Nat Sciver-Brunt scores her first England century since becoming a mother and celebrates it, with partner Katherine and son Theo in the stands, with a baby-rocking gesture

Valkerie Baynes12-Oct-2025″For Theo”. As Nat Sciver-Brunt celebrated her match-winning, tenth ODI century – and first as a mother – by rocking her bat like a baby, there was no doubt about the dedication.A run-a-ball 117, also her first international century as England captain, allowed Sciver-Brunt to set up a thumping 89-run win against Sri Lanka and keep her side unbeaten from three games at the World Cup.Somewhat unexpectedly, her wife, the former England seamer Katherine, and their six-month-old son Theo, were in the stands to see it all after the family were reunited in Colombo.Related

• The revving, fizzing, whirring excellence of Ecclestone

• Sciver-Brunt and Ecclestone help England brush aside Sri Lanka

“For Theo, that one,” Sciver-Brunt said of her century celebration. “I had sort of spoken about it a little bit with Katherine, but you never know if you’re going to get another hundred, I suppose. It was in the back of my mind a little bit. They’ve come out to Sri Lanka to watch me, so I thought I’d give back to them for supporting me.”Sciver-Brunt thought she would be saying goodbye to her family for the duration of the tournament and she spoke to ESPNcricinfo about her trepidation over being apart for so long. But, given the logistics of flying from Guwahati to Colombo to Indore to Visakhapatnam through the group stage with a baby, it made sense.They managed to spend England’s pre-tournament training camp in Abu Dhabi together before Katherine and Theo returned to England, but then a previously unplanned trip to Sri Lanka meant they were all in the right place at the right time on Saturday.”It was a really nice bonus for her to be able to come out here,” Sciver-Brunt said. “She had to take on the flight alone with Theo. It was a lot for her to commit to. I’m glad I made it worth their while.”It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of missing them. I obviously got a bit more sleep when they were at home but it’s really nice to have them here and to tour the world with your family, it’s really, really special.”Sciver-Brunt was the difference that allowed England to post a respectable total of 253 for 9 after the top three of Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight failed to convert starts and no one else reached 20.Dropped on 3, Sciver-Brunt made Sri Lanka pay, striking nine fours and two sixes in the face of a threatening home spin attack led by left-armer Inoka Ranaweera’s 3 for 33.Another left-arm spinner, Sophie Ecclestone, sealed the result for England with brilliant 4 for 17 from her ten overs, accounting for four of Sri Lanka’s top five – including Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama, who shared a spirited 58-run partnership while Chamari Athapaththu was off the field battling cramp – and Athapaththu herself with a gem that enticed the drive and slid between bat and pad to rattle the stumps.3:19

Sri Lanka undone by Sciver-Brunt’s masterclass

The victory sent England to the top of the table on the eve of Sunday’s heavyweight clash between India and Australia, while Ecclestone’s performance placed her on top of the wicket-takers’ chart with nine at an average of 6.66.Sciver-Brunt is the second-highest run-scorer so far with 149, between New Zealanders Sophie Devine with 260 and Brooke Halliday’s 142. She also collected 2 for 25 from five overs against Sri Lanka as she continued her comeback after a six-month layoff from bowling because of an Achilles tendon injury. Offspinner Charlie Dean, Sciver-Brunt’s newly appointed vice-captain, also picked up two wickets.”In terms of leading the team, I probably don’t think about that so much when I’m batting,” Sciver-Brunt said of her developing ability to compartmentalise her roles as captain and allrounder. “I may pick up things here and there about the wicket and what would be best for our bowlers and thinking in that way but when I’m a batter I’m a batter and I really have worked on trying to focus on that, on one thing at a time.”With the bowling, that’s a little bit different and that’s where I can lean on Charlie a little bit more as vice-captain when I’m bowling to make sure I am clear. There is a lot to think about with captaincy but it’s something I’m enjoying so far.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has piled praise on a Gunners star who perhaps went unnoticed during their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich.

Arsenal end Bayern Munich unbeaten streak with 3-1 victory

Vincent Kompany’s Bundesliga champions went into Wednesday night’s Champions League clash off the back of a season-long unbeaten streak, winning all but one of their total games in all competitions.

It was Arsenal’s biggest test on paper, but Arteta’s side passed it with flying colours.

Arsenal delivered a commanding second-half performance to defeat Bayern at the Emirates Stadium, extending their perfect Champions League record to five wins from five matches and establishing themselves as genuine European contenders.

Arteta’s side opened the scoring through Jurrien Timber, who powered home a header from Bukayo Saka’s corner after 22 minutes. The Dutchman’s near-post run proved decisive as he guided his effort beyond Manuel Neuer, continuing Arsenal’s remarkable threat from set-pieces this season.

Related Arteta reveals what he told Calafiori right before Arsenal assist in Bayern win

The Spaniard gave a key instruction.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 27, 2025

Bayern responded ten minutes later when 17-year-old sensation Lennart Karl announced himself on the big stage with a composed finish. Joshua Kimmich’s accurate pass found ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry, who cushioned the ball into Karl’s path and allowed the teenager to volley emphatically into the roof of the net — with the home side conceding their first goal in Europe this season.

However, the second period belonged entirely to the Gunners, who began to dominate.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Noni Madueke, introduced as a first-half substitute for Leandro Trossard, broke the deadlock with his first Arsenal goal after two months out with a knee injury. The winger’s clinical finish, feeding off fellow sub Riccardo Calafiori, restored the lead and shifted momentum decisively in the home side’s favour.

Gabriel Martinelli sealed the victory seven minutes later after capitalizing on a catastrophic error from Neuer, with the result sending Arsenal three points clear at the top of the Champions League table and sealing their first victory over Bayern in a decade.

Captain Martin Odegaard made his comeback from injury as a late substitute too, providing further encouragement ahead of Sunday’s crucial Premier League clash with second-placed Chelsea.Declan Rice was simply sensational against Bayern, with the midfielder dominating in midfield and causing Kompany’s men all sorts of problems.Arteta’s substitutions were inspired as well, but one man who delivered yet again was summer signing Cristhian Mosquera.

Mikel Arteta praises Cristhian Mosquera after Arsenal display in Bayern win

The young Spaniard came in to partner William Saliba in place of Piero Hincapie and the injured Gabriel Magalhaes, and despite being scarcely mentioned by critics, Mosquera impressed against Bayern.

Arteta, speaking in his post-match press conference, reserved special praise for the ex-Valencia star.

Those within Arsenal believe the 21-year-old could become one of world football’s best centre-backs in the next few years, and nothing we have seen has given us any reason to doubt that theory.Mosquera made his Premier League debut in Saliba’s stead against Liverpool at Anfield in August, barely setting a foot wrong despite being given a baptism of fire.The youngster does a quite simply brilliant job whenever called upon, and the initial £13 million that Arsenal paid Valencia for his services back in June is beginning to look like one of the bargains of 2025.

Rajesh Banik played for Tripura at all age-group levels and in the Ranji Trophy, and also turned out for India Under-15s in 2000

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2025Rajesh Banik, the former Tripura first-class cricketer and state captain, died in a road accident in Anandanagar in western Tripura, a Tripura Cricket Association (TCA) official said on Saturday. He was 40 and is survived by his father, mother and brother, PTI reported.Banik, who made his Ranji Trophy debut for Tripura in the 2001-02 season, was among the state’s leading cricketers of his time and later served as a selector for the state’s Under-16 team.Born on December 12, 1984, Banik was a right-hand batter and occasional legspinner. He went on to play 42 first-class matches, all for Tripura, scoring 1469 runs at an average of 19.32, and also scored 378 runs in 24 List A matches and 203 runs in 18 T20s, all between the 2001-02 and 2017-18 seasons.A contemporary of Irfan Pathan and Ambati Rayudu, Banik was their team-mate in the India Under-15 team in the Asian Cricket Council Under-15 tournament in Kuala Lumpur in 2000 and also toured England with the India Under-15s the same year where, again, Rayudu and Pathan were among his colleagues.Banik went on to represent Tripura at many domestic age-group tournaments, like the Vijay Merchant Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the CK Nayudu Trophy, the MA Chidambaram Trophy, the Buchi Babu Invitational, the Under-19s Cooch Behar Trophy and the National Under-25 tournament.The Tripura senior men’s team players, currently playing a Ranji Trophy match in Agartala against Bengal, wore black armbands as a mark of respect for Banik, and the TCA paid tribute to the former cricketer at its headquarters in Agartala on Saturday.”This is very unfortunate that we have lost a talented cricketer and selector of the Under-16 cricket team,” secretary Subrata Dey was reported as saying by PTI. “We are shocked. May his soul rest in peace.”Anirban Deb, secretary of the Tripura Sports Journalists’ Club, said Banik’s contribution went beyond his playing career. “Not many knew about his ability to identify young talent. That’s why he was made one of the selectors of the Under-16 state team,” Deb said.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras enfrenta o Internacional nesta quarta-feira (17), na Arena Barueri, em jogo válido pela 2ª rodada do Brasileirão 2024.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

Buscando a sua segunda vitória na competição, o time de Abel Ferreira deve reencontrar velhos conhecidos que hoje defendem o Colorado. Ao todo, seis jogadores do atual elenco do Inter já passaram pelo Palmeiras, porém apenas três podem ser titulares hoje.

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O volante Bruno Henrique, capitão do Deca Brasileiro do Verdão, e também as duas crias da Academia, Vitão e Wesley, brigam por uma vaga entre os 11 do time de Eduardo Coudet.

Alan Patrick e Hyoran, outros dois jogadores que passaram pelo Palmeiras, estão no departamento médico e não enfrentam o atual bicampeão brasileiro.

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Enquanto o Inter está recheado de jogadores em seu elenco que já vestiram o manto do Maior Campeão do Brasil, no Palmeiras, apenas o goleiro reserva Marcelo Lomba tem passagem pelo Colorado.

O provável Internacional para pegar o Palmeiras é: Rochet; Bustos, Vitão, Mercado e Renê; Thiago Maia, Bruno Gomes (Bruno Henrique) e Mauricio; Wesley, Wanderson e Borré.

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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Invicto no ano com o time titular, o Inter só tem uma derrota nesta temporada (assim como o Palmeiras) e também estreou com vitória no Brasileirão, quando bateu o Bahia no Beira-Rio por 2 a 1.

Tigers ace and reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal left his start against the Marlins with a team athletic trainer Friday night.

He appeared to grab the left side of his upper body after a pitch in the fourth inning which caused manager A.J. Hinch and a member of the training staff to head out to the mound. After a brief discussion, Skubal exited the game. You can watch the unfortunate sequence below:

Per 's Cody Stavenhagen, the team said the Cy Young Award frontrunner left his 29th start of the season with tightness in his left side and is getting evaluated. Heading into the night, he is 13–4 with a 2.10 ERA and 222 strikeouts. He leads the AL in ERA, trailing only Paul Skenes (1.92) for the best mark in baseball. Only Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet has more punchouts with 228.

Something was off with Skubal from the start Friday as he gave up two home runs in his first two innings and ended the evening allowing four earned runs to two strikeouts. He pitched 14 innings of scoreless baseball over his two previous starts while striking out 10 batters along the way.

Javier Báez exited early for Detroit Friday also after he fouled a ball off his head earlier in the game.

A sight no Cubs fan wanted to see occurred on Saturday during the club's game against the Nationals at Wrigley Field.

During the bottom of the sixth inning, Cubs All-Star centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, facing Nationals reliever PJ Poulin with a 1-1 count, fouled an 89-mph sinker off his right knee. In considerable pain, Crow-Armstrong dropped his bat and hobbled up the third-base line, where he stopped and grabbed his knee as the Cubs trainer hurried out from the dugout.

The speedy outfielder finished the at-bat, which resulted in a walk, then exited the game after the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Cubs announced Crow-Armstrong left the game with a right knee contusion, according to Zoe Grossman of Marquee Sports Network.

Crow-Armstrong, at one point one of the favorites to be named National League MVP, is in the midst of a career year. Even after a second-half swoon, he owns a career-best .786 OPS and is flirting with a 30-homer, 30-stolen base season.

The Cubs, holding strong to the top wild-card spot in the NL, will hope Crow-Armstrong avoided serious injury.

يستضيف فريق ليفربول خصمه سندرلاند، مساء يوم الأربعاء، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لكرة القدم، موسم 2025/26.

تأتي تلك المباراة في خضم لقاءات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي لهذا الموسم، على ملعب “أنفيلد” معقل ليفربول.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز الثامن في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي في الوقت الحالي برصيد 21 نقطة، في حين أن فولهام لديه 22 نقطة ويحتل المركز السادس.

(محدث) تشكيل ليفربول أمام سندرلاند في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف محمد صلاح

ومن المتوقع عودة النجم المصري محمد صلاح إلى التشكيل الأساسي لفريق ليفربول في مباراة الليلة، بعدما كان بديلًا في لقاء وست هام في الجولة الماضية ولم يشارك في أي دقيقة. تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام سندرلاند اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: أليسون بيكر.

خط الدفاع: كورتيس جونز، إبراهيما كوناتي، فيرجيل فان دايك، آندي روبرتسون.

خط الوسط: ماك أليستر، جرافنبيرخ.

خط الوسط الهجومي: محمد صلاح، فلوريان فيرتز، كودي جاكبو.

خط الهجوم: ألكسندر إيزاك.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

Eberechi Eze reacted with a sheepish grin and quickly moved on when asked about his failed move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, after the Arsenal star and boyhood Gunners fan scored a stunning hat-trick in a 4-1 demolition of Spurs at the Emirates. Eze came close to completing a move to Arsenal's biggest rivals in the summer, before a late hijack saw the former Crystal Palace star complete his dream £67.5million ($88m) transfer.

• Eze avoids Spurs question after dream derby day hat-trick

  Eze was understandably reluctant to answer when asked by Sky Sports at full-time about the possibility that he may have been wearing different colours for Sunday’s North London Derby if things had gone differently.

  The 27-year-old England international completed his dream move to his boyhood club in August and put in the performance of a lifetime as he scored past arch-rivals three times to earn the derby day match ball, reaching five goals for his new club in the process.

  Bagging his side’s second goal in controversial circumstances just before half-time, Eze struck two goals from the edge of the box in the second period to secure a huge victory for Arsenal, which puts the Gunners six points clear at the top of the Premier League table – with second-placed Chelsea to come next weekend at Stamford Bridge.

  Speaking post-match, Eze was quick to brush past the question regarding his high-profile transfer saga in the summer, where the Gunners completed a stunning hijack to secure a game-changing signing.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Eze's hilarious response to Spurs transfer question

  “Let’s not speak about that”, said Eze when asked if he could have been wearing the opposition colours for the derby, breaking into a smile after his cheeky response live on Sky Sports. “I thought you might say that”, responded the reporter.

  “That’s a good [feeling],” Eze said of emphatic derby victory. “Enjoyable day, happy to help the team and to win today is special.

  “It feels special, man. I’m grateful again, this is what I pray for. I prayed for it today, a hat-trick, and I got it today so I’m grateful to God.”

• Eze reflects on his favourite goal of match-winning treble

  “That was the prayer today, a hat-trick, and God gave it to me. That’s faith. All my family is here again, which makes it even more special to do it in front of them," Eze continued.

  When asked for his pick of the goals, Eze said: “They were all good, I don’t know. Maybe the second one, that was my favourite.

  “Just the timing of it, it was the right time,” he continued. “Honestly, it’s just special, all of them are good for me, because I know that I’ve been working on the process to get in those positions, so it’s worked out.”

  On scoring his first professional hat-trick, he added: “Yeah, it is. Special one. As I say, words can’t explain this one today.”

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Special day for us' – Arteta speaks

  Mikel Arteta said to BBC Match of the Day:"It's a very special day for us. We knew the importance of the match and what it means to our fans. To be able to give them that joy, it's a beautiful day."

  On Eze becoming the fourth-ever player to score a hat-trick in the North London derby: "That tells you about the difficulty and what he's done today. To be fair he could have scored four or five. He's a big player who can create magic moments which unbalance a team.

  "We dominated every part of the game. We created massive chances and had a lot of actions that we were very close to scoring. We stayed patient.

  "Whoever we put in there they do the jobs for us. This squad has the belief and quality to deliver consistently.

  "We have really good momentum but you can see how difficult every game in the Premier League is. It's a long run, let's go game by game. Let's enjoy tonight, then we have Bayern here and Chelsea away. We have a tough week."

It does now appear that Daniel Farke’s days as Leeds United manager are very much numbered.

This isn’t exactly the biggest shock in the world, considering the Whites have now lost five of their last six Premier League games, with the Aston Villa loss sending them into that dreaded bottom three.

Reports are indicating that the German’s sacking looks inevitable amid doubts over whether he is the correct long-term man at Elland Road, albeit with a succession plan seemingly not yet in place.

Unfortunately, Farke looks as if he will fall victim to a fate that even the great Marcelo Bielsa had to come to terms with in the Premier League.

Not even a colossal 81 wins in charge could save the revered Argentine from the sack in the end, with far less sadness on display when Jesse Marsch was given his marching orders after the South American, when looking at his up-and-down stint in West Yorkshire.

Marc Roca's Leeds woes under Marsch

The new Canada boss would only muster up a weak 11 wins from the pressurised dug-out, in contrast, but that isn’t to say it was all doom and gloom while he occupied the hot seat.

Indeed, Marsch would steer the Whites to safety during the 2021/22 season after picking up the pieces from Bielsa, with a memorable away win at Liverpool even on his resume.

Still, a fair few of the signings the American signed off on during his brief stay in England were extremely hit-and-miss, including the one-season wonder of Marc Roca.

Initially, the Spaniard stood out as a rock-solid option in defensive midfield, with Leeds’ unbeaten start to the 2022/23 season seeing Roca win a high 15 duels in wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea.

Yet, much like Luis Sinisterra, who showed flashes of his excellence at Leeds with five Premier League goals put away, Roca’s efforts ultimately meant nothing, as Leeds succumbed to relegation during his only season at the club.

Pundit Adrian Durham would even state, during his brief time in West Yorkshire, that he wasn’t sure if Roca had the calibre to be a “Premier League footballer”. By the end of the campaign, he was merely a bit-part player, too, despite such early promise.

Leeds will hope history isn’t repeating itself now with this promising summer acquisition, who has gone off the boil somewhat in recent weeks.

Leeds' next Roca in the making

To make matters worse for the Whites, Roca would end up returning to home comforts in La Liga smoothly, having looked far more impressive back at Real Betis.

Chalkboard

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

Indeed, as per FBref, he currently ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for assists per 90, as well as in the top 10% for interceptions and the top 17% for tackles, showcasing an all-around quality that was sorely lacking at Elland Road.

Much like the Betis number 21, Anton Stach was a notable midfield purchase this summer from Europe, with £17.4m splashed out on the German, after he had collected a weighty five goals and 16 assists in the Bundesliga for the likes of Hoffenheim.

He has packed his shooting boots for England, too, with this outrageous free-kick against Wolves earlier in the season making him a fan’s favourite amongst Leeds supporters packed into Molineux.

During the same game, he also picked up an assist, while winning a combined eight tackles and duels.

Yet, since that standout performance against the bottom-of-the-table Old Gold, Stach has failed to consistently deliver, with his form out of sorts against Nottingham Forest at the start of the month, which culminated in the German completing zero successful dribbles and losing possession a high 15 times.

Games played

6

Games started

4

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Accurate passes

153/187

Total duels won

22/40

Looking at the table above, Stach has only won 22 of his following 40 duels since his man-of-match-worthy display in the West Midlands, with Farke even pushing him down to the bench on occasion, which is a fate Roca became very much used to during the latter stages of his hot-and-cold Leeds stint.

Farke has even openly come out and said that Stach needs to “step up” amid a concern that his performances have gone downhill, with relegation staring Leeds in the face, even with glimpses of promise here and there from the ex-Hoffenheim star.

The under-pressure German will hope Stach listens to his words and gets back to his best shortly.

If he doesn’t, and he fades into the background like Roca, relegation looks to be on the cards, as the walls begin to be “slowly closing in” on the ex-Norwich City manager, as per the Athletic’s Beren Cross.

Leeds star is becoming Elland Road's biggest liability since Berardi

Leeds United could now have their biggest liability since the days of Gaetano Berardi in this underperforming flop.

1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 25, 2025

As Curtis Jones admitted on Wednesday, Liverpool are "in the sh*t" right now. The humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat at home to PSV means the ragged Reds have now lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions and the common consensus is that Arne Slot is only still in a job because he won the Premier League last season. But how have Liverpool gone from champs to chumps in just six months?

The impact of Diogo Jota's death on the friends he left behind certainly can't be overstated, with left-back Andy Robertson publicly disclosing his ongoing torment in the midst of the joyous celebrations that greeted Scotland's qualification for the World Cup last week. It's clear, though, that there are other factors at play – not least Slot's ongoing inability to come up with any tactical solutions to Liverpool's plethora of problems in every area of the pitch.

However, it certainly isn't all the manager's fault. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is among those presently pointing the finger at the players for a perceived lack of leadership and captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted that they are letting themselves down at the moment.

Below, GOAL ranks the Reds' biggest under-performers during their rotten run of results…

Getty Images Sport10Virgil van Dijk

For the first few months of the season, Van Dijk was the only thing holding Liverpool's brittle backline together. Indeed, after the fortuitous 3-2 win over 10-man Newcastle all the way back in August, Carragher admitted that he didn't even want to imagine where the Reds would be without their inspirational skipper.

Unfortunately, we now have a little bit of an idea, because while Van Dijk is still there, at the heart of the defence, he's looking like a cheap imitation of the colossus that led Liverpool to the title last season. Indeed, judging by his ludicrous handball against PSV (the third penalty he's given away this season – more than any other Premier League player in all competitions), Van Dijk has become another victim of the general malaise on Merseyside.

Nobody can fault Van Dijk's commitment – he's been visibly hurt by the Reds' rapid fall from grace – but he actually seems to be trying too hard to turn things around, which is why we're now seeing the captain making uncharacteristically rash challenges. If Van Dijk doesn't rediscover his composure, Liverpool really are done for.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport9Florian Wirtz

Florian Wirtz has been nowhere near as poor as many critics have tried so desperately to make out. Indeed, the Germany international was integral to arguably Liverpool's best three performances of the season so far, against Atletico Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt and Real Madrid. Wirtz's creativity was also seriously missed in the three-goal losses at home to PSV and Nottingham Forest.

However, there is no denying that Liverpool supporters expected a hell of a lot more from the £100 million signing from Bayer Leverkusen than three goal involvements in 16 appearances in all competitions. Even allowing for the fact that it often takes time for overseas players to get to grips with the physicality and intensity of English football, Wirtz has often looked out of his depth.

When he returns from injury, the attacking midfielder will be under immense pressure to prove that he can cut it in the Premier League – although it might help if he were given a regular run of starts in his preferred position behind the centre-forward.

AFP8Jeremie Frimpong

Liverpool were never going to be able to find a like-for-like replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The former Kop idol has a unique set of skills for a right-back. Consequently, the Reds recruited Jeremie Frimpong, a diminutive Dutchman with different but no less dangerous attacking attributes.

The problem is that we've seen very little of them, for two reasons. Firstly, Frimpong has proved worryingly injury-prone and is once again out of action after damaging his hamstring for the second time this season, in the Champions League win in Frankfurt. Secondly, even when he has been available for action, Frimpong has not looked a good fit for the right-back berth at all. He has instead looked like what he was at Bayer Leverkusen: an offensively-minded wing-back.

So, whenever Frimpong returns to action, Slot really needs to show us what he intended to do with his compatriot, who has contributed one flukey goal and zero assists in nine appearances to date.

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Getty Images Sport7Alexis Mac Allister

One could easily make the argument that Alexis Mac Allister was Liverpool's most consistent performer during his first two seasons at the club following his 2023 arrival from Brighton. The World Cup winner never produced anything less than a seven-out-of-10 showing. He was Liverpool's multi-purpose midfield dynamo; no matter where he was placed, he drove the team forward with his mix of tenacity and technique.

Mac Allister, though, is currently paying a heavy price for his slower than expected recovery from the injury issues that brought a premature end to his 2024-25 and ruined his pre-season preparations. We've seen flashes of the old Mac Allister and, as a result, the old Liverpool – most notably in goal-scoring displays against Aston Villa and Real Madrid – but he's regressed again over the past week. 

It was genuinely startling to see how easily Nico Williams went through Mac Allister to set up Forest's second goal at Anfield last Saturday before he almost completely disappeared after Liverpool went 2-1 down against PSV in midweek. Mac Allister is far too good a player to struggle all season along, but one cannot help where the Reds will be by the time he gets back up to full match speed.