Arne Slot’s Liverpool have been playing competitive football for over two months now and have won nine matches and have lost just one.

The Reds are approaching the next batch of Premier League fixtures with the surety that producing a winning streak will keep them in first place while, at the least, creating some distance between Arsenal, who are one point behind Liverpool and welcome them to the Emirates in just over one week.

Liverpool face Chelsea at Anfield first, and Slot will likely get to know his squad even better, for the Blues with their lightning attack could present the toughest test of the term.

The hosts will need to maintain their new-found strength and vim in defence while clicking and moving with slick synergy in attack. Connecting the two, Trent Alexander-Arnold will, as ever, be key, and he’ll be confident after making a positive impression.

Real Madrid's interest in Trent Alexander-Arnold

Will he or won’t he? Last week, during an interview with ITV’s Gabriel Clarke, Alexander-Arnold commented on speculation surrounding his future and stated that he doesn’t want his trophy-laden career to peter out as he enters the ‘prime’ of his career.

Aged 26, Alexander-Arnold is one of the Premier League’s biggest names and is Liverpool’s vice-captain. He has long harboured hopes of captaining his boyhood club, with whom he has played for since his formative years, joining the academy in 2004.

But he’s also approaching the end of his £180k-per-week contract and has attracted the vested interests of Real Madrid, probably the most illustrious and prestigious outfit on the globe. Los Blancos have all the pull of a super-charged tractor beam, one that players can rarely resist.

But Liverpool will hold out hope. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has repeatedly said over recent months that the England international is giving priority to Liverpool.

Mohamed Salah and club captain Virgil van Dijk are also heading toward the end of their deals. Let’s not forget that in a little over two months, all three superstars can chat with clubs from overseas and unite in a pre-contract agreement.

For Alexander-Arnold to remain, it’s clear that he’s going to want a package on his doorstep that reflects his prodigious powers. Salah, for example, earns £350k per week. Alexander-Arnold will want a deal to match, or maybe even surpass that total.

Perhaps Real Madrid should sign the Egyptian this summer instead…

Mohamed Salah is approaching the end

Many talented players have graced Anfield’s pitch over the past decade, but Van Dijk is probably the only one who can rival Salah in terms of influence and importance.

Signed from AS Roma in a deal worth £34m in July 2017, Salah was awarded a second shot at the Premier League after previously failing to make the grade with Chelsea.

We need not deep-dive into all of the Egyptian king’s accolades, but let’s touch on his ridiculous potency in the final third, scoring 217 goals and supplying 94 assists across 359 matches for Liverpool, giving rise to title-winning success on the biggest stages.

1.

Alan Shearer

441

260

2.

Harry Kane

320

213

3.

Wayne Rooney

491

208

4.

Andy Cole

414

187

5.

Sergio Aguero

275

184

6.

Frank Lampard

609

177

7.

Thierry Henry

258

175

8.

Robbie Fowler

379

163

9.

Jermaine Defoe

496

162

10.

Mohamed Salah

270

161

This season, as he approaches the end of his contract, the 32-year-old has posted six goals and five assists across ten matches for the Merseysiders, intent on chasing down more glory under new management.

He’s been the centre point of Liverpool’s attack since signing, and if Liverpool want to keep him on the books for the next few years, it’s hard to imagine he would settle for anything less than his current £350k per week salary. He may even want more.

Alexander-Arnold is also a player who has had a significant say in the narrative at Anfield since Klopp arrived after Brendan Rodgers’ demise, but he’s only 26 and has, possibly, his best days ahead of him, which is a staggering thought.

The thought of his plying his art for an overseas nemesis in Real Madrid is inconceivable to most of the fanbase, and that’s why it might not be the worst thing in the world for Salah to be signed instead.

Hailed as “world-class” by Klopp, Salah has been linked with the Spanish giants in the past, with reports in 2023 even suggesting that La Liga would be the right-sided star’s preferred destination if he were to pack his bags next summer.

The goal machine is still an elite-level striker, but he’s going to be 33 years old by the start of next season and any extension to his current deal would likely take him to the age of 35 or 36 by its conclusion.

Whether FSG would move away from their circumspection to agree to such hefty terms with an ageing player – who has no guarantees over productivity as he approaches the twilight colours of his career, remains to be seen.

And though Madrid are well stocked up front, there have been murmurings of discontent from Rodrygo’s camp and Arda Guler is routinely discussed for a loan move away from the Santiago Bernabeu to best serve his development.

As Michael Dawson has mused, any of the discussed trio at Liverpool will be entitled to pen contractual extensions, should they please.

Salah is a first-class forward, and Van Dijk is the backbone of the ranks, but both are several years into their 30s and Alexander-Arnold simply cannot be allowed to move away in search of pastures new.

Relevant figures of a Liverpool persuasion might want to see if the La Liga champions can be convinced into taking Salah on board for the next few years, instead of pulling the lifeblood from Slot’s exciting Liverpool project.

Forget Trent: Liverpool have another £100m star in the making

Liverpool could soon have a real superstar on their hands under Arne Slot

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 17, 2024

Ipswich Town were very busy during this summer transfer window, with Kieran McKenna and Co wanting to bring in some top talents to ensure the step-up in quality to the Premier League didn’t swallow the Suffolk underdogs whole.

In total, the Tractor Boys added 11 new players to the group, with some settling into life better than others so far as Ipswich face a long and tough battle against the top-flight drop-zone currently.

Liam Delap definitely fits the bill of the second bracket more than the first, with the ex-Manchester City wonderkid loving life at Portman Road at the moment, even as he now permanently finds himself away from the luxuries of Pep Guardiola’s men.

Delap's start to the season

Delap has been a constant source of positivity for Ipswich this campaign so far even when results have gone against them, with the 21-year-old already onto four top-flight goals from eight appearances.

Even in games that have seen the Tractor Boys get turned over as they grow more used to the challenges of the elite league – seen in their recent 4-1 loss away at West Ham United – Delap still manages to exit those bruising experiences with his head held high, having bagged his side’s early equaliser on the day before everything suddenly went pear-shaped.

No other new recruit in attack has managed to seamlessly fire in the same sparkling way, with Sammie Szmodics going quiet ever since bagging a shock strike against Manchester City right at the start of the campaign, alongside former Sunderland star Jack Clarke still being unable to break his goalscoring duck in the Premier League for his new employers.

Whilst patience will be exercised with both of those permanent faces, McKenna will be beginning to become more and more restless over loanee Kalvin Phillips, who is struggling once more to resurrect his playing days with another new club.

Phillips' start at Ipswich

Before putting pen to paper on a temporary switch to Suffolk, Phillips’ last loan stint with West Ham was nothing short of a car crash for the Manchester City dud.

The ex-England international would only make ten appearances in total for the Hammers, with former West Ham striker Dean Ashton even labelling his time at the London Stadium as “shocking.”

His poorest shift for the Tractor Boys to date coincidentally occurred at this familiar stomping ground, with Phillips way off the pace throughout against the Hammers, with an early error on the ball allowing Michail Antonio to score within the first minute to begin the 4-1 rout.

Ipswich top five earners – 24/25

Player

Wage

1. Kalvin Phillips

£150k-per-week

2. Axel Tuanzebe

£40k-per-week

3. Jens Cajuste

£35k-per-week

4. Sam Morsy

£30k-per-week

5. Ben Johnson

£30k-per-week

Sourced by Capology

Looking at the table above, Phillips’ eye-wateringly high wage will also be concerning for the Tractor Boys currently, with Ipswich throwing money away no matter what portion they are actually coughing up of his high £150k-per-week salary at Man City.

Amazingly, according to Capology, Delap earns a modest £20k-per-week pay packet when contrasted next to the 28-year-old’s steep wage, despite being far more in McKenna’s good books at the moment than Phillips.

Phillips does have time on his side to turn around another underwhelming chapter in his ongoing story, but if he continues to put in lacklustre displays for Ipswich like the ones recently served up, this move will no doubt go down as an expensive mistake the Tractor Boys rue signing off on.

Whereas, Delap’s move already looks to be a major success, with other recruits in through the door this summer wanting to shine in a similar manner moving forward to try and help their new employers fend off relegation, away from following in the footsteps of the ex-Leeds United midfielder.

Related Ipswich flop who played 6 games on loan is now outscoring Liam Delap

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 21, 2024

Celtic return to action in the Champions League this evening as they prepare to travel to Bergamo to take on Atalanta away from home in their third league game.

The Hoops are looking to bounce back from their last away day in Europe after they were hammered 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund in Germany in their second outing.

Brendan Rodgers’ side had beaten Slovan in their opening game at Parkhead, with a convincing 5-1 scoreline in Glasgow, before they were humbled by the Bundesliga giants, who raced to a 5-1 lead by half-time.

The Scottish Premiership champions will be hoping to offer a better account of themselves when they come up against the Serie A outfit tonight, whilst also putting in a strong performance than they did at the weekend.

On Saturday, Celtic were held to a 2-2 draw at Parkhead by Aberdeen, to keep the two sides locked on points at the top of the table, after going 2-0 up ahead of half-time.

They let their lead slip and must avoid those defensive frailties to be on show against the likes of Mateo Retegui, Ademola Lookman, and Charles De Ketelaere.

Celtic's top performers against Aberdeen

There were plenty of impressive performers on the pitch for the Hoops against the Dons on Saturday, though, and they should keep their places in the starting line-up.

One player who must stay in the team is centre-forward Kyogo after his impressive contributions during the first-half of the game against Aberdeen.

Firstly, the Japan international made a fantastic run down the right channel and played the perfect pass across the box for Hatate to find the back of the net.

Then, Kyogo pounced on a loose ball in the box, after a shot was deflected into his path, to find the bottom corner to make it 2-0 to the Hoops.

The scorer of the opening goal, Hatate, is another player who was a top performer on Saturday and should start tonight. He produced a fine finish to find the far corner from the striker’s cutback to open the scoring.

Along with his strike, the central midfielder won five of his seven duels and created two chances for his teammates, which shows that he was combative and creative in the middle of the park.

Rodgers must, however, make a change at the other end of the pitch by bringing centre-back Maik Nawrocki in for a rare start, after the disaster in Europe last time out.

The player who should be dropped for Maik Nawrocki

Celtic have been playing with two left-footed centre-backs – in Auston Trusty and Liam Scales – in recent weeks and this means that either of them could drop out to allow Nawrocki to play on the right side.

It should be Trusty, however, who is dropped back down to the bench by Rodgers, as Scales had partnered Cameron Carter-Vickers with success at the start of the season, keeping five clean sheets in five league games.

Whereas, the summer signing from Sheffield United has only helped to keep one clean sheet in his four starts for the club since Carter-Vickers’ injury.

Trusty, who was handed a player rating of 6/10 by The Scotsman, was part of the leaky defence that let in two goals against Aberdeen on Saturday, the second of which deflected off him and in after he turned away from the ball in a weak attempt to block the shot.

In his four appearances for Celtic, the American has been part of a team that has shipped ten goals – including seven in the heavy defeat to Dortmund.

The Hoops have let in three goals in his three starts in the Premiership, after zero goals in Carter-Vickers’ five starts, which suggests that the team was far more defensively secure with the former Tottenham man at the back.

Trusty has yet to prove that he has what it takes to be a key part of Rodgers’ team, given the team’s struggles defensively since his introduction to the side, and that is why he should be ruthlessly ditched from the starting XI for the clash with Atalanta tonight.

Therefore, with Carter-Vickers still missing from injury, the manager should turn to his other available central defender and unleash Nawrocki in his place.

Why Maik Nawrocki must be unleashed

The Polish colossus, who was once hailed as “aggressive” by Rodgers, has yet to start a game in any competition this season, but can offer a natural option on the right side of the defence, instead of having a left-footed player – in Trusty – attempting to play out on his weaker side.

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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The giant, signed from Legia Warsaw in the summer of 2023, is comfortable on either foot but is predominantly right-footed, which means that he can open up and play passes into midfield or down the line on the right with ease, which could allow Celtic to bypass the Atalanta press more efficiently than they would with a left-footer in that role.

Last season, Nawrocki did not make a single appearance in the Champions League for the Hoops last season, which could give him added motivation to make his mark if he is selected this evening.

The central defender won 78% of his duels across four appearances in the Europa League for Legia Warsaw in the 2021/22 campaign, which was his last attempt at competing on the continent, and this shows that the potential is there for him to be a dominant figure at the back.

Nawrocki only made ten appearances in the Premiership during his debut season with the Scottish giants last term, but did show signs of promise in that time.

Appearances

10

Sofascore rating

6.97

Pass accuracy

88%

Clearances per game

3.2

Ground duel success rate

69%

Aerial duel success rate

50%

As you can see in the table above, the Polish ace was incredibly dominant in his duels on the deck, winning 69% of his ground battles against Premiership attackers.

Nawrocki, however, has yet to be tested in the Champions League or the Premiership this season and it could, therefore, be a risk to bring him in from the start.

Trusty’s disappointing form, and the seven goal concession against Dortmund, suggests that there is not much to lose from the Hoops giving him a chance, in the absence of Carter-Vickers, and that is why Rodgers must take the plunge and hand him an opportunity.

Celtic had a star who was "similar to Messi", then he left for nothing

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1 ByDan Emery Oct 22, 2024

Arsenal head into the latest international break third in the Premier League. It’s been a brilliant start to the season with the Gunners sitting unbeaten across all competitions.

They have risen to the challenge of Tottenham and Manchester City on the domestic scene. They have dispatched Bolton Wanderers with ease in the Carabao Cup and triumphed against a slightly bigger side in PSG last week in the Champions League.

Still, you feel as though there is more to come from Mikel Arteta’s team after the break with the Londoners having shipped three across matches with Leicester and Southampton while scoring 15 times in the Premier League, two shy of second-place Manchester City.

How they could do with a certain Martin Odegaard back in their squad to boost their goal tally.

The latest on Martin Odegaard's injury

During the first international break of the new season, Arsenal supporters were dealt the worst news; Odegaard was ruled out through injury.

The Norway captain was in action for his country against Austria when he was on the receiving end of a nasty challenge that subsequently saw him hobble from the field with an ankle problem.

Scans showed that he had sustained ‘significant’ ligament damage which has so far ruled him out for nearly a month. Well, it could be another four weeks before we see him back in the famous red and white.

That’s according to Ben Jacobs who was in conversation with GIVEMESPORT this week. He told the publication to expect the midfielder to be ruled out for the ‘best part of four weeks’ before he’s ready to get up to speed again.

That said, the doctors at the Emirates Stadium won’t take any risks with his ankle and it could be longer before he’s back in action.

Why Odegaard injury is bad news for Havertz and Saka

Bukayo Saka scored and registered two assists in the 3-1 win over Southampton a few days ago. Kai Havertz also found the net.

On that evidence, it doesn’t look as though they’re missing Odegaard. However, there is quite a hole left in Arsenal’s squad that has and will continue to impact the pair of them.

Indeed, as a result of the captain’s injury, it’s meant that Arteta has tweaked his system a little bit. Havertz now isn’t the sole operator in central forward areas and has been interchanging with either Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Jesus.

At times it’s been listed as more of a 4-4-2. Against City, for example, Trossard played slightly deeper behind Havertz. Yet, when the Saints came to town last Saturday, it was Havertz who was occupying the deeper role behind Jesus. That was until the Brazilian was substituted around the hour mark.

That has impacted Havertz somewhat as the supply line from midfield into attack hasn’t been so prominent. He failed to score against Tottenham and City but did find the net against Leicester and Southampton, matches you’d expect your centre-forward to score in anyway.

Saka has certainly made up for the lack of Odegaard, registering a staggering haul of 15 key passes across his last two league matches. As such, he now has seven assists in his opening seven games.

That said, you can tell he’s suffered a bit. After all, it is that right-sided combo between Odegaard and the England star that has led to so many goals throughout the last few years.

Throughout the Norwegian’s career, no player has benefited more from his service than Saka with a joint-goal participation rate of nine. For Arsenal’s academy product, only Gabriel Martinelli has benefited more from Saka with a joint-goal participation of 12.

Odegaard’s favourite teammates
Player	Joint-goal participation	Games together
Bukayo Saka	9	142
Gabriel Martinelli	6	118
Granit Xhaka	4	86
Kieran Tierney	4	64
Leandro Trossard	4	64
Alexander Isak	4	35
Erling Haaland	4	33
Stats via Transfermarkt.

For further context, as of May 2024, no two players had a higher combination of chances created in the Premier League than Arsenal’s precious duo. Odegaard supplied 22 chances for Saka and the wide man created 18 chances in return.

The club’s sparkling number 7 has taken his game to a new level so far this season but he won’t be at his very very best until Odegaard is out. Sadly, he will have to wait until November to team up with his partner in crime again.

Perfect for Havertz: Arsenal could unleash Saka in a totally different role

Mikel Arteta could make a tactical tweak after the international break…

By
Robbie Walls

Oct 9, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Coletivamente, o começo de 2023 para o Vitória passa longe de ser o ideal, tendo a equipe sido eliminada na Copa do Brasil para o Nova Iguaçu e ficando na primeira fase doCampeonato Baiano, ela também estáfora da zona de classificação na Copa do Nordeste.

Todavia, o latera Zeca, reforço que chegou no início do ano ao Nego, tem apresentado números importantes na tentativa de ajudar a equipe na busca pela reabilitação em diferentes competições.

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No Baianão, por exemplo, Zeca está entre os três mais efetivos da competição em assistências para finalização (10) além de ser o Top 5 em passes (92% de acerto), líder em desarmes (93,7%) e o quarto melhor lançador do campeonato, sendo o segundo melhor da equipe.

Ele ainda é o líder em assistências para finalização (17) e viradas de jogo (3) considerando somente os jogadores do Vitória. Os dados em questão foram levantados pelo portal especializado em estatísticas ‘Footstats’.

As estatísticas em questão, além de darem confiança a Zeca, podem ser extremamente úteis para o próximo desafio da equipe na temporada. Isso porque, no domingo (5), os comandados de Leo Condé visitam o Bahia, na Arena Fonte Nova, pela antepenúltima rodada da fase de grupos no Nordestão.

James Pattinson’s decision to retire from international cricket did not come as a huge surprise to his Victoria coach, and former Australia team-mate, Chris Rogers who had sensed the fast bowler was struggling for motivation during the longer winter months.Pattinson was expected to be in the frame for the Ashes but had been battling a knee injury during pre-season and made the call to bring an end to a Test career during which, when his body allowed, he often showed his destructive ability with 81 wickets at 26.33. At home, his numbers were even more impressive with 49 wickets from 11 matches at 21.87Related

• James Pattinson: A tale of pain and glory

• Pattinson retires from international cricket as Ashes hopes slip away

• Eye on the Ashes (hopefully): who could push their Test claims in the Shield?

His career has been hampered by numerous injuries but he recovered from major back surgery to make the 2019 Ashes then played twice during the following home summer against New Zealand. He was part of Australia’s Test squad last season until an accident at home left him with fractured ribs.”He’s been through so much in his career,” Rogers said. “He has played through pain a lot of the time and that wears you down. You get a little bit older and your motivation starts to change. He’ll be thinking about his family and life after cricket.”We’ve known [each other] for a little while. We’ve observed him closely over this pre-season. When you have a caged lion in the depths of winter in the indoor center trying to get motivated you can sense something is a little bit amiss. We probably felt there were a few question marks about what he would do and he’s made the decision.”Rogers played three Tests alongside Pattinson. “[He had] so much energy. Sometimes, he found it hard to control [the ball] but other times, when he did it was epic to watch,” he said.Pattinson will continue playing state and BBL cricket and also hinted he would look to return to county cricket next season. Victoria also have a crop of young pace bowlers with Pattinson keen to help mentor them.”Every time he plays for us we improve dramatically as a side. The way he lifts people around him is fantastic,” Rogers said of his impact for Victoria.Nick Cummins, the Cricket Victoria CEO, said: “Throughout his career, he has consistently challenged the very best batters in the world. James’ journey has included injury hurdles and setbacks, which he has shown the determination to fight his way back from. He always took great pride in representing his country and was the ultimate competitor every time he stepped on the field for Australia.”

Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer and the rest of the Wrexham squad looked on in awe as Channing Tatum taught them how to improve their goal celebrations.

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Hollywood actor charged into Wrexham dressing roomTaught Red Dragons stars how to celebrateParkinson, Mullin & Palmer all appear in advertFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

As part a promotion for SToK Cold Brew coffee, the Hollywood actor burst into the team's dressing room, and informs the squad: "Alright boys, your bosses are not happy with your celebration dances." The Magic Mike star recreates some of his dance moves from the iconic film and gets the Wrexham stars to join in.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The likes of star players Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer, Elliot Lee and Steven Fletcher all feature in the advert, while coach Phil Parkinson even makes an appearance towards the end.

In a hilarious end to the video, Tatum gets hit in the face by a Wrexham jersey and says: "No, no. I promised Ryan [Reynolds] and Rob [McElhenney] I'd keep it classy. Everyone put your clothes back on."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham's next game is against Bolton in the quarter-finals of the EFL Trophy on February 11. They then return to League One action with a game against Northampton on February 15.

Martin Odegaard has fired a warning to Arsenal's Premier League title rivals ahead of the final few months of the season.

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• Arsenal chasing Premier League title
• Odegaard hints rivals should be worried
• Says what he needs to improve on

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal sit second in the Premier League, six points behind leaders Liverpool – who also have a game in hand. However, Gunners captain Odegaard believes his team still have "another gear" and that he can improve his goal-scoring stats in what remains of this season.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT MARTIN ODEGAARD SAID

  He said, via : “For the team, we’re in a good position. But still I feel like we have another gear, another step that we can take and hopefully we can hit that top form now until the end of the season. It was the same last year. We really hit top form towards the end of the season. Hopefully we can do that again and finish with a good run.

  “It’s (goals) been something that I haven’t been good enough with this season. I feel like I’ve been in enough situations and created a lot for others but I haven’t been clinical enough with the finishing. So that’s something that I really want to step up towards the end of the season.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Indeed, Odegaard scored 15 goals in 2022-23 and 11 last season, but has managed just two this term. If Arsenal are finally to end their long drought for a league title, everyone, including the Norwegian, need to raise their game.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Arsenal host defending Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday in a game that could end their title hopes if they lose.

علق محمد عبد الجليل، نجم الأهلي السابق، على قرار الانسحاب من مباراة الزمالك في مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز الثلاثاء المقبل.

قال عبد الجليل عبر قناة “إي تي سي”: “قرار النادي الأهلي قوي، ولا نعرف تبعاته حتى الآن، ولكن تبعاته ستكون قوية جدًا، أنا أهلاوي، ولكنني لست مع هذا القرار، ومع ذلك، أنا في ظهر الأهلي ومجلس الإدارة مهما كانت العواقب، لكن من الصعب عليّ أن أرى الجماهير المتواجدة في الملعب، فقد اتخذوا موقفًا، ولكن لا يجب أن نحرمهم من مباراة مثل هذه”.

طالع.. متحدث الأهلي يحسم الجدل حول منع اللاعبين من الانضمام للمنتخبات الوطنية بسبب أزمة القمة

وتابع: “من غير اللائق أن يكون الأهلي ذاهبًا إلى الملعب ولا يريد خوض المباراة كنا ذاهبين ونحن متأكدون من الفوز بالمباراة، ومن ثم التتويج بالدوري بطولة الدوري، كانت في متناولنا ونحن نائمون”.

وأضاف: “بسيوني حكم جيد، ولكن الله سبحانه وتعالى فضل أن المباراة لا تُلعب، لأن بسيوني سيواجه ضغوطًا كبيرة في المباراة”.

واستطرد: “عدم لعب الأهلي لمباراة الزمالك يُعد خسارة فنية، وأعطت قبلة حياة للزمالك، الأهلي كان في فورمة عالية، موقف الزمالك منطقي، فهو حقهم، وكان فرصة لمجلس الإدارة بسبب وجود العديد من الأزمات”.

وأردف: “لو كان الزمالك يريد إصلاح كرة القدم بشكل صحيح، كان عليه أن يُظهر التضامن مع الأهلي، ويستقدم حكمًا أجنبيًا، خاصةً أنه انتقد التحكيم المصري”.

وأكمل: “حل الأزمة يكمن إما في إدارة النادي الأهلي أو رابطة الأندية أو اتحاد الكرة، ولا يوجد حل رابع”.

Hoping to make it five games without defeat in the Premier League, Sean Dyche has been boosted by the news that one Everton star is set to make his return from injury against Fulham.

Everton injury news

The Toffees initially looked destined for the foot of the Premier League table after making such a poor start to the campaign, but two wins and two draws in their last four games represents the progress they’ve made ever since. Victory over relegation rivals Ipswich Town last time out particularly showcased that progress and the level above the newly promoted sides that Everton should find themselves at.

Now looking to stretch that unbeaten run to five games, those at Goodison Park will once again have to take to the pitch without Armando Broja and Youssef Chermiti following Dyche’s recent update.

The Toffees’ boss told reporters via Everton News: “Broja is getting on the edge of coming into training, he’s doing loads of work with the sports science team but not yet. Soft start for him and we’ll see where that goes, but hopeful he can continue because he’s making good progress.

“Chermiti is making good progress but obviously it’s a very strange injury. The tendon coming off the big toe, very odd injury. But he is beginning to make progress but he’s still a number of weeks away.”

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However, Everton will be boosted by the return of Jarrad Branthwaite against Fulham after the defender missed the last two games against Ipswich and Newcastle United. The £35,000-a-week central defender has endured a stop-start campaign thus far but now finally has the chance to hit the ground running and pick up where he left off last season.

"Calm" Branthwaite is the key to Everton survival

Everton’s best player last time out, Branthwaite should once again prove to be vital in their battle to not only survive in the Premier League, but also push on and return to the top-half once and for all. The defender is returning at the perfect time too. Everton have weathered the early storm and now he can step in and take things up another level or two against Fulham.

Everton boss Dyche is one of many who are well aware of Branthwaite’s quality, having told reporters via the Daily Mail last year: “You can never define someone’s character, but even last season speaking to him on the phone a couple of times when I first got here, I could tell he was very level, he was enjoying the experience (on loan at PSV).

“He seemed to be quite an assured character, quite a calm character. I like that in all players, but particularly in centre halves. His adaptation has been clear to the pace and the detail of Premier League football. He continues to improve, and physically he is a good specimen.”