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At times last season, Newcastle was simply devastating in front of goal. Eddie Howe’s free-scoring Magpies netted three or more times in 11 different Premier League matches.

This scintillating potency meant that the club secured Champions League football for the first time in 20 years.

Much of their attacking impetus is owed to the magnificent form of Callum Wilson.

In 21 top-flight starts, the 31-year-old scored on an incredible 18 occasions.

It is an even more impressive feat when considering is one of the few regular starters to survive the recent takeover – a testament to his quality and value to the team.

However, with the Magpies needing to juggle domestic and European football, they need to add as much depth as possible.

One name that’s been suggested to follow in the footsteps of Sandro Tonali by securing a move to Tyneside is Elye Wahi.

What’s the latest on Elye Wahi to Newcastle United?

According to Foot Mercato (via The Hard Tackle), Newcastle, as well as Arsenal and Chelsea are involved in a transfer tussle for the signature of Wahi.

The 20-year-old’s contract doesn’t expire until 2025 and Montpellier has reportedly made it clear that they are unwilling to do business for less than €40m (£34m).

Why should Newcastle United sign Elye Wahi?

The Frenchman rose to national prominence when he was a youth player at Caen, scoring 89 goals in the 2016/17 season at U14 and U15 levels.

As a result, he eventually moved to Montpellier and signed his first professional contract with the club in October 2019. The forward then made history in January 2021 when he became the club’s second-ever youngest goalscorer at the age of 18 years and 13 days.

This season, the youngster has been at his most productive, with 25 goal contributions in 33 Ligue 1 appearances. This included a strike in December 2022 in a 2-0 win over Lorient, which was the 20th goal in top-flight French football, meaning he is the second teenager after only Kylian Mbappe to reach the milestone in the last 40 years.

His prolific form meant that the £1.6k-per-week star bags 0.68 goals per 90, with a 37% conversion rate.

Ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo has highlighted Wahi’s class, saying: "He is a powerful, athletic, and fast player with a range of dribbling skills where only he knows what he is going to do next.”

This praise has been echoed by Montpellier manager Michel Der Zakarian, who added: “He is able to dribble, he has speed, he has a good heading game, he is able to score with both feet. He has a good palette.”

A player of this quality can provide excellent competition for Wilson, who is gloriously thriving at Newcastle.

He ranks within the top 4% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90 and Howe has recognised his influence, saying: “He’s a hugely important part of our team, a focal point. We rely not just on his goals but his movement, his work rate. His appearance in the team gave us confidence.”

If the north-west giants can flaunt both of these wondrous attacking talents at the club come August, they will be well-equipped to deal with any challenge thrown at them.

Australia were bowled out for 137 in their second innings, leaving India with 87 more to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on a fizzing Dharamsala pitch

The Report by Daniel Brettig27-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:22

Chappell: Umesh Yadav has been a hero this season

Australia’s batsmen froze in the spotlight of the opportunity to press for a series-sealing victory over India, leaving the hosts needing a mere 87 to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on day four in Dharamsala. The surprise for the hosts and source of regret for the visitors was that wickets to pace, not spin, dictated the course of the day.Starting their second innings 32 runs behind, Australia lost David Warner, Steven Smith and Matt Renshaw while still in deficit and were ultimately rounded up for a measly 137. Only Glenn Maxwell offered any prolonged resistance, the rest stuck in quicksand against Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.Umesh and Bhuvneshwar in particular made a mighty impact, making the new ball kick, jump and jag in such a way that Warner and Renshaw were utterly spooked, while Smith’s series ended with an attempt to assert himself that ended with a misjudged pull shot and scattered stumps. Ashwin and Jadeja were then left to separate Maxwell and Peter Handscomb before mopping up the rest.Jadeja and Wriddhiman Saha had earlier put together a priceless partnership to push India into the lead before Australia struck in the minutes before lunch. As had been the case in Ranchi, India’s seventh-wicket stand was a thorn in Australian sides, lifting the hosts from an overnight deficit of 52 to an advantage of 18 before the visitors were able to find a wicket. Jadeja’s innings maintained his up surge not only as the world’s No. 1 ranked bowler, but also as a batting talent.He had solid support from Saha, who was fortunate to still be at the crease given Matt Renshaw’s drop off the bowling of Cummins on the second evening. It was ultimately Cummins who ended the stand by coaxing Jadeja to drag onto the stumps, before also claiming Saha with a spiteful bouncer that the wicketkeeper gloved into the outstretched right hand of Steven Smith at second slip.These wickets feel either side of O’Keefe finding some turn in his first over of the session to defeat Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with Smith claiming the catch. He had refrained from using O’Keefe while Jadeja was at the crease, a measure of the respect Australia had for the left-hander’s potential to score quickly.Australia thought they had a wicket with the first ball of the morning, when Cummins angled across Jadeja and there was a noise as the ball passed the bat. The umpire Marais Erasmus raised his finger instantly, but Jadeja reviewed just as fast. Replays showed the bat had brushed his back pad rather than the ball, the decision reversed.With the ball still new, it swung and bounced disconcertingly at times, requiring all of Jadeja’s skill to keep down. Saha proved an effective partner, and the scoring rate rose dangerously for an Australian side conscious of not giving up too much of a lead. At the same time, Smith and his bowlers were straining for wickets, as evidenced by an ambitious referral for lbw against Saha by Josh Hazlewood off an inside edge, and also a preponderance of niggling chatter between bowlers and batsmen.Not for the first time, Cummins took it upon himself to generate something, and did so by going around the wicket to Jadeja after he had hooked a pair of short balls in his previous over. Jadeja’s middle stump was knocked back, and he was soon to be joined by Bhuvneshwar and then Saha.Steven Smith’s sensational series with the bat ended at 499 runs•Associated PressKuldeep Yadav added a pesky few runs with the last man Umesh before Nathan Lyon returned to the bowling crease. He had Kuldeep caught at deep backward square leg on the sweep with his first ball. That gave Lyon a deserved five-wicket haul, and left the touring batsmen to contemplate the best way to build a lead.They would have expected a few difficult overs from the pacemen but not the fusillade fired down by Bhuvneshwar and Umesh that did for Warner, Smith and Renshaw. Warner was struck one stinging blow on the shoulder by a Bhuvneshwar short ball that climbed sharply, was dropped for a second time in the match by Karun Nair, and did not get far enough across his crease to avoid edging Umesh the following over.Smith seemed intent on domination, sending his first ball to the boundary behind square leg then lining up Bhuvneshwar’s short and full deliveries. But his attempt to carry on brought a miscalculation and an ugly drag onto the stumps – Smith finished the series with a laudable 499 runs but the sense of an unfinished last innings.Renshaw’s dropped catches and cheap first-innings dismissal had conveyed something of fatigue on his first overseas tour having played so maturely earlier in the series. Now he fiddled at an Umesh delivery he may have left at another time. Australia were three down and still a run in deficit.For a time, Handscomb and Maxwell appeared capable of forging a major stand. Maxwell was the aggressor and Handscomb the accumulator, and the left-arm wristspin of Kuldeep was withdrawn by Ajinkya Rahane after being effectively neutralised. However in the final few minutes of the session, Ashwin found Handscomb’s outside edge with an offbreak that jumped without turning, then Shaun Marsh – beset by a back injury – bunted lamely to short leg.Maxwell loomed as the key to Australia’s chances when the evening session began, and after Wade evaded an early lbw appeal and referral, Maxwell was given out to Ashwin when he tucked his bat behind his pad. The review showed umpire’s call for both impact with the pad and projected path towards the stumps.Cummins and Wade then tried to steady the innings, but became trapped into scorelessness in a way that meant the Australian lead did not appreciably grow relative to the time they spent at the crease. So when Cummins fell to Jadeja, the lead was still well short of 100, and it remained there through the swift dismissals of O’Keefe and Lyon.Finally Wade showed more intent in Hazlewood’s company, until the paceman was deceived twice by Ashwin. The first occasion seemingly to a catch at second slip, but replays showed M Vijay had grounded the ball and so the players returned to the middle for another two balls, this time to see the umpire Ian Gould’s finger raised for an lbw.Vijay and KL Rahul were left with six overs to the close. They negotiated them with a level of comfort that underlined not only how well Umesh and Bhuvneshwar had bowled, but also how Smith’s Australians had squandered the sort of chance they had been fighting to have all series.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier League matches held on April 17, 2017

Mohammad Isam17-Apr-2017Mushfiqur Rahim picked up his second successive Player-of-the-Match award after his eighth List-A hundred set up Legends of Rupganj’s 68-run win over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at the BKSP-4 ground in Savar.Mushfiqur struck 14 fours and a six during his run-a-ball 134, and in the process he added 225 runs for the third wicket with Naeem Islam who also struck a century. He made 103 off 118 balls, hitting seven fours and a six. Mashrafe Mortaza, Jalaj Saxena and Mohammad Sharif then combined to get Rupganj over the 300-run mark.Despite losing Imrul Kayes in the second over, Dhanmondi remained on track with Mahbubul Karim and Fazle Mahmud adding 54 for the second wicket. But while five out of their top eight batsmen went past 20 runs, the highest scorer was Ziaur Rahman with 42. They folded for 237 in the 47th over.For Rupganj, Mohammad Sharif, Naeem, Mosharraf Hossain and Asif Hasan took two wickets each.File photo – Nazmul Hossain Shanto struck a match-winning century for Abahani as they beat Partex•ICCNazmul Hossain Shanto’s unbeaten century helped Abahani Limited brush aside Partex Sporting Club by seven wickets at the BKSP-3 ground in Savar. He hit five fours and four sixes during his 109-ball effort, taking the defending champions to their 235-run target with 11.3 overs to spare.Abahani had lost two early wickets in the chase but Shanto and Mahmudullah added 150 runs for the third wicket to bring them close to the target. Mahmudullah made 77 off 52 balls with five fours and as many sixes. Shanto and Mosaddek Hossain sealed the win with an unbroken stand of 44 for the fourth wicket.Partex had earlier posted 234 for 7 in 50 overs, with Jubair Ahmed top-scoring with an unbeaten 50 off 69 balls at No.6. For Abahani, Mohammad Saifuddin and Shuvagata Hom had taken two wickets each.File photo – Arafat Sunny took a four-wicket haul as Brothers Union were restricted to 246•AFPImtiaz Hossain fell one short of a century, but his knock helped Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club (DPSC) complete a four-wicket win over Brothers Union at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium. Imtiaz, who plays for Sylhet in the National Cricket League, struck nine fours and two sixes during his 143-ball innings.Imtiaz added 86 for the first wicket with Abdul Mazid who chipped in with 45. DPSC lost wickets at regular intervals but kept up with the scoring rate, until Farhad Reza and Sharifullah got them home with nine balls to spare. Mohammad Saddam took three wickets while Nihaduzzaman picked up two wickets.Earlier, Brothers Union too had got off to a great start with their Rajshahi opening pair of Mizanur Rahman and Junaid Siddique putting up 113 up front. Mizanur made 57, while Junaid top scored with 87. However, Brothers Union couldn’t capitalize on the good start, and were ultimately restricted to 246 for 9 in 50 overs.Arafat Sunny took four wickets, following up his five-for against Partex Sporting Club in their previous encounter. Offspinners Sharifullah and Enamul Haque also took two wickets each.

Martin Odegaard's agent, Bjorn Tore Kvarme, was spotted at Anfield as Liverpool Legends locked horns with Chelsea Heroes on Saturday.

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Liverpool hosted Chelsea in a charity matchThe Reds won 2-0 thanks to a Peter Crouch braceKvarme was spotted on the benchFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kvarme’s appearance at Anfield caught the attention of Arsenal fans. Last year, Kvarme was also involved in another Liverpool Legends match, when the Reds faced Ajax in a special tribute game. That occasion was even more emotional, as it provided the late Sven-Goran Eriksson with the opportunity to fulfill his dream of managing Liverpool while bravely battling cancer.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE EXPLANATION

However, there is little to worry about for the Gunners as the 52-year-old, who played for Liverpool between 1997 and 1999, was simply returning to represent his former club in the annual LFC Foundation charity match, with the Norwegian being included on the bench for the legends' game.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Legends' game featured an impressive lineup of former Liverpool greats, including Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypiä, and Jerzy Dudek. The clash ended 2-0 in Liverpool’s favour, with former England striker Peter Crouch scoring twice. This gave him the chance to belt out his iconic robot celebration in front of the Kop. Meanwhile, Natasha Dowie became the first female footballer to feature in a Liverpool Legends match after she was introduced as a first-half substitute for Mohamed Sissoko.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

With a packed stadium, an electric atmosphere, and legendary players rolling back the years, the event proved to be another huge success. But beyond the entertainment on display, the real impact of the match was its contribution to charitable causes. The funds raised from ticket sales and donations will go toward the LFC Foundation, as well as the Chelsea FC Foundation and Chelsea Players’ Trust.

Neymar's national team return has been delayed by yet another injury as Endrick replaces the Santos star in the latest Brazil squad.

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Neymar omitted from Brazil squad Suffered a thigh injuryEndrick replaces Brazil iconFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Brazil fans were buzzing earlier this month after Dorival Junior named Neymar in the latest Brazil squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. The Santos star, who rekindled his love for football following his move from Al-Hilal to Santos in January, was all set to represent the Selecao for the first time since 2024 but a thigh injury has now delayed his return to the national team.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT DORIVAL JUNIOR SAID

"After the evaluations carried out, these players—Neymar Jr., Danilo, and Ederson—are in a recovery process with their respective clubs. Therefore, they won't be ready to represent Brazil in the upcoming FIFA qualifier matches," Brazil head coach Dorival Junior said in a statement.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

With the 33-year-old out with injury, Real Madrid wonderkid Endrick has been called up to the national team. Alex Sandro and Lucas Perri, on the other hand, have been named as replacements for Danilo and Ederson. Neymar's last appearance for Brazil was back in September 2023 against Uruguay in a World Cup qualifying match where he suffered an ACL injury and remained sidelined for more than a year.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Brazil are scheduled to face Colombia on March 21 and five days later they will lock horns against arch-rivals and reigning world champions Argentina.

Still yet to agree a new deal with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool are now reportedly keeping tabs on a potential replacement for their star right-back.

Liverpool transfer news

With the Merseyside derby postponed thanks to Storm Darragh, Liverpool have been given a much-needed weekend off amid growing injury issues and a frustrating 3-3 draw against Newcastle United last time out.

Conceding late on courtesy of Fabian Schar and an extremely rare Caoimhin Kelleher mistake in the dying embers, the Reds were denied the chance to bounce back against Everton, leaving the Anfield side to turn their attention towards Lille in the Champions League.

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, another storm continues to brew. As things stand, Liverpool are set to lose Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Alexander-Arnold on free deals at the end of the season, having so far failed to agree a new deal with any of the big three. And whilst there have been some positive updates regarding Van Dijk and Salah, it’s been silent on the Alexander-Arnold front.

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It looks as though those at Anfield are preparing for the worst, too. According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Liverpool are keeping tabs on Martim Fernandes following his recent Porto rise. The 18-year-old right-back could emerge to replace Alexander-Arnold and hand Arne Slot an option down the right-hand side for years to come.

Of course, replacing Alexander-Arnold will be no easy task if it does get to that point, but Fernandes may be a solid candidate given his age. At 18 years old, Slot could quickly mould the Porto gem into the style of full-back that he would prefer Liverpool to utilise.

"Exciting" Fernandes is one to watch

If Liverpool’s main focus is on replacing Alexander-Arnold’s attacking influence, it’s no surprise that Fernandes is beginning to steal the headlines. The Porto teenager has assisted four goals in all competitions to match the Anfield star’s tally stride for stride. Described as “one of the most exciting full-backs in world football” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, Fernandes is undoubtedly one to watch.

Losing their current star but gaining the younger Fernandes to compete for a starting place alongside the equally impressive Conor Bradley could help to ease the blow caused by an Alexander-Arnold exit.

Top of the Premier League but with the dark cloud of contract failures lurking above them, Liverpool should be in for a hectic few months. Whether that results in some much-needed good news on the renewal front or the arrival of fresh faces remains to be seen at Anfield.

It is believed that the ECB, CA, CWI and PCB were in favour; indications are that BCCI is not in direct opposition

Osman Samiuddin10-Apr-2022Ramiz Raja’s proposal for a quadrangular T20 event may have acquired some non-specific support ahead of his presentation of the plans to the ICC Board on Saturday.Ramiz, the PCB chairman, will present an idea for an annual tournament involving Pakistan, India, Australia and England, but one, he says, will create revenue for all members. The plans also call for the ICC to run the event.Though this specific plan seems unlikely to become reality – at least not in its current formulation that would require India and Pakistan to play regularly and exclude eight full members – it does appear to have prompted greater support for the idea that members be able to organise their own quadrangular tournaments.Related

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As ICC regulations on the sanctioning of events currently stand, any tournament involving “the National Representative Teams of more than three National Cricket Federations” is deemed to mean an ICC event – meaning that it is run by the ICC and sold commercially as an ICC event, from which the proceeds are divided between members.Though Ramiz’s plan foresees precisely that – that the ICC controls the event – the Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) meeting on Friday in Dubai saw CEOs advocating the idea of members being able to organise their own quadrangular events.According to two officials aware of developments at the meeting, a number of boards backed the idea. It is by no means unanimous support, but it is believed that the cricket boards of England (ECB), Australia (CA), West Indies (CWI) and Pakistan (PCB) were in favour. One official said Tom Harrison, the ECB’s CEO, brought up the idea at the meeting.Harrison’s pitch is not thought to be linked specifically to Ramiz’s plans but one PCB official did call it a “kind of a win for us” as it shows the idea of a quadrangular tournament has caught the imagination of boards. It isn’t clear what the BCCI’s stance was at the CEC, though indications are that they are not in direct opposition: Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president, was actually the first to propose such a four-nation Super Series back in December 2019.How far the idea goes depends on the level of support among the CEC. It is thought a clear majority would need to agree, before putting a proposal forward to the Board and only once it is agreed upon at the Board level can the regulation regarding the sanctioning of events be changed.The question of quadrangular events would have come up at the Board meeting in any case because Ramiz was always going to make his presentation there. But that presentation now may span out into a wider discussion.

The past six games have been simply unfathomable for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side have been on an abysmal run of form, and are currently winless in their last six games. Five of those have been defeats, with Tuesday night’s draw against Feyenoord the only game that wasn’t a loss. Even then, they threw away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3.

Things are not going to get any easier, with a trip to Anfield to face table toppers Liverpool on the cards this afternoon. Guardiola simply needs a response from his side, as they look to put an end to this shocking run.

The legendary Spanish boss will surely want his underperformers against Feyenoord to up their game against Arne Slot’s side.

Man City’s worst performers vs Feyenoord

One of the players who struggled most against the Dutch side was goalkeeper Ederson. The Brazilian has had a tough time of things this season, and the game against Feyenoord was no different.

One could argue the City number 31 was at fault for all two of the three goals. For the first, he was sold down the river by a poor backpass and allowed Anis Hadj Moussa an easy finish.

He failed to stop the cross for the second goal, and rashly missed a headed clearance for the equaliser, being caught in no man’s land. It was a hugely disappointing night’s work.

Josko Gvardiol also had a poor performance against the Dutch outfit, after a tough few weeks from a defensive standpoint.

The Croatian received a 4/10 rating from GOAL journalist Richard Martin, who explained he ‘made his worst blunder of a bad week’ to give the visitors a route back into the game. It was his mistake which led to the first goal.

Jack Grealish was another player who struggled against Feyenoord. In his first start since a return from injury, Grealish did not make an impact. As per Sofascore, he lost the ball 13 times, failed to complete a dribble from three attempted and hit the bar, with his shot deflecting off Phil Foden.

Guardiola is not afraid to make some shock selections, and he could drop Grealish for the trip to Anfield and give a start to one of the City academy’s most exciting players.

The Man City starlet who could start at Anfield

The player in question here is Cityzens academy graduate James McAtee. The young attacker has not had many opportunities this term, despite the fact he has finally broken into the first team under Guardiola after a few loan spells to Sheffield United.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder has played seven times so far this term, getting a goal, his first in City colours, against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League.

His total number of appearances this season equates to half of the amount he has played for his boyhood club across his whole career. Frustratingly for McAtee, he has managed just 332 minutes in all competitions, and just one in the Premier League.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

With that in mind, the City boss may not pick him based on current form, but the ability he showed during his two seasons on loan at Sheffield United. The Salford-born midfielder played 75 times for the club in both the Championship and Premier League.

Season

Competition

Games

G/A

2022/23

Championship

37

12

2022/23

FA Cup

5

1

2022/23

EFL Cup

1

0

2023/24

Premier League

30

6

2023/24

FA Cup

2

3

Football presenter Dougie Critchley described McAtee as a “very special” footballer, and that was certainly on show during his two seasons with the Blades. He is a smart player, who thrives in small spaces and loves to carry the ball.

Starting McAtee ahead of Grealish at Anfield would certainly be considered a bold move by Guardiola. With that being said, the youngster is clearly a talented player and could be the catalyst City need to get themselves out of this poor run of form they are on.

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Roberto Firmino played along well with a joke when a handful of lookalike footballers approached him. The former Liverpool forward laughed and embraced a number of people posing as his former team-mates, including Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker. The Brazilian even shook hands with two men appearing to resemble Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.

Firmino enjoys joke

Firmino, who currently plays his football in the Qatar Stars League for Al Sadd, was surprised to be approached in a parking lot initially by a man dressed in a Liverpool shirt with Van Dijk’s name on the back. The forward then saw the humorous side of the joke when the following ensemble of footballing ‘stars’ followed in the Dutch defender lookalike’s footsteps.

The video of the encounter was posted on social media and fans enjoyed seeing Firmino ‘reunite’ with his old team-mates. The Brazilian won the Premier League and Champions League with the likes of Van Dijk and Alisson, and will have enjoyed seeing familiar faces, even if not the real footballers.

AdvertisementWatch the clipFirmino enjoying playing in Middle East

Firmino left Liverpool in 2023 as a legend, having won every possible trophy up for grabs with the Reds. The Brazilian then spent a couple of years in Saudi Arabia, playing for Al-Ahli alongside the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, Franck Kessie and Allan Saint-Maximin. He formed part of the first-ever Al-Ahli squad to lift the AFC Champions League Elite trophy, capping off a successful, short spell at the club.

The forward then signed a two-year deal with Al-Sadd, moving to Qatar, and is playing alongside former Premier League defender Romain Saiss. Also playing in the Qatar Stars League are Marco Veratti, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Julian Draxler and Krzysztof Piatek.

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AFPLiverpool's new striker woes

Liverpool will be wishing that they had Firmino back in their squad firing on all cylinders like he once did. Arne Slot’s side have been struggling in the Premier League this season and have been unable to replicate the form which saw them rampage to the title in 2024-25.

Alexander Isak has not been a success at Anfield yet, despite his major money switch from Newcastle in the summer, and Slot may have wished someone like Firmino, who struggled to settle initially in Merseyside, could be on hand to offer some wise words to the floundering Swedish striker.

Firmino will return to action with Al Sadd in the AFC Champions League next week as they host Shabab Al-Ahli. The Brazilian’s team then turn their attentions back to the Qatar Stars League, where they sit fourth in the table, trailing leaders Al-Gharafa by eight points.

England opener believes defending champions can upset Australia in their opening game, despite chastening Ashes defeat

Valkerie Baynes02-Mar-2022England’s World Cup rivals may write them off at their peril when the tournament kicks off in New Zealand this week, Tammy Beaumont says.Beaumont believes defending champions England have the ability to upset Australia, the runaway title favourites, in their tournament opener despite suffering a chastening Ashes series defeat last month. England were beaten 12-4 in the multi-format series, with their only points coming from two washed-out T20Is and the drawn Test. The tourists were bowled out for modest totals in all three of their ODI matches with the Australians sweeping that leg of the series 3-0.Related

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“I feel like a lot of people have sort of written us off in a way,” Beaumont said. “I remember we had a lot of people trying to call us favourites last time and you know, we’re still the holders of the World Cup, so I think you write us off at your peril really.”To go back-to-back and retain your trophy away from home is always difficult, although I think the conditions in New Zealand are quite similar to home. Winning a World Cup at any time is a massive achievement but particularly when we’ve gone through Covid and all the bubbles and restrictions and stuff like that for the last two years, to come out here and hopefully perform really well will be a good testament to the team.”Beaumont said England’s World Cup preparations had run more smoothly than the lead-up to the Ashes in which training and warm-up matches were badly affected by rain once the squad had emerged from strict Covid-prevention measures and quarantine. Since their New Zealand quarantine period ended three days early following an easing of government guidelines, England have defeated Bangladesh by 109 runs in their first warm-up fixture and South Africa by six wickets in the second, which was reduced to 35 overs per side because of rain.England begin their World Cup campaign on Saturday and Beaumont backed her side to turn the tables against Australia.”I guess we know their plans,” Beaumont said. “So we’re ready to go against them. You’ve got to play everyone at some point. We played India the first game of the last World Cup and lost, and it didn’t necessarily affect us.”We’ll take on Australia, I think on our day we can beat them. We’re in a good place at the moment to go into that game regardless of the Ashes results, but yeah, I don’t think one game is going to necessarily ruin your World Cup hopes, hopefully. It’s a good time to get back out there and give it a good crack.”Tammy Beaumont has been a vital presence for England as an opener•Getty ImagesAs in the last World Cup, Lauren Winfield-Hill is expected to accompany Beaumont at the top of the order, having come into form during the warm-up clashes with a half-century against Bangladesh – she scored 14 off 15 against South Africa – after a protracted battle to post a big score. In 11 ODI innings since the start of last year, she is averaging 25.63 and hasn’t reached fifty in the format for more than five years.Debutant Emma Lamb replaced Winfield-Hill for the third ODI in Australia – the final fixture of the Ashes tour – but fell for a second-ball duck, leaving selectors without a convincing argument to make a longer-term switch for the World Cup.Beaumont’s highest score during the Ashes was 50 in the third ODI, but she has been a vital presence as an opener since before England’s 2017 World Cup triumph.England are also looking for their middle order to gel amid a dearth of regular contributors dating back to their home series against New Zealand towards the end of last year, which the hosts still managed to win 4-1.”I don’t think the problem has just been in the middle order,” Beaumont said. “Everyone has got to take accountability. I didn’t have the best series with the bat in the Ashes so I think everyone’s got to step up.”We’ve had some really good chats about not necessarily just what we need to do but actually how we need to do it and we need to get back to playing quite aggressive cricket and taking the game on. Today you saw Lauren really go for it up front and then it’s easier for the others to follow in and the middle order to really get stuck in when they’re not behind the eight ball.”I think in the Ashes constantly we as the top order were putting an incredible amount of pressure on that middle order to kind of mop up the mess we’d made so for me, it’s accountability for the whole top order really and the middle order.”