All posts by n8rngtd.top

Arne Slot addressed Mohamed Salah's 'last season' statement as the Egyptian starred in Liverpool's win over Manchester United.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Salah contributed with a goal and two assists
• Claimed this would be his last season at Anfield
• Slot in awe of the Reds star

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Salah scored and set up two goals in Liverpool's dazzling show against arch-rivals United on Sunday at Old Trafford. However, after the game, the Reds star dropped a bombshell when he announced that the 2024/25 campaign would be his last season with the team. The 32-year-old, who is in the final year of his Anfield contract, is yet to negotiate a fresh deal with the club.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After the match, manager Arne Slot was asked about Salah's statement, to which the Dutchman did not give a concrete response. However, he heaped praise on the star attacker by claiming he could 'talk for hours' about the performance the winger displayed at Old Trafford.

• WHAT ARNE SLOT SAID

  Speaking to reporters, the Reds boss said, "It’s a lot of ‘if’. At this moment he is one of ours and I am really happy with him being one of ours and he played really well. I don’t talk about contracts from players but I can talk for hours about how Mo played today."

  The Dutch coach added, "Everything that you want to see as a manager you saw in this game. There were difficult moments for us, United started really well but then we were disallowed a goal and there was no negative reaction. We kept on playing, scoring three, we could have scored more, two important saves from Alisson and the work rate was incredibly well without the ball and that makes it a very positive day."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  The Slot era at Anfield began with three back-to-back wins in the Premier League. The team will be back in action on September 14 after the international break as they take on Nottingham Forest.

Bayern Munich executive Max Eberl has expressed his confusion at Jamal Musiala being snubbed from the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Musiala snubbed from Ballon d'Or shortlist
• Eberl confused at Musiala missing out
• Only Harry Kane picked from Bayern Munich

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Musiala was surprisingly left off the 30-man shortlist when the Ballon d'Or nominees were revealed on Wednesday. Despite having a fantastic season with Bayern Munich and Germany in the European Championship, the attacking midfielder's efforts were not good enough to get him a spot on the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  WHAT EBERL SAID

  Speaking to DPA, Eberl said: "I'm happy for every player nominated for the Ballon d'Or, but we at FC Bayern are very surprised that Jamal Musiala is missing from this list. Jamal was one of the outstanding players at the Euros, was voted into the best XI and was one of the tournament's top scorers. In addition, FC Bayern reached the semi-finals of the Champions League thanks to Jamal's great performances. The fact that he's not even one of the 30 best players of the last season is completely incomprehensible to us. In our eyes, Jamal is one of the most fascinating players in international football with absolutely exceptional, unique abilities. We are very proud of what he's doing for FC Bayern and also for the national team."

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Musiala made 38 appearances for Bayern Munich in all competitions last season, scoring 12 goals and dishing out another eight assists. Having scored three goals for the German national team throughout the competition, he was also tied for the most goals scored at Euro 2024. For Bayern, only England captain Harry Kane made the shortlist as he ended the season as the top-scorer in the Bundesliga.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR MUSIALA?

  The attacking midfielder has joined the German national team this international break as they begin their Nations League group stage campaign. Die Mannschaft will take on Hungary and the Netherlands.

Newcastle United made it back-to-back wins in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, beating relegation-threatened Burnley 4-1 at Turf Moor.

Goals from Alexander Isak, Callum Wilson, Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff secured the win for Eddie Howe's side, keeping the Magpies' slim hopes for European football next season alive.

The Magpies have now only lost one of their last seven league outings, with Howe working wonders despite the club's ongoing injury crisis.

The win against Vincent Kompany's side has seen the Magpies move to within four points of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, with the club in a great position to claim a second successive season of European football.

One Newcastle player produced an excellent display in the victory and is deserving of a regular starting role in Howe's side for the foreseeable future.

Jacob Murphy's stats against Burnley

After switching to a 4-4-2 at Turf Moor, boss Howe decided to utilise Jacob Murphy in a more natural right-midfield role, a decision that proved to be an excellent one for the Magpies.

The winger featured for 69 minutes during the meeting but managed to provide two assists for Longstaff and Isak's strikes in the victory.

Murphy also managed to complete 21 passes at a completion rate of 75%, with six of the completed attempts registered as key passes – the most of any Newcastle player.

His impressive display also included a solid defensive performance, winning two tackles and making one interception as he doubled up with Tino Livramento down the Magpies' right-hand side.

However, his display wasn't all positive, giving possession away 16 times in 69 minutes, an average of once every four minutes, although that seemingly indicated his desire to make things happen for his side.

For his efforts, the 29-year-old received a 10/10 match rating from Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder, with the writer claiming Murphy was 'always a threat' throughout the encounter.

Jacob Murphy looks undroppable after Burnley display

In recent weeks, the club's current injury problems have seen Murphy be deployed in multiple different positions, including right-back, as demonstrated against Tottenham.

Whilst he did an admirable job of filling in an unnatural position, it was clear that position didn't get the best out of the 29-year-old, with his ability to pick a pass into the final third redundant at the back.

However, the decision to switch to a four-man midfield benefitted the former Norwich City man this afternoon, with the forward allowed to create more frequent opportunities and less reliant on having to focus on the defensive side of his game.

With just three games remaining in the 2023/24 season, Murphy has another handful of opportunities to showcase his talents to Magpies boss Howe and prove he still has the ability to be a key part of his squad.

However, his performance today has certainly made him undroppable ahead of the games against Brighton, Manchester United and Brentford, with Murphy deserving of another opportunity next weekend to build on his impressive 10/10 display.

Newcastle in contact to sign Almiron upgrade who's outscoring Gordon

He’s excelled during the 2023/24 campaign…

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 30, 2024

Manchester City are set to offer a former player an emotional return to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Manchester City's summer plans

City are in the midst of another impressive campaign under the guidance of Pep Guardiola. The Sky Blues' treble hopes have been dashed after their Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid, but they are once again in the FA Cup final and sit one point off the Premier League summit with a game in hand on league leaders Arsenal.

As the 2023/24 season draws to a close, attention has begun to turn to the Manchester outfit's plans for the summer. Unsurprisingly, Man City have been linked with some big names on the pitch. Recent reports claimed the Citizens want to sign Lokomotiv Moscow forward Sergey Pinyaev in the summer window.

Elsewhere, Pep Guardiola and co. are said to be looking to sign Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes and have approached the player's camp over a move, although they are expected to face competition from title rivals Arsenal and PSG on that front.

Meanwhile, on the outings front, it emerged earlier this week that Manchester City could choose to sell Jack Grealish this summer, with a "shock sale a growing possibility" once the current campaign comes to an end.

But while Manchester City look set for a busy summer on the pitch, they are also seemingly lining up a potential move behind the scenes as well.

Manchester City to offer ex-player non-football role

According to the Daily Record, Manchester City are set to offer Joe Hart an emotional return to the Etihad this summer after he draws his playing career to a close.

The 37-year-old confirmed he will be retiring at the end of the current season, and as per the aforementioned report, City's offer to Hart will likely be for a non-footballing capacity or an ambassadorial role, with Hart not thought to be keen on going into coaching.

Hart will bring his playing career to a close at Scottish outfit Celtic, whom he joined in 2021, and currently earns £15,000 a week. Despite his age, Hart has maintained a starting berth for The Hoops, notching 32 league appearances this term as Celtic look to add yet another league title to their collection.

And while the Manchester faithful may love to see Joe Hart return to the club he made his name at, the former England international recently hinted a stay at Celtic Park could be on the cards once he hangs up his boots.

Speaking at an event in his honour last week, he said: "I've not taken any coaching badges, that was quite a conscious decision. I know that coaching and management is ingrained in a lot of people. But for me, it doesn't necessarily do it for me. I want to help, I want to give back, but there's different ways that I can do it.

"I'll always be available to Celtic if they ever need to lean on me for anything, I've made the manager and the club aware of that. But coaching a specific team? That's not something that I'm looking to do."

Therefore, it appears Hart may have a decision to make as he mulls over a potential return to the club where he won two Premier League titles.

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 900th career goal against Croatia and claimed that the "records haunt" him.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Portugal beat Croatia 2-1
• Ronaldo scored the second which was his 900th strike
• All-time great chasing 1000 career goals

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Portugal took an early lead just seven minutes into the match at Estádio da Luz when Diogo Dalot opened the scoring with a well-placed finish. Shortly after the opener, Ronaldo added his name to the scoresheet, converting a superb cross from Nuno Mendes to tap in from close range. It was his 131st international goal and the 900th overall in his career – a landmark figure which is a testimony to his relentless pursuit of greatness.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  WHAT RONALDO SAID

  After the match, Ronaldo opened up about the achievement and said: "900 goals seems like any other milestone. but only I know how hard it is to work every day to score your 900th goal. It's a unique milestone in my career."

  The forward went on to explain how records seem to find him rather than him actively seeking them out. “I don’t break records…they haunt me!” he exclaimed, emphasising that his success comes from years of discipline, focus, and determination.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Since leaving Manchester United for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr at the start of 2023, Ronaldo has shown no signs of slowing down. The former Sporting Lisbon, Real Madrid, and Juventus star has been prolific for the , scoring an incredible 68 goals in just 74 appearances across all competitions.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With his 900th career goal now in the books, Ronaldo is already setting his sights on the next milestone: 1,000 goals. While his retirement may not be far off, the Portuguese legend is determined to keep pushing boundaries and adding to his record-breaking tally. And if he keeps finding the net at this pace, reaching 1000 goals might soon be a reality.

After all but losing out on the Scottish Premiership title to Old Firm rivals Celtic, Rangers have reportedly turned their attention towards the future and landing a Championship gem for Philippe Clement.

Rangers transfer news

It's set to be all change at Ibrox this summer, with a number of departures. The likes of Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, John Lundstram and Leon Balogun, among others, are all set to leave upon the expiry of their current contracts at the end of the campaign.

Lundstram, in particular, seemed like quite the blow after failed negotiations over a new deal with Rangers, but his nightmare performance in the Gers' recent derby defeat has since eased that blow.

Those exits will at least pave the way for fresh faces, however, with permanent deals for both Oscar Cortes and Abdallah Sima reportedly being targeted by those at Ibrox. Meanwhile, away from the loanees, the Gers could land a future star.

Cantwell and 8/10 Rangers star have just made themselves undroppable

The Light Blues forward enjoyed a fantastic evening against Dundee on Tuesday night.

By
Dan Emery

May 15, 2024

According to the Daily Mail, Rangers are eyeing a move to sign Souleymane Sidibe from Stoke City this summer alongside interest from AC Milan and Chelsea. The 17-year-old has impressed in the Championship this season, even breaking records by becoming the first player born in 2007 to feature in either the Premier League or the Championship.

A central midfielder and England Under-17 international, Sidibe could be the long-term replacement for Lundstram that Rangers need, especially given that top-flight football runs in his family. The teenager's father – Mamady Sidibe – played in the Premier League with Stoke, as well as featuring in the Championship. Now looking to follow in his father's footsteps, Sidibe could get his first taste of top-flight football away from the Potters this summer.

"Terrific" Sidibe is only just getting started

It will be a tough battle for Rangers to convince Sidibe into a move over both Chelsea and AC Milan, but they will be hoping to take advantage of the midfielder's need for minutes at such a young age, before he can think of the future of his career. At 17 years old, there's no doubt that there's plenty more to come from Sidibe, who made four appearances in the Championship for Stoke in the season just concluded.

Earning plenty of praise in the process, former Stoke boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Stoke after handing the youngster his senior debut in an EFL Cup clash against West Bromwich Albion: "I thought his performance justified why he's been with the first team all pre-season and why I played him in the game.

"I had no concerns over him. He's a terrific talent but he's also really mature, for being so young. He did exactly as I expected him to do – he did wonderfully well and he's played in a Stoke team that won the game, and played the majority of the match. I think when you're 16 years old, most players of that age could only dream of doing something like that."

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham has been told he could be "the final piece in the puzzle" for Trent Alexander-Arnold's potential move to Real Madrid.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Alexander-Arnold has less than a year left on contract
• Has been linked with a move to Real Madrid
• Bellingham is tipped to play a key role in transfer

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Alexander-Arnold has less than 12 months left to run his Liverpool contract and from January 1, 2025, he will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any potential suitors. This opens the door for Real Madrid to swoop in and the lure of playing for one of the biggest clubs in world football could be too tempting to turn down for the England international.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Alexander-Arnold has boyhood connections to Liverpool and may want to finish his career there, but Glen Johnson believes Bellingham's influence could sway his decision in favour of a move to the Spanish capital. The duo have built a close-knit friendship since they spend ample time together during international breaks with the England national team.

• WHAT JOHNSON SAID

  In an interview with former Liverpool defenderJohnson said of Alexander-Arnold's links to Madrid: "The club is 95% of the pull itself but of course, if he speaks to Jude and Jude tells him how great it is there, then that could make his decision final. Let’s face it, if Real Madrid come calling, then that’s where most players will want to go. Jude could be the final piece in the puzzle when it comes to Trent making his decision, but I believe Trent would be up for the deal anyway, regardless of whether Jude is there or not."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Amid the growing speculation, Alexander-Arnold has hinted that his desire to win trophies will heavily influence his next career move. And Johnson believes that if the primary concern is adding more silverware to his trophy cabinet, Real Madrid will be the ideal destination.

  "Real Madrid are guaranteed to win things," he said. "So for Trent, it’s never going to be about money at that level because everybody’s paid very well, so if it’s trophies that he wants, then Real Madrid will guarantee that, but Liverpool fans would love to see him stay and fight for trophies at Anfield.”

Arsenal star Declan Rice has opened up on the mental toll of playing for a club at the level of the Gunners amid another potential title race.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Declan Rice opens up on mental toll
• Arsenal preparing for Premier League title race
• Also talks about new look Champions League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal underwent a very anxious clash against Leicester City last weekend as they dropped a two-goal first-half lead before winning the game in injury time. The Gunners are now third in the Premier League table, one point behind league leaders Liverpool. Arsenal's squad is being strained to the breaking point due to a demanding schedule of games and multiple injuries to important players, and Rice has opened up on the toll that this has taken on the group.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT RICE SAID

  Speaking to football.london, Rice said: "Mentally it is tough. The anxiety is through the roof!

  "You know the pressure of playing for Arsenal, you have to win every game. And if you want to win Premier Leagues and cups, compete at the top, you need to be at your best and you need to win – otherwise the pressure mounts.

  "So when that second goal went in for them, one thought is – we can’t lose this game, we have to keep going. In the end, it is kind of like a sigh of relief, because we won the game, we deserved to win the game.

  "That was probably the most comfortable we have been in the first half all season, in terms of passing the ball, dominating the ball. There are lots of positives to take, but still so much to improve on. As the season goes on, I am sure you are going to keep seeing the best of us."

• (C)Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arsenal are now set to face off against Paris Saint-Germain in the league stage of the new look Champions League as the Gunners look towards winning their first European game of the season. Rice also opened up about facing big European teams this early on in the Champions League due to the new format.

  He said: "It is a different format now, but we are coming up against probably tougher teams than you normally would in a group-stage format. We have got more tougher teams now. We have got an exciting night here, which is our second game.

  "Usually you would find these games in the quarter-finals or semi-finals, so for it to be our second game is massive. It is a big game because we need to get points on the board in this new format.

  "We will be ready and we are excited because we have not played PSG before. They are a top team, so we will be ready for that one."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Arteta's side will now take on Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, October 1 as they will look to get their first win and sound a warning to other teams over their readiness to go for the coveted Champions League trophy this season.

Well, here we are, the morning after the night before, and while Arsenal came agonisingly close to ending their two-decade-long title drought, it just wasn't meant to be, and it's Manchester City who finished the campaign with their fourth Premier League title in as many years.

That said, while the season on a whole has been one that Mikel Arteta's squad can be proud of, they looked somewhat off the pace against Everton, and were it not for Kai Havertz's late goal, they might've ended the campaign on a rather sour note.

However, there were some good displays from the men in red and white, with one player in particular finally showing the fans why he has to play a more prominent role next year: Gabriel Martinelli.

Gabriel Martinelli's performances in 23/24

After Martinelli's truly remarkable displays in the 2022/23 season, where he netted 15 goals and provided six assists in 46 games, there was an expectation that the former Ituano ace would at least maintain his output level this year, but that didn't happen.

In the 44 appearances he made for the north Londoners over the last ten months, the 22-year-old scored eight goals and provided five assists, and while that's a reasonably impressive return in isolation, it's clearly some way off what he showed he was capable of in the campaign prior.

Yet, there have been significant factors affecting the Brazilian's performance, notably his injury history.

He was sidelined twice this season, first due to a hamstring injury that caused him to miss six games in September and October, and later due to a foot injury that kept him out for most of March, a period when his teammates were on fire in the league.

What's worse is that he sustained the second injury in the game against Sheffield United, a game in which he scored and provided an assist. This meant his momentum was immediately halted, and since his return, he has only started three games out of a possible 12, once again making it practically impossible for him to develop any rhythm in his game.

That was, however, until Sunday, when he was given his first league start since March and showed Arteta and the fans exactly why he could have a tremendously bright future at this club.

Gabriel Martinelli's performance against Everton

With Bukayo Saka actually missing a game of football yesterday – as unbelievable as that sounds – Arteta was left with a decision to make: should he start Martinelli or Gabriel Jesus on the right? He correctly opted for the former.

It might not be a position that the young winger is overly familiar with, having started just nine games there before yesterday in his entire career, but as the old adage goes, beggars can't be choosers, and with Leandro Trossard making the left wing his own in the last couple of months, the Brazilian had to make do, and make do he did.

Although he didn't find the back of the net himself in the game, the "sensational" attacker, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, was a constant threat throughout, running head-on at the Toffees' backline and terrifying them with his blistering pace and excellent close control.

The electric winger left an impression on the Standard's Simon Collings, who awarded him an 8/10 on the day, writing that he was impressed by his 'lively' display and ability to ride the 'battering' he received from James Tarkowski.

It's not just in the opinion of journalists that you can see the 22-year-old's brilliance against the Merseysiders, as in his 95 minutes of action, he produced a combined expected goal and assists figure of 0.66, took two shots, completed 100% of his dribbles, took 69 touches, played five key passes, created two big chances, completed five of eight crosses and even made a clearance.

It was a performance made all the more impressive and pertinent by Trossard's evident struggles to make an impact on the opposite flank, putting in a display that saw Collings award him just 5/10, writing that it was a 'disappointing final appearance of the season.'

While the 29-year-old Belgian's incredible contribution of 17 goals and two assists in 46 games this season should not be forgotten, yesterday's game serves as a reminder that the future of Arsenal's left wing is Martinelli. If he can remain fit next season and is given the chance to regularly start games alongside a stable frontline, he could remind the rest of the league just how good he is.

5/10 Arsenal star let Arteta down on their big day

Arsenal held up their end of the bargain but couldn’t seal the Premier League title.

By
Matt Dawson

May 19, 2024

Real Madrid endured a bittersweet evening with Vinicius Jr and Dani Carvajal suffering injuries in their win over Villarreal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Vinicius leaves holding his shoulder
• Carvajal then stretchered off in tears
• Injuries spoil 2-0 win over Villarreal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vinicius Jr and Carvajal both suffered injuries in Real Madrid's 2-0 win against Villarreal on Saturday evening. The Brazilian winger came off holding his shoulder shortly after scoring a wonderful goal to double Los Blancos' lead, before Carvajal was stretchered off in tears with an apparent knee injury.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Carvajal's injury sparked distressing scenes inside the Santiago Bernabeu. The right-back let out an audible scream as he went down and used his shirt to hide his tears as he lay on the turf. Medics arrived to take him off on a stretcher.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Vinicius' injury will also cause concern for Carlo Ancelotti. The Brazilian had scored a stunning goal from long range to make it 2-0 but his match was cut short with a shoulder issue.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  Both players, recently named in their national squads, will be assessed as Real Madrid anxiously await positive news. Los Blancos are next in action on October 19 when they face Celta Vigo.