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When Liverpool beat West Ham United, responding after losing against Fulham one week earlier, it felt like a corner had been turned. Perhaps that defeat at Craven Cottage was the final twist in the overtures of a certain Premier League triumph.

The ribbons will turn red this season. Later this afternoon, Liverpool have the chance to win the top-flight title against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, should they return to winning ways on the road and second-placed Arsenal fall at Ipswich Town earlier in the day.

Though Mikel Arteta’s attention is almost solely focused on the continental stage, this feels improbable, if not out of the question. In any case, it’s a matter of when, not if, Arne Slot will join an exclusive list of managers to lift the Premier League trophy on their first attempt.

2004/05

Jose Mourinho

Chelsea

2009/10

Carlo Ancelotti

Chelsea

2013/14

Manuel Pellegrini

Man City

2016/17

Antonio Conte

Chelsea

Leicester might be doomed but they still have quality in attack and will look to capitalise on any Liverpool complacency.

Liverpool team news

Trent Alexander-Arnold is back in first-team training after his ankle injury suffered against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield last month.

However, Conor Bradley looks set to reprise his role at right-back, with the under-fire Andy Robertson pushing for a recall after his cameo last week, skewing into his own net off the bench following a mix-up with the skipper.

Joe Gomez remains absent due to an ankle injury, but Darwin Nunez could feature after missing out on Merseyside one week ago.

Nunez might be destined for departure this summer, but his return does boost a Liverpool frontline looking to return to its best.

That’s not to say the Reds have been poor in attack lately, but Mohamed Salah hasn’t scored in five games, Diogo Jota and Nunez are out of sorts and Cody Gakpo hasn’t got going again since recovering from injury.

How Slot can respark Liverpool's frontline

Liverpool looked somewhat back to normal last weekend as they secured victory over West Ham, all but sealing the already overwhelming odds in the title race following Arsenal’s draw at Brentford.

Salah, after renewing his contract, produced a stunning trivela assist for Luis Diaz, the one man in Slot’s attack who is very much on form right now.

However, the Egyptian, 32, will be desperate to return his name to the scoresheet as he looks to build on his haul of 32 goals across all competitions

For whatever reason, it’s not quite clicking for Salah in front of goal. But it will again. With Trent not fit enough to start from the outset, Slot might be inclined to unleash Harvey Elliott in midfield, perhaps replacing Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool enjoy the Hungarian’s tireless running but a more fixed creative point could be the perfect solvent of unfluent play in and around the final third.

Having featured prominently under Jurgen Klopp last year during Liverpool’s injury-hit spell, Elliott has played a reduced part since the spinning of the managerial wheel, yet to even start in the Premier League this year. Still he’s got six goal involvements across the different competitions.

And it’s not as if he hasn’t demonstrated his capacities when given a shot. As per FBref, Elliott ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for all of goals, assists and shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive passes and the top 5% for progressive carries per 90.

This perfectly illustrates his ball-playing game and skill in driving into dangerous positions, but most importantly, it underlines his ability to maximise his output when reaching such junctures, something Salah will be eyeing hungrily.

24/25

12 (0)

0

1

23/24

34 (11)

3

6

22/23

32 (18)

1

2

21/22

6 (4)

0

0

20/21*

0 (0)

0

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19/20

2 (0)

0

0

As you can see, Elliott’s playing a bit part for the first time since his debut campaign, having only featured six times in 2021/22 but starting on four of those occasions before suffering a season-ending injury at Elland Road.

Elliott, described as a “special talent” by Sky Sports’ Neil Mellor, hasn’t played all that much this season, but he has showcased his vast playmaking skills on numerous occasions. For example, Liverpool might have been abject in their Carabao Cup final defeat against Newcastle United, but subs combined to score a late consolation, the young midfielder expertly playing Federico Chiesa through.

Ultimately, claiming that Liverpool are out of sorts simply isn’t true, having won five of their past six Premier League matches, but fans have been frustrated by the lack of spark in the centre at times this term and Elliott surely deserves a starting berth having been limited to full appearances in the cup competitions.

He’s come up trumps on several occasions, notably scoring the winner in the first leg against PSG, but now the £40k-per-week talent needs a chance to show he can pull strings in the Premier League and bring Salah back into goalscoring form.

Salah doesn’t dribble as much as he used to but he’s hardly averse to an electric burst, and with Elliott’s crisp timing, it could be the perfect tonic for his recent struggles to break the net.

Elliott has acknowledged Salah for “teaching him” over the past several years at Liverpool, and now he has the chance to repay his tutor on what could be a momentous day for the Merseysiders.

Leicester won’t want to repeat some of their dismal displays of late, but if Elliott gets into a creative flow and connects with Salah, the Foxes simply won’t have a say in the matter.

Worth more than Huijsen: Slot has hit the jackpot on Liverpool "monster"

Liverpool hope to employ this star for many years to come.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 18, 2025

Manchester City now find themselves deep in a purple patch of positive form in the Premier League with Pep Guardiola’s bruised side unbeaten through April to date.

City’s latest victory saw them overcome David Moyes’ determined Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park on Saturday, meaning their grip on a place inside the coveted Champions League spots is strengthened even more all the way up in fourth position.

Yet, Guardiola will be all too aware that a rebuild is still needed this coming summer with his team largely underperforming for the majority of the season, with a statement move allegedly in the works to land this sensational midfield star.

Man City preparing to bid for "the best midfielder in the world"

City kickstarted the rebuild in January by signing the likes of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico Gonzalez but with the possibility of players like Kevin De Bruyne exiting, Guardiola will need even more fresh faces in the squad.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Well, as per reports from Spain, the reigning Premier League champions are preparing to ‘break the market’ to land Barcelona ace Pedri with a staggering £170m bid being prepared.

Indeed, the report states that City are looking at alternative targets away from Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz who could be set to stay in Germany over relocating to England, leading them down this new expensive avenue where a record-breaking move could come to fruition.

Of course, this will be a challenging deal to get over the line, but Guardiola and Co would be able to send shockwaves through the Premier League if the 21-year-old was to leave Catalonia behind for a top-flight adventure elsewhere.

Once heralded as “the best CM in the world” by football analyst Ben Mattinson, Pedri’s unbelievable arrival would undoubtedly improve City centrally, with the 30-time Spain international a big improvement on an ever-waning Ilkay Gundogan.

How Pedri is better than Gundogan

Much like the revered De Bruyne, Gundogan has shown off his obvious class in the top-flight previously for the Citizens, with 62 goals and 42 assists notched up from a bumper 348 appearances.

But, only seven goal contributions have come the ageing German’s way this season across 44 appearances, with a new ace arguably needed in the middle of the park at the Etihad with Gundogan no longer at his vibrant best, alongside De Bruyne exiting Manchester shortly.

This is where the elegance of City’s potential new £170m man could come in handy, with the Spaniard’s “transcendent” game in the midfield areas at the Camp Nou – as he was once lauded by ex-Barca great Xavi – aiding his side’s progression in the Champions League this campaign.

Two of Pedri’s 12 goal contributions for the season have come in the illustrious competition, with the much-talked-about 22-year-old also boasting four goals and four assists in La Liga action this season to trump Gundogan’s unconvincing five assists and zero goal haul in the Premier League.

Pedri vs Gundogan – last 365 days

Stat (per 90 mins)

Pedri

Gundogan

Shot-creating actions

4.53

3.61

Attempted passes

78.87

77.57

Pass completion %

87.5%

90.2%

Progressive passes

10.14

6.34

Progressive carries

2.32

2.51

Successful take-ons

1.23

0.73

Touches in attacking penalty area

1.57

2.85

Progressive passes received

3.87

3.74

Stats by FBref

Looking at the table above, whilst Gundogan does have the better of Pedri in terms of pass completion statistics, it appears that the Barca number eight plays with a lot more intent and purpose than his former Borussia Dortmund counterpart when roaming forward, with a high 10.14 progressive passes averaged per contest across the last year.

This alone would be music to the ears of the likes of Omar Marmoush and Erling Haaland back in Manchester, knowing that Pedri could unlock a defence at a moment’s notice with a killer pass.

With Pedri also noted as being similar to Bernardo Silva’s wonderful game at the Etihad, according to FBref, this feels like a switch that would allow City to enter into a new chapter with confidence sky-high, even if that comes at a cost of having to wave goodbye to esteemed servants such as Gundogan.

Related Not just De Bruyne: Pep's 5/10 star could now be finished at Man City

Manchester City battled to a 2-0 victory over Everton at Goodison on Saturday, but two Sky Blue stalwarts certainly did not impress on Merseyside.

Posts ByBen Gray Apr 19, 2025

The India fast bowler recalls an epic Test tour of England, and reflects on the challenges life has thrown his way

Shashank Kishore and Daya Sagar26-Aug-20254:33

Breaking down where Akash Deep can improve

In the weeks leading up to India’s recent tour of England, Akash Deep had one thought weighing on him: “How do I survive five Tests?”For over two months, Akash Deep had spent several nights in hospital, attending to his sister Jyoti who was undergoing cancer treatment. Diet and sleep had become luxuries. His training was haphazard. Cricket wasn’t the most important thing in his life at that time.It’s why Akash Deep spontaneously remembered Jyoti and dedicated his 10-wicket haul in his first Test of the series to her, after India made it 1-1 in Birmingham.”It was tough,” he says while in Bengaluru, where he is preparing for India’s home international season. “As such, a five-Test series is not easy. Especially if you’re a fast bowler. And at a time when I had to prepare, I was dealing with a lot of things.”Being in and out of hospital, your diet and sleep often go for a toss. I was actually wondering how do I survive five Tests because even during the IPL because of my sister’s treatment, my training was haywire for one, one-and-a-half months. Luckily, I got time in the lead-up to the series thanks to the India A tour, where I had 10-15 days of preparation. I used that time to prepare well.”It’s been three whirlwind weeks since Akash Deep’s return from England, where he played an important role in India drawing the series 2-2. After a dash home to see his family, he was away on a pilgrimage for ” (peace of mind),” and then visited his ‘AB Cricket Academy,’ which he had begun last year in his hometown Sasaram in Bihar.”When I was growing up, there was nothing here,” he says. “No ground, no practice facility. I didn’t even see a red ball until I was 17-18. My thinking was when I have some money and resources, I’ll try and help kids who aren’t from financially sound backgrounds. So that they don’t have to go too far away to train.”Not being financially strong should not come in the way of living your dreams of playing the game or getting opportunities. I’m glad I’ve been able to realise my dream [of building an academy]. I have a team that looks after most things, but I guide them and insist, if there are kids coming forward from disadvantaged backgrounds and have the talent, they should be prioritised.”Akash Deep took 13 wickets on the tour of England•Getty ImagesAkash Deep’s story is one of courage. Sharing a 150 square feet room with eight others in Kolkata, surviving on (lemon tea) to play club cricket, staying with his cousin in Durgapur in search of opportunities, losing his father and brother in the span of a couple of months, he has seen it all. It’s why he treasures every moment on the field. “If you find even a little happiness amid all your problems, it’s enough to bring a smile.”He wasn’t smiling on that tense final morning at The Oval when he dropped Gus Atkinson at long on and palmed the ball over the boundary for six. England needed 11 after that to win the series, India needed one wicket to draw it.”Maybe I could have tried to palm the ball in to save the six,” he says. “But I went to take the catch. Luckily in the next over (two overs later) we got the wicket [of Atkinson]. Immediately after I dropped the catch, there was really no time to dwell on it. Maybe if something else had happened I may have been thinking about it. Luckily I didn’t have to worry much.”I ran really quickly to Siraj [laughs] once we took the final wicket.”That was just one of several memorable moments involving Akash Deep on the tour. Earlier in the fifth Test, he had put his arm around England opener Ben Duckett and said a few friendly words after dismissing him in the first innings.”He had been out four-five times to me. Before coming out to bat in that innings, he said, ‘this time you won’t get me out’. I got him out and then said, ‘bro, now go and rest please’,” he says with a laugh.There’s a memory from Birmingham that stands out. He’s watched replays of that dream wicket on loop.”Joe Root,” Akash Deep says with a smile. “The way I got him (bowled). Set him up, and got him out exactly the way I wanted to.” For those who don’t remember, he pitched on a good length and angled the ball in, before getting it to nip away and beat the outside edge of Root’s defence to hit the top of off stump.0:42

Tendulkar: Akash Deep to Root at Edgbaston was ‘ball of the series’

Apart from his 13 wickets in the series, he also made a vital contribution with the bat, scoring a half-century after coming in as a nightwatcher in India’s second innings in the fifth Test at The Oval. Akash Deep made 66 in his partnership of 107 with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the third wicket, helping India set a match-winning target of 374.”Everyone expects me to contribute with the bat, but I haven’t been able to do it to all the time,” he says. “That innings, I learnt a lot. It taught me to not take my batting casually. When the team needs me, that time I’m motivated.”He also recalls his innings in Brisbane in 2024, when he helped India save the follow-on, to explain what he needs to motivate himself at times. “I think I should put extra pressure on myself as a batter to contribute,” he says. “That’s what it (The Oval innings) taught me. I was just thinking of building a partnership with Yashasvi.”They [his team-mates] were happy because the batters used to taunt us in a friendly way, ‘kabhi toh kuch kardo (can you also contribute once in a while)’, ‘dus to bana do, bees to bana do (make 10 or 20 runs at least)’, so I felt they’ll keep quiet now for some time [laughs].”Akash Deep is now at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, gearing up for the two-Test series against West Indies from October 2. For the first time in months, he has the mental space to breathe, train, and focus on his game. He doesn’t have to go to the hospital at present and he’s enjoying the luxury of being able to stay in the moment and do what he loves most.

In-built resilience to this India side separates it from their recent global-tournament predecessors

Karthik Krishnaswamy08-Oct-20231:58

Kumble: KL Rahul looks like he’s back to his original self

2 for 3. If you’re an India fan, you probably saw flashbacks of 6 for 2 and 5 for 3 when you watched Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood cut through your top order on Sunday.Not again, you may have pleaded, beseeching whichever force you believe shapes the day-to-day destiny of the universe. Please, not again.This wasn’t a Champions Trophy final or a World Cup semi-final. This was India’s opening match in a World Cup whose format allows teams to bounce back from early setbacks. But you had no desire to witness this, no desire to revisit the trauma of the not particularly distant past.This match, though, was not like those other matches in significant ways, and this became increasingly apparent as Virat Kohli – who survived a nervy early period that included a loose drive at a 13th-stump delivery and a dropped chance from a top-edged hook – and KL Rahul steered India out of trouble with a fourth-wicket stand of 165.Related

• Smith: 'We can learn a bit from this game'

• 'Play like it's Test cricket for some time' – What Kohli told Rahul when India fell to 2 for 3

• Rahul, Kohli guide India home after early scare on tricky track

At a fundamental level, two things about this India side are different to those of 2017 and 2019.One, India had the perfect attack for the conditions. This certainly wasn’t the case during the 2017 Champions Trophy, where they lacked outright wicket-taking ability in the middle overs. It cost them when they played on flatter pitches: Sri Lanka chased down 322 against them in the group stage, and Pakistan, sent in to bat in the final, cruised to 338 for 4.The bowling was less of an issue in 2019, but in that semi-final at Old Trafford, their pace attack perhaps suffered in comparison to New Zealand’s since they lacked a fourth fast bowler in overcast, seaming conditions.Now, on a sharp turner in Chennai, India had three seamers – with Hardik Pandya a significantly better bowler than he was four years ago – and three spinners of entirely different styles who combine stifling accuracy with the ability to give the ball a rip. This was a turning pitch that rewarded Test-match virtues, and R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav are all accomplished Test spinners; most other spin attacks at this World Cup are made up of white-ball specialists. Australia have a major headache given they only have two frontline spinners in their squad, and that’s if you consider Glenn Maxwell to be one; Adam Zampa’s lack of control in this match was a key reason why India won so comfortably in the end.The control Ashwin, Jadeja and Kuldeep exerted on Australia stifled their scoring long before they collapsed from 110 for 2 to 119 for 5. David Warner, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne added a combined 105 for the second and third wickets, but took 24.5 overs to do so. This was the kind of pitch where it was fraught with risk to hit good-length balls against the turn, and India’s spinners hardly ever veered from a good length while constantly keeping the stumps in play.The quality and experience of this attack ensured that India kept Australia down to well below what might have been a testing total. Even at 2 for 3, India knew two good partnerships would put them back on track.KL Rahul has occupied No. 5 consistently in the build-up to the tournament•Associated PressWhich brings us to the second major difference between this India and the India of 2017 and 2019. In 2017, the early loss of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli brought an ageing and well-past-his-best Yuvraj Singh to the crease. The batters to follow were MS Dhoni, who was beginning to show signs of slowing down, Kedar Jadhav, who had only batted 12 previous times in ODIs, and Hardik Pandya, who had only batted seven times.By 2019, Dhoni was two years older and playing what turned out to be his final ODI. Their middle order also included Rishabh Pant – who hadn’t been part of their original squad and was their fourth No. 4 of the tournament – and Dinesh Karthik – a reserve keeper who came into the side as a specialist batter after sitting out the bulk of the league phase. Their line-up in the semi-final looked nothing like the line-up they began the tournament with.On Sunday at Chepauk, India had Rahul at No. 5 – a position he’s occupied consistently in the build-up to the tournament, and where he averaged 50.43 coming into this World Cup – a Hardik who has vastly improved his innings-building skills over the last few years at No. 6, and Jadeja and Ashwin at Nos. 7 and 8. This may not be the most power-packed middle and lower-middle order at this World Cup, but it’s certainly one with quality and experience and batters playing roles they’re comfortable in.India could still have lost Sunday’s game, of course. Any team can lose from 2 for 3. But the India of 2023 are better set up to recover from that sort of situation. Their bowling, particularly on turning pitches, probably won’t concede too much more than par; and their batting has far fewer holes. This is why they’re favourites to win this World Cup.That, of course, is no guarantee of actually doing it. India could still get to the semi-finals or final and lose to a quality opponent. But that opponent might need to play at the very limits of their ability to make that happen, because there’s an in-built resilience to this India side, born of the quality and experience running through it, that separates it from their recent global-tournament predecessors.

They need control and consistency while bowling long spells

Aakash Chopra01-Feb-2021Pitches in the subcontinent are believed to be tailor-made for spinners, which is why it’s natural for overseas spinners to get excited whenever they travel to this part of the world to play. It presents them a rare opportunity to play the lead role in their bowling attack – as against mostly being defensive or restrictive while playing at home.While this observation might broadly be correct, it rarely plays out so well for overseas spinners while playing India in India. Given the spin-friendly pitches (read, very little assistance for the faster bowlers in terms of bounce and lateral movement off the surface) the workload of visiting spinners increases manifold, but most, including some of the more competent ones, realise that their hard work isn’t always rewarded as much as they might expect. Indian pitches encourage spinners to try and bowl magic wicket-taking balls every time they roll their arm over but most spinners end up being either too expensive or ineffective.The key reasons for this are how slow the surfaces are, and how well Indian batsmen are able to counter spin. The lack of pace off the surface allows the batsmen to play the length, and since the typical Indian batsman grows up on a healthy diet of spin, they are able to strike the right balance between attack and defence.Related

• What will it be like to take on Kohli and Co on their own patch?

• Jack Leach wants to 'cherish' every moment on first tour of India

• BCCI gives informal nod for spectators at second Chennai Test

• England's XI for Chennai Test: Can James Anderson and Stuart Broad both slot in?

• India's XI for Chennai Test: Four bowlers or five? Who will replace Ravindra Jadeja?

So how should Dom Bess and Jack Leach bowl against the Indians? In my opinion, that’s where the series will be decided – how the English spinners bowl to the Indian batsmen. If they complement their fast-bowling attack, England will compete, but if they fall apart, like many other spinners in the past, India will bulldoze their way to another Test series victory at home.While Bess and Leach found success in the recently concluded series in Sri Lanka, it’s probably safe to say they will be countering a more organised and competent attack from the Indian batsmen.Let’s start with Bess, a right-arm offspinner who bowls a little flat in the air and prefers to bowl the line outside off. His game plan is to go roundarm every now and then to bowl the arm ball that slides, instead of turning, after pitching. Inducing the outside edge is his key wicket-taking tactic and that seems to work fine in England, where the pitches aren’t spin-friendly, by and large. The fact that he rarely bows long spells, and that batsmen tend to go on the offensive the moment they see a spinner in those conditions, make the away-going delivery potent there.But that’s not a tactic that works as well in India because of the slow pitches. The arm ball doesn’t skid as much after pitching, and Indian batsmen typically use those deliveries to open up the off-side field for scoring. The one thing that you simply must not do as a spinner in India is allow the batsman to score on both sides of the pitch. When that starts to happen, it’s almost impossible to seize control back, which in turn will mean Joe Root will need to ask the fast bowlers to bowl a lot more than they should in these conditions.The pace at which Bess bowls is ideal for Indian surfaces, but he doesn’t have the kind of control that, say, Graeme Swann used to have, and that’s why it might be better for him to be more pragmatic about the role he is likely to play and reconsider his line of attack. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to bowl everything within the stumps and have an in-out field throughout. Going by how he bowled in Sri Lanka, there will be a few loose balls on offer, and if all those deliveries are dispatched for boundaries, the Indian batsmen will run away with the game quickly.On the other hand, Leach’s stock ball pitches and finishes within the stumps. He tends to go to the edge of the crease often to create the angle that makes batsmen play against the spin, but trust the Indian batsmen to not be fooled by that tactic too much. The key to his effectiveness will be consistency of length, for anything too full or marginally short will be taken for runs. Indian batsmen are quick to convert a slightly short-of-length delivery into a ball that can be cut or pulled – that will be Leach’s biggest challenge to counter.While the Indian batsmen will be quick to use their feet to come down the track and also to go deep in the crease, most, barring the likes of Rohit Sharma, are unlikely to sweep a left-arm spinner. So that’s the length Leach must bowl steadily for long durations to stay in the contest. And it wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to bowl over the stumps and into the rough with a packed leg-side field later in the games.The English spinners have their job cut out, for it’s not easy to make changes to basic skill sets and tactics for an extended period, especially when you don’t see tangible returns in the form of wickets – and it’s more or less certain that Indian wickets aren’t going to fall in heaps to the spin of Bess and Leach.

The most valuable player on a pitch is a striker, and nowadays, being a world-class centre-forward is more than just scoring goals.

Starting the press without the ball and linking up play are also two important attributes, but more often than not, a striker is judged by their goal to game ratio.

Currently, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane are viewed as some of the best strikers in world football.

The Best 15 Strikers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best number nine right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Here is a list of 20 of the most iconic centre-forwards football has ever seen, factoring in longevity and consistency at the highest level, while also looking at their personal accolades and honours they have won.

20 Hristo Stoichkov

An all-rounded forward and the greatest Bulgarian player in history, Hristo Stoichkov kicks off the countdown.

The powerful left-footed striker was famously signed by Johan Cruyff at Barcelona when he was at the top of his game and made the Catalan giants even better.

Stoichkov won five La Liga titles at the Nou Camp and collected the Ballon d’Or in 1994 after picking up the 1994 World Cup Golden Boot.

19 Kenny Dalglish

Arguably Liverpool’s greatest ever player, Kenny Dalglish wasn’t just a goalscorer and could run games of a football as a centre-forward.

‘King Kenny’ starred in the 1970s and 1980s, scoring more than 200 goals and winning 24 trophies during an iconic career.

18 Gabriel Batistuta

Argentine powerhouse Gabriel Batistuta was a goalscoring machine in the 1990s for Fiorentina, outscoring every other Serie A player in that decade.

Named by Pele in the FIFA 100 list in 2004, Batistuta was known for his aerial ability and physical presence, but when he had the ball at his feet, he was an excellent dribbler and clinical in front of goal and had an unbelievable World Cup record.

17 Harry Kane

Harry Kane is one of the most clinical strikers around, and he’s been finding the back of the net on a regular basis for Tottenham, Bayern Munich and England since 2014.

In fact, Kane has scored 17 or more league goals in 12 successive seasons, and his goalscoring record is remarkable. Now England’s all-time top scorer, Kane may not have the trophies to match his individual brilliance, but he is more than just a goalscorer with an incredible passing range.

16 Karim Benzema

One of the most underrated strikers in recent times, Karim Benzema often hasn’t got the plaudits he’s deserved after starring at Real Madrid for 14 years.

Finally lifting the Ballon d’Or in 2022, Benzema has won 33 honours during his career and scored more than 350 goals during his time at the Bernabeu.

Whether it be in the air or with the ball at his feet, the Frenchman was a nuisance for centre-backs and was often overshadowed by a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.

15 Jimmy Greaves

Part of the England side that won the 1966 World Cup, Jimmy Greaves was nominated for the Ballon d’Or on six occasions in the 1960s and starred for Chelsea and Tottenham during his career.

A Spurs legend with two FA Cup triumphs, Greaves also won Serie A with AC Milan. He finished his career as the highest scorer in England’s first tier of football with 357 goals, highlighting how much of a prolific goalscorer he was.

14 Alan Shearer

The Premier League has been regarded as the best league in the world over time, so Alan Shearer, the divisions all-time top scorer, had to be in the list.

The Englishman netted 260 times in the English top flight for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, winning the title once.

Long range strikes, in the air or from the spot, Shearer could score any type of goal and came third in the 1996 Ballon d’Or.

13 Luis Suarez

Despite plenty of controversies during his career, Luis Suarez’s footballing ability at his peak for Ajax, Liverpool and Barcelona was incredible.

The Uruguayan has scored goals on a consistent basis for 20 years now and was named the IFFHS World’s Best Goalscorer in 2010, 2014 and 2016.

Suarez has proven he can score all across the world and his 2013/2014 season with Liverpool is arguably one of the best individual seasons the Premier League has ever seen.

12 Wayne Rooney

One of four English strikers on the list, Wayne Rooney is Man Utd’s all-time leading goalscorer and had every attribute an iconic centre-forward required. From physicality to pace and world-class technical ability, Rooney scored 253 times for the Red Devils and netted 53 times for England.

Dropping deeper in midfield throughout his career, Rooney was unstoppable in his prime as a striker, winning 16 major honours.

11 Josef Bican

Josef Bican represented both Austria and Czechoslovakia on the international stage and was one of the most prolific forwards during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

Capable with finishing with ease with either foot, Bican scored more than 800 goals during his career despite making just over 600 appearances.

A ridiculous goal to game ratio, Bican has rightly gone down as a Slavia Prague legend.

This week, Tottenham Hotspur fans will get to see Heung-min Son again. On Tuesday, he will be there, down N17, beaming and emotional as he waves goodbye to the club he devoted the prime years of his iconic career.

Poetry has a funny way of weaving its way into so many narratives in football, and there was certainly something romantic about the South Korean legend sealing silverware on his final game for Spurs, ending the endless drought.

Tottenham haven’t really replaced their former captain, just as someone on a level with Harry Kane at number nine has not been signed either.

That may change in 2026.

Spurs lining up new forwards

In October, Tottenham announced a £100m equity injection. What this pertains to could go on interminably, but it effectively means Frank’s first-team squad will be seeing some improvements in the near future. Investment is imminent.

And it’s clear that additions are needed up top, with the potency Son provided – even on the decline, the 32-year-old scored 24 goals and assisted 19 more across his final two Premier League campaigns – yet to be matched.

Should the Lilywhites win the race for RB Leipzig prospect Yan Diomande, with their interest confirmed by Caught Offside, Frank might just land the talisman he is looking for.

The report claims Spurs are among the myriad of top clubs to have sent scouts to watch the 19-year-old winger this season, and such competitive intrigue indicates a market value or around €80m (equating to £68m).

The news comes just days after it was revealed by separate sources that Spurs were in ‘very advanced talks’ with the player’s agents last week to sign the player.

Why Spurs should sign Yan Diomande

Diomande might be in the hatchling stage of his career, but already, he is proving that he can throw down with the heavyweights, having made an electric start to his career in Germany with Leipzig, scoring seven goals and supplying four assists across 15 matches this term, having joined from

The Ivorian winger’s technical skills stand out, and a slippery dribbling style makes him a force to be reckoned with. Coach Harry Brook believes he will “be worth £100m plus” in the not-too-distant future, and so it’s worth Tottenham snapping him up promptly.

Already, we can observe startling progress across a range of areas for Diomande. He is physical and he is fast, and he is also fostering a natural-born clinical edge in front of goal, with his defensive work-rate not leaving much to be desired either.

Remind you of anyone? This could be the new Son, especially since he hails from the Bundesliga, with Tottenham signing their departed hero from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

Goals scored

0.36

0.31

Assists

0.21

0.31

Shots taken

2.08

2.75

Shot-creating actions

5.23

4.51

Touches (att pen)

7.16

5.55

Pass completion (%)

81.2

76.4

Progressive passes

3.44

4.25

Progressive carries

6.66

4.30

Successful take-ons

4.01

1.61

Ball recoveries

6.01

3.16

Tackles + interceptions

2.72

0.83

Diomande is showing signs of elite balance in output. He’s got an eye for goal, but that doesn’t detract from his playmaking, and nor does it mean he shirks away from defensive duties, from using his speed to cover plenty of ground and influence in different areas.

Son, in many ways is irreplaceable, and perhaps that’s why the board opted against trying to find a carbon copy, as they did with Kane.

But now, real quality, bona fide quality, is needed up top, else Tottenham will find themselves struggling to match the might of rivals at the top of the Premier League.

Diomande has talent in spades, and he might just find himself developing into a winger of a similar level with Son, following that Korean legend’s footsteps from Germany over to English shores.

Kolo Muani upgrade: Spurs prepare move for "one of the best CFs in the PL"

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in a deal to sign a centre-forward who could be an upgrade on Randal Kolo Muani.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 8, 2025

Manchester United have been on the hunt for a new central midfielder over the last couple of months, with Ruben Amorim wanting added reinforcements at the heart of the side.

The 40-year-old has made such a position the priority for the upcoming window, in an attempt to strengthen their standing in the Premier League before the end of the season.

Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes have largely been the go-to partnership over recent months, but given that the Brazilian is now 33, a long-term solution is undoubtedly needed.

Kobbie Mainoo would undoubtedly be the supporters’ first choice to fill the void, but it appears as though the youngster could be heading closer to the exit door.

As a result, numerous options have appeared on their radar in recent weeks, with the hierarchy evidently making moves ahead of the window opening in a couple of weeks.

United’s hunt for a new central midfielder this January

Adam Wharton has been one name on the tip of many United fans’ tongues over the last few weeks, with rumours circulating over a possible move for the Englishman.

It was reported earlier this week that the Red Devils are preparing a bid in the region of £87m to land the Crystal Palace star – a deal that would be a huge investment from INEOS.

However, it’s thought that the Eagles are hugely reluctant to offload their star man, which could make a deal somewhat tricky to complete this winter.

As a result, other options are being considered, which has led to rumours over a deal for Atlético Madrid star Conor Gallagher resurfacing once again.

Journalist Ben Jacobs stated this week that Amorim’s men could be tempted to revisit a move for the 25-year-old, who only joined the LaLiga side last summer.

He also stated the hierarchy could be tempted by a potential loan deal, but it’s unclear if Diego Simeone’s side would be willing to let him leave on a temporary basis.

Why United’s latest target would be the next Mount

Back in the summer of 2023, United secured the £60m signing of midfielder Mason Mount from Chelsea – a deal that massively raised eyebrows at the time.

Such a figure was seen as too expensive for the Englishman, something which was only magnified as a result of his constant battles with injuries in his first two years at Old Trafford.

He could only make 47 appearances in his first two seasons in Manchester, but it appears she’s put his struggles behind him in 2025/26, with the 26-year-old now in the form of his life.

Amorim has stuck by him in recent months, with Mount repaying the favour, as seen by his tally of three league goals this season – two of which have come in the last three games.

At present, he’s a key member of the United squad and could play a massive role when the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo go to AFCON in the coming weeks.

However, the hierarchy could complete a similar deal to Mount with a move for Gallagher, with the Atlético star also coming through the ranks at Chelsea before starring as a professional.

Like a deal for the midfielder a couple of years ago, many supporters have voiced their displeasure at a deal for the LaLiga star, but it could prove to be a shrewd addition.

His stats from the ongoing campaign showcase his talents, with many of which massively bolstering the options currently at the disposal of the manager at Old Trafford.

Gallagher, who’s been dubbed a “monster” by one analyst, has won 2.5 tackles and made 1.6 interceptions per 90, with such numbers showcasing his dominant ball-winning presence that Amorim craves.

Games played

16

Goals & assists

1

Pass accuracy

88%

Shots taken

1.4

Progressive carries

2.7

Progressive passes

3.9

Tackles made

2.5

Interceptions made

1.6

Carries into opposition box

0.9

He’s also made 0.9 carries into the opposition box as part of his 2.7 progressive carries per 90, highlighting his ability with the ball when winning it back for his side.

Gallagher, who earns £150k-per-week, has completed 88% of the passes he’s attempted to date, with 3.9 of which per 90 going into the final third, further reaffirming his incredible ball-playing talents.

Such a deal may be tricky to conduct for the Red Devils this window, but it would be a superb piece of business and one that could take the side to the next level.

If he can achieve the heights achieved by Mount, it would be an excellent deal and one that could finally end the hierarchy’s hunt for a new number eight in 2026.

Man Utd gem could be "the world's best", but he's becoming the new Mainoo

Manchester United have one star in their ranks who could suffer the same fate as Kobbie Mainoo.

ByEthan Lamb 3 days ago

Remember Anthony Volpe's hot start? Remember torpedo bats? As opening day passed and April dragged on, both have pretty much disappeared from the baseball season discourse.

Volpe hit four home runs in the New York Yankees first five games as his magical torpedo bat took the league by storm. That last home run came on April 2nd. Since then it's been three weeks and 20 games, and Volpe has not sent another ball out of the park.

The way things have gone for Volpe since then, you'd think MLB really did ban the bat as some people were actually suggesting just a few short weeks ago. The debate was as useless as talking heads suggesting the NFL ban two-deep coverage six months earlier.

Volpedo mania seems as silly and far off now as Elilio Bonafacio's start with the Florida Marlins in 2009. Leading off and playing third base for the Marlins, the then 23-year old started the season 14 of 24 with a double, triple and home run and five RBI as Florida started the season 4-0.

He turned 24 on April 23rd and by the time his birthday month was over his batting average had already fallen to .259. By the end of the season his slash line was .252/.303/.308 and the Marlins missed the playoffs.

Not to say the Yankees will experience the same outcome, but Anthony Volpe's hot start is a reminder that you can't get too high or too low so close to opening day.

Take the Phillies for example. They just dropped three games to the New York Mets. It was enough for NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Michael Barkann to ask John Kruk if it was time to panic. Kruk was completely dismissive of such concerns with about 85% of the season remaining.

And who could forget the rant WFAN's Sal Licata went on last week about Juan Soto. The Mets have gone 7-0 since then, and while Soto still isn't lighting the world on fire at the plate, he made one of the biggest plays of the game with his arm during the team's latest win.

The good news for Soto—besides the 15-years remaining on his contract—is that there's plenty of time to turn his season around at the plate.

Maybe he could try a torpedo bat.

The need for results over the coming weeks has been heightened. Arne Slot made a telling comment on his hopes of Liverpool progressing deep into the Carabao Cup when fielding a much-rotated team with a bench full of youngsters (average age of 19) against Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening.

The Eagles won 3-0, their third win over the Reds this term, and that’s now six losses from seven matches in all competitions for Slot’s side, who are very much in crisis mode.

The Dutch boss had turned his attention toward the daunting run of upcoming fixtures before the opening whistle screeched in midweek, and now there is not an emphasis but an expectation that wins will be struck to stop the rot and turn back toward the compelling title defence that was anticipated after a summer of record-breaking spending.

If we can take a sliver of optimism from this abject run of form, it’s that, having played an overload of matches away from home, four of the next five take place down Anfield Road, having lost on home soil to Palace on Wednesday too.

There simply has to be a swift upswing. Looking at it from a wider lens, though, it may well be that some Redmen have entered the final phase of their careers on Merseyside.

The Liverpool players Hughes needs to sell

Sporting director Richard Hughes was lauded after his emphatic summer transfer window, overseeing a staggering rebuild at Liverpool after Slot defied expectations to win the Premier League in his first year at the helm.

But the summer upheaval has sent it all in a bit of a spin. Still. Though we must reserve judgement on under-firing newbies such as Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz, there are certain veterans at the club who aren’t pulling their weight.

Take, for example, Joe Gomez, who is Liverpool’s longest-serving player but now shows the rust of a man who has been afforded few chances to impress in recent years, with injuries and superiorities elsewhere in defence keeping him on the fringe.

Against Palace, the England international struggled to impress, lacking any semblance of command in a backline that was without the calming presence of Virgil van Dijk.

Wataru Endo has been something of a stalwart since arriving at the club for a smart fee in 2023, but the 32-year-old’s role has diminished as his time in England has dragged on.

Stodgy athleticism and limitations on the ball have kept the Japan captain from being anything more than a tackle-first substitute under Slot’s wing, and now it appears he is approaching the end of an illustrious couple of years in Liverpool, unable to offer a viable solution at number six.

Liverpool should have better options in the middle of the park, in any case, but that doesn’t appear to be so as the 2025/26 campaign rolls into its fourth month.

The Liverpool midfielder who's failing Slot

We’ve been here before. Jurgen Klopp’s injury-hit Premier League champions were overwhelmed across the 2020/21 campaign, and scrambled to salvage Champions League football toward the end of the term.

But the deterioration of 2022/23 was more concerning, with the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho flattering to deceive in the middle of the park. The Reds needed to rebuild, and so fashioned together the title-winning engine room of the past few years.

The standout of that rebuild has been Alexis Mac Allister, instrumental to lifting Liverpool back off the ground in 2023/24, after joining from Brighton for around £35m, and then revelling in winning the Premier League last season.

Now, he’s fallen off a proverbial cliff, with his sedentary performances in midfield not those of an elite, robust midfielder. One Liverpool content creator actually said it “looks like Fabinho’s season”, when the Brazilian slumped from his formerly imperious level as the midfield anchor, his legs gone.

The data does suggest that Mac Allister lacks his former vim and vigour, but given that he is only 26 years old and regarded as a “superstar” of a midfielder, as has been said by pundit Joe Cole, this is deeply worrying for those of a red persuasion.

For Fabinho, though only 29 at the time of his £40m transfer to Al-Ittihad, had played 219 high-octane, turbo-charged matches as the heartbeat of Klopp’s Liverpool team, and going from 1.25 carries per game in his first season in England to an average of only 0.51 in 2022/23 emphasises his loss of athleticism.

For a player of Mac Allister’s all-encompassing midfield quality, it’s imperative that Slot gets a tune out of him once again. If the Argentine does not click into gear this season, Liverpool will struggle to hit their stride.

There will be an expectation around Anfield that Mac Allister’s dip in form is not permanent, and that he’s back on his A-game before long.

However, this startling drop-off dredges up unwanted memories of Fabinho’s own fall from grace at Anfield, and Slot will be gravely hoping that lightning hasn’t struck twice on the Liverpool squad.

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

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

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 30, 2025