Tottenham boss Thomas Frank will “definitely” be without a star player for this weekend’s trip to Leeds United, with the Dane looking to get back to winning ways after a hard-fought draw at Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

Tottenham display grit again after rescuing 2-2 draw at Bodo/Glimt

For the third time this season, Spurs were forced to come back from a deficit to salvage any kind of result, with their 2-2 battle in Norway following Tottenham’s draw at Brighton by the same scoreline and a dramatic 1-1 at home to Wolves last weekend.

On this occasion, an 89th minute own goal by Jostein Gundersen rescued Spurs from what would have been an embarrassing defeat at the Aspmyra Stadion.

Matches

10

Wins

5

Draws

3

Losses

2

Points

15

Points per game

1.80

The match marked a return to the venue where Tottenham had triumphed in last season’s Europa League semi-finals and booked their place in Bilbao against Man United, which proved crucial to Ange Postecoglou ending their 17-year wait for silverware, but this visit told a very different story.

Bodo/Glimt dominated for extended periods, with Jens Petter Hauge scoring twice shortly after halftime to put the hosts 2-0 ahead.

Micky van de Ven, wearing the captain’s armband, pulled one back just minutes after Hauge’s second before the dramatic late OG gave Spurs an arguably undeserved point.

Frank’s tenure thus far has attracted mixed reviews from the Lilywhites fanbase due to Tottenham’s lack of real dominance over lesser sides, and this was certainly on full display in the Arctic Circle.

That being said, you can make a very real case that all the best sides in Europe are capable of getting results despite not playing at their very best.

It is also worth remembering that Tottenham impressed against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final, battered London rivals West Ham and got the best of Premier League title contenders Man City at the Etihad, so there is reason to believe that Spurs are definitely improving from last season.

Their grit to battle back from losing positions so far is testament to this, and it is perhaps a sign of things to come under Frank as the tactician continues to assess his new squad.

Tottenham have been forced to deal with a plethora of absences for key players too, with James Maddison out for the majority of 2025/2026 after a nightmare pre-season injury, Dejan Kulusevski on the comeback trail and Radu Dragusin still recovering from an ACL problem.

Summer signing Randal Kolo Muani has been absent with a dead leg as well, but while the Frenchman is expected to return imminently, the same cannot be said for £140,000-per-week striker Dominic Solanke.

Dominic Solanke "definitely" set to miss Leeds as Tottenham given timeline

The England international was forced to undergo minor surgery on a niggling ankle problem, and while Frank doesn’t expect his lay-off to be long, journalist Tom Barclay has stated that Solanke will “definitely” be unavailable for their trip to Elland Road.

However, Tottenham are hopeful he’ll return after the international break.

His fitness issues have been a real cause for concern, with Solanke missing a total of 22 games through injury since joining Spurs from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024 as Harry Kane’s heir.

Richarlison has started almost all of Frank’s game in charge as a replacement for Solanke, scoring three goals, but concerns have surrounded the Brazilian as Tottenham’s focal point.

Last season, Solanke scored 16 goals and provided eight assists across 45 appearances in all competitions when fit and available — proving integral at times — and Frank needs the England forward back in his fold ahead of crucial matches against Aston Villa, Monaco, Everton, Newcastle and Chelsea right after the October internationals.

Less than 24 hours ago, Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza was trying to prevent an innings defeat in the Test match against England at Trent Bridge, scoring 60 off 68 balls before his dismissal sealed Zimbabwe’s fate.Within hours he was on a plane bound for Lahore, where his PSL franchise, the Lahore Qalandars, play the final of the tournament against Quetta Gladiators. Such was Qalandars’ eagerness to have him in their playing XI they raced him from the airport – where he landed ten minutes before the toss – to the ground. The Qalandars had prepared two team sheets, one with Raza in it and the other in the eventuality he did not make it in time, with Shakib al Hasan to play in that scenario.It has been typical of a season where Raza has dashed back and forth from Pakistan. He was a fixture in the Qalandars side at the start of the competition, before leaving when the league was suspended earlier this month. It resumed four days before the start of Zimbabwe’s Test against England at Trent Bridge, and Raza flew back to Pakistan from England for one game – a knockout against Peshawar Zalmi. With victory and qualification for Lahore secured, he flew back to join his Zimbabwean team-mates in England.Over the next three days, Zimbabwe lost by an innings to England, while the Qalandars secured back-to-back wins in the playoffs to secure a berth in the final. The Test finished on Saturday evening Pakistan time, and Qalandars had already decided to fly the allrounder in to give him the best shot of being available for the tilt at the trophy.When the toss took place, Raza’s plane had landed, though he still hadn’t arrived at the ground. However, he was named in the Qalandars squad, with Shakib missing out. Gladiators won the toss and decided to bat first.

“I will go back to Ranchi – haven’t been home for a long time – enjoy a few bike rides, [take a] couple of months, and then decide”

ESPNcricinfo staff25-May-20252:53

Moody: I’ll be surprised if Dhoni plays next season

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni is going to go back home to Ranchi, “enjoy a few bike rides”, and decide a few months down the line whether he is going to return for IPL 2026.”It depends. Again, I would say the same thing: I have four-five months to decide, there’s no hurry to decide what needs to be done,” Dhoni said when asked whether he would play next season after their final league game of IPL 2025, an 83-run victory against Gujarat Titans . CSK finished bottom of the league for the first time in 16 seasons, winning only four of their 14 games, and were the first team to be knocked out of contention of the playoffs.Dhoni turns 44 in July and will be closer to 45 when IPL 2026 comes around. “Every year, it’s 15% more effort to keep the body fit – not to forget this is top-level cricket. It’s professional cricket – you have to be at your best – and it’s not always performance that you can count, because if cricketers start retiring because of performance then a few of them will retire when they’re 22.”What is important to see is how much hunger you have, what kind of fitness you have, and how much you can contribute to the team, and whether the team needs you or not. So I have enough time. I will go back to Ranchi – haven’t been home for a long time – enjoy a few bike rides, [take a] couple of months and then decide.Related

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“I’m not saying I’m done, I’m not saying I’m coming back. As I said, I have the luxury of time. When you have the luxury then why not think about it and then decide.”CSK ended their season by making their best score of IPL 2025 – 238 – and then dismissed GT for 147. Anshul Kamboj and Noor Ahmad took three wickets apiece, with Noor finishing with 24 wickets in the season.”We didn’t have a very good season, but good to finish on a good note,” Dhoni said. “I think this was one of the perfect performances – from the bowling department, batting department, not to forget the fielding and catching. Throughout the season, I don’t think we have caught very well, so this was one game where the catching was also good.”Majority of the crowd in Ahmedabad stayed back for the presentation and started chanting “Dhoni, Dhoni” once he started to speak, wondering if they would see him play again. He took over the captaincy in the middle of the season after CSK’s regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad picked up an elbow injury and was ruled out. While CSK could not turn their fortunes around, they started looking at younger batters such as Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shaik Rasheed and Urvil Patel, apart from Kamboj in the bowling attack.MS Dhoni on CSK’s season: “I was more worried about the batting department; at the end of the day, you have to score runs”•BCCI”When we started the season, we played the first four games at home out of six,” Dhoni said. “We won tosses, [and] we decided to bat second because there was a fair amount of dew, but I felt the wicket was better to bat first somehow. In the second innings when we batted, we were under a bit of pressure, and that confidence got sucked away from the batters and that became slightly difficult for us to come back.”I was more worried about the batting department; at the end of the day, you have to score runs. But now, looking at how everybody is contributing, we look like a side who can put runs on the board, and the maneuvering with the bowlers becomes slightly easy. Yes, there are still a few holes that we would like to fill. But one of the most important things was when Rutu (Gaikwad) comes back next season, at least we are able to give him a team where he just needs to fit in maybe one in the playing XI and he doesn’t have to worry about too many things.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A interdição do Maracanã para a recuperação do gramado deixará o Flamengo sem casa por, pelo menos, 20 dias a partir de domingo (27). Em meio aos movimentos do Rubro-Negro na busca por um novo estádio para mandar seus jogos, o Corinthians foi consultado pelo clube carioca sobre a possibilidade de mandar jogos na Neo Química Arena.

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Esta ação do Flamengo não representa apenas a busca por uma solução rápida, visando o período da interdição do principal palco do futebol carioca, mas também indica um olhar especial do clube com relação ao mercado de São Paulo. Neste cenário, o Pacaembu se coloca como opção para a próxima temporada.

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O estádio, que está em reformas desde junho de 2021 e deve voltar a receber jogos no início do próximo ano, é administrado pela concessionária Allegra Pacaembu, que planeja acabar com os alugueis para utilização do estádio e realizar parcerias junto aos clubes mandantes, dividindo os lucros (e custos) do dia da partida.

A reportagem apurou que há uma frase norteando os trabalhos da administradora desde que assumiu o controle do estádio, em janeiro de 2020: transformar o Pacaembu no melhor campo neutro do Brasil. Dentro deste conceito, e embora a concessionária não tenha nenhuma parceria firmada com clubes, há o desejo de receber não apenas o Flamengo, mas também clubes de outras regiões do Brasil, como Bahia, Fortaleza e Ceará.

Em nota oficial (leia no fim da matéria), a concessionária utiliza a mesma expressão do campo neutro e reforça essa ideia ao afirmar que há interesse em receber equipes de todo o Brasil após a conclusão das obras.

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FLAMENGO EM SÃO PAULO NÃO É NOVIDADE
Desde que houve uma ‘invasão’ de torcedores do Flamengo em 2011, para a final da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior de 2011 diante do Bahia, o clube olha com cuidado para seus torcedores da capital paulista.

Em 2014, por exemplo, foi ventilada a possibilidade de o clube passar a mandar, ao menos, um jogo por ano no Pacaembu, o que se concretizou em abril de 2016, quando o Rubro-Negro marcou um Fla-Flu do campeonato carioca para o estádio. A experiência foi tão positiva que o Flamengo disputou mais dois jogos do Brasileirão daquele ano no local: diante de Figueirense e Santa Cruz.

Além dos jogos, a inauguração de lojas oficiais do clube na região metropolitana de São Paulo também seguem essa tendência de focar no mercado paulista. Das mais de 170 unidades existentes, seis estão espalhadas por locais estratégicos como a Avenida Paulista (considerado o coração da cidade) e o Aeroporto Internacional de Guarulhos.

Com o Pacaembu em obras e o Mané Garrincha indisponível, o Flamengo acabou optando pelo estádio Kleber Andrade, em Cariacica (ES) para mandar seu jogo contra o Athletico-PR, marcado para o dia 13 de setembro (quarta-feira) pelo Brasileirão.

VEJA A NOTA OFICIAL DA CONCESSIONÁRIA ALLEGRA PACAEMBU:
A concessionária Allegra Pacaembu informa que as obras de reforma, modernização e restauro seguem em andamento para que o Pacaembu se transforme no melhor campo neutro do país. Ressaltamos ainda que temos total interesse em receber equipes de futebol de todo o Brasil e que o Pacaembu continue sendo reconhecido como a casa do futebol em São Paulo. A reabertura do estádio está prevista para janeiro de 2024.

أشاد الأسطورة المصرية محمد أبو تريكة بالنجم المصري محمد صلاح، بعد فوز ليفربول ضد أستون فيلا بثنائية نظيفة في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال أبو تريكة في تحليله لمباراة الفريقين في قناة “بي إن سبورت”: “أن تكون حاضراً ستتحمل كل شيء، لهذا السبب وجود صلاح يحمي آرني سلوت”.

وأضاف: “في الأزمات تذهب الانتقادات للنجوم، صلاح تعرض لانتقادات كبيرة وجزء كبير مما يقال كان من الصحافة والجماهير، يقولون إنه المشكلة وهو حقق الدوري الموسم الماضي بمفرده، بعد أن ينضم الصفقات الجديدة يجب ألا يتحمل صلاح كل شيء”.

وواصل: “ينتظر المساعدة، وجاءت له الرسالة في بداية الموسم أنهم قد يقومون بالحسم في بعض الأمور، تابعوا الأهداف والصناعات والبطولات، ما يقدمه محمد صلاح عظيمًا ووجوده في البريميرليج عظيم”.

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وتابع: “عندما يحدث هبوط في مستوى ليفربول ككل يتعرض صلاح للوم، تشعر أن صلاح كان متفاجئًا بما حدث وهو يشعر بغصة، هدف برينتفورد كان مهمًا له رغم خسارة الفريق لكنه مهم على المستوى الشخصي”.

وعن رسالته لصلاح، ذكر أبو تريكة: “أتمنى أن ينسى الانتقادات، أن يحافظ على سلامته حتى كأس إفريقيا، صلاح يتعرض للوم لأنه لا يقوم بالضغط والدور الدفاعي، لكن لماذا أقوم بإراحته في الدور الدفاعي؟، ليسجل هدفًا من نصف فرصة، صلاح لا يحتاج لإثبات شيء، يتعرض لانتقادات من اساطير الدوري الانجليزي”.

وواصل: “دور صلاح عندما يتعرض الفريق لحالة هبوط مستوى يجب أن تقوم بتحويل الأداء السيء لأداء كبير ومميز، هذا قدر النجوم وأريد منه أن يستمتع، هو لا يشعر بالاستمتاع لأنني أعلم تعابير وجهه، عندما تراه مستمتعاً ترى منه أفضل أداء”.

واختتم: “لكنه اليوم يريد أن يشعر بأنه سبب خروج الفريق من أزمته، هذا ليس دورك في هذا العمر، هذا دور من حولك، ما حدث مؤخراً له من تسجيل هدفين يقول إنه سيعود، الفريق فقد جزءًا كبيرًا من هيبته وحتى تعود الهيبة يجب عليك أن تستردها أمام ريال مدريد وتفوز عليه”.

Bayern Munich have reportedly held talks with the representatives of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi as they step up plans to sign the England international. The 25-year-old Eagles skipper, who will be free to negotiate a move away to foreign clubs in January, has attracted serious interest from Real Madrid and Liverpool, with Der Rekordmerister now making the first concrete move to secure his signature.

Bayern talk with Guehi's representatives

Guehi’s representatives have met with Bayern Munich over a possible transfer, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg. Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl is understood to have held discussions this week with agent Gordon Stipic to assess the terms of a potential deal. The Bundesliga champions are preparing for defensive changes, with uncertainty over Dayot Upamecano’s contract extension and the possibility of Kim Min-jae being sold.

The meeting represents Bayern’s first significant step toward securing the 25-year-old, who is set to leave Crystal Palace after rejecting a new contract. Palace manager Oliver Glasner recently confirmed that Guehi has no intention of extending his stay beyond next summer, effectively paving the way for a departure. With his current deal expiring in 2026 but his refusal to renew making an exit inevitable, Guehi could very well be sold for a minimal fee in January’s winter transfer window.

Liverpool and Real Madrid are also in the running, both monitoring the situation closely as Guehi’s availability in January could open the door for early negotiations. Bayern’s proactive approach may, however, give them an edge in what is shaping up to be a fierce battle for his signature.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportNew centre-back wanted at Allianz Arena

Bayern’s determination to strengthen their backline ahead of next season and stay ahead of European rivals. With Eberl seeking long-term defensive reinforcements, Guehi has emerged as one of his top two centre-back targets alongside Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck. The Bavarians are planning for potential exits in defence, as both Upamecano and Kim face uncertain futures at the Allianz Arena.

For Guehi, the situation marks a turning point in his career following a steady rise since joining Palace from Chelsea in 2021. The 25-year-old has developed into one of the Premier League’s most consistent defenders, captaining Palace under Glasner and becoming a regular in the England squad. His leadership, composure on the ball, and tactical intelligence have made him a standout figure in south London, drawing attention from some of Europe’s most decorated clubs.

Palace, meanwhile, are bracing for the reality of losing their captain just months after securing European qualification for the first time. Glasner’s comments earlier this week hinted at a mutual understanding between player and club, suggesting both parties are now focused on handling the transition smoothly.

Could Guehi leave Palace in January?

Guehi’s potential move has been on the cards since the summer, when Liverpool came close to finalising a transfer before Palace chairman Steve Parish blocked the deal at the last moment. The decision was made to keep stability in the squad ahead of their European campaign, but Guehi’s stance on a new contract has since remained unchanged. His refusal to extend has placed Palace in a difficult position, as they risk losing a key asset for a reduced fee next year or potentially for free in 2026.

For Bayern, the timing of the talks suggests they are looking to act decisively in January before their competitors. Guehi’s Premier League experience, combined with his leadership with the Three Lions, makes him an ideal candidate to slot into a rebuilding Bayern side preparing for the future.

Both Real Madrid and Liverpool remain serious contenders, with Los Blancos seeking long-term depth behind Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao, while the Reds look to strengthen a backline that has struggled with injuries.

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Getty Images SportForeign clubs can agree pre-contract in 2026

With Bayern now having initiated formal contact, the focus shifts to whether they can agree on a framework that satisfies both Guehi’s camp and Crystal Palace. The player will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs in January, giving the German side a potential advantage over Liverpool. However, Palace could still attempt to engineer a winter sale to recoup a transfer fee rather than risk losing him for nothing later.

The Austrian coach has been open about his respect for Guehi’s professionalism and will expect the defender to remain focused while talks continue in the background. Crystal Palace’s upcoming fixtures includes a crucial Premier League clash with Arsenal before the Eagles travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo quer garantir o título da Copa do Brasil no próximo domingo (24), às 16h (de Brasília), diante do Flamengo, no Morumbi. O Tricolor venceu a ida por 1 a 0, no Maracanã, e tem a vantagem do empate. Seria a primeira vez que o Soberano levanta a taça, mas, além da conquista inédita, o clube está de olho na premiação em dinheiro que vem por aí. Com a chegada à final, o clube já garantiu, pelo menos, R$ 48,7 milhões, quantia que pode aumentar em caso de vitória na decisão.

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Por ter entrado na terceira fase, o Tricolor já tinha arrecadado R$ 2,1 milhões. Quando classificou para as oitavas, mais R$ 3,3 milhões. Ao eliminar o Sport e avançar para as quartas, conquistou R$ 4,3 milhões. A premiação do avanço para as semifinais contra o Palmeiras foi de mais R$ 9 milhões. Já a ida à final garantiu mais R$ 30 milhões, que é a premiação destinada ao vice.

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Caso o São Paulo seja campeão, além do prêmio inédito na história do clube, pode arrecadar cerca de R$ 88,7 milhões somente em premiação, pois o prêmio para quem levantar a taça é de R$ 70 milhões, ou seja, R$ 40 milhões a mais do que o vice-campeão.

O Conselho Deliberativo do São Paulo definiu as metas orçamentárias e esportivas do clube para 2023 e era previsto que o clube do Morumbi chegasse até as finais do Campeonato Paulista e da Copa Sul-Americana, além de atingir as quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. A meta do torneio nacional, por sua vez, já foi ultrapassada.

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Na Sul-Americana, competição na qual a queda foi nas quartas de final, a premiação tricolor foi de 2,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 12,17 milhões na cotação atual).

Forceful batting followed by frugal five-wicket haul in 78-run win over Glamorgan

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Jun-2025

James Coles kept Sussex’s strong start going in the Blast•Getty Images

Sussex Sharks made it three wins out of four in the Vitality Blast when they outplayed Glamorgan at Hove, winning by 78 runs with 4.4 overs to spare.First James Coles led the way with the bat, with an unbeaten 75, before Nathan McAndrew took over with the ball, with figures of five for 19 from his four overs. At one point Glamorgan, who had also won two out of three before this fixture, were 49 for seven and appeared to be heading for an even heavier defeat.They needed a challenging 196 at 9.8 runs an over and made a bright start but then, in the fourth over, their captain Kiran Carson hit Ollie Robinson tamely to Coles at midwicket.In the next over Ben Kellaway was caught on the deep midwicket boundary by Tom Clark off McAndrew and the Australian put himself on a hat-trick when Colin Ingram gloved his next delivery to the keeper.That made it 40 for three in the fifth over. And worse was to come for the visiting side. In the seventh over Will Smale, attempting to swing a low full toss from Coles to the boundary, lost his off stump instead. Then McAndrew had Chris Cooke caught behind and placed himself on another hat-rick when he dismissed Dan Douthwaite (bowled middle stump) and Timm van der Gugten (caught at backward-point). Again, McAndrew missed out on his hat-trick but he had taken five wickets for seven runs in two overs and Glamorgan, at 49 for seven after eight overs, were in disarray.Asa Tribe gave their innings a measure of respectability with a 21-ball 34, with a four and three sixes, before he was brilliantly caught by the running and diving Daniel Hughes at short third man and Tymal Mills wrapped it up with two in two.Sussex, who chose to bat first, were again indebted to the in-form Coles, who powered his way to his 75 from just 43 deliveries, with seven fours and three sixes. It was his second fifty of the campaign, and his fourth in the Vitality Blast. But Tom Alsop was a close second best, with 50 from 27, with five sixes, as the pair struck 90 runs from nine overs for the fourth wicket, with 52 runs coming from the last three overs.Glamorgan had hoped for something better after dismissing the dangerous Hughes for just a single in the second over. Harrison Ward, after a quiet three matches, made his first meaningful contribution of the season, with a bludgeoning 38, with four fours and two sixes, as he added fifty for the second wicket with the dangerous John Simpson (26) from 28 balls.But it was Coles who provided the vital acceleration, raising the hundred in the 13th over as he lofted Mason Crane over extra-cove for four before lifting his next delivery into the pavilion for six.Glamorgan fielded six bowlers but Douthwaite, whose first two overs went for 32, was surprisingly given a third and that went for 16 as Coles drove him straight for six before Alsop hit him over long-on for another maximum.

India returned to the nets on Friday after their travel from Leeds to Birmingham and a day off with a marathon training session of close to five hours.While Jasprit Bumrah came to the ground, he didn’t bowl or bat in the nets. As it was a closed-door training session, it was not possible to tell whether Bumrah was doing fitness work or bowling alone inside the ground. The nets session, though, was visible from the street. Bumrah’s absence in the nets should not be a sign by itself because all three main fast bowlers from the last match – Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj – stayed away from batting. Siraj had a hit with the bat before he went off to join Bumrah and Prasidh inside the ground.ESPNcricinfo, however, has learnt that Bumrah’s chances of playing at Edgbaston are low. India picked him aware that he was going to be available for only three of the five Tests against England. The pre-decided combination, apparently, was the first and the third Test, and then a choice between the fourth and the fifth based on the state of the series. There are big gaps between the first and the second, and the third and the fourth Tests.Related

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However, it must be said that he hasn’t yet been ruled out entirely for Edgbaston. The discussions around the combination have yet to begin, and if Bumrah feels good about his body, he could well turn up for the Test, which begins on Wednesday. India will have an optional training session on Saturday followed by a day off and then another long session on Monday.Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep bowled long spells in the nets. Arshdeep spent almost half the nets session bowling with an old, somewhat “made” ball. With the old ball, he went around the wicket to the right-hand batters. This could have been something India decided to do after looking at the conditions. They could well be expecting reverse swing to be a factor.The general mood in the camp is to not overthink the defeat at Headingley, where they repeatedly got themselves in positions to dominate, but let it slip away. The message is to not make dramatic changes to how they play, but repeat the processes to get into strong positions again and then react better.

Liverpool’s quality has been such across the past decade that blips are met with dismay across the red half of Merseyside. Anfield and its supporters, quite simply, are used to winning.

Ten years ago, Liverpool appointed Jurgen Klopp following Brendan Rodgers’ dismissal. Ten years ago, everything changed. Now, the Reds are considered among the most ferocious and feared in Europe; beating Liverpool is a trophy in itself.

But Arne Slot has work to do, with Liverpool having lost three in a row, including successive league outings in the final moments.

Superstar signings such as Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz have yet to hit their stride on Merseyside, and there’s no denying there are tactical balances from head to toe. This is all grist for the mill of negativity, but Liverpool are sure to click into gear soon.

However, not all problems can be fixed so simply. For example, Mohamed Salah has been one of the most disappointing stars so far,

Liverpool preparing for Salah departure

Salah is of an age that poor form is viewed through the lens of the inevitable decline, which claims footballers into their thirties. But this is short-sighted.

Only last season, the 33-year-old scored 34 goals and laid on 23 assists across all competitions, broke the Premier League record for goal involvements in a 38-game season (47).

There’s no denying the Egyptian has been poor this term, anonymous for large sections of games and enduring his slowest start to a Liverpool campaign with three goals and assists apiece from ten matches. But he is still Salah, and Liverpool’s problems reach every area of the field.

While the long-serving superstar is expected to find a purple patch once again this term, there’s no denying he is getting older, and Liverpool need to find themselves a successor.

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has been earmarked as the man for the job.

According to Spanish sources, the in-form Premier League star is right at the top of Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes’ shopping list as he plans for the future, though competition is sure to be thick.

The Ghana international is valued at £75m and Bournemouth resisted an effort from Tottenham this summer. He has since signed a new contract at the Vitality, running until 2029, so the Cherries’ position is strong.

Why Liverpool want Antoine Semenyo

Liverpool’s chaotic season opener was a sign of things to come, winning 4-3 against Bournemouth. Semenyo bagged a brace and played with incredible quality and composure.

Now seven matches deep into the league campaign, Semenyo has scored six times all told and provided three assists too. This is a remarkable return; this is Salah-like territory.

Indeed, while Salah is well below his best, there’s a sense that even if the £400k-per-week star was on his A-game, he might not be on the same level as Bournemouth’s main man, whose efforts thus far have even led one Premier League analyst to suggest he is “one of the best players in the world”.

Matches (starts)

7 (7)

7 (7)

Goals

2

6

Assists

2

3

Shots (on target)*

1.7 (0.7)

2.4 (1.3)

Touches*

42.1

50.0

Pass completion

74%

75%

Chances created*

1.7

1.4

Dribbles*

0.1

2.1

Ball recoveries*

3.4

5.6

Tackles*

0.0

1.7

Duels won*

1.4

6.7

It is, quite frankly, a staggering drop-off, with Semenyo outstripping the legendary winger across every area in the Premier League this season. The Ghanaian has been sharper in attack, more intelligent on the ball and far more combative and engaged in the build-up.

Salah remains one of the deadliest forwards in English football history, though, and his two-goal haul so far this season has lifted him above Andy Cole and into fourth place in the all-time scoring charts.

But with Federico Chiesa and Jeremie Frimpong stood as Salah’s back-up options on the attacking right flank this term, it’s very clear that a high-level replacement would be needed.

It might be worth drawing attention to the fact that Semenyo is of an age with a 25-year-old version of Salah, a version who waved goodbye to a career in Italy and signed for Klopp’s Liverpool in a £34m deal.

And the signs, to be sure, are promising. While the data pool is shallow, statistical site FBref have crunched the data to reveal Semenyo ranks not only among the best for output in the English top flight this season, but among the top 10% for ball recoveries and the top 3% for aerial battles won per 90.

There is little to suggest he would not be a star at Liverpool. Two-footed and dynamic, the £75k-per-week talent feels very Liverpool-esque, with a hunger for success at the highest level and a fearsome, high-octane take on the game.

Last season, Semenyo scored 11 goals and posted six assists in the Premier League. This gave him praise from many and it provided Bournemouth with a £70m bid from Spurs to chew on. Now, he is levels higher. Imagine the heights he could hit in Slot’s Liverpool squad.

In April, Salah penned new terms at Liverpool. The greatest player in the Anfield side’s recent chapter will play his football in red until the end of next season. But what if Salah fails to reclaim his one-time level? Can Slot afford such a weak link dominating his frontline for much time to come?

With Semenyo added to the fold, there’s a sense Liverpool would have all they need to come together and hit that vein of form which would carry them to titles and sustained success.

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