Liverpool slumped down to eighth in the Premier League table after they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City at The Etihad in the last game before the international break.

The Reds have now lost seven of their last ten matches in all competitions and five of their 11 games in the Premier League, in what has been a dismal defence of their title so far.

Arne Slot will be disappointed with his side’s dreadful run of form and should use the international break to come up with a new way of approaching matches to turn the season around.

One thing that the Dutch head coach must look to do is to revive Mohamed Salah’s form, because the reigning Premier League Player of the Year has not been at his best.

How far Mo Salah's numbers have fallen this season

The Egypt international won the Player of the Year award by delivering 29 goals and 18 assists in the top-flight last season, helping the Reds to the Premier League title.

Unfortunately, the left-footed superstar has not quite been at his sparkling best for Slot in the current campaign, although he has still delivered four goals and two assists in 11 league games.

Appearances

38

11

Goals

29

4

Minutes per goal

116

246

Big chances missed

24

6

Conversion rate

22%

15%

Key passes per game

2.4

1.9

Assists

18

2

As you can see in the table above, Salah is scoring and assisting goals less frequently than he did last season, with a lower conversion rate, which is why the manager needs to find a way to get him back to his best.

Per Sofascore, the winger registered three shots without any going on target and created three chances without any of them being ‘big chances’, but he was not the only Liverpool forward who failed to deliver.

Why Hugo Ekitike's place in the XI should be on borrowed time

Hugo Ekitike put in a disappointing performance in the number nine shirt and his place in the starting line-up may be on borrowed time come the other side of the break.

The France international was given the nod to lead the line for the Reds against the Cityzens, but he was just as ineffective as Salah at the top end of the pitch.

Per Sofascore, Ekitike did not take a single shot in the match and only made one key pass, whilst he also lost 100% (2/2) of his duels, which speaks to how underwhelming his display was.

In his 11 minutes on the pitch after the post above, the former Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward did not take any shots or attempt any dribbles, but he did create one chance in what was an “anonymous” performance.

Ekitike has now failed to score in his last five appearances in the Premier League for the Reds, per Sofascore, and has only scored three goals in ten games in the division in total.

Unlike Salah, the French striker does not have an incredible career at Liverpool to buy him more time in the starting XI if performances like his one against Manchester City persist, which is why he may be on borrowed time in the XI.

On top of that, Alexander Isak returned from injury to make the bench on Sunday, which puts further pressure on Ekitike. The former Newcastle man scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season, per Sofascore, and could take his place in the starting line-up unless the ex-Bundesliga star improves his performances.

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Hampshire openers rack up 152-run stand to set up thumping win in rain-reduced contest

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay07-Sep-2025Leaders Hampshire Women clinched a semi-final berth in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup after a convincing nine-wicket victory with 13.2 overs to spare against Durham Women at the Banks Homes Riverside.The defeat leaves Durham in fifth place with two rounds to play, one point behind fourth-placed Surrey with the two sides meeting in the final group match at Chester-le-Street next Saturday.Initially chasing a target of 225, Hampshire opening pair of Maia Bouchier and Rhianna Southby produced an attacking start that saw 74 runs arrive from the 10-over powerplay and they had raced along with some fine strokeplay to reach 144 for 0 from 19 overs when rain took 13 overs out of the game.A revised DLS target of 171 in 37 overs made little difference, and despite the loss of Southby for 58, Bouchier and Freya Kemp quickly scored the 27 needed to clinch an impressive victory.Earlier, a fighting 88 by captain Hollie Armitage had given Durham some hope with the hosts posting 224 for 9 after a poor start. Armitage came to the crease in the eighth over and batted through to the last, hitting nine fours, but found partnerships difficult to come by until Grace Thompson finally provided great support for the eighth wicket. The pair added 72 to rescue Durham from a perilous 144 for 7 with 18-year-old Thompson contributing a List A career-best 39.Georgia Adams with 3 for 41 led an excellent bowling effort by the visitors with Freya Davies impressive with 2 for 30 along with Bex Tyson (2 for 40).Southby and Bouchier made a strong start to the Hampshire run chase, the pair attacking effectively to race to their fifty partnership from just 41 balls in increasingly gloomy overhead conditions that required the use of the floodlights.Bouchier was the first to reach her half century – her fifth in this season’s competition – from 47 balls hitting eight fours, with the century partnership arriving moments later from only 86 balls as Durham struggled to exert any control with the ball.Southby hit the first six of the game on her way to a 45-ball fifty that also included eight fours as the Hampshire openers raced along at nearly eight runs per over to put the outcome in little doubt.It was an impressive display, with Bouchier not out on 76 from 67 balls and Southby unbeaten on 56 from 50 balls when rain stopped play at 3.30pm with Hampshire 144-0 after 19 overs. After an 80 minutes delay, the target was reduced to 171 from 37 overs and Durham finally made a breakthrough when Thompson bowled Southby for 58 to end a fine 152-run partnership.Bouchier and Kemp then eased their way to 174 for 1 in the 24th over to clinch the win.After opting to bat, Durham lost both opening batters in the powerplay, Mia Rogers run out for 6 and Emma Marlow caught at cover for 12 during an impressive five over spell of 1 for 9 by Davies.Armitage and Mady Villiers had begun to fashion a recovery with a steady partnership of 30 before Villers on 19 was tempted into a drive off left-arm spinner Tyson that ended up in the hands of Mary Taylor at mid-on. That also proved to be the fate of Emily Windsor when she picked out Bouchier off Adams for 13 who then had Bess Heath caught behind three balls later to leave Durham struggling on 89 for 5 in the 22nd over.It left a lot resting on the shoulders Armitage, and she responded with a determined innings, passing fifty off 65-balls for the fifth time while becoming the second batter to pass 500 runs in the competition this season. But Durham continued to lose wickets at the other end. Having taken 1 for 14 from a six-over spell, Tyson returned to bowl Phoebe Turner around her legs for 18 while Adams picked up her third wicket when trapping Katherine Fraser lbw sweeping for 4.An excellent innings by Thompson finally lent Armitage the support needed over the final 15 overs, the pair adding 72 off 86 balls – easily the highest partnership of the innings – with Armitage’s excellent effort ending in the final over as Durham posted a far better total than had looked likely earlier, but one the visitors comfortably hauled in.

Manchester United have now set their sights on signing Aurelien Tchouameni from Real Madrid, according to recent reports, with talks over Casemiro’s contract beginning to drag on.

Ruben Amorim’s side entered the international break off the back of an impressive run rather than a crisis for the first time in the manager’s Old Trafford tenure. Their last-gasp draw at Tottenham Hotspur summed up their recent change in belief and featured yet another impressive display from Casemiro at the heart of their midfield.

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It wasn’t so long ago that Jamie Carragher infamously told the Brazilian to “leave the football” before it leaves him, but it turns out that the former Liverpool defender couldn’t have been more wrong. Casemiro has rediscovered his best form under Amorim and now regularly keeps the likes of Manuel Ugarte out of the side.

Former Man United defender Rio Ferdinand recently hit back at Carragher’s comments following the midfielder’s return to form this season, claiming that he thought the comments were “disrespectful” at the time.

Now, reports are indicating that Amorim wants to keep hold of Casemiro — sparking what are proving to be complicated contract talks as the midfielder suddenly becomes an important player at Old Trafford.

Man Utd now eyeing Tchouameni move

If INEOS fail to agree a new contract with Casemiro at Amorim’s request, which would present a fresh midfield worry, then Man United will target a move for Tchouameni at Real Madrid, according to reports in Spain.

The French midfielder is valued at as much as €100m (£88m) by the Spanish giants and has clearly impressed those at Old Trafford as they aim to strengthen their midfield.

As things stand, however, there’s nothing to suggest that Tchouameni is looking to leave Real Madrid anytime soon and reports have claimed that he’ll only head for the exit door at the request of his club. Of course, if that does change, then the fact that he shares an agent with Bryan Mbeumo could provide United with an instant boost.

League stats P90 25/26

Tchouameni

Casemiro

Minutes

874

614

Progressive Passes

5.88

4.41

Tackles Won

0.82

1.76

Ball Recoveries

4.23

5.74

The statistics suggest that Amorim is right to have some hesitation about letting Casemiro’s contract run down. The Brazilian has so far outperformed Tchouameni in a number of areas.

It highlights just how impressive he’s been in recent months rather than indicating anything major about Tchouameni’s form. The Real Madrid man is just entering the peak of his powers and has impressed the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, who previously dubbed him “fantastic”.

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Josh Inglis has been ruled out of Australia’s three-match T20I tour of New Zealand due to a calf strain with Alex Carey called up to replace him.It is understood that Inglis pulled up sore in his right calf after a running session in Perth on Tuesday and had a scan on Wednesday, after which he was ruled out of the series to be played on October 1, 3 and 4 at Mount Maunganui.Inglis is the fourth first-choice Australian player to be ruled out of the series after Pat Cummins was withdrawn due to lumbar bone stress, Cameron Green was left at home to play Sheffield Shield cricket as part of his Ashes build-up, and Nathan Ellis was unavailable due to impending birth of his first child.Related

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It is the second calf injury Inglis has suffered in the last nine months after he suffered a low-grade strain while fielding for Australia during the Boxing Day Test against India as substitute last December, which saw him miss the remainder of the BBL season ahead of his Test debut against Sri Lanka in late January.Inglis is expected to be fit for the ODI series against India which begins in Perth on October 19.The injury has caused a slight headache for Australia’s selectors who were already gambling on Inglis staying fit during the short tour having not named a spare wicketkeeper in the initial 14-man squad. Carey was set to play the opening Sheffield Shield round for South Australia starting on October 4 as part of his Ashes preparation before the ODI series against India. He now may be limited to only one or two Shield games in between the ODI series and the first Test in Perth depending on his workload.Alex Carey completed an unusual stumping on his T20I return•AFP/Getty Images

Carey’s re-emergence as a T20I keeper has been intriguing given his modest T20 record both domestically and internationally. He played the last T20I Inglis missed in Cairns against South Africa in August. It was Carey’s first T20I appearance since August 2021 and his first as the wicketkeeper since September 2020. He was not formally part of the initial squad and Inglis was forced to play through illness in game one of the series in Darwin. Carey replaced him in Cairns after joining the squad early ahead of the ODI series.The selectors also did not pick a spare wicketkeeper for the five-match T20I series against West Indies in the Caribbean in July but with Inglis carrying an ongoing back issue out of the Test series, Jake Fraser-McGurk was added as the reserve wicketkeeping option after an injury to fast bowler Spencer Johnson, despite Fraser-McGurk having never kept in any game in his professional career to-date.Fraser-McGurk played the opening match of the series as a batter but did not feature again with Glenn Maxwell promoted to open instead. He is expected to keep for the first time during Australia A’s tour of India when he joins the squad for the three 50-over matches in Kanpur.Finding a like-for-like replacement for Inglis is challenging given he has become one of Australia’s most important T20 batters. He has scored two centuries at No. 3 and become a pivotal bridge between the new opening combination of Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head and the powerful middle-order given his 360-degree skill against both pace and spin.Australia’s new ultra-aggressive style of batting means the replacement keeper for Inglis is likely to bat at No. 7 behind the power of Tim David, Mitchell Owen and Maxwell. Matt Short will also return from injury in New Zealand and could slot in at No. 3 while Marcus Stoinis has been recalled after being left out of the West Indies and South Africa series to play franchise cricket and will also bat somewhere in the middle-order if needed as an allrounder.Carey’s return to form at No. 6 in Australia’s ODI team was part of the reason for his recall in Cairns, having performed brilliantly as a finisher in the longer white-ball format over the past 12 months.The likes of Ben McDermott and Josh Philippe remain in consideration and have been tried in Australia’s T20I side previously but both are seen as top order players predominantly and neither can match Inglis’ explosiveness.McDermott has played 25 T20Is for Australia and has batted in every position in the top seven. He made 54 off 36 in his last T20I innings against India at No.3 but strikes at just 99.70 overall. He is a full-time T20 freelancer at present having given up his state contract with Queensland to move back to Tasmania, although he could play for Tasmania in red and white-ball cricket this summer. However, he has very little experience as a finisher and opened in all nine innings he played for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the recently completed CPL, making just one half-century at a strike-rate of 141.04Philippe, who scored a first-class century off 80 balls for Australia A against India A in Lucknow on Wednesday, has played 12 T20Is on the back of his success at the top of the order in BBL cricket but none since 2023. He has only two scores above 13 striking at just 109.48, having opened in half his innings and never batted lower than No.4. He has only batted lower than No. 4 10 times in his domestic T20 career but has not done so since 2020.Josh Inglis has two T20I hundreds at No. 3•PA Images via Getty Images

Inglis’ injury has also highlighted a problem Australia’s selectors face ahead of the World Cup next year. ICC rules dictate that only 15 players can be selected in a World Cup squad and replacements can only be used if a player is ruled out of the entire tournament. It has long been a frustration for some countries, including Australia, given the compressed nature of the tournaments and need to manage players through them.Australia had to work around it during the 2023 ODI World Cup when Head was injured prior to the tournament but was expected to be fit halfway through. They risked carrying 14 fit players through the first four games before Head was able to play, but the move paid huge dividends.For Australia’s selectors, carrying a spare wicketkeeper who might not be in their best 15 players on the off-chance Inglis suffered a short-term injury would come at the cost of another conditions-based role player who might be needed during the tournament.Inglis’ back and calf issues are a serious consideration. He suffered a back spasm during the second Test in Sri Lanka in February that kept him off the field for large portions of the game and it requires ongoing management.”It’s an ongoing thing,” Inglis told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s sort of been around for a couple years now. For me, it’s been really frustrating. It’s not been something that’s really kept me out of the game. It’s just something I’ve got to manage. So at the minute, I’m not really able to bat as much as I’d like, so I’m not able to spend the time in the nets to be able to work on new things.”It’s really just been about preparing for the next game and getting enough in to feel good going into the game, but not overdoing it. I’ve been doing a lot of rehab stuff with the physios just on different areas, my hips, that sort of thing, just to try strengthen up there and take some load off my lower back.”I don’t really get it keeping. I think it’s just in that batting position and then light rotation. And once it’s flared up, doing everything is pretty uncomfortable.”

Australia T20I squad vs New Zealand

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Afghanistan needed just 10 Tests to post their maiden 600-plus total, as they broke a host of records against Zimbabwe

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Dec-2024699 Afghanistan’s total against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo is their highest in the format, bettering the 545 for 4 they posted in 2021, also against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi.10 Test matches that Afghanistan needed to post their maiden 600-plus total, the fewest among the ten teams with a 600-plus total in this format. The previous fewest was by Pakistan, who made 657 for 8 against West Indies in 1958, their 19th match.