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Who’s ready to do it all over again next season? Arne Slot, for sure, will be champing at the bit, desperate to lead Liverpool out for his second season.

This time, however, the Dutch coach will not be an unknown commodity but a Premier League champion, having dominated the division to cement legendary status and join an exclusive list of triumphant debutants in the dugout.

Federico Chiesa will be frustrated with his minimal role across the campaign, especially since he’s the club’s only signing since Jurgen Klopp completed his midfield rebuild in August 2023, but injuries and Mohamed Salah’s brilliance have left the right-sided forward shackled to the sidelines for much of the year.

Chiesa’s future is undetermined, but one thing that is certain: FSG have rewarded Slot with a deep purse for summer spending.

Sporting director Richard Hughes is already working overtime, but there’s plenty more to come. Let’s have a look at how Liverpool could line up when all’s said and done come Autumn.

1 GK – Alisson Becker

Liverpool agreed a £29m deal with Valencia for Giorgi Mamardashvili last summer, and the Georgian will now join the Anfield side. However, he’ll be hard-pressed to oust Alisson Becker from his spot between the sticks.

Alisson’s brilliance has forced Caoimhin Kelleher, a fantastic goalkeeper in his own right, to search for pastures new, and Mamardashvili will have to wait to nail down the number one spot.

2 RB – Jeremie Frimpong

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Liverpool and sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer will be a contentious subject for many years to come, but Hughes and Co might just have struck gold in replacing him with Jeremie Frimpong.

The electric right-sider has left Bayer Leverkusen after Liverpool met his £29.5m release clause, and the contrast he will offer from Conor Bradley could add a wonderfully dynamic dimension to Slot’s team.

3 CB – Ibrahima Konate

Ibrahima Konate continues to be non-committal on the contract front, but there have been tentative claims of late pertaining to progress at the negotiating table.

The 24-year-old is one of the best centre-backs in the business right now, a wonderful, athletic counterpoint to the skipper beside him.

4 CB – Virgil van Dijk

Like Salah (and unlike Alexander-Arnold), Virgil van Dijk signed a two-year contract extension at Liverpool in April and will continue his iconic career at the club.

Easily one of the best defenders of his generation, the Netherlands native is inspiring, influential and, above all else, an incredible footballer.

5 LB – Milos Kerkez

Though a deal has yet to be wrapped up, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that “club-to-club talks are underway” between Liverpool and Bournemouth.

Andy Robertson, 31, has been a stalwart servant at Liverpool for so many years, but he was a clear weak link at times this year, and Kerkez, a decade his junior, would be the perfect long-term addition.

6 CM – Ryan Gravenberch

The Premier League’s Young Player of the Year award went to Ryan Gravenberch, and rightly so.

Has there been a more influential surprise package in the division this year? After a middling debut campaign on Merseyside, the 22-year-old has gone from strength to strength.

Ryan Gravenberch in the Premier League

Stats (* per game)

23/24

24/25

Matches (starts)

26 (12)

37 (37)

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

4

Touches*

28.8

66.5

Pass completion

83%

89%

Key passes*

0.6

0.7

Dribbles*

0.9

1.0

Ball recoveries*

2.8

5.2

Tackles + interceptions*

1.5

3.5

Total duels (won)*

2.8 (47%)

5.0 (57%)

Stats via Sofascore

Liverpool failed to convince Martin Zubimendi to join their cause one year ago, but they won’t care a jot anymore.

7 CM – Alexis Mac Allister

There are rumours that Alexis Mac Allister is wanted by Real Madrid, but Liverpool will not let their midfield life-force leave this summer.

He’s almost underrated, Mac Allister, one of the biggest proponents of Slot’s tactical vision.

8 RW – Mohamed Salah

Salah. What is there to say?

Thank you, perhaps. The Egyptian King has brought so much joy, so much success to Liverpool, and he’s deservedly a two-time Premier League champion, having obliterated any number of records across the term.

Will Salah, 33 this month, match this season’s haul of 34 goals and 23 assists across all competitions?

Maybe, maybe not. In any case, the right winger will expect a higher calibre of attacking quality surrounding him.

9 AM – Florian Wirtz

What better way to reward Salah for his almighty campaign than to sign Florian Wirtz, who is regarded by sports media professional Cristian Nyari as a “truly generational talent.”

Liverpool have been locked in talks with Leverkusen for the 22-year-old playmaker, with the Germans holding out for a €150m (£126m) fee; some more talking may be required.

If Liverpool do manage to get this one over the line, it would be quite the way to offset the malaise enveloping Trent’s move to sunny Spain.

10 LW – Anthony Gordon

Luis Diaz has given a lot to Liverpool over his years at the club, and the 28-year-old is entering the penultimate year of his contract with his stock sky-high. Barcelona and Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr are both keen.

Liverpool would need to replace their Colombian maverick, and, if Football Insider are to be believed, interest in Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon could be revisited.

Newcastle would want £80m for their prized winger, but Gordon is a boyhood Liverpool fan and would be curious at moving back to Merseyside.

Manchester City have already spent big in 2025, and are showing no signs of easing up.

In January, the Sky Blues splashed a reported £180m on five new signings, recruiting Abdukodir Khusanov, Juma Bah, Vitor Reis, Nico González and Omar Marmoush.

Nevertheless, after suffering an early Champions League exit and relinquishing their Premier League title, Pep Guardiola is set to oversee a major rebuild in the summer, with plenty more new signings set to arrive at the Etihad.

Manchester City targeting a new goalkeeper

As reported by Foot Mercato, Manchester City have been ‘given the initial green light’ in their attempt to sign Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who they claim is ‘keen on joining the club’.

The report notes that Costa has a €75m release clause, around £64m, reporting that Man City are willing to ‘break the bank’ to secure his services, following Ederson’s ‘disappointing season’.

Editor Zach Lowy certainly thinks this would be a good move, labelling Costa “one of the best goalkeepers in world football”, notably becoming the first goalkeeper to save three penalties in a European Championship shootout last summer, as Portugal dumped out Slovenia in Frankfurt.

Kevin Araújo Fernandes of Breaking the Lines asserts that Costa is ‘inarguably one of the brightest’ goalkeepers on the planet, underlining that he would be an excellent signing for Manchester City, but did they already sell an even bigger talent?

Manchester City already sold a bigger goalkeeping star

On Monday, following their 2-1 win over Sheffield United at Turf Moor, Burnley’s promotion back to the Premier League was confirmed.

Astonishingly, the Claret have conceded just 15 goals in 44 EFL Championship fixtures to date, hence why goalkeeper James Trafford has been earning plenty of plaudits.

Scott Parker’s side kept 11 successive clean sheets earlier this year, just the fifth club in English Football League history to achieve this, while enjoying 28 shutouts in total to date; the previous second-tier record was 25.

Meantime, the former record for fewest goals conceded in a Championship season is 30, while the Clarets’ require clean sheets from the final two fixtures, against QPR and Millwall, to match Chelsea’s all-time record of 15 goals conceded, achieved under José Mourinho in 2004/05, albeit in eight fewer matches.

Trafford has been a key figure in this defensive solidity, described as “world-class” by his manager Parker, with the table below underlining exactly why.

As the table outlines, Trafford comes out on top for pretty much every statistic this season, with his two penalty saves especially remarkable considering they came just nine minutes apart, in the 88th and 97th minutes no less, denying Wilson Isidor both times, preserving a goalless draw against Sunderland in January.

Trafford joined Manchester City’s academy as a 13-year-old, before being sold to Burnley for a reported £19m two years ago, with Transfermarkt believing his current market value is now at its peak.

Thus, the 22-year-old is unquestionably a talented goalkeeper, so let’s analyse how he compares to Costa.

As the table outlines, Trafford has outperformed Costa this season, while plying his trade at only a slightly lower level; according to Global Football Rankings, the Championship is the 11th strongest league in the world, with the Primeira Liga ranked seventh.

So, regardless of who you believe to be the better goalkeeper, selling Trafford for £19m only to then sign Costa for in excess of three times more may be viewed as a mistake.

100% dribbles, 88% passing: Pep has found his own Cambiaso in Man City star

Manchester City claimed a vital 2-1 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Tuesday, with one star in particular catching the eye.

By
Ben Gray

Apr 23, 2025

Manchester City have now seemingly come out the other side of their disastrous dip in form in the Premier League with Pep Guardiola’s men yet to taste the bitter disappointment of a loss this April.

A comprehensive 5-2 victory secured over Crystal Palace at the Etihad in the middle of the positive month has since been followed up by a determined late 2-0 win over Everton on Easter weekend, leaving City sitting pretty in fourth spot in the tight Champions League race.

An FA Cup semi-final even awaits the boosted Citizens heading into May, but before any talk about Wembley intensifies, the away faithful packed into Goodison Park would have been pleased with a number of top performances from their beloved side.

Man City's best performers at Everton

The visitors would have known it was going to be a tough contest when travelling to the blue half of Merseyside, with David Moyes’ men fresh off a brilliant 1-0 win on the road at Nottingham Forest away from City’s own upturn in results.

Still, City would finish the contest as 2-0 victors, with makeshift full-back Matheus Nunes and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan picking up assists to play key roles in the away day success.

Gundogan was crucial in sealing the three points when teeing up late second-half substitute Mateo Kovacic for his emphatic strike, with the 34-year-old even firing two efforts of his own at Jordan Pickford’s goal.

Away from the likes of Gundogan shining bright, City also had to stand strong defensively when the Toffees ventured forward themselves, with Stefan Ortega making two big saves to preserve his clean sheet, on top of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol having to remain cool throughout with a remarkable combined 213 touches.

But, there is one performer who hasn’t yet been mentioned who stole the show once more, with wild shouts even claiming that Guardiola could have his very own Declan Rice.

Guardiola is brewing his very own Rice

The outspoken Spaniard has been unafraid to chuck youngsters into the City first team mix this season, with 22-year-old James McAtee scoring in the aforementioned rout versus Oliver Glasner’s men, on top of 21-year-old sensation Abdukodir Khusanov gaining six Premier League starts after arriving over the winter.

But, the most hyped starlet of them all is Nico O’Reilly and deservedly so, with the breakout number 75 scoring yet another senior strike at the death at Goodison to take his men’s career total to a stunning five goals and two assists from 14 outings.

These unbelievable numbers to date have led to outlandish comparisons being drawn between the Manchester-born ace and Arsenal enforcer, Rice. Indeed, speaking earlier this amid O’Reilly’s impressive form, City content creator Stephen McInerney stated that he has the “physicality of someone like Rice” alongside his ceiling in the game being “so, so high.”

West Ham United supporters must watch on with dismay now when they consider how much Rice’s game has been elevated since leaving the London Stadium behind, with the 26-year-old even bagging two outrageous free-kicks recently in the Champions League against Real Madrid.

Much like Rice, O’Reilly can also dazzle from the centre of the pitch and that is surely where the youngster’s future lies.

AM

40

13

11

CM

28

10

6

CF

9

3

2

LB

6

4

0

SS

1

0

0

DM

1

0

0

CB

1

1

0

O’Reilly certainly has the added spice of goals and assists on his side like Rice, with his overall career numbers above largely for the U18s and U21s suggesting he could do a spectacular job under Guardiola in the midfield positions if given a chance, away from currently being shoehorned into defence.

Capable of holding his own in a tussle too, City really do have an “outstanding” talent – as he has been lauded by his manager – on their hands, with the new-look makeup of the reigning Premier League champions to come perhaps centred around the 20-year-old’s impressive emergence.

Bad news for Rico Lewis: Man City readying offer to sign £41m "engine"

Full-back has been a clear problem for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this season, but are the Sky Blues preparing to sign an “excellent” youngster?

2 ByBen Gray Apr 18, 2025

And was India’s 52 overs in Kanpur the fewest a team has faced in a Test win?

Steven Lynch08-Oct-2024India batted for only 52 overs at Kanpur yet won the Test. Was this a record? asked Ahmed Narail from India
You’re right that India’s batters received only 52 overs during that impressive victory in the rain-affected second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur last week. It’s actually the fourth-fewest balls faced by a side winning a Test – and India already have a higher entry on this list from earlier this year: they faced only 46.5 overs in clobbering South Africa in Cape Town in January.Top of the table is another rain-affected match, in Bridgetown in January 1935, when England faced only 46 overs – for totals of 81 for 7 declared and 75 for 6 – but beat West Indies by four wickets.India didn’t let Bangladesh bowl any maiden overs in Kanpur. How many times has a team bowled no maidens in a completed match? asked Sridhar from the United States
No Bangladesh bowler managed a maiden in the second Test against India in Kanpur last week. This is a good spot, as it turns out it has happened in only one other Test with a positive result: in Durban in January 1939 (the third match of the series, not the famous ten-day timeless fifth Test), England won by an innings after scoring 469 for 4 declared in 88.5 overs, none of which was a maiden. Eight-ball overs were used in that match, so it was harder to bowl a maiden. The recent Kanpur Test is thus the only one featuring six-ball overs in which the losing side failed to deliver at least one maiden.I know that Jim Laker and Tony Lock took all 20 Australian wickets at Old Trafford in 1956. But in how many other Tests did two bowlers dismiss all 20 opposition batsmen? asked Daniel Hayward from England
The Surrey spinners Jim Laker (who took 19 for 90) and Tony Lock (1 for 106) famously shared all 20 wickets in the Ashes Test at Old Trafford in 1956. It has happened in just five other Test matches, three of them also Ashes Tests. In Melbourne in January 1902, Monty Noble (13 for 77) and Hugh Trumble (7 for 87) took all 20 England wickets, while the boot was on the other foot at Edgbaston in May 1909, when Colin Blythe (11 for 102) and George Hirst (9 for 86) did the damage. And it happened again at Lord’s in 1972, when Bob Massie took 16 for 137 and Dennis Lillee 4 for 140 against England; rather surprisingly perhaps as there have been more than 1800 Tests since, this remains the most recent instance.The two non-Ashes occurrences were in Johannesburg in January 1910, when the South African spinners Ernie Vogler (12 for 181) and Aubrey Faulkner (8 for 160) accounted for all England’s batters, and in Karachi in October 1956, when Fazal Mahmood (13 for 114) and Khan Mohammad (7 for 112) set up Pakistan’s victory in their inaugural Test against Australia (this was only two Tests after the match at Old Trafford).Megan Schutt recently equalled the record held by Shabnim Ismail for the most wickets in Women’s T20 World Cups, with 43, and might yet add to her tally in the ongoing tournament•Getty ImagesWho has scored the most runs – and who has the most wickets – at women’s T20 World Cups? asked Natalie Grisham from England
The only woman with more than 1000 runs in T20 World Cups before this one got underway was New Zealand’s Suzie Bates, who had 1066. She played in all the first eight tournaments, and has already added to her tally in this one. Australia’s Meg Lanning, who has now retired, finished with 992 runs, but two players who are in the UAE this time started the tournament with more than 900: Alyssa Healy of Australia (941) and West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor (926).As for the bowlers, Shabnim Ismail of South Africa led the way with 43 wickets at T20 World Cups, before Australia’s Megan Schutt caught up with her during the ongoing one. England’s Anya Shrubsole has 41 and Australia’s Ellyse Perr has 40 wickets, but since Perry and Schutt are both playing in this tournament, they may yet add to their tally.South Africa’s top six all reached 35 in a recent ODI against Ireland. How often has this happened? asked Eddie McCann from South Africa
South Africa’s consistent display against Ireland in Abu Dhabi last week was the seventh instance of six batters all reaching 35 in an ODI innings. But only in two of the others did it involve the top six in the order: by Sri Lanka against Bangladesh during the Asia Cup in Dambulla in June 2010 – only six men batted, and the lowest individual contribution was 37 not out – and also by Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July 2015 (again only six men batted; the lowest score among them was 35 not out).There are no fewer than 35 further instances of five batters reaching 35 in the same ODI innings.There’s a solitary case of five men reaching 35 in a men’s T20I innings, by Sri Lanka (215 for 3) against West Indies in Pallekele in November 2015. And there have been eight cases of five 35s in a women’s ODI innings (and none in T20Is).Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

All the key numbers from the T20 World Cup in Australia, where ball trumped bat, and the Associate nations had a say

Sampath Bandarupalli14-Nov-2022Ball trumps bat
Favourable conditions for the pace bowlers, bouncy surfaces and massive boundaries contributed to the 2022 T20 World Cup being the second-slowest scoring edition. The tournament’s average run rate was 7.49, only behind the 2021 edition’s 7.43 hosted by the UAE and Oman. The bowlers took a wicket every 18.4 balls, the best among the eight editions of the T20 World Cup.