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What a season it has been for Liverpool up until now.

As it stands, they are miles clear at the summit of the Premier League table – with games in hand to boot – whilst they are still unbeaten in the top flight as well. After 22 matches, they have 64 points, which is the highest of any team in the history of the top five leagues in Europe up until this point.

Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

They are now within touching distance of a first league title in 30 years. In their next match on their quest to lift that trophy at the end of the campaign, they face Wolves at Molineux. They were only able to beat the Midlands outfit 1-0 at home in December, so this could be a tricky clash.

In the build-up to the match, the club’s supporters have been discussing who should line-up against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men. And it seems the return of Fabinho has caused plenty of debate.

It seems that many want the Brazil international back in the side.

The Brazil international was called the best defensive midfielder in the world by Gary Neville in September (Sky Sports via Metro), but they won all but one game – and even that was the 5-0 loss against Aston Villa in the League Cup, when the senior players were in Qatar – without him. They have also kept five clean sheets in their last seven games, too, so it could be difficult to bring him back in.

Others, meanwhile, want to see Takumi Minamino feature.

The Japan international has only started once since he joined from RB Salzburg, but Jurgen Klopp may look to hold him back before playing him against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup.

Others, meanwhile, have suggested that the 52-year-old play the exact same team that defeated the Red Devils.

With many stars likely to be rested this weekend, they perhaps have a point.

It will be interesting to see what team is fielded this midweek.

Elsewhere, Neil Custis diminishes Liverpool’s achievements over the past 18 months.

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been giving their verdict on what could be the big transfer saga of summer 2019, as the Reds are reportedly chasing Timo Werner.

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool and Bayern Munich will go head-to-head to secure Werner’s services.

The Red Bull Leipzig striker is the youngest player ever to reach 150 Bundesliga appearances at just 22, and he is fast-becoming one of Europe’s greatest strikers.

Which big 6 club needs to do the most business in January? Check out what the Playmaker FC squad think in the video below…

His pace, movement, and absolutely lethal finishing is perfect for a counter-attacking team like RB Leipzig, and he could certainly be of use at Anfield.

The player himself has furthered the speculation by speaking about his desire to play for a huge club, specifically one that is playing in the later stages of the Champions League.

“To become a world class player, I probably have to play at club level for an even better team. I want that to be honest,” he said.

“Naby Keita did not become world class with us either, but he may now be with Liverpool.

“In order to become world class, you have to play in the big teams and then play big games like the final or the semi-final of the Champions League.”

The young striker has already grabbed 12 goals this season, and fans are loving the prospect of him playing in front of their famous front three in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Aston Villa are in the hunt for a new manager after axing Steve Bruce and there is pressure on the board to make the right appointment.

Last season’s defeated play-off finalists are in danger of seeing their ambitions of a return to the Premier League going up in smoke after a woeful sequence of results has seen Villa win just one of their last ten in all competitions.

That poor run ultimately cost Bruce his job, and whoever takes charge at Villa Park will need to provide an instant improvement if the club are to get back on track in their charge for promotion this season.

Fans are desperate for the right appointment and many have expressed their discontent with reports that former Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is keen on speaking to the club about taking charge, as they hold out for a more inspiring appointment.

We have gathered some of the best reactions below.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”302265″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts The Icelandic Coutinho & The Scottish Ronaldo”]

Leeds United’s search for a new centre-forward has been a consistent theme of the club’s rumoured transfer activity so far this summer, but as of yet they seem no closer to securing the signature of a lethal centre-forward. 

The likes of Jeremy Mbakogu, Abel Hernandez and Matej Vydra have been heavily linked with transfers to Elland Road this summer among a host of other names, but Bielsa is yet to secure the signature of a new striker.

With Leeds hoping to launch a promotion bid next season the supporters are desperately hoping to see a new striker arrive at the club in the coming weeks to spearhead a new-look attack under Bielsa.

Naturally, proven goalscorers are like gold-dust in the transfer market and don’t come at anything less than a premium price, so it’s no wonder that Leeds’ hunt is proving to be a drawn-out, tedious process.

However a solution could yet be on the horizon in the shape of a free-agent with an intriguing track record in European football, namely Emmanuel Emenike.

The Nigeria international is renowned for his blistering pace and will be familiar with both FIFA and Football Manager enthusiasts, but his impressive career has taken a dip somewhat in the past twelve months.

After struggling to break into the first-team at Olympiacos, Emenike embarked on a loan move to Las Palmas last season in La Liga where he failed to make a single appearances for the club, although his absence was largely due to a nasty injury he sustained shortly after arriving in Spain.

The 2017/18 season was essentially a write off and ultimately resulted in Olympiacos terminating his contract with a year left to run, as recently confirmed by Gunes.

There’s no doubt that his recent season makes for sceptical reading for Leeds supporters, but considering he is available on a free transfer Andre Radrizzani has almost nothing to lose by offering him a contract; a pay as you play deal could even be in the offing on the basis of his recent injury problem.

The fact that, during his career, the 31-year-old has bagged 21 from 42 in Russia’s top-flight and 34 from 94 in the Turkish top-flight suggests he is well worth a gamble this summer.

Leeds fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

According to reports in The Mirror, West Bromwich Albion are ready to sell striker Salomon Rondon this summer.

The 27-year-old attracted a £32.2m bid from Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian during the January transfer window, according to The Mirror, but the Baggies turned the offer down as manager Tony Pulis only had a small squad to work with during the second-half of the campaign.

However, the Venezuela international’s form suffered as a result and the report says that Pulis is ready to cash in on the unsettled centre-forward, who he signed from Zenit St Petersburg two years ago, if he receives an acceptable offer having signed Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez has suffered a frustrating time in the transfer window as he looks to strengthen his squad, and the Spaniard certainly may have been alerted to the availability of the striker ahead of the Magpies’ return to the Premier League.

Here are three reasons the Tyneside outfit should make a move for Rondon…

Goals

Sometimes players can struggle to adapt to Premier League football when they move from a foreign league, but Rondon has done pretty well considering he has been playing for a West Brom side that aren’t renowned for scoring lots of goals under Tony Pulis.

The 27-year-old scored an impressive nine times in 34 top flight matches in his debut season in England, and he looked set to better that total having netted seven before the turn of 2017 last term, including a hat-trick of headers against Swansea City.

However, the speculation over his future seem to affect Rondon and he only scored once more, but he has certainly shown that he is capable of finding the net at this level and that could attract the interest of Benitez.

Premier League experience

While Benitez will want to get good value for money when he is bringing new players to Newcastle this summer – the club are struggling to do that right now – the Spaniard will also be keen to sign players that are experienced at this level in order to ensure the club aren’t fighting a relegation battle next season.

Having played regularly for two years at this level, Rondon certainly knows the ins and outs of the Premier League and is used to battling away against the defenders that grace the English top flight.

That knowledge could be valuable as the Magpies look to avoid being involved in a fight at the wrong end of the table next term.

Different option

While Dwight Gayle was in outstanding form last season, the addition of Rondon would certainly give Newcastle a different option to work with.

The 27-year-old is big and strong in the air – he won 101 aerial duels in the top flight last season – and he has become accustomed to holding the ball up and bringing his teammates into play having featured in a lone striker role for much of his West Brom career.

As well as his height, which will also be useful when the Magpies are defending from set-pieces, the Venezuela international is also good with the ball at his feet and he successfully completed 27 take-ons in 38 Premier League appearances last term.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.

Granit Xhaka will be absent for the next four Arsenal matches following his dismissal against Everton at the weekend, his second straight red-card in his debut season in the Premier League.

Handed his marching orders for a two-footed scissor challenge, Xhaka has already earned himself a reputation as a hot-head who lacks discipline-which is nothing new when you consider his record abroad, as he’s been sent off FIVE times since the start of last season.

Naturally, comparisons to the likes of Paul Scholes and Gennaro Gattuso have followed; with both players being excellent in their prime but spending a lot of their time on the wrong side of the law.

Compared to the Premier League’s ‘nutcases’, Xhaka has joined an ‘illustrious’ list of hot-heads who did not take long to earn two red cards for their respective sides- although Xhaka, who took 19 games, has faired far better than team-mate Laurent Koscielny, who earned two red cards in his first eight appearances in English football.

At the ‘top’ of the rankings is former West Ham man Tomas Repka, who was sent off twice in his first three Premier League appearances. Remarkably, he stayed in East London for five years and made a further 164 appearances in the league.

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Have Manchester City turned a corner? The club finally topped a group in the Champions League after a historic win over Borussia Monchengladbach and are still favourites to win a third Premier League in five seasons. They’ve largely been without star players Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany, while midfield maestros David Silva and Yaya Toure have struggled for fitness at points this term.

However, a betting man still wouldn’t back City to win the Champions League. Furthermore, all bets are off closer to home this season in one of the most unpredictable Premier League campaigns to date.

Manuel Pellegrini is perhaps likely to lift the trophy come May, but there’s a long way to go and this season is proving to be outrageously difficult to read.

The club have been trounced on the odd occasion so far. Both Liverpool and Tottenham fought tooth and nail to smash four past them apiece, suggesting Pellegrini still has many of the issues he faced last year.

Despite the arrivals of Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne to provide energy in attack, playing staff further back still look weary when faced with enthusiastic opponents. The £70m-ish spent on Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi has not proved to be inspired spending as of yet, either – the pair, particularly the Argentine, are clearly good defenders but seem to crumble without the stoic presence of the heroic Kompany alongside them.

The club clearly have some way to go before they can be considered major players in the Champions League, as well as being placed in the same bracket as previous title contenders. Never have they been looked upon with the same aura the famous Sir Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho teams were going into a season.

With that in mind, here are THREE potential arrivals and THREE possible departures to solidify City as contenders.

IN – MAURO ICARDI – (INTER MILAN)

Without the guile of Sergio Aguero, the Manchester outfit look a different side. There has been some improvement from Wilfried Bony in recent weeks, but the Ivorian is simply leagues below Aguero in terms of class.

Bearing the Argentina star’s injury record in mind, the club should make a move for some to bridge that gulf. Inter Milan star Mauro Icardi is the name on everyone’s lips at the present moment, as the bad boy 22-year old continues to frustrate at Inter Milan. He’s been given the captaincy at the San Siro after his impressive 31 goal haul last term, but dropped by Roberto Mancini in recent weeks.

He’s by no means the finished article yet, but he is a quality forward – he’s intelligent, physical and comes with a lorry-load of potential.

As an understudy to Aguero, his countryman could potentially improve by learning from the 27-year-old and create a wonderful attacking trident with Sterling and De Bruyne in the years to come.

OUT – MARTIN DEMICHELIS – (ROSARIO CENTRAL)

The Argentine has become something of a cult hero at the club after initially disappointing. When he was first afforded a run of games, the former Bayern Munich man looked slow and cumbersome. Little has changed pace-wise in the intervening time, though he has proved himself a vastly knowledgeable operator and a solid defender.

However, it’s clear the 34-year old is not a long term option. A return to his native South America looks increasingly likely for the player, whether it be next month or in the summer. Rosario Central have been linked with taking the ex-Malaga defender back home.

There will be fond memories of the defender after he turned his career around in England. While he was clearly never up to the task of taking City forward, at least he stopped those ‘donkey’ jibes. For the most part, anyway.

IN – ISCO – (REAL MADRID)

As ever with City, the big names keep coming. Real Madrid playmaker Isco has long been touted as a target at the Etihad following his work at Malaga with Pellegrini. The Spaniard, while impressing, has largely failed to command a regular starting berth in the Spanish capital with Real Madrid following his 2013 move amid their plethora of Galacticos.

Having spent big on young talents in an effort to freshen up the ranks, perhaps a move for the 23-year could finally come off. Compatriot David Silva is clearly a superstar, though he is edging ever closer to 30 and his injuries have cost the team.

The aforementioned Sterling and De Bruyne are likely to feature with or without Silva in the side though the options from there onwards become somewhat limited. Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri are good players, but again the gulf in class is so wide.

While Isco is unlikely to play second fiddle his arrival would add another big name into the attacking midfield and perhaps an heir to Silva’s crown going forward.

OUT – JESUS NAVAS – (SEVILLA)

Aside from one well taken goal during the demolition of Spurs back in November 2013, what has Jesus Navas done in Manchester? Other than run really fast.

The 30-year old is jet heeled, that much is for sure, but his end product is rarely there. He may be an effective change of pace to bring off the bench occasionally, but as the club look to march on in their quest for world domination, he is nowhere near up to scratch.

Linked with a return to Spain, the La Roja international should be sold back to Sevilla. Even if Arsenal’s reported interest in him comes to fruition, the club should consider his sale, even if strengthening a Premier League rival is rarely standard practice.

IN – ALEX SANDRO – (JUVENTUS)

Brazilian left-back Alex Sandro’s exploits against the Etihad club both home and away in the Champions League have reportedly drawn him to their attention. In light of both Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy’s struggles, they would be wise to strengthen an area that has been somewhat of an issue for a while now.

The 24-year old only joined Juventus this summer but has gone on to prove himself as one of the top full-backs in Europe. Two Man of the Match performances, a passing accuracy rate of around 85.4% and a WhoScored average rating of 7.38 has established him as a solid option.

There is not a wealth of top class full-backs in world football currently and the wage packet City could presumably offer the former Porto man could be a decider. While Juventus are clearly a huge European team with a rich history, Serie A trails behind the Premier League in more ways than one.

The irony that the Old Lady beat City home and away this year, as well as reaching the Champions League final last season, is quite prevalent I know. However, it’s not too hard to imagine that the English league is miles above its Italian counterpart in terms of attracting players.

JASON DENAYER– (GALATASARAY)

Ok, so we’re cheating a bit here. Samir Nasri would have been another choice, but the Frenchman was recently the subject of a three month layoff, pretty much ruling out any deal next month.

Belgian youngster Jason Denayer is said to have impressed Galatasaray enough while on loan in Istanbul that the Turkish titans are keen to take him on a permanent deal.

While we have talked about the need to continue the introduction of youth in the side, it may seem odd to propose selling a promising 20-year old centre-back. However, the Belgian is not much younger than Mangala, who looks a cut above.

Perhaps there could be a case argued that Denayer should be sold. With any forward planning, City could structure a deal containing a buy-back clause or first option should he leave the Turkish capital.

If he’s that good he won’t stay in Turkey that long.

Emma Hayes is an “amazing coach” and will allow the USWNT to dream of savouring Olympic glory in Paris, says Arsenal star Emily Fox.

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• Highly-rated coach currently in charge of Chelsea
• Will move into international role this summer
• Gold medal glory up for grabs in France

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hayes is currently a WSL rival of Fox, as she looks to deliver another domestic title triumph at Chelsea, but will be moving into international coaching at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. The reins will be inherited of a star-studded United States squad, but one that suffered a humbling last-16 exit at the last Women’s World Cup and has gone 12 years without claiming a goal medal at the Olympic Games.

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  WHAT FOX SAID ABOUT HAYES

  Fox believes Hayes is the right choice to guide the USWNT forward, telling : “I’m just really excited about it, she’s an amazing coach. We got to meet her in November, [when she was] coming in and introducing herself and telling us a bit more about herself on a personal level, and then as a whole in terms of what she’s about. I’m really excited to hopefully get the opportunity to be coached by her and go from there.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hayes’ first matches at the helm will be friendly outings in June and July, before a quest for Olympic immortality is opened on French soil. Fox added on bringing America’s longest drought on the gold medal front to a close: “With any and every competition we play in, we want to win. With the Olympics, nothing is new there in terms of our standards and us wanting to win it. What’s really exciting this year is we’re going to have a new coach, and then there’s a lot of talented players that are new, that are younger, and I just think it’ll be really exciting. With the Olympics, it’s a really hard competition with how many games you play and such short breaks in between. But it’s a really exciting year for us and I think we’re all gearing up for it. The Gold Cup is coming up, which will be good practice and a great competition for us leading up to the Olympics.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR THE USWNT?

  The USWNT are set to open their Gold Cup campaign against the Dominican Republic on Tuesday. They will also face Argentina and Mexico in the group stage of that competition, while a SheBelieves Cup semi-final date with Japan is pencilled in for April 6.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner rarely scores bad goals, so ranking each of his Miami strikes is not an easy task

Lionel Messi-mania has gripped the United States ever since the man himself shocked the world by announcing his decision to sign for Inter Miami. Since then, he's become the bain of MLS goalkeepers, scoring against them for fun.

Messi taking so little time to adapt to his new surroundings is no surprise – he is one of the greatest footballers of all time after all. However, even by his own high standards, the volume of spectacular strikes has been particularly high at the start of his Inter Miami career.

Indeed, it's been hard to keep track of all of Messi's magical moments in a pink shirt so far, particularly with many of them coming during a congested Leagues Cup campaign. Fortunately, GOAL is here to help. Below, we have ranked every single one of Messi's finishes for Inter Miami. And don't worry, we'll be keeping things updated as he continues to wow audiences in the U.S.

11Too easy vs Charlotte FC (August 12, 2023)

We're still not sure what Charlotte were thinking. When you give Messi this much space in the box, you're likely to be punished – and so it proved. He won't get many easier finishes this season.

Advertisement10Stroke of good fortune vs Atlanta United (July 26, 2023)

Messi is rarely imperfect, but even when things don't go exactly to plan he still looks pretty smooth. His first goal in Inter Miami's Leagues Cup clash with Atlanta United demonstrated this.

With less than eight minutes on the clock, Sergio Busquets found his former Barcelona team-mate with a delicious over-the-top pass. Messi's initial finish cannoned back off the post, and he hardly broke stride when he tapped home the rebound with typical composure.

9Simple volley vs Orlando City (August 2, 2023)

Orlando's marking left a lot to be desired when they travelled to the DRV PNK Stadium in the Leagues Cup first round. Having previously opened the scoring for his side, Messi took full advantage of some typically poor defending, volleying home Josef Martinez's scooped pass from close range.

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8You don't save those (or do you?) vs Philadelphia Union (August 16, 2023)

We can't quite make our minds up about this one. On the one hand, Messi has done well to find the corner. The distance from which he scored from also suggests it perhaps deserves a higher place on the list. Then again, it wasn't hit with the most venom, which means questions must be asked of Andre Blake – who is a very good goalkeeper, by the way.

The Reds return to action against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Thursday and have work to do if they are to save their season.

So much for easing yourselves back into it, eh?

Forty days after their last competitive fixture, Liverpool return to action on Thursday night with a big one: a trip to Manchester City, with plenty of pride and bragging rights, not to mention a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, on the line. 

With the World Cup done and dusted, attention now turns to club matters in this strangest and most gruelling of seasons. It’s a sprint to the line, with games coming thicker than custard and faster than Kylian Mbappe between now and June.

Liverpool have, after an underwhelming start to the campaign, left themselves with plenty to do. Sixth in the Premier League, they know they can ill-afford any further slip-ups if they are to achieve their minimum aim of a top-four finish, while the Champions League last-16 draw, which has paired them with holders Real Madrid, looms large on the horizon too.

They did, however, head into the mid-season hiatus on something of an upward curve, a run of eight wins from 10 games, including a pair of big ones against Tottenham and Southampton right before the break.

All to play for then and as they prepare to get stuck back into domestic matters, GOAL looks at the questions Jurgen Klopp and his team must answer in the coming weeks and months…

Getty ImagesWill they make any January signings?

There’s only one place to start, really, and that’s with transfers. The January window, traditionally, has been pretty good to Liverpool, with the likes of Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Maxi Rodriguez, Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Virgil van Dijk all providing some winter warmth down the years. We won’t talk so much about Ben Davies, Ozan Kabak, Steven Caulker or Jan Kromkamp…

The Reds’ most recent mid-season arrival, of course, was Luis Diaz, and what an impact the Colombian made after his £50 million ($61m) move from Porto at the start of this year. How Klopp could do with a similar kind of catalyst this time around, especially with Diaz now set to be sidelined until at least March with a knee injury.

A new midfielder seems the most obvious place to start, although the idea of prising Jude Bellingham from Dortmund, Moises Caicedo from Brighton or Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in January looks unlikely, but Liverpool’s forward options look light too at this moment, with Diogo Jota alongside Diaz on the treatment table. So much rests on the form and fitness of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, and on the development of Darwin Nunez. Whether Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabio Carvalho and Curtis Jones can provide adequate support in wide areas is certainly debatable.

It is this correspondent’s belief that at least one new signing is necessary if the club is to even give itself a chance of achieving its aims, and that two would give them an even better one.

A midfielder and a forward, then. A Coutinho and a Suarez, perhaps? They can dream…

AdvertisementGetty ImagesCan their key players stay fit?

It didn’t take long for Liverpool’s pre-season optimism to fade. When they beat Manchester City in the Community Shield at the end of July, it appeared as if they hadn’t missed a beat from the previous season. 

And then things began to change. From that game, they lost Naby Keita and Curtis Jones to injury. A day later, Ibrahima Konate damaged his knee in a friendly against Strasbourg, and then Thiago Alcantara limped off less than an hour into the Premier League opener at Fulham.

Tone set. Since then, Klopp has been forced to alter his plans repeatedly, as his squad has been beset by a host of muscle issues, illnesses and contact injuries.

Keita, Jones, Konate and Thiago all missed big chunks of the season, while the likes of Jordan Henderson, Andy Robertson, Joel Matip, Calvin Ramsay and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have also been sidelined. Jota, who missed the start of the campaign with a hamstring tear, is now out until the New Year with a calf problem, while Diaz will be sidelined until March.

Even Arthur Melo, the man signed to alleviate the crisis at the end of August, has been struck down. The Brazilian has so far managed only 16 minutes, though he should be back in January.

The Reds have appointed, belatedly, a new club doctor, with Jonathan Power due to take over full responsibilities in January. Klopp will hope the new appointment brings with it a change in fortune.

GettyWho is Van Dijk's partner?

He may not have been at this absolute top level so far this season, but we know the identity of Liverpool’s No.1 centre-back

The question is, then, who is the best partner for Virgil van Dijk?

Right now, it’s hard to look past Konate, who furthered his reputation significantly with France at the World Cup. The 23-year-old’s speed, power and vastly-underrated positional sense were all on full display in Qatar, and he will feel he has done enough to earn the shirt upon his return to Merseyside.

But both Matip and Joe Gomez are, for now at least, fit and available, and both have proven in the past to be more than capable starters.

Gomez, though, has been up and down this season, while the suspicion is that last season’s tally of 43 appearances in all competitions was something of an outlier with Matip, whose injury record has been patchy throughout his time on Merseyside.

For now, surely, it will be Van Dijk and Konate. Maybe that will help fix the Reds’ issues?

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GettyWill the real Fabinho return?

Of all the mysteries surrounding the opening months of the season with Liverpool, the struggles of Fabinho are perhaps hardest to comprehend.

At his best, the Brazilian is one of the finest holding midfield players around, but he has been far from his best this term, often looking confused, exposed and heavy-legged. He has been left out of several big games as a result.

Liverpool’s midfield generally has an issue, but it would look a lot less worrying if Fabinho was playing at anything like his top level. They need his strength, his simple distribution and his ability to hoover up loose balls and keep the team on the front foot.

Hopefully, a change of scenery can bring about a return to form.