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Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been slammed by a wide section of the media after his error-ridden display.

What's the latest on Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool?

On Easter Sunday in the Premier League, the Reds played host to Arsenal at Anfield in a game that lived up to expectations.

Mikel Arteta and co got off to a flying start as Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring after just eight minutes before Gabriel Jesus doubled that lead before the 30-minute mark.

Mo Salah managed to pull one back before the halftime break and then had the chance to equalise in the second half when Rob Holding was penalised for a foul on Diogo Jota.

However, the Egyptian dragged his penalty wide from 12 yards. In the end, Liverpool did eventually equalise through Roberto Firmino as his 87th-minute effort was enough to see the game end 2-2.

Despite the comeback, it seems not everyone on the home side got away without coming in for some security in the media.

Most notably, Van Dijk was slammed for his poor outing. For instance, in the player ratings for the Express, he was handed a 3/10 for his efforts with journalist Stuart Ballard writing: "A game the Dutchman will want to forget after making key mistakes for both of Arsenal's goals."

How poor was Van Dijk against Arsenal?

As Ballard points out, the Dutchman certainly could have done more for both goals as he first failed to clear the ball as it fell into the path of Martinelli for the opener, before he then lost Jesus in the box as the Brazilian headed in at the far post.

Others in the media noted his poor performance. YouTube Mark Goldbridge wrote on Twitter: "No joke Wes Brown is better than Van Dijk. Did it for longer."

Journalist Samuel Luckhurst added: "It was ridiculous at the time and it looks certifiable now that anyone regarded Van Dijk a greater centre-half than multiple title winners. The true greats perform and win season after season. Van Dijk was great but his drop-off has been staggering."

While Terry Flewers suggested that he ought to be dropped, saying: "Van Dijk and Trent [Alexander-Arnold] at fault again, Klopp must drop them!"

When you look at SofaScore it doesn't make for pretty reading either. With a 6.1 rating, the centre-back was the worst on the pitch from either team.

On top of that, he lost the ball 12 times, completed just 1/5 long balls, won just 1/4 ground duels, was dribbled past twice, and picked up one yellow.

Farhad Moshiri backed former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti with significant amounts of cash as the Italian was charged with taking the Toffees to the next level.

The start of the 2020/21 campaign saw the former AC Milan manager sign the likes of James Rodriguez, Ben Godfrey, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan in the hopes of challenging for the European spots and despite a wonderful start, winning their first seven straight matches in all competitions, they eventually fizzled out and finished tenth.

What Everton fans would give for a finish like that now, but Ancelotti left for Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 and although some of his signings clicked, Allan failed to replicate the form he showed at Napoli under the Italian.

How much did Allan cost Everton?

The Brazilian midfielder signed for a fee of £25m and having enjoyed success in Serie A, reuniting with Ancelotti looked like it could bear fruit in the Premier League.

It quickly became apparent that the move wouldn’t become a success, as he struggled to cope with the demands of English football and across his 57 appearances for the club, he failed to score a single goal while registering just three assists, a far cry from the 28 goal contributions he managed at Napoli.

Journalist Dave Downie even described the midfielder as an “imposter” last season as he couldn’t perform half as well away from home as he did at Goodison Park.

That summary was rather apt throughout his time on Merseyside, bemoaned for one game in particular where he staggeringly made just two passes in 73 minutes of a clash with Liverpool. To make matters worse, both of those came from kick-off.

Much was expected of him following his arrival, especially with the big fee attached and the fact he was approaching 30, many felt it was a move that would produce immediate results.

He left at the start of the season to join Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi having failed to make a single appearance under Frank Lampard in the opening weeks of the campaign.

The 32-year-old earned a staggering £70k-per-week across his 107-week stint at the club and combining that with his transfer fee, Allan ransacked Everton for a grand total of £32.5m, a ridiculous sum of money.

Transfers such as this one have ultimately dragged the club down a few notches, and it’s no wonder they are battling relegation. Under Sean Dyche, the Merseyside outfit may have a decent chance of building a team without splashing the cash.

Top-flight clubs in Spain, Italy and Turkey have reportedly registered their interest in signing Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos for free this summer.

The Lowdown: Morelos soon out of contract

The 26-year-old is out of contract in the summer, meaning that he can walk away from Ibrox as a free agent.

The striker continued his fine form under Michael Beale with an assist in the 3-0 win at Livingston in the Premiership on Saturday afternoon, which makes it six goals and four assists in 11 league games under the current manager (Transfermarkt).

Beale has recently admitted that he does not know whether or not Morelos will sign a new deal, but hopes that the forward will stay beyond this season.

The Latest: Plenty of transfer interest in Morelos…

As per Football Insider, one Spanish club has made an approach to sign Morelos as a free agent once his contract expires, while other clubs in the Spanish, Italian and Turkish top flights have also registered their interest in the Colombia international.

Morelos opted against a move to Turkey in January, and Rangers have not given up hope of him signing a new contract, while the player himself has privately not ruled out the possibility of staying put.

The Verdict: Give Morelos what he wants

Rangers must simply meet Morelos’ demands and give him what he wants in order to keep him at Ibrox beyond this summer.

Under Beale, he has rekindled the kind of form that he showed earlier in his Light Blues career, and he has been a great servant in general, with 178 goal contributions in total over the last six campaigns.

Morelos has also shown that he can contribute defensively for the team as well, ranking in the 98th percentile for blocks and the 85th percentile for clearances per game for all forwards outside of Europe’s top five leagues over the past year (FBref).

At 26 years of age, he still has a lot that he can offer, so the Teddy Bears should be looking to keep hold of him at all costs.

Yorkshire and Surrey are awaiting the response of the ECB after a Surrey player reported that he had been racially abused by a spectator on the first day of the County Championship match against Yorkshire in Scarborough.Ryan Patel, the 20-year-old Surrey all-rounder, is understood to be the player named when the incident was reported to the umpires, Peter Hartley and Paul Pollard, who informed the cricket liaison officer, Wayne Noon. Yorkshire have advised they will make no comment on the alleged incident until they hear officially from the ECB about the matter.Surrey’s director of dricket Alec Stewart said: “We’re fully aware of this unsavoury incident and have every confidence that the ECB and Yorkshire will deal with it in the appropriate manner.”It is not thought that the spectator involved was approached by stewards or by members of the Scarborough or Yorkshire club.Ryan Patel in action•Getty Images

Bill Mustoe, a Yorkshire vice-president and former Scarborough chairman, said that the club had responded once the complaint had passed through the system and the umpires had informed both counties.”Plain clothes spotters were put in the area to monitor the situation,” he said. “Nothing more was established and we’ll see what happens as a result. It was just disappointing. We’re not sure of exactly what was said, so we’ll just have to wait.”Yorkshire will also privately point out that the overall mood of the crowd was not hostile – quite the opposite. On the first day at North Marine Road spectators in the packed stand at the Peasholm Park End gave the Surrey offspinner Amar Virdi a huge round of applause at the end of the over in which he dismissed both Cheteshwar Pujara and Harry Brook.Scarborough attracts one of the biggest and most vociferous Championship crowds in the country and the intimate nature of the ground, which has often been described as a natural amphitheatre, means that any cries or barracking from the crowd can often be clearly heard.Patel, born in Sutton, is a Surrey Academy graduate who has been in the system since the age of eight. He shot to prominence with an extraordinary spell of six wickets for five runs in 23 balls against Somerset in Guildford last week.

Former Tottenham defender Alan Hutton has had his say on Ange Postecoglou potentially bringing a £45 million star to Spurs in January.

Who have Tottenham signed 2023?

The north Londoners did very well to seal seven major signings over the 2023 summer transfer window; including deals for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, midfielder James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, striker Alejo Veliz and forward Brennan Johnson.

Postecoglou's side didn't quite fulfill all of their ambitions, though; failing to seal late moves for another defender after van de Ven and a classic number nine of Harry Kane's ilk.

Reports in leading up to deadline day claimed that Tottenham were eyeing a move for Gent striker Gift Orban, and Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly.

Recent rumours also suggest they could well go back in for the likes of Kelly when we hit the January transfer window.

However they proceed, Spurs supporters will be absolutely overjoyed with their side's start to the new campaign. The Lilywhites remain unbeaten over their opening four matches, winning three of them and scoring 11 goals.

Postecoglou's electric, attacking brand of football has been on full display for all to see in that time – a far cry from Antonio Conte's final season in charge.

Players like Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison have dazzled as part of Tottenham's new-look midfield, and it will be interesting to see if Spurs do decide to bring in more bodies when the window reopens.

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

There are a few other players they missed out in the weeks leading up to September 1; a list including Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

The Englishman was reported to be a target for Postecoglou around that time, especially given the uncertain future of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg who attracted late window interest.

Gallagher was heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge throughout the summer but has gone on to become a mainstay under Mauricio Pochettino so far.

The 23-year-old has started all four of Chelsea's opening Premier League games so far; even ranking among their two top best-performing players per 90 according to WhoScored.

It's little surprise Postecoglou was keen on a move for the £45 million Gallagher, and BBC pundit Hutton has suggested that he could well make a move to Tottenham this winter.

Speaking to Football Insider, he made the claim when asked about a potential switch to north London for the "fantastic" player.

“We will have to wait and see what his playing time is like at Chelsea," said Hutton.

“We are looking at, when all fit, a very healthy and large squad so it depends how Pochettino sees him and uses him.

“Does he see him as a regular starter? Or is he more of a squad player? If that is the case then come January he may be looking to get out and play football.

“I think whoever gets him is getting a fantastic footballer at a very good age. He will cost a few quid but I think if Tottenham could get him he makes their squad better.“

A Kevin Pietersen cameo in his last appearance for the Melbourne Stars left the Hobart Hurricanes’ semi-final hopes in the hands of other teams

The Report by Alex Malcolm27-Jan-2018Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe Hobart Hurricanes had a semi-final berth in their own hands.But a Kevin Pietersen cameo, in his last appearance for the Melbourne Stars, combined with a multitude of tactical and execution errors by the Hurricanes, saw the game slip through their fingers. Their semi-final fate now rests on the result of the match between the Melbourne Renegades and the Brisbane Heat.The Hurricanes did everything right with the bat, posting a formidable total without a single run contributed by star opener D’Arcy Short. Daniel Christian, George Bailey and Nathan Reardon, in his first T20 match in over 12 months, all played superb hands as the Stars’ bowling and fielding dropped to a new low.The Stars needed 115 runs from 64 balls in the chase with six wickets in hand. Pietersen, John Hastings and Evan Gulbis produced some stunning power-hitting as the Hurricanes lost the plot with the ball. The Stars got home with five balls to spare.Getty ImagesShort changedD’Arcy Short has been the most dominant player in the BBL and few bowlers, if any, have been able to contain him. So the Stars turned to their opening batsman Ben Dunk to bowl the first over the innings and his first of the tournament. Dunk, who is a wicketkeeper first and foremost, had only bowled four overs in his T20 career and had one wicket. But his part-time off spin removed Short first ball, sliding on with the arm from around the wicket and trapping him lbw. Bailey picked up the slack and struck the ball exquisitely for 32 from just 20 balls before he picked out backward point. The Hurricanes careered along at 8.5 per over for 12 overs but had lost four wickets by then, which threatened their ability to accelerate in the last eight overs.Reardon’s rearguardBefore his game against the Strikers on January 17 – in which he didn’t get to bat – Reardon’s last T20 match was for the Brisbane Heat against the Melbourne Stars in January 2017. With the exception of the Hong Kong Sixes last October he had not played any other professional cricket in that period. While he and Christian got settled the run-rate dropped below eight an over for the first time in the innings. But Reardon changed that. He cracked two sixes and two fours in seven consecutive balls faced from Daniel Worrell and Hastings. Christian accelerated to 50 from just 34 balls after a crisp strike through cover. Both fell in the last over but Hastings also conceded 16 runs to see the total rise to 7 for 185.Faulkner the Finisher bats threeJames Faulkner has had an unusual tournament with the bat. He has been known as a finisher in previous seasons but his strike-rate this year has barely hovered above 100 and despite often not losing his wicket at the end of innings he has really struggled to find the boundary. The Stars opted to bat him at first drop after Peter Handscomb’s early dismissal. He struck a four and a six in his first 10 balls, benefitting from the field being up. Dunk looked in good touch early as well. But the wheels fell off when both men holed out in the first two overs post the Powerplay. The Stars chase appeared to go from bad to worse when Rob Quiney was run out, despite significant doubt over whether Matthew Wade’s gloves or the ball broke the bails.Mills’ and Bailey’s nightmareHastings won the captaincy battle, promoting himself to pinch-hit at number six and it was a masterstroke. He launched two sixes and a four in his first four balls to bring the equation to 99 from 60 balls. Then Bailey turned to Tymal Mills who continued his nightmare tournament. He delivered lengths that were routinely dispatched before a bouncer accounted for Hastings. Mills had given up 29 in his first two overs. Pietersen and Seb Gotch were well held for the next four overs, leaving the Stars needing 53 from 30 balls. Bailey had the option not to bowl Mills again as Christian, Clive Rose and Jofra Archer had five overs left between them. But Bailey backed his overseas pro and paid a price. Pietersen launched three fours and a six in four balls. Mills claimed his wicket with a superb reflex return catch but the damage was done. The equation dropped to 34 from 24 balls. Rose gave up just five singles and picked up Gotch in the 17th. But Archer uncharacteristically lost the plot in the 18th. He delivered an above-waist-high full toss that was carved for four by Gulbis, plus the added run for the no-ball. Later in the over he was hit for six off a ball for which only three men were inside the circle. The equation dropped to 12 off 12. Mills bowled the 19th and Gulbis bombed him straight for six. Mills final figures were a calamitous 2 for 56 from four overs. Christian had three runs to play with in the last over and conceded them all off the first ball.

Manchester United should consider reviving previous interest this summer in one of the most dynamic forwards in Europe, as Erik ten Hag weighs up his options for the remainder of the transfer window.

The Dutchman’s side got off to winning ways, however the narrative of the game was far from the three points, with club in crisis Wolves outplaying the Red Devils for the majority of the fixture.

With other clubs around United continuing to be active in the market, Ten Hag could take his side to the next level by exploring rumoured targets of the past that are still available to chase.

Who could Manchester United sign this summer?

After acquiring the talents of Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Jonny Evans, United could seek further firepower by dipping back in the pool of Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

Reported in Spain earlier in the summer, the Red Devils had interest in the 23-year-old, who has become an outsider in Madrid due to a frail relationship with Diego Simeone.

After a half-season loan in the Premier League at Chelsea, Felix returned to La Liga however, the transfer window has been full of speculation regarding his future, with his price tag said to be set around £80m.

How many goals has Joao Felix scored?

At just 23, the dynamic and versatile striker has netted 72 domestic goals, as well as scoring on five occasions for his country.

Described as “exquisite” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Portuguese sensation was snatched by Atletico at just 19-years-old, with the Spaniards paying a blockbuster fee of £113m to obtain his talent.

The season prior to his arrival in Spain, the teenager contributed to 24 goals in 26 Primeira Liga appearances for Benfica, showcasing to the world just how prolific he can be with the ball at his feet.

Now, Felix finds himself searching for a new challenge, with his future far from Madrid despite him being under contract with the club until 2027.

In capturing the 23-year-old dynamo, Ten Hag could significantly improve the attack on show at Old Trafford, with the striker’s versatility making him such an interesting acquisition for many.

Deployable on either flank, leading the line or most prominently as a second striker with a partner, the former Chelsea loanee could be the perfect capture for the Dutchman to play alongside new signing Hojlund.

Arriving from Atalanta for a bumper fee of £72m, the 20-year-old has a weight of expectation on his shoulders, with the move questioned due to him scoring just nine goals in Serie A last term.

In signing Felix, Ten Hag could not only gift the Denmark international an intricate striker partner, but a player that could ease the pressure from the youngster, in a partnership that could blossom at Old Trafford.

A keen creator, the Portuguese talent is accustomed to playing alongside a main striker, doing so expertly with Atletico behind the likes of Alvaro Morata, who dubbed the youngster as “special”.

It’s an extensive job to be expected to lead the line for a club such as Manchester United, even more so in the Premier League, and even more so as a 20-year-old with a £72m price tag on your head.

Felix could encourage the raw talents of Hojlund to perform with the help of his experience in playing the league already, paired with his knowledge in forming relationships with lead strikers throughout his impressive career so far.

Former Toronto FC forward CJ Sapong has opened up on the dysfunctional locker room at BMO Field last season under Bob Bradley.

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Sapong guests on Cooligans podcastReveals accuracies to previous reportsSuggests Bernardeschi vaping issues were trueWHAT HAPPENED?

On the latest episode of the , Sapong joined the crew to discuss MLS happenings and what summer 2023 was like at Toronto FC. The four-time capped USMNT striker revealed that it was like 'an Amazon Prime series' in terms of chaos.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT SAPONG SAID

"I'll be completely honest, that was an Amazon Prime series… and it happens like that a lot with locker rooms, there's always micro-stories or things but this s**t was another level."

When asked about the stories of Bradley and Bernardeschi feuding over the Italian vaping in the locker room, the striker said: "This is where I challenged a lot of my teammates, and a lot of perspectives, because that seems simple, right? It's like, bro: 'just don't vape,' but if that person is just someone who decides they're gonna do what they're gonna do, then at the end of the day, well, I guess he's just gonna do that."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

In the early part of the 2023 campaign, the Italy international took aim at Bob Bradley's tactics, which were then followed by a blockbuster report from that the attacker was 'admonished' for using a vape pen in club facilities. The pair continued to clash, with Bernardeschi ridiculing their training sessions, in-game tactics and more up until his sacking on June 27.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR TORONTO FC?

The club will look to forget their 2023 campaign, with 2024 preseason beginning over the course of the next week. With new coach John Herdman in charge, TFC will look to use the ex-Canada boss's experience to lead them back to glory.

Big picture

New Zealand have done it once before. So have England. Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka have each done it twice. South Africa have done it five times and Australia six. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have never managed it. And, perhaps surprisingly, neither have India. What is “it”, though? A winning stretch of at least 10 consecutive one-day internationals. And why is that relevant? Because India have now won their past nine ODIs on the trot. In Bengaluru, on Thursday, in what will be their 926th one-day international, they have the chance to accomplish a 10-game winning streak for the first time in their history of playing the format. An extra reason, perhaps, not to fall victim to dead-rubber syndrome.India have not lost an ODI since they succumbed to West Indies by 11 runs in Antigua in July; Australia have not won a one-day international since January 26, when they beat Pakistan in Adelaide on Australia Day. While India’s form-line consists of nine straight wins, Australia have lost their past 11 ODIs away from home. They cannot rescue the series, but even a consolation victory or two would feel like an achievement at this point. Should they find themselves on the end of a clean-sweep, Australia could fall to fourth on the ODI rankings, to sit alongside their fifth ranking in Tests and seventh in T20Is.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India: WWWWW
Australia: LLLLL

In the spotlight

Virat Kohli is one-day international cricket’s Mr Consistent. In 2016, he scored 739 ODI runs from 739 balls. Incredibly, he has maintained that strike-rate of precisely 100 this year, too, having scored 1137 runs from 1137 balls in 2017. He is also the leading run-scorer in ODIs this year and has made a century in each of India’s completed bilateral series in 2017. Can he add a hundred in this series to the list?The axing of Matthew Wade in Indore left the wicketkeeping duties in the hands of Peter Handscomb, who had performed the role in two previous ODIs for Australia. In domestic cricket, Handscomb has been a semi-regular wicketkeeper over the years, though in the longest format, he has tried to leave that role behind to focus on his batting. It will be interesting to see how the job affects his run-making in the following games, and it is worth noting that in the 23 List A matches where he has kept wicket, his average is higher (45.75) than in the 43 games he has played as a specialist batsman (30.15).

Team news

There is no real need for India to make any changes unless, with the series won, they want to rest someone. An unaltered XI seems likely.India (possible) 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Jasprit BumrahAshton Agar has gone home injured, which will mean a recall for Adam Zampa. Pat Cummins will be rested from the upcoming T20Is and there is the possibility that with the series already lost, the selectors may wish to start his break even sooner, in which case they could bring James Faulkner back in.Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Travis Head, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Peter Handscomb (wk), 8 Pat Cummins/James Faulkner, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Kane Richardson, 11 Adam Zampa

Pitch and conditions

The Bengaluru pitch has become a little slower and trickier in recent times, but this will be the first ODI to be played at the venue in nearly four years, the last game having yielded a 57-run win for the hosts against Australia. It is, therefore, difficult to know precisely what to expect. There is the possibility of some stormy weather in the city on Thursday.

Stats and trivia

• The M Chinnaswamy Stadium is Kohli’s worst home venue in ODIs: he averages 10.50 from four games there, with scores of 0, 8, 34 and 0.
• This will be David Warner’s 100th ODI, having made his international debut in the 50-over format in 2009
• The most recent team to achieve 10 consecutive ODI wins was New Zealand, whose run ended in the 2015 World Cup final. The most recent 10-match undefeated stretch was, however, achieved by South Africa, whose winning stretch lasted 12 games, spanning September 2016 and Feb 2017.

Darwin Nunez left Liverpool fans baffled when he stopped to appeal for a penalty against Manchester United despite being through on goal.

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• Nunez appealed for penalty instead of shooting
• Carragher left baffled
• Liverpool drew 0-0 with Man United

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Nunez had a chance to score in the 75th minute of Liverpool's goalless draw with United on Sunday, but he hesitated as he appealed to referee Michael Oliver for a penalty. The ball had bounced off the striker into the path of Luis Diaz, whose effort was blocked by Diogo Dalot. Instead of chasing the rebound, Nunez stopped to appeal for a foul of Diaz by the desperate United defenders.

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• WHAT CARRAGHER SAID

  Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher couldn't believe what Nunez had done. While commentating on the match for Sky Sports he exclaimed: "What's Nunez stopped for? Just run across and put it into an empty net!"

  Co-commentator Gary Neville replied: "He [Nunez] thinks it's a penalty but I don't think it is. I thought they [Dalot and Sofyan Amrabat] flew across and blocked."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Both Liverpool and United put in poor performances at Anfield, but Liverpool fans will feel an in-form Nunez might have decided to play on. The Uruguayan striker has scored just four goals in 16 league appearances this season and has failed to find the back of the net in his last 10 outings in all competitions.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NUNEZ AND LIVERPOOL?

  The disappointing result saw Jurgen Klopp's side surrender top spot in the Premier League table to Arsenal, who they will meet at Anfield on Saturday. Nunez will look to prepare for that huge clash in Liverpool's Carabao Cup quarter-final meeting with West Ham on Wednesday.