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The Colombian was dominant throughout, drawing Ashley Young into two yellow cards, then winning the penalty from which the Reds broke the deadlock

Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League table, at least for a few hours, after a double from Mohamed Salah secured a hard-fought 2-0 win over Everton in what was a controversial Merseyside Derby at Anfield on Saturday.

Toffees defender Ashley Young was sent off in the 37th minute after making a reckless slide tackle on Luis Diaz and receiving a second yellow card, having previously tripped the Colombia international for his first boking. Ibrahima Konate, though, was fortunate not to be shown a red card himself for two very similar offences in the second half, which should have evened up the teams, but the Reds centre-back somehow escaped.

Liverpool were given a penalty shortly afterwards, as Michael Keane was punished for handballing a Diaz cross, and Salah stepped up and to fire beyond Jordan Pickford. And as Everton attempted to pour forward and rescue something from the game, Liverpool broke away, with Darwin Nunez playing in Salah to score the Reds' second goal in stoppage-time.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Alisson Becker (6/10):

Flapped at a corner early on but his distribution was impeccable. Never called into any serious action by the Everton attack.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (7/10):

A sublime range of passing and pushed into midfield whenever he could. Operated as the Reds' quarter-back, constantly starting attacks and making things happen.

Ibrahima Konate (4/10):

Stood up to Calvert-Lewin's presence. Booked for stopping an Everton counter before it started and should have been sent off for a second very similar foul. Subbed shortly after. The luckiest man inside Anfield.

Virgil van Dijk (6/10):

Always so committed defensively. Strode out of defence on numerous occasions to get the Reds moving and was never really tested by Calvert-Lewin or Beto.

Kostas Tsimikas (6/10):

Deputising for the injured Robertson, he delivered the ball well and was never threatened defensively. Subbed for Nunez at 0-0 as Liverpool went more attacking.

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Dominik Szoboszlai (6/10):

Always looked to move the ball forward. Was exceptional in the first-half and had more than one attempt from range, but his influence faded as Everton attempted to shore things up following Young's red card.

Alexis Mac Allister (7/10):

Played some excellent passes from midfield and kept the Reds ticking. Finally starting to look comfortable in a red shirt.

Ryan Gravenberch (6/10):

Such a rangy presence, he moved the ball well and got forward, although he couldn't help unpick the defence. Subbed for Elliott on the hour.

Getty ImagesAttack

Mohamed Salah (8/10):

Whistled a vicious effort just over the bar in the first half. Constantly running at Everton and scored the penalty after Keane handled. Added the second in injury-time with a clever finish from Nunez's pass.

Diogo Jota (5/10):

Struggled to offer a real focal point and dropped deeper once Nunez emerged from the bench. The game seemed to pass him by somewhat until injury-time, when he slalomed through the defence and shot into the side netting.

Luis Diaz (9/10):

Denied early on by a superb Young tackle, but then drew the full-back in for two bookings. Absolutely tortured the full-back, and then earned a penalty, as he crossed the ball from which Keane handled and Salah scored. A brilliant, decisive display.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Harvey Elliott (7/10):

Replaced Gravenberch. Some excellent touches to keep the ball, and a nice eye for a pass. Forced Pickford into a brilliant late save with a fantastic long-range effort.

Darwin Nunez (7/10):

On for Tsimikas as the Reds went more attacking. Drove at Everton more than once and assisted Salah's second after an excellent break.

Joel Matip (6/10):

Came on for Konate as Klopp looked to avoid his defender being sent off. Mopped up whenever he could but Everton struggled to push up the pitch.

Joe Gomez (6/10):

On for Diaz with 10 minutes remaining as the Reds looked to keep their clean sheet intact.

Jurgen Klopp (6/10):

While the decision to start Jota up front did not really pan out, Klopp's substitutions were smart, and the Reds were rarely in any kind of danger. A Merseyside Derby win is always going to go down well.

Leeds United teenager Finlay Gorman is reportedly leaving for Manchester City on a British record contract for a 15-year-old.

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Manchester City want Finley GormanCurrently at Leeds AcademyCity ready to break British transfer recordGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Premier League winners and the Championship club have agreed to a seven-figure sum, which is thought to be a British record for a player of his age, according to The Athletic. Although a contract is still in the works, it is widely anticipated that Gorman will move to the Etihad.

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The Athletic's report also emphasises how powerless clubs are in regard to players they have developed in their academies before the age of 17. Gorman would have until September 2025 to become eligible to sign a professional contract with Leeds, giving him the freedom to develop at whichever club he deems suitable in the interim.

DID YOU KNOW?

Earlier this season, at the age of just fourteen, Gorman debuted for the England Under-16s. At 14 years and 326 days, he also holds the record for being the youngest player to score twice in a Premier League Under-18 match.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GORMAN?

While the report suggests that Gorman is close to signing a contract with the Premier League champions, Leeds are still hopeful of a change in the situation, hoping that the 15-year-old can follow the path at the club that Archie Gray has.

Alex Zendejas has another chance to prove himself as the U.S. men's national team prepare to play without Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic this week.

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Zendejas ready to step upUSMNT without Weah and PulisicWinger looking to bounce back from Gold CupGetty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?

Zendejas is back with the USMNT for Nations League matches against Trinidad & Tobago, with the U.S. set to face the Soca Warriors home and away for the chance to play in the Copa America.

The USMNT will be without both Pulisic and Weah, Gregg Berhalter's starting wingers, opening the door for someone like Zendejas to step in and make a statement.

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Zendejas made the switch to the USMNT earlier this year, having previously earned two caps for Mexico's senior team. After some solid initial performances early in the year, Zendejas struggled a bit in the Gold Cup, failing to score as the U.S. were bounced early by Panama.

Because of that, this camp takes on added importance as Zendejas looks to solidify a place with the group ahead of a potential Copa America call-up.

Getty ImagesWHAT ZENDEJAS SAID

"Obviously, it sucks not having those two guys in because they're a huge part of the team," Zendejas said, "but I'm going to try to take this opportunity and make the most of it. I'm really looking forward to it."

"I can agree that my Gold Cup wasn't the best," Zendejas added, "but you've just got to look at the next opportunity you have."

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GettyDID YOU KNOW?

The winger enters camp in good form after several notable performance for Club America. The winger has scored in four of his last seven matches for the Mexican giants, giving him some much-needed confidence ahead of this big USMNT camp.

"I've been working hard back at home with my club team," he said. "I've been working on my finishing, just working on what the coach is asking me to do. I'll try to take that and bring it into this camp with my teammates and try to give a great performance over here this week."

Manchester United legend Lee Sharpe insists that Marcus Rashford's form has "dropped off the face of a cliff" this season.

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Rashford has struggled for UnitedHas only scored three goals this seasonUnited currently eighth in Premier LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?

Sharpe, who played for United between 1988 and 1996, has hit out at Rashford's form this season, insisting that he is failing to set a proper example for the young players at Old Trafford, despite having developed into a key senior player. The 26-year-old has only scored three Premier League goals this season, having netted 17 in the league last term.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT LEE SHARPE SAID

Speaking to Fruity Slots, he said: “Marcus Rashford doesn’t quite seem to have got up to pace this season,” said Sharpe. “I don't know whether it's a confidence thing, whether he's got something going on off the pitch that's concerned him a little bit, but he doesn't seem as focused or direct in his football anymore. I don't know what's going on in his head, whether it's something off the pitch, whether he's thinking of the game too much… but this year he just seems to have dropped off the face of a cliff.

“He's one of the senior players now and he needs to set an example for everyone else. When the club is light on experienced first team players, he needs to be setting the standard. Against Wigan I just thought he could have played with a little bit more pace, directness and authority in himself. After four or five minutes he touched the ball three or four times, and not once had he sprinted at the full-back to attack the opposition. His first touch too – he stood someone up and tried to do a trick and the guy’s tackled him, it’s gone out of play for a throw in and he’s just turned around and strolled to get the ball.

“You’re in an FA Cup tie away at Wigan – the fans are going to be up, their team are going to be up for it. Manchester United need to impose themselves, they need to play quick, they need to play with some authority. To just walk towards the ball like that – I don't think ‘lazy’ is the right word… I don't know whether it was a bit of arrogance or whether he's lacking in confidence, but he just doesn't seem to be going past players anymore. He seems to be second guessing himself at times when he's squared up to players.”

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Rashford's form has coincided with a dismal run of form for United. The club are currently sitting eighth in the Premier League table, nine points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and 14 behind leaders Liverpool.

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WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

United play Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend. Rashford has a mixed record against Spurs, having scored five goals in 15 games against the north London side.

Manchester United legend Steve Bruce slammed Marcus Rashford for his poor body language on the pitch against Newcastle United.

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Steve Bruce slams Marcus RashfordPerformed poorly against NewcastleHas scored just two goals this seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

The former United defender was unhappy with the striker's attitude on the pitch as he produced another poor performance in a 1-0 loss at Newcastle on Saturday night. The England international was deployed on the right flank by Erik ten Hag, but was subbed off just after the hour mark as he had a night to forget against the Magpies.

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Speaking to , Bruce said: "The body language of some of the players doesn’t look right. We’ve been talking now and the first one you look at is why all of a sudden Marcus Rashford, after how good he was, how good he played for England a few weeks ago, [has gone] to what you see now. Is he not happy playing on the right, what is wrong? We aren’t going to know what has happened behind the scenes if anything has happened.

"When he comes off, he shows that petulance, he is not happy. I think he needs to have a look at himself, to start with. It’s not just him, you look through the nucleus of the side and they have been blown away by Newcastle. That is the worry."

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Ten Hag did not publicly criticise Rashford after the game but the Dutch manager said that he would have a chat with him directly in private.

Among a series of criticisms, former Red Devils skipper Harry Maguire came to his colleague's support as he claimed that the 26-year-old is just experiencing a rough patch of form.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MARCUS RASHFORD?

The English forward has managed to score just two goals in the 2023-24 campaign to date, in stark contrast to his brilliant run of form last season where he scored 30 goals across all competitions. Rashford is expected to be back in action on Wednesday when United face Chelsea in a crucial Premier League fixture.

Belgium are likely to miss Thibaut Courtois' service at Euro 2024 as he has decided to stay back at Real Madrid and fully recover from his ACL injury.

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Courtois won't play for Belgium at Euro 2024Will stay back at Real Madrid to recover from ACL injuryCourtois' entourage denies the claimsWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , the goalkeeper has reportedly informed Real Madrid that he will not travel to Germany with the Belgian squad for Euro 2024 next summer. Courtois will instead stay back at Los Blancos' facilities and work with the club's goalkeeping coach Luis Llopis to fully recover from his anterior cruciate ligament injury.

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Just two days before the start of Madrid's 2023-24 campaign in August, the Belgian international damaged his ACL and later underwent surgery. To replace him in the squad, the Spanish giants brought in Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea.

Getty ImagesWHAT COURTOIS' ENTOURAGE SAID

Courtois' entourage, though, have denied the story, and claim that his participation in the tournament will depend on his recovery, according to Emiliano Bonfigli. The Madrid skipper has a tenuous relationship with Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco, and turned down a call up in June after a dispute over the captain's armband — currently being rotated between squad members in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne.

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DID YOU KNOW?

In June, the 31-year-old had a public fallout with Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco after he was snubbed for Romelu Lukaku as captain during a Euro 2024 qualifier against Austria. According to the manager, Courtois was hurt by the decision and decided to leave the squad. Later, the former Chelsea goalkeeper hit back at his manager on social media for making a locker room conversation public.

Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth has reportedly asked to leave the club amid interest from Manchester United.

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Ashworth informed Newcastle of approach from Man UtdINEOS eager to bring him to Old TraffordHas now asked to depart St James' ParkWHAT HAPPENED?

Ashworth informed Newcastle of an official approach from United to take over as the club's new sporting director last week, with the 52-year-old having been identified as a top target by Sir Jim Ratfcliffe and INEOS – the new minority shareholders at Old Trafford. According to , Ashworth told Newcastle on Sunday that he wants to leave St James' Park, which could fast-track his proposed switch to Manchester.

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adds that Ashworth has attracted attention from United due to his strong reputation in the fields of player recruitment and high-performance structure building, with Ratcliffe currently in the process of overhauling the football side of operations at Old Trafford. Newcastle and United have not yet opened formal talks over Ashworth's proposed move, but they are anticipated "soon".

DID YOU KNOW?

Ashworth, who has now been placed on gardening leave at St James' Park, initially joined Newcastle in early 2022 after leaving his technical director post at Brighton. As reports, if he does head to United as expected, Ashworth is likely to bring a support team with him, which could include analyst Kyle Macaulay – who worked with Graham Potter during his tenure as Chelsea manager.

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WHAT'S NEXT?

Ashworth is, however, still under contract at Newcastle, who are set to demand a huge compensation package. According to , United won't be able to make Ashworth their new sporting director until 2026 unless they pay the Magpies £20 million ($25m). Newcastle always said they were "very well protected" after the initial approach from the Red Devils, and it remains to be seen whether they can negotiate that huge fee down in the coming weeks.

Harry Kane was singled out for criticism after Bayern Munich’s shock defeat to Bochum, with the England striker spurning one glorious opportunity.

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Prolific England star was on target againTitle hopefuls came unstuck in five-goal thrillerBig misses & another red card proved costlyWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Tottenham frontman has been sensational in front of goal during his debut campaign at the Allianz Arena, and did find the target in his latest appearance – taking his overall tally to 29 through 30 appearances in all competitions.

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Kane did, however, blaze a first-half chance against Bochum over the bar, with Bayern 1-0 in front at that stage following an early opener from Jamal Musiala. That rare rush of blood to the head in the final third helped to keep Bochum in the game, and they went on to secure a stunning 3-2 win.

WHAT TUCHEL SAID ABOUT KANE

Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel told afterwards, with his star No.9 made aware that he really should have wrapped up a game that was disrupted on a couple of occasions by protests from the home support: “We created some top-class chances. Harry's chance in the first half may have been the deciding factor. If he finished that with one touch instead of trying to play it, the game is over. I don’t think today’s defeat was fair; I think a lot went against us. I think we had an xG value of 3.4 and we had four, five, six top-class chances. We completely dominated the game and actually went behind out of nowhere. We never stopped putting in the effort until the end and then played with a man down for a long time. A lot went against us. I feel today's defeat is different to the last two.”

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Bayern have suffered three successive defeats, with Bayer Leverkusen and Lazio getting the better of them in Bundesliga and Champions League competition. They have also seen Dayot Upamecano collected red cards in back-to-back fixtures, with the France international defender doing their cause few favours.

Former Barcelona and Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has addressed rumours claiming he is set to come out of retirement.

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Aguero responded to rumours of coming out of retirementTevez wanted Aguero to join IndependienteAguero retired in December 2021WHAT HAPPENED?

The Cityzens legend decided to hang up his boots in December 2021 while at Barcelona, after being diagnosed with a heart condition. Recently, his former Manchester City colleague Carlos Tevez – who manages top Argentine side Independiente – sent an open invitation to Aguero willing him to get back on the pitch.

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Tevez expressed his desire to sign his ex-team-mate as he told reporters: "Who doesn't want to have Kun? First me as a teammate, and now as a coach. Even if it's 10 or 15 minutes."

It has since been reported that Aguero has agreed to train with Independiente, which he's now confirmed as false, while also adding on Twitch that he would have to consult his cardiologist before taking any decision to return to the game.

WHAT SERGIO AGUERO SAID

"It's totally a lie, I'm not going to train with Independiente," the former Argentina international said. "Sometimes things are invented. I reiterate that the cardiologist said that I am well and that it is important that I am in good health. But to return to training at the First Division level, I would need to undergo a lot of tests."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Aguero graduated from Independiente's youth system before making his professional debut for the club in 2003. He spent two years at El Rojo before moving to Atletico Madrid, where he truly established himself as a world-class striker.

Southampton are interested in on loan Torino star Josip Brekalo, according to a report from Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Career so far

Currently on loan in Italy from parent club VfL Wolfsburg, the 23-year-old has so far amassed 192 professional career appearances across spells with Dinamo Zagreb and VfB Stuttgart prior to his most recent moves.

A fully-fledged Croatia international, Brekalo was a reported target for Everton, Liverpool and several La Liga sides in the summer of 2021.

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And, despite Torino having a reported €13million (£11million) option to buy in the loan deal from Wolfsburg, other potential suitors are now in contention to land the winger.

The latest: Saints eyeing ‘sensational twist’

As per Tuttosport, cited by SW, Southampton are believed to be ‘in the lead’ to sign Brekalo should the permanent move to Italy not be triggered.

It’s claimed that the Saints are ‘ready to throw themselves’ into the mix to sign the man capped on 30 occasions by Croatia.

However, the report states that it would take a ‘sensational twist’ were Torino to pass up the opportunity to sign Brekalo, who has been dubbed an ‘exciting talent’ by journalist Josh Bunting following a brace against Fiorentina this season.

The verdict: Star capture

So far this season Brekalo has scored seven times and provided three assists in 33 appearances across all competitions, earning an impressive 7.10 Sofascore rating in the process. He is completing 1.3 dribbles, taking 1.4 shots and winning 0.7 fouls on average per game.

When using the FBref comparison tool, the versatile Croatian attacker is keeping some esteemed company in terms of playing style, closely matching the likes of Dmitri Payet and Arsenal duo Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard.

With the futures of Theo Walcott, Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo under scrutiny, for anything close to the apparent current asking price, Ralph Hasenhuttl would welcome Brekalo to the St Mary’s ranks with open arms as the Austrian looks to bolster the ranks ahead of next season.

In other news: Southampton join race to sign ‘sensational’ and ‘flawless’ player from major European club! Find out more here.