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Newcastle United have hit a convincing vein of form in recent weeks, rekindling their Premier League campaign and beating off Brentford to advance to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, where Arsenal await.

On Saturday, Ipswich Town were picked apart by Eddie Howe’s ruthless men, who were more like vultures than magpies. It was a season-defining week, and several stars stepped up.

Sure, Alexander Isak bagged a hat-trick, but Jacob Murphy continued his red-hot streak of form with two assists to make it three goals and three set-ups in as many matches.

Howe has many qualities, but one of his chief footballing virtues must be how he’s elevated peripheral members to Toon stardom.

Eddie Howe's Newcastle revivals

Newcastle’s team is populated by a mix of players, ranging in different levels of quality. Some excellent signings have been made along the way, but Howe has triumphed in nurturing some existing members to the fore.

Joelinton and Fabian Schar are perhaps the two salient names. Joelinton’s refashioning into a robust and powerful midfielder after initially struggling as a centre-forward has been masterful, while Schar, 32, was once labelled a “walking mistake” by journalist Josh Gibson.

Alexander Isak

85

46

9

55

Bruno Guimaraes

128

18

21

39

Callum Wilson

77

32

6

38

Anthony Gordon

84

16

15

31

Jacob Murphy

111

10

16

26

He may not be the headline-stealer all that often, patchy at the best of times, but Murphy has belied his former struggles to become a key part of a talented United side.

Unfortunately, not every struggling star has been able to restore their standing and become a mainstay within Howe’s exciting system.

Miguel Almiron, for example, has never been able to recapture that fleeting run of incredible form in the build-up to Champions League qualification. Elsewhere, Matt Targett has fallen into the St. James’ Park shadows over the past few years, and must surely be set for sale at the end of the season.

Why Newcastle must sell Matt Targett

Newcastle signed Targett from Aston Villa for a £15m fee in June 2022, sealing the deal after he had spent the second half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan at St. James’ Park.

Penning a four-year deal, the left-back will not be part of the potential exodus next summer, with big names like Schar, Callum Wilson, Jamal Lascelles and Sean Longstaff currently heading toward the end of their contracts.

Instead, the summer represents the perfect opportunity for PIF to offload a rarely-seen player who is taking up a significant part of the wage bill, earning £100k per week.

This is a hefty wage indeed, with Targett out-earning mainstays such as Sven Botman, Joe Willock and Harvey Barnes. Moreover, he’s actually earning over three times as much as Murphy, who is surely deserving of a bigger pay packet given his importance to the success of Howe’s side at the moment.

The 29-year-old hasn’t played in the Premier League this season despite sitting on the bench on nine occasions. So, it’s pretty clear that Howe doesn’t trust him to play a role in his current squad.

Last winter, it was revealed by Caught Offside that the Tynesiders were open to selling their fringe defender, and while the limited options at Howe’s disposal this year perhaps preclude a January sale, he’s got to be released from his sentence in the shadows at the end of the term, if only to prove to stars like Murphy that they are valued within the squad.

Newcastle favourites to sign amazing Murphy rival who's "like Cole Palmer"

Eddie Howe is on the hunt for a brand new Newcastle United attacker.

1 ByKelan Sarson Dec 23, 2024

Roy Keane was praised by his daughter Caragh for providing constant support through an "incurable illness" which forced her to reject her "dream job".

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• Caragh diagnosed with lupus in 2021
• Had joint pain and alopecia among other symptoms
• Roy supportive of daughter

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Diagnosed in 2021, at the age of 25, Caragh endured a difficult period marked by severe symptoms such as joint pain, alopecia, and painful blisters on her skin. Following extensive medical tests, doctors confirmed she had lupus, a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. The severity of the illness left her physically drained and cognitively impaired, with significant memory loss and constant exhaustion. At its worst, Caragh spent nearly six weeks confined to her bed.

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• WHAT CARAGH SAID

  Caragh had been offered what she described as her "dream job" at her former school in Manchester but was unable to accept the position due to the overwhelming impact of her illness.

  Speaking to the Caragh said: "I cried on the phone because I had to turn down the job and just had to say, ‘I’m really sorry, but I’m really not very well at the moment.’ I wanted to be the best teacher I could be."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite the challenges, Caragh was fortunate to have a strong and supportive family by her side. Growing up as one of five siblings – alongside her sisters Alanna, Shannon, and Leah, and her brother Aidan – she was raised in a household where her father, Roy, always made time for his children.

  "My parents were worried, but they put on a brave face a lot of the time, and they’ve been so supportive," she said. "My dad puts things into perspective and always adds that bit of humour to lighten the mood."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Rather than letting her illness define her, Caragh has used her experience to create something positive. She founded Superkeen Foods, a company dedicated to providing nutritious food options tailored for those with autoimmune conditions. Her brand’s award-winning products include cereals that are free from gluten, nuts, milk, and eggs – making them 100% natural and suitable for individuals following an autoimmune-friendly diet. By channeling her struggles into a business that promotes healing and better dietary choices, Caragh has turned adversity into an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others facing similar battles.

Stumbling to a 1-1 draw versus Northampton Town last time out, Birmingham City will be raring to go when travelling to Shrewsbury Town up next in League One action after the international break.

As a direct consequence of that unsatisfactory point versus the Cobblers, Wycombe Wanderers now currently find themselves at the top of the division over Chris Davies’ Blues, having impressively won their last six league clashes.

Still, Davies will believe in his troops that they can return back to the summit very soon, having got some top performances out of his star-studded camp this campaign.

Birmingham's best performers this season

Of course, it did massively help matters for Davies that he was given a lot of cash in the summer to splash out on a new-look squad after a crushing relegation.

Any manager at the level would love to have the likes of Jay Stansfield leading the line, with the ex-Fulham forward helping himself to an impressive goal return of five strikes from eight league games, which included the opening goal versus Northampton last match.

Alongside Stansfield, fellow summer recruit Willum Thór Willumsson has lit up League One with his electric attacking displays, after joining as a bumper buy from Eredivisie outfit Go Ahead Eagles.

The Icelandic ace actually has more goal contributions in the league than the much-talked-about Stansfield, with a sublime four goals and four assists from eight games to date.

Away from the firepower at Davies’ disposal, the defenders picked week in week out have also been resolute when needed for the title favourites, with Christoph Klarer winning an astounding 6.8 duels per game this season in League One.

Unfortunately, Birmingham haven’t always struck gold in the transfer department like this, with one recent flop costing the club a sizeable amount of money, only to then never score a single goal donning a Blues strip.

Sam Cosgrove's time at Birmingham

It was an almighty gamble on the end of the then Championship club to swoop in for Sam Cosgrove, who cost £2m to pick up from Aberdeen after a goal-laden couple of seasons in Scotland.

The towering 6 foot 4 forward would bow out from his time at Pittodrie with 47 strikes from 103 clashes, with Cosgrove then hopeful he could make a name for himself in the English game at St. Andrew’s.

Yet, from the get-go in his new surroundings, the deal would feel like a rash waste of money, with Cosgrove not starting a league clash for the Blues until the start of May after joining mid-way through the 2020/21 campaign.

Even after such a shaky introduction, he was openly praised for being an “excellent” player in training by ex-Birmingham boss Lee Bowyer who had replaced Aitor Karanka – the man who purchased Cosgrove. Sadly, the ex-Aberdeen star continued to look out of his depth despite some glowing words of encouragement.

Looking at the table above, it’s very clear that the £2m forked out on Cosgrove’s services could have been better spent elsewhere, but the tall attacker wouldn’t necessarily be given a whole load of chances to impress, with just two league starts coming his way across his entire cursed stay at the Blues.

Still, it goes without saying that the move was a big waste of time and money, with the 27-year-old’s wage also burning a hole in Birmingham’s back pocket, considering Cosgrove was on a hefty £10.7k weekly wage and an annual salary of £560k. For context, that’s even more than the aforementioned Stansfield is reportedly earning in the Midlands, with the red-hot striker taking home £10k-per-week.

He has since repaired his damaged reputation in the EFL by helping himself to seven goals and six assists on the books at Barnsley, but he would end up draining Birmingham dry of around £2.5m in total by the time of his release last year.

Cosgrove will have a chance to get one over on his former club when the Tykes face off against Birmingham next month, but the Blues have more pressing concerns at hand over reuniting with their ex-striker in trying to immediately return to the league above.

Birmingham thought they had "another Demarai Gray", now he plays in China

This Birmingham City wonderkid never lived up to his hype.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 17, 2024

Yerry Mina has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo for his mental strength as he picked the Portugal icon as the hardest striker he has played against.

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Mina hails Ronaldo's mental strengthPlayed against Ronaldo in Spain and EnglandCould never distract the Portuguese superstarFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mina, who has played for clubs including Barcelona and Everton in the past, has picked Ronaldo as the toughest opponent he has ever faced. The 30-year-old centre-back played against Ronaldo in the second half of the 2017/18 La Liga season after he moved to Catalunya from Palmeiras in January 2018. The next season, Mina moved to Everton while Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join Juventus. The duo came face to face once again in 2021 after the Portugal star moved back to England with Manchester United.

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Mina spoke highly of Ronaldo's mental strength and concentration on the pitch as he revealed he tried to distract the forward by constantly whispering words into his ears while marking. The defender also praised Harry Kane, who, like Ronaldo, constantly ignored his distracting words.

WHAT YERRY MINA SAID

Speaking to , Mina said: "The hardest striker I have ever marked is undoubtedly Cristiano Ronaldo. During his time at Manchester United, when I played for Everton. His secret? Everything around him. He is never distracted… I tried to talk to him during the game, but he never listened to me! He is very strong mentally. I would go up to him, whisper a thousand things in his ear, but he would constantly ignore me. Even Harry Kane… He wouldn't even look at me."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO?

The 40-year-old will be back in action for Al-Nassr on Friday as they take on Al-Shabab in a crucial Saudi Pro League clash.

England’s stand-in coach expects “caged tigers” Stokes and Broad to make a mark in the SCG Test

Andrew McGlashan04-Jan-2022Pat Cummins continues to bask in the glory of retaining the Ashes in ruthless fashion, but has also lent a sympathetic ear to England’s off-field challenges with Covid-19, even as the visitors’ stand-in coach Graham Thorpe hoped that cricket could find a more sustainable way to deal with the ongoing challenges.Related

Lyon excited about bowling partnership with Swepson

Root hopes for turnaround despite 'disjointed' situation

England have had to prepare for the Sydney Test with a threadbare coaching staff, with four members, including head coach Chris Silverwood, isolating back in Melbourne after Covid was initially detected among family members that are part of the touring group.”They’ve sacrificed quite a lot to come over here,” Cummins said. “Two weeks’ quarantine, time away from families, some restrictions on what they can do, opposed to pre-pandemic. They’ve had some positive cases, the coach being away from this game, it’s been really tough for them. We are really thankful they are out here as part of the series.”Australia have also been impacted, with Travis Head ruled out of the fourth Test after testing positive, but that remains the only case in the camp even though Cummins was forced to miss the second Test in Adelaide after being deemed a close contact. Under the current government guidelines, he would have been free to play.Both teams wanted to avoid biosecure bubbles for this series and Cricket Australia has resisted tightening restrictions beyond their level-four protocols, which mean players can still dine outside and maintain a degree of freedom but that has brought additional risk, especially in Melbourne and Sydney.

“You have to be able to find ways of throwing punches back at good bowling attacks. I’ve always been one for trying to set up to score (and) then trust your defence if the ball is in the right area. So trying to keep that simple for the players”Graham Thorpe

England’s hopes of bolstering resources by bringing in Adam Hollioake, who lives on the Gold Coast, were scuppered when he was also deemed a close contact and had to isolate. It has meant everyone has had to chip in with different roles, including the physios and analyst helping with fielding drills and players giving plenty of throwdowns. On Monday, Joe Root called on his players to use the adversity as motivation as they try to regain some pride after three thrashings saw the Ashes decided inside 12 days.Thorpe, who has taken charge in Silverwood’s absence, supported by James Foster and Ant Botha, admitted there had been distractions for the players. Numbers have skyrocketed in New South Wales in the last couple of weeks with over 20,000 per day and the squad has been tested daily since the first cases were detected in Melbourne, although that is now set to be relaxed somewhat.”[Covid] has always been lingering in the back and it has been distracting,” Thorpe said. “Not knowing whether you’ll be moving into the next venue, or whether your family is going to be in a hotel room for seven to ten days, similar with players. The constant testing day-in, day-out is a distraction.”I’d like to think we can find a better way around it in the future. I do understand it. Australia is in a very different situation. I’d like to think cricket can find a way around it because England have played a lot of cricket as well. A lot of our players have been in these environments for quite a while. Being able to look after their mental state of mind is very important.”Thorpe expects “caged tigers” Ben Stokes (in pic) and Stuart Broad ” to put in a performance” at the SCG•Getty ImagesIn terms of trying to turn their fortunes around on the field, Thorpe wants to see freedom from the players and made specific reference to Ben Stokes and the recalled Stuart Broad, who has made his displeasure of only playing once in the first three matches clear.”We’ve got a couple of caged tigers coming into this match, Ben being one of them and Stuart Broad is another,” Thorpe said. “They’ll want to put in a performance for themselves and collectively as a team and that’s been our focus over the last few days.”The batting line-up that capitulated for 68 in Melbourne has been given another chance, but Thorpe acknowledged that there were players fighting to keep their positions in the team. While his remit has been wider this week without Silverwood on duty, the major focus has remained on the batters.”You have to be able to find ways of throwing punches back at good bowling attacks,” he said. “I’ve always been one for trying to set up to score (and) then trust your defence if the ball is in the right area. So trying to keep that simple for the players. Also to show some character and fight and have the right attitude when we go on to the pitch this week. That’s absolutely paramount, match Australia for the competitiveness on the pitch.”You get knocked down sometimes in life, you do have to get back up. There’s no hiding place. Some players are trying to establish themselves in the team, that’s an opportunity, some you might say are trying to stay in the team and that’s an opportunity as well.”

Aston Villa’s momentum in the Premier League stalled once more following a frustrating 1-1 draw against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Unai Emery’s side had won three of their last five before the clash with the Cherries, with the result at Villa Park their third draw in four games.

It was a disappointing performance overall for the Midlands outfit, who are normally dominant at home. However, it was not made easy by Andoni Iraola’s side, who were kept in the game thanks to a fantastic performance from goalkeeper Mark Travers.

John McGinn thought he gave his side the lead in the first 45 minutes. However, the goal was ruled out after it was deemed Ollie Watkins did not manage to keep the ball in play. Finally, with 76 minutes on the clock, half-time substitute Ross Barkley broke the deadlock, scrambling the ball over the line after Leon Bailey heeded a cross down.

The late drama did not stop there. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Brazilian forward Evanilson found himself unmarked in the Villa box, heading Marcus Tavernier’s free-kick home to snatch a point for the Cherries.

Although it was a disappointing performance from the Villans, there were still some standout performances throughout the game.

Villa’s best performers vs. Bournemouth

As has been the case for much of the 2024/25 campaign, Youri Tielemans was a standout player for Emery’s side on Saturday afternoon. The 27-year-old was given an impressive 8/10 rating for his work against the Cherries by John Townley, Villa correspondent for Birmingham Live.

As per Sofascore, his stats also suggest he performed well against Bournemouth. The Villa number eight had 91 touches in the middle of the park, and worked well in and out of possession, winning three duels and creating two chances.

Villans goalkeeper Emi Martinez was another player who stood out on Saturday afternoon. The World Cup winner received a 7/10 rating from Townely, who praised him for ‘excellent’ distribution and some ‘smart saves’ he pulled off.

The Argentina number one had some eye-catching stats from the game, too. He had 60 touches of the ball, making two saves and completing three high claims. Martinez also had a 76% pass accuracy and completed five long balls.

As good as the likes of Tielemans and the Villa goalkeeper were against Bournemouth, there were also some disappointing performances from players in Claret and Blue. One of the players who struggled was Amadou Onana.

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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Onana’s stats vs. Bournemouth

After his major £50m move from Everton to Villa over the summer, Belgian international Onana has looked like a particularly smart signing. He has made eight appearances in the Premier League, starting each one, and has scored twice.

Thus, an off-day against Iraola’s side might be surprising given how he has performed so far this season. The 23-year-old certainly looked out of sorts, struggling to get into the game and surprisingly losing key duels in the midfield. He was subsequently taken off for goalscorer Barkley at half-time.

His stats reflect just how tough of an afternoon it was for the Villa number 24. Onana managed just 42 touches, almost 20 fewer than Martinez. He lost possession five times and won just two of his four attempted ground duels.

Touches

42

Pass accuracy

88%

Passes completed

28/32

Number of times possession lost

5

Ground duels won

2/4

Fouls committed

1

Big chances missed

1

Indeed, the Belgian midfielder received a rating of just 6/10 from the aforementioned Townely. He explained that the early yellow card he picked up, after just four minutes, could have contributed to his substitution at half-time.

With the Villans set for a Carabao Cup meeting against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, before a tough trip to Tottenham Hotspur next weekend, Emery might well decide to rotate Onana out of the side.

Not only would this allow for rotation and minutes in the legs of other players, but could also allow the Belgian to start from the bench and find his best form with a busy Christmas period coming up.

Sold under Sherwood: Aston Villa's "beast" is now outscoring Messi in MLS

Aston Villa sold a player in 2015 who is now scoring more than Lionel Messi…

ByRoss Kilvington Oct 25, 2024

Santos have reportedly initiated transfer talks with Juventus for Arthur Melo after securing the services of Neymar from Al-Hilal.

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• Neymar set to return to his boyhood club
• Brazilian outfit looking for more quality reinforcements
• Have already approached the Bianconeri for Melo

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Brazilian outletSantos have put forward a proposal to bring in Arthur on loan until the end of the current season, with an option to make the move permanent. He shares a strong bond with Neymar, having played alongside him in the Brazilian national team. However, at just 28 years old, Arthur finds himself on the fringes at Juventus, with the Italian club actively looking for ways to offload him.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Although Juventus included Arthur in their Champions League squad list, he has not been selected for a single match this season. During the last transfer window, the midfielder was hoping for either another loan spell or a permanent move, but no concrete offers materialised. In fact, Arthur’s last official appearance came on May 29, 2023, when he played 74 minutes for Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final. However, his team suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Greek side Olympiacos.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Arthur began his professional career at Gremio, where he rose to prominence, winning the Copa do Brasil in 2016 and the Copa Libertadores in 2017. His impressive performances in Brazil attracted the attention of Barcelona, who secured his signature in 2018. During his time at Barca, Arthur played a key role in midfield, helping the club secure the 2018-19 La Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  With Juventus looking to part ways with the midfielder, a move to Santos could present Arthur with a much-needed opportunity to revive his career. In his first two seasons in Turin, Arthur made more than 30 appearances each year. However, his role in the team diminished in the 2022-23 campaign, leading to a loan move to Liverpool. Unfortunately, his time in England was marred by injury, as he played just two matches before undergoing surgery for a thigh issue.

بعد 3 تعادلات في القيادة الفنية للبرتغالي جوزيه بيسيرو، يخوض نادي الزمالك مواجهة قوية ضد نظيره إنبي، مساء غد الثلاثاء، في منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي فريقا الزمالك وإنبي، على ملعب استاد المقاولون العرب، ضمن مواجهات الجولة 17 والأخيرة من المرحلة الأولى لبطولة الدوري المصري للموسم الحالي 2024-2025.

وتنطلق مباراة الزمالك وإنبي، مساء الثلاثاء، الموافق 4 مارس الجاري، في تمام الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

الزمالك يسعى لتحقيق الانتصار الأول تحت قيادة المدير الفني الجديد بيسيرو، كما يرغب أبناء ميت عقبة في مواصلة اللحاق بثنائي الأهلي وبيراميدز، للمنافسة على لقب الدوري.

وكان الزمالك تعادل مع بتروجيت والأهلي وزد إف سي، بنتيجة 1-1 في الثلاث مباريات الأولي لـ بيسيرو مع القلعة البيضاء.

ويحتل الزمالك المركز الثالث في ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري الممتاز، برصيد 29 نقطة، بعد 16 جولة، حقق خلالهم 8 انتصارات و5 تعادلات وتعرض للهزيمة في 3 مباريات.

طالع | بيسيرو: طريقة اللعب ليست مشكلة الزمالك.. ولدي طلب من حكام الڤار

وضمن نادي الزمالك بتحصيله 29 نقطة، تواجده في الأندية 9 المتنافسة على لقب الدوري في المرحلة الثانية من المسابقة هذا الموسم.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، فريق إنبي يتواجد في المركز السابع عشر (قبل الأخير) في ترتيب جدول الدوري، برصيد 12 نقطة، حيث فاز في مباراتين وتعادل في 6 وخسر 8 مواجهات.

وسيسعى الفريق البترولي في ختام المرحلة الأولى من بطولة الدوري لتحقيق الانتصار على الزمالك، ليرفع من رصيده ومعنويات الفريق قبل انطلاق المرحلة الثانية من بطولة الدوري هذا الموسم.

وسيتواجد إنبي في المجموعة الثانية، المتنافسة على البقاء في بطولة الدوري والهروب من الهبوط إلى دوري الدرجة الثانية هذا الموسم.

يذكر أن بطولة الدوري المصري هذا الموسم تقام بنظام جديد، ينص على إقامة المواجهات من دور واحد كمرحلة أولى، ثم يتم تقسيم الأندية إلى مجموعتين، بداية من المركز الأول حتى التاسع، تتنافس على لقب الدوري.

بينما الأندية من المركز العاشر حتى الثامن عشر، تتنافس على البقاء والهبوط، على أن يهبط فريقان فقط بدلًا من ثلاثة إلى دوري القسم الثاني (دوري المحترفين).

Endrick made it in to an exclusive Real Madrid club, which also features Cristiano Ronaldo, after his brilliant brace in the Copa del Rey win.

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Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 5-2Endrick scored twice in extra-time Brazilian joins an elite list of Los Blancos legendsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid squandered a two-goal lead after Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. scored in each half, thanks to a late defensive collapse. Carlo Ancelotti had to shuffle his pack to inject fresh impetus and Endrick was brought into action. After being introduced as a substitute, the 18-year-old delivered a game-changing brace that secured Los Blancos’ place in the quarter-finals of the domestic cup competition.

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Endrick's first goal was a stunning strike from the edge of the box in the 108th minute which helped Real Madrid regain the lead. The teenager then followed it up with an audacious backheeled finish in the 119th minute to seal a hard-fought victory for Los Blancos.

DID YOU KNOW?

Endrick’s extraordinary contribution not only kept Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey hopes alive but also earned him a spot on an elite list of players in the club’s history. According to renowned statistician MisterChip, Endrick became just the fifth player to score twice for Real Madrid in extra time.

The list includes legendary figures such as Santiago Bernabéu, Sotero Aranguren, Santillana, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Bernabéu and Aranguren achieved the feat in 1916, Santillana followed in the same year, while Ronaldo accomplished it in 2016 and 2017.

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WHAT ENDRICK SAID

Speaking to Real Madrid TV after the match, Endrick said: "[The first] was a very important goal for me. This is my job. I have to do well for the team, scoring goals, doing whatever. Scoring a goal for Madrid, for these fans, the players, the staff, is really good. In the last Copa game, I missed the chances I had. Today, I had two chances and scored."

West Ham United fell to a third defeat in the last four matches last night, as Arne Slot’s Liverpool claimed a 5-1 win at Anfield.

The Hammers exited the Carabao Cup at the third round stage, losing against the same opposition for the second season in a row by the same scoreline.

Julen Lopetegui will undoubtedly be a man under pressure after the defeat, with his side’s poor start to the new campaign casting serious doubt over the Spaniard’s long-term future at the club.

After taking the lead just 21 minutes in after Jarell Quansah’s own goal, the Hammers had the perfect opportunity to build on the early goal and potentially cause a cup upset.

However, it wasn’t to be with numerous first-team members producing disastrous performances but a couple did manage to impress despite the cup exit.

West Ham’s best performers against Liverpool

In what was a disappointing display for West Ham last night, a number of players can take credit despite the defeat – producing some admirable performances considering the circumstances.

Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski may have conceded five goals, but it could’ve been a lot more had it not been for the former Poland international, with the 39-year-old making six saves during the outing at Anfield.

He registered a 70% pass completion rate as he tried to build from the back, but unfortunately, he was unable to prevent the Hammers from an early cup exit.

New addition Carlos Soler started his first game after joining on loan from PSG during the recent transfer window, staking his claim for a regular starting role at the London Stadium.

The 27-year-old featured for 78 minutes last night, completing 13 of the 17 passes he attempted whilst also winning five of the six duels he entered during the defeat.

The Spaniard also won two tackles and made one interception, making him the perfect box-to-box option for the Hammers. However, despite his impressive first start, one other first-team member failed to cover himself in glory on Merseyside last night.

The West Ham player who failed to impress last night

Right-back Vladimir Coufal started his first game in nearly a month against Liverpool last night, with Lopetegui handing him the perfect opportunity to showcase why he deserves to start over new addition Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

However, the Czech Republic international failed to shine at the back for the Hammers, producing a dismal display and looking past his best during the heavy defeat.

The 32-year-old featured for the entirety of the contest, losing three duels, whilst also losing possession 11 times – an average of once every eight minutes.

Minutes played

90

Touches

52

Passes completed

24/28 (86%)

Duels lost

3

Possession lost

11x

Fouls conceded

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Coufal also conceded one foul, with both of the goals in stoppage time coming from Cody Gakpo, as he cut inside of the Czech defender before slotting home on both occasions.

He was subsequently handed a 5/10 match rating by The Standard’s Dom Smith, highlighting how much of a disappointing display he produced at Anfield.

The full-back looked off the pace, getting beaten far too easily on numerous occasions, further proving why Lopetegui made the right call to replace him with Wan-Bissaka.

He needs to be dropped ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Brentford, with the Hammers desperately needing a win to kick-start Lopetegui’s first season at the helm for the East London outfit.

He was as bad as Alvarez: Lopetegui must instantly drop 4/10 West Ham man

The Hammers fell to yet another crushing defeat last night.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 26, 2024