Arsenal claimed three vital points in the Premier League this afternoon, beating Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City side 2-0 at the King Power Stadium.

However, Mikel Arteta’s men didn’t have it all their own way throughout the contest, having to wait until the 81st minute after substitute Mikel Merino broke the deadlock.

The Spanish midfielder, who came on to feature as a central striker, scored his second of the game just minutes later, ghosting in at the far post to tap home from Leandro Trossard’s cross.

His goals ensured that the Gunners move within four points of leaders Liverpool ahead of their clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, piling the pressure on Arne Slot’s side to get a result.

However, despite the victory, numerous first-team players failed to impress, potentially putting their starting roles at risk ahead of their next clash against West Ham United.

Arsenal’s poor performers against Leicester

Although he managed to get an assist for Merino’s second goal, winger Trossard looked largely ineffective throughout the contest with the Foxes, unable to take full advantage of the opportunity handed his way due to the injury crisis.

The Belgian was caught offside twice and missed one big chance in the final third, unable to put the Gunners ahead before the double from the substitute.

Midfielder Martin Odegaard has for so long been the player to get Arteta’s side out of trouble, starring with his phenomenal ball-playing ability, often teeing up players in the final third.

However, the Norwegian was largely wasteful in today’s triumph, losing possession 14 times, and only managing one effort on goal, with this afternoon certainly one to forget for the captain.

Despite the lack of impact by the aforementioned duo, one other player looked poor throughout in the East Midlands, undoubtedly leading to questions about his future at the club.

The Arsenal player who dropped a 3/10 against Leicester

Given the recent injuries to the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz in the final third, the trip to face Leicester presented an opportunity for winger Raheem Sterling to get a rare start for the Gunners.

The Englishman joined the club on loan from Chelsea in the summer but has since been restricted to cup action and minutes from the substitutes bench.

However, he started for Arteta’s side this afternoon but did himself no favours whatsoever, failing to impress – potentially ending his career at the top level of the English game.

The 30-year-old only featured for 69 minutes before being replaced by eventual match-winner Merino, only notching a total of 36 touches during his time on the pitch.

Minutes played

69

Touches

36

Possession lost

13x

Pass accuracy

19/24 (79%)

Dribbles completed

0/3 (0%)

Shots taken

1

Duels won

1/6 (16%)

Like Odegaard, he was wasteful, losing the ball 13 times and only achieving a pass accuracy rate of 79%, highlighting why Arteta decided to withdraw him from the contest.

Sterling also failed to complete any of his three attempted dribbles, registering just one shot, looking way below the level of a player who’s featured at the top level for the majority of his career.

As a result of his showing, he was handed a measly 3/10 match rating by Football London’s Tom Cannon, the lowest of any player in the squad, showcasing his lack of impact.

Given his disappointing showing, the boss has been left with no choice but to leave him out of future starting lineups, evidently not good enough to cut it for a side pushing for a league title.

With his loan deal set to expire at the end of the season, supporters will be glad to see the back of Sterling after his lack of impact, with his showing demonstrating the need for added investment this summer.

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Jos Buttler, England’s captain, believes his team is ready for the challenge of taking on Pakistan in the T20 World Cup final in Melbourne on Sunday after bouncing back from the adversity they faced in a faltering group-stage performance to crush India by ten wickets in their semi-final.Buttler himself sealed the performance at Adelaide Oval with a six off Mohammad Shami’s final ball of the 16th over, to finish unbeaten on 80 from 49 balls as he and Alex Hales (86 from 47) completed England’s third win in a row, after a defeat against Ireland and a wash-out against Australia had left their progression hanging in the balance.”[The Ireland game] feels a long time ago,” Buttler said during the post-match presentations. “The character we’ve shown to get through the tournament since then, and put in our best performance today, has been amazing. We came here excited, it was a really good feeling when we came in. A group effort from 1 to 11. We always want to start as fast as we can and be aggressive.”If there were nerves going into the contest, then England hid them well, with Chris Woakes’ early dismissal of KL Rahul setting the tone for a tight powerplay and a first ten overs in which India were restricted to a sub-par 62 for 2. Hardik Pandya’s fast-finishing 63 from 33 appeared to have justified the cautious platform-laying, but by the time Hales and Buttler had responded with 63 for 0 in six overs, the rest of the chase was a formality.”It was our best performance so far in the tournament, and to do it on a day like today is incredibly satisfying,” Buttler added. “You couldn’t ask for a better run-chase. Adil Rashid was down at No.11 today, and that gives us the freedom to come out aggressive, that depth. Hales was tough to bowl at today, he used the dimensions of the ground, and we complement each other perfectly. He was a brilliant partner today.”The ease of England’s victory belied the agonising that was required before the start of play – both with the need to change their XI for the first time in the tournament following injuries to Dawid Malan and Mark Wood, and with the dangers of adjusting to Adelaide’s shorter square boundaries – a favoured hunting ground for Virat Kohli in particular across all formats.”I ummed and aahed over the toss for a long while, actually,” Buttler told Sky Sports. “What I’d do if I won it. Someone showed me a stat that no one’s won the toss and won here, so I was hoping to lose it. But my gut feel said to chase today. Against India, I feel like sometimes they’re a bit more dangerous when they know exactly what they have to do. It worked today. It might not have worked another time, but I’m glad that I went for it today.”Related

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That tendency to pace a chase was best exemplified by Kohli’s magnificent performance against Pakistan in their final-ball group-stage win, but their loss to South Africa in Perth followed a similar route to this game, with a ponderous top-order display leaving too much ground to be made up by one man, Suryakumar Yadav on that occasion, compared to Pandya today.And it was Yadav’s threat in particular that gave Buttler the most pause for thought in the build-up to the match, given that he came into the game with a tally of 225 runs from 116 balls in the tournament to date, with no discernible weakness against any particular bowling type. This time, however, Rashid extracted him for 14 from 10, caught at deep point in the midst of a magnificent spell in which he conceded just one boundary, and that from his very first ball.”The conversations with the analyst [were interesting],” Buttler said. “I think he’s his favourite player, he loves him! But cricket only asks you to take one chance. And even if he had got 40, that would have been a win today. He plays a high-risk game. He takes the game on, he plays with huge freedom, and sometimes that allows chances. It was the perfect ball from Rash to get him.”Rashid entered the attack for the final over of the powerplay, and was bowled out by the end of the 12th, having strangled India’s intent through the middle overs for figures of 1 for 20. In the process, he avoided one of the match-ups that might have caused a dent to his figures, with the left-handed Rishabh Pant preferred to Dinesh Karthik due to his love of taking down the ball turning into his body.”That’s why we used him early as well,” Buttler said. “He bowled the best I’ve seen him bowl in a long while today. He bowled on the seam, he tried to spin it hard. We knew we had to get those guys out, and I thought he was the best chance to do that. To pick up the key wicket of Surya is such a huge performance from Dilly today.”England’s main wicket-taker on the night was the recalled Chris Jordan. He has been hampered by a finger injury, and his most recent outing against Australia last month had gone at 13 an over. But Buttler backed his vast experience and was rewarded with three precious wickets, even though he had to bear the brunt of Pandya’s late onslaught.”[Wood and Malan] weren’t fit to play, so that forces your hand,” Buttler said. “Chris Jordan has been a mainstay of the team for a long time, with huge experience, and the dimensions of this ground I thought suited him better than someone like David Willey. I don’t think he was thanking me too much for bowling him three overs straight through there at the death, so to come in your first game of the tournament and bowl at Hardik at that stage of the game, I thought was an incredible effort.”Buttler could not confirm whether Wood or Malan would be fit for the final, but he admitted that their injuries were “good headaches to have” in the circumstances. Phil Salt, Malan’s replacement, was not needed on the night, but Buttler added that he had been relishing his opportunity, after making a hard-hitting 88 from 41 in Pakistan last month, and was sure he’d have taken on the short, square boundaries if he had been given a chance.It will be Pakistan in England’s sights once more, come the final. A repeat of the 1992 World Cup final at the same venue, and more immediately, a continuation of a compelling rivalry this winter, with the ledger reading 4-3 in England’s favour after back-to-back wins in Lahore.”They are someone we’ve seen quite a lot of recently,” Buttler said. “They found some great form at the right time, but at the moment, we’re just excited to be in the final. After the stress of trying to get through the group stages, we wanted to come here and enjoy tonight, show off our talent, and we’ll try and do that in the final as well.”

Liverpool’s relentless march to the Premier League title continued with an excellent 2-0 victory over an in-form side Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon.

Arne Slot would have been wary of the threat the Cherries possess, especially after they shocked Nottingham Forest in midweek, scoring five goals against the side that sit third in the Premier League table.

Knowing that his side would go nine points clear of Arsenal with a win at the Vitality Stadium, the Anfield outfit delivered a professional performance on the south coast.

It comes as no surprise that Mohamed Salah was the hero, scoring both of Liverpool’s efforts to reach 178 Premier League goals, overtaking Frank Lampard to become the sixth-highest scorer in the history of the competition.

A new contract for the Egyptian talisman hasn’t materialised yet, but surely it won’t be long before Slot presents an offer.

Mohamed Salah’s game in numbers vs Bournemouth

Salah was as influential as ever for the Reds. His first goal was a well-taken penalty after just 30 minutes before he netted a delightful curling effort in the second half to secure his brace and ensure Liverpool took home three points.

He also made two key passes, registered four shots, delivered one accurate cross and succeeded with two of his three dribble attempts throughout the game.

Who knows where the club would be without their star man and if he remains fit and in this sort of form over the coming months, the Anfield side could win a couple of major trophies.

It is a team effort, however. As such, Ryan Gravenberch is the fulcrum behind their title charge, no doubt about that.

The Liverpool star who's driving the title charge

The Dutchman has started every single top-flight game for the Reds this season, signifying his importance to the cause as Slot aims to win the title in his first season as manager.

He may have registered just two assists, but his job in controlling the midfield has been crucial during the club’s title charge over the previous few months.

Against the Cherries, Gravenberch not only succeeded with 93% of his passes, but the midfielder also won nine ground duels, lost possession on just three occasions and made a staggering seven tackles throughout the 90 minutes.

Salah may have got the goals, but Gravenberch deserves the plaudits after another flawless display.

The 22-year-old received a match rating of 7/10 from Danny Gallagher at the Anfield Watch, who stated that ‘a big, elegant, statue of ball-playing midfielder is exactly what you want on gritty afternoons like this, and the Reds’ most-improved player of the season delivered’.

Deliver he did. If Liverpool go on to win their 20th domestic title in May, Salah’s goals may well prove to be the deciding factor. But in Gravenberch, they have solidity in the midfield area, which, during tight games like today, helps massively.

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Scotland spinner set to be available to play in all three formats

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2022Scotland spinner Mark Watt has signed a contract to play all formats for Derbyshire during the 2023 season, either side of his international commitments.Watt has played regularly for Derbyshire on a number of short-term deals since 2019. He was a key member of the side that reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 T20 Blast, taking 13 wickets with an economy of 8.46 – the team’s best.He again impressed for Scotland at the T20 World Cup, taking 3 for 12 in their win over West Indies, after which he spoke about using a “cheat sheet” on batter’s strengths and weaknesses.”Mark’s attention to detail is what makes him such an exciting cricketer, he’s always taking notes and is meticulous in his preparation for matches, that’s something which will be key for us in all formats next season,” Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, said.”It’s that little bit of aggression and innovation which can make all the difference in big games, Mark has both of those qualities in abundance.”He’s an international spinner who has faced some of the world’s best players, he showed at the World Cup he can trouble anyone and we’re really pleased to have Mark back with us for 2023.”Watt also featured for Derbyshire in the Royal London Cup in 2022, as well as playing first-class cricket for first time since 2017. He has made just seven first-class appearances overall but played three times in the County Championship, taking nine wickets at 35.22.Watt said: “I really enjoyed my time with Derbyshire in 2022, so it was an easy decision to come back for next season. You could see from the progress we made last season that we’re building something, and the opportunity to contribute for the club across all formats is something I’m really excited about.”

Glasgow Rangers may have won 3-1 over the weekend to return to winning ways after their shock Scottish Cup defeat last week, but the performance was far from pretty.

Philippe Clement’s side laboured to the victory, which saw Hearts player Jamie McCart score two own goals during the game.

At this stage, it certainly feels as though the Ibrox side are going through the motions, with no clear philosophy being shown on the pitch. Will this be allowed to continue? Or is the Belgian’s time in Glasgow coming to an end?

Things don’t look like they are going to improve anytime soon, and they are as bad, if not worse, than when Michael Beale was in charge between December 2022 and October 2023.

The Englishman wasn’t the right man to lead the Gers, that’s a certainty.

Michael Beale’s spell at Rangers

Beale was Steven Gerrard’s first team coach during his three-and-a-half-year spell in charge of the Gers, and he was widely praised for his tactical approach, which saw the club win their first Premiership crown in a decade.

Beale followed Gerrard to Aston Villa before taking his first steps into management with QPR at the start of the 2022/23 season. When Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sacked in November of that same campaign, Beale was appointed as the new Rangers manager just a couple of weeks later.

He managed the Light Blues for a total of 43 matches, winning 31 and losing eight, averaging 2.26 points per game. He ended his time in charge of the club by winning 72.1% of his games, which ranks him – statistically anyway – as the second-best manager in the club’s history.

Of course, in terms of actual football and the fact he failed to strengthen the team, wasting money on players such as Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers, his time in Glasgow was a disaster.

He did sign Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell, however, and the two were arguably his best signings.

Todd Cantwell’s Rangers statistics

Once valued at £40m by Norwich City, Cantwell had fallen down the pecking order at Carrow Road, which allowed the Gers to sign him in January 2023.

Six goals and five assists between February and May 2023 proved that Cantwell was turning into an excellent signing for the club. Someone who could perhaps be the fulcrum of the team ahead of 2023/24.

Metric

2022/23

2023/24

Goals

6

7

Assists

4

5

Big chances created

5

7

Successful dribbles per game

1.5

1.2

Key passes per game

1.3

1.7

Unfortunately, while he may have registered 15 goal contributions during his only full season at Ibrox, Cantwell often went long spells without showing enough, and it soon became clear that he wasn’t part of Clement’s plans going forward.

Rangers showed interest in a host of players during Beale’s time in charge. Might things have been different if he was able to sign a couple of players who popped up as targets?

One player who was linked during the January transfer window in 2023 has established himself as one of the best attackers in the Premier League – Cole Palmer.

Rangers's pursuit of Cole Palmer

Beale was keen on bolstering his squad during the winter window, just weeks after taking the reins at Ibrox.

While Raskin and Cantwell eventually joined, the it was reported that the Light Blues had a loan bid rejected by Manchester City for a then relatively unknown Palmer.

The attacking midfielder had featured only sparingly under Pep Guardiola during the first half of the season, failing to score or assist, but there was no denying his enormous talent.

A loan spell in Scotland could have given Rangers a major boost. Who knows, he might have spurred the club on to a trophy. In the end, the move didn’t materialise and Cantwell was the sole attacking player who joined the club.

One that got away

Whatever happened to Palmer anyway?

Cole Palmer's current market value

Palmer helped City win a treble of Champions League, FA Cup and Premier League during the second half of the 2022/23 season, and it appeared as though his future was looking bright at the Etihad.

That summer, a bid of £40m arrived from Chelsea, and it was duly accepted. Securing a fee like this for a player who had featured only 41 times for City looked like it was too good a deal to turn down.

18 months later, Palmer has emerged as one of the best players in the top flight, starring for the Stamford Bridge side under both Mauricio Pochettino and now Enzo Maresca.

Indeed, under the Argentinian, the 22-year-old was perhaps the brightest spark of an otherwise disappointing season. Across all competitions, the Englishman scored 25 goals and grabbed 15 assists, leading the Blues to a sixth-place finish.

In the Premier League, he averaged 3.2 shots per game along with creating 17 big chances and averaging 2.1 key passes per match, showcasing his talents across a range of metrics.

He made the England squad for Euro 2024, going on to score in the final against Spain and this set him up for another excellent season.

At the time of writing, Palmer has registered 20 goal contributions while Guardiola, his former manager, Guardiola, even dubbed the youngster a “machine” following City’s victory over Chelsea earlier this season.

These performances have seen his market value soar since arriving in London for what now seems like a paltry £40m.

Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, Palmer is now worth a staggering €130m (£110m), indicating that Chelsea will stand to make a huge profit on him should they decide to cash in.

Imagine how good he would have been for Rangers if he joined the club on loan two years ago.

Instead, Cantwell was signed. The former Norwich starlet enjoyed several purple patches at the Gers, but rarely demonstrated his true potential.

He is currently back in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers, having left Glasgow last summer.

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Chelsea are beginning to change their minds about signing a prolific striker, after previously deciding not to in 2024, with the addition of a new centre-forward standing out among the club’s top transfer priorities this summer.

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Enzo Maresca’s side elected not to acquire a number nine in January, a decision which has been met with fierce criticism ever since, especially following long-term injuries to Marc Guiu and Nicolas Jackson.

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Guiu and Jackson’s absences means that Christopher Nkunku is Maresca’s only real striking option right now, dealing Chelsea a real obstacle to overcome in their chase for Champions League qualification.

While Nkunku has scored 13 goals in all competitions this season, the Frenchman is arguably not suited to being a natural striker, and a fresh vocal point has long been tipped as a real missing piece for Chelsea.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Aston Villa (away)

February 22nd

Southampton (home)

February 25th

Leicester City (home)

March 9th

Arsenal (away)

March 16th

Tottenham (home)

April 2nd

Victor Osimhen was the subject of serious late summer interest from Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea were involved in a high-profile race alongside Al-Ahli for the Nigerian’s signature, before neither side could manage a deal for the eventual-Galatasaray marksman.

Attention now turns to the next summer transfer window, as Chelsea shortlist striker targets ahead of the 2025/2026 campaign.

Ipswich Town sensation Liam Delap and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko are both thought to be on their agenda, as per reliable Chelsea reporter Simon Phillips and other media sources, while Sporting Lisbon superstar Viktor Gyokeres has also been linked.

The Sweden international has bagged a pretty incredible 34 goals across 36 appearances in all competitions this season, following up his equally electric 23/24 season in the Primeira Liga, and it is surely only a matter of time before elite clubs become tempted to take him off Sporting’s hands.

Chelsea performing U-turn over signing Viktor Gyokeres

As per reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, writing for GiveMeSport, Chelsea decided not to pursue a move for the 26-year-old in January 2024.

However, Chelsea are now giving fresh consideration over signing Gyokeres, with the Blues seemingly performing a U-turn over their previous stance. This is also fuelled by the notion that Sporting could now sell for around £58 million, which is a £25 million drop from his actual £83 million release clause.

Given the former Coventry City star’s exceptional record in front of goal, this could prove to be a bargain, but agents fees and wages could still make it a fairly costly operation.

“He joined Coventry on loan and then signed for them permanently. All the lads have said when he came back in the summer after signing permanently, he was a different animal,” said former teammate Jake Bidwell.

“With the way he plays as well, with his aggression, the two (qualities) go hand in hand with how well he has done. He all of a sudden realised how quick and strong he was and had the confidence to use it and mixed with the aggression, it’s made him pretty unstoppable.”

As West Bromwich Albion set their sights on finishing inside the Championship’s top six, they’ll have to do so without one particular player who is continuing to endure a “frustrating” season.

West Brom injury news

Currently sat sixth and on a run of just two wins in their last five games, the Baggies are walking a tightrope and simply must get back to winning ways against Oxford United this weekend before what will be a difficult trip to face Leeds United.

Of course, what has not helped their season is the interruption of Carlos Corberan’s decision to swap The Hawthorns for Valencia midway through his side’s push for promotion. In his place, Tony Mowbray has since made his long-awaited return and will be desperate to create yet more history in the Midlands now that he is back in the technical area.

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A frustrating draw at Millwall last time out summed up West Brom’s campaign fairly accurately. The Baggies have lacked conviction at times which could yet prove more and more costly as the fixtures come thick and fast. Meanwhile, at a time when experience is key, they’ve suffered some disappointing news.

As confirmed by West Brom, Jed Wallace will now miss several weeks of action after suffering a calf strain during his side’s 1-1 draw against Millwall last time out. The club captain shared his disappointment on X, speaking on what he said has been a “frustrating” season on a personal note.

Having started just six Championship games all season, the 30-year-old will be forced to watch on from the sidelines as West Brom take on arguably their most important run of games in the current campaign.

A season to forget for Jed Wallace

An undisputed starter last season, Wallace has fallen down the pecking order in the current campaign in what could be a sign of things to come for the 30-year-old captain. On the goals front, meanwhile, he’s also suffered a frustrating drop-off – scoring just one in all competitions and failing to improve on last season’s total of six.

Whilst the numbers suggest that the Baggies are capable of coping without the winger, however, he remains their captain and a man with plenty of experience ahead of their battle to keep hold of their play-off spot.

At a crucial time, such experience should always be welcomed with open arms. Left to watch on and recover though, Wallace should be desperate to make a return before the end of the campaign and, crucially, for the play-offs if West Brom qualify.

In need of a return to winning ways, West Brom – without Wallace – square off against an Oxford side they must defeat if they are to keep the likes of Coventry City at bay.

تحدث رمضان السيد، نجم الأهلي السابق، عن مواجهة بيراميدز وماميلودي صن دوانز في إياب نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا اليوم الأحد، على ملعب الدفاع الجوي.

وقال السيد، عبر إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “بيراميدز يتفوق على صن داونز من حيث المستوى، وهذه تُعد من أضعف نُسخ صن داونز فعلى سبيل المثال، في مباراتي الأهلي، لولا بعض الأخطاء الفنية من كولر، لكان الأهلي قادرًا على حسم الأمور، وبالعودة لبيراميدز أيضًا كان من الممكن أن يحسم مباراة الذهاب بهدفين أو ثلاثة وفرصه كبيرة جدًا في التتويج”.

طالع أيضًا.. لاعبو بيراميدز: نريد الفوز بدوري أبطال إفريقيا وكأس مصر بعد ضياع الدوري

وواصل: “لا أريد لبيراميدز أن يلعب بطريقة دفاعية أمام صن داونز، خصوصًا أن الفريق كان متفوقًا في ملعب صن داونز، وضغط عليهم وكان بإمكانه تسجيل المزيد من الأهداف، التفوق كان واضحًا في كل الجوانب، حتى من الناحية البدنية يجب استغلال وجود الجمهور، ومن الممكن أن يحسم بيراميدز اللقاء في الشوط الأول ورأيي أن بيراميدز يجب أن يضغط من الأمام، وقادر على إنهاء المباراة في الشوط الأول”.

واستكمل: “إذا تحدثنا عن مواجهة الأهلي، فالفرق الإفريقية تتأثر بالجماهير، ولو أن الأهلي ضغط عليهم بشكل كافٍ لكان تأهل، لكنه تراجع، وهذا ما حدث وسط جماهيره، والدفاع كان خطأ كبيرًا وبنسبة كبيرة، سيسجل بيراميدز هدفًا، وإذا كرر نفس أسلوب اللعب والضغط الأمامي، قد يسجل أكثر من هدف”.

وأضاف: “مصطفى فتحي على اليمين، وإبراهيم عادل في الجهة اليسرى، ومايلي يمثل قوة هجومية كبيرة، خاصة أن الأخير مهاجم رائع، سريع، وقوي في الالتحامات، ويُحسن استغلال المساحات، هذا الثلاثي، في ظل الضغط الأمامي، قادر على حسم اللقب ومدرب بيراميدز تصرّف بشكل صحيح في مواجهة سيراميكا كليوباترا، حيث منح اللاعبين راحة استعدادًا لنهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، وتعامل بشكل جيد مع المباراة بالمقابل، كانت من أسوأ مباريات سيراميكا كليوباترا، وكذلك من أسوأ مباريات علي ماهر، الذي يُعد مدربًا كبيرًا”.

وواصل: “وزارة الشباب قادرة على تجميع جمهور كبير لمساندة بيراميدز في المباراة، فرغم تفوق بيراميدز من ناحية اللاعبين، يبقى الجمهور عنصرًا مهمًا، والفريق بحاجة إليه”.

وردا على سؤال هل أخذ بيراميدز مكان الزمالك؟ قال: “مشاكل الزمالك ساعدت بيراميدز على التقدم، ونحن نراه اليوم في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا والمركز الثاني في الدوري، هناك تعاطف واضح من جماهير الزمالك مع بيراميدز”.

واسترسل: “مدرب صن داونز يتميز بامتلاك فريق يجيد الاستحواذ، خاصة في المباريات خارج ملعبه، ويملك حلولًا هجومية مميزة، ويُعد موكوينا وسلاح التسديدات من أبرز عناصره والفريق يؤدي بشكل قوي خارج أرضه، والأهلي كان مثالًا على ذلك”.

وأتم: “من الصعب دعوة جماهير الأهلي لمساندة بيراميدز بسبب التوترات بين الناديين، ووجود شكاوى متبادلة، ولذلك من غير المتوقع دعم جماهيري من الأهلي، رغم أن الأمور كان من الممكن أن تسير بشكل أفضل ولا يوجد قلق من بيراميدز بالنسبة للأهلي الذي يستعد حاليًا لكأس العالم للأندية، وقادر على التأهل وتحقيق نتائج إيجابية، وقد نجح بالفعل في تكوين فريق قوي ومتماسك”.

Maurizio Sarri, who was most recently the head coach of Lazio, is on top of AC Milan's shortlist to replace Sergio Conceicao at the end of the season.

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Sarri on Milan's radarCould replace Conceicao at end of seasonPortuguese set for sack after poor resultsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to a report from AC Milan are going to begin the 2025-26 season with a new manager at the helm, with Sarri among those who's right at the top of the managerial shortlist. Current boss Conceicao is set to be sacked at the end of the current season. Indeed, the Rossoneri are planning to activate the option to terminate the Portuguese's contract this summer, despite signing a deal until 2026.

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Sarri is once again being linked with the Milan job as the club looks to reset ahead of the 2025–26 season. The former Lazio boss was considered in December as a replacement for Paulo Fonseca but turned down a short-term offer, leading the club to appoint Conceicao. While Conceicao delivered a Supercoppa Italiana triumph over Inter early in his tenure, he has struggled to revive Milan’s domestic form. With Champions League qualification now virtually out of reach, the club is keen to install an Italian tactician, placing Sarri – who stepped down from Lazio following their Champions League exit to Bayern Munich last year – high on their shortlist.

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Along with Sarri, a host of other Italian managers have been linked with the Milan job. Among them is the currently-unemployed Massimiliano Allegri, who last managed Juventus. Marseille's Roberto De Zerbi has also been rumoured with a return to Italy, while other names such as Gian Piero Gasperini, Antonio Conte, and Vincenzo Italiano have also popped up.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AC MILAN?

While Milan have looked a pale shadow of the team that lifted the Scudetto in the 2021-22 season, they could still have a chance to end the season on a high. Conceicao's men are set to face Bologna in the final of the Coppa Italia on May 15. Before that, they will take on Genoa on Monday, May 5, followed by Bologna on May 10 in two crucial Serie A fixtures.

Scientists have reported that Liverpool fans caused a series of tremors at Anfield as they celebrated the Reds' Premier League title-winning victory.

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• Liverpool won the Premier League on Sunday
• Seismologists measure tremors created by fans
• Mac Allister's goal was 1.74 on Richter scale

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Last Sunday evening, Liverpool confirmed their 20th Premier League title after a 5-1 hammering of Tottenham Hotspur, as the Reds came back from an early deficit at Anfield. Arne Slot's side dominated the title race despite pressure from Chelsea and Arsenal as Mohamed Salah took charge with his goal-scoring prowess.

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  Seismologists from the University of Liverpool have disclosed that they used cutting-edge seismic equipment on the site on Sunday to record ground movement from the fans during the game, as per The Daily Mail. According to the data, there was genuine seismic activity produced by the 60,415 spectators, especially in reaction to the five goals that were scored during the match by Slot's side.

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  As per the study, the biggest tremor was created when Alexis Mac Allister gave Liverpool a 2-1 lead in the 24th minute, as the Richter scale recorded its maximum magnitude as 1.74. Mohamed Salah's goal in front of the Kop in the second half caused the second-largest tremor, which measured 1.60. Celebrations during Destiny Udogie's own goal were measured at 1.35, while Cody Gakpo's effort was rated 1.03, and Luis Diaz's initially disallowed equaliser was measured at 0.64.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  The Reds have had a superb season in the Premier League; however, their strengths did not translate into their other competitions. They will now have time to enjoy their league title until the end of the current season.