal a 'turning point' – and opportunity knocks for the Blues
Cole Palmer's 101st-minute winner against Manchester United provoked scenes Stamford Bridge hasn't witnessed for a long, long time; after Chelsea's new hero crashed his strike in off the hapless Scott McTominay, the stadium erupted – a spontaneous combustion of emotion, frustration and pure relief.
As the camera vibrated uncontrollably, Palmer wheeled away aimlessly in celebration, his team-mates falling over themselves to get a piece of him as he evaded them in the same way he had eluded Manchester United's defence all night long; on the touchline, a bellowing Mauricio Pochettino looked on the verge of tears before he was mobbed by his coaching staff.
Granted, the Blues should never have been in a position where they required a questionable penalty decision and a last-second goal to win this game 4-3, having been masters of their own downfall as they threw away a two-goal lead to trail 3-2 after 90 minutes – but Pochettino simply must harness this energy to push on to better things in what remains of the season. His future as Chelsea manager depends on it.
Police have reportedly used tear gas to separate clashing Roma and Lazio fans ahead of their derby clash at Stadio Olimpico.
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Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a move for an "excellent" young Spaniard, seeing him as an alternative to midfield targets Kalvin Phillips and Ruben Neves.
The Magpies have been strongly linked with signing a midfielder in the January transfer window, following the news that Sandro Tonali has received a ten-month ban and won't be able to play professionally until next autumn. There have arguably two players two have stood out as the most commonly-tipped individuals to head to St James' Park, with Phillips and Neves both linked with moves to Newcastle once January arrives.
The former is currently out of favour at Manchester City, struggled to enjoy any serious playing time under Pep Guardiola, and with Euro 2024 around the corner, more minutes elsewhere will improve his chances of starting for England at the tournament in Germany.
Meanwhile, Neves' head could be turned by a move back to the Premier League, even if it is on a temporary basis, with the Portugal international currently playing in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Hilal.
It looks as though those two are far from Newcastle's only possible solutions when it comes to making up for the loss of Tonali, with another name also believed to be in the mix.
According to a new update from Football Insider, Newcastle could move for former Celta Viga prodigy Gabri Veiga in the January transfer window.
It is stated that the midfielder "could also emerge as a target for Newcastle despite him only leaving Celta Vigo for Al-Ahli in the most recent summer window", with Neves seen as a "target" from the Middle East as well. It is Phillips who "remains the priority target", though.
Back in July, it was claimed that Newcastle had held talks with Veiga over a move to the club before he traded Celta Vigo for Al-Ahli, so it seems clear that he has been admired for some time. The 21-year-old could be a great alternative to Phillips and Neves in the middle of the park, considering he is comfortably younger than both of them, and can provide more of an attacking spark in the final third.
|
Gabri Veiga strengths |
Gabri Veiga weaknesses |
|---|---|
|
Dribbling |
Tackling |
|
Shooting |
Decision-making |
|
Long passes |
Defensive instincts |
Last season, Veiga's statistics were hugely impressive, with 11 goals coming his way in La Liga, and he still represents a great option for the Magpies, even if some may question his decision to move to the Saudi Pro League at this stage in his career.
The Newcastle target has been likenened to former Chelsea and Manchester United star Juan Mata in the recent past, and been hailed as "excellent" by Carlo Ancelotti, and he could be a long-term acquisition, should the funds be available to sign him permanently.
Veiga has 13 caps to his name for Spain's Under-21s and a senior call-up may not be too far away, with the youngster possibly feeling that there is more chance of that happening if he returns to a major league, rather than potentially wasting away his talent in a less competitive environment.
West Ham United have set their sights on a new striker target, and it is believed they may be willing to make a big concession to get him.
The Hammers haven't exactly had much luck when it comes to signing star strikers. Gianluca Scamacca, just one year after joining David Moyes' men from Sassuolo in the summer of 2022, departed for Atalanta with his stay in England not exactly going to plan.
The 24-year-old scored just eight goals in 27 appearances, with West Ham making a small loss off his sale back to Italy. They had signed him for £30 million, but the east Londoners let him make his Serie A return for an initial £22.5 million plus £4.3m in add-ons.
Scamacca joins a long list of West Ham striker flops with Moyes and technical director Tim Steidten now looking to finally bring a proven goalscorer to the London Stadium. According to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, signing a new centre-forward is among Steidten's top priorities for 2024.
“Tim Steidten’s role at the club has grown in seniority since his arrival,” stated Ex on his Patreon this week (via West Ham Way).
“His knowledge, targets and dealings have really impressed Sullivan, who now fully trusts Tim as his right-hand-man. This will almost certainly mean that Steidten will be leading the search for our next manager in the future. However, its understood his main focus for now is player contracts and January recruitment – with a striker top of the list.”
Moyes currently has just Michail Antonio and the out-of-favour Danny Ings as his natural striking options, with winger Jarrod Bowen forced to play a more central role of late.
The Irons have been linked with moves for Bayer Leverkusen striker Adam Hlozek and Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy lately, but it is now believed they have their eyes on a new number nine target for next year.
Indeed, according to TEAMtalk, West Ham have set their sights on Victor Boniface of Leverkusen, who has been in fine form under Xabi Alonso this season.
The Nigerian has racked up seven goals and five assists already in the Bundesliga, something which has turned the heads of Europe's biggest sides.
West Ham are one of them, with the "ambitious" Boniface, as described by the report, now finding his way on to Steidten's list of targets.
The Hammers may have to make a big concession and wait until later in the year to sign Boniface, as Leverkusen would be reluctant to sell in January, but that is something West Ham could be willing to do.
The 22-year-old has already been praised by some big names, including former Germany international Michael Rummenigge, who called Boniface a "top" goalscoring striker.
“Jonas Hofmann has continued to improve because of his better teammates, Granit Xhaka is a real winner and Victor Boniface is a top goalscorer. There is also Alejandro Grimaldo, who is even a goal threat as a full-back."