أعلن أمير توفيق مدير التعاقدات السابق في الأهلي والرئيس التنفيذي لشركة الأهلي لكرة القدم، عن تقدمه ببلاغ للنائب العام ضد اللاعب الجزائري أحمد قندوسي بعد تصريحاته الأخيرة بشأن فرض وكلاء في صفقات القلعة الحمراء.
وكان أحمد قندوسي تحدث عبر إحدى البرامج التلفزيونية، عن فشل صفقة انتقال مواطنه زين الدين بلعيد لـ الأهلي خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية، موضحًا أن إدارة الأهلي فرضت وكيلاً معيناً على بلعيد.
وبناء على ذلك قررت إدارة النادي الأهلي، إحالة تصريحات اللاعب الجزائري إلى التحقيق ومواجهته لمعرفة صحة تلك التصريحات.
وأعلن الأهلي، نتائج التحقيقات في ذلك الشأن، حيث قرر عرض اللاعب الجزائري أحمد قندوسي للبيع مع إعادة تشكيل إدارة التعاقدات التي يترأسها أمير توفيق.
وقال توفيق خلال تصريحات عبر قناة إم بي سي مصر 2 لبرنامج “الكورة مع فايق”: “موقف النادي أعلنه في بيان واضح، لكن موقفي بصفتي العملية راض عن قرار النادي”.
وأضاف: “موقفي الشخصي فأنا وكلت المستشار أشرف عبد العزيز بأن يتم اتخاذ كافة الإجراءات القانونية وسأقدم بلاغ للنائب العام، ضد كل من إدعى علي بكلام بدون أي مستند، تطاول وقال كلام بدون إثبات ومس سمعتي وكرامتي وذمتي المالية بحرف سيتم اتخاذ كل الإجراءات القانونية ضده”.
طالع | أمير توفيق يروي كواليس وتفاصيل أزمة تصريحات أحمد قندوسي
وأكمل: “كان يوجد انهيار في أسرتي خلال الأيام الماضية، أنا أعمل في الأهلي منذ 2013، أبرمت 39 صفقة، الناس القريبة مني تعرف سمعتي، والحديث عن التشكيك في ذمتي المالية جعل والدتي وزوجتي في حالة انهيار، أنا أقترب من 40 سنة وبعد هذا الكلام أجد مستقبلي يضيع، أنا لا أعلم لما قال هذا الكلام، (هل عشان الفلوس والسبوبة؟ أين الضمير؟)”.
وواصل: “أحمد قندوسي كان يريد أن يرحل عن الأهلي ببلاش في بداية الموسم، تم رفض طلبه، أنا ليس لدي تفسير في الذي حدث، كلها استنتاجات، هو طلب من خلال وكيله الرحيل بدون مقابل ورفضنا ذلك”.
وعن قرار إدارة الأهلي بإعادة تشكيل إدارة التعاقدات بعد نهاية التحقيقات مع قندوسي، أوضح: “البيان قال لا توجد مخالفة وأخذ قرار في حق اللاعب، كنت أعلم قرار الأهلي بإعادة هيكلة إدارة التعاقدات قبل البيان”.
وأردف: “في فبراير 2024، عدلي القيعي أخبرني بتواجدي في شركة الكرة، كنا نخطط لخروجي من إدارة التعاقدات، ونسلم الملف خطوة بخطوة لشخص آخر”.
وأكمل: “اليوم الكابتن محمد رمضان هو المسؤول عن الاسكاوتنج والتعاقدات، أمير توفيق الآن مدير شركة الكرة، فكيف أكون متوجدا مديرا للتعاقدات في النادي؟، أنا كنت أقوم بمهام المنصبين حتى يتم تعيين شخص آخر، الآن جاء الكابتن محمد رمضان”.
وأتم: “الكابتن محمود الخطيب ومحمد رمضان قاما بتبرئتي وهذا يكفيني لأنني ظُلمت وهما وقفا بجانبي وساعداني”.
Tottenham Hotspur finished the 2022/23 campaign as 5-1 victors at Elland Road, with Leeds United relegated and Spurs finishing eighth in the Premier League. No European football and plenty of concerns coming right up.
It was the nadir of a series of years that have failed to deliver, the promise of Mauricio Pochettino's sculpted squad flaking away since his dismissal back in 2019, months on from an agonising Champions League final defeat.
Ange Postecoglou, fresh from impressive dominance with Celtic, was appointed in June and his first campaign in London has been filled with promise, though fifth-placed and fluctuating in form, there is much still to do.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.
In fairness, the Australian did have to contend with the sale of club record scorer Harry Kane, and while a direct replacement was not signed, certain players have stepped up to fill some rather large boots.
Heung-min Son & Richarlison's season in numbers
Heung-min Son has long been regarded as one of the Premier League's deadliest goalscorers but he was guilty of poor performances last season, bagging just ten league goals as his side trundled to an unsatisfying conclusion.
That's still a somewhat respectable return, however, and far better than the ignominious efforts of Richarlison, who scored one Premier League goal all season following his £60m transfer from Everton in the summer of 2022.
Tottenham Top Scorers 23/24 (all comps)
#
Player
Stat
1.
Heung-min Son
12
2.
Richarlison
11
3.
Dejan Kulusevski
6
4.
James Maddison
3
4.
Brennan Johnson
3
4.
Pape Matar Sarr
3
4.
Cristian Romero
3
Source: BBC Sport
The dynamic duo – both effective on the left or up front – have succeeded in wreaking dejection through their clinical finishing, adversaries of true strength for opposing backlines.
They are doing a brilliant job and have kept Tottenham in contention for an emphatic return to the Champions League, the London club five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa but with a game in hand.
However, neither will serve as the true centre-forward to succeed Kane in the long term, and while speculation throughout January suggested that the end of the campaign will see the signing of a first-rate striker, Postecoglou might just have the perfect heir already within his grasp.
Alejo Veliz could be Harry Kane heir
Indeed, Kane was sold to Bayern Munich in a reported £100m deal back in August, a move that came as a surprise to no one given Spurs' issues and the England captain's burning desire to end a career-long trophy drought.
Just days earlier, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy had finalised the £13m signing of teenage centre-forward Alejo Veliz from Argentinian side Rosario Central, with the talented player hailed for his "fearsome" performances in his homeland by former youth coach Adrian Dezotti.
Alejo Veliz.
Intelligent, energetic and clinical, the 6 foot 1 Veliz has the makings of a classic Premier League forward and could match Kane in his world-class finishing and decision-making down the line, if not so creative and effective in his playmaking.
Now 20 years old, Veliz has moved on loan to Sevilla for the latter half of the 2023/24 season, having made two substitute appearances so far.
He did actually find the back of the net for Tottenham despite playing just 42 minutes of Premier League football since his arrival last summer, finishing true with a bouncing effort off the bench in a winter cameo against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Described as a prospect with a "complete" skill set by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Veliz ranks among the top 13% of positional peers for goals scored, the top 1% for clearances and the top 10% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref, which certainly does speak of a burgeoning roundedness.
And it is this ability, an inclusion of many different facets, that could allow Veliz to succeed Kane not only as Tottenham's most reliable and destructive source of goals, but as a player who can transcend the role of centre-forward to enhance and polish the performance of those around him.
Kane, for example, might be one of Europe's superlative marksmen but he also ranks among the top 21% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 6% for progressive passes per 90.
Given the fluency of Postecoglou's set-up and the requirement for dynamism – Son is a good example of this in that he shines both as a focal point and through his creative support – it might be worth entrusting Veliz with increased responsibility next season, instead of initiating an expensive outlay.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Francisco Canepa, an Argentine presenter and commentator for ESPN, has spent much time observing the rise of this exciting ace, saying: “He has that characteristic of a player that’s quite rare. There aren’t many No 9s like that now — a tall, very strong guy that knows how to play in the box. He can run and press. He’s not so good with the ball at his feet, but he’s good at taking defenders into areas they don’t want to go and attacking the empty space. He’s really smart at doing that.”
Stretching defences with his brutish presence can only further the case that he is the perfect Kane heir, consequently allowing teammates such as Son and Richarlison to weave into openings and find the back of the net themselves.
Richarlison for Tottenham.
While Son and Richarlison are the tried and tested goalscorers of Postecoglou's reign, the Spurs skipper will turn 32 during the off-season and Richarlison's track record in front of goal at the club speaks of a rise and fall in form.
Football likes to live in the present but it's important not to forget that Postecoglou is striving to build a sustainable title-chasing outfit, and Veliz could rise to become the spearhead.
He's not a factory-built heir for a player of Kane's distinctive quality, but he has all the trappings of a successful Premier League striker.
A Subprefeitura da Grande Tijuca, órgão da Prefeitura, e o Flamengo selaram uma parceria em que o clube vai selecionar, por meio de testes, crianças e adolescentes de oito comunidades da região: Andaraí, Borel, Casa Branca, Chácara do Céu, Formiga, Morro do Cruz, Salgueiro e Turano. O projeto, apadrinhado pelo ídolo Andrade, contará com jovens de 5 a 15 anos e terá o pontapé inicial nesta semana.
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Os escolhidos vão treinar no Ninho do Urubu. O projeto tem nome e sobrenome: Campo dos Sonhos. Serão ao todo oito etapas seletivas, uma em cada comunidade.A primeira acontece nesta quarta-feira, na Chácara do Céu.
O coordenador do projeto da Chácara do Céu, Nilo Matos, enxerga a parceria não apenas como uma esperança de um futuro melhor para a garotada. O mais importante, em sua opinião, é formar “bons cidadãos”. O mesmo pensa o subprefeito da Grande Tijuca, Wagner Coe.
– O objetivo do projeto vai muito além da captação de talentos ou do surgimento de um novo craque. Pretendemos fomentar o esporte, estimular a adesão de jovens aos projetos esportivos desenvolvidos nas comunidades e contribuir na formação de bons cidadãos tijucanos – afirma Wagner Coe.
Os jovens participantes do Campo dos Sonhos recebem formação no esporte, orientação educacional e de cidadania, além de estímulos à autoestima por parte das equipes de coordenadores.
– Temos uma bandeira que pode ajudar muito as comunidades a dar maior visibilidade aos projetos sociais desenvolvidos e a manter essas iniciativas. Há intenção de encontrar e colher um novo talento e também de dar oportunidades de outras formas. Não importa se o atleta vai jogar pelo clube ou por outro, mas ele será exemplo para outros meninos da sua comunidade. Não é só questão de buscar novos craques, temos o objetivo maior de transformar vidas e fomentar sonhos – declara o vice-presidente da base do Ninho do Urubu, Vitor Zanelli.
+ Veja a tabela completa da Libertadores
Com a participação do Flamengo nos projetos já existentes, calcula-se que mais de 1.200 famílias sejam beneficiadas. Em março, um evento na Gávea marcou o lançamento da parceria, que também foi comemorada pelo clube rubro-negro.
Veja mais sobre o projeto em vídeo divulgado pela FlaTV:
Adam Lyth hits 48 and takes five wickets, but ends up on losing side as Gurney and Luke Fletcher close out tense win
David Hopps at Trent Bridge25-Aug-2019
Adam Lyth scored 48 and took five wickets, but ended up on the losing side•Getty Images
There are few trickier death bowlers in the Blast than Harry Gurney and Jordan Thompson now knows that more painfully than most. Three times in the last four balls, Thompson swung at Gurney and missed, giving Notts a three-run win to take them along with Lancashire into the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast and eliminating Yorkshire in the process.Gurney, who had been short of his best, had to defend 12 from the last over, and Yorkshire again were in the ascendancy when Will Fraine, playing against his former county, launched the first ball over long-on for six. But Fraine then fell at backward point and, although Thompson did middle one delivery to long-on for two, the dominant sound was a swishing and a cursing.Luke Fletcher also played a fine hand at the death. His first two overs had leaked 25, but a fine boundary-saving pounce at short fine allowed him to begin the 19th over with Yorkshire still needing 18 off the last two overs. He yorked Jack Leaning with his first ball and Tim Bresnan with his last to send emergency signals blaring in what had always been a tightly-judged chase.Trent Bridge was packed almost to capacity as nearly 14,000 turned up on a baking summer’s day to see Notts reach the last eight, but much of the Notts innings was little more than a backdrop because for all but the most ardent supporter it was inevitable that thoughts would stray to Headingley.The biggest ovation of the day came when Notts were 76 for 2, not because of anything before their eyes, but for news of an astounding victory at Headingley where Ben Stokes had added a heroic Ashes innings to his exploits in the World Cup final to confirm himself as one of the greats of the game. Trent Bridge felt like a part of a great cricketing family.”It got a little bit interesting for me when they hit six off the first ball of the final over but I’m always confident when you’ve got double figures to defend in the last over,” Gurney said. “I’m not sure we’ll be grabbing the back pages tomorrow but we’re all England fans in our dressing room apart from Dan Christian – and he’s getting plenty of stick.”On a slow, low Nottingham surface, nobody was thinking much about greatness. Until a thrilling climax, it was a largely desultory afternoon on a sluggish pitch in 30C heat when adequacy was hard enough and slow bowlers held sway.Notts laboured for most of their innings. Joe Clarke’s half-century held them together even though he was not at his most fluent and was dropped on 3 – he did not field later because of cramp. When Clarke and Tom Moores fell to Lyth in successive balls, Notts had declined to 99 for 5 off 16, but posted 148 for 7 with 43 coming off the last three overs.Joe Clarke swings through the leg side•Getty Images
Perhaps Christian, Notts’ Australian captain, had been working off a bit of Stokes-derived frustration. His unbeaten 31 from 16 balls shook Notts into some sort of order, 16 of three balls off David Willey in the 18th over finally achieving an impetus they had struggled to achieve. Fletcher’s six off the penultimate ball, from Lyth, was another decisive intervention from the big fella before Lyth had him caught in the deep from the last ball to return startling figures of 5 for 31.Lyth’s all-round prowess with bat and ball might not have been the most obvious route for Yorkshire to have sought to revive their Blast season, but he produced one of the best bat-and-ball displays in the county’s T20 history.He had only taken 10 T20 wickets in 110 previous appearances before he stepped out at Trent Bridge, but his gently-flighted offspin suddenly seemed to have taken on new guile. He later struck 48 from 51 balls in orderly fashion before he squirted a back-of-the-hand delivery from Gurney to backward point. With Yorkshire needing 49 from 38 with seven wickets left he had cause to hope he had done enough.Yorkshire’s T20 season has adopted many forms this summer, few of them convincing, but this was the second time in a week that an unsung offspinner made a striking intervention. Five wickets for Jack Shutt at Chester-le-Street had helped them beat Durham three days earlier, a match in which Lyth also picked up three.”We should have got over the line but credit to Notts, they grind those sorts of results out on their own patch and we crumbled a bit under the pressure at the end,” said Yorkshire’s coach, Andrew Gale. “I think 85 percent of the game we played some smart cricket.”That sums up our one-day cricket, we can’t get over the line. We’ve tied three games and lost by a run in one of them and until we stand and take responsibility in key moments under pressure then we are where we are.”Three runs was another tight margin and Gale’s frustration was understandable, but it only told half the story. Yorkshire are now nearer to solving their perennial shortcomings in T20 cricket and, outside their top three, they lack star quality.Three runs or not, that it was Notts who proceeded to the last eight felt entirely appropriate.
Umesh Yadav will replace the fast bowler in India’s squad
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2019
Jasprit Bumrah celebrates a wicket•Associated Press
Jasprit Bumrah, India’s No. 1 fast bowler, has been ruled out of the Test series against South Africa, which begins in Visakhapatnam on October 2. Bumrah has suffered a “minor stress fracture in his lower back,” according to a BCCI press release. The injury came to light “during a routine radiological screening.”Umesh Yadav will replace Bumrah in India’s Test squad. The emergence of Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami as India’s first-choice fast-bowling combination has reduced Umesh’s opportunities of late, limiting him to only five Tests since the start of 2018. In his second-to-last Test, however, he picked up a career-best match haul of 10 for 133 against West Indies in Hyderabad.Watch cricket on ESPN+
India v South Africa is available in the US on Hotstar and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the three Tests.
Bumrah’s injury is a significant blow to India. Since his Test debut in January 2018, he has quickly established himself as one of the world’s most dangerous fast bowlers, picking up 62 wickets in 12 Test matches at an average of 19.24. He already has five-wicket hauls in each of the four tours he has been on – South Africa, England, Australia and the West Indies – and the series against South Africa was to be his first at home.This is the second time Bumrah has had to miss Tests due to injury. A thumb injury, picked up during a T20I against Ireland in Malahide, forced him to miss the first half of India’s tour of England last year, including the first two Tests. The stress fracture, though, will worry India a little more since it was not sustained on the field of play.India have been mindful of Bumrah’s workload, resting him from the limited-overs legs of their tours of Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies earlier this year.Some, though, believe it will help Bumrah’s fitness to play as much cricket as possible.”Bumrah should play as many games as possible, I always endorse that,” the former India quick Zaheer Khan told when asked what the best way to preserve Bumrah would be. “More matches you play, more experience you get. That bowling rhythm and fitness is very important. You have to strike that right balance.”The way Bumrah has evolved in such a short span of time has been remarkable. He is a thinking bowler. You can achieve such success, when you keep improving, keep thinking, keep upgrading.”
As Arsenal look to sustain their recent rise back to the top of European football, the Gunners could reportedly place an offer to sign a former Manchester City gem, in what would be an excellent coup for Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal transfer news
Now a matter of months away from the summer transfer window, the rumour mill has already started regarding potential Arsenal incomings. The Gunners have already been linked with a move for Ivan Toney again, in a deal that would reportedly be worth as much as £80m. Meanwhile, in an attempt to provide competition for Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, the north London club have been tipped to pursue Wolverhampton Wanderers star Pedro Neto, who could be sold for more than £60m this summer.
Wolves winger Pedro Neto.
So with or without the Premier League title this season, Arsenal are seemingly in for another busy summer of splashing the cash. As things stand, Arteta's side sit just two points adrift of Liverpool at the top of the league and one point behind second-placed Manchester City. With 12 games to go, the Gunners will need to be as perfect as possible if they are to dethrone the Citizens and beat Liverpool to win their first league title since their Invincible campaign in 2003/04.
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ByAlex Roberts Dec 7, 2023
If they do manage to pull off that achievement, they'll be well-placed to land their transfer targets, including Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. According to reports in Spain, Arsenal could submit a €30m (£26m) bid to sign Bynoe-Gittens from Borussia Dortmund this summer. Arteta reportedly believes that the winger has the potential to become a big star in the future and could now have the chance to oversee that development.
Those at the Emirates will hope that the prospect of returning to English football four years on from his Manchester City release will tempt Bynoe-Gittens enough into completing a move this summer.
"Explosive" Bynoe-Gittens can prove Guardiola wrong
Still just 21 years old, Bynoe-Gittens has bounced back from his Manchester City exit in style at Dortmund, following in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho in the process. Now, the winger could replicate Sancho once again by moving back to the Premier League. But that's where he will hope the comparisons end after Sancho's nightmare spell at Manchester United, before re-joining Dortmund on loan in January.
Arsenal's current environment, which has already done so well to develop the likes of Saka and Martinelli, is one that Bynoe-Gittens could prosper in rather than follow the path of disappointment that befell Sancho, who walked into a more difficult dressing room at Manchester United. As the chance to prove Pep Guardiola wrong over his City release potentially comes his way, Bynoe-Gittens could return to England with a point to prove.
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens: Bundesliga 2023/24 stats
Starts
10
Goals
1
Assists
4
Stats via Transfermarkt
Dortmund manager Edin Terzic will certainly be hoping to keep hold of the young winger, having sung his praises via the official Bundesliga website. Terzic said: "He's a game-changer in the truest sense. He's just so explosive."
Come this summer, however, it could be Arteta who is left benefiting from the "explosive" nature of Bynoe-Gittens as Arsenal prepare to make their move.
Após empatar em casa diante do Brusque, o Avaí trabalha firme para o confronto da próxima semana e precisa da vitória para sair com a vaga na final.
Dentro do elenco, o goleiro Gledson falou sobre a concentração do time e deixou claro que, o trabalho é realizado para o Leão sair de campo com a classificação.
‘São duas semanas de preparação para a gente corrigir aquilo que estávamos pecando. Vamos trabalhar bastante finalização e aprimorar ainda mais o setor defensivo para buscar a vitória diante do Brusque. O mais importante é focar no trabalho, tentar corrigir nossas deficiências e melhorar o que já estava sendo bem feito. Sabemos que será difícil, mas só a vitória nos interessa’, declarou.
Por conta do empate, o Avaí só chega à decisão em caso de vitória em cima do Brusque.
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The opener will begin his search for form against Queensland at the Gabba on Thursday
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2019Trevor Hohns, Australia’s national selector, has stopped short of guaranteeing David Warner his spot for the opening Test of the season following his woeful Ashes series.Warner managed just 95 runs – the lowest tally for an opener to have batted 10 times in a series – as Stuart Broad removed him seven times.Last week, Test captain Tim Paine, who does not have an official voice in selection, suggested that Warner’s record gave him “enough credits in the bank” to secure his position at the top of the order for the series against Pakistan which starts on November 21 in Brisbane. Warner averages 59.64 in home Tests where he has made 15 of his 21 Test hundreds.ALSO READ: Where have Australia’s batsmen (other than Steve Smith) gone?However, ahead of the Sheffield Shield that begins on Thursday – which includes Warner’s New South Wales side facing Queensland at the Gabba – Hohns did not put his full weight behind him.”I’m not going to comment on that right now,” Hohns said when asked if Warner’s spot was cemented regardless of early-season form. “David knows what he has to do as well as anybody, same as Marcus Harris and any of the players that played in England. Make no bones about it, there is a couple of batting spots, two or three, up for grabs.”Warner was not the only opener to struggle in the Ashes with Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris making 102 runs between them. That pair, along with Joe Burns, Matt Renshaw and possibly Usman Khawaja, will be battling for the Test positions.”There are plenty of openers around the country, it’s up to them to perform,” Hohns said. “The players who performed well [in the Ashes] know and those that didn’t know and it’s up to them to put performances on the board to have a chance to be chosen. If you want to relate it to the Ashes it was difficult for both countries, it seemed like the hardest place to bat. The slate is wiped clean [at home], in different conditions, but it’s nice if we have in-form openers, there’s no doubt about that.”ALSO READ: Can the Sheffield Shield answer these Test questions?On Tuesday Warner was included in Australia’s T20I squad to face Sri Lanka and Pakistan so he will have a maximum of three Sheffield Shield matches before the first Test next month.He and Steven Smith are now back in all three formats following their bans and are inked in at the top of the T20I order, alongside captain Aaron Finch, as Australia begin a year-long build-up to the men’s T20 World Cup next October.Hohns acknowledged that the selectors would keep a close eye on the workload of those players who appear across all formats. After the home Tests against Pakistan and New Zealand there is a one-day series in India, a limited-overs tour of South Africa, a home one-day series with New Zealand then a T20I series across the Tasman to complete the season.”That’ll be something we’ll be very mindful of as the season goes on,” Hohns said. “It’s difficult for players to play every format, which [Smith and Warner] in particular and probably Pat Cummins and a couple of them are likely to do. But we’ll certainly be keeping an eye on their workloads and making sure they don’t get tired. Obviously there is a massive focus on this T20 World Cup in 12 months’ time.”
Darwin Nunez's last-second winner against Nottingham Forest last weekend said a lot about this Liverpool side, but then it also said very little; throwing in the towel is inconceivable to this remarkable squad.
The victory, Liverpool's sixth on the bounce in all competitions since a meek Premier League defeat at Arsenal at the start of February, has seen the Carabao Cup clinched, an FA Cup quarter-finals tie against Manchester United set up and the position at the summit of the top-flight protected.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Manchester City, imperious as always, travel to Anfield on Sunday in a league showdown for the ages, with the outfits a point apart and third-placed Arsenal one behind again – a draw on Merseyside would see the Gunners reclaim pole position, should they win against Brentford on Saturday.
But first, Liverpool must journey onto the continent to meet Sparta Prague in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie, with Jurgen Klopp's injury-hit side likely to shuffle around ahead of the weekend's critical juncture in the Premier League.
Liverpool team news vs Sparta Prague
The big one. Liverpool are set to welcome Mohamed Salah back to the squad after the Egyptian talisman aggravated a muscular injury on his goalscoring return against Brentford in February.
Elsewhere, Nunez, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo all made their returns last time out, all off the bench, and while Klopp will be wary of Sunday's contest, all three will play some part in the Czech Republic.
Jayden Danns is unavailable after suffering concussion against Forest, while a bloated injury list still contains Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Joel Matip.
Despite all these absentees, Klopp might be wise to place his midfield general, Alexis Mac Allister, on the bench this evening, given the variables surrounding the forthcoming period of action.
Why Alexis Mac Allister must be benched
Mac Allister joined Liverpool in a deal worth £35m last summer, having been the centrepiece in Brighton & Hove Albion's excellent season that bred European qualification and won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to boot.
As per FBref, the dynamo ranks among the top 15% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 18% for passes attempted, the top 20% for progressive passes and the top 5% for blocks per 90, highlighting his rounded skill set and influence as the orchestrator in the centre.
This doesn't even paint the full picture by half, with Mac Allister's elite technical quality, his tenacity, his drive, all combining to place the woes of the 2022/23 campaign firmly in the past.
Liverpool's midfield was stagnant and sapped of strength but no more, with the 25-year-old praised for his "outstanding" level of performance by correspondent Neil Jones.
In the top flight, as per Sofascore, Mac Allister has posted two goals and four assists across 22 matches, completing 88% of his passes, completing 63% of his dribbles and averaging 2.7 tackles, 1.2 key passes, 5.7 ball recoveries and 5.6 successful duels per game.
But, with so many players sidelined over recent weeks, the £150k-per-week ace has played relentlessly and will now need to be rested, with Endo likely to assume a starting berth as the midfield anchor.
Not the only player needing a rest, Klopp might be inclined to return Andy Robertson to the bench this evening. The Scottish left-back has been beset with injury this season and while he has demonstrated much of his trademark prowess since returning in January, he's still a little rusty.
Why Klopp must ditch Andy Robertson
Robertson has been a staple of Liverpool's success throughout the Klopp era but he was felled by injury in the early stage of the current campaign and thus has been unable to hit his apex.
Having amassed 283 appearances under Klopp's guidance after signing from Hull City for £10m back in 2017 (an acquisition met with some raised eyebrows), Robertson has won it all and is currently tied with Alexander-Arnold as the highest-assisting defender in Premier League history, with 58 assists.
Liverpool XI: Andy Robertson's Full PL Debut
Liverpool 1-0 Crystal Palace (19/08/2017)
GK – Simon Mignolet
RB – Joe Gomez
CB – Joel Matip
CB – Ragnar Klavan
LB – Andy Robertson
DM – Jordan Henderson
CM – James Milner
CM – Gini WIjnaldum
RW – Roberto Firmino
LW – Sadio Mane
CF – Daniel Sturridge
Sourced via Transfermarkt
Last time out, against Nottingham Forest, the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle branded him with a 5/10 match score, writing: 'Somewhat loose with some of his passing first half which led to at least one Forest opening. Missed a great chance second half. Booked and subbed.'
Lest we forget, Robertson has only started four games since returning from a long-term absence due to shoulder surgery suffered on international duty in October, and he hasn't exactly been abject since his comeback, rather, a shade off the pace while still upholding his energy, determination and creativity.
Andy Robertson in action for Liverpool.
For example, he might have been criticised for his output at the City Ground but the statistics certainly don't muddy his performance too badly, with the Scotland captain winning four of his six contested duels, making two tackles, completing 89% of his passes and creating four key passes.
However, the 29-year-old did miss a glorious opportunity while indeed culpable for some questionable defending at times, ceding possession on 15 occasions. Given that he also failed to attempt a single dribble that has become a staple of his performance on Liverpool's left flank over the years, he will need to improve.
In his stead, Kostas Tsimikas should start, with the versatile Joe Gomez likely required in his natural right-back position to give Conor Bradley a rest before the Manchester City fixture.
Klopp benches Mac Allister in Liverpool predicted XI vs Sparta Prague
The Reds travel to the Czech Republic in the first leg of their Europa last 16 tie tomorrow evening.
ByAngus Sinclair Mar 6, 2024
Tsimikas is only just back from injury himself but he provided the assist for Virgil van Dijk's winning goal in the Carabao Cup final and ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive carries and the top 18% for interceptions per 90.
He can more than hold his own against Železná Sparta, who will seek to fight fire with fire and, as such, Liverpool will need to ensure their creative and offensive output holds up.
Manchester City might lurk round the corner but Klopp will have full focus on securing a result in Prague. While he will have to rotate, Liverpool have the players to succeed.