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Justin Verlander is one of the oldest players in MLB, but it doesn't seem as if he's ready to call it a career just yet. Now in the midst of his 20th season, Verlander notched his 3,500th strikeout on Sunday, and is on the verge of moving into the ninth all-time in the category. And despite not picking up a win until his 17th start of the year, he's expecting to be back on the mound in 2026.

Speaking with , Verlander acknowledged his desire to continue pitching in 2026.

"I mean, I'd like to," he said. "At this point in my career, if something goes really wrong, I'm not going to rehab a surgery or anything. I always understand that it could be it, but I think physically, I've shown some good health this season. As I've been on the mound, things have started to get better and better. To me, that's a good sign with all the work I put in after my nerve injury last year, which notoriously takes a long time. The ball's rolling in the right direction, and I would like to continue pitching. You never know. It's a fickle game too, but I think the stuff is still there."

It's not something he's shied away from in the past, and 20 starts into his age-42 season, it's clear Verlander believes he has another year left in him, if not more. Of course, he was ready to admit that a significant injury could change those plans, but if he's blessed with a clean bill of health, he sees no reason why he can't contribute so long as he still has the stuff on the mound.

In 2025, Verlander owns a 4.53 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 99 1/3 innings. He signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Giants in the offseason, so he'll be back in free agency again in the winter, where he'll be hoping at least one team has interest in adding him to the back end of their rotation for what would be his age-43 season.

The KKR match-winner did it all, hit sixes, pick up wickets, run people out and even captain his team

Matt Roller29-Apr-20251:36

Rayudu: Narine completely dismantles oppositions

Anukul Roy turned around to embrace his team-mate. Varun Chakravarthy slapped him on the back. Rahmanullah Gurbaz beamed from ear to ear, while Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh both cheered in celebration. Only Sunil Narine remained unmoved as ‘OUT’ flashed up on the big screens, utterly emotionless as he pursed his lips.It is easy to get caught up in IPL 2025’s delirium: sold-out crowds, bright floodlights, cheerleaders, smoke machines, and the strains of over a deafening public-address system. But Narine has seen and heard it all before across 186 IPL appearances; he will soon overtake Kieron Pollard as the most-capped overseas player in the league’s history.Yet even Narine’s calmness could not conceal the significance of the moment. He has spent most of his career looking utterly ambivalent to the very idea of fielding, but his dead-eye pick-up-and-throw from short fine leg was perfection. It caught KL Rahul just short of his ground at the striker’s end, and put Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on track to defend 204.Related

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Narine's all-round show sets up tense win for KKR

“I’m obviously not the greatest fielder,” Narine said with a smile at the post-match presentation. “But it’s always good to give a good run-out whenever it’s possible.” His thought process, he said, was as simple as it could be: “Just pick up and swing, and throw the ball as hard as possible.”Two nights after a stellar all-round performance from Krunal Pandya defeated Delhi Capitals (DC), Narine delivered an even better one. His run-out came after he had cracked 27 off 16 balls from the top of the order, and shortly before he was pressed into captaincy duties with Rahane (struck on the hand) and Venkatesh Iyer (subbed out) both off the field.KL Rahul was run-out by a direct hit from Sunil Narine•Associated PressBut Narine’s biggest contribution came with the ball. His first 13 balls cost 25 runs, including three towering sixes from Axar Patel; after the third, DC needed 69 off 41 and were ahead of the game. In his next seven deliveries, Narine had put KKR in control: Axar miscued to extra cover, Tristan Stubbs was done on the inside edge, and Faf du Plessis picked out deep midwicket.Narine has been opening the batting on and off in the IPL since 2017, and opposition captains know what to expect from him by now. But his potential to wreak havoc is still enough to make bowlers – and captains – second-guess themselves: after opening the bowling two games in a row, Axar did not dare bring himself on while Narine was at the crease.He hit the first ball he faced for six – a feat nobody has done more often in the IPL – by swinging Dushmantha Chameera straight back over his head, and his opening stand with Rahmanullah Gurbaz was worth 48 in just under three overs. Kevin Pietersen, DC’s mentor, said that Narine’s presence had prompted Axar to give Mitchell Starc a third over in the powerplay; he gave the strike to Rahane, who slog-swept him for six then whipped him for four.And with the ball, Narine remains a banker for any captain under pressure – including, on this occasion, himself. His lengths are typically immaculate, and while analysts now have more than 500 T20 matches worth of footage on Narine across nearly 15 years, batters still struggle to read his variations out of the hand.”He’s been a champion bowler for this franchise,” Rahane said. “It’s so good to have him and Varun in the team: I can always go back to them whenever we are in trouble… He’s been working really hard, coming early for the practice sessions, bowling for hours and hours in the nets.”Tristan Stubbs was bowled by Sunil Narine•Getty ImagesNarine has never been an expressive player: he has very rarely given interviews outside of contractual obligations, and wears his emotions lightly. But it is all too easy to make assumptions about players’ character without knowing them: Andre Russell, the man who has played more with Narine than anyone else, believes he is misunderstood.”He’s very active when he’s on the field,” Russell said. “A lot of guys maybe misjudge him. He’s a quiet individual when he is in a certain environment, where he’s not comfortable. But on the park, he’s a leader. He’s been more talkative over the last five years, and it just goes to show that when you express yourself, you enjoy the game and your performance shows as well.”Narine is largely motivated by “self-pride” at this stage in his career, aged 36. “I always want to be able to give the captain an option that any time you’re in a pressure situation, you have someone – and that comes with hard work,” he said. “If you want to be that kind of player, you have to put in hard work.”If Narine has not quite lived up to his performances of last season, that is largely because he had set himself such a high bar: 488 runs and 17 wickets in a title-winning campaign, securing an unprecedented third MVP award. Even in what has been a relatively quiet year by his standards, Narine sits sixth in ESPNcricinfo’s own MVP rankings.It is easy to take Narine’s consistency for granted, but consider this a mark of his longevity. When KKR first signed Narine at the 2012 auction, Vaibhav Suryavanshi was yet to celebrate his first birthday. Now, Suryavanshi is an IPL centurion for Rajasthan Royals – and Narine is still winning games in purple and gold almost single-handedly.

The Yankees have had a tumultuous start following the trade deadline where they reworked their bullpen and acquired Ryan McMahon to help address their need at third base.

On Friday, new Yankees relievers gave up nine runs in three innings which led to a devastating 13–12 loss to the Marlins on a dribbler that brought in the walk-off run. Then, on Saturday, they were shutout by the Marlins 2–0 where they saw unfortunate mistakes on the base paths.

Major League Baseball held the Speedway Classic Saturday which pitted the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves in the middle of the track at Bristol Motor Speedway. The first-ever MLB game in the state of Tennessee started in a rain delay which allowed the Fox broadcast crew plenty of time to discuss the happenings across the league as they waited out the weather. As part of the broadcast crew, Yankees legend and Hall of Famer Derek Jeter didn't hold back on the team's recent struggles.

"They make way too many mistakes. Way too many mistakes," Jeter said Saturday. "And you can't get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams, it just doesn't happen. They had a baserunning mistake today, we saw the guy get thrown out at home plate.

"You can't continue to do it. You have to clean it up. I mean, it's that simple, there's no excuses. You have to play better. If you don't play better, you're not going to go very far."

Unfortunately for the Yankees, their AL East rival Red Sox won Saturday which moved them ahead of New York in the division standings by half of a game and into the AL's top wild-card spot. With many new deadline additions, it will take some time. After winning the final three games of their four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays during the week, the Yankees dropped the first two in Miami. They have a chance to avoid the sweep in a Sunday matinée at LoanDepot Park.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana has suffered another crushing blow after being left out of Cameroon’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. The 29-year-old has endured a torrid 2025-26 season, having lost his position as Manchester United’s No. 1 before being allowed to move to Turkish side Trabzonspor on a season-long loan in September.

• Onana not included despite Cameroon selecting four 'keepers

  Eyebrows were raised on Monday when Cameroon released their 28-man squad for AFCON, which gets under way on Sunday, 21 December when tournament hosts Morocco take on Comoros. Despite selecting four goalkeepers, Onana was a shock absentee from The Indomitable Lions’ roster.

  Two players who have been included in the squad are United forward Bryan Mbeumo and Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, who was strongly linked with a big-money move to Old Trafford in the summer. Former Tottenham Hotspur winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou – who now plays for Saudi Arabian outfit Diriyah Club – has also been selected by his country.

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• Official: Cameroon's 28-man squad which does not include Onana

  Cameroon squad for the 2025 AFCON:

  Devis Epassy, Simon Omossola, Simon Ngapandouetnbu, Edouard Sombang

  Samuel Junior Kotto, Gerzino Nyamsi, Jean-Charles Castelletto, Nouhou Tolo, Flavien Enzo Boyomo, Nagida Mahamadou, Junior Tchamadeu, Christopher Wooh, Darlin Yongwa

  Martin Ndzie, Carlos Baleba, Arthur Avom, Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe, Fidel Brice Ambina, Danny Namaso, Christian Bassogog, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Jean Junior Onana, Olivier Kemen

  Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Kofane, Frank Magri, Karl Etta Eyong, Patrick Soko

• AFP
  

  Five-time AFCON winners also sacked manager on same day

  Capping off a chaotic 24 hours, The Cameroon Football Federation – led by former Barcelona, Chelsea and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o – sacked manager Marc Brys on the same day the squad was announced. 

  The five-time AFCON winners, who have named David Pagou as Brys’ successor, face Gabon in their opening fixture in just three weeks’ time (24 December). Cameroon also take on Ivory Coast (28 December) and Mozambique (31 December) in the group stage.

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• Cameroon snub the latest blow in torrid 2025-26 season for Onana

  Having been expected to be named in Cameroon’s squad, the snub represents the latest blow in what has been a dreadful season for Onana. Losing his place in the United XI to Altay Bayindir for the first three Premier League games of the season following a hamstring injury sustained in pre-season, the former Inter shot-stopper made two mistakes as the club were beaten 12-11 on penalties by League Two minnows Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup on 27 August.

  Onana, who has earned 53 caps for Cameroon, was then allowed to leave United for Super Lig side Trabzonspor in early September, following the arrival of Senne Lammens from Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp. The 23-year-old has been a revelation since moving to the Red Devils, firmly establishing himself as the club’s new No. 1 ahead of Bayindir.

Unai Emery hailed Morgan Rogers’ match-winning brace in Aston Villa’s 2-1 comeback win over Leeds – but warned the forward that his brilliance stemmed from being “hungry and angry” to deliver more goals. After a difficult start to the season, the England international erupted with a stunning performance that left his manager demanding even higher standards.

Rogers bags spectacular brace in Aston Villa's Leeds win

Aston Villa secured their sixth win in seven league matches as Rogers delivered a sensational brace to overturn an early Leeds lead at Elland Road. The 23-year-old equalised with an inventive near-post flick before stepping up again after the break to bury a superb free-kick, echoing Emi Buendia’s memorable strike against Bournemouth. His goals arrived at a crucial moment for a player who has been under scrutiny after a slow start to the 2025/26 season.

Rogers had entered the campaign facing heightened expectations following last year’s breakout, but his form initially dipped as Aston Villa adjusted tactically and opposition sides paid closer attention to him. His brace against Leeds, though, represented a decisive resurgence, reaffirming his importance to Emery’s system.

The Elland Road display came on the back of a confidence-boosting equaliser against Tottenham last month, suggesting Rogers is beginning to recover the sharpness that defined his 27-goal contributions last year. With Villa aiming for greater consistency in attack, the return of Rogers’ decisiveness could not have been better timed. His performance ensured Villa departed Leeds with momentum and renewed optimism.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportEmery wants Rogers to remain 'angry'

“Through numbers it is more brilliant and really relevant, his work today,” Emery said when speaking to reporters about Morgan. “His impact was positive with goals. Always he plays well. He does his task and he is versatile across different positions.

“Maybe today he showed that he is angry to score. Being angry, he scored two goals, focusing on how he could get numbers. He did it, helping the team and for our victory today. He is a player who can get numbers. Last year he got double numbers for goals and assists. This year I think he will get this again.

“He was playing fantastic before this match, not getting numbers, but helping the team. With those goals today, it’s more brilliant. I think Morgan is very important when he is scoring and when he is not scoring. He is working tactically, being versatile, and performing very consistently.”

Asked what he meant by angry, Emery said: “Hungry and angry to score. Both. It is in this direction.”

Emery opens up on Aston Villa's resurgence after poor start

Emery continued on to talk about Aston Villa's overall performance: “Overall, I am happy with the team. Through our structure, tactically, we were disciplined and organised. We played with personality. Each player felt comfortable in their best position and getting confidence.”

“There is still some work to do for some players, but how we are progressively getting better is really something I am proud of. I am very demanding in our way because now we are better in the table.”

“My message is the same. We are not contenders for the top six or top four. We fought fantastic to be there or competing for those positions. Now we want to do the same.”

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Getty/GOALAston Villa finally picking up form ahead of festive period

Rogers’ brace sets up a pivotal stretch in which Villa will look to maintain their form heading into a tightly packed December schedule. First off, they will face off against Young Boys on Thursday, November 27. They will then face off against Wolves and Brighton before a crucial test against Arsenal at Villa Park.

For Rogers, the challenge now is to turn a brilliant afternoon in Leeds into a sustained run of form after a testing start to the campaign. His underlying numbers have suggested a player close to finding rhythm, and the brace may prove the catalyst for an extended resurgence.

The Pakistan batter was arrested on suspicion of rape by the Greater Manchester Police in the UK last month

Danyal Rasool04-Sep-2025The investigation into Pakistan cricketer Haider Ali, who was arrested on suspicion of rape by the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in the UK last month, has been closed, with all charges against the player dropped. Haider, who had been released on bail following his arrest, is now free to leave the UK.”We always take allegations of this nature very seriously and will assess each incident thoroughly,” the GMP told ESPNcricinfo. “Following a comprehensive review of all available evidence, the investigation has been closed at this time. Should any further information come to light, we would review the material and case again appropriately.”Related

Haider Ali under criminal investigation in the UK, suspended by the PCB

Haider Ali arrested and granted bail after report of alleged rape

Haider, 24, was part of a tour by the Shaheens – effectively a Pakistan A side – to the UK, playing matches against a select XI in Beckenham and Hove. During a game on August 3, GMP officers arrived at the ground in Beckenham, where Haider was arrested during the game. According to a GMP statement at the time, the alleged offence leading to the arrest had occurred in Manchester on July 23, the day after the Shaheens’ first tour game, which Haider played. Haider was bailed at the time and the alleged victim was being “supported by officers”.The PCB confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that charges against Haider had been dropped. At the time of his arrest, the PCB had put out a statement saying it “reserve[d] the right to take appropriate action under its Code of Conduct, if necessary”.ESPNcricinfo understands a decision on whether to take action against Haider has not been made yet, with the PCB waiting on the player to return to Pakistan before it takes a decision.Haider has played two ODIs and 35 T20Is for Pakistan. Initially feted as a destructive hitter, he burnished his reputation with standout performances in the PSL with Peshawar Zalmi in 2020, when he scored 239 runs at a strike rate of 157.23. He was called up to the national side later that year, his international debut coming in a T20I game in Manchester, where he scored a 33-ball 54 as Pakistan won by five runs.Inconsistency has dogged him since, and he has repeatedly found himself in and out of the Pakistan side. However, his talent and explosiveness have kept him in international contention, and the current Shaheens tour was widely viewed as an opportunity to reintegrate a player whose batting approach aligns with the aggressive style Pakistan’s current T20 set-up has made no secret it wants to pursue.

Tottenham Hotspur failed to return from the international break in style as they were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa in North London in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Lilywhites did, though, make the perfect start to the match when central midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur fired in the opener in the fifth minute.

Unfortunately, stunning strikes from both Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia, who both fired the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the box, meant that the away side travelled away from London with all three points.

Thomas Frank will be disappointed with the time and space that both players had to get their shots away on the edge of the box, as Spurs players failed to close them down on both occasions from range.

However, the former Brentford head coach should also be disappointed with how his side played in possession, as they failed to pose a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch.

One of the players who failed to produce an impressive performance for the Lilywhites in the final third was former Burnley attacker Wilson Odobert on the left wing.

What Wilson Odobert needs to do to kickstart his Spurs career

The £40k-per-week starlet has so many interesting qualities that suggest that he has the potential to be a star. He’s dynamic, he has great speed, he can take players on in one-on-one situations, he has a terrific first touch.

However, and this is the crucial bit, the end product is not quite there for him yet. Per Sofasore, Odobert completed three of his four attempted dribbles, which is great, but he only created one chance in 79 minutes on the pitch.

The France U21 international was unable to turn his completed dribbles into dangerous situations for Spurs in the final third, as evidenced by his statistics.

Minutes

79

Chances created

1

Big chances created

1

Shots

2

Big chances missed

1

Dribbles completed

3/4

Duels won

3/8

As you can see in the table above, Odobert missed the only ‘big chance’ that came his way and only created one chance for this team, which shows that the forward did not do enough with the opportunities that he created for himself by dribbling past defenders.

The next step for him, therefore, to kickstart his Spurs career is to improve his consistency in his end product when he gets into good positions around the opposition’s box to ensure that when he does get into those areas, he makes the right decision, whether that is to shoot, pass, or cross.

Given the lack of natural quality out wide within the Spurs squad, for the left flank, it may make sense to stick with Odobert and be patient with him to hope that the experience of playing week-in-week-out helps him to build consistency in his play.

However, one of the other attackers in the starting XI was even worse than Odobert and should be brutally dropped from the team by Frank, Mathys Tel.

Why Mathys Tel should be dropped

The France U21 international was selected to lead the line ahead of Richarlison for this match, which seemed like a fair call given his recent form. Tel scored in the 2-1 win over Leeds United before the international break, whilst he also scored two goals and registered one assist in two matches for France’s U21s.

There is no doubt that he has quality. He has shown it in flashes, in that win over Leeds and for France, but he is still a young player who is learning and developing, which means that there will also be low moments for him.

Unfortunately, his performance against Aston Villa was one of those low moments, as the former Bayern Munich forward failed to make a positive impact in his hour on the pitch in North London.

He was even worse than Odobert as part of the front three that started the match, as he was unable to even create a chance for his side, whilst his compatriot at least created one ‘big chance’.

Minutes

60

Shots on target

0

Big chances missed

1

Touches

15

Possession lost

9x

Duels lost

7/8 (88%)

Chances created

0

As you can see in the table above, the Frenchman was completely ineffective in and out of possession throughout the match, with no shots on target or chances created, and seven of his eight duels lost.

Tel did not provide a threat at the top end of the pitch, as either a scorer or a creator, and he was far too easy to play against for the likes of Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres, who marked him out of the game with relative ease.

The one chance that the 20-year-old star did have to run at the Villa defence, he turned down several opportunities to set up Mohammed Kudus or Rodrigo Bentancur to his right to take Konsa on and was easily stopped by the England international. He had plenty of time to make up his mind and play a pass across, but took too long and did not provide quality in his one-on-one duel with the defender.

Given that Richarlison is Tottenham’s top scorer in the Premier League this season, with three goals to his name, it feels like the right time to drop Tel from the starting line-up after an underwhelming display against the Villans.

Tel, as aforementioned, has quality and can be impactful at his best, but Frank’s job is to ensure that he can provide that quality consistently for Spurs, as that is not the case at the moment.

Unfortunately for Tel, though, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani are both waiting in the wings to take the number nine position, which means that he cannot afford to have poor performances like this one, hence why the manager must ruthlessly ditch him from the team.

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Whereas, with Odobert, there is not a natural and top-quality left-wing option who can be dropped into the side next time out, which is why he may keep his place for now.

Liverpool slipped to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League for the first time under Arne Slot on Saturday when they lost 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

A last-gasp finish from Willian Estevao secured all three points for the home side in a game that they deserved to win with their front-foot approach.

More and more questions will be asked of the club’s recruitment work during the summer transfer window, as Florian Wirtz came on at half-time and failed to turn the game in Liverpool’s failure.

The Germany international arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen in a £115m deal in the summer, but he is still searching for his first goal contribution in the Premier League.

Wirtz lost six of his eight duels and created one chance in 45 minutes against Chelsea, per Sofascore, which shows that he struggled off the ball and did not add much to the team in possession.

Given that he came in from the Bundesliga for a gigantic transfer fee, there may be some comparisons drawn to the signing of Naby Keita from RB Leipzig, but that may not be fair.

Why Florian Wirtz is not the next Naby Keita

The Reds paid £52.75m to sign the central midfielder, who officially joined the club in 2018, from Leipzig, and he failed to live up to his price tag.

In five seasons at Anfield, Keita produced just 11 goals and seven assists in 129 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he did not provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.

He had scored 17 goals and provided 15 assists in 71 matches for Leipzig in Germany, which means that he was unable to translate his form from his previous club over to his time with Liverpool.

Whilst Wirtz has not had the goals and assists that he would have wanted by this point, the German star’s underlying numbers suggest that he is not on course to be the next Bundesliga flop, like Keita was.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is doing the right things at the top end of the pitch, but needs something to go his way to start racking up goals and assists on a regular basis.

Goals

0

Bottom 3%

xG on target

0.83

Top 27%

Assists

0

Bottom 3%

xA

0.87

Top 18%

Chances created

11

Top 10%

Successful crosses

5

Top 16%

Touches in the opposition’s box

26

Top 14%

As you can see in the table above, Wirtz ranks highly among his positional peers for input, with chances created, xA, and xG on target, but the output, goals and assists, is not quite there yet.

If he continues to take high-quality shots and create chances for his teammates on a regular basis, the goals and assists will follow and he will not be deemed to be the next Keita at Anfield.

This is why Wirtz, who assisted Hugo Ekitike on his debut in the Community Shield, is not going to be the next Keita, because he is on the right path to becoming a success at Anfield.

However, there is another summer signing for Liverpool from the Bundesliga who may be in danger of becoming the next version of the Guinea international after a rough start to life on Merseyside.

Chalkboard

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

Liverpool splashed out £29.5m to sign Netherlands international Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer in an attempt to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who departed on a free transfer to sign for Real Madrid.

Unfortunately, the former Manchester City and Celtic full-back has had a difficult time of things since his return to English football, and is now in danger of becoming the new Keita.

Why Jeremie Frimpong may be the next Naby Keita

As aforementioned, the former Leipzig midfielder was a flop from the Bundesliga at Anfield as he failed to translate his attacking form in Germany over to the Premier League with the Reds.

Frimpong delivered 30 goals and 44 assists in 190 appearances in all competitions for Leverkusen during his time with the Bundesliga side, playing as a wing-back more often than not.

His output in the final third led the official Bundesliga YouTube channel to question whether or not the Dutch dynamo was the best attacking full-back in the world earlier this year.

Slot, however, does not play with traditional wing-backs, and Frimpong has found the transition back to playing as a regular right-back, which is the role he played for Celtic earlier in his career, a difficult one.

The 24-year-old star has found himself third in the pecking order at right-back at this moment in time, as he was an unused substitute in the defeat to Chelsea that saw Connor Bradley start the match and Dominik Szoboszlai end the game at right-back.

Frimpong, who was described as a “breathtaking” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has only started one match in the Premier League so far this season, and has been an unused substitute on two occasions.

Appearances

3

Starts

1

Goals

0

Big chances created

0

Key passes

0

Assists

0

Ground duel success rate

44%

Aerial duel success rate

0%

As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman has struggled on and off the ball in the top-flight so far this season, losing the majority of his physical duels whilst also failing to create a single chance for his teammates in three appearances.

The former Man City academy graduate was given an opportunity to start on the right wing against Galatasaray in the Champions League, but he ended the game with no goals, no assists, and seven out of nine duels lost, per Sofascore.

These statistics, in the Champions League and the Premier League, show that Frimpong has struggled with a new role and the increased physicality of English football, which is why he is in danger of becoming the next Keita.

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Unless he is able to turn his form, in and out of possession, around in the weeks and months to come, the Dutchman may end up being the next Bundesliga flop at Anfield.

كشفت تقارير صحيفة سبب تراجع مستوى لامين يامال في مباراة الكلاسيكو بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

ويأتي برشلونة من هزيمة مثيرة أمام ريال مدريد في مباراة الكلاسيكو الأول لهذا الموسم ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

وتمكن ريال مدريد من الفوز على برشلونة بثنائية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة العاشرة من “لا ليجا”، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.

كان لامين يامال قد قدم مباراة دون المستوى ولم يظهر أداءه البديع ومهاراته على مدار الـ 90 دقيقة أمام ريال مدريد، لم ينجح في أي مراوغة قام بها في المباراة وكان بعيدًا تمامًا عن مستواه.

وفي ضوء ذلك، نشرت صحيفة “سبورت” شرحًا مفصلًا من الدكتور بيدرو لويس ريبول، للإصابة التي تعرض لها لامين في منطقة “العانة”، والذي قال إنه ألم صعب العلاج منه سريعًا، فهو حالة مؤلمة في منطقتي العانة والفخذ، مما يقلل بشكل كبير من أداء اللاعب.

اقرأ أيضًا | قرارات مُحتملة من برشلونة لحماية لامين يامال بعد أزمة الكلاسيكو

وكشف أن اللاعب الذي يعاني من تلك الإصابة فإن قدرته على الحركة والتسديد تقل بنسبة 50% تقريبًا وهو ما رأيناه بالضبط في الكلاسيكو، حسب ما وصفت الصحيفة الإسبانية.

تعكس تصريحات الطبيب تعقيد الحالة وتأثير الإصابة بشكل مباشر على أداء يامال في الملعب، إذ إن اللاعب لا يستطيع التسديد على المرمى بشكل جيد ويواجه صعوبة في الحركة، مشيرا إلى أن ألم العانة يصيب لاعب الكرة بـ “العجز”، فقد يسمح له بلعب المباريات لكنه يمنعه من الوصول إلى أفضل أداء له، وهو ما حدث لنجم برشلونة.

وأفاد في تصريحاته كذلك: “إنها إصابة مزمنة، وبهذا المعنى فإن الأشهر الأسوأ لم تأت بعد (لـ لامين يامال)”.

واختتمت الصحيفة أن ليونيل ميسي كان قد عانى أيضًا من آلام في عضلة الفخذ في مراحل مختلفة من مسيرته ومستواه تأثر بتلك الإصابة في بداياته لكن مع فترة التعافي الكامل والعلاج الطبيعي استعاد قمة مستواه مرة أخرى ويمكن لـ لامين أن يواجه نفس المصير.

Despite Liverpool sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table heading into the Merseyside derby, Everton would have felt some comfort in the fact that Arne Slot’s Reds have conceded several goals, even amid their table-topping status.

Indeed, the early pace-setters had managed to leak four strikes in the league heading into this crunch contest, and they would give up yet another clean sheet against their arch rivals after falling victim to an Idrissa Gueye stunner.

Yet, while Everton did find a way back into the contest courtesy of their experienced midfielder, the Everton attack looked rather sheepish throughout at Anfield, with Beto only given one half before being handed his marching orders by David Moyes.

Everton's struggles in attack

Beto looked to have turned a corner donning Everton blue after a goal-shy start to life in Merseyside.

Indeed, when Moyes was reintroduced to the helm last season, the Portuguese attacker suddenly reclaimed his shooting boots, with the lofty 6-foot-4 centre-forward managing to bag seven of his eight Premier League goals last season under the Scotsman’s new reign.

1. Iliman Ndiaye

5

2

= 2. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

5

1

= 2. Idrissa Gueye

5

1

= 2. James Garner

5

1

= 2. Beto

5

1

However, this season so far, Beto finds himself on just the solitary effort, with the ex-Udinese attacker only managing to register two accurate passes at Anfield as Virgil Van Dijk dealt with the number nine with ease.

Moving away from Beto, Moyes isn’t exactly spoiled for choice, with lots of hope in the air that Thierno Barry will come good eventually, but with a recognition that it will take time for the 22-year-old to get up to speed to break his Toffees duck.

Everton’s frustrations in the striker department, away from Jack Grealish’s stylish darts forward, could, therefore, see Moyes look for some more inventive options away from having to solely depend on Beto and Barry, with this makeshift striker option not the most outrageous shout.

Moyes could now unleash "dynamite" ace in new role

Drastic times up top could call for drastic measures.

While Moyes could persist with Beto in the hope he recaptures his best form, he will also be aware that being proactive could take his side up a notch in the attacking department, with Iiman Ndiaye being drafted into his position, not the most out-of-the-ordinary shout, considering he is the Toffees’ top scorer in league action so far this season with two efforts.

This poacher-like finish against Brighton and Hove Albion shows off Ndiaye’s instinctive nature inside the box, and while Everton would miss the former Sheffield United attacker’s trickery down the flanks, Tyler Dibling could take over from the 25-year-old to push the number ten into the main striker spotlight.

This wouldn’t be an unusual position for Ndiaye to take up, either, when considering his career numbers by position, with the Senegal international managing to collect a blistering 12 goal contributions when leading the line for the Blades here, away from being deployed down either channel.

CF

49

10 + 12

LW

36

7 + 1

AM

35

8 + 2

SS

16

7 + 3

RW

10

2 + 1

LM

5

3 + 0

RM

3

1 + 1

When adding in his numbers for Marseille, too, the “dynamite” 25-year-old – as he was once labelled by Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp – has a stunning back catalogue of ten goals and 12 assists from 49 games in this position, with Moyes now potentially tempted to shake things up and remove a lacklustre Beto to push the Toffees star-man into his spot instead.

Obviously, the worry would be that Ndiaye would find himself more removed from contests moving forward if he were to lead the line, as opposed to constantly being gifted the ball down the flank.

Yet, it’s a gamble that is worth exploring at this early stage of the season, with Ndiaye perhaps turning into even more of a terrifying beast unleashed into this fresh spot on the pitch.

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