Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens.
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Premier League clubs interested in EnglishmanGittens still only 20Could cost up to €100 million (£83m/$105m)Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Per Sky in Germany, there is interest from Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham in signing Gittens, but they face significant obstacles if they are to convince him to move. The 20-year-old winger has been in superb form this season, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in all competitions, and has a contract until 2028; Dortmund believe that he will eventually be worth €100m.
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While Gittens has no plans to make a move in January or the summer, the report makes it clear that he eventually wants to return to the Premier League. The England Under-21 international moved to Germany from Manchester City's youth academy in 2022, having failed to make a first-team breakthrough. Since his move, though, he has made 76 Dortmund appearances.
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Gittens' most eye-catching performance this season came against Real Madrid, as he scored in Dortmund's 5-2 defeat, becoming the youngest Englishman to score against Los Blancos in the competition. He also scored a brace in a 3-0 win over Club Brugge in the tournament, as well as a strike against Dinamo Zagreb.
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Gittens will next be in action when Dortmund face Bayern Munich this weekend. The club are currently fifth in the Bundesliga, 10 points behind Vincent Kompany's leaders.
Allen enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough season in New Zealand’s Super Smash
Matt Roller18-Mar-2021
Finn Allen will play for Lancashire in the T20 Blast•Getty Images
Lancashire have announced the signings of Finn Allen, the 21-year-old New Zealand batsman, and Jackson Bird, the experienced Australian seamer, as overseas players for the T20 Blast and County Championship respectively.Allen enjoyed a breakout season for Wellington in this year’s Super Smash, hitting a competition-leading 512 runs at 56.88 with a strike rate of 193.93. His feats earned him an IPL contract at Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement for Josh Philippe, and he will travel straight to the UK from India for the start of the T20 Blast.Allen is yet to make his international debut – though was named as a standby player during the series against Australia last month – and has played only 13 professional T20 games. As a result, he would have fallen short of the ECB’s requirements for a visa, but he is able to appear as an overseas player thanks to a British passport, which he has previously used to play for MCC Young Cricketers and for Brondesbury in the Middlesex League.”I’m really excited to get over to England,” Allen said. “It will be my first spell in county cricket and a great opportunity test myself in one of the world’s best T20 tournaments. To win the Super Smash, and finish as leading run scorer in my breakthrough T20 tournament, has provided me with a platform and I am now looking forward to continuing to learn and improve as a cricketer.”Lancashire is a huge Club with a proud history and I absolutely can’t wait to play at Emirates Old Trafford throughout the Vitality Blast competition. They’ve got a very talented, young and exciting squad so I’m really looking forward to joining up with the group later this year to hopefully challenge for the title.”Bird, the Australian fast bowler, is due to arrive in the UK in time to play Lancashire’s third Championship fixture of the season against Kent following the end of his Sheffield Shield commitments with Tasmania, and will be available for six matches.Related
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With Richard Gleeson still recovering from the back injury that limited him to a single first-class appearance last summer and James Anderson’s workload likely to be managed carefully by England, Bird will add fast-bowling depth to Lancashire’s squad. He will fill their second overseas slot for the first group stage of the Championship, alongside club captain Dane Vilas.Lancashire will be Bird’s third county, following previous spells with Hampshire and Nottinghamshire. He has played nine Tests for Australia, taking 34 wickets at 30.64, but has not made an international appearance since 2017.”I’ve felt in good form during this year’s Sheffield Shield and hope I can continue this into the English summer and help the club in the LV= County Championship,” Bird said.”I feel as though I have unfinished business in English county cricket, and I am looking forward to showing my best to my new teammates and the Members and supporters at Emirates Old Trafford.”Paul Allott, the club’s director of cricket, said: “Jackson’s skills bowling with the new ball and his vast experience will complement our current pace attack nicely.”Following Graham Onions’ retirement at the end of last season, it was important that we were able to add depth to our quick bowling ranks and help to replace his on-field leadership of the attack. Richard Gleeson will be unavailable due to a back injury for the first part of the season, so Jackson will give us another option for those six four-day fixtures.”Jackson’s accuracy and ability to swing the ball means that he is an incredibly useful asset to have in English bowling conditions and I am looking forward to seeing him in action for Lancashire this summer.”
After a plodding start, Arsenal's transfer window is finally heating up.
The Premier League runners-up have already welcomed in goalkeepers Lucas Nygaard and Tommy Setford, but now they appear to be on the verge of finally completing the deal to sign Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori as well.
Moreover, the links touting Mikel Merino for a move to the Emirates this summer haven't gone away.
However, based on recent reports, the Gunners are moving quickly to secure the signature of a star who could be the perfect alternative instead.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from Duncan Castles on Football Transfers' Transfers Podcast, Arsenal are interested in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz.
In fact, Castles revealed that the Gunners have been in "discussions" with the Parisians over the £147k-per-week Spaniard, but any move would depend on the North Londoners moving a midfielder first, which appears to be happening with Emile Smith Rowe.
A potential fee is not mentioned, but Castles does claim that any move would likely be structured similarly to the David Raya deal, meaning an initial loan with an obligation to buy next year.
If Arsenal can secure Ruiz's services on an initial loan in the coming weeks, that would be incredible business, although it could mean that Merino doesn't join.
How Ruiz compares to Merino
So, while both players can play in a couple of midfield roles, they are both primarily central midfielders who are likely viewed as the perfect options for Arsenal's left-eight position, but which would be the better choice? Well, when it comes to output, it's a close fight.
Ruiz vs Merino
Player
Ruiz
Merino
Appearances
35
45
Minutes
2240'
3601'
Goals
3
8
Assists
7
5
Goal Involvements per Match
0.28
0.28
Minutes per Goal Involvements
224'
277'
All Stats via Transfermarkt
For example, the Sociedad ace scored eight goals and provided five assists but did so in 45 appearances, while the "incredible" PSG man, as dubbed by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, scored three goals and provided seven assists in 35 appearances.
That means that while the former produced more goal involvements, his average of one every 3.46 games was practically indistinguishable from the latter's average of one every 3.5 games.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz.
However, when you really get into the nitty-gritty of it all and look at their minutes per goal involvement, it's the former Napoli "artist," as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who comes out ahead. He averaged one every 224 minutes to his competitor's average of one every 277 minutes.
How about what's going on under the hood then? Is it just as closely fought there? No, no, it is not
When it comes to their underlying numbers, Ruiz is the clear winner, coming out in the majority of metrics, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, passes into the penalty area, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions, tackles won, interceptions, and successful take-ons, all per 90.
In his defence, the former Newcastle United ace comes out ahead in a few metrics, such as ball recoveries, aerial duels won, progressive passes, and blocks, but that's about it.
Ruiz vs Merino
Stats per 90
Ruiz
Merino
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.24
0.19
Progressive Passes
5.86
5.91
Progressive Carries
1.20
0.94
Shots
1.43
1.09
Shots on Target
0.45
0.40
Passing Accuracy
89.2%
76.2%
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.28
0.98
Key Passes
1.35
0.72
Shot-Creating Actions
3.01
2.36
Goal-Creating Actions
0.45
0.29
Tackles Won
1.73
1.56
Blocks
0.60
1.30
Interceptions
0.83
0.58
Successful Take-Ons
1.20
0.87
Ball Recoveries
6.24
7.14
Aerial Duels Won
0.30
5.94
All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season
Ultimately, if Arsenal have to choose between signing Merino or Ruiz in the coming weeks, it makes far more sense to sign the latter. His raw output is practically the same, and his underlying numbers are far superior.
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For most players, a meteoric comeback to the national side four years after a player’s last involvement would be cause for unbridled joy and celebration. But in the case of Sharjeel Khan, things aren’t quite as simple. This was a player who seemed to fill a niche nakedly absent in Pakistan’s T20I set-up about half a decade ago – that of a power-hitter up top – and seemed earmarked for a lucrative career in the T20 game. All of a sudden, then, things imploded, and any hopes of involvement at the highest level seemed remote.The factors counting against Sharjeel’s inclusion have been numerous, at times overwhelmingly so. He was among a slew of players found guilty of spot fixing in the PSL in 2017, and alongside Khaled Latif, handed the longest sanction: a five-year ban (half of it suspended in the left-hand batsman’s case). Upon expiry of the ban, he returned to fierce criticism from PCB CEO Wasim Khan, not normally known for singling out players, lambasting him for turning up to the PSL unfit. Now that he has finally been selected after he was the top-scorer in the truncated PSL, chief selector Mohammad Wasim’s decision to include him – purportedly in contravention to the wishes of several senior members of the PCB’s management – continues to cause rumblings of discontent.Facing the media for the first time since he was chosen for the T20I squad that will play a handful of games in South Africa and Zimbabwe, the opener was forced to spend much of it defending himself against insinuations that he was still unfit for international cricket. On more than one occasion, he pointed to the amount of cricket he had played in the last six months, insisting it vindicated him.Related
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“Fitness is not an issue for me,” he told an online media conference. “I have played the full domestic season, and missed no match in seven months because of fitness. Every player has a different kind of fitness, and the plan I have been given I am following to the hilt. I am very happy to come back into the Pakistan side. I worked very hard, played a full domestic season, the whole PSL. It made for 60 playing days during which I played with full focus. The camp is going well, the environment is great and I just want to continue the hard work.”While former head coach Mickey Arthur had taken an inflexible, uncompromising hard line of fitness using a one-size fits all approach, there have been suggestions the current heads at the PCB are more malleable in their viewpoint. Mohammad Wasim spoke last week about different attributes required of different kinds of players, and while Sharjeel claims he accepted he needed to continue working on his fitness, he appeared to suggest his skills with bat in hand were ultimately what counted.”Being a professional cricketer, I am focusing not just on fitness but also on my batting,” he said. “Fitness is not everything, though of course it is very important, but I am working on my skills to a great extent, too. I am thrilled with my comeback, though I am aware the tour will be challenging. There are the one-dayers first, so that will give me time to suss out the conditions. I want not just to give good individual performances, but those that help the side out.”Fitness is required of everyone. The fitness session I conducted yesterday was an individual session. I had been given a plan by our trainer Yasir Malik. I’m trying to improve my fitness as soon as possible. I had a training session over the day that required a 15-kilometre drill – not in one go, but over the day. I was happy with how it went, and I am continuing to improve. Nobody has set me an ultimatum to reduce weight. Nobody has set me a task, I am just trying to reach a certain standard consistent with that of my peers.”Uncomfortable questions about the past still surfaced, though Sharjeel claimed he was never once made to feel unwelcome with the national side, despite the damaging cause behind his lengthy exclusion. “These are the same group of players who have been playing each other in domestic cricket. The environment is great and I feel really good, and I feel very comfortable with the players. Nobody has come up to me and told me I should not be selected. My focus is completely on performance.”In different circumstances, Sharjeel’s inclusion might have been one of the feel-good stories of the tour. While that is very much not the case for now, Pakistan’s cricket history indicates just about everything can be forgiven as long as the performances continue to flow. In that sense, for a man who had everything taken out of his hands four years ago, Sharjeel may yet be in control of his own destiny.
It's been a mixed preseason for Manchester United thus far, with a 1-0 loss to Rosenborg followed up by a 2-0 win over Rangers, but one thing the club have seemingly got right this summer is their transfer business.
The Sir Jim Ratcliffe revolution looks to be thoroughly underway as the exciting additions of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro have already indicated the progressive direction the Red Devils are heading in, and it looks like more exciting names are set to come through the doors of Old Trafford in the coming weeks.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
One of the names heavily touted for a move to United would be the ideal player to replace Sofyan Amrabat and has even won comparisons to a player the Red Devils were heavily linked with last summer: Frenkie de Jong.
Manchester United transfer news
According to a recent update from Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, United are keen to bring Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte to Manchester this summer and have already made "several verbal offers."
However, while Plettenberg claims the player himself wants to make the move, he also reveals that the Red Devils' offers have been "too low."
According to the German journalist, the Parisians are "demanding" at least €70m – £59m – for the Uruguayan's signature, and negotiations are ongoing.
It would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, but Ugarte would undoubtedly be an upgrade on Amrabat and, therefore, worth it – the comparison to De Jong is just a bonus.
How Ugarte compares to De Jong and Amrabat
So, before we examine how Ugarte stacks up against Amrabat, let's look at this comparison with De Jong and where it comes from.
It stems from FBref, which compared players in similar positions in last season's Champions League, created a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and concluded that the Barcelona ace was the fourth most similar midfielder to the PSG ace in the competition.
They didn't reach this conclusion purely off the eye test, though. Instead, it was based on how closely the pair ranked in several key underlying numbers, such as progressive carries, passing accuracy, live passes, tackles won, blocks and clearances, all per 90.
Progressive Carries
0.93
0.91
Passing Accuracy
90.9%
90.7%
Live Passes
57.9
58.9
Tackles Won
0.70
0.68
Blocks
0.47
0.45
Clearances
1.16
1.14
So, with his similarities to the talented Dutchman cleared up, how well does the Uruguayan "monster," as Statman Dave dubbed him, compare to the player he could either replace or compete with next season – depending on what happens in the market – Amrabat?
Well, when we look at their underlying numbers from 2023/24, it becomes quickly apparent that the former Sporting CP ace is the far superior midfielder.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.07
0.04
Progressive Passes
4.05
6.35
Progressive Carries
0.74
0.58
Shots
0.47
0.29
Passing Accuracy
91.2%
87.0%
Key Passes
0.65
0.58
Tackles Won
2.65
1.54
Interceptions
1.86
0.77
Clearances
1.16
1.83
Errors Leading to a Shot
0.09
0.19
Successful Take-Ons
0.98
0.58
Ball Recoveries
8.42
5.77
Aerial Duels Won
0.65
0.48
For example, while he comes out second best for clearances and progressive passes, he comes out way ahead in almost every other metric, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots, passing accuracy and key passes, tackles won, and interceptions, ball recoveries, aerial duels won, and he even makes fewer errors that lead to a shot, all per 90.
Ultimately, while Amrabat isn't necessarily a poor player, he is significantly worse than Ugarte. If Erik ten Hag wants to have a more complete and competent midfield next season, then he should prioritise signing the PSG ace, even if that means matching the French side's valuation.
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Manchester United are set to pull off an exceptional double deal to strengthen Erik ten Hag's ranks ahead of the new Premier League season, it has been reported, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe ready to back his manager with more additions.
Manchester United's transfer window so far
After early promise, Manchester United's first transfer window under INEOS ownership looked like it was threatening to stall. The Red Devils signed Joshua Zirkzee in a £34m deal from Bologna, before moving for young defensive sensation Leny Yoro, who arrived for £52m despite interest from Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Joshua Zirkzee for the Netherlands
However, departures have been holding up further investment, with only Mason Greenwood, Alvaro, and Willy Kambwala having left for fees over £1m this summer despite reports suggesting that the entire squad was up for sale. They are still hoping for more exits, with Victor Lindelöf, Casemiro and Scott McTominay among those that the club are seeking buyers for.
Manchester United exits (summer 2024)
Player
Fee
Mason Greenwood
£22m
Willy Kambwala
£8m
Alvaro
£4m
Donny van de Beek
£800k
Raphael Varane
Free
Anthony Martial
Free
Omari Forson
Free
Any midfielder that departs may allow the Red Devils to finally bring in a fresh face in their engine room, with Manuel Ugarte a player that they have held protracted talks with PSG over the signing of, only to balk at the price tag despite having agreed personal terms with the 23-year-old Uruguayan.
But for now it is the defence that needs the most work, with Manchester United's Community Shield squad demonstrating the issues at the back. Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof and Yoro were all absent from the matchday squad at Wembley, leaving Harry Maguire to partner veteran defender Jonny Evans and Lisandro Martinez starting at left-back. Now, United have moved to reinforce their backline.
Triple move in progress for Manchester United
That comes as the reliable David Ornstein has revealed that three transfers to bolster the Manchester United backline are close to completion. The Red Devils have agreed a deal to sign Bayern Munich pair Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui after weeks of speculation, with both players set to pen five year deals at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag's side have agreed to pay €45m (£38.6m), plus a further €5m (£4.1m) in potential add-ons for De Ligt, who will add further depth at centre back and likely speed up any potential exit for Lindelof. His five-year deal includes an option to extend it by a further 12 months should the club wish to.
Meanwhile, Mazraoui will join in a separate deal worth up to 20m euros (£17m), of which £13m will be paid up front. His arrival will, like De Ligt's, be on a five-year deal with the option for another year, though his move hinges on the departure of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
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Fortunately, that is now a formality, with Fabrizio Romano having confirmed that the defender is set to join West Ham, with the right back undergoing his medical on Sunday.
It is unclear how much the pair will take home at Old Trafford, though it is likely to be less than the mammoth £390,000 a week Bayern paid the duo during their time at the Allianz Arena.
Ten Hag has worked with both incoming defenders at Ajax previously and knows them well, which should help him introduce a more sustainable style of football at Old Trafford after clinging on to his job last season.
A fresh update has emerged regarding Liverpool's potential pursuit of a midfielder in the summer transfer window, with their plans becoming clearer.
Liverpool's frustrating midfield situation
The Reds are the only team in the Premier League not to make a single signing so far this summer, which has understandably caused a huge amount of annoyance among the fanbase. Jurgen Klopp may have left Arne Slot with a formidable squad, but new faces could be seen as essential, in terms of bringing a freshness to proceedings, not to mention adding further elite-level quality.
Midfield is perhaps the most important area of the pitch to address this summer, most notably in the No.6 role, with Liverpool never fully replacing Fabinho since his exit to Saudi Arabia. Wataru Endo has come in and been solid but doesn't represent the answer, while a move for Martin Zubimendi frustratingly fell through.
Martin Zubimendi
The Real Sociedad ace has decided to stay put at his current club, having weighed up various factors, meaning the Reds still arguably lack balance in the middle of the park.
Many supporters are desperate to see a No.6 arrive between now and the end of the transfer window, with some of the opinion that failure to sign one could put paid to their chances of winning the Premier League title this season, and now a new update has dropped regarding the situation.
New Liverpool transfer update emerges on midfielder
According to a new report from Football Insider, Liverpool are now likely to wait until the January transfer window to add to their midfield.
Reporter Pete O'Rourke claims that the Reds are "unlikely to land a top number six before 31 August and will not rush into a deal", with Richard Hughes and the recruitment team aiming to "avoid the mistakes of the past" and make an "Arthur Melo-style panic deal as the club did in 2022."
This is certainly an update that may not go down well with a chunk of Liverpool supporters, especially considering the complete lack of transfer business that has been done this summer.
To not sign a single player so far is worrying from FSG, especially when the funds are seemingly there to bring in new faces. The Reds even received around £10m for the recent signing of Dominic Solanke to Tottenham, due to a sell-on clause that existed in his contract when he moved from Anfield to Bournemouth.
Granted, panic buying is never a good thing, so it is only right that the likes of Hughes and Michael Edwards weigh up their No.6 options carefully, but it can't be that Zubimendi is the only option in that role, so hopefully someone else will emerge as an exciting target in the next few weeks.
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This latest update suggests that that is unlikely, however, meaning Slot may have to make do with what he has, continuing to use the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in deeper roles.
Celtic have been handed a boost as one of their transfer targets is keen on a move to Glasgow this summer, it has been reported.
Business slow for Celtic
It has not been quite the summer many Celtic fans hoped for following their Scottish Premiership and Cup double last season, with Brendan Rodgers' side looking largely the same as it did at the end of last season.
They have confirmed the arrival Kasper Schmeichel on a one-year-deal to replace the retired Joe Hart, while Finnish shot-stopper Viljami Sinisalo has also arrived from Aston Villa.
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2
By
Ben Browning
Jul 29, 2024
But despite very little action in the window so far, Rodgers was staunch in his belief that the club will kick into gear between now and the end of the transfer window when quizzed on the slow-going summer.
"We know the targets we want to bring in. There's still a long way to go in the window. We know what we want to do and the priority positions we want to improve.
"Whilst the club are getting on with that myself and the coaches are focused on the improvement of the team physically, tactically and technically. By the end of August I would expect us to have the players that we want in.
“I’ll make it clear to the Celtic supporters we want to improve, get better. We don’t want to stand still this season, we know we want to improve the squad and by the end of the window shutting I’d expect us to be that."
Now, they have been handed a boost in pursuit of one of their defensive targets, though a deal may still take some time.
Good news for Celtic in Bueno chase
That comes over Wolves defender Hugo Bueno, who is now "eager" to move to Parkhead on loan. According to Give Me Sport, the defender has "serious doubts" over game time at Molineux, having made just seven Premier League starts across the 2023-24 campaign.
Hugo Bueno's Wolves career to date (Premier League)
Appearances
42
Starts
23
Goals/Assists
1
Yellow Cards
2
Total minutes
2041
As a result, a loan move is "appealing" for the 21-year-old fullback. In even more positive news, Wolves are "becoming more open-minded" to letting him leave for the upcoming campaign, despite having already rejected an offer for Norwich for his services this summer.
A temporary exit would be unlikely to cause too many issues, with Bueno still having four years left to run on his £10,000-a-week deal at Molineux, meaning that Wolves will remain in a strong position over his future even 12 months on.
The defender was hailed as a hard worker by Wolves U23 boss James Collins, something that Celtic fans are sure to appreciate should he move north of the border.
“You talk about hard work, and that boy works harder than anyone I know. After we finish training he grabs a bag of balls and he’s doing little stepovers and jinks.
“Some people think that’s luck or talent, but that’s not talent. That’s him working extremely hard at his craft to become more threatening in the attacking third", Collins explained.
Bueno's arrival could see Celtic look to emulate the success story of Paulo Bernardo. Like Bueno, he was a 21-year-old starved of first team football (he played just 750 minutes of Portuguese top flight football in 2022-23) with others ahead of him in the pecking order.
12 months on, he is set to rejoin Celtic on a permanent deal after a successful loan, something that the Bhoys will almost certainly be keen to emulate with Bueno should he succeed at Parkhead.
Mohamed Salah is not writing off Manchester City's Premier League title chances despite Liverpool going eight points clear of Pep Guardiola's men.
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Liverpool beat Southampton 3-2
Salah's brace takes Reds clear at top
Not writing off title rivals Man City
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The 32-year-old scored twice in Liverpool's 3-2 comeback win at Southampton on Sunday, a result that opened up an eight-point lead over second-placed City in the Premier League. Even though Guardiola's team have lost five games in a row in all competitions, Salah suggested the Reds cannot get carried away.
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WHAT MOHAMED SALAH SAID
He told Sky Sports: "They [Salah's goals] were very important, especially after being down 2-1. It's the most important thing to have won the game. Each game is different. They [Southampton] had a game plan and played very well. We managed to come back and win the game. I think we have a good game plan, we played our game and I was confident we would create chances. It's great. Hopefully, we keep going in that direction. We have a game against them [Manchester City] so hopefully, we win it and go 11 points clear. Man City is Man City. They have a bad time now but they have great players."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Liverpool can land a potentially decisive blow in the title race next weekend when they host an out-of-sorts City at Anfield. If they win that, they will go 11 points clear of the defending Premier League champions. But with City winning four league titles in a row, they cannot be underestimated with 26 games of the season remaining.
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WHAT NEXT?
Before that heavyweight Premier League clash between table-topping Liverpool and City, Arne Slot's team have the huge task of facing defending Champions League kings Real Madrid at home on Wednesday. City host Feyenoord in the same competition a day prior.
M Prasidh Krishna is the brand new face in the Indian ODI squad, which was named on Friday morning for the upcoming three-match series against England. The 18-member squad also includes Suryakumar Yadav, who made a rousing start to his international career with a match-winning half-century in the fourth T20I against England on Thursday, which helped India pull level with one game to go. The ODIs will be played in Pune on March 23, 26 and 28.The last time India played ODIs, in Australia late last year, the squad had Mayank Agarwal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Manish Pandey, Navdeep Saini and Sanju Samson, all of whom are missing from the line-up this time. Rohit Sharma, who was back in India before linking up with the squad during the Test series in Australia, is back in the frame now, as the designated vice-captain, while Rishabh Pant, Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Siraj have also been drafted in.Krishna, the 25-year-old quick from Karnataka, has had limited exposure in days’ cricket – just nine first-class games since his debut in 2015 – but has been a prominent name in limited-overs formats for a while, having played 48 List A games (81 wickets at an average of 23.07) and 40 T20s (33 wickets at 35.84 and an economy rate of 8.49). A part of the Kolkata Knight Riders set-up since 2018, Krishna has played 24 games for the franchise in the IPL, returning 18 wickets with an economy rate of 9.33.India ODI squad for England series•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
There was talk of Krishna being in the national frame, especially for the shortest format, before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the world, when Virat Kohli had said that the young bowler “could possibly be an X-factor” for India in the run-up to the T20 World Cup, which ended up being postponed. It is scheduled to be played later this year, in October-November, in India.Of the players missing, Bumrah was granted leave for the last Test against England and the entire white-ball leg of the series because of his marriage, while Shami has been out of action since fracturing his wrist while batting in the first Test in Australia last December. Pandey, too, has been nursing a tennis-elbow condition, which forced him to miss the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, though he has since played two games for Karnataka in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy.Overall, the expanded squad includes eight frontline batting options, including designated wicketkeepers Pant and KL Rahul, allrounders Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Washinton Sundar, fast bowlers T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Krishna, and spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.