Newcastle United have not started the 2023/24 Premier League campaign in the finest form but it is worth remembering that last term just two wins were picked up from the first eight games, and how did that season go again?

There has been a wealth of acquisition over the summer but the sunlight has not quite suffused across St. James' Park just yet, with three defeats after a 5-1 dismantling of Aston Villa in the season opener.

One of last year's staples, Joe Willock, has yet to feature since the summer break, with the absence of his dynamic, electric presence felt on Tyneside thus far.

What happened to Joe Willock?

Signed from Arsenal in a £25m deal in August 2021 – just months before the fortune-changing PIF club takeover – Willock has been an important member of Eddie Howe's outfit over the past 22 months, having played 64 matches under the former Bournemouth boss.

Prior to his permanent signing, Willock captured the awe of the masses on his initial loan, revelling in a swarm of goalscoring form and posting eight strikes from 14 matches since joining the Magpies in January – including a seven-match goalscoring streak to close the campaign.

Last season, the 24-year-old was the source of goals no longer, but utilising his energy and creativity from midfield, he served an important role for such a cohesive, high-octane side.

Willock ranks among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 10% for successful take-ons and the top 7% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

Unfortunately, the £80k-per-week gem sustained a hamstring injury in May after starting 31 top-flight fixtures, missing the final two games and yet to play this term.

Originally slated to make his return after the current international break, Willock has suffered a setback and Howe begrudgingly confirmed that he will not make his return until October at the earliest. As such, now might be an opportune moment for Elliot Anderson to stake his claim.

How good is Elliot Anderson?

Last year, Newcastle's midfield was the engine that just kept on purring. Monumentally achieving Champions League qualification with a top-four finish, the Toon are now one of the most exciting teams in the Premier League and will target European football season upon season.

However, given the trio of losses – against Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion – the club will be desperate to secure victory over Brentford in the forthcoming Premier League match, and indeed craft a purple patch to propel them up into top-four contention.

The current central axis of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and £55m summer signing Sandro Tonali has not quite clicked yet, and that's not to say that it won't, but perhaps it's time for Howe to shake things up and make an alteration.

READ MORE: Why Newcastle should BENCH Bruno Guimaraes…

This could lead to a maiden start of the season for homegrown talent Anderson, who has been hailed for his "unbelievable" performances in pre-season by Toon captain Kieran Trippier.

Anderson withdrew from international duty with Scotland last week after picking up a knock in training but is hoping to be fit for the match against the Bees and the following Champions League tie against AC Milan.

Anderson plundered multiple goals and assists during Newcastle's summer preparations, with Howe personally noting the player's performances and suggesting he could receive a starting role sooner rather than later.

Through balls

Key passes

Finishing

Dribbling

The 20-year-old's listed attributes could prove to be the perfect solution to Willock's present absence, utilising a forward-surging tendency to add a dimension to the midfield, blending incisiveness with creativity.

Playing 22 times in the league last year, Anderson produced the assist for Anthony Gordon's goal against Chelsea on the final day of the season, and since he has featured across all four contests since the summer, Howe clearly holds this dynamo in high regard.

Now is the time to unleash Anderson from the opening whistle; a talented midfielder with a nice mix of quality and intensity, he could produce some performances to provide his manager with something of a selection conundrum going forward.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is getting used to life back in Glasgow and one of his new summer signings in particular is being tipped as a real star in the making.

What's the latest news involving Celtic?

The Hoops have gained an early advantage over city rivals Rangers after they defeated Michael Beale's men 1-0 at Ibrox thanks to a goal from Kyogo Furuhashi to move four points clear of their adversaries in a controversial affair last Sunday.

Sitting top of the Scottish Premiership with Motherwell level on ten points, Celtic boss Rodgers, on a personal note, now has a record of 11 wins, two draws and one loss against Rangers across his two spells at Parkhead, averaging out at around 2.50 points per game, something which he has only bettered in his managerial career against Aberdeen, as per Transfermarkt.

Several Celtic players have now jetted off for international duty with their respective nations – new signing Yang Hyun-jun has made his international debut for South Korea against Wales in a 0-0 draw at the Cardiff City Stadium, earning plaudits from manager Jurgen Klinsmann for his performance, as per The Glasgow Times.

The former Tottenham Hotspur icon gave the 21-year-old some glowing praise in his post-match press conference, stating: "Yang has been playing well for Celtic and he came on here and was good too. I think it will be very important to see how much he grows and develops both at club and at country level."

Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate could provide a timely boost by the time Celtic take to the field to face Dundee at Parkhead on Saturday September 16th after Rodgers confirmed in late August that the midfielder would return to training during the break.

What has Frank McAvennie said about Gustaf Lagerbielke?

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, former Celtic striker McAvennie has revealed that he was impressed with the performances of Gustaf Lagerbielke alongside Republic of Ireland international Liam Scales in particular during the Hoops' 1-0 victory over Rangers last weekend.

The 63-year-old told the outlet: "The two of them went for the same ball a couple of times. In the second half I thought both of them were different class, not just Scales and they will take so much out of that game. It shows the players that have just come in what it is like to go and win at your biggest rival."

How good is Lagerbielke?

Lagerbielke was brought in from Allsvenskan side Elfsborg for around £3 million in mid-August and has settled in well at Celtic despite a shaky start in his opening appearance for the Hoops in a 1-0 Viaplay Cup defeat to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, as per BBC Sport.

Since then, he has gone on to record two consecutive clean sheets in his last two outings, earning an average match rating of 7.6/10 against St Johnstone and 7.2/10 away to Rangers, according to Sofascore.

Celtic boss Rodgers spoke highly of Lagerbielke following his official announcement at Parkhead, stating to Celtic TV via BBC Sport: "He is an exciting, talented young player who has great attributes and someone who I think is ready for the challenges that Celtic will bring."

Now on international duty with his native Sweden, the 23-year-old will be hoping to kick on from a strong start to his career at Celtic to challenge for domestic honours and also make an impact in the Champions League.

تتجه أنظار عشاق كرة القدم إلى ملعب “ويمبلي” مساء اليوم السبت حيث يستضيف نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

تُقام المباراة النهائية لموسم 2023/24 من دوري أبطال أوروبا بين فريقي ريال مدريد الإسباني وبوروسيا دورتموند الألماني.

وتأهل ريال مدريد إلى نهائي البطولة بعدما فاز على بايرن ميونخ بأربعة أهداف مقابل ثلاثة في مرحلة نصف النهائي.

في حين جاء تأهل بوروسيا دورتموند إلى النهائي بعدما أطاح بنظيره باريس سان جيرمان، حيث فاز بثنائية نظيفة. موعد مباراة ريال مدريد وبوروسيا دورتموند اليوم في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.

مباشر بالفيديو.. مباراة ريال مدريد وبوروسيا دورتموند في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا القنوات الناقلة لمباراة ريال مدريد وبوروسيا دورتموند اليوم في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا

تُذاع المباراة عبر قنوات:

beIN Sports HD 1.

beIN Sports HD 2.

beIN 4K HDR. معلقين مباراة ريال مدريد وبوروسيا دورتموند اليوم في نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا

سيعلق حفيظ دراجي على أحداث المباراة عبر قناتي beIN Sports HD 1 وbeIN 4K HDR.

في حين أن خليل البلوشي سيعلق عبر قناة beIN Sports HD 2.

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

Arsenal are now "very optimistic" a key first-team player will sign a new contract, with talks set to continue now the international break is over, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Which Arsenal players are signing new contracts?

Mikel Arteta has been able to protect the core of his squad by securing new contracts for a number of first-team players in recent months, including the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka.

However, the manager does not want to stop there, and a few more key members of the squad are in line for new deals, with The Daily Mail reporting Ben White is set to enter formal talks over extending his contract, which is set to expire in the summer of 2026.

Not only that, but club captain Martin Odegaard has been touted for a new deal for quite some time, with transfer insider Dean Jones revealing the Norwegian is set for a "significant pay rise" if he does choose to extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium.

Journalist Graeme Bailey even hinted Odegaard could be set to treble his wages, meaning he would earn over £300k-per-week, and there has now been an update on the progress that has been made towards agreeing an extension.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, Ben Jacobs has now suggested that talks are set to continue in the coming days, with Arsenal becoming increasingly hopeful their captain will agree a new contract to remain in north London

When discussing the pay rise the 24-year-old could receive, the journalist said: "If you've brought in someone like Declan Rice, you might have broken your wage structure a little bit. Someone like Odegaard, on £115,000-a-week, might be wanting up to £250,000-a-week – you just don't know because a lot can change when your project grows very fast.

"But there's optimism. and there is no reason to think that Odegaard won't sign. I would expect, now the international break is over, for talks to continue and move relatively fast towards some kind of agreement in principle.

Jacobs later added: "Arsenal are very optimistic that Odegaard will be another key member of the club to renew."

How many goals has Martin Odegaard scored for Arsenal?

The attacking midfielder has scored 26 goals in 110 appearances for the Gunners, during which time he has registered 15 assists, and there were clear signs he is starting to come into his prime in the 2022-23 campaign.

Last season, the Norway international amassed a remarkable 23 goal contributions in 37 Premier League games, solidifying his place as a key player for Arsenal, so it is exciting news that he is now close to agreeing a contract extension.

Former Gunner Alan Smith has lauded the maestro as "superb" in the past, and Arteta is well aware of the calibre of player he has on his hands, having described him as "exceptional" when discussing the progress he's made.

At 24-years-old, Odegaard should now be entering his prime years, and it will be a real boost for Arsenal if he signs a new deal.

Crystal Palace could make a move for a 21-year-old striker in the January transfer window, but they will have to do battle for his signature with West Ham United.

Are Crystal Palace signing a striker?

Palace had a relatively quiet summer transfer window, making four additions to their squad, but they have made a solid, if not spectacular to the Premier League season, currently sitting in eighth place, having taken seven points from their opening five games.

Roy Hodgson's side were linked with moves for a number of different strikers, including Kelechi Iheanacho and Che Adams, but the manager ultimately decided to stick with what he had, and he has been justified for his faith in Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta.

The duo have already scored eight goals between them this season, indicating the Eagles may not need to strengthen their attack during the January transfer window, but there has now been a suggestion they could go back in for one of their summer targets.

Palace were said to be working on a deal for Hugo Ekitike in the summer transfer window, and Football Insider report they could now reignite their interest in the Paris Saint-Germain forward in the upcoming window.

The 21-year-old is viewed as "one of the best" options available on the market mid-season, with it recently being revealed his current employers have decided it is best if he moves on in January, having been frustrated he didn't leave in the summer.

However, the Eagles may have to do battle for the striker's signature with West Ham United, who have also been credited with an interest ahead of the January transfer window, and both clubs should be in a good position to win the race.

In the summer, the youngster made it clear he wanted to move to the Premier League, rather than agreeing to join Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, and he was willing to hold talks with English clubs in order to make that switch a reality.

How many goals has Hugo Ekitike scored?

The Frenchman has scored 18 goals in 72 professional games, but his career has stalled since making the move to the Parc des Princes, having been unable to establish himself in the star-studded PSG team.

Last season, the "special" forward managed to amass three goals and four assists in 25 Ligue 1 games, but he will likely need to move on if he is going to develop further and make a name for himself at the top level.

Considering he is a striker, the 6 foot 2 forward is particularly impressive at setting up chances for his teammates, averaging 0.31 assists per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 96th percentile compared to his positional peers.

The only doubt over making a move for Ekitike is whether he would be a necessary signing for Hodgson, considering Edouard and Mateta have both made solid starts to the season, but the manager should undoubtedly keep him on the radar ahead of the January transfer window.

فاز الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، على نظيره النجوم، بهدف دون رد، خلال المباراة الودية التي جمعت بينهما اليوم السبت.

وأقيمت المباراة بين الأهلي والنجوم، على أرضية ملعب النادي الأهلي بالجزيرة، وانتهت بفوز الأحمر بهدف نظيف.

وسجل محمود عبد المنعم كهربا هدف فوز الأهلي الوحيد في المباراة، في الدقيقة 14 من الشوط الأول.

طالع أيضاً.. خاص | محمد كوناتي يرد على عرض الأهلي

وبدأ نادي النجوم المباراة بتشكيل مكون من السيد فتوح في حراسة المرمى، وفي خط الدفاع كل من كمال صبحي ويحيى مصطفى ورامي عمرو وحازم محمد، وفي خط الوسط أحمد علي وعبد الله خالد وزياد التيهي ومحمد سيد وأحمد أشرف، وفي خط الهجوم خيري عبد اللطيف.

أما النادي الأهلي فبدأ بتشكيل مكون من محمود الزنفلي في حراسة المرمى، في خط الدفاع كريم فؤاد وخالد عبد الفتاح ومحمود متولي وطاهر محمد طاهر، وفي خط الوسط كريم نيدفيد وحسين الشحات ورضا سليم وأحمد عبد القادر ومحمود كهربا، وفي خط الهجوم أنطوني موديست.

ويستعد الأهلي في الفترة الحالية لمواجهة فاركو، في الجولة الـ11 المؤجلة من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، المقرر إقامتها يوم 14 يونيو الجاري عقب انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي.

Australia’s coach has defended his player in the strongest terms, while also indicating he wants the captains and coaches from both teams to sit down together to discuss player behaviour

Daniel Brettig in Durban06-Mar-2018David Warner’s leadership role as Australia’s vice-captain has been emphatically endorsed by the coach and selector Darren Lehmann, ahead of the Cricket Australia board meeting on Friday where the events of the Durban Test match and the image they projected are sure to be discussed.As both Australia and South Africa wait to hear whether Warner and Quinton de Kock will be charged under the ICC code of conduct after their ugly confrontation in the stairwell between the two dressing rooms at Kingsmead on day four of the Test, Lehmann took the opportunity to defend Warner in the strongest terms, while also indicating he wanted the two captains and coaches to sit down together before the start of the second Test in Port Elizabeth to discuss player behaviour.Having only recently led the Australian Twenty20 side to a triangular series victory over New Zealand and England – sacrificing much of his preparation time for the South Africa Tests in the process – Warner remains highly regarded as a leader in the national team, admired for the aggressive way in which he pursues opponents with the bat and in the field.”No, he’s vice-captain of the Australian cricket team,” Lehmann said when asked whether Warner’s post as deputy to Steven Smith was under question. “We’re certainly supporting David. We want to play a way that gets us success and for us we’ve just got to make sure we don’t cross the line, that’s the key.””There are things that cross the line and evoke emotion and you’ve got to deal with that behind closed doors and get better at that. Everyone has their own opinion. We’ll just wait and see what happens moving forward, how both teams want to play it. For us, we’re here to win the series. It’s going to be a bloody tough series as we’ve seen over the five days here. We’re looking forward to PE from our point of view.”The two sides are in open dispute as to what fuelled the stairwell encounter, captured on Kingsmead’s CCTV and leaked to the media before the fifth and final day of the match, which Australia won by 118 runs. Lehmann said he wanted to meet with his opposite number Ottis Gibson, and also encouraged Smith and Faf du Plessis to do likewise.”I’m sure the captains will chat and the coaches will chat and we’ll get away to play the game,” Lehmann said. “Both sides are going to push the boundaries. That’s part and parcel of Test match cricket. It’s a bloody tough game out there and you’re representing your country. Very proud countries, both sides. The way they want to play is fiercely competitive on the ground. As long as it doesn’t get personal, that’s probably the key.”It’s hard, especially when you want to talk about a great game of cricket it takes away a bit. From our point of view, the cricket is the most important. It was a really good game of cricket. We played well, there were ups and downs in the game. It’s going to be a tight series this one, there’s no doubt about that. It’s going to be played very hard on the field by both sides, it looks like.”Ever since Lehmann replaced Mickey Arthur as coach in mid-2013, the Australian side has been given full backing by the CA board and the chief executive James Sutherland to play the way they believe will gain the best results. This was in contrast to earlier episodes in which CA either sought to improve the team’s on-field behaviour, as happened after the Glenn McGrath/Ramnaresh Sarwan bust-up in the West Indies in 2003, or put bilateral relations with India ahead of backing Andrew Symonds against Harbhajan Singh in 2008.In 2015, Ricky Ponting pointed out that the hostile way in which the Australians played was intrinsic to their success, and to try to change that would only hurt results. “If you keep toning us down, toning us down, you’ll make us the same as everybody else,” Ponting had said. Warner has gone through several phases as an on-field presence, from the “attack dog” persona of 2013-14, to “the reverend” from 2015 to 2017 and the more recent return to his former aggressive ways.There is precedent for the board stripping players of the vice-captaincy for behavioural issues. In 1997 Ian Healy was removed from the post in favour of Steve Waugh after he was fined for showing dissent to an umpire’s decision in a Test match against South Africa at Centurion, though the move was also thought to be about the board’s preferred candidate to replace Mark Taylor if his run of poor batting form continued. Then, in 2000, Shane Warne lost the role as Waugh’s deputy to Adam Gilchrist, following a string of bad off-field headlines that had little to do with cricket.Warne stated on Tuesday that verbal exchanges had long been a part of Australia’s bouts with South Africa, but that personal taunts were out of bounds. “Chat, banter, sledging has always been apart of any series between SA & Oz,” he wrote on Twitter. “Both sides always give it out. Respect is the key & I hope nothing personal was said to any player towards anyone from either side. Have a beer together afterwards & get on with it – stop the whinging!”Lehmann, meanwhile, pointed out how Nathan Lyon had taken his medicine from the ICC for dropping the ball on AB de Villiers after his run out and also apologised to the Proteas batsman. “It was probably a bit cheeky,” Lehmann said. “The great thing about it, he apologised to AB straight away. He sent him a text, spoke to him today and it’s dealt with. That’s how it should be as grown men.”

Big Picture

We all know how Durban ended up but for the second Test in Port Elizabeth, much will depend upon the local conditions. For example, what are the acoustics like on the stairwell at St George’s Park? Does the layout allow for quick u-turns? And what are the precise locations of the security cameras? Every venue is different, and in order to be ready and adaptable, Australia would do well to familiarise themselves with the conditions before the Test.Okay, enough of that. Steven Smith has ruled a line under the stairwell saga, but then again, lines ruled by Australia can tend to have unpredictable shape-shifting qualities. The fact is, there is only one thing to be thankful for in regards to the David Warner-Quinton de Kock issue: that the break between the Durban and Port Elizabeth Tests is only three days. Imagine if this had happened at the end of the Port Elizabeth Test, with an eight-day break before Cape Town. Imagine a full week of this. At least now we can all quickly focus again on the on-field action. Hopefully.Australia lead the series 1-0, and have the chance to take an unbeatable advantage in Port Elizabeth. No member of their side scored a century at Kinsgmead but four of the top six managed fifties, and with the ball Mitchell Starc especially was in serious form. South Africa’s batting had higher highs – Aiden Markram’s 143 was a magnificent effort in a fourth-innings chase, and de Kock bounced brilliantly back to form after lean run – but they were also far less consistent. Still, a 118-run win for Australia might have reflected the difference in the sides in Durban, but there were enough signs from South Africa that the balance of power could change at any time.

Form guide

South Africa LLWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Australia WWDWW

In the spotlight

How can it be anyone but this pair?Whatever Quinton de Kock said in that stairwell, he can be assured of hearing plenty of words coming his way when he bats at St George’s Park. But the uncomfortable fact for Australia is that de Kock found some much-needed touch in Durban, after 15 consecutive sub-50 scores in Tests. His 83 might not have been enough to pull off a miracle win for South Africa, but had Markram stayed with him at the crease, who could say what would have happened?Perhaps the most fascinating outcome of the stairwell saga is that David Warner now finds himself one demerit point away from a suspension. That means that he will need to be on his best behaviour for the remainder of the series, which could be a challenge if any further provocation comes his way. Warner was nicknamed “The Reverend” when he became Australia’s vice-captain and tried to tone down his behaviour, but perhaps a monastic vow of silence would be wise while those demerit points hang over his head.

Team news

South Africa are still debating between keeping Theunis de Bruyn or bringing back Temba Bavuma, who is batting pain free but is still working on getting full power back into his grip. South Africa are also weighing up their bowling combinations, but could only consider bringing Lungi Ngidi into the XI if they drop one of the existing quicks.South Africa (possible): 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Faf du Plessis (capt), 6 Theunis de Bruyn, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Morne Morkel.Australia have confirmed that they will make no changes from the side that won in Durban.Australia: 1 Cameron Bancroft, 2 David Warner, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Shaun Marsh, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Tim Paine (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch is expected to be somewhat slow and low, and a drying wind on match eve might dry it out a touch more. Spin and reverse swing are likely to play their roles. No rain is forecast for the match.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have played only one Test in Port Elizabeth in the past 20 years – and lost it, in 2014
• Morne Morkel is three wickets away from the milestone of 300 in Tests
• Should Steven Smith fail to score a century in Port Elizabeth, it will make a stretch of three consecutive Tests in which he has not made a hundred – last time that happened, it was against South Africa in Australia in 2016

Quotes

“We just want to get back to playing good cricket and make sure we play them on skill and get the emotion out of it.”
“It’s a big game for us, and we need to make sure that cricket does the talking. We’ve spoken behind closed doors about the lessons learned and try to improve them. We need to make sure we get back into the series and make it one-all.”

Liverpool put in a statement performance on Sunday afternoon by comfortably dispatching Aston Villa 3-0 at Anfield.

The Reds were dominant throughout, registering 17 shots on goal, creating five big chances and garnering an xG of 2.09 as Villa were unable to live with Jurgen Klopp's rampant front line.

Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring with a beautifully controlled left-footed half-volley before Matty Cash was powerless to prevent a Darwin Núñez strike from hitting the post, deflecting off him and rolling into the back of the net.

Despite speculation linking him with a big-money move to Saudi Arabia before the transfer window slammed shut, Mohamed Salah put any speculation to bed by closing the scoring and rounding off a fantastic performance.

While Liverpool's attack drew most of the praise, and rightly so, there were reasons to be optimistic about their defensive shape in the absence of Virgil Van Dijk.

Prior to this match, the Reds were significantly scrutinized for how open they were defensively and without the Dutchman marshalling the back line, many thought Liverpool would struggle to live with Villa's attacking prowess.

But Joe Gomez stepped up to the plate in place of Van Dijk and inspired his side to a clean sheet, restricting Villa to only three shots on target, zero big chances and an xG of 0.69.

How did Joe Gomez play against Aston Villa?

Since joining the club from Charlton Athletic in 2015, Joe Gomez's Liverpool career has been maligned by injury setbacks, defensive mistakes and difficulties in sustaining a regular place in the Reds starting XI.

Although he joined the club eight years ago, the 27-year-old has only gone on to make 111 appearances in the Premier League as the ever-present partnership of Joel Matip and Van Dijk forced Gomez into biding his time for opportunities.

Following Liverpool's 3-0 defeat against Wolves in February, the performance of Gomez was shined under the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as ESPN pundit Steve Nicol branded his display as "horrendous".

He said: "Liverpool started this game just backing off and asking to be ran at. Two-down after 15 minutes. [Joe] Gomez and [Joel] Matip were as a centre-back partnership were absolutely horrendous".

While this was a particularly low point in his career, he was praised highly by Gary Neville earlier on in the season for his imperious display against Manchester City which saw Liverpool beat the reigning champions 1-0 at Anfield.

"That’s my man of the match, Joe Gomez," Neville said on commentary on Sky Sports.

"It could’ve went to James Milner but it’s going to him. He’s been outstanding at right centre-back."

During his time on Merseyside, man-of-the-match performances have been few and far between but having starred in Liverpool's victory on Sunday, Gomez reined in the plaudits from many with journalist Neil Jones labelling his performance as his "best game for Liverpool in a long time."

The £85k per-week titan was near faultless in every aspect of his game, impressing with his defensive capabilities, winning three of his five ground duels, 100% of his aerial duels and making two interceptions, as per Sofascore.

Not only that, but he also showcased his ball-playing ability, completing 95% of his passes while three of his four attempted long balls were accurate.

That aspect in possession was truly outstanding during the game as the Englishman made a mammoth 103 passes and had 121 touches during the encounter.

Having been written off throughout his Liverpool career, imperious performances like these will give supporters hope that the best is still yet to come from Gomez.

Everton have made a deadline day approach to sign Leeds United forward Luis Sinisterra, and a fresh report has revealed the latest on both the pursuit of the Colombian and Wilfried Gnonto.

Who is leaving Leeds?

Since putting pen to paper at Elland Road from Feyenoord last summer, Sinisterra has made a total of 26 appearances for Daniel Farke’s side, but after just one campaign, there’s a strong possibility that he could be on the move before the close of play tonight.

The Whites’ left-winger still has another four years remaining on his contract, but having established himself as his club’s third best-performing player last term, according to WhoScored, he’s been attracting interest from Sean Dyche in the Premier League.

Back in August, Football Transfers reported that the Toffees were considering a move for the 24-year-old, but since then, the noise surrounding any kind of possible deal significantly quietened down due to the revived move for Gnonto instead, which now looks likely to go ahead.

The Goodison Park outfit have already confirmed the loan arrival of Jack Harrison and are believed to have re-entered talks over a transfer for Gnonto, as per the same outlet, but club chiefs appear to be aiming to secure a hat-trick of players from Yorkshire by landing the Colombia international.

Are Everton signing Luis Sinisterra?

According to The Daily Mail's Simon Jones (via Goodison News), Everton have "asked" Leeds about a late deal for Sinisterra in a last-ditch attempt to bring him to Merseyside.

The Blues have also "revived their interest" in West Ham United's Maxwel Cornet, a switch that could take place with David Moyes' side having already moved to secure Juventus' Filip Kostic as his replacement.

How many goals has Luis Sinisterra scored?

During his time at Leeds, Sinisterra has nine contributions (eight goals and one assist) to his name which shows how much of a positive impact he can make in the final third, and having also been dubbed the “Colombian Flash” for his pace by members of the media, he could be a fantastic addition for Everton.

Farke’s £65k-per-week earner has additionally produced a total of 13 shot-creating actions so far this season which is more than any of his fellow teammates, via FBRef, not to mention how strong his link-up play is with a 92.6% pass success rate in the second tier, which is higher than any of Dyche’s squad have achieved to date.

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The Toffees target also has the ability to operate in five various positions, including everywhere across the frontline and even two roles in the midfield, so he could provide the boss with some welcome versatility which will allow him to tinker with his team selection, alongside being useful for if any unexpected injuries were to occur.

Finally, Sinisterra shares the same agent, Wasserman, as Andre Gomes and Joao Virginia, so this existing connection that his representative has to the club could help them in communications when it comes to discussing a possible deal before 11pm this evening.