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da spicy bet： It's set to be a big season for Tottenham Hotspur this year as Ange Postecoglou looks to build upon his successful debut campaign and lead the club back into the Champions League.

da pinnacle： Daniel Levy and Co are clearly doing their best to help the Australian as well, with the exciting signings of Archie Gray, Yang Min-Hyeok, and, most importantly, Dominic Solanke bolstering the squad.

However, it would appear that the North Londoners aren't quite done yet, as recent reports have now linked them with another exciting attacker, although his arrival could spell trouble for Dejan Kulusevski.

Tottenham Hotspurs transfer news

According to a recent report from journalist Steve Kay on KS1 TV, Tottenham are keen to sign a new wide player this summer and are interested in Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman.

Kay claims that there are "a lot of clubs" after the Frenchman at the moment, and he knows that the Lilywhites are "looking at him."

He does not mention how much the former Juventus ace could cost Spurs but reports earlier this week revealed that while Bayern would be willing to let him leave on loan this season, they also value him at between €30m and €40m, which converts to between £26m and £34m.

It could prove to be a complicated deal to get over the line if the interest from other sides is particularly strong, but if Levy and Co can sign Coman this summer, they must, as he'd bring so much quality to the frontline and could be the perfect Kulusevski upgrade.

How Coman compares to Kulusevski

Now, were Spurs to get this deal over the line and bring Coman to North London in the coming weeks, his positional versatility would mean he could play and provide cover on either the left or right of a front three.

However, given Son Heung-min's incredible performance last season, in which he racked up 27 goals and assists in just 36 appearances, it seems far more likely that the Frenchman would be used off the right.

This would then put him in direct competition with Kulusevki for a place on the team. So, how do they compare?

Well, from an output perspective, it's the Bayern ace who comes out ahead, and when we look at their last two seasons combined, it's not even close.

For example, last season, he produced eight goals and assists in 27 appearances, while the campaign before, he racked up 16 goals and assists in 35 appearances. This means he averaged a goal involvement every 3.37 games last season and one every 2.18 games the year prior.

In contrast, the Lilywhites ace ended last season with 11 goals and assists in 39 appearances, while he ended 2022/23 with ten goals and assists in 37 matches. This means he averaged a goal involvement every 3.54 games last season and one every 3.70 games in 22/23.

Unfortunately for the Swedish international, the comparison doesn't get any better for him when we take a look at their underlying numbers from last season.

Coman vs Kulusevski

Stats per 90

Coman

Kulusevski

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.53

0.40

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

0.49

0.36

Progressive Carries

6.05

4.92

Progressive Passes

5.81

4.69

Shots

2.75

1.86

Shots on Target

0.65

0.75

Passing Accuracy

81.6%

77.2%

Key Passes

2.34

2.15

Passes into the Penalty Area

3.31

2.38

Crosses into the Penalty Area

0.65

0.62

Shot-Creating Actions

5.09

4.14

Goal-Creating Actions

0.57

0.26

Successful Take-Ons

2.34

1.76

Aerial Duels Won

0.48

0.23

Ball Recoveries

4.03

4.33

All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

For example, in practically every metric, the Frenchman, whom former Bayen Sporting Director Matthias Sammer once described as "one of the biggest talents in European football," comes out ahead, including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries and passes, shots, key passes, passing accuracy, passes and crosses into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and aerial duels won, all per 90.

Kulusevski does come out on top for shots on target and ball recoveries per 90, but that's really about it and rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

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Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 14, 2024

Ultimately, if Levy and Co have the chance to sign Coman this summer, they must take it. He'd be an incredible addition to Postecoglou's frontline and the perfect upgrade to Kulusevski.

Rahul and Rohit killed the game off in a ridiculous hurry, helping chase down the target with 13.3 overs to spare

Alagappan Muthu05-Nov-20211:11

Jadeja: Because of the dew, the entire game changes

India outclassed Scotland and in doing so also bolstered their hopes of staying alive in the 2021 T20 World Cup.It was a night to remember for birthday boy Virat Kohli. Everything went according to his plan. First, he won the toss. Then he watched as Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami bowled the opposition out for 85. KL Rahul whacked 50 of those runs all by himself and ensured victory with 13.3 overs and eight wickets to spare.Watch cricket live on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of India vs Scotland is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).

The early intent
It was always unlikely that India would lose to Scotland, but they still had to play well because there was another very important box to tick. Net run rate.That’s why Jasprit Bumrah began with a slew of yorkers in the first over. That’s why Varun Chakravarthy followed him, hoping to leverage his mystery spin for wickets against a set of batters who had never faced him before.India were simple with their plans and ruthless with their execution. The quicks bowled quick and at the stumps. The spinners bowled tight and spun it a mile. The batters went out and gave it a superb whack.India are now in third place – above Afghanistan – with the best net run rate (1.619) in Group 2. Now, if Afghanistan beat New Zealand on Sunday, India will be through to the semi-finals.The problem facing Jadeja
Nearly all of Jadeja’s focus in T20 cricket is in restricting the batter. But when there is a little turn on offer, he starts to take on greater responsibilities. That was the case on Friday as he produced his best figures in T20 internationals.As soon as he gets one ball to turn, Jadeja becomes every bit as dangerous as a mystery spinner. Because he has so much control over his craft that he can turn one ball a mile – like the one that went right through Richie Berrington – while ensuring another just skids on straight – like the one that pinned Matthew Cross in front.That one over – the seventh which produced two wickets – set India on their way to the victory they absolutely needed.The mismatch
Scotland only ever tried to attack 46 of the balls they faced. And for all that trouble, they made only 65 runs on top of losing five wickets.India, within the first four overs, attacked 15 balls and scored 45 runs from them. Zero wickets. There. That’s how much of a mismatch this was. Rahul and Rohit Sharma hit eight fours and two sixes in the first 24 balls of the chase and killed the game off in a ridiculous hurry.

“We won two World Cups without getting singles” – West Indies vice-captain says power-hitting will still be big on the team’s agenda

Matt Roller13-Oct-2021Nicholas Pooran has admitted to feeling that he had let himself down during IPL 2021, but insisted that he was “not concerned at all” about his form ahead of the T20 World Cup.”The IPL is gone. It’s done for me,” he said, speaking from West Indies’ training base in Dubai. “I just have to refocus and go again. I know personally [that] I’ve let myself down in terms of not sticking with my process long enough. I felt like I rushed the results a lot and I paid the price. You could see that in my scores. It’s just for me to refocus now, hit the nets, work hard and plan again – simple as that.”Pooran, West Indies’ vice-captain for the World Cup, made 85 runs at an average of 7.72 playing for Punjab Kings in the IPL this season, a stark contrast to his record in 2020, in which he averaged 35.30 with a strike rate of 169.71 across 14 innings. He made 32 off 22 in his first innings of the IPL’s UAE leg, but managed 25 runs in his next four innings.Related

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He said that his record in West Indies’ home summer and in the CPL for Guyana Amazon Warriors indicated that his poor run in the IPL was simply a blip, and that he had faced so few balls in the tournament that his record could not be called “form”.”I’m not concerned at all,” he said. “My cricket is based on confidence and my intent. I left the first half of the season scoring what, 20 runs in five, six, seven games [28 runs in six innings]. I came and did decent in the last three series for West Indies and in CPL. It’s about my process, continuing to believe in my process, having faith in my process, and my confidence is very high. I have no doubts in my mind that I can execute my gameplan and do good for the team.”It’s just games. A lot of sportsmen and a lot of cricketers have bad times but that’s fine. All cricketers do have that patch and come out of it. I wouldn’t say it’s a patch for me. I came to the second half of IPL batting really good for West Indies and Guyana in CPL. To me, it’s not form. When you think about it, I haven’t really faced much balls in all honesty. It’s just for me to give myself a chance.”Pooran added that while West Indies were focused on playing “smart cricket” at the World Cup and were looking to improve their strike rotation ahead of the tournament, they would not sway far from their primary strength: hitting sixes.Nicholas Pooran made 85 runs at an average of 7.72 playing for Punjab Kings in the IPL this season•BCCI

“For the last couple of months, in the three series in the Caribbean [against South Africa, Australia and Pakistan], everything was about ‘singles, singles, singles’,” Pooran said. “We spoke about it and chatted about it. We have players that play certain roles but as a batting group we want to get better, we want to improve.”Yes, singles are a part of the game, but our focus is not too much on singles. We won two World Cups with the same problem, to be honest: not getting singles, but yet still we won two World Cups. I don’t think the emphasis is on getting singles. It’s more about intent – intent and playing smart cricket, that’s it.”There are times that we know we’ll have to put egos aside and grind deep for the team. If that’s batting a dot ball or trying to get a single, we’ll do that. We have net sessions and match scenarios when we try to play to our strengths but also play to the conditions, which is finding how to get a single or working out how to get a single. We are working. We’re not the best at getting singles but it’s a work in process and we believe in our process and our team.”During the last T20 World Cup, which West Indies won thanks to Carlos Brathwaite’s four successive sixes off Ben Stokes in the last over of the final against England, Pooran was recovering from the car crash that left him with career-threatening injuries, and described his inclusion in the upcoming tournament – and his role as vice-captain – as a “proud moment”.”It’s a big achievement for me,” he said. “I remember in the last World Cup, I was not recovered from my injury. I was always thinking about T20 World Cup – I wanted to be part of a T20 World Cup. Processing it now, it’s a big achievement for me, being vice-captain. It was never one of my goals to be a West Indies captain or vice-captain but it’s my job, and I’m happy I can contribute in any way, supporting Polly [Kieron Pollard] and the coach. It’s a proud moment for me and my family.”

يخوض فريق برشلونة الإسباني مباراته في إياب دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مساء يوم الثلاثاء، وذلك ضد خصمه فريق بنفيكا البرتغالي.

ويستضيف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة الفريقين في إطار تلك المرحلة من البطولة، موسم 2024/25.

اقرأ أيضًا | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة وبنفيكا اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. والمعلق

وحقق برشلونة فوزًا، بـ10 لاعبين، على بنفيكا في مباراة الذهاب الأسبوع الماضي، بهدف دون رد.

ويسعى برشلونة إلى تحقيق نتيجة إيجابية من أجل الحصول على بطاقة التأهل إلى دور ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وسبق أن أجرى الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، يويفا، مراسم قرعة مرحلتي ربع ونصف نهائي البطولة، حيث يعلم كل فريق مساره حتى النهائي.

وحسب القرعة، فإن المتأهل من برشلونة وبنفيكا سيلتقي مع المتأهل من صدام بوروسيا دورتموند وليل في دور الـ8.

طالع | تشكيل برشلونة أمام بنفيكا في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. موقف ليفاندوفسكي تشكيل برشلونة المتوقع أمام بنفيكا اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: تشيزني.

خط الدفاع: كوندي، أراوخو، إينيجو مارتينيز، بالدي.

خط الوسط: داني أولمو، فرينكي دي يونج، بيدري.

خط الوسط الهجومي: لامين يامال، رافينها.

خط الهجوم: روبرت ليفاندوفسكي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Stats highlights from New Zealand’s 3-0 sweep of England in the ODI series

Sampath Bandarupalli01-Nov-202510 Consecutive bilateral ODI series wins at home for New Zealand since losing to India in January 2019 – the second longest winning streak in men’s ODIs after South Africa’s 17 consecutive series wins between 2002 and 2007. New Zealand surpassed England’s streak of nine series wins between 2016 and 2020.2 Instances of New Zealand whitewashing England in a series of three or more matches across formats. The previous instance was also in a three-match ODI series at home in 1983.10 Consecutive defeats for England in ODIs away from home, their longest losing streak.ESPNcricinfo Ltd22.3 Strike rate of New Zealand’s bowlers in the series against England, the second best for any team in a men’s ODI series or tournament where they took at least 30 wickets. South Africa’s bowlers had a strike rate of 21.5 against Zimbabwe in a three-match series in 2018.New Zealand’s fast bowlers took 26 wickets against England at a strike rate of 19.8, the best for any team in a series or tournament for a minimum of 20 wickets.84 Runs scored by England’s top four across the three ODIs in New Zealand – the fewest by any team’s top four in a men’s ODI series or tournament where they batted at least three times. The previous lowest was 89 by Bangladesh in the 1988 Asia Cup.England’s top three scored 58 – Jamie Smith (18), Ben Duckett (11) and Joe Root (29) – in the three ODIs. Only one team has had fewer runs in an ODI series or tournament (minimum of three matches), while playing with the same top three: 46 by Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal (40), Junaid Siddique (1) and Mushfiqur Rahim (5) in the 2009 Tri-Nation Tournament in Bangladesh.ESPNcricinfo Ltd104 Runs added by England for their first four wickets in this series, having lost their fourth wicket at scores of 10, 63 and 31 in the three matches – the fewest runs added by a team for their first four wickets in a men’s ODI series or tournament (minimum of three games).156 Runs scored by Jamie Overton are the most in a three-match series while batting at No. 8 or lower, going past Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s 141 runs against India in 2022.

Sheffield Wednesday will look to improve on last season's finish in the Championship, thankful that they managed to keep their heads above water, but wanting to push on and finish higher up the table this forthcoming season.

The Owls will also look to work some magic in the transfer window again, which saw the likes of Ike Ugbo join in the January market and become an instant fan's favourite at Hillsborough, with the former Chelsea youth player netting some vital goals, bagging seven times from 19 Wednesday appearances.

Already purchasing the likes of Yan Valery and Max Lowe, the South Yorkshire titans will look to add more firepower to their attacking positions away from just adding numbers in defence soon, with it looking difficult for Wednesday that their Canadian star will return for the 24/25 season.

Wednesday setting sights now on former target

With the Athletic stating that Wednesday could be priced out of a deal for the current Troyes man amidst major competition for his signature, Rohl and Co could turn their attention back to trying to sign Orlando City centre-forward Duncan McGuire, who had a turbulent transfer deadline day to say the least.

A move to Blackburn Rovers fell through right at the death for the American attacker after being touted to sign on the dotted line for Wednesday before attempting to get a deal through at Ewood Park, with McGuire having to then return back to MLS action after a disorientating time in England.

This week, The Athletic has further reported that Wednesday look to be going back in for McGuire, offering him a platform finally to strut his stuff in the Championship in a bid to try and mend the still-fresh scars of his Blackburn fiasco.

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ByStephan Georgiou Sep 18, 2024 What McGuire can offer Wednesday

A potent goalscoring machine playing for Orlando, the 23-year-old could make those at Wednesday also forget about Ugbo if he doesn't come back, as well as offering the Owls another body up top with Lee Gregory no longer on the books.

Labelled as being a "lethal" finisher by his Orlando boss in Oscar Pareja last year, McGuire hasn't stopped being a dependable source of goals for his MLS employers as of late, despite the disappointment of a move to the Championship not materialising.

The lofty 6 foot 1 forward has six goals in his last 16 MLS appearances, taking his goal tally overall for Pareja's men to 22 strikes from 56 contests.

Games played

16

38

Goals scored

6

11

Assists

0

2

Expected goals (xG)

4.38 xG

9.87 xG

Scoring frequency

184 mins

204 mins

Shots per game

1.9

1.3

Although Ugbo managed to beat McGuire's total for goals across the full 23/24 campaign, playing for Cardiff City as well as under Rohl, the table above suggests the American striker could be as lethal, or even more lethal than his Canadian counterpart, if he comes into his own putting on a Wednesday strip.

Scoring every 184 minutes during last season, compared to Ugbo's 204 minutes, alongside averaging more shots per game, McGuire will hope he can terrorise second-tier defences if he does join, causing many a back four issues alongside the likes of Djeidi Gassama and Anthony Musaba.

In an ideal world, Wednesday would have been frontrunners to sign Ugbo again this window, but if there's a possibility that McGuire could join instead, the Owls would be fools not to test the waters again.

Sheffield Wednesday now plotting move for in-demand £2,700-p/w wide player

His versatility is a huge plus, playing every position up the left flank.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 24, 2024

Douglas Luiz's move to Juventus has yet to be finalised. Aston Villa are under pressure to adhere to Premier League profit and sustainability (PSR) rules before the end of the month and the Brazil midfielder has been sacrificed.

According to Gianluca di Marzio, Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior are poised to move to Villa Park in the same deal, but the former is currently holding up the deal, having yet to agree terms. Still, the move is very much on, with McKennie expected to ply his trade under Unai Emery next season.

The USMNT midfielder is talented but failed to impress during his loan spell with Leeds United in 2022/23. He will need support to reach his zenith, and Villa are lining up a new forward who could be the perfect partner for the 25-year-old.

Villa eyeing new striker

As per Football Insider, Aston Villa are hoping to strengthen their frontline with the signing of Tammy Abraham this summer, who are open to selling the striker.

Abraham enjoyed an instrumental loan spell at Villa Park in 2018/19, scoring 26 goals as the club got promoted to the Premier League. He has since enjoyed a trophy-laden career but missed most of the 2023/24 campaign due to a knee injury.

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are also thought to be interested in the £20m-rated Englishman, but Emery will hope his outfit's connection to the player holds sway.

Imagine Tammy Abraham & Weston McKennie

There is rarely an obvious branching point in a player's career, but Abraham cut his teeth at Aston Villa and honed his ability ahead of a prosperous few years.

An ACL rupture suffered on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign restricted him to only two Serie A starts last term, scoring one goal and adding one assist.

Standing at 6 foot 3, Abraham has scored 36 goals and provided 12 assists across 107 matches for his Italian club, notably notching a 27-goal haul during the 2021/22 campaign, scoring nine goals in the Europa Conference League en route to the title.

He's been hailed as a "goal machine" by former coach Stephen Elliott and would offer something different, more of a focal point, to that of Ollie Watkins. His imposing style up front would benefit McKennie greatly.

Matches played

34

Matches started

29

Goals

0

Assists

7

Pass completion

81%

Touches per game

44.9

Key passes per game

1.2

Ball recoveries per game

3.4

Tackles per game

1.4

Dribbles per game

0.5 (38%)

Duels won per game

3.4 (50%)

McKennie might have flattered to deceive during his loan spell with imperilled Leeds but this should not define him as a player. Last season, back in Turin, he was a key figure in the middle of the park and demonstrated a rounded skill set.

The 25-year-old's seven-assist total would obviously help Abraham, whose silky footwork could be a good target point for the American's distribution, but deeper analysis highlights the reason this would be so successful.

As per FBref, the Old Lady midfielder ranked among the top 5% of midfielders in Serie A last season for assists, which is great, but he also ranked among the top 20% for progressive carries, the top 17% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 7% for progressive passes received per 90.

A forward-scurrying star, his athleticism and passion for pushing forward and influencing play would give Villa's prospective new striker a steady stream of creative support.

Given that he also ranked among the top 9% for crosses into the penalty area, his dynamic delivery also suggests that Abraham could find his noggin meeting ball with prolific constancy.

Watkins is the main man at Villa Park but with Jhon Duran mooted for a move to Chelsea, Abraham could be the perfect supplementary to add a dimension as Emery and his troops march toward Europe's elite club competitions.

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ByAngus Sinclair Jun 6, 2024

عزز فريق ليفربول تقدمه في ديربي الميرسيساديد، أمام إيفرتون في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لموسم 2024-2025، بهدف ثان عن طريق محمد صلاح.

ويحل ليفربول ضيفًا على إيفرتون بملعب “جوديسون بارك” في مباراة مؤجلة من الجولة الخامسة عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وسجل محمد صلاح الهدف الثاني لليفربول في الدقيقة 73 من اللقاء، من تسديدة وهو منفرد بالمرمى، ليرفع رصيده للهدف 22 في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز هذا الموسم.

وكان صلاح صنع هدف تعادل ليفربول الذي أحرزه أليكسيس ماك أليستر في الدقيقة 16 من عمر المباراة.

وسبق وتقدم بيتو بهدف لإيفرتون في الدقيقة 11 من عمر المباراة، قبل أن يدرك ليفربول التعادل سريعًا.

ويمنكك متابعة التغطية المباشرة لمباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون لحظة بلحظة بالفيديو من خلال الرابط. هدف محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون

Manchester United dropped yet more points at Old Trafford after another lacklustre performance under Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened West Ham United, failing to create many substantial chances despite having the lion’s share of the possession.

Indeed, the first half went by without the home side creating too many chances of note. The closest they came was thanks to an effort from Joshua Zirkzee.

The Dutchman, who was one of the best players in Red on the night, saw his well-directed effort cleared off the line by former United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

It took United until the second half to break the deadlock. It was a rare Premier League goal from Diogo Dalot, which was enough to put Amorim’s side ahead, and what a strike it was.

The ball dropped to the wing-back in the penalty area, and after a superb first touch, he fired the Red Devils ahead.

United never looked like doubling their lead, with Amorim making substitutions but once again opting against bringing Kobbie Mainoo on.

They paid the price with seven minutes left. The Hammers equalised thanks to a late strike from player of the match Soungoutou Magassa.

Indeed, Amorim’s underwhelming substitutions did not help United’s cause.

Amorim’s in-game management vs. West Ham

One of the biggest criticisms against the United manager throughout his 12-month tenure has been his in-game management. Well, the substitutions he made against the Hammers on Thursday night were underwhelming.

Zirkzee, who was linking up play nicely, was replaced by Mason Mount, and Manuel Ugarte was also brought on. That meant there was once again no place for Mainoo, who still cannot get the chance to showcase his skills for an extended period in the Premier League.

Lisandro Martinez also came on with the score at 1-1. It was a positive thing to see the 2022 World Cup winner coming stepping onto the Old Trafford pitch for the first time since February, but bringing a centre-back on when your side is chasing a goal to win the game is a strange call.

United social media presence, Alice said, the manager’s “subs and in-game management is shocking time and time again.” She also called out the decision to take Zirkzee off, and bringing Ugarte on over Mainoo when the Red Devils “need control” to help get over the line.

However, there was one substitution Amorim did get right, taking off one player who struggled.

The United star who's been overhyped

It was not the return from injury that Matheus Cunha may have hoped for. He was replaced by Ugarte on the 77-minute mark, after a performance which was “ineffective”, according to journalist Laurie Whitwell.

Indeed, the Brazilian struggled to get into the game against the East Londoners. He only had 46 touches across the 90 minutes, losing the ball 18 times and failing to create a chance in that time.

Off the ball, United’s number ten won just three from 11 duels.

Touches

46

Number of times ball lost

18

Pass accuracy

69%

Duels won

3/11

Key passes

0

Crosses completed

0

Expected goal involvements

0.29xGI

His disappointing performance earned him a 5/10 rating from Goal journalist Richard Martin. He noted that Cunha failed to make any sort of impact, describing his efforts at Old Trafford as ‘underwhelming’.

It remains to be seen if Amorim will keep Cunha in the starting lineup for the next game, a trip to his former club, Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Brazilian has not really hit the ground running for the Red Devils so far, with just one goal and no assists in 11 Premier League games.

Whilst that is not necessarily just his fault, United fans may well have wanted more from one of their marquee summer additions. Perhaps there was an element of Cunha getting overhyped, with CEO Omar Berrada suggesting he could be “Cantona-esque” for the club.

That is a lot of pressure for someone to have placed on them immediately after joining a huge club, despite the Brazilian’s obvious confidence.

Things have not really gone that way for Cunha so far in a United shirt, and his performances have certainly left a little to be desired, as the game against West Ham showed.

With other options, such as Mount and Mainoo, at Amorim’s disposal, he may well make the bold decision to rotate his number 10 out of the starting 11 next Monday. Cunha can certainly add a little bit extra in the final third to make him a more dangerous option going forward.

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Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has taken a fresh swipe at Mohamed Salah ahead of the team's Champions League clash with Inter at San Siro on Tuesday evening. Salah has been left out of the squad for the game in Milan following his critical comments after Saturday's draw with Leeds, and his future at the club remains in doubt. Carragher has already branded Salah a "disgrace" for his outburst and has now followed that up with a fresh post on social media.

• Salah in the spotlight amid Liverpool struggles

  Salah vented his frustrations at Liverpool after being left out of the starting XI by Arne Slot for the third straight match against Leeds last time out. The 33-year-old Egypt international, who has scored 250 goals in 420 Liverpool appearances, claimed he had been "thrown under the bus" at Anfield and alleged someone at the club wants him out. Salah also claimed his relationship with head coach Slot had broken down. His comments shocked the football world and drew a critical response from Carragher who dubbed Salah a "disgrace" and claimed his comments were designed to "cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position." Slot has responded by admitting he has "no clue" if Salah will play for the club again and subsequently left him out of the squad travelling to Italy for their Champions League match.

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• Carragher takes fresh swipe at Salah

  Salah has posted an image on social media on Tuesday of himself training alone in the gym at Liverpool while his team-mates are in Milan preparing for their Champions League match without their talisman. Carragher has reacted to the post by responding: "I'm not sure I've wanted Liverpool to win a game more than tonight for a long time! Come you mighty reds."

• Will Salah play for Liverpool again?

  While Salah will play no part against Inter, it's still not clear if he will feature for the Reds again. Slot's side are in Premier League action on Sunday against Brighton, a fixture which will be Salah's last before he is due to link up with the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations. The Liverpool boss has been asked if Salah will feature against the Seagulls but was coy in his response. He told : "We are here for the Inter game. And I think you can understand that the last two days were already a lot. A lot of things going on, after conceding in the last minute against Leeds. Not for the first time this season. Then what happened afterwards. So I think you can understand that my full focus is now on Inter Milan, and we will see what the future is."

  Slot was quizzed further on the saga with Salah and added only: "No, far from ideal. Not good for anyone. First of all, not for the club, not for the team, not for him as well. So, far from ideal, but, yeah, we reacted in the way we did not to take him here. And that tells you what we felt about his comments."

  The drama has brought a fresh wave of speculation about Salah's future, with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal reportedly willing to sign the forward in the January transfer window if he does decide to move on from Liverpool.

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• AFP
  

  Liverpool face tough task in Italy

  Liverpool must now focus on their clash with Inter and what promises to be tough match against the Serie A giants. The Nerazzurri, who reached last season's Champions League final, head into the game with four wins from their opening five matches in the competition and are also currently sitting in third place in the Serie A table. The Reds were humbled 4-1 last time out in the competition at home to PSV and know another poor result will pile more pressure on Slot during what's fast become a nightmare second season at Anfield for the Dutchman.