'The Bundesliga Tax'. It's a phrase that has become more prominent amongst supporters over the past decade or so, used to describe the growing trend of players who have lit up the German top-flight who have been sold to Premier League clubs for big money, only to fail to replicate that same form when arriving in England.

The debate over how well performances in the Bundesliga translate to the Premier League has reared its head again in the early weeks of this season following the struggles of Florian Wirtz and Xavi Simons at Liverpool and Tottenham, respectively. The pair combined for 40 league goals and assists last term, but have mustered just the solitary assist between them in 17 Premier League appearances thus far despite being sold for almost £170 million ($191m).

Former Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Wirtz has struggled to find a suitable role at Anfield, which has led to him being benched on numerous occasions by Arne Slot, while Simons suffered the ignominy of being substituted against Chelsea on Saturday despite having only entered the game off the bench himself earlier in the piece.

There remain question marks, too, over how Benjamin Sesko, Jamie Gittens and Jeremie Frimpong will fare in the Premier League following their summer arrivals from the Bundesliga, and while plenty of players do arrive into England from Germany and thrive – see Erling Haaland, for one shining example – the list of individuals who fail to live up to the hype is in danger of growing to the point that some fanbases will actively call out their clubs for fishing in such an unreliable pond.

GOAL, then, looks back at the most high-profile transfer flops to have arrived into the Premier League from the Bundesliga in recent years:

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Jadon Sancho

  Borussia Dortmund plucked a 17-year-old Jadon Sancho out of the Manchester City academy back in 2017 and instantly handed him a first-team role. Over the next four years, he became one of the most exciting wingers in Europe, registering 107 goal involvements in just 137 appearances, while also getting his hands on a DFB-Pokal winners' medal alongside fellow young stars Haaland and Jude Bellingham.

  In the summer of 2021, United made Sancho the second-most expensive English player ever when luring him away from Signal Iduna Park, and then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confidently predicted the winger would "bring tremendous pace, flair and creativity to the team". Unfortunately, though, Sancho never made good on those words.

  He has only scored 12 times for United to date, and has made more headlines for fallouts with managers than his exploits on the pitch. Sancho was exiled by both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, and after temporary spells with former club Dortmund and Chelsea, now finds himself on loan at Aston Villa with no guarantee of regular minutes. Despite possessing all the talent in the world, Sancho's attitude and lack of physicality have prevented him from making any meaningful impact in the Premier League, and he's seemingly been stricken by fear in a way he never was in Germany.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Christopher Nkunku

  Christopher Nkunku has all the qualities a forward needs to succeed on the elite stage: pace, intelligence, immaculate technique and ruthlessness. RB Leipzig saw all of that between 2019 and 2023, as the Frenchman blasted in 70 goals in all competitions to become their talisman, and when Chelsea snapped him up for £52m ($68m) in June 2023, it was seen as a major coup.

  But the step up in intensity from the Bundesliga to the Premier League proved too much for Nkunku. He was unable to build any sort of rhythm at Stamford Bridge due to a series of injuries, and after the emergence of Cole Palmer, he was restricted to a bit-part role. 

  Nkunku left for AC Milan in the summer of 2025 with a respectable goals tally of 18 from 62 appearances, but few Chelsea fans were sad to see the back of him. Despite flashes of brilliance, the former Leipzig frontman wasn't robust enough for the rigours of English football and too often stood on the fringes of games instead of grabbing them by the scruff of the neck.

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  Kai Havertz

  Kai Havertz was on the radar of almost every top club in Europe after a stunning rise to prominence at Leverkusen, where he recorded a combined total of 77 goals and assists after breaking out of their academy ranks. Chelsea eventually won the race for his signature at the end of the 2020 summer window, and some were even billing the Germany playmaker as the next Mesut Ozil despite it not being immediately clear how he would fit into the Blues' starting XI.

  Leverkusen put Havertz's versatility to good use in No.8 and No.10 roles, but he was deployed predominantly upfront for Chelsea, and looked like a fish out of water. Indeed, his first season at the club yielded just four Premier League goals, and was only salvaged by his winning strike in the 2021 Champions League final against Manchester City.

  Havertz continued to be a fixture in the Chelsea side over the next two seasons, but never properly silenced his doubters, and the Blues jumped at the chance to offload him when Arsenal came in with a £65m ($85m) bid in June 2023. It's been a similar story for Havertz at the Emirates Stadium, with consistency remaining largely elusive, and the 26-year-old's career has essentially been on hiatus in 2025 due to serious injuries.

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  Christian Pulisic

  Chelsea initially signed Christian Pulisic from Dortmund in January 2019, with ex-United States star Taylor Twellman describing the deal as a "watershed moment for the American soccer player". Borussia Dortmund were sad to lose a "characteristically flawless footballer", as their sporting director Michael Zorc put it, but Pulisic closed out his time at the club in disappointing fashion, losing his place to Sancho amid struggles for fitness.

  That led to claim Pulisic, then only 21 years of age, had "stagnated" and insist Chelsea were "mad" to spend so much money on him. Over the next four years, the German outlet was proven right. Although the USMNT star would pick up Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup winners' medals in west London, and deliver some memorable moments (including a hat-trick against Burnley and a brilliant solo goal against Manchester City), he was dogged by physical setbacks and hampered by Chelsea's chaotic transfer policy.

  Pulisic gradually fell down the pecking order as competition for places in attack increased and never recovered. Chelsea eventually accepted a £36m ($47m) loss on the Dortmund academy product when shipping him off to Milan, where Pulisic has since replenished his confidence stocks.

  "I felt pressure that I needed to do more when I did get on the pitch," he admitted to when looking back on his time at Stamford Bridge last December. Bad luck also played a part, but Pulisic buckled under that pressure, and it remains to be seen whether he gets another chance at the very highest level, with standards at Milan no longer as high as in Serie A's golden years.

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West Indies coach said the match officials admitted there were errors made during the first Test in Barbados

Andrew McGlashan02-Jul-2025West Indies coach Daren Sammy said that the match officials have admitted there were errors made during the first Test in Barbados, but insisted he holds no grudges against Adrian Holdstock, who will move from being the TV umpire to on-field in Grenada.Sammy was fined 15% of his match fee and handed a demerit point after he questioned the work of Holdstock, particularly decisions against Roston Chase and Shai Hope, adding he had held concerns from the recent England tour. Chase was also highly critical after the match but has escaped any ICC sanction.”I said I wouldn’t want my players to do that press conference because of the questions I think that would have been posted at them,” Sammy said. “I strongly believed in what I said.Related

Sammy fined for criticising third umpire Holdstock

Chase calls out 'so many questionable calls' in Barbados Test

“We’ve had further chats [with the officials]. They’ve clarified some stuff. There has been some admission of error as well. This was Barbados and we’re now in Grenada, so we’ve left that behind.”Asked whether he regretted his comments about Holdstock, Sammy said, “I don’t hold grudges. I said what I said, based on what I saw. I’ve been punished for it. I wish Adrian all the best, to be honest. I mean, we’re all human. I have nothing against the umpires. I really wish he has an awesome game.”Australia have not been drawn into any debate around the umpiring, although they have admitted they came out on the right side of it in Barbados. But Alex Carey had fears his diving catch to remove Hope would be given not out when he saw the replays on the big screen.Carey dived full-length to his left to take an inside edge off the bowling of Beau Webster from Hope, who was well-set on 48 in his first Test for three-and-a-half years. Carey was convinced he had taken the catch cleanly.West Indies were unhappy about Roston Chase’s lbw in Barbados•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty ImagesIt was eventually confirmed as out by Holdstock. Earlier in the game, he had ruled a low catch by Hope from Travis Head in Australia’s first innings as not out.”I thought it was out straightaway, yes,” Carey said. “I wasn’t confident it was going to stay out when I saw the replay, to be honest. It’s been a really difficult shift in the third umpiring in what’s out and what’s not out. Your opinion is different to my opinion.”I thought that was a pretty difficult game, to have five, six, seven 50-50 examples for the third umpire. He’s not going to please everyone up there, but I thought he did a really good job. We obviously know the other side and the other camp was a little bit disappointed with some of them. I understand that.”But I did think it was out. I never thought I fumbled the ball or had any reason to question the decision. It was a pleasing one to take. A good batter as well, who was scoring some runs.”Holdstock will stand with Richard Kettleborough in Grenada and then with Nitin Menon in Jamaica. Kettleborough will be standing in his 93rd Test, going past David Shepherd’s count of 92 as the most by an English umpire.

Somerset 379 (Banton 84, Abbas 3-59) and 238 for 4 drew with Nottinghamshire 509 (Haynes 157, Slater 124, Kishan 77, James 66, Leach 6-121)Somerset’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore defied Nottinghamshire with a match-saving final day century as the Rothesay County Championship Division One match at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton, ended in a draw.The visitors had realistic hopes of victory when reducing their opponents to 28 for three, still needing 102 to avoid an innings defeat. But Kohler-Cadmore hit an unbeaten 147, off 196 balls, with 11 fours and six sixes, sharing stands of 96 with James Rew and 114 with Tom Abell, to see Somerset to 238 for four by the time the players shook hands at 4.50pm.Left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White bowled 29 overs unchanged from the River End either side of lunch and finished with four for 104 from 33, but no other Notts bowler could make a significant impression with the Kookaburra ball on a pitch offering only occasional turn and no assistance for the seamers. Somerset took 11 points from the game and Notts 12.The home side set out at four for one, having lost nightwatchman Matt Henry to the only over bowled the previous evening. Soon it was 18 for two as Sean Dickson was rapped on the back pad by a ball from Patterson-White that turned and departed lbw for six.Worse was to follow for Somerset when Tom Lammonby, on seven, pulled a short ball from Patterson-White and picked out the only fielder on the leg side, Farhan Ahmed at deep square, who pouched a comfortable catch.Kohler-Cadmore went on the counter-attack, launching three big sixes back over the head of off-spinner Ahmed, each sending the ball further than the one before and the last pitching on top of the Marcus Trescothick stand.But the most impressive aspect of the former Yorkshire player’s innings was the respect he showed the other bowlers having spread the field, content to pick up ones and twos as he and Rew laid the first foundations for avoiding defeat.Left-hander Rew was equally intelligent in his shot selection, nullifying the effect of Patterson-White, who displayed the same control of line and length that his Somerset counterpart Jack Leach had shown on day three.By lunch the scoreboard read 112 for three and the Notts lead was down to 18 runs. Patterson-White had bowled throughout the morning, sending down 15 overs for 46 runs and two wickets. Somerset could feel some relief, but there was still work to be done, especially when Rew fell for 43 early in the afternoon session, top-edging a sweep off Patterson-White to Joe Clarke at short fine leg.The reassuring figure of Abell took his place and batted through the rest of the session with Kohler-Cadmore, who blasted his fourth six over wide long-on off Patterson-White and then clipped a four through the leg side off Ahmed to reach a fine hundred off 138 balls.It was Kohler-Cadmore’s third Championship century since joining the Cider county for the start of the 2023 season, two of them coming in the last two matches. Cloudless skies did not aid the Notts bowlers and by tea, with the Somerset total advanced to 197 for four, the draw looked inevitable.The final session saw Kohler-Cadmore strike another straight six, this time onto the roof of the Lord Ian Botham Stand off Patterson-White, before moving past his previous best Somerset score of 130, made against Northamptonshire at Taunton in 2023.By then the outcome was all but settled. Abell had contributed just 21 when his stand with Kohler-Cadmore reached the century mark, but it was a typically solid knock that extinguished any lingering notions of a Notts victory.When Notts wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan entered the attack to bowl what proved the last over of the game it was a tame end to an often compelling contest.

The all-format coach was full of praise for Pretorius and Brevis despite South Africa losing “a game of millimetres” in the final

Firdose Moonda26-Jul-2025

South Africa’s all-format coach Shukri Conrad will make “no excuses” for losing “a game of millimetres” to New Zealand in the tri-series final in Harare and is “thrilled” with the way his new-look team played.Though South Africa lost all three matches they played against New Zealand in the competition, they came close to claiming the trophy and pulling off their highest successful chase against them. That they did that with a squad that includes only two players – Reeza Hendricks and Gerald Coetzee – who were part of their last T20 World Cup squad suggests to Conrad that the depth in South African cricket is strong as he builds towards the next World Cup in February-March next year.”There’s so many good things that we can take forward from here,” Conrad said at the post-match press conference. “The result is disappointing but there were so many good things that happened there today that we can be really proud of and that I am really proud of. With such a young and inexperienced side, to put up the type of performance today, that is also pleasing to see. It’s no excuse for losing and we’re still bitterly disappointed. But there were some really good things.”Pretorius and Brevis repay the faithChief among them was the form shown by the two young batters Conrad has also included in next month’s white-ball squads for a tour to Australia: Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis. Pretorius, who scored 31 runs in his first three innings as a T20I opener, was moved down to No. 5 for South Africa’s last league game, where he made 1. He was brought back up to the top of the order for the final and set South Africa on their way with a 35-ball 51.Related

Risk-taking Henry comes out on top with death-overs wizardry

Henry the hero as NZ win last-ball thriller to clinch tri-series title

“Lhuan-dre is one of the bright prospects for South Africa. We saw what he has in him with the innings he played today,” Conrad said. “He had a lean period throughout this tournament, but he’s a classy young cricketer and exciting times lie ahead for him. Young players go through tough times and very often don’t know how to deal with it. But for him to come back in the final and play the way he did gave us a really good foundation.”Brevis had played international cricket before, in 2023, when he scored five runs from two T20Is. He has enjoyed a breakthrough last six months with strong performances in the SA20 and call-ups to both Test and T20I squads in Zimbabwe and the ODI squad to Australia. After establishing himself as a finisher for MI Cape Town earlier in the year, he came within two shots of winning South Africa the final and Conrad is keen to develop his ability to close out games.”Dewald is a special talent,” Conrad said. “He’s hugely disappointed that he didn’t take us home but on another day, he would have hit that out of Harare. He’s a special talent. He’s probably one of the sweetest strikers of a cricket ball in world cricket at the moment. You’re never out of a game when you’ve still got Dewald Brevis in the shed or he’s at the wicket, and he’ll be better for this experience this week. He got us close on a few occasions and it’s a case of when he gets us over the line rather than if he will. This is all part of a journey for Dewald and part of his development. There’s certainly no doubting his ability.”Bowling options at the deathThe other improvement Conrad pointed out was South Africa’s bowling in the last five overs. Though they conceded 45 runs in that period, they only gave away three boundaries and took two wickets. Nandre Burger bowled two of the four overs, conceded 18 runs, and took a wicket, while Kwena Maphaka bowled the last over and gave away 11 runs. “Today, an area that we paid particular attention to was our bowling at the death. It’s been a bugbear for us for a long time,” Conrad said. “I think we’ve made huge strides insofar as that is concerned. Guys are clearer with their plans. In the last five overs, New Zealand only hit three boundaries, which is brilliant for us.”Gerald Coetzee was making a comeback during the tri-series•Zimbabwe Cricket

In South Africa’s first match in this series against New Zealand, they conceded 63 in the last five overs, which demonstrates the improvement Conrad spoke of. In that match, Coetzee bowled two of the five overs and gave away 32 runs. Coetzee did not play the final and has not been included in the squads for the Australia series, with Conrad saying he has moved down the pecking order.Coetzee remains very much part of South Africa’s core group, which Conrad will work with over the next WTC cycle (which will start with a two-Test tour to Pakistan in October) and in the lead-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup and 2027 ODI World Cup. Despite losing his first white-ball series in charge, Conrad is optimistic about what South Africa’s players can offer.”The bulk of them would have laid down a marker at some stage during this tournament that they belong at this level and that they want to be a part of this team,” he said. “It’s always great when you can grow your strength or your depth in certain areas, and I think we’ve managed to do that. Ideally, we want to play our best team and our strongest team whenever we can. And that’s going to be the case going forward now. But our experienced guys needed a break. So it’s going to be great integrating some of these young guys.”And, as always, Conrad would not leave without a parting shot about South Africa’s ambitions, especially as he looks to the next global event. “If today is going to be a yardstick, then it comes to the T20 World Cup, whoever wants to win the tournament is going to have to beat us,” he said. “I’m very confident going forward. I think we’ve got the makings of a really great side in every format.”

While the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees, 4–2, in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday, it did not come without a cost as Shohei Ohtani was forced to exit after suffering a subluxation of his left shoulder sliding into second base at the end of the seventh inning.

But after the game manager Dave Roberts said the team was "encouraged" by what tests revealed about Ohtani's injury and that he still expected the slugger to be able to suit up in the World Series.

On Sunday, Roberts made that official and told ESPN's Karl Ravech that Ohtani was a go for Game 3 in New York on Monday night.

This is great news for the Dodgers, who are loaded with talent but would miss Ohtani's presence at the plate and on the basepaths. It's also great news for everybody watching. Ohtani is a singular talent and the baseball world should hope he's able to play every inning of his first-ever appearance in the World Series. It will be history, no matter what happens.

Game 3 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees will commence on Monday at 8:08 p.m ET.

علق حسني عبد ربه، لاعب منتخب مصر السابق، على الهزيمة أمام أوزبكستان، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما في الإمارات على هامش الاستعداد لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025.

والتقى منتخب مصر مع أوزبكستان، على ملعب “هزاع بن زايد” في بطولة العين الدولية الودية بالإمارات، ضمن استعدادات المنتخب لبطولة أمم إفريقيا المغرب 2025، وخسر بهدفين نظيفين.

طالع|فيديو | منتخب مصر يسقط أمام أوزبكستان بثنائية في بطولة العين الودية

وقال حسني عبد ربه، لقناة أون سبورت: “هذه المباريات دروس، تبني عليها من خلال السلبيات والايجابيات، هذا أسوأ اداء لمنتخب مصر مع حسام حسن خلال 17 مباراة، لا أعتقد المنتخب سيكون بهذه الحالة مرة أخرى”.

وتابع: “طريقة اللعب أثرت على أداء اللاعبين، مساحات غريبة في الشوط الاول، أتمنى من اللاعبين هذا الشوط يكون للنسيان”.

واختتم: “أوزبكستان تعطينا درسًا، توجد سلاسة في الخروج بالكرة، الناس كان تطلب أننا نواجه منتخب البرازيل اليوم كأننا نواجههم، اللاعبون كانوا غير موفقين بما فيهم محمد صلاح”.

Warwickshire bowlers made to toil as home batters cash in on good mood following Hove win

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jul-2025

Essex 350 for 4 (Westley 124*, Walter 86) vs Warwickshire Tom Westley’s rich vein of form in the Rothesay County Championship continued as he notched his third century in five innings to frustrate Warwickshire at Chelmsford.In addition to hitting his 32nd first-class hundred in an innings of sublime stroke-play, the Essex captain also passed 14,000 career runs in red-ball cricket. With Paul Walter, who hit 86 from 160 balls, Westley put on 132 for the second wicket and 81 for the third with Jordan Cox. At stumps, Westley was unbeaten on 124 from 234 balls with Essex 350 for 4.Walter, posting his fifth score above fifty this season, two of them centuries, launched two sixes and nine fours. It enabled Essex to build on the euphoria of only their second Championship win of the season last week at Hove, a win that lifted them out of the relegation places.The only redeeming feature for Warwickshire on a gloomy day that matched their deteriorating mood, was arguably the first career wicket for part-time legspinner Zen Malik. Brought on to eat up an over before the arrival of the second new-ball, Malik had Cox attempting to hit his fifth delivery out of the park, but instead the batter ended up on his backside with his stumps akimbo.Before the start of the play, Essex’s own bowling plans had twice been thrown into disarray in the space of 24 hours. They had already lost one member of their attack when Indian international pace bowler Khaleel Ahmed pulled out of a contract due to run to the end of the season, citing “personal reasons”. Then, less than quarter-of-an-hour before the start of the match, offspinner Simon Harmer, who had taken part in all the warm-up routines, withdrew also offering “personal reasons” for his absence.Those problems were shelved for the time being as Essex were put into bat on a hybrid pitch with plenty of grass left on to help encourage greater carry for the bowlers. In fact, it encouraged the batters and a flurry of straight-driven fours enabled the Essex openers to compile 68 runs without undue alarm in 19 overs.Dean Elgar, overcoming a torrid first over from Oliver Hannon-Dalby, brought up the fifty partnership with an uncharacteristic slash at Beau Webster that cleared the slip cordon. However, he departed soon after to his second rash shot of the innings, pulling the Australian low to midwicket.On one occasion Walter, so strong off the back foot, came down the wicket to waft Corey Rocchiccioli for six over extra cover and post Essex’s first hundred. He reached his half-century from 79 balls with a well-placed push into the off-side for two. Walter took a liking to the Australian offspinner with another six, this time over long-on.At the other end, some of Westley’s strokes were exquisite. He produced a classically-executed cover drive for four off Ethan Bamber and later essayed a textbook straight-drive off Webster. Another off-drive for four by Westley off Webster took the stand with Walter to three-figures, of which both batsmen contributed 49. Three balls later Westley reached a 107-ball fifty.Westley had just taken Essex past 200 with only one wicket down when, next ball, Walter’s four-hour innings came to an end. He got an outside edge to a delivery from Rocchiccioli, the ball ricocheting off wicketkeeper Kai Smith’s thigh and ballooning up for a diving Alex Davies to claim at slip.Bamber switched ends straight after tea and immediately extracted some rare bounce and lift that had Westley groping at thin air. Normal service was quickly resumed, though, and soon Westley was angling Ed Barnard to third man for the boundary that took him to his century from 185 balls.Bamber finally gained some reward late on when he had Matt Critchley swinging and bottom-edging through to the wicketkeeper.

Tottenham Hotspur created a triumphant atmosphere toward the end of their frenzied Premier League clash with Manchester United down N17. Two late goals had turned the clash on its head and the home side were moments away from three points.

But Red Devils defender Matthijs de Ligt headed home from a corner at the eleventh hour, and Thomas Frank’s side had to settle for a draw.

The deflation was felt across the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with this team of talented players still caught in a continuous state of ebb and flow. They may sit third in the Premier League after 11 matches, but improvements are needed both mentally and in attack.

The truth is that Tottenham weren’t up to scratch throughout the first half, and while they improved after the break, it didn’t prove to be enough as Ruben Amorim’s mini-revival continues.

Spurs' worst performers vs Man Utd

Tottenham’s draw to Manchester United was as dramatic as they come. However, it was a game that accentuated the flaws in Frank’s team, having struggled to create chances in the first half and finally up things around on home soil, with the Londoners having won only seven of 24 home matches since the start of last season.

Several stars weren’t at the races. Guglielmo Vicario should have been stronger in repelling De Ligt’s last-gasp effort, while Pedro Porro toiled from a defensive standpoint at right-back.

Randal Kolo Muani will feel aggrieved to have been withdrawn at half-time, but the French centre-forward drifted through the opening half and struggled to latch onto any balls and find space to strike on goal. Across 191 minutes of Premier League action this season, Kolo Muani has taken just one shot, and he is yet to score or assist.

Ahead of Spain international Porro was Brennan Johnson, who continues to be something of an enigma, endowed with such speed and an eye for goal, and yet drifting through matches all too often.

Johnson needs to do better, but he was arguably more energetic and active in his display than his counterpart on the other wing. For sure, Frank will be left frowning over his combination on the left, having witnessed a discordant performance.

Frank must never start Spurs duo together again

Credit must be handed to Richarlison for his striker’s instinct in flicking Wilson Odobert’s shot past Senne Lammens and into the back of the net, but he flattered to deceive for much of the contest and did little to suggest he is the talismanic force Tottenham need to sustain a place at the very top of English and European football.

Regarding Djed Spence: one analyst remarked that the placement of the 25-year-old on the left is “killing Tottenham on the flank”, with the side finding “zero balance in possession” when he is flipped onto his left side.

Had Mohammed Kudus been fit and darting about in front of him, it might have been less apparent against United, but Richarlison was not at the races, even though he scored late on.

The truth is that Richarlison’s fine flick masqueraded over another poor performance, lots of huff and puff, but not enough by the way of impact.

And, as we already know, the contest reaffirmed the truth of Spence, who is not a left-back and does not promote Tottenham’s full efficiency and fluency when placed there, especially behind a wide forward in Richarlison, who was described by writer Halal Wyler as being a “real-life cartoon villain”.

Once Destiny Udogie and Odobert, who impressed and then some in his cameo, had entered the field and dynamised the left-hand side, Spurs looked a cleaner, more polished outfit for it.

It is for this reason that the duo cannot be allowed to play down that channel together again. Richarlison is limited in technical scope, and Spence is left trying to connect in an unnatural role with an imperfect attacking partner. In harsher terms and as analyst Raj Chohan put it, it’s a pretty “garbage” duo when they play together.

The duo’s statistics from the clash underscore this. While the left-back produced some convincing defensive numbers, and Richarlison indeed bagged himself a goal, neither can be truly content with their performances.

Minutes played

90′

90′

Goals

0

1

Assists

0

0

Touches

68

38

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

3 (1)

Accurate passes

33/42 (79%)

17/22 (77%)

Possession lost

16x

9x

Chances created

0

0

Crosses

0/2

0/0

Dribbles

0/2

0/1

Recoveries

5

1

Tackles won

3/3

1/2

Clearances

3

2

Duels won

4/11

4/10

Writing about the respective performances after the match, football.london’s Alasdair Gold saw it fit to hand Spence a 6/10 match rating and a 7/10 score to Richarlison. However, this is somewhat generous, and there’s no question that Tottenham are a more fluent outfit with a different combination running down the left.

The left-sided pair, who earn a combined salary of £130k per week, will have brighter days ahead of them in a Spurs shirt, but as Frank continues to develop his understanding of this team, he will surely accept that this is a duo who cannot be fielded together again.

Richarlison may well be playing his final season with the Lilywhites, but Spence will no doubt have taken note of Porro’s “disaster” of a performance at right-back, as was said by Polish journalist Michael Okonski during the match, and set his sights on a return to his natural berth.

In any case, tactical changes are needed when Tottenham return to action after the imminent international break. Frank has the potential to succeed in north London, but he has to start getting the big calls right.

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After a run of six defeats in their last seven games, Liverpool are finally back to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa.

Arne Slot’s side managed to put in their best performance in some time to earn all three points at Anfield ahead of a big week.

Unai Emery’s men had their fair share of chances in the first half. Morgan Rogers came closest, rattling the woodwork. The Reds survived that scare and were pushing for a lead. Hugo Ekitike thought he had put them in front, but his header was ruled out for a clear offside.

It was Mohamed Salah who opened the scoring, bagging his 250th goal in that famous Red shirt. It was surely one of the easiest, too, with Emiliano Martinez gifting him the ball, trying to play out from the back. Salah simply fired into the empty Villa net.

The Reds doubled their lead 13 minutes into the second half. Ryan Gravenberch was able to receive the ball in space, with the Dutchman unleashing an effort from range. Two wicked deflections took it past Martinez and put Liverpool 2-0 up.

There were some standout performers, with Salah and Gravenberch looking at their very best.

How Salah and Gravenberch downed Aston Villa

It must be a relief for Liverpool fans to see Salah put in a performance like he did against the Villans on Saturday night. His 250th goal was a huge milestone, and it capped off his best showing in some time.

Salah was at his very best with the ball at his feet against Emery’s men. He gave Lucas Digne, the Villa left-back, a tough day. Liverpool’s number 11 completed four of his seven dribbles and created one chance, to go with his goal.

As for Gravenberch, he continued to show the excellent form he has been in under fellow Dutchman Slot. The Ajax academy star got on the score sheet with his deflected long-range effort, but also controlled the game at the base of the midfield.

His performance certainly seemed to stand out to Will Rooney, journalist for Liverpool World. He gave Gravenberch a post-match rating of 8/10 and praised him for how well he “displayed composure” in the middle of the park for the Reds.

As well as both Salah and Gravenberch played against Villa, there was another Liverpool player who stood out above the rest.

Liverpool's standout player versus Aston Villa

A performance like that in the Premier League has been a long time coming for Slot and his Liverpool side. Salah’s dominant effort will be pleasing, given how underwhelming he has been of late.

Well, the Egyptian star is not the only player who fits that mould. It was refreshing for Liverpool to have Alexis Mac Allister back to his best in the middle of the park. The 2022 World Cup winner teed up Gravenberch for his goal and showed class on the ball, and worked hard without it.

His numbers from the game show how well he played. Mac Allister was excellent in possession, having 64 touches and completing 48 out of 51 passes, creating three chances. Off the ball, the former Brighton star won five out of eight ground duels.

Well, it is fair to say that the Reds’ number 10 left a good impression on Rooney. He gave Mac Allister a 9/10 for his performance. After a tough start to the season, he said the midfielder “looked much more like his usual self” and “kept on showing his class” throughout.

It is certainly not outlandish to say Mac Allister was better than both Salah and Gravenberch against the Villans. Rooney was certainly of that opinion, given the fact that he gave the Argentine a higher rating than the pair of 8/10s he gave to the other two players.

Mac Allister’s contribution in the middle of the park was vital. He progressed the ball well and worked hard out of possession to help guide Liverpool over the line. There is a strong case to be made that he was the Reds’ standout player in a huge win to get them back on track.

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