يخوض نادي ليفربول المنافس في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز مباراة قوية مساء اليوم، الخميس، أمام توتنهام في الجولة العشرين على ملعب “توتنهام هوتسبر” في العاصمة البريطانية “لندن”.

وتنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” بقيادة الحكم الدولي، مايكل أتكينسون.

ويسعى ليفربول في تلك المباراة للعودة إلى النتائج الإيجابية بعد غياب الفوز عن الفريق الإنجليزي في البطولة المحلية في آخر 5 مباريات، بالإضافة إلى الخروج من كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي على يد مانشستر يونايتد يوم، الأحد الماضي.

اقرأ أيضًا | محمد صلاح بعد خسارة مصر أمام الدنمارك: مباراة تاريخية.. فخورون بكم

ولكن هناك معضلة أخرى بسبب هجوم ليفربول الحالي وخاصة، محمد صلاح، الذي لم يسجل في آخر 5 مباريات أيضًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ولكنه يظل على رأس قائمة الهدافين في البطولة برصيد 13 هدفا حتى الآن.

وبالتالي، يرغب محمد صلاح في استغلال صحوته في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي وتسجيله هدفين في مرمى مانشستر يونايتد رغم الخسارة 2-3، للعودة مرة أخرى للتسجيل في الدوري الممتاز.

تسجيل محمد صلاح لهدف جديد مع ليفربول اليوم يعني وصوله إلى 20 هدفًا، وهذا يمنحه فرصة الانضمام إلى 4 أساطير من النادي الإنجليزي قد نجحوا في تسجيل 20 هدفًا أو أكثر في 4 مواسم متتالية.

حتى الآن، نجح محمد صلاح في تسجيل 19 هدفًا في جميع البطولات التي خاضها مع ليفربول هذا الموسم بإجمالي 113 هدفا في 180 مباراة فقط، بحسب صحيفة “مترو” البريطانية.

وإليكم أرقام الأساطير الأربع الذين سجلوا 20 هدفا أو أكثر في 4 مواسم أو ما يزيد:

1- جوردون هودسون سجل أكثر من 20 هدفًا في كل موسم من 5 مواسم متتالية من الفترة بين 1930 وحتى 1935.

2- بيلي ليدل سجل أكثر من 20 هدفا في كل موسم من 4 مواسم في الفترة بين 1954 وحتى 1958.

3- روجر هانت سجل أكثر من 20 هدفًا في 5 مواسم متتالية في فترة الستينيات من القرن الماضي.

4- إيان راش سجل أكثر من 20 هدفًا في 6 مواسم متتالية ما بين 1981 وحتى 1987 قبل الرحيل إلى يوفنتوس.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Jackie McNamara thinks Rangers midfielder Greg Docherty could be about to get his chance to impress Steven Gerrard in competitive action, as reported by website Football Insider.

What’s he said?

Gerrard has moved to strengthen his midfield significantly from the one he acquired last summer.

Arrivals such as Scott Arfield, Steven Davis, Glen Kamara and, most recently, Joe Aribo have given him plenty of options beyond already established players like Ryan Jack.

One player who hasn’t had a look in is Greg Docherty, who was shipped off on loan to Shrewsbury Town in 2018 without getting the chance under the then new Rangers boss.

McNamara thinks, however, that his return this summer and involvement in pre-season bodes well for his Ibrox future.

As quoted by Football Insider, the former Scotland international said:

“There’s some coming back from injury like (Graham) Dorrans, (Jamie) Murphy doesn’t look too far away – they are quite heavy in that midfield area.

“Docherty’s back as well that was on loan. The fact that he’s brought him back, I think he doesn’t send him out on loan or sell him.

“He’s put another lad out, he’s put (Ross) McCrorie out, so it suggests he’s (Docherty) done well to get an opportunity and be in the squad.”

Can Docherty get regular action?

As McNamara notes, the exit of McCrorie to Portsmouth for the season on loan should free up a bit of space for Docherty to at least move up the midfield pecking order.

McCrorie made 31 appearances last season and while you would expect new signing Aribo to mop up the majority of those, the former Hamilton man Docherty should at least be more involved than frozen out on the fringes of the first-team squad.

The 22-year-old made 50 appearances on loan at the Shrews last term, scoring ten goals, assisting ten more and winning their player of the season award.

Clearly a hit in English League One, he deserves a chance to show what he can do for the Gers before any decision is made on his future at Ibrox.

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Christian Eriksen’s Tottenham Hotspur future remains up in the air this summer.

The Spurs playmaker has not been the subject of a single bid in this transfer window, per The Guardian, despite airing his desire to leave after the Champions League final defeat to Liverpool.

It remains to be seen if Real Madrid will move for him – they have also been heavily linked with Manchester United’s Paul Pogba, per the aforementioned report – but would Spurs actually be better off by pushing him out of the exit door this summer?

There are a number of positives to consider, which Football FanCast runs through below!

[snack_break title=”The money”]

This one is obvious.

Reports suggest that Daniel Levy values the Denmark international at around €100m (£89.9m) and such a figure could be immediately reinvested into the playing squad.

However, Madrid are reportedly only willing to stump up €80m (£72.2m), which is still a considerable figure for a player entering the final year of his contract.

Spurs have already smashed their transfer record this summer to sign Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon and one feels that they may need a bit of help as they look for further reinforcements.

Links with Giovani Lo Celso and Dani Ceballos of Real Betis and Real Madrid respectively persist and, while the latter could join on loan, the former has a release clause of £88m.

That money does not grow on a tree at Spurs’ training ground.

Selling Eriksen, then, and adding the cash to the coffers would see Spurs cover a significant portion of the fee required to sign Lo Celso.

If Mauricio Pochettino believes the Betis man is better than Eriksen, that feels like a no-brainer.

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Dele Alli is not a winger.

This has been much discussed but he was often pushed out to the flank to make room for Eriksen throughout the 2018/19 season and his output suffered as a result.

He scored just five Premier League goals last season and provided three assists.

Compare that to 2016/17, when he primarily played off the shoulder of striker Harry Kane: he scored 18 Premier League goals and registered nine assists.

The difference is night and day and selling Eriksen could free up a spot at No.10, particularly if Lo Celso isn’t signed.

The Dane’s departure could be just what the England international needs.

[snack_break title=”Lo Celso and Ceballos”]

It is difficult to imagine that both players will come in if Eriksen doesn’t go.

Ceballos, as mentioned above, is a target for Spurs.

But to bring in Lo Celso, too, one feels that Eriksen will have to depart, otherwise, they face a severe overload of attacking midfielders.

It may not be too much of a bad thing, though.

Lo Celso enjoyed a sensational season with Betis while Ceballos would offer a deeper-lying alternative to Harry Winks, who has not had a lot of support in recent months.

[snack_break title=”Proper back-up”]

Eriksen has basically been forced to play every game at Spurs when he’s fit.

The club haven’t had a proper alternative in the No.10 role for quite some time, perhaps since Clint Dempsey left the club.

And now, irony of ironies, it could happen as soon as he departs.

Indeed, both Lo Celso and Ceballos can play in the role, as can Alli, and it would mean that Spurs fans no longer have to watch a mid-season blip from their one-and-only creative hub.

Eriksen, after all, played 51 times in all competitions last season; he made 47 appearances in 2017/18 and 48 in 2016/17.

It is no wonder he was tired.

[snack_break title=”Winks further forward”]

Harry Winks needs to add another string to his bow.

A truly excellent water-carrier in midfield, his statistics are unspectacular and he failed to register a single assist last season.

Eriksen’s departure, though, could see him move further forward, with Mauricio Pochettino spreading the creative responsibility throughout the team.

One feels that Winks can become an excellent vertical midfielder, looking to break the lines and pass through teams, instead of merely offloading the ball to the nearest runner.

This is not to say that he will suddenly become an attacking midfielder, but he could well flourish in a role with more attacking requirements.

Playing alongside both Ndombele and Moussa Sissoko in midfield, he will certainly have the bruising support needed to venture forward every now and again.

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According to the Daily Mail, Ryan Bertrand has attracted interest from both Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid with Southampton open to bids for the left-back.

What’s the deal, then?

The 29-year-old has two years left on his contract but, according to the Daily Mail, Saints are keen to move him on and give academy graduate full-back Matt Targett a consistent run in the starting XI.

Manchester City showed interest for Bertrand in 2017 and 2018, but both times Pep Guardiola’s side were told he was not for sale.

But now it appears the south coast side are open to offers to take him away from St Mary’s in what they are hoping will be a deal worth around £15million.

Selling Bertrand a risk Hasenhuttl should be reluctant to take

When you look at the statistics it is pretty damning that Bertrand is clearly not an improving player – which is not a surprise given he is nearly in his 30s.

The former Chelsea man failed to provide a single assist last season, compared to his previous three seasons where he had managed at least four in each campaign.

With that being said, players with the experience that Bertrand has – he has made appearances in 10 different Premier League seasons since the age of 21 – are imperative to a side who have stared relegation in the face for the past two seasons.

Hasenhuttl said in an interview with Bild last week that his transfer policy this summer was to sign players between the ages of 20 and 24, and he has already made one of those with the acquisition of Moussa Djenepo.

But with that comes the need for older heads who can use their knowledge and maturity to keep things on an even keel on the pitch and in the dressing room.

Southampton’s new man Moussa Djenepo divides opinion amongst fans in the video below…

It is a positive sign for Saints fans that Hasenhuttl is set on building a young, hungry squad.

But he should not get carried away with that narrative at the expense of seasoned pros such as Bertrand.

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Just two days after Benfica had sold the mercurial 15-goal talent of Joao Felix for £113m, they were to part ways with another of their young attacking players.

This time there was no large fee involved, nor was it a permanent transfer. Instead, a player who was once one of their best players in Filip Krovinovic packed his bags and headed off to English shores

The 23-year-old joined West Brom on loan last week, presumably fresh with the knowledge that it would be a considerable step-down.

After all, this is an attacking midfielder who has gone from playing continental football to now plying his trade in the Championship.

He’s not the first to make a similar move, however. Joao Carvalho joined Nottingham Forest last summer from the Portuguese giants, scoring four goals and claiming eight assists.

If Krovinovic can come close to that he will surely be considered a success.

But the truth is, the Croatian has never yet reached those heights, even in Portugal. In his time playing in Liga NOS, he’s scored six goals and laid on five assists in 52 matches.

However, that doesn’t tell the full story of a player who has had a rather unfortunate career to date.

The creative midfielder arrives off the back of a season in which he played just four times in the league, struggling to bounce back from a horrendous cruciate ligament rupture.

The injury kept him out for almost the entirety of 2018, missing 33 games and 288 days of football.

His spell on the sidelines would have been a lonely one but he now has a chance of rejuvenation. Under fellow Croatian Slaven Bilic, a loan spell with West Brom could be exactly what he needs.

He may not boast the greatest numbers in terms of goals and assists but he certainly arrives with a reputation.

Krovinovic was so impressive before his injury that his absence was argued as one of the reasons why Benfica didn’t win the title in 2017/18 by Portuguese football expert Alex Goncalves.

Speaking to Express & Star, he waxed lyrical about the midfielder, even comparing his technical qualities to Kevin De Bruyne.

Goncalves said: “Not that he’s on the same level by any means at all, but in terms of style, you could say that there are certainly some comparisons to be made with someone like Kevin De Bruyne.

“He’s technically gifted, got good passing range and vision, happy to take on a shot and is good with the ball at his feet.

“He certainly likes to play a similar role to the Belgian international, albeit has a long way to go to get to his overall level.”

West Brom, therefore, could have a star on their hands.

Goncalves explained that big things were expected of him when he joined Benfica from Rio Ave, but his career is yet to really take off.

At the age of 23, he is still uncapped at senior level and there is a danger of unrealised potential for Krovinovic.

But in the Championship under Bilic, the stage could well be set for a career transformation.

This is an individual hailed for his creativity and composure, something that Albion are certainly in need of.

The Baggies looked brilliant when they had Harvey Barnes in the team last season. The Leicester man spent the first half of last term on loan, playing as a left midfielder and in an attacking midfield role behind the striker, scoring nine times and picking up seven assists.

No one came close to him in terms of matching that creative quality, as Matt Phillips also struggled with injury.

The signings of Jefferson Montero and Jacob Murphy on loan didn’t go to plan either. The pair of them scored just three times after arriving for temporary stays.

In the latter stages of the season, West Brom lacked a genuine number ten. However, Krovinovic will give them that, and that’s why he could be so crucial going into next term.

Craig Dawson, Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle may all now be elsewhere, but there are certainly reasons to believe Krovinovic can be every bit as influential.

The fact Goncalves labelled him as one of Benfica’s best players in the past provides evidence of that.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

Only time will tell whether he can truly bounce back from injury, but Bilic has got the best out of creative midfielders in the past.

He of course managed Luka Modric when he was in charge of Croatia, whilst he also signed both Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini when he was at West Ham

The former bagged nine and laid on 12 assists in the Premier League after signing for the Hammers whilst the latter scored six himself.

After signing Krovinovic, Bilic is likely to tweak Albion’s formation slightly to accommodate the Croat and in that number ten role, he could become a key player.

Arguably this signing is a major coup for West Brom and if Bilic can help him rejuvenate his career, they’ll definitely have a much greater chance of achieving promotion next season.

It’s now over to the two of them to muster up something special.

يواصل فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك تدريباته الجماعية، على ملعب عبد اللطيف أبو رجيلة بمقر القلعة البيضاء استعدادًا لمواجهة غزل المحلة.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة غزل المحلة في اللقاء المقرر له الثلاثاء المقبل، في إطار منافسات الجولة الحادية عشرة للدوري المصري الممتاز.

وشهد المران انتظام كل اللاعبين في التدريبات الجماعية، بعد أن أدى الأساسيون في لقاء مصر المقاصة الأخير تدريبات استشفائية على هامش مران أمس.

طالع | هداف الدوري الغاني ومهاجم مصري.. الزمالك يُعلن الثنائي الأقرب لتعويض رحيل مصطفى محمد

وركز الجهاز الفني على رفع معدل اللياقة البدنية للاعبين، ومعالجة الإرهاق، والوصول إلى المستوى البدني المطلوب.

وانتظم محمود حمدي الونش مدافع الزمالك في تدريبات الفريق بشكل طبيعي، بعد أن غاب عن لقاء مصر المقاصة الأخير، بسبب حالة وفاة لأحد أقاربه.

وحرص عبد الحليم علي، مدير الكرة بنادي الزمالك، على عقد جلسة خاصة مع محمود عبد الرحيم “جنش” حارس مرمى الفريق، للتأكيد على أهمية دوره في الفترة الحالية.

وأكد عبد الحليم علي لـ”جنش” خلال الجلسة أن دوره في الزمالك ليس فنيًا فقط، باعتباره أحد قادة الفريق، مطالبًا إياه بضرورة استمرار حالة التكاتف الحالية في ظل المنافسة على مسابقة الدوري وتصدر البطولة.

فيما حصل محمود عبد الرازق شيكابالا صانع ألعاب الزمالك، على راحة من المران الجماعي للفريق واكتفى بأداء بعض التدريبات البدنية، على أن ينتظم غدًا بشكل طبيعي.

كما حرص البرتغالي جيمي باتشيكو على تقسيم تدريبات الزمالك لمجموعتين، أدت المجموعة الأولى التي تشارك بشكل أساسي، بعض الجمل الفنية وسط تعليمات ومتابعة لحظية من المدرب، فيما خاضت المجموعة الثانية تقسيمة فنية لتجهيزهم للمباريات المقبلة.

وخضع أحمد سيد زيزو صانع ألعاب الزمالك لتدريبات منفردة خاصة بالإطالات وبعض التدريبات التأهيلية على هامش مران الفريق، من أجل تخفيف شعور الإجهاد العضلي بسبب تلاحم المباريات.

ويتصدر الزمالك جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 23 نقطة.

Going back in for a former target can go one of two ways. It could either prove that the manager was right all along, or it can show that it was a waste of time and money, and West Ham will be hoping not to fall in the latter.

The Hammers have been relentlessly linked with Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez over the past few months, with Sky Sports News reporting in January that a deal had been agreed between the two parties for the transfer of the Uruguayan, but here we are in June, and still the attacker is being reported with a move to east London via the Evening Standard.

The chase seems to be never-ending for West Ham, and now according to the Daily Star the club could be about to go in for another former transfer target in the form of Real Betis striker Loren Moron, who according to Mundo Deportivo via Hammers News turned down a move to east London last year, and 12 months later, it should be the club now saying no to a deal.

At 6 goals last season in the league, the 25-year-old striker has scored fewer goals than both Marko Arnautovic (10) and Javier Hernandez (7), as well as providing zero assists to his Betis teammates.

Comparing the striker to Arnautovic on WhoScored, Moron is statistically worse than the Austrian in virtually every category. The West Ham striker comes out on top in shots per game (2.2 to 1.8), key passes per game (1.3 to 0.3) and dribbles per game (0.7 to 0.5).

At £35 million per the Daily Star report, Moron would be a poor summer signing for West Ham given how poor he is compared to what the club already have, and if the Irons are to improve this summer in their attack, they should be targeting a striker who is at least on par with Arnautovic.

West Ham fans, who should the club sign this summer? Let us know!

Man United will surely be hoping to see their summer transfer window really kick into gear it the coming weeks.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is trying to oversee a difficult period for the club which could well see a wealth of changes within the Old Trafford club’s squad, as big players seek moves away and the club’s management look for big players to come in and make a difference.

United have as yet only added Daniel James to the ranks, but it is a move which seems to spell out a different transfer strategy from the club.

That strategy seems to be being carried through too with the potential signing of Crystal Palace defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who could be set to join the club in a move worth an initial £42.5m.

And while here in the Tavern we feel it’s a good signing, Wan-Bissaka has shown in recent weeks with England that he is far from the finished product United might seek.

The Red Devils will need to show patience with a player who only burst onto the scene last season at Selhurst Park, with the 21-year-old amassing an impressive 35 Premier League appearances.

However, Wan-Bissaka is still very much a raw talent, and we have seen in the under-21’s for his country this past week that he has a mistake in him, while positionally, he still has a lot to learn. Indeed, Aidy Boothroyd even said the saga surrounding him had an impact on some of his performances.

When we look around the Premier League at the top right backs such as Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool, you’d have to say Wan-Bissaka is some way off reaching that level as it stands, considering the fact the former has played in two European cup finals and the latter has struggled after a mini-transfer saga.

All the tools though are in place for the Palace youngster to succeed at Old Trafford. His pace, athleticism, and ability to create chances – three assists last season is not too shabby at all – all mark him out as someone who can fulfil the needs of the modern full-back.

In the long-term, all the signs point to this being money well spent by United.

Jamie Vardy will start his eighth season at Leicester City in the 2019/20 campaign and is already a legendary figure at the King Power Stadium. His goals played a huge part in Leicester’s unbelievable Premier League title win in the 2015/16 season.

Since then he has reached 100 goals for Leicester and hit double figures in the following three seasons.

Jamie Vardy look-alike Lee Chapman, who can be seen in the video above filling out his Panini Tabloid, is struggling to understand why the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal haven’t signed him yet.

Check out Lee’s thoughts on Vardy in full in the video above.

The Premier League Panini Tabloid is a special commemorative newspaper sticker collection celebrating the exciting new partnership between the greatest league in the world and the legendary name in football publishing, Panini. As the official collectable licensee to the Premier League, Panini are delighted to bring consumers a new era of collectables and the best collecting experience. See more here: http://bit.ly/PaniniFFCEditorial

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Leeds United fans on Twitter are feeling let down after their team unveiled a new kit commemorating 100 years since the club was founded.

The kit was revealed on the social media platform alongside a two-minute video running through some of the most memorable moments in the club’s decorated history.

The 100-year anniversary celebrations have been planned for a while as the Whites unveiled a new crest last year which was to be used, but backlash from the fanbase caused them to reverse their decision.

This kit unveiling hasn’t elicited the same type of response from the fans, but they are still disappointed nonetheless.

The kit sticks with the plain white style which the club have used for years, but it also features a grey trim on the sleeves and the collar.

Fans weren’t pleased with how uninspired the design choice was and they have been taking to social media to share their disappointment.

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Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…