Arne Slot suggests Mohamed Salah must acknowledge 'mistake' to get back in Liverpool squad as Virgil van Dijk vows to talk with disgruntled team-mate

Arne Slot has suggested that Mohamed Salah must make the first move if the Egyptian forward is to work his way back into the Liverpool squad after his outburst at the weekend. Salah was dropped from the Reds squad that earned a crucial Champions League 1-0 victory over Inter Milan at San Siro on Tuesday night courtesy of Dominik Szoboszlai's late penalty, but all eyes will now be focused on whether the 33-year-old returns against Brighton on Saturday.

  • Liverpool beat Inter without Salah

    Salah was left out of the travelling Liverpool squad after his remarks following the 3-3 draw with Leeds last weekend, when he claimed he had been "thrown under the bus" after being omitted from Slot's starting lineup for three successive games. With the Egyptian left at home, the Reds kept the likes of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram quiet before Szoboszlai converted from the spot late on after Florian Wirtz had his shirt pulled by Alessandro Bastoni. The victory was a big one for Slot, who has been under pressure to halt the club's recent poor run of form, and the three points saw Liverpool jump into the top eight of the Champions League league phase following their demoralising 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven on the previous matchday.

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    Salah told how he can return to Liverpool squad

    Slot had hinted before Tuesday night's game that there is a way back for Salah if he shows some contrition and apologises and made the same point after the victory, but he seemed to put the ball in the player's court to make the first move.

    Slot told compatriot Clarence Seedorf on : "You say everyone makes mistakes in life, so the first thing should be: does the player think he's made a mistake as well?

    "And then the next question is, should the initiative come from me or him? That's another question to answer."

    He later added: "Clarence said that in his opinion and I didn't say who should make the first step. Tonight it should be all about the players that are here. In the rich history Liverpool has had they have had many of these evenings.

    "(The performance) was all I could ask for, I think the fourth game in 10 days, that is not what you see a lot with only 13 outfield players available with experience, after the blow we had conceding the 3-3 in Leeds then in this stadium against such a strong Inter team, we hardly gave away a chance. 

    "We had a great mentality second half, we get better and better."

  • Van Dijk reveals upcoming talks

    There seems to have been little contact between some of Liverpool's on-field leaders and Salah since his incendiary remarks at Elland Road, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker admitting he hadn't spoken with his legendary team-mate during the fallout. Captain Virgil van Dijk, however, has revealed he is due to hold peace talks with the Egypt star, though the Netherlands international hinted, like Slot, that Salah may need to take some responsibility and try to rebuild the bridges he broke when he accused the club of mistreatment.

    Van Dijk said: "I have to, I'm going to talk to him. But then you have to ask should the initiative come from me? I'm not the one to speak if someone has to apologise. 

    "It's him airing his feelings for the past couple of days. That's something the club has to deal with, obviously, me as well. The reality also is that Mo is going to Africa soon. I've known him for such a long time, we are good friends and have been through highs and lows. We speak and those types of things will stay indoors as it should be. 

    "We have to brace ourselves and be against the outside noise."

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    Will Salah be involved at the weekend?

    In most seasons, Liverpool would have been dreading losing their talisman for the better part of a month to the Africa Cup of Nations. However, this year it seems the break between the two parties could prove to be a much-needed cooling down period as Slot attempts to lead the Reds back up the table. The Premier League title is almost certainly beyond their reach, but a good run of form could have the Merseysiders back in the picture for Champions League qualification, with fourth-placed Crystal Palace only three points ahead of them. It remains to be seen if Salah will be back in the squad for Saturday when Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield, with that scenario likely hinging on the outcome of talks with Slot and key squad members like Van Dijk.

Tottenham outcast Yves Bissouma apologises for nitrous oxide use as he reveals depression after terrifying home raid

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma has apologised after he was spotted using nitrous oxide for a second time during his spell with the north London club. The Mali international explained that he has been suffering mentally following a number of thefts at his home in which countless items were stolen, leaving him feeling broken, paranoid, and depressed.

Bissouma in hot water

Bissouma is yet to feature in a competitive fixture for Spurs this season, having been excluded due to repeated lateness and then suffering with injury for much of the campaign. The former Brighton star was filmed inhaling laughing gas for a second time in just over a year last month and is facing disciplinary action from the club following this latest behavioural breach.

Following last year’s incident, Spurs handed the player a one-match ban, but there is little to suggest they will be as lenient a second time. It has been reported that the Malian has been transfer listed by the club who are determined to offload the 29-year-old after yet another off-field incident.

Possession of nitrous oxide – a class C drug – for recreational use has been illegal in the UK since 2023 with criminal penalties potentially including up to a two-year prison sentence. On the second incident, Bissouma’s boss Thomas Frank said: "It's an internal matter we are dealing with at the moment, and when we have dealt with that, then I will comment on it.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBissouma apologises to fans

Speaking to the , Bissouma has offered an apology to Spurs fans, insisting that it is "not who I am".

The midfielder explained that he has been suffering from mental health difficulties following a series of burglaries at his home. Bissouma has had his house raided on three occasions, with masked thieves hammering down his front door on the most serious occasion. He adds that a friend of his also has taken £1million off him, a total he is still trying to recoup.

"I am sorry. This incident broke something in me I didn’t even know I could break," he said. "I apologise to the fans. The trauma added to my life — fear, panic, depression and paranoia."

Bissouma said that he is a strong person and, "I hate feeling like a victim, but what I lost wasn’t just material. It was what the trauma added to my life — fear, panic, depression, paranoia, sleepless nights, and a constant loss of trust."

Trauma takes its toll on Bissouma

In the same interview, Bissouma continued to share just how impacted he has been by these robberies. He said that his mental health is not an excuse for taking the nitrous oxide, but "I hope people can maybe understand me a bit more because of this."

He shared that he was too scared to sleep at his own home in fear of being present amid another robbery and so would sometimes sleep at Spurs’ training ground.

"For like three, four, sometimes five days, I was sleeping there because I did not want to be at home. Even talking about this is hard. All these things were going on in my head, worrying about my dad who is not well, and sometimes I think as a human, it’s a bit hard," Bissouma said.

The midfielder spoke with a therapist as many as five times a week to help cope with the trauma and depression he was feeling. Bissouma has also not given up hope of playing for Spurs again. "I want to move on from my mistakes. I like playing for ­Tottenham. I’m just thinking about being fit again and ­trying to enjoy football," he added.

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Getty Images SportSpurs and Bissouma at crossroads

It remains to be seen if Bissouma can regain the trust of Frank or whether his time in north London will come to a close in the next transfer window. Fenerbahce had been interested in signing the Spurs man in the summer, but pulled the plug late in the window. The Turkish giants had decided against signing Bissouma after he picked up an injury, but could return in January to take him to Istanbul.

Aaron Judge Used Two Words to Describe Yankees' Slump After Latest Loss

The New York Yankees are, collectively, slumping.

Last night the pinstripes dropped their sixth straight contest, losing 3-2 to the Los Angeles Angels. Such a loss to a sub-.500 team usually doesn't come with a bright side but this one did for the Yankees as they broke a 30-inning scoreless streak by way of a Jazz Chisholm home run in the second inning. It didn't exactly awaken the bats but it was a better than New York had seen in a few games.

Speaking candidly to reporters after the loss, star slugger Aaron Judge had two words to sum up his team's struggles: "That's baseball."

"That's baseball," Judge said, per ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "We know what we signed up for. You're going to play 162. You're going to hit a little rut like this, but you can't give up. You can't mope about it. You just got to show up the next day and you got to be ready to play."

It's an important attitude to have in this game given the length of the season, as Judge points out. Struggles will be had and there will be dry stretches of offensive production no matter how many good hitters a team may employ.

Nevertheless this Yankees streak is pretty brutal and not even Judge's MVP bat can shake them out of it. Their next chance will come on Thursday as the Angels try to complete a surprising sweep of the Yankees in the Bronx.

Red Sox' Alex Bregman Gets Updated Timeline for Return From Injury

The Boston Red Sox have been without marquee offseason acquisition and star third baseman Alex Bregman for over a month now as he continues to work his way back from an injury to his right quad.

Manager Alex Cora spoke to reporters Wednesday and provided an update on when the team is expecting to see Bregman back in the lineup. Cora told reporters that "it looks like" Bregman will be out through the All-Star break, meaning the earliest he could return is July 18, per Tim Healey of .

Bregman was off to a hot start in his first season with the Red Sox. The 31-year-old had a .938 OPS with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 51 games before landing on the IL.

He's missed the last 30 games while on the shelf, and with 17 games to go until the All-Star break, it's possible he could end up missing upwards of 50 games by the time he's ready to return. Cora did not indicate if Bregman would be ready to go immediately after the break, but the team will be on the road against the Chicago Cubs in its return to action on July 18.

The Red Sox are 40-41 on the season, sitting in fourth place in the American League East.

India's record night, Mandhana's record year

Richa Ghosh was on fire too, racing to the joint-fastest fifty in women’s T20Is

Sampath Bandarupalli19-Dec-2024217 for 4 – India’s total against West Indies in Navi Mumbai, which is their highest in women’s T20Is. Their previous highest was 201 for 5 against UAE earlier this year in the Asia Cup.It is also the highest total by any team against West Indies in this format, bettering the 212 for 6 by Australia at the North Sydney Oval in 2023.India’s 217 for 4 is also the highest women’s T20I total in India. The previous highest was 209 for 4 by Australia against England in a tri-nation series final in 2018.ESPNcricinfo Ltd30 – Number of fifty-plus scores by Smriti Mandhana in T20Is after Thursday’s 77. This puts her at the top of the list of women with the most fifty-plus scores in T20Is, ahead of Suzie Bates, who has 29 fifty-plus scores including a hundred.18 – Balls that Richa Ghosh needed for her fifty. It is the joint-fastest fifty in women’s T20Is (where ball-by-ball data is available). Sophie Devine in 2015 against India and Pheobe Litchfield in 2023 against West Indies also scored 18-ball fifties.The previous fastest fifty for India was scored off 24 balls by Mandhana against New Zealand in 2019 in Wellington.ESPNcricinfo Ltd8 – Eight out of Mandhana’s 30 T20I fifties have come in 2024, the most fifties by a batter in a calendar year in women’s T20Is, surpassing Mithali Raj’s seven half-centuries in 2018.763 – Runs scored by Mandhana in 2024 in T20Is. This is also a record in women’s T20Is: Chamari Athapaththu is second on the list for most WT20I runs in a calendar year, her aggregate of 720 also having come this year.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 – The number of Indian batters with fifty-plus scores in three or more consecutive WT20Is, including Mandhana in this series. Mithali is the only other, with four between 2016 and 2018.7 – Number of teams with multiple 200-plus totals in a calendar year in WT20Is, including India in 2024. Among Full Members, only Australia has accomplished this feat before, with three such totals in 2019.14 – Sixes hit by India (7) and West Indies (7) on Thursday, the joint-second most in a WT20I. The highest is 15 sixes by South Africa and India in Potchefstroom in 2018.Also, the 374 runs India and West Indies scored on Thursday is the format’s joint-sixth highest match aggregate.54 – Runs conceded by Deandra Dottin on Thursday, the most for West Indies in a WT20I. The previous most was 53 runs by Aaliyah Alleyne in her four overs against Australia in 2023.

حكم مباراة بيراميدز وفلامنجو في كأس إنتركونتيننتال 2025

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، عن طاقم تحكيم مباراة بيراميدز وفلامنجو البرازيلي، التي تقام بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال 2025.

ويلعب بيراميدز ضد فلامنجو غدًا السبت 13 ديسمبر، في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، لمواجهات نصف نهائي بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال.

بيراميدز كان قد تخطى أوكلاند سيتي النيوزيلندي بنتيجة 3-0 في مباراة الدور التمهيدي الأول ثم فاز على الأهلي السعودي في دور ربع النهائي.

طالع | يورتشيتش يُعلن قائمة بيراميدز المشاركة في كأس إنتركونتيننتال 2025

بينما فريق فلامنجو انتصر على نظيره كروز أزول المكسيكي “بطل أمريكا الشمالية”، في دور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال ليواجهه بيراميدز في نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس إنتركونتيننتال وعلى لقب كأس التحدي. حكم مباراة بيراميدز وفلامنجو في كأس إنتركونتيننتال

وتقرر تعيين الحكم الدولي القطري عبد الرحمن الجاسم، ويعاونه، مواطنه طالب المري المساعد الأول، وسعود المقلة المساعد الثاني.

والحكم الرابع الكوستاريكي خوان كالديرون، ومواطنه الحكم الاحتياطي خوان كارلوس مورا.

Revisiting the Hour the MLB World Thought Shohei Ohtani Was Destined for Blue Jays

We’ll never forget the beautiful offseason chaos that occurred on Dec. 8, 2023.

At the time, the biggest storyline in all of sports was where two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and his adorable puppy Decoy were going to sign in free agency. Ohtani had just wrapped up his sixth season with the Angels and had two MVP award and three All-Star nods to show for it.

There was no question that Ohtani was going to sign the biggest free-agent contract in baseball history—and likely, North American sports history. The question was … where?

As we all know, Ohtani ended up signing a record-breaking 10-year contract with the Dodgers worth $700 million, a contract that included $680 million deferred for a decade. Although Ohtani spending his next 10 years starring at Dodger Stadium seemed like a foregone conclusion that offseason, there were other serious contenders to sign the two-way superstar, including the Blue Jays. In fact, on Dec. 8, 2023, there were inaccurate reports swirling around the internet that Ohtani was on a private flight heading to Toronto—interpreted as an indication he was going to sign with the Blue Jays.

It was debunked an hour or so later, but what a time that was to be online.

Less than two years later, the baseball gods provided us with a storyline almost too good to be true—Ohtani’s Dodgers will attempt to defend their World Series title against the Blue Jays, the team that came oh-so-close to signing the two-way superstar.

Ahead of Game 1 on Friday night, let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the flight to Toronto that never was:

Setting the stage: Ohtani’s finalists

As early as the All-Star Game in July 2023, Ohtani’s pending decision dominated the headlines. At the time, Tom Verducci considered the Dodgers the favorites to land Ohtani, followed by—in order—the Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rangers and Mets.

In the months following, the Blue Jays crept their way into the Ohtani sweepstakes and surged past the other contenders. By December, Verducci reported the Blue Jays were one of two serious finalists for Ohtani along with the Dodgers, and the Cubs and Giants were “hanging in there.”

Could the Blue Jays actually pull it off and outspend the Dodgers? Well, uh …

Dec. 8, 2023 at 4:01 p.m. ET: The Report

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi broke the internet.

At 4:01 p.m. ET on Dec. 8, 2023, Morosi reported, citing sources, that Ohtani was “en route” to Toronto and his agent would not comment when asked about his travel plans. Morosi made sure to note that as that flight left the ground, Ohtani had not signed any contract with an MLB team.

Earlier that week, it was reported that Ohtani was touring the Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla. There was also a rumor floating around Toronto media circles that Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi made a Friday night reservation for 50 people at a sushi restaurant near Rogers Centre. Certainly, a private jet flying from Southern California to Toronto reportedly carrying the two-way superstar meant he intended to sign with Toronto. Right?

Dec. 8 at 5:11 p.m. ET: The Rebuttal

Well, not so fast.

’s Bob Nightengale—in perhaps the defining moment of his reporting career—shut it down.

“Shohei Ohtani is NOT in Toronto,” he wrote in an X post published at 5:11 p.m. ET. “Ohtani is NOT on a flight to Toronto. Ohtani is at home in Southern California.”

After Nightengale swatted the rumors of a Toronto flight, other reporters confirmed that, in fact, Ohtani was still in the Los Angeles area and not headed north across the border. Morosi, to his credit, issued a heartfelt apology later that night for getting it wrong.

But here’s the thing: There a private flight in the air traveling from Southern California to Toronto. And it was carrying a celebrity—just not a two-way baseball phenom.

Dec. 8 at 5:54 p.m. ET: Jumping the shark

Robert Herjavec, the Canadian billionaire best known for his role on the hit show , boarded flight N616RH out of John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., and headed to Toronto on Dec. 8, 2023.

Traveling with his two sons, Herjavec had no idea fans and journalists alike were tracking Flight N616RH through the air. When Herjavec landed in Toronto and was welcomed by a sea of Canadian media, he was beyond confused. He was even asked by a Canadian customs agent whether Ohtani was on the plane.

Just before 6 p.m. ET, a CBC photographer on site at the airport reported that Flight N616RH was carrying Herjavec, not Ohtani.

Later that night, Herjavec himself posted to social media and confirmed the news.

“I’d like to thank the @bluejays organization for signing me today!” Herjavec wrote in an Instagram post. “All joking aside—I’m not @shoheiohtani and he was not on my plane today! Not sure how it all started but I’m calling the jays and seeing if they’ll sign my 5 year old for 600 mil (he WAS on the plane and throws a mean pitch).”

The very next day, Ohtani signed his lucrative contract with the Dodgers. He led Los Angeles to a World Series in his first season with the club, defeating Aaron Judge and the Yankees in five games.

But if Ohtani is going to add a second World Series ring to his trophy case, he’ll have to go through the Blue Jays—the organization that will forever be linked to his free-agent decision.

Vasco e Crefisa negociam pela venda do naming rights de São Januário

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco está negociando com a Crefisa pela venda de naming rights do São Januário. Segundo informações apuradas pelo Lance!, os valores que o Cruz-Maltino deve receber giram em torno de R$ 300 milhões pela transação. A assessoria do clube procurou a reportagem e negou a informação.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasMercado do EsporteBrasileirão: 14 clubes têm patrocínio máster de sites de apostas; veja exceçõesMercado do Esporte11/04/2024VascoContra o Grêmio, Vasco venceu a primeira partida com Ramón DíazVasco11/04/2024VascoCom problemas no elenco, Vasco completa mais de um mês sem a chegada de reforçosVasco10/04/2024

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

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A reforma de São Januário está orçada em R$ 506 milhões. O Vasco espera arrecadar R$ 500 milhões através da lei do potencial construtivo.

O que se tem no projeto de lei é um valor que seja compatível com o que a Prefeitura está “dando” ao Vasco. Com isso, a obra se torna viável para o clube. A venda do naming rights é para captar mais recursos e aumentar o orçamento da reforma de São Januário.

Esta é mais uma etapa importante para o Vasco. Pedrinho e toda a diretoria trabalham para que todos os passos para a reforma de São Januário estejam avançados avançados até o momento da liberação do potencial construtivo.

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José Roberto Lamacchia, o dono da Crefisa, já tinha demonstrado interesse em colocar o nome da empresa no naming rights de São Januário. As partes aguardavam apenas a posse de Pedrinho.

Pedrinho, caso você seja eleito presidente do Vasco da Gama, eu tenho interesse de colocar o nome da Crefisa no naming rights do São Januário


disse o dono da Crefisa na época

➡️ Novo São Januário: confira as imagens do projeto de reforma e modenização do estádio do Vasco

🤔 ENTENDA O QUE É “NAMING RIGHTS”
É tipo um contrato de patrocínio, mas em vez de ceder espaço na camisa o clube ou entidade cede o nome de um local, estádio ou competição para uma empresa.

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A empresa paga um valor e passa a ter o direito de colocar seu nome no estádio ou competição por um determinado prazo.

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalSão JanuárioVasco

Kyle Schwarber Makes Phillies History With Latest Home Run

Kyle Schwarber hit his 44th home run of the season during the Phillies' game against the Mariners on Tuesday night. In the process, he broke a Philadelphia franchise record by homering in 15 consecutive series.

Schwarber came to the plate to face Seattle's Bryce Miller in the bottom of the 1st with one out and no one on. Behind in the count, he chased a 1-2 fastball that was up and out of the zone and smashed it up and out of the park.

In addition to setting a new Phillies' record, Schwarber retook the National League lead in home runs. He also moved within three home runs of his own career-high as well as MLB leader Cal Raleigh, who played earlier in the day.

Schwarber has been putting on an absolute show this season. Between treating just about every fanbase he's seen to a long ball over the last two months, he also won the All-Star Game with three home runs on three swings.

The last team to keep Schwarber in the ballpark for an entire series was the Astros, who held the Phillies to just one run in three games. Schwarber went 2 for 11 with a walk in the series.

The new Thiago: Liverpool "superstar" is becoming a "huge disappointment"

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has made some candid remarks about his side’s plight in recent weeks. He understands the issues in front of him, and yet the Dutchman is struggling to find a route out of this rut.

A summer of sweeping change was always going to run the risk of taking from Slot’s finely-wrought tactical set-up from last season, when the Premier League was conquered so dominantly in his first year.

Hugo Ekitike aside, it is concerning nonetheless that practically all of the Anfield side’s summer signings have flattered to deceive this far. But it’s more concerning still that so many mainstays are just as far down from the wayside.

The struggling Liverpool mainstays

Liverpool are so open defensively, it is shocking. There is a staggering absence of balance from head to toe, and Slot’s comments, alluding that he is currently unsure how to overcome this issue, have been disquieting for anxious fans.

Even during last week’s resounding Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, the five-star Reds conceded first and looked wobbly until the hosts’ own defensive fragilities shattered open.

Virgil van Dijk has cut a forlorn figure during post-match interviews, with his side’s four-game skid in the Premier League weighing heavily on his armband.

The 34-year-old has not been at the races of late, needlessly giving away a penalty during the recent league loss to Brentford and altogether failing to marshal his troops, shipping so many goals each game.

Mohamed Salah, too, is toiling, with last season’s leading man reduced in strength and significance this year.

But Salah has still had his moments this season, while Van Dijk remains dominant in the duel and leads the side in an almost understated way: without the Dutchman, this struggling defence would unspool chaotically.

However, another of Slot’s most trusted lieutenants has been in woeful form all year, and he’s beginning to show shades of one Thiago Alcantara, who was immensely talented but frustrating under Jurgen Klopp’s wing all too often.

Liverpool's new version of Thiago

Liverpool signed Thiago from Bayern Munich for over £20m in 2020. Jurgen Klopp and his side had just won the Premier League, and the glittering Spaniard was identified as the perfect technician to open up new dimensions in the centre of the park.

Thiago Alcantara for Liverpool

How a fully-fit Thiago would have done for the Merseysiders across a prolonged period, we will never know. Thiago retired after four seasons with Liverpool, making only 97 appearances, all told. His final year, 2023/24, yielded just one off-the-bench display against Arsenal.

It ended up being a disappointment, such was Thiago’s quality, and now, in different circumstances, Alexis Mac Allister threatens to become the club’s new version.

Mac Allister’s current struggles are not of his presence on the sidelines, but rather, the 26-year-old’s inability to impress in Slot’s system thus far.

Arne Slot and Alexis Mac Allister for Liverpool

He was largely immense across his first two terms in red, but the tough-tackling, slick-passing Mac Allister seems to have lost his physicality and athletic robustness. He is a shadow of himself.

For a player whose completeness and control in the engine room has paid such big dividends for Liverpool in the past, this is a concern, and offers shades of Thiago in that he is arguably the most technically gifted midfielder at the club and yet is proving to be a “huge disappointment” in this regard, according to one Premier League analyst, who drew attention to him being the “Thiago-type” in Slot’s team and yet struggling to muster the requisite technical levels.

Thankfully, Mac Allister has been among Liverpool’s most impressive performers since signing, and there is as much an expectation as an anticipation that he will swiftly return to form and spearhead this new chapter.

During the early phase of the 2023/24 campaign, TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole hailed Mac Allister as a “superstar” of a midfielder whose dynamism and sharp-mindedness allowed him to “play anywhere” across the field.

Applying that theory should see the Argentina international thrive as the perfect cog in the middle of the Slot machine, easing Liverpool away from their current bother. Mac Allister has been anything but the solution, with his output on the decline across most every metric in the top flight.

Matches (starts)

35 (30)

8 (7)

Goals

5

0

Assists

5

1

Touches*

55.8

43.1

Accurate passes*

35.5 (87%)

28.4 (85%)

Key passes*

1.3

0.8

Dribbles*

0.5

0.0

Ball recoveries*

4.2

3.1

Tackles + interceptions*

3.3

1.8

Total duels (won)*

4.9 (48%)

2.3 (44%)

Right in the thick of things in midfield, Mac Allister cannot be expected to emerge on top across every duel he contests. But he’s proving far less willing to engage in combative situations, with mismanagement, residual issues from an affected early-season setback and the absence of confidence that comes from

The good part is that Mac Allister has proven his quality across a number of campaigns in the Premier League, and he’s a world champions with his nation besides.

But we can’t hide from the fact that he hasn’t been pulling his weight, and what’s more concerning is that Liverpool lack an alternative who can provide Slot’s system with the full package in the way he can.

With this in mind, it’s paramount that Mac Allister revives his quality in the middle of the park and lifts the champions back to the standard they were playing at before. Otherwise, this new Thiago-esque reputation will only harden across the looming wintry months.

Move over Salah: Slot's 5/10 Liverpool star is the new Jordan Henderson

Liverpool’s crisis deepened as they were condemned to a fourth successive Premier League defeat at Brentford.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 26, 2025

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