Ciente da importância que tem para a trajetória no CRB se dar bem em clássicos diante do CSA, o centroavante Anselmo Ramon não escondeu o sabor especial que teve marcar no último fim de semana no empate em 1 a 1 pela Copa do Nordeste.
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Para ele, o tento trouxe um grau ainda maior de motivação para seguir escrevendo bonitos capítulos de sua história recém-iniciada no Regatiano:
-Estou feliz aqui no CRB e muito motivado para continuar melhorando meu rendimento em campo na temporada. Marcar o primeiro gol em um clássico foi muito importante, motiva muito. Vou trabalhar para construir a minha história no clube, que está só começando.
Apenas em sexto lugar no Campeonato Alagoano e em terceiro no Grupo B da Copa do Nordeste, o CRB precisa melhorar seu desempenho se quiser chegar a instâncias maiores nos dois torneios, algo que o experiente centroavante tem total ciência.
-O grupo sabe do seu potencial e vai com tudo para melhorar o desempenho em campo na temporada. Todos estão focados nisso e cientes da responsabilidade que teremos. O elenco está muito confiante em fazer uma boa sequência em 2022 – finalizou Anselmo.
O próximo jogo do Galo da Praia na temporada vai acontecer na próxima quinta-feira (17) onde o time jogará no Rei Pelé, às 19h30 (de Brasília), pelo Nordestão, diante do Globo.
Everton head into the international break sitting 16th in the Premier League table, three points clear of the relegation zone.
Recent results have shown encouragement that the Toffees can avoid yet another battle at the bottom of the table, although Sean Dyche will be hoping for a few more wins when the domestic calendar resumes.
Several players have been performing well of late. Iliman Ndiaye has scored three goals this season, having joined the club in the summer, while Orel Mangala is becoming an important presence in the heart of the midfield, completing 89% of his passes and winning 61% of his ground duels.
Dwight McNeil has been the talisman, however, continuing to shine when others around him are struggling.
Dwight McNeil for Everton
Dwight McNeil’s stats this season
The Englishman has netted three league goals this term already, along with registering three assists, creating eight big chances and averaging 2.7 key passes per game.
He is starring under Dyche and could well be the reason Everton stay in the Premier League come next May.
Despite his role as one of the club’s finest performers, his weekly wage is among the lowest at the club.
McNeil earns £25k-per-week for the Goodison Park side, ranking him as the 22nd highest in the squad, behind the likes of Michael Keane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Nathan Patterson.
Everton’s highest earners
Rank
Player
Gross pay per week
Gross pay per year
1
Doucoure
£130,000
£6,760,000
2
Pickford
£125,000
£6,500,000
=3
Tarkowski
£100,000
£5,200,000
=3
Calvert-Lewin
£100,000
£5,200,000
5
Harrison
£90,000
£4,680,000
=6
Gueye
£80,000
£4,160,000
=6
Keane
£80,000
£4,160,000
Data via Capology.
The Toffees have spent lavish wages on players who have underperformed in recent seasons, costing the club a fortune in the process.
One notable name is Andre Gomes, who drained the club of millions during his spell on Merseyside yet failed to deliver the goods on the field.
How much money Everton wasted on Andre Gomes
The midfielder joined Everton from Barcelona in the summer of 2019 for a fee in the region of £22m after he impressed during a season-long loan in the Premier League.
Despite this lavish fee, Gomes would go on to play just 85 games for the club over the next five seasons (spending the 2022/23 season on loan at Lille), scoring only three goals in the process.
Marco Silva was the man who signed Gomes, but it was those in charge after him who had to put up with his underwhelming displays.
He played over 20 Premier League games in just one season during his permanent spell on Merseyside, finally departing in the summer to join Lille.
The Portuguese midfielder earned a sizeable £112k-per-week at Everton, a staggering sum for someone who was performing at their best, never mind a player who failed to hit top form.
Andre Gomes’ stats at Everton
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2023/24
14
2
0
2021/22
19
1
2
2020/21
32
0
2
2019/20
20
0
1
2018/19
29
1
2
Via Transfermarkt.
Combine his £22m transfer fee with the £23.4m in wages he took home at the Toffees, and it is clear that the £45.4m wasted on the former Barcelona gem was simply not worth it.
Indeed, his salary last season was four times more than what in-form McNeil was being paid, despite the Englishman emerging as a key player under Dyche.
It will be Dyche’s job to ensure he doesn’t pay silly money for players who fail to perform on the pitch, as this isn’t feasible in the long term.
Fewer touches than Pickford: Dyche must now finally ditch Everton star
Everton have endured a difficult start to the 2024/25 campaign. The Toffees currently find themselves in 16th in the Premier League table, five points clear of 18th place Ipswich Town.
With that being said, they picked up another important point at the weekend, a 1-1 draw at home to Fulham, and are on a strong run. Sean Dyche’s side have not lost in five games, beating fellow relegation contenders Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace in that time, as well as drawing at home to Newcastle United and winning away to Leicester City.
With the season coming up to a crucial time, a busy Christmas period, the Toffees will hope to come out relatively unscathed. They may well look to recruit in the January transfer window to boost survival hopes and have been linked with one attacker who could add quality depth.
Everton target Championship winger
The player in question here is 21-year-old winger Tom Fellows. The West Brom attacker has impressed for the Baggies this term in the second tier of England and has now been linked with a move away from the club, with Everton believed to be one of the sides interested.
At least, that is according to a report from Alan Nixon. The journalist explains that the Toffees have sent a ‘delegation’ to watch the tricky winger, and are ‘in the market’ for reinforcements in attack.
However, any potential move for Fellows may well depend on funds. Nixon explained that Dyche’s side requires a ‘cash injection’ before they can start pursuing transfers, as they look to bolster their options ahead of a survival fight.
Why Fellows would be a good signing
It has been a wonderful start to the season for the England under-20 international. He has played 12 games in the Championship so far for West Brom, and although he is yet to find the back of the net, has five assists to his name, including two in one game against Stoke City. Across the top two tiers of English football, Bukayo Saka is the only player with more.
That in itself would immediately elevate the Toffees. They have struggled to create chances this season, ranking joint 12th in the Premier League with just 17 so far, as per Sofascore. They have just three players with assists to their name. Ashley Young and Dwight McNeil have three each, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin has one.
Indeed, the West Brom attacker would add great creativity and quality to what is a lacklustre Everton side in attacking areas. He has created five big chances in the Championship this season and averages 1.3 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.
Fellows Championship stats 2024/25
Stat
Number
Touches per game
26.5
Assists
5
Big chances created
5
Key passes per game
1.3
Fouls won per game
1.3
Shots per game
1.3
Stats from Sofascore
The “explosive” star, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, would be up against the likes of Jack Harrison and McNeil for a spot on the wing. Former Leeds man Harrison has struggled this term and is yet to register an assist in nine Premier League appearances. Fellows might well displace the attacker in the starting eleven, adding more creative influence.
The Baggies star could also then help bring Toffees striker Beto to life. The Guinea-Bissau international joined the club in 2023 for a fee of almost £30m from Italian side Udinese, but he has struggled to live up to the money so far.
This season for the Toffees first team, Beto has played seven games, scoring twice, including a late equaliser against Fulham last weekend. The Everton number 14 has played 44 times for the club, with seven goals and two assists to his name.
However, with Fellows in the side, Everton fans might well see an increase in Beto’s success in front of goal. The striker, who stands at 6 foot 4, has not exactly been on the receiving end of lots of chances, nor has he played many minutes.
The fact he has scored in the Premier League this season will surely be a real confidence booster. Combine that with the chances the West Brom man provides, as he has done all season long in the Championship, and Beto could hit new heights.
Tom Fellows celebrates for West Brom.
It could be an inspired signing from the Toffees, adding great creative influence to their side. Perhaps the addition of Fellows could be the difference between relegation and survival, as the fight to avoid the drop continues.
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Jhye Richardson plays match-winner with maiden five-wicket haul to break tourists’ resolve
Alan Gardner20-Dec-2021 Australia overcame an epic Jos Buttler rearguard in the final session of the day-night Test at Adelaide Oval to complete a hefty victory that puts them 2-0 up in the series and on the brink of retaining the Ashes. England took the game further than many had expected, largely through the efforts of Buttler during a self-denying innings of 26 from 207 balls, but must now attempt to become only the second team in Ashes history to win from two down.A late show of character from the England lower order could not disguise Australia’s dominance. Needing to take six wickets on the final day, they struck twice in the first hour and seemed on course to wrap things up before the floodlights would be needed. But from the flotsam and jetsam of the innings, Buttler and Chris Woakes lashed together a stand worth 61 in 31.2 overs to help keep the tourists afloat.Jhye Richardson was bowler to step in and play match-winner for Australia, a maiden five-wicket haul finally breaking English resolve. His slippery nip-backer with the second new ball accounted for Woakes, after a gutsy 44 from the No. 8, and then with Buttler’s marathon effort threatening to put the result into question, Richardson came back again after the tea interval. Buttler’s dismissal hit wicket, stepping back on to his off stump, was heartbreaking but the win no more than Australia deserved.Jhye Richardson’s first Test five-for sealed the win•AFP/Getty Images
Things would surely have ended several hours earlier had Alex Carey not failed to move for a regulation outside edge from Buttler’s eighth ball. Mitchell Starc had removed Ollie Pope in his first full over of the morning – after taking the key wicket of Joe Root moments before the close on day four – and he could have handed Buttler a pair, only for the ball to disappear between keeper and first slip.But Buttler grew into his innings, and although Ben Stokes fell lbw to Nathan Lyon after a dogged stay, England’s seventh-wicket pair succeeded in transferring some pressure back on to the home attack. Woakes might have been run out on 15, Marcus Harris underarming past the stumps from silly mid-off, but was otherwise solid and stand-in captain Steven Smith belatedly ran through his options, bringing on Cameron Green as well as the legspin of both himself and Marnus Labuschagne, as Australia awaited the second new ball.It did not bring immediate dividends, as Buttler and Woakes raised only England’s fourth 50-plus stand of the series. But with the last ball of the 88th over, Richardson ripped one through Woakes, finding the perfect length to keep him stuck on the crease and enough inward movement to beat the inside edge and clonk the top of middle stump.Related
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Buttler was by now in the zone, however, dealing calmly with the threat of Starc and Lyon – two bowlers who had dismissed him a combined seven times previously in Tests. In complete contrast to his limited-overs batting persona, he played barely a shot in anger, and England chewed through another chunk of the day as Buttler and Ollie Robinson got to within sight of going in at tea seven down.Lyon struck again to bring Australia closer, however, as Robinson prodded to slip on the back foot. Stuart Broad almost contrived to get himself out in a different way from each of his first three deliveries – a thick edge just evaded Travis Head in the gully, the next beat Broad on the inside but cleared the stumps, and he then survived an lbw review having played no shot – and the umpires were satisfied enough that a result was on the cards to delay the interval by 15 minutes. Broad stuck to his task and delayed Australia further by successfully overturning an lbw decision after Paul Wilson missed the intervention of an inside edge.But there was no grand finale written in the stars, even though the floodlights were on going into the final session, with some 26 overs left in the day. Buttler had played the second-longest innings of his Test career when Richardson pushed him back by a fateful few millemetres. It took only a moment for the Australians to notice that one of the zing bails had been dislodged, Buttler turning in disbelief before walking from the ground with a hollow look on his face.Jos Buttler was out hit wicket•EPA
Buttler had batted for more than four hours, his strike rate of 12.56 the third-slowest in Test history for an innings of 200 balls or more. Rarely is Buttler mentioned in the same category as a wicketkeeper as Jack Russell, but this was an innings to rank alongside Russell’s famous show of gumption at Johannesburg in 1995-96.Except, on that occasion, Russell was keeping a senior batter company, as Mike Atherton saw England through to a draw. Buttler had no such support, with Root’s side having squandered their best opportunity to bat their way to safety on the third day. It was left to Richardson to pick off the final wicket, James Anderson fending a lifter to gully, as Australia completed the victory that had always seemed in their grasp – never mind what (the) Buttler scored.
Celtic forward Nicolas Kuhn has enjoyed a terrific start to the 2024/25 campaign and has emerged as the star of the show since Matt O’Riley’s move to the Premier League.
At the start of the year, Brendan Rodgers swooped to sign the German forward from Rapid Vienna for a reported fee of £3m to bolster his wide options ahead of the second half of the season.
Kuhn, however, needed the rest of that term to adapt to life in Scotland. He managed a fairly unspectacular return of two goals and two assists in 14 appearances in the Scottish Premiership.
After having time to settle in, and a pre-season to get himself ready for the season, the 24-year-old has starred across all competitions this season.
Nicolas Kuhn's form for Celtic
The left-footed magician has contributed with ten goals and 11 assists in 17 appearances in all competitions, which is more than one goal contribution per game on average.
Kuhn has scored one goal and provided two assists in three outings in the Champions League this term, whilst he has also thrived in the Premiership.
Starts
8
Sofascore rating
7.69
Goals
4
Assists
6
Key passes per game
2.2
As you can see in the table above, the former Bayern Munich and Ajax youngster has been a fantastic scorer and creator of goals in the top-flight.
These statistics show that Celtic played a masterclass by signing Kuhn in January to give him the second half of the season to adapt, allowing him to hit the ground running this term.
Rodgers could repeat the blinder he played with the 24-year-old Hoops star by swooping for Royal Antwerp wizard Michel-Ange Balikwisha in the January transfer window.
Why Celtic should sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha
In the summer, it was reported that Celtic were set to hold talks with Antwerp over a potential deal to bring the winger to Parkhead ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, but a move never materialised.
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He has been out with a ‘knock’ since August, missing 14 matches so far, and that injury blow may have been why the Hoops did not go ahead with a summer swoop.
This means that he has not played much football this season, with one appearance in the Pro League, and may need time to get back up to speed, which is why bringing him in midway through the campaign to get used to the country and league could be beneficial.
Belgian outlet Gazet van Antwerpen, via the Daily Record, recently claimed that the forward wants to move on in January and is set to be available for a fee of £7.5m.
Celtic must now revive their interest in Balikwisha and repeat their Kuhn masterclass by signing another winger in the winter window, as it would allow the 23-year-old to adjust to life in Glasgow before kicking on next season.
Starts
27
Goals
7
Big chances created
6
Assists
5
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.1
As you can see in the table above, the Belgian wizard, who predominantly plays on the left flank, provided quality as a scorer and a creator of goals in the Pro League last term.
Balikwisha, who was hailed as one of a number of “incredible” young talents by U23 scout Antonio Mango, produced more goals and more assists than Daizen Maeda, who managed six goals and three assists, did on the left flank in the Premiership last term.
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This suggests that Celtic could bring the young dynamo to Parkhead in January and potentially develop him into being a Maeda upgrade, hopefully following in Kuhn’s footsteps from a development perspective.
Orkun Kokcu scored the winner as Benfica edged out Monaco 4-3 on aggregate in their Champions League play-off.
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Benfica edge thrilling tie
Kokcu pokes home winner
Set up tie with Barcelona or Liverpool
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Kokcu prodded Alvaro Carreas' teasing delivery beyond Monaco goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki to pinch the tie for his side. The Ligue 1 team had earlier fought back from two goals down to get level, before equalising again with nine minutes to play through George Ilenikhena, but were unable to hold on for extra time.
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Victory sees Benfica qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League for the third time in four seasons. The Portuguese side have only lost three of their 10 matches in the competition this season, two of which have come away to Bayern Munich and in a 5-4 thriller at home to Barcelona, while they have beaten Atletico Madrid 4-0 and Juventus 2-0.
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WHAT NEXT FOR BENFICA?
Bruno Lage's side have now guaranteed themselves a tie with either Liverpool or Barcelona in the last 16, which they will be underdogs to progress from but will fancy themselves to keep competitive at least.
Baba Aparajith’s 122 trumped Sheldon Jackson’s 134 and Chetan Sakariya’s 5 for 62 as Tamil Nadu beat Saurashtra in a last-ball thriller at the KL Saini Ground in Jaipur to qualify for the final of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22.Aparajith’s 124-ball knock, which included 12 fours and three sixes, ensured the required rate was never a problem for Tamil Nadu in their 311-run chase. He was well supported by his brother Baba Indrajith, with whom he added 97 off 107 balls for the third wicket, and Washington Sundar, with whom he stitched 76 in 79 balls for the fifth wicket.When Aparajith got out in the 43rd over, Tamil Nadu needed 67 from 44 balls with five wickets in hand and a set Washington in the middle. The incoming batter, Shahrukh Khan, then hit Jaydev Unadkat for a six and a four to reduce the equation to 32 required from four overs.It started looking like Saurashtra had all but lost the game, but Sakariya removed both Shahrukh and Washington (70 off 61) in his successive overs to dent Tamil Nadu once again. At the start of the chase, he had dismissed N Jagadeesan and Vijay Shankar to reduce Tamil Nadu to 23 for 2 in the fourth over.On the last ball of the 49th over, Sakariya sent back M Siddharth to complete his maiden five-wicket haul in List A cricket, leaving Tamil Nadu eight down.With seven required from the final over, Chirag Jani conceded only four off the first four balls against R Sai Kishore and Ragupathy Silambarasan. But a wide and a single on the penultimate ball by Silambarasan tied the scores. Kishore then hit the last ball for four to seal the match.In the morning, Saurashtra lost Harvik Desai early after being asked to bat. Jackson and Vishvaraj Jadeja took the side past 100 in the 22nd over; both Jackson and Jadeja brought up their half-centuries before left-arm spinner Siddharth broke the 92-run stand with the latter’s wicket. But at 123 for 2 in 25.2 overs, the platform was set for a big total.Prerak Mankad (37 off 32) and Arpit Vasavada (57 off 40) took full advantage of that to provide impetus to the innings. Meanwhile, Jackson brought up his hundred off 106 balls and, in all, hit 11 fours and four sixes during his knock. That, however, couldn’t fetch the win for Saurashtra.File photo: Rishi Dhawan bagged 4 for 27•AFP
Yet another all-round show from captain Rishi Dhawan steered Himachal Pradesh into their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy final, ending Services’ fairy-tale run in the tournament at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.After scoring 84 off 77 balls to lift HP to 281 for 6, Dhawan picked up 4 for 27 to help bundle out Services for 204 in 46.1 overs.Earlier in the day, Prashant Chopra and Digvijay Rangi added 74 for the second wicket for HP but Services struck back with two quick wickets to make it 106 for 4 in the 25th over.Dhawan then joined hands with Chopra, who soon brought up his fifth successive half-century of the tournament. The two added 88 in 103 balls for the fifth wicket before Chopra fell to Abhishek Tiwari for a 109-ball 78.If the partnership between Dhawan and Chopra stabilised the innings, the one between Dhawan and Akash Vasisht took the game away from Services. Dhawan and Vasisht smashed 83 off just 48 balls for the sixth wicket as HP ransacked 101 in the last ten overs. Dhawan struck nine fours and a six in his knock, while Vasisht remained unbeaten on 45 off 29 with four fours and two sixes.Dhawan, though, wasn’t done yet. He caused further damage with the ball, removing Lakhan Singh and Mohit Ahlawat cheaply to leave Services on 36 for 2 in their chase of 282. Ravi Chauhan (45 off 70) and Rajat Paliwal (55 off 66) showed some resistance but neither could carry on to make a big score.By the time Paliwal got out, in the 37th over, the asking rate had gone past nine an over. In search of quick runs, Services slipped from 174 for 5 to 179 for 8. The last two pairs took the side past 200 before Dhawan pegged back Bahadur’s middle stump to wrap up the game.
Captain insists he has appetite to carry on after latest Ashes humiliation down under
Andrew Miller16-Jan-2022Joe Root insists he still has the hunger to carry on as England’s Test captain, despite presiding over his second thrashing in an away Ashes campaign, which was completed in humiliating fashion on Sunday with the loss of ten second-innings wickets for 56 runs in their fifth-Test defeat at Hobart.Chasing 271 for victory, England collapsed from 68 for 0 to 124 all out in barely an hour-and-a-half’s play, as Australia wrapped up the campaign with a 146-run victory. No England player in either innings scored more than 36, while Root himself – until recently the ICC’s No.1-ranked Test batter – is still waiting for his first Ashes hundred in Australia, after being bowled for 11 in the midst of the collapse.Related
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The result means that England have now won none and lost 13 of their last 15 Tests in Australia since 2013, of which Root himself has played in 14, and captained 10. This latest 4-0 result matched the scoreline he oversaw on his maiden tour in charge in 2017-18.No other player of the past 100 years has captained England on more than one Ashes tour, let alone to two such resounding defeats, but with their Test fortunes at “rock-bottom”, according to his predecessor, Alastair Cook, Root believes he is still the man to oversee the team’s attempts to rebuild, starting with their three-Test tour of the Caribbean in March.”I’d love the opportunity to take this team forward and to turn things around,” Root said. “At the minute, we are going through a real tough stage as a group of players, and the performances haven’t been good enough. But I’d love the opportunity to try and turn things around and for us to start finding the performances that you’d expect from an English Test team, which we’ve been lacking of late.”Given the frailties in England’s line-up, alternatives to Root are thin on the ground. Ben Stokes, his vice-captain, endured a tough campaign on his return to the team after a mental-health break last summer, while there are few other contenders who are currently sure of a regular place in the team.However, Root is adamant he wants the job for the right reasons, and not because there’s no viable successor.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I believe I am the right man to take this team forward, in my own eyes,” he said. “If that decision is taken out of my hands, then so be it, but I’d love the opportunity to carry that forward. And yes, I do have an appetite to carry on and to turn things around, but we’ll see how things unfold.”Root’s fate – and that of England’s head coach, Chris Silverwood – may be determined by the ECB’s review into the tour, which will be led by the director of cricket, Ashley Giles, and Mo Bobat, the performance director. Andrew Strauss, Giles’ predecessor, will then ratify the findings in his role as chairman of the cricket committee, before Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, presents them to the board.Root himself had tentatively called for a “reset” for England’s red-ball priorities in the wake of the Ashes loss at Melbourne, a sentiment that Harrison echoed during the Hobart Test. This may include aspects such as the quality and timing of red-ball cricket in the English summer, and the length and frequency of England tours, which have been particularly difficult in the Covid era.”There’s a lot of things to consider,” Root said. “Playing in these bubbles takes its toll and there are certain things that definitely need to change. We’ve got an opportunity to really prioritise Test cricket off the back of this, and I’m sure I’ll get an opportunity to express my views, and how I think we can make significant changes to the red-ball game in our country.”In the short term, however, Root knows the main focus will be on the batters within the current England set-up. Aside from Root himself, whose haul of 322 runs at 32.20 was well below his recent standards, none of the players who took part in Hobart averaged more than 30 – a figure that each of Australia’s top six in the same Test surpassed.Pat Cummins gets a handshake from Joe Root•AFP/Getty Images”It was a really poor display today with the bat,” Root said. “We felt like we had a real opportunity to win this Test match, but there were some very poor dismissals after a very promising start, so it’s disappointing to be sat here, beaten as heavily as that.”The quality’s there … the potential is, certainly,” he added. “There’s a lot of talent, we’ve just not turned it into performances, which is the bottom line in Test cricket. At this level, you’ve got to bang out performances, and we’ve not managed to do that at all on this on this trip as a batting group.”England failed to pass 300 in any one of their ten innings of the series – the first time that has happened in the Ashes since 1958-59 – and on six of those occasions, they didn’t even pass 200, a failing that left their bowlers exposed, not least Mark Wood, who put in a heroic performance on the final morning in Hobart to claim his career-best figures of 6 for 37.”Far too many times we’ve been bowled out for under 200, and we are never going to win Test matches when we don’t get runs on the board,” Root said. “I felt for our bowlers after the performance they put in in that second innings. We really missed an opportunity this week.”A lot of guys will look at themselves in the mirror and say ‘I’ve not given a very good account of myself’,” he added. “That’s a frustration. We have let ourselves down because we’ve not given a fair account of what we’re capable of.”But at the same time, it’s quite evident that Australia, at this moment in time, are a better team than us in all areas. It hurts me to say that, but it’s the reality of things. We’ve got to accept that and find a way of being better. Thankfully we’ve got four or five weeks at home, before the opportunity to go to the West Indies and start to make significant improvement as a group of players.”
Liverpool are flying ever so high this season, but form is built upon a house of cards in football and there is plenty of action left to play this term.
Arne Slot has won 12 of his 14 matches across all competitions and now turns back toward the Champions League, having won all three fixtures so far. Now, though, a different test altogether: Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen travel to the Reds’ home.
Earlier in the year, if you were told that Alonso would be returning to Anfield after the summer, you’d be washed through with excitement, for the Spaniard was touted as Jurgen Klopp’s successor for a short while, before pledging his loyalty to Leverkusen for the 2024/25 campaign.
He does indeed return to Merseyside, but as Slot’s opponent for the evening in a hotly-anticipated Champions League clash.
Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield
Alonso produced absurd results last season, leading Leverkusen to their maiden Bundesliga title as invincibles, also winning the DFB-Pokal and reaching the final of the Europa League, losing 3-0 against Atalanta in what was the agonising sole defeat of the campaign.
Naturally, Liverpool were interested in bringing their former player back to the city, but the 42-year-old wanted to continue his journey in Germany, and you can’t begrudge him for that.
Maybe one day, eh? Alonso was once a centrepiece of Liverpool’s first team, completing a £10.5m move from Real Sociedad in August 2004 and featuring 210 times for the club, crucial in the historic Champions League triumph over AC Milan in 2005.
The links are strong, and the love runs deep. The maestro of a midfielder was one of the finest to perform in a Liverpool shirt, and when he was sold to Real Madrid for £30m in 2009, replacing him with a top player was imperative.
That didn’t happen, for Alberto Aquilani – described as the player ‘to fill Xabi Alonso’s berth’ by the Guardian – endured a torrid time on Merseyside.
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Liverpool's Xabi Alonso successor
Liverpool signed Aquilani in the wake of Alonso’s departure having been impressed by his performances with Roma in Italy. It was a deal worth £20m, a pretty penny for the club at the time.
Alberto Aquilani for Liverpool
Rafa Benitez praised the Italian for his “winning mentality” and “good experience” in the Serie A and in the Champions League, but he didn’t impress and lasted only one term at Liverpool, a season which was full of adversity and difficulty.
Sometimes you just have to accept that things didn’t work out. Aquilani is one player among many who failed to impress throughout a tough point in Liverpool’s history, but the club’s astute business over the past decade has put such woes firmly beyond the background.
Appearances
28
Starts
14
Goals
2
Assists
6
Yellow cards
1
A talented and dynamic midfielder, the Italian’s one campaign at Liverpool was marred by fitness troubles. Most often found in the infirmary, his time was that of disappointment, with an ankle injury precluding any chances of taking Alonso’s baton.
The 40-year-old spent his second and third seasons as a Liverpool player on loan in his homeland, with Juventus and AC Milan respectively. He did not have that indefinable quality that served him so well before the whole ordeal, however, and was sold to Fiorentina for just £6m in 2012, ending a wholly forgettable deal.
Signed to fill an Alonso-shaped hole, Aquilani fell heavily by the wayside. Had fitness been his friend, it might have been different.
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Newcastle have looked like a bit of a mixed bag this season, having some brilliant results already, such as a 1-0 win over Arsenal, but also losing to Fulham, Brighton and Chelsea in quick succession.
The Magpies have averaged 49.1% possession so far this season which happens to be the 11th highest in the Premier League. They have also averaged 12.6 shots per game (6th fewest in the top-flight), and conceded 14.5 shots per game (7th highest in the division).
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe’s side take on West Ham on Monday night, and if they are to get a result, their main concern will entail stopping Jarrod Bowen. But with a few players missing, who exactly is available for Newcastle against West Ham?
Newcastle team news vs West Ham
Dan Burn is a big omission, as he serves a suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the season during Newcastle’s 3-1 win against Nottingham Forest before the international break.
Other defensive options such as Sven Botman, Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles are also unavailable, due to their various injuries, leaving the Magpies relatively short in defence.
Kieran Trippier is another defender who remains a doubt for the game, with Callum Wilson also likely to miss out, meaning the Toon could be without six players against the Hammers.
Luckily, Howe could have the perfect man to slot into defence, to help deal with Bowen, but also to solve their injury and suspension woes.
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Newcastle's solution to Dan Burn's suspension
Lloyd Kelly has barely played for the Magpies since joining on a free transfer in the summer, only playing 387 minutes in his nine appearances so far this season, with only three of those appearances being Premier League starts.
But it’s Kelly and Lewis Hall that could lock down that left side of defence for Newcastle against West Ham, stunting the progression of Bowen, and stopping him from cutting inside onto that devastating left foot of his.
Vitally, this wouldn’t be the first time Kelly has been trusted with dealing with one of the league’s best wingers. Indeed, ex-manager, Gary O’Neil, praised him back in 2023, labelling the defender as “incredible” for keeping Mohammed Salah quiet against Liverpool.
This is precisely the type of job Howe will be asking for from Kelly on this occasion, in tandem with Hall to keep Bowen quiet on that right wing for the Hammers.
Progressive Carries
0.00
0.00
Progressive Passes
2.61
1.27
Passes Attempted
42.6
54.6
Pass Completion %
79.6%
89.7%
Tackles
0.87
0.82
Blocks
1.74
0.73
Interceptions
0.23
0.63
Aerial Duels Won
1.30
3.73
With Burn out, Kelly would fill in at left centre-back, with Hall playing next to him at left-back -a position he has made his own as of late.
The metrics above tell us that Kelly can provide a similar level, if not even more, in defensive actions. However, his passing accuracy is quite a bit lower than Burn’s, and therefore, whoever is the partner for Kelly in defence will need to have extra ball-playing responsibility.
The 6 foot 3 defender can offer that same physical and height in defence that Burn brings, whilst also having the ability to cover the channels better, with slightly more mobility, and the same experience as Burn had, playing as a left-back at times last season, which will help him cover for Hall if Bowen does get past that first line of defence.
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