Everton have made a terrific start to the campaign and could now look to bring a talented La Masia graduate to Merseyside after his recent run of impressive performances.

Everton renew Jordan Pickford terms

Most people on the blue half of Merseyside wouldn’t disagree with the statement that Jordan Pickford has been Everton’s most influential player over the last few years, and he is now set to sign a new long-term contract that will likely see him end his career at the club.

Delivering details of his extension, Sky Sports reporter Phil Dorsett wrote on X: “Jordan Pickford will sign an improved four-year contract with EFC when he returns from #england duty. Brilliant servant for club and country. He surpassed Gordon Banks’ record of eight consecutive clean sheets for England in the 3-0 win over Wales.”

Currently Everton’s highest paid permanent player with a weekly wage of £125,000 per week, Pickford will be likely to earn a major increase on that salary and nobody can argue that it hasn’t been deserved.

Putting that to one side, the Toffees face a difficult challenge against an in-form Manchester City side this weekend at the Etihad Stdium, albeit David Moyes will fancy their chances of claiming something against Pep Guardiola’s men.

Ultimately, there is a steely resilience surrounding Everton that has been mixed with a unique blend of attacking talent, with Jack Grealish leading the charge on a weekly basis alongside the likes of Iliman Ndiaye.

Moyes can make Ndiaye unplayable by unleashing Everton ace in new position

Everton could make Iliman Ndiaye unplayable by unleashing this star in a new role.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 13, 2025

Nevertheless, you can never have too many good technicians within your ranks, and supporters of the Blues will be delighted to hear about their latest interest in a proven international.

Everton want to sign Ansu Fati

According to reports in Spain, Everton are keen on signing Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati, who is currently enjoying an encouraging start to his spell at AS Monaco.

Six goals in his first five games for the club, equating to an effort converted every 32 minutes, has brought about further interest in his services from the likes of Crystal Palace and Newcastle United.

Five similar players to Ansu Fati (FBRef)
Luis Diaz	Bayern Munich
Leroy Sane	Galatasaray
Oihan Sancet	Athletic Club
Jamal Musiala	Bayern Munich
Fermin Lopez	Barcelona

Intriguingly, Monaco have a chance to sign him permanently for just £9.5 million. Meanwhile, Barcelona can exercise a buyback clause for just over £24 million.

Keen to get ahead of the curve, Everton may be banking on the Ligue 1 outfit looking to trigger a quick sale for a profit amid his availability to Monaco for a low fee.

The player will likely have the deciding say on his future, and interest from Premier League clubs is something that could be weighed up as an alternative to a permanent move to his loan club or returning to Barcelona upon the conclusion of his spell at Stade Louis II.

Подписчикам Prime Gaming стала доступна февральская подборка халявы. До конца месяца можно забрать 5 игр: одну для GOG и 4 для Amazon Games App:

• Stellaris (GOG) — глобальная 4X-стратегия в реальном времени;
• Ashwalkers: A Survival Journey (Amazon Games App)— постапокалиптическое приключение про выживание в суровом мире без правил;
• As Far As The Eye (Amazon Games App)— экономическая стратегия;
• Double Kick Heroes (Amazon Games App) — музыкальный ритм-шутер;
• Golazo! Soccer League (Amazon Games App) — аркадный футбол.

Чтобы получить все эти игры бесплатно, нужно оформить пробную подписку на Prime Gaming, зарегистрировавшись на Amazon. Для этого придётся привязать свою банковскую карту — потом её можно будет отвязать.

Напомним, что до 2 февраля в Prime Gaming можно забрать Origin-версию Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, а до 7 февраля — EGS-версию World War Z: Aftermath.

Следить за халявой и скидками на игры можно в нашем Telegram-канале.

❗️В Steam ввели минимальный порог цен для всех предметов

0

Поделиться:

PC Новости StellarisНовости Double Kick HeroesНовости Star Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderНовостиИгровые новостихаляваAmazonGOG

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet esporte： O Cruzeiro voltou a passar por problemas no setor ofensivo. O ataque foi a maior deficiência da equipe na temporada. A derrota para o São Paulo na última semana deixou as dificuldades mais evidentes e reaproximou a Raposa do Z-4.

RelacionadasSão PauloCom gol de Luciano, São Paulo vence o Cruzeiro pelo Brasileirão; veja o resultadoSão Paulo02/11/2023Fora de CampoNarrador da Globo critica VAR em São Paulo x Cruzeiro: ‘Fere o espírito da regra’Fora de Campo02/11/2023NotíciasBaile colombiano! Veja a dica de aposta para São Paulo e Cruzeiro pelo Campeonato BrasileiroNotícias02/11/2023

da leao： Após a partida contra o Tricolor, o atacante Wesley comentou sobre as dificuldades do time e reconheceu as falhas individuais recorrentes.

– É difícil falar, estamos num momento de reconstrução e estamos fazendo grandes jogos, como fizemos. Não conseguimos fazer gol e fomos castigados por uma bola besta, um lance meio que isolado, que no cruzamento saiu o gol – disse o camisa 11.

➡️ Chances de rebaixamento no Brasileirão 2023: veja situação dos clubes após a 30ª rodada

Cruzeiro deu início no jogo com boa posse de bola e acertando transições. Criou oportunidades com Arthur Gomes, Machado e Jussa, mas sem sucesso nas finalizações. Wesley entrou durante a segunda etapa no lugar de Lucas Silva e declarou que os erros na hora de finalizar ocorrem com frequência.

– Às vezes a pontaria não tá boa, que é quase sempre. A gente vai trabalhar para poder reverter o mais rápido possível essa situação – comentou o atacante.

➡️ Confira os palpites dos jornalistas do Lance! para a 31ª rodada do Brasileirão

Além disto o atacante também comentou sobre a finalização dos companheiros e afirmou que “erros acontecem”.

– No futebol, se ninguém errar o jogo vai acabar empatado, então erros acontecem. Com certeza o Papagaio não queria acertar a bola na trave, e o Vital não queria errar o gol, então erros técnicos acontecem. O que não vamos admitir é falta de comprometimento e deixar de correr. Nós vamos treinar, treinar até chegar à perfeição, que a gente sabe que não existe no futebol.

A Raposa entra em campo no próximo domingo (5) contra o Internacional às 16h no Mineirão. O jogo será válido pela 31° rodada do Brasileirão.

da esport bet： Arsenal star Gabriel aimed a dig at Richarlison on Instagram after the 4-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday’s North London derby.

da apostaganha： The Gunners capitalised on Manchester City’s slip-up at Newcastle United by defeating Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, solidifying their place at the top of the Premier League table by moving six points clear of nearest-rivals Chelsea.

With just under a third of the campaign played, it is still very early days for Mikel Arteta’s side, but they will no doubt be starting to believe they can finally go all the way this season, having finished second for three years on the spin.

After blitzing Spurs at the weekend, the north Londoners are now the joint-highest scorers in the Premier League, while they also have the best defensive record, having shipped just six goals this term, four fewer than any other side.

Gabriel has been key to the solid record at the back, having formed a formidable partnership with William Saliba, although the centre-back was forced to miss the North London derby after suffering a hamstring injury on international duty with Brazil.

Gabriel takes swipe at Richarlison on Instagram

Despite recently linking up with Richarlison on international duty, with Brazil suffering a 3-2 defeat against Japan, before going on to defeat Senegal 2-1, Gabriel couldn’t resist having a dig at the striker, tagging him in his celebratory Instagram post after the match.

Although the defender was ruled out for Sunday’s game, he had a dig at his compatriot, who was arguably one of Spurs’ better performers, having scored their only goal of the game, catching out David Raya with a strike from distance.

However, that long-range effort was the centre-forward’s only major contribution, having struggled to make an impact on proceedings, completing just five of the ten passes he attempted throughout the match.

Piero Hincapie, on the other hand, looked solid in Gabriel’s absence, making four clearances, one interception and one tackle to keep Spurs at bay, with the visitors being limited to very few chances.

Arteta will no doubt be hoping to have the Brazil international back soon, having recently said: “It’s clearly a blow. It’s our leader in our backline. To miss him is never a positive thing. The good thing is we have some very good options. They need to stand up now.”

However, having recruited well in the summer, signing Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera to bolster squad depth, Arsenal should fancy their chances heading into a congested run of fixtures.

Gabriel has been named as one of the best centre-backs in the world Related The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

أعرب سانتي كانيزاريس حارس فالنسيا وريال مدريد السابق عن دهشته من كثرة الإصابات التي يعاني منها برشلونة هذا الموسم، والتي يعتبرها أحد أسباب تراجع أداء فريق هانز فليك.

وأشار كانيزاريس إلى أن مشكلة برشلونة والتي يراها لا تقتصر فقط على عدد الإصابات بل تشمل أيضاً الانتكاسات المتكررة للاعبين المصابين، والتي تحتاج بعضها لإجراء تدخل جراحي.

وقال كانيزاريس في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “برشلونة ليس النادي الأمثل للتعافي من الإصابات، لديهم العديد من اللاعبين المصابين”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. رسمياً.. برشلونة يصدر بياناً سعيداً لجماهيره

وأضاف :”بعضهم يعاني من انتكاسات وهذا يقلقني أكثر من منح لامين يامال راحة، برشلونة لا يحسن من تعافي لاعبيه”.

وضرب كانيزاريس مثالاً على حالات مثل جافي ورافينها وأنسو فاتي وتير شتيجن وإصاباتهم في برشلونة.

وعانى برشلونة من 13 إصابة خلال الأسابيع الأخيرة الماضية، قبل أن يتعرض بيدري لاعب خط الوسط لإصابة في الساعات القليلة الماضية، ويرغب النادي في إنهاء هذه السلسلة السيئة من الإصابات ومساعدة مدربه هانز فليك بخيارات أكثر للفوز بالمباريات.

Last season, Tottenham Hotspur were made to bemoan defensive injuries. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missed extensive periods through injury. As did full-back Destiny Udogie.

Is it any great surprise, therefore, that Ange Postecoglou’s backline looked such a mess? Perhaps not, but the Aussie was still stubborn enough to refuse change.

Thomas Frank certainly seems more flexible with his style of football but one of the first things he has corrected is that leaky backline.

Only three teams, Arsenal (3), Manchester City (6) and Sunderland (6), have shipped fewer goals than Spurs (7) in the top-flight this term.

Yet, are things beginning to unravel in similar circumstances to Ange? Like the club’s former boss, Frank has now suffered his first big injury blow at the back.

Romero limped off during the warm-up of their game with Aston Villa and after initially being selected, was not fit enough to start. Without their captain, the Lilywhites suffered a 2-1 defeat.

Frank won’t fret quite yet, but he must find a way to get more of a tune out of his attack. Big-money summer signing Xavi Simons will play a big part in that.

Why Spurs need to see improvement from Xavi Simons

Even before James Maddison suffered a terrible ACL injury during pre-season, Frank and Co had made efforts to bring Nottingham Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White to north London.

We all know how that saga ended but Spurs’ pursuit of a new dynamic number 10 seemed cursed at one point.

It looked for all the world as though they were set to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. A deal was agreed and he was allegedly on his way to Spurs. Instead, a last-minute U-turn saw him head to boyhood club Arsenal. The solution was Simons.

The Dutchman had been courted by Chelsea but it was the Blues’ London rivals who eventually concluded a deal, snapping him up for £52m, a move that made him Spurs’ fifth-most expensive signing of all time.

This was an exciting acquisition. After all, he did score 11 goals and register eight assists for RB Leipzig in Germany last season.

Sadly, we’re yet to see the best of him in white. He is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in the Premier League and his only goal involvement, an assist against West Ham, came on his English top-flight debut. The Netherlands maestro has not scored or assisted since then.

West Ham (A)

71

1

Brighton (A)

29

0

Wolves (H)

78

0

Leeds (A)

74

0

Aston Villa (H)

79

0

For such a big-money signing, Frank needs to see more from him but it’s not as though he isn’t trying. Perhaps there’s a simple solution to all of this; Spurs need better players in their forward line.

How Spurs can get more out of Xavi Simons

How supporters must long for the days of Harry Kane and a prime Heung-min Son.

The duo aren’t showing any signs of slowing down away from Spurs with Kane simply in the form of his life this campaign, netting 19 times in 11 games for Bayern Munich.

As far as Son is concerned, he’s been lighting up MLS with his displays for LA FC. The South Korean has nine goals and three assists in his first ten outings for the club.

So, to see where the Spurs forward line is now will no doubt make a few fans hide behind the sofa. Combine the loss of Son with injuries to Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski and you have a real patched-together front line.

Dominik Solanke has played just 31 minutes of league football due to injury in 2025/26 while Richarlison has only beaten the goalkeeper once in his last seven Premier League matches.

As for the French youngster, Wilson Odobert, he is yet to score at all across ten games in all competitions.

With such a glut of misfiring players, is it any surprise that Simons has endured a difficult beginning at Spurs?

Assists

0.3

0.3

Chances created

2.1

1.7

Passes attempted

46.2

33

Forward passes

12.2

9.3

Sideways passes

22

15.5

A look at the numbers tells us that the Dutch midfielder is struggling without a fluid forward line. Worryingly, he’s playing fewer passes per 90 minutes than he did last season at Leipzig. That ultimately means he’s creating fewer goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.

He needs the players in front of him to make better runs and there is no better example of that than the aforementioned Odobert.

The former Burnley man, signed for £25m, is still a particularly raw prospect. He’s exciting and fleet-footed but he needs to be doing more to help Simons out.

The big-money summer arrival traditionally operates in the pockets of space on the left-hand side and it’s on the left flank where Odobert tends to operate. The clip below demonstrates precisely what we’re talking about.

Mathys Tel has the ball on the edge of the box and all he needs is for a few defenders to be dragged away by an overlapping run from Odobert to potentially feed Simons in acres of space.

What does the Frenchman do? He surges right into the area where Tel is aiming for, reducing the space and cutting out a chance to get a shot or pass away.

Had Odobert made an overlapping run, he’d have created more room for Spurs’ number 7 and potentially even received the ball himself. As Jamie O’Hara said after the game, he and Tel can be “painful” to watch.

The 20-year-old is a marmite figure. He did a fair bit right against Aston Villa, completing four of his five dribbles but he needs better end product.

He missed an OPTA-defined big chance on Sunday and only completed one key pass. If Odobert can marry his trickery with the ability to make better runs and make himself an option for Simons then things will improve.

Until then, however, it would be better if the Netherlands star operated from the left flank instead or someone like Brennan Johnson operated there.

Danny Rohl has officially arrived and, with that, Rangers have already reportedly joined the race to secure his first signing in the form of a talented midfielder.

Charlie Austin: Rangers should be "excited" by Rohl

After Russell Martin’s disastrous 123-day spell in charge, Rangers fans are understandably apprehensive when it comes to welcoming a young manager with open arms. Rohl arrives at just 36 years old and with just one permanent managerial role under his belt. According to former Premier League striker Charlie Austin, however, the Gers should be excited by his appointment.

In terms of the tactics that Rangers can expect, they can forget the slow build-up that Martin demanded his side to play. Rohl is far more about counter-pressing in what has become synonymous with German football over the years.

The young coach has worked with some fantastic attacking managers, including Barcelona’s Hansi Flick and Ralph Hasenhuttl when his Southampton side were at their very best.

He wasn’t their first choice, but Rohl may yet turn into the best choice at Rangers. Up first, he has the task of getting the Gers back to winning ways on the European stage against Brann, before travelling to face Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

Meanwhile, as another manager arrives, Kevin Thelwell and the 49ers have already reportedly joined the race to hand him his first Rangers signing.

Rangers battling to sign David Watson

As reported by TeamTalk, Rangers are now battling to sign David Watson to hand Rohl his first signing. The Kilmarnock midfielder is on course to leave as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the season and has attracted interest from those at Ibrox as a result.

That said, the Gers aren’t alone in their pursuit. Joining them, shock league leaders Hearts have also set their sights on signing the young Scot at the end of the season. A league title could certainly hand them an advantage over Rangers for the first time in a long time.

Secret Rohl talks took place while everyone thought Rangers were after Muscat

This is an intriguing update.

ByHenry Jackson Oct 20, 2025

It’s no surprise that the top clubs are after Watson’s signature, either. The 20-year-old is one of the best young talents in Scotland and has been involved in four goals in eight league games so far this season.

Earning plenty of praise amid that form, Kilmarnock vice-captain Robbie Deas told reporters: “Davey’s fantastic, honestly. He’s one of the hardest workers you’ll ever meet. He’s absolutely fantastic. You see that today, and he’s putting those tackles in later on.”

Signing a young midfielder to match a young manager with lofty ambitions would be an ideal way for Rangers to commence the Rohl era. To do so, though, they’ll have to fend off plenty of interest.

One of the most beloved events of MLB's All-Star weekend is the Home Run Derby, where some of the league's biggest power hitters compete in a showcase of slugging.

This year's Home Run Derby is slated for Monday, July 14, one day before Tuesday's All-Star Game, at Truist Park in Atlanta, home of the Braves.

Thus far, the players announced to be participating include Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., Seattle Mariners catcher and MLB's current home run leader Cal Raleigh, and Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood, though there are more names set to be revealed in the coming days.

Last year's winner, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, will not be back in 2025, so the throne will be vacant for a new winner. Usual contender Pete Alonso, who has won the event twice, will not be vying to add a third Home Run Derby crown to his résumé, leaving the door wide open for this year's participants.

We're going to take a look at the full list of Home Run Derby winners dating back to the event's debut in 1985.

Year

Player(s)

Team

Runner Up

1985

Dave Parker

Cincinnati Reds

N/A

1986

Darryl Strawberry, Wally Joyner

New York Mets, California Angels

N/A

1987

Andre Dawson

Chicago Cubs

Ozzie Virgil

1988 (Cancelled due to rain)

N/A

N/A

N/A

1989

Ruben Sierra

Texas Rangers

Eric Davis

1990

Ryne Sandberg

Chicago Cubs

Mark McGwire, Matt Williams

1991

Cal Ripken Jr.

Baltimore Orioles

Paul O’Neill

1992

Mark McGwire

Oakland A’s

Ken Griffey Jr.

1993

Juan Gonzalez

Texas Rangers

Ken Griffey Jr.

1994

Ken Griffey Jr.

Seattle Mariners

Fred McGriff

1995

Frank Thomas

Chicago White Sox

Albert Belle

1996

Barry Bonds

San Francisco Giants

Mark McGwire

1997

Tino Martinez

New York Yankees

Larry Walker

1998

Ken Griffey Jr.

Seattle Mariners

Jim Thome

1999

Ken Griffey Jr.

Seattle Mariners

Jeromy Burnitz

2000

Sammy Sosa

Chicago Cubs

Ken Griffey Jr.

2001

Luis Gonzalez

Arizona Diamondbacks

Sammy Sosa

2002

Jason Giambi

New York Yankees

Sammy Sosa

2003

Garrett Anderson

Anaheim Angels

Albert Pujols

2004

Miguel Tejada

Baltimore Orioles

Lance Berkman

2005

Bobby Abreu

Philadelphia Phillies

Ivan Rodriguez

2006

Ryan Howard

Philadelphia Phillies

David Wright

2007

Vladimir Guerrero

Anaheim Angels

Alex Rios

2008

Justin Morneau

Minnesota Twins

Josh Hamilton

2009

Prince Fielder

Milwaukee Brewers

Nelson Cruz

2010

David Ortiz

Boston Red Sox

Hanley Ramirez

2011

Robinson Cano

New York Yankees

Adrian Gonzalez

2012

Prince Fielder

Detroit Tigers

Jose Bautista

2013

Yoenis Cespedes

Oakland A’s

Bryce Harper

2014

Yoenis Cespedes

Oakland A’s

Todd Frazier

2015

Todd Frazier

Cincinnati Reds

Joc Pederson

2016

Giancarlo Stanton

Miami Marlins

Todd Frazier

2017

Aaron Judge

New York Yankees

Miguel Sano

2018

Bryce Harper

Washington Nationals

Kyle Schwarber

2019

Pete Alonso

New York Mets

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

2020 (Derby Cancelled due to COVID-19)

N/A

N/A

N/A

2021

Pete Alonso

New York Mets

Trey Mancini

2022

Juan Soto

Washington Nationals

Julio Rodriguez

2023

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays

Randy Arozarena

2024

Teoscar Hernandez

Los Angeles Dodgers

Bobby Witt Jr.

Teams With Most Home Run Derby Winners

No team in MLB history has had more different Home Run Derby winners than the New York Yankees, who saw Tino Martinez win in 1997, Jason Giambi in 2002, Robinson Cano in 2011 and Aaron Judge in '17.

Players With Most Home Run Derby Wins

Player

Years Won

Number of Wins

Ken Griffey Jr.

1994, 1998, 1999

3

Prince Fielder

2009, 2012

2

Yoenis Cespedes

2013, 2014

2

Pete Alonso

2019, 2021

2

Only four players in MLB history have multiple Home Run Derby wins, and no one has more than Ken Griffey Jr., who has won the event three times. Alonso could potentially rival that feat, though it won't be this year considering he opted out of the event.

Most Homers in a Home Run Derby

Year

Player, Team

Total HRs Hit in Derby

2019

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays

91

2022

Julio Rodriguez, Mariners

81

2021

Pete Alonso, Mets

74

2016

Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins

61

2019

Joc Pederson, Dodgers

60

Despite holding the top two spots for most home runs hit in a single Home Run derby, neither Guerrero nor Rodriguez won the event that year. Guerrero was defeated by Pete Alonso in the final in 2019, while Rodriguez lost to Juan Soto in '22.

Most Home Runs in a Single Home Run Derby Round

Year

Player

HRs Hit

Round

2023

Julio Rodriguez

41

First Round

2019

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

40

Semifinals

2019

Joc Pederson

39

Semifinals

2023

Randy Arozarena

35

Second Round

2021

Pete Alonso

35

First Round

da cassino： Anfield erupted. It really did. That was the performance Arne Slot’s Liverpool have been searching for this season, with Alexis Mac Allister’s second-half header putting Real Madrid to the sword in the Champions League.

da jogodeouro： Real Madrid were overwhelmed, enervated, reduced to mincemeat in a similar fashion to last season’s win over the La Liga giants, and it could have been a wider, more sobering margin for Europe’s biggest hitters, but for a strong performance from Thiabaut Courtois between the posts.

The win over Aston Villa in the Premier League at the weekend stopped the rot, ended the four-game losing run, but this was a display of a different nature, the Reds going from strength to strength and reminding Europe of their prowess.

There have been many issues and imbalances within Slot’s squad this season, but this was an emphatic performance, outstanding from every department, both in possession and against the ball.

Epitomising this mini-revival on Merseyside, of course, was Conor Bradley.

Bradley proves too much for Real (again)

Not for the first time over the past year, Bradley came up trumps against Real Madrid’s devastating frontline, this time focusing his sights on Vinicius Junior, who was ineffective all evening against the Northern Irish star.

Content creator George Scaife remarked that he had “the game of his life” against Los Blancos, winning all three of his tackles, winning eight duels and recovering so many balls.

With Jeremie Frimpong sidelined with an injury, the 22-year-old has a real chance to kick on now and nail down a starting berth after a shaky start to the campaign which has presented him as unsure and somewhat unfit at times.

There have been times when Bradley’s place in the Liverpool side has been called into question, but he has the ability to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who made an unsuccessful return to Anfield on Tuesday, in the long run.

However, there’s another star who has become their main man, having looked endangered in the starting line-up after the summer spending spree.

Liverpool star is becoming one of world's best

There’s no question that Liverpool have been woefully out of sorts this season, but Dominik Szoboszlai has been a pillar of strength throughout the opening months.

Effortlessly good as an all-action midfielder and tenacious and industrious in a makeshift right-back berth, Szoboszlai’s energy and enterprise on the ball have been second to none, and he has been hailed as “our most important player” by one prominent Reds fan, also admitting that he “would be one of the ones to drop out of the XI” after a summer of spending that saw Florian Wirtz signed for a record-breaking £116m fee.

But the Hungary skipper has been nothing short of sensational, and he was once again the star of the show, peppering the Real Madrid goal and assisting the winner with a delightful set-piece delivery.

Szoboszlai’s Performance vs Real Madrid

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

Assists

1

Touches

54

Shots (on target)

5 (4)

Accurate passes

30/39 (77%)

Chances created

3

Crosses

3/3

Interceptions

1

Recoveries

6

Duels won

2/9

Data via Sofascore

The Liverpool Echo saw it fit to hand the 24-year-old a 9/10 match rating, ahead, even, of the goalscoring Mac Allister, producing a masterful creative display and working overtime to overwhelm the Spanish midfield.

While the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk continue to stand proud as the leaders in Slot’s squad, there’s little question that Szoboszlai is outplaying the lot this term, and as the Reds click into gear, raising their collective level, Szoboszlai could hit staggering individual heights.

Related Another Chiesa: Slot's treatment of Liverpool star is a "sackable offence"

Liverpool have a shrewd solution to one of their biggest problems this season.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2025

Brendon McCullum still believes in Zak Crawley despite his pair in the first Test against Australia, and has called on England bat with more conviction following their two-day defeat in Perth. The visiting head coach even cited Travis Head’s match-winning 123 as an example to follow.Head made light work of what looked a more-than-competitive target of 205, driving Australia most of the way home to an eight-wicket win in just 28.2 overs. With Usman Khawaja yet again suffering from a back injury, Head replaced Marnus Labuschagne (who opened in the first innings) and proceeded to slap 20 boundaries, including four sixes that belied the size of the Optus Stadium boundaries.As well as flaying an England attack that 24 hours earlier had put the frighteners up the home batters, Head was responsible for the first runs for an opening partnership in the Test. The first overs of the previous three innings had brought ducks. Crawley was responsible for two at the hands of Mitchell Starc. Jake Weatherald – knocked off his feet by Jofra Archer on day one – maintained his footing with 23, his first runs in Test cricket.A careless waft outside off stump six balls into the match was followed by a checked-push five balls into his second innings, brilliantly caught by Starc. With that, Crawley became the first English opener dismissed without scoring in both innings of an Ashes Test since Michael Atherton at Melbourne in 1998.Pegged as a batter to thrive on Australian pitches, England have groomed Crawley as an X-factor player ahead of this tour. He has been backed to the hilt by captain Ben Stokes since the start of his tenure.Though Crawley was the leading run-scorer in 2023’s Ashes, and England’s standout run-scorer on the following tour of India, he has averaged just 32.26 since the start of 2022. His career average – 30.96 – is close to dipping under the thirty mark.McCullum has previously insisted Crawley is not picked to be “a consistent player”. Essentially, he is a scorer of great runs rather than a great run-scorer. That point of view remains undimmed, as is his importance in an opening partnership with Ben Duckett that remains the fastest since 1998. Travis Head starred as an opener with an extraordinary 69-ball century•Getty Images

“We believe he is a quality player,” McCullum said, when asked if Crawley was undroppable. “Particularly in these conditions against this sort of opposition. How many balls did he face? 10 or 11? He got out cheaply, but we believe in Zak.”He’s been around this group for a long time, he’s done really well. The combination with Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley has allowed us to enter games as best as we think we can. And I’d expect to see a strong bounce-back from Zak in the next little while. Sometimes you get out early, right? It would have been nice if he hadn’t. But that’s life. If he can get going, he can do some damage.””If” being the operative word. Crawley is now joint-fourth on England’s duck list from 96 innings – the only member of that top five to have batted fewer than 142 times in Test cricket. And the suggestion he cracks on when he gets a start is not backed up by the statistics. The 27-year-old has 24 fifty-plus scores, but of openers with at least 20, his average of 85.80 is the third lowest.Of course, Crawley is not the sole batter to blame for the fact England are 1-0 down. It was a top-order collapse of 5 for 23 – including Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Joe Root across six deliveries for no run – that relinquished what had been a lead of 105 with nine second-innings wickets in hand.It was Scott Boland who thrived during this passage, eventually finishing with 4 for 33, making amends for a difficult 0 for 62 in the first innings.Related

• England need to shut out the noise and look in the mirror

• Ranking England's Australian nightmares

• Head's 69-ball ton secures remarkable win for Australia

• 'Shellshocked' Stokes hails Head for 'knocking the wind' out of England

• Stats – Perth serves up a short and spicy Test

Having bested the 36-year-old on Friday, England were unable to get a hold of him on Saturday. A mistake, in McCullum’s eyes, which he puts down to batters not wholly committed to their respective methods. Unlike Head.”Maybe just back away and slay it over point, or slog it to cow?!” McCullum said, tongue in cheek, when asked how England might have batted better. “I’m not saying they didn’t go hard enough, but there was a player [Head] who had total conviction in his method and has done it across different formats and on different stages over the last few years.”‘Have conviction’ – that’s been what we’ve said. Choose a method and have conviction in it. If it works then great. But if it doesn’t at least you’ve done it your way.”Despite the early finish, England are set to remain in Perth for the time being before heading straight to Queensland ahead of the second Test, a day-night affair in Brisbane, which begins on December 4.A decision is yet to be made on whether any of the main squad will drop into the England XI – originally the Lions – for the Prime Minister’s XI match in Canberra (November 29), which will offers them pink-ball practice. Most importantly for McCullum is shedding the pain of this whirlwind defeat as quickly as possible.”We will let the dust settle, but we are bitterly disappointed for us, but also all the fans who have turned up here to support us so well here and we know we will be throughout the series.”We can’t carry this one onto the next. We’ve been trying to insulate against things going wrong for a while. For us that connectivity and camaraderie is something we pride ourselves on. We will need it over the next few days.”