Crystal Palace are now in a fight with fellow Premier League side Wolves over the signing of an £8.5 million striker, according to a recent report.
Crystal Palace's summer plans become clearer
Oliver Glasner has not only stabilised the situation at Selhurst Park and led the Eagles out of relegation trouble, but he has also led the South Londoners to the FA Cup final.
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ByDominic Lund May 1, 2025
By winning that famous English trophy, Palace would seal their place in next season’s Europa League as well, and that achievement could do wonders for Palace’s summer transfer budget. Already the Eagles are being linked with several players, as Glasner plots a few changes to his squad this summer.
According to Caught Offside, Palace are in the running to sign midfielder Rayan Cherki from Lyon. The Premier League side are considered dark horses in the race, given that teams such as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.
Rayan Cherki
Meanwhile, last week it was reported that Palace could be a step closer to their first signing of the summer, as they have opened talks with Tamiou Kpebane, who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt. The 18-year-old is set to become a free agent this summer, and the Eagles are working on bringing him to South London.
Crystal Palace working to beat Wolves to signing of £8.5m striker
Glasner appears to have his eyes on strengthening all parts of his team this summer, as according to Football Insider, Crystal Palace are eyeing a move to sign Phil Harres from German side Holstein Kiel.
The report states that the Eagles have made regular checks on the centre-forward throughout this season and see him as a player who could become a star. However, they are not alone, as Wolves are also keeping a close eye on him, as well as many other teams across Europe.
The 23-year-old joined Holstein Kiel last summer and has made a solid first impression, netting eight goals in 23 league games. But the Bundesliga side are battling relegation and could be resigned to losing their striker, as they value Harres at £8.5 million heading into the summer.
Harres, who has been dubbed an “instinctive” finisher in the past, is naturally a centre-forward, but he can also play as a right-winger, which would be ideal for Glasner as he likes to have flexibility in his forward line.
Current Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park this summer, but the talk of Harres arriving isn’t likely seen as a replacement for the Frenchman but, in fact, a player who can take some of the burden away in terms of being the constant source of goals.
The one concern would be that Harres has only played football in Germany. Therefore, he would arrive with no Premier League experience and could take some time to adjust, given the Bundesliga has produced a fair few flops on English soil.
Arsenal have now asked Real Madrid about signing a highly-rated forward and his teammate, amid Los Blancos’ serious interest in star defender William Saliba, with a potential part-exchange deal mooted this week.
Arsenal cruise into Champions League semi-finals after triumph over Real Madrid
Mikel Arteta made history this week with a stunning 5-1 Champions League aggregate victory over Real Madrid, cruising into the semi-finals after putting the final nail in Carlo Ancelotti’s coffin on Tuesday night.
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Arsenal secured a place in the Champions League semi-final after a 5-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid.
ByEthan Lamb Apr 17, 2025
Goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli cemented a 2-1 win for Arsenal at the Bernabeu during their return leg, and it was an impressive performance from the Gunners, who largely kept Real quiet on home turf.
Now, Arsenal take on Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in the semis, and there is every chance they can go on to win the competition. Clinching their first ever European Cup would be quite an end to 2024/2025, with Arteta hopeful that his side can go from challengers to victors.
Ipswich Town (away)
April 20th
Crystal Palace (home)
April 23rd
Bournemouth (home)
May 3rd
Liverpool (away)
May 11th
Newcastle United (home)
May 18th
“It’s certainly another massive step,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s chances of winning the Champions League.
“Where we finished last year and the way we’re doing it this year, the teams with their eyes on us and the competition, it’s incredible. Big credit to [Madrid}, it was my first time as a coach in that dugout, and today I realised after three minutes in this stadium, anything is possible. They are specialists of creating such chaos and belief, and it’s very difficult to understand what is really going on in the game and have certain certainty about how we controlled it. I think they showed a lot of maturity.”
Off the field, business could be conducted between both sides this summer, as Real hold a strong interest in Saliba and have done for months.
The France international is an integral part of Arteta’s backline and arguably one of world football’s best central defenders, so new sporting director Andrea Berta and the Arsenal manager are highly unlikely to give him up without a serious fight.
Arsenal ask Real Madrid about signing Endrick in Saliba talks
According to reports out of Spain, Arsenal have floated the idea of a player-exchange if Real Madrid do want Saliba, otherwise they’d have to fork out a minimum of £86 million.
Indeed, it is believed Arsenal have asked Real Madrid about signing Endrick, not to mention Arda Güler, in exchange for Saliba’s services. However, as things stand, their president Florentino Perez is unwilling to part company with either player.
Real Madrid'sEndrickcelebrates scoring their second goal with teammates
Endrick, who could end up costing Perez around £62 million in add-ons and other clauses after his 2022 transfer from Palmeiras, has struggled for game time under Ancelotti this season – bagging seven goals in 31 appearances but mainly as a substitute.
Despite signing for Real nearly three years ago, this is the “special” 18-year-old’s first full season at the Bernabeu, having made the transfer when he came of age last summer.
Manchester United have now moved ahead of their rivals in the race for an “incredible” striker, having submitted an enticing offer, according to a report.
Man Utd stepping up striker pursuit
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee once again failed to make an impact at the weekend, with Man United succumbing to a 4-1 defeat against Newcastle United, and it is now looking increasingly likely a new striker will be brought in this summer.
The Red Devils are considering a number of options from within the Premier League, with talks recently being opened over a deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha, who has a release clause of £62.5m.
Ruben Amorim’s side are also becoming more confident they would be able to sign Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta this summer, should they make a move, and they have now expressed a concrete interest in signing the 27-year-old.
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However, Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap has been identified as Man United’s top striker target for the summer, following his breakout season with the Tractor Boys, and there has now been a positive update on their pursuit of the Englishman.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, United have now surged ahead of rival suitors in the race for Delap, given that the offer they have made is “far more solid” than Chelsea’s, which could play a crucial role in deciding the striker’s future.
Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Everton have also been named as potential suitors for the forward, whose agent has fielded a number of calls in recent weeks, but it appears as though the Red Devils are now leading the race for his signature.
Interestingly, the Ipswich star will remain keen on a move to Old Trafford regardless of whether European football is on offer next season.
"Incredible" Delap could be fantastic signing
Ipswich are almost certain to be relegated from the Championship, but it cannot be put down to a lack of effort on their striker’s behalf, having netted 12 Premier League goals.
That total is very impressive, given that the 22-year-old is playing for a side now 14 points from safety, and he has received high praise from reporter Alex Howell, who described him as “incredible” back in March.
Not only has the Winchester-born striker displayed a keen eye for goal, but he has showcased his ability to drive at opposition defences, ranking in the 90th percentile for successful take-ons, and the 86th percentile for progressive carries per 90 over the past year.
It is well-documented that Man United may not have a great deal of money to spend this summer, given their financial issues, which could make Delap the perfect addition at striker, considering he is set to be available for just £30m.
Chelsea supporters may have been left confused when the team news dropped for the game against Brentford on Sunday, as several stars were left out of the side.
Despite the Blues not being in action again until Thursday, against Legia Warsaw, Enzo Maresca left Marc Cucurella, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, and Pedro Neto on the bench from the start.
Those decisions contributed to a toothless and uninspiring performance from the Blues, who are now just two points ahead of Aston Villa in sixth place after the weekend’s results.
Chelsea have, now, scored three goals in their last five matches in all competitions, failing to score more than one in any, and their lack of a clinical, reliable, number nine has been an issue.
Christopher Nkunku has scored one in his last 11 matches for the Blues and Jackson, who recently returned from injury, has gone ten games without a goal.
The London giants need a consistent, ruthless, centre-forward to fire them to glory, which is what Manchester City found when they signed Erling Haaland in the summer of 2022.
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The Cityzens reportedly agreed a deal worth £51m to sign the Norway international from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and that has turned out to be a bargain.
To date, the left-footed monster has scored 120 goals and provided 19 assists in 138 matches in all competitions for City, including 84 goals in 94 Premier League outings.
The Norwegian superstar hit the ground running in England, where he was born, with one of the best individual seasons in the history of the Premier League, scoring 36 goals and providing eight assists in 33 starts.
His tally of 36 goals broke the record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League season, previously stood at 34, and led City to the top-flight title.
24/25
40
30
4
23/24
45
38
6
22/23
53
52
9
As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old marksman has delivered an exceptional number of goals in every season he has played for Pep Guardiola’s team to date.
The former Dortmund star has also delivered in big games, scoring six goals in eight games against Manchester United and four goals in six matches against Chelsea, to be a difference-maker for City against their rivals.
Manchester City's ErlingHaalandcelebrates scoring their first goal
This is why the Blues must try to find their own version of Haaland in the upcoming summer transfer window, because Nkunku and Jackson’s recent form shows that the club does not currently have a number nine who can be relied on week-in-week-out.
Maresca could be on the right track to finding his answer to the Manchester City superstar, though, as Chelsea have reportedly made a move to sign a new forward.
Chelsea submit bid for prolific striker
According to a report from Spain, Chelsea are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Sporting centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that they have submitted an offer in the region of £64m in an attempt to convince the Portuguese giants to part ways with the Sweden international, but Manchester United have come in with the same bid.
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It states that Chelsea and the Red Devils are now fighting it out to land the former Coventry City and Brighton & Hove Albion striker back to England this summer.
However, the report does not reveal whether or not these two bids of £64m will be enough to tempt Sporting into cashing in on their star forward ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Whether they can sign Gyokeres at that price or if they have to spend a bit more to acquire his services, Chelsea must push to get a deal over the line for the Swedish centre-forward in the next transfer window because he could be Maresca’s answer to Haaland.
Why Gyokeres could be Chelsea's answer to Haaland
As aforementioned, the Blues do not have a reliable, consistent, striker who they can expect to score 20 or more goals every season to fire the team to glory, as City do with their Norwegian phenom.
After a return of 21 goals and ten assists in 46 Championship games for Coventry in the 2022/23 campaign, Gyokeres opted to move abroad to sign for Sporting to take his career to the next level.
That has turned out to be a masterstroke by the 26-year-old marksman because he has scored 86 goals and provided 26 assists in 93 matches for the Portuguese outfit to date.
Gyokeres has also stepped up to perform in the Champions League for Sporting, even scoring a hat-trick whilst up against Haaland earlier this season, which shows that he can compete at the very top level.
The Swedish star, who was described as “unplayable” by former teammate Maxime Biamou, has also delivered exceptionally impressive performances in the Portuguese top-flight in his two seasons with Sporting so far, proving himself to be a lethal finisher.
Appearances
33
26
xG
22.71
24.63
Goals
29
30
Conversion rate
25%
28%
Big chances created
11
11
Assists
10
6
As you can see in the table above, the Chelsea target has fired in an unbelievable 59 goals in 59 appearances in Liga Portugal since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, which shows that he can find the back of the net on a consistent basis if provided with enough service.
Gyokeres has also outperformed his xG in both seasons, which speaks to his ruthless nature in front of goal, and this suggests that he would thrive in a team that creates plenty of chances, as Haaland has with Man City.
He has a Haaland-esque goal return in all competitions for Sporting, as well as outperforming him with his hat-trick against Man City earlier this term, and that is why he could be Maresca’s answer to the Cityzens star.
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It is now down to the club to ensure that they can beat Manchester United in the race to sign the striker, who previously played for Ruben Amorim, to bolster their squad and provide them with their own ruthless, clinical, and consistent number nine to compete in the Premier League next term.
Football works in mysterious ways, and with the majority of players having numerous clubs during their careers, there’s a good chance some will come back to haunt their former sides.
From scoring important goals or regularly being a thorn in their ex-club’s side over the years, we’ve seen it on multiple occasions on the biggest stages.
Anthony Elanga recently came back to bite Manchester United, who will surely be regretting selling the winger in the summer of 2023, particularly with Nottingham Forest now miles ahead of their midweek opponents, who were beaten by the Swede’s special winner at the City Ground.
Here, we’ve taken a look at 11 stars who have haunted their former clubs.
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ByStephan Georgiou Mar 31, 2025 1 Anthony Elanga Nottingham Forest v Man Utd
Anthony Elanga has been something of a revelation since his move to Nottingham Forest, with the Reds benefiting from the Swede being unable to find a home during his stay at Manchester United.
The winger has often been in electrifying form, but showcased his talents to his former employers with a superb solo run before scoring an eventual winner in their recent Premier League clash.
With Forest set to finish in the European places, the move has certainly worked out for the 22-year-old.
2 Robin van Persie Man Utd v Arsenal
Robin van Persie receives guard of honour from Arsenal for Manchester United.
Robin van Persie made what was a controversial move at the time from Arsenal to Man Utd in 2012.
The Dutch striker was the Gunners captain and star striker at the time, so to swap the Emirates for Old Trafford was a high-profile deal and all eyes were on the first meeting between the two sides months later.
Just three minutes into his first appearance against Arsenal, Van Persie scored for the Red Devils in a 2-1 win and netted again at the Emirates that season, helping Man Utd to another – and his first – Premier League title.
His and United’s fortunes dwindled after that, but he scored in their next meeting in late 2013, this time celebrating fully.
3 Robert Lewandowski Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund
Polish striker Robert Lewandowski is one of the greatest goalscorers of the modern era, netting 103 times for Borussia Dortmund before leaving the club for rivals Bayern Munich in 2014.
Lewandowski would go on to spend eight years as a Bayern player, netting a remarkable 344 times in 375 games and winning 19 major honours.
He would regularly come up against Dortmund in the Bundesliga and in various cup competitions, and scored 27 times in 26 games against BVB for Bayern – more than any other club in his career.
Wins
19
Goals
27
Assists
3
Hat-tricks
2
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ByRoss Kilvington Feb 3, 2025 4 Emmanuel Adebayor Man City v Arsenal
One of the most memorable instances of a player haunting their former club came back in 2009, when Emmanuel Adebayor decided to run the length of the Etihad pitch to celebrate a goal for Manchester City in front of the Arsenal fans.
The striker swapped the red of north London for the sky blue of Manchester that summer and was suspended for two games and fined £25,000 by the FA for his celebration.
At the time, Adebayor’s reasoning for the celebration was: “I was being abused by people who six months ago were singing my name. The abuse was for no reason. It wasn’t my fault I left, it was Arsene [Wenger] who wanted to accept the offer for me.”
5 Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid v Man Utd
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Man Utd to Real Madrid in 2009 remains one of the biggest in history, so it was always going to be huge when the Portuguese superstar came up against the Red Devils for the first time.
It took four years for Madrid and United to cross paths in the Champions League, being drawn against each other in the last 16 in 2012/13.
Ronaldo scored the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu in the first leg and then netted what proved to be the winner at Old Trafford.
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ByRobin Mumford May 14, 2025 6 Mohamed Salah Liverpool v Chelsea
Liverpool's MohamedSalahreacts
Many didn’t think much of Chelsea’s decision to sell Mohamed Salah on a permanent deal to Roma in 2016 after the winger scored just twice for the Blues in 19 appearances.
However, following his return to England with Liverpool a year later, Salah has gone on to star in the Premier League for the Reds, scoring more than 200 goals and registering over 100 assists on Merseyside.
Salah has faced off against Chelsea on a regular basis over the last eight years, helping beat the Blues in the final of the FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
The Egyptian has also scored five times and registered four assists against Chelsea for Liverpool, including a stunner back in 2019.
7 Kevin De Bruyne Man City v Chelsea
Another player who Chelsea let go too soon was Kevin De Bruyne, who has starred for Man City years over the last 10 years.
De Bruyne made just nine appearances for the Blues before they and Jose Mourinho decided to sell the Belgian to Wolfsburg in 2014. After starring in Germany, the attacking midfielder returned to England 18 months later and has gone on to win everything at the Etihad.
He scored a crucial winner for City at Stamford Bridge in 2017, helping Pep Guardiola’s side reach 100 points that season, while he netted four times in five appearances against the Blues between 2019 and 2022.
8 Zlatan Ibrahimovic Milan v Inter
Iconic forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic played for multiple European giants during his career, including both Milan and Inter.
The Swedish striker had three successful years with Inter between 2006 and 2009, and after a two-year stint in Spain with Barcelona, he returned to the San Siro, with the Rossoneri.
In his first Milan derby, Ibrahimovic earned and converted a penalty for Milan, an effort which proved to be the winner and helped his side to a Serie A title. He’d go on to score seven more times for Milan against Inter.
9 Ronaldo Real Madrid v Barcelona
Brazilian striker Ronaldo is well known for his time scoring for fun at the Bernabeu for Real Madrid between 2002 and 2007, but he also played for rivals Barcelona prior to his time as a Galactico.
Ronaldo scored 47 goals in 49 games in all competitions for Barcelona in 1996/97, winning the FIFA World Player of the Year award at the age of 20.
The forward moved to Inter in a world-record transfer but returned to Spain with Madrid, where he would come back to haunt Barcelona on numerous occasions.
In total, Ronaldo scored in four separate El Clasico matches, two of which came at Camp Nou, and every time he scored against Barcelona, Madrid never lost.
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1 ByBarney Lane May 10, 2025 10 Frank Lampard Man City v Chelsea
It’s easy to forget that Frank Lampard spent his final year in the Premier League as a Manchester City player.
The Chelsea legend left Stamford Bridge in 2014, and after penning a pre-contract with New York City, he joined Manchester City for the 2014/15 season, where he would come up against Chelsea.
It was written in the stars for the attacking midfielder to make an impact against the Blues. Lampard scored his first City goal late on against Chelsea in September 2014 to end his former side’s winning start to the season.
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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Surprise package Sunderland were undone by Raul Jimenez’s late winner as Fulham eased clear of the Premier League drop zone with a hard-earned 1-0 win at Craven Cottage.
In a game of plentiful good intentions but few clear-cut chances, the Black Cats – superbly marshalled by midfield anchor Granit Xhaka – looked like hanging on for a point in a West London monsoon.
But six minutes from time, 34-year-old Mexican striker Jimenez beat Sunderland defender Dan Ballard to substitute Samuel Chukwueze’s teasing cross to prod home his third goal of the campaign.
In the week when head coach Marco Silva was reportedly offered a new three-year contract, Fulham’s perseverance in testing conditions was just the tonic after a worrying start to the season.
Fortified by their tenacious 2-2 draw with leaders Arsenal which left them fourth, the Black Cats were determined to extend their unbeaten run to five games – but they were caught napping at the death.
Compact and committed, Sunderland’s five-man defence had weathered the storm as Fulham dominated the first 45 minutes.
Harry Wilson, confidence high after his hat-trick for Wales in the World Cup qualifying rout of North Macedonia, raced on to Sander Berge’s pass and curled his finish just wide.
Two minutes later, Kevin’s skimming effort from the edge of the box was parried by the diving Robin Roefs, who soon kept out the Brazilian winger’s header from Berge’s cross and the Norwegian midfielder’s low effort towards the bottom corner.
Ballard was booked for clattering into Wilson, but Sunderland’s occasional excursions into Fulham territory were rarely threatening.
When Bertrand Traore drove into the box and extended Bernd Leno, his finish lacked sufficient power to beat the home keeper, and the Sunderland bench were convinced Calvin Bassey thwarted the escaping Wilson Isidor’s breakaway with a foul – although referee Darren England did not agree.
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Many fans and media figures alike flocked to social media to criticise the referee, who was infamously on VAR duty when Liverpool’s Luis Diaz saw a perfectly good goal ruled out due to a miscommunication surrounding the offside check.
One fan said it was “one of the worst refereeing performances I’ve seen in a very long time” while media personality Chris Hughes lamented England’s “absolutely abysmal” display, claiming it “cost us” the game,
Popular Black Cats magazine A Love Supreme had the harshest verdict however, claiming the 39 year-old should be docked wages and not allowed back on a football pitch.
At the other end, Black Cats keeper Roefs was relieved to escape when his heavy touch almost gifted Josh King an opening.
Ten seconds into the second period, Enzo Le Fee’s angled drive fizzed just wide of Leno’s left-hand post as Sunderland showed more ambition.
But they lived dangerously when Wilson, the home side’s likeliest source of joy, dragged Fulham’s best opportunity wide from 18 yards after collecting Ryan Sessegnon’s pass midway through the second half.
Substitute Emile Smith Rowe’s fierce drive soared just wide as Fulham cranked up the pressure in search of a late winner.
And Reinildo Mandava’s last-ditch tackle to deny Wilson was typical of the Wearsiders’ determination to preserve the stalemate.
But just when they looked like escaping with a point, Jimenez dug deep to hand Fulham their fourth win of the season – all of them at home.
Arne Slot’s Anfield is peopled with a variety of top-class talent, but Liverpool have still struggled to click into gear this season.
In truth, this was always going to be a testing year for the Reds after the events of the summer, and the squad deserve a measure of leeway.
But the football will just keep coming, and Liverpool know that they cannot allow their wretched Premier League form to rage on, having lost five of their past six matches in the division.
Regardless, Liverpool can be optimistic for the future. The likes of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak may not have found form yet following record-breaking summer moves, but these are two of the most talented players in England, and their success at the club is a matter of when, not if.
No such misfortune for Hugo Ekitike, though, who has been thriving since completing a £69m move to the club from Eintracht Frankfurt in July.
The numbers behind Hugo Ekitike's start at Liverpool
Looking even deeper into the Merseysiders’ squad, though, we can see that Liverpool are raising a school of youngsters with so much potential, and despite the bump in the road this year, there’s one who has the capacity to end up outstripping Ekitike at number nine.
Some felt Liverpool’s hijack of Newcastle United’s move for the France forward was needless as they pushed ahead to land Isak’s signature this summer, but Ekitike has responded emphatically on the pitch.
So mobile and creative, Ekitike offers far more than just goals. Data from FBref tells of his protean quality, ranking among the top 8% of Premier League strikers this term for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90.
Across all competitions, he has scored more than any other Redman this term, and this, having joined a loose-wired tactical machine from overseas.
Hugo Ekitike
16
6 + 1
Mohamed Salah
15
5 + 3
Cody Gakpo
16
4 + 3
Federico Chiesa
12
2 + 3
Alexander Isak
8
1 + 1
Florian Wirtz
16
0 + 3
Rio Ngumoha
6
1 + 0
The 23-year-old’s ability to chop and change his attacking outlook is one of his biggest strengths. He is tactically malleable, and this will serve him well over the coming years.
He’s been the cream of the attacking crop this season, for sure, and looks set for a propitious future on Merseyside. That said, he will continue to tussle with Isak for minutes, and the Sweden striker is bound to hit his world-class stride at some stage.
Moreover, Liverpool are developing an academy star who has the potential to go all the way.
The Liverpool teen who could surpass Ekitike
When ‘Klopp’s Kids’ helped steer Liverpool’s iconic manager to silverware in his final season, fans thought the club had unearthed a treasure trove of up-and-coming talent.
Liverpool's Lewis Koumas, Jayden Danns and Trey Nyoni celebrate winning the Carabao Cup with the trophy
Most of those stars have since moved on, but Liverpool’s academy system has continued to evolve and several stars are showing themselves to have real potential.
Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha are the biggest names, but Keyrol Figueroa is on the road toward making himself known, for sure. The 19-year-old striker has scored seven goals from nine league outings in Rob Page’s development side this season, meaning he is currently the club’s top scorer across all levels, ahead of Ekitike.
In October, Slot named Figueroa among his substitutes in the Carabao Cup at Anfield. Liverpool were thrashed 3-0 by Crystal Palace, but this stood as a testament to the regard the teenager, son of former Premier League star Maynor Figueroa, is held in.
A powerful runner, strong in the duel and tenacious across all phases of play, Figueroa is on the cusp of breaking onto the major stage, and while he will find opportunities hard to come by in a Reds side chock-full with attacking talent, Slot is clearly a fan.
It’s probably worth noting that Liverpool U21s have not been at their best this year. After nine matches, Page’s outfit are 21st in the 29-team league.
They have only won three games, but in each of these fixtures, Figueroa has scored. He has started only five of nine outings this season. It’s clear to see why Page has said he has the making of a “lethal, ruthless number nine”.
This is a remarkable, clinical run for the prospect, and if he manages to prove that he has unlocked a sustainable attacking quality, there’s every chance he could be knocking on Slot’s door sooner than many would have anticipated, frankly.
There has been a clear emphasis over the past several years at Liverpool on keeping a clear pathway open, running from the academy set-up to the senior squad.
Figueroa deserves a shot, especially since all the shots he is taking right now are finding the back of the net. Of course, we have seen already this season the benefits that can be found from giving hungry youngsters a chance (looking at you, Ngumoha).
Given Liverpool’s struggles at the highest level over the past several months, Figueroa’s inclusion in the months ahead might not be a bad thing, should he continue to score at such a clinical rate.
He might not be on Ekitike’s level at the moment, but his physicality and natural-born eye for goal suggest he could become a real star on Merseyside, perhaps even going on to eclipse the Frenchman down the line.
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Manchester City cruise through to yet another Carabao Cup quarter-final.
On Wednesday night, despite actually falling behind early in South Wales, the Citizens ultimately swatted aside Swansea City 3-1, thanks to goals from Jérémy Doku, Omar Marmoush and then Rayan Cherki.
This is the 11th time in 19 seasons that the Citizens have reached the quarter-finals, hoisting the trophy aloft on six occasions since 2014, firm favourites to beat Brentford at home in the last eight just before Christmas.
As Manchester City, largely, motor on impressively this season, has Pep Guardiola found his new Lionel Messi, but it is not someone who caught the eye at the Swansea.com Stadium?
Rayan Cherki's importance
Having sat out eight matches due to a thigh issue, Rayan Cherki started for the first time since August on Wednesday night, putting in a sparkling, man of the match display, capped off by firing home the clinching third.
The table below documents just how impressive the Frenchman was in the EFL Cup.
Goals
1
1st
Assists
1
1st
Shots on target
1
1st
Shots off target
4
1st
Attempted dribbles
4
2nd
Accurate passes
74
3rd
Key passes
6
1st
Ground duels won
5
5th
Possession lost
31
1st
Touches
119
2nd
As the table highlights, Cherki was the outstanding player on the pitch in mid-week.
He ranked first for shots and second for attempted dribbles, behind only Jérémy Doku, while his tally of six key passes is off the scale; normally a player would not register that many in a month!
The Frenchman did lose possession on 31 occasions, almost twice as often as anyone else, which obviously isn’t ideal, but underlines that he is always trying to make something happen.
The 22-year-old arrived from Olympique Lyonnais for £34m too much excitement, given that Lyon teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles labelled him “the best natural talent I’ve ever seen. An absolute master, a wizard with the ball”.
Upon his arrival in Manchester, Guardiola said that Cherki “is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career”, high praise from a manager who has coached Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, Thierry Henry, Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben, Thiago Alcântara, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, oh and a certain Lionel Messi.
Despite their stylistic similarities, Cherki is not the new Messi in this Manchester City side, that acclaim goes to a rather more high-profile “monster”.
Guardiola's new Lionel Messi at Man City
By scoring twice against Nashville in Fort Lauderdale on Friday night in round one of the MLS Cup play-offs, Messi has taken his tally to 891 senior goals for club and country.
Of these, 672 were scored for Barcelona, with 211 coming during Pep Guardiola’s reign, most notably bagging 91 goals in just 69 appearances for club and country in 2012, featuring hat-tricks against Switzerland, Brazil, Bayer Leverkusen, Málaga twice, Valencia, Granada, Espanyol and Deportivo La Coruña.
This is surely a calendar year record that will never be beaten but, if there is one player who could come close, it is of course Erling Braut Håland.
Already this season, the Norwegian striker has scored 15 goals for Man City, which accounts for 65% of all goals they have managed across the Premier League and Champions League.
Former Bayern Munich striker Mario Gómez labelled Håland a “monster”, adding “I think every team on the planet has to fear” him, while Barney Ronay of the Guardian describes him as “the complete centre-forward” who is more than just a goal machine.
Nevertheless, right now, Håland’s goals are perhaps masking Manchester City’s issues, over-reliant on him to score in every game, but if you’re going to be over-reliant on someone, he isn’t a bad choice!
In 2025 so far, he has scored 43 goals for club and country, while his most productive year was 2023, netting 50 times overall, four more than he managed in 2022.
This merely underlines how mind-boggling it is that Messi reached 91 in 2012, but with Norway almost guaranteed to return to the World Cup next summer, their first appearance since France ’98, an injury-free Håland could trouble that record in 2026.
Back in 2010/11, when Guardiola’s Barcelona won La Liga and the Champions League, Messi scored 53 goals across all competitions, just one fewer than Barça’s next three highest scorers that season combined, namely David Villa, Pedro and Iniesta.
Well, considering Håland has 15 goals this season, while Man City’s second-highest scorers, namely Cherki and Doku, have just two goals, the Sky Blues are even more reliant on their superstar forward than Guardiola ever was in Catalonia.
Nevertheless, this is a recipe that has proved fruitful before, if Guardiola has the right ingredients of course, so Håland could well fire the Sky Blues to the game’s biggest trophies pretty much all by himself.
The Norwegian requires another 72 goals to become the highest scorer under Guardiola, a record held by Messi of course, but one that he could break in double quick time.
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