Liverpool player ratings vs Southampton: Jurgen Klopp's kids do it again! Youngster Jayden Danns at the double to keep the Reds' FA Cup dreams alive in absence of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez

The teenage striker scored twice off the bench to secure a spot in the quarter-finals

It turns out that Liverpool's youngsters might just be able to play a bit. Another youthful lineup – stripped of Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah – turned in a memorable performance for Jurgen Klopp's men, as Jayden Danns scored twice to mark a 3-0 win over Southampton in the FA Cup.

Sekou Mara had the ball in the net inside 30 seconds for the visitors, but saw his effort ruled out by the offside flag. Liverpool, for their part, created admittedly little in the first half, a group of youngsters looking their age in attack. But they woke up on the stroke of half time, debutant Lewis Koumas' strike deflecting off the heel of a defender and rolling into the bottom corner.

Southampton should have equalised early in the second half, but a timely poke from Ibrahima Konate diverted a cross away from danger when Mara had the goal gaping.

Danns added a crucial second with 15 minutes remaining, chipping the goalkeeper off an angled pass from Harvey Elliott. The teenager completed his brace with a simple finish into an open net – wrapping up a cup win to send Liverpool into the next round of the FA Cup. Klopp's memorable farewell tour might just be special.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Caoimhin Kelleher (7/10):

Made a couple of important stops early on. Calm with the ball at his feet. Another quality showing.

Conor Bradley (8/10):

So assured on the ball and diligent in his pressing in an inverted full-back role. He's really starting to look the part in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Jarell Quansah (8/10):

Impressive once again – especially in his individual duels. Completed 97 per cent of his passes, too.

Virgil van Dijk (7/10):

Won his headers, put in some valuable tackles. A planned substitution at the break saw him get some valuable rest.

Kostas Tsimikas (6/10):

Ate up ground, played some neat passes in the final third. Ate up minutes to give Andy Robertson a valuable night off.

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Joe Gomez (6/10):

Tried out as a No.6 after playing in Alexander-Arnold's inverted role on a handful of occasions. A bit mixed throughout, and looked confused when he ventured into the final third.

James McConnell (6/10):

Not involved much on the ball, but did enough work off it. Looked leggy when he was taken off – which is understandable given his age.

Bobby Clark (7/10):

A composed showing in central midfield. Assisted the first, and was generally tidy on the ball. Good for him to get the whole 90 in.

GettyAttack

Harvey Elliott (8/10):

Busy in and around the box, always looking for a killer pass. Deserved his assist. He's seized the moment well, given the Reds' lengthy injury list.

Cody Gakpo (6/10):

Failed to capitalise on a good chance in the first half. Missed another in the second. Forced it a bit at times.

Lewis Koumas (7/10):

Diligent on the left wing. Rather fortunate to score on his debut – given the deflection – but that will take little away from the moment.

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Ibrahima Konate (7/10):

Made a vital intervention to prevent a Southampton equaliser early in the second half. Tackled well and looked steady in key moments.

Alexis Mac Allister (6/10):

Didn't really have much to do in his 30 minutes on the pitch.

Jayden Danns (8/10):

Took his goals wonderfully, and was constantly involved. He looks a real talent.

Trey Nyoni (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Kaide Gordon (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Jurgen Klopp (8/10):

Once again forced into a number of changes with a glut of injuries to contend with. His side were poor in the early goings, but really grew into the game, and ended up good value for the win. The FA Cup dream stays alive.

Lee, Watson injuries add to insult

Shane Watson and Brett Lee may be taking early leave from Australia’s sobering tour of England after both suffered calf injuries in the tourists’ eight-wicket loss to England at Durham.

Daniel Brettig07-Jul-2012Australia have called the left-armer Mitchell Starc, currently bowling well for Yorkshire in county cricket, into their squad for the final ODI of the series against England at Old Trafford on Tuesday, after injuries to Shane Watson and Brett Lee. Starc is due to join up with Australia after playing in Yorkshire’s final FLt20 group match on Sunday.Watson and Lee may be taking early leave from Australia’s sobering tour of England after both suffered calf injuries in the tourists’ eight-wicket loss at Durham. Watson could bowl only one over in England’s innings before leaving the field, while Lee had bowled two balls of his second spell when he felt pain in his right leg and also headed to the treatment room, following an abortive attempt to bowl a third.Watson and Lee are being assessed by Australia’s physio Alex Kountouris and the team doctor John Orchard, with the results of MRI scans to be known as early as Sunday. Both are unlikely to take part in Manchester, leaving Lee stranded one wicket shy of Glenn McGrath’s Australian ODI wicket-taking record. As he digested his first series defeat as Australia’s Test or ODI captain, Michael Clarke confirmed the calf injuries, and that he had advised Lee to get his problem checked out before trying to bowl again.”I haven’t had time to speak to Alex yet, but I do know they’ve both got calf injuries – to what extent, I don’t know,” Clarke said. “I ran from slip to ask what it was about, and he said it was cramp. I just said at that stage ‘go off, and find out if it is’. I haven’t seen him since.”Though Australia had to cope with the most difficult of the conditions at Chester-le-Street having been sent in to bat after heavy overnight rain, Clarke would not offer any excuses for another comprehensive loss to England. The margins of defeat has only grown with each match in this series, reminding the tourists of how far they have to go to provide a serious challenge for the Ashes on English soil in 2013.”I do believe England got the better of conditions, but it’s easy to make excuses,” Clarke said. “I think we had the better of conditions at Lord’s as well, and England still found a way to beat us. That’s what you have to do, against good opposition – in all different conditions around the world; you’ve got to find a way to have success. Unfortunately, once again today, we were outplayed.”How far apart, are we? I don’t know; you do everything you can to try to win every game, taking the field for Australia. Unfortunately, sometimes you lose; on this tour, we haven’t seen the other side. But we’ve got one game to go, and I’d be very disappointed to go home without a win.”Australia’s failure to make significant totals has been matched by their inability to make a dent in England’s top order, an area Clarke noted with particular disappointment. As an aggressive captain searching for wickets, Clarke has not been short of ideas, but his bowlers have foundered on the rocks of Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott.”I’d like to see more of their batting order, that’s for sure. We can’t get through the top three or four at the moment,” Clarke said. “We haven’t taken wickets – Clint McKay’s been really our only wicket-taker. I don’t care what form of the game it is, you’ve got to get blokes out.”If you want to slow the scoring you take wickets – that’s always been my attitude in any form of the game. “It’s been very disappointing that we haven’t been able to bowl England out. Credit to them – they’ve used the conditions better, bowled very consistent areas to build up pressure.”As for the question of whether or not the defeat had added to the scar tissue Australia carry from their past two Ashes losses, Clarke hoped there would be few ramifications in 12 months’ time. But he will not know for sure until the likes of James Pattinson, Matthew Wade and David Warner face England again.”We’ve got a lot of guys involved in our Test squad who aren’t involved in the one-dayers. Yes, the result hasn’t gone our way on this tour so far,” Clarke said. “But it’s been a great opportunity for the players who haven’t played much cricket in England to get here and see the conditions – especially for our young bowlers.”It’s been good for our batters who haven’t had the chance to play against a really good English attack to see how good they are. We know we’ve got some work to do, in one-day cricket but also Test cricket before the next Ashes.”

Bravo happy with home advantage

Both Dwayne Bravo, West Indies’ stand-in captain against Ireland, andtheir matchwinner Darren Sammy believe the local fans can give theteam a vital edge during the World Twenty20

Andrew McGlashan at Providence Stadium01-May-2010Both Dwayne Bravo, West Indies’ stand-in captain against Ireland, andtheir matchwinner Darren Sammy believe the local fans can give theteam a vital edge during the World Twenty20. An almost full house atProvidence watched the hosts recover from an uncertain position withthe bat to post a comfortable 70-run victory.The crowd swelled as the opening day of the tournament progressed andby the time West Indies began their innings the stands were packed andnoisy. When the middle order fell away they feared a repeat of thecollapse that cost them the warm-up match against New Zealand, butSammy stepped forward with a 17-ball 30 before capping a fineall-round display with four catches and figures of 3 for 8.”The home advantage will play an important part and once our fans getbehind us it really gets us going,” Bravo said. “They were a bitdisappointed during our warm-up game, but tonight showed we are a muchbetter team than we showed then. I know for the next game againstEngland there will be a bigger crowd still and it’s always important.We can use that to our advantage.”Bravo was handed the captaincy at the last minute when Chris Gaylewithdrew with a muscle strain. For a while it looked to havedestabilised the team, but the home side were very impressive with theball and in the field as they overwhelmed their Associate opposition.”Obviously losing Chris at the beginning was a bit of a setback but Ithink we regrouped well as a team,” Bravo said. “We knew how importantthis game was for us to get off to a winning start. It was great tosee how we played and I’m sure a lot of people will be happy.”We got off to a good start, faltered in the middle and finishedstrongly at the end and that’s the most important thing. Getting over130 with their batting line-up and our bowling attack I would back myteam any day and I knew we were good enough to go and defend thattotal.”There was a far more downbeat assessment from William Porterfield, theIreland captain, who was left knowing this was a chance to notchanother major scalp. Porterfield was caught at second slip off thesecond ball of the innings as Ireland stumbled to 13 for 3 before ashort rain break and there was no way back for them.”It’s not just the fact we lost, but the way we lost especially withthe bat,” he said. “It’s pretty disappointing being bowled out for 68,it doesn’t matter who you are playing against or what conditions werelike. You don’t have any excuses.”The way we bowled and fielded we were right in it after 20 overs so it’sa massive missed opportunity. We were really struggling after thefirst 10 balls losing three wickets and it set us right on the backfoot.”However, he was already looking ahead to Ireland’s next match againstEngland on Tuesday knowing there is still a chance that his team canprogress. “If West Indies pull off a result [against England] then itcomes down to a shoot out between ourselves and England to get intothe Super Eights so there’s still a massive amount to play for.”

Toms Fellows had game to forget for WBA

West Bromwich Albion had a game to forget today against Cardiff City at the Hawthorns, with an explosive ending to the clash when the final whistle prompted chaos from the bench, as Valerien Ismael ran onto the pitch to criticise a decision made on a penalty shout in the last moments.

Ismael’s furious reaction to the referee’s decision not to give a penalty in favour of the home side, ensued chaos on the pitch as both West Brom and Cardiff City players engaged in a brawl, that saw Sam Johnstone and Aden Flint receive red cards.

Newly returned Alex Mowatt was handed a straight red card earlier in the encounter after a challenge on Will Vaulks that put Albion down to ten men in the 76th minute, but the side were able to hold Cardiff City to a 1-1 draw, thanks to an early second half goal from Callum Robinson.

One player who had a shocking performance for the Baggies was 18-year-old, Tom Fellows, who failed to make a positive impact on the team during his time in his attacking position today.

According to SofaScore, Fellows lost 75% of his duels and only touched the ball 15 times during his entire 65 minutes on the pitch which was almost five times less than his attacking partner Karlan Grant.

The young forward would have been attempting to emulate the fantastic impression his fellow youth academy starter Taylor Gardner-Hickman has had during his opportunities in the first team.

However, Fellows failed to get going in the game and failed to cause any kind of attacking threat with 0 shots on or off target, and 0 key passes, clearly failing to impress the manager who took him off the pitch 20 minutes into the second half.

The Baggies have now failed to register a win in their last three games, and are losing traction on their grasp for a promotion spot as they miss yet another opportunity to close the gap with Blackburn Rovers, Fulham and Bournemouth, with Fulham in particular still holding two games in hand after having their fixtures postponed.

Ismael will now be without his goalkeeper and a midfielder for three games thanks to their red cards and will need to take a closer look at the problems this West Brom side seem to be having this season, with the opportunity to look to the transfer window for improvement in their pursuit for promotion.

Leeds turn down bid for Raphinha

Leeds United have rejected a bid for star winger Raphinha, according to ExWHUemployee.

The Lowdown: Raphinha stars for Leeds

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have struggled to repeat last season’s efforts but Raphinha has undoubtedly been one of the few positives throughout the season.

The Brazilian has scored eight goals and registered two assists in 19 Premier League appearances, standing out as his side’s most important player with an average match rating of 7.23/10 – no other Leeds player is above 6.83/10.

It could be that Raphinha moves on this summer, as there may be a queue of Champions League clubs lining up for a move – Chelsea are apparently big fans of the player.

However, a key update has emerged regarding the chances of a shock January exit.

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The Latest: West Ham bid rejected

According to West Ham insider ExWHUemployee [via West Ham Zone], the Hammers have seen a bid for the 25-year-old turned down after agents spoke to the club.

“I can confirm that reports that we did make an offer for Raphinha of Leeds United are correct,” he said.

“Our top transfer source has confirmed (backed up by another – our 2 source policy) that an offer went in after agents contacted the club.

“The offer however was swiftly rejected and West Ham were told that Leeds are not prepared to sell at any price this window.”

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The Verdict: Would be crazy

While it may be inevitable that Raphinha eventually moves on to pastures new, such is his quality, the idea of selling him in January doesn’t bear thinking about.

The winger will be vital in ensuring Leeds pull away from the relegation fight – journalist Phil Hay has described him as ‘incredible’ in the past – especially in the absence of other key man like Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford.

Losing him now would have given Leeds no time to find a replacement – should it happen in the summer, they would surely receive a huge sum and have plenty of time to scour the market in order to reinvest in the squad.

In other news, Leeds have been boosted in their attempts to sign a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

PCB to meet with Whatmore in January

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has invited Dav Whatmore to Pakistan to discuss the terms of becoming their next head coach

Umar Farooq23-Dec-2011The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has invited Dav Whatmore to Pakistan to discuss the terms of becoming their next head coach, a board official has said. Whatmore, along with Julian Fountain, who is tipped to be the new fielding coach, will arrive in Pakistan in the second week of January next year.We are in discussions with [Dev] Whatmore,” Subhan Ahmed, the PCB’s chief operating officer told ESPNcricinfo. “In fact, we have called him next month to negotiate and hope to reach a final agreement with him.”Whatmore is the current head coach of the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, and is a former coach of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He has been in talks with the PCB’s search committee for a few months but both sides have failed to reach an agreement so far. The committee is believed to favour hiring home-grown batting and bowling coaches, given Pakistan’s traditional strength in these disciplines, but is keen on having Whatmore and Fountain be the head coach and fielding coach respectively.One sticking point with Whatmore is that his contract with Knight Riders runs until December 2012, and his desire to wait until after IPL 2012 ends in May is the main reason the PCB has delayed appointing a full-time coaching staff. Earlier this month, Mohsin Khan was named interim coach for the England series.Fountain has worked with the PCB before in 2001 and 2006 under former Pakistan coaches Richard Pybus and Bob Woolmer. He was the specialist fielding coach for Bangladesh from August 2010 until the end of the 2011 World Cup and has previously worked with the England and West Indies teams as well. If he signs a deal with the board, Fountain could join the squad for the England series.

Where will USMNT star Sergino Dest end up? Barcelona playing transfer game as asking price is set in stone

Barcelona will not be dropping their asking price for Sergino Dest, with PSV in danger of missing out on a permanent transfer for the USMNT star.

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Productive loan spell being enjoyedLa Liga giants eager to agree sale in 2024Expect interest to build in upcoming windowsWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international defender has rebuilt his reputation at club level since returning to the Netherlands on a season-long loan. Having struggled to make an impact at Camp Nou, while also flopping during a loan spell at AC Milan, the 23-year-old former Ajax full-back is seeing his stock rise once more.

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Barca are eager to put a deal in place for 2024, with it initially suggested that PSV would look to put a purchase option in place. The Eredivisie giants are, however, said to be stalling on Dest’s €10 million (£9m/$11m) fee – with efforts being made to bring that price down.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to, Barcelona will not be budging. They believe that Dest is justifying that figure with the regular game that he is enjoying in Eindhoven. The Liga outfit are confident that interest will be shown next summer regardless of whether PSV enter into negotiations or not.

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Dest has taken in 15 appearances for PSV this season – with his versatility being put to good use at left-back. He has also remained a key part of the USMNT squad, although he did pick up a reckless red card on his latest international outing against Trinidad & Tobago in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals.

'Seeing all of their faces is really funny' – Liverpool goal-scorer Trent Alexander-Arnold savages Man City fans after bringing out 'shoosh' celebration following late equaliser

Trent Alexander-Arnold admitted he fully enjoyed celebrating in front of the Manchester City fans after grabbing a late equaliser at the Etihad.

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Liverpool draw with Manchester CityAlexander-Arnold snatches equaliserCelebrates in front of home fansWHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City played out a 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Saturday in the Premier League. Erling Haaland put the hosts in front but the defending Premier League champions were pegged back when Alexander-Arnold struck an equaliser in the 80th minute. The England international pulled out a "shoosh" celebration in front of the City fans after rescuing a point for the Reds.

AdvertisementWHAT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD SAID

“It’s always good to celebrate in front of away fans. Seeing all of the faces is really funny," he told Sky Sports after the draw.

"I got the ball from Darwin. I could sense that there were bodies and I tried to get it across goal. Thankfully it found the bottom corner and it’s one we needed. It was about getting over the line and getting that point."

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The draw means City remain a point ahead of Liverpool in the table but they have missed the chance to extend their lead over Jurgen Klopp's side. Arsenal can jump over both City and Liverpool in the table and move into top spot with a victory over Brentford on Saturday.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Liverpool have avoided a defeat in 10 of their last 11 Premier League games in which they’ve fallen behind (W4 D6). Indeed, the Reds have rescued 12 points from losing positions in the top-flight this season, the most of any side.

Shock sacking opens door for Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney to join Tom Brady at Birmingham as Championship club axe manager John Eustace despite sitting in the play-off places

Birmingham City have opened the door for Wayne Rooney to join Tom Brady at St. Andrew’s, with manager John Eustace surprisingly sacked.

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Blues riding high in the second tierHave parted company with bossLinked with ex-England captainWHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues currently sit sixth in the Championship table, with an 18-point haul from 11 games enough to have them perched inside the play-off places. The Blues enjoyed a 3-1 derby win over West Midlands rivals West Brom last time out, but Eustace has now been axed as the club prepares to head in a different direction.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THEY SAID

Birmingham have said in a statement on the club’s : “It is essential that the Board of Directors and the football management are fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition across the entire Football Club. With this in mind, Birmingham City has today parted company with Head Coach, John Eustace. Eustace departs after 15 months in charge, having helped to stabilise and strengthen the Club on the pitch following his appointment in July 2022.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Blues have also said that “a new First Team Manager will be announced in the coming days who will be responsible for creating an identity and clear ‘no fear’ playing style that all Birmingham City teams will adopt and embrace". It may be that Manchester United legend Rooney is charged with the task of guiding the second tier club forward.

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Rooney has walked away from his role at MLS side D.C. United, with the ex-England captain and former Derby boss planning a return to his homeland. His profile would fit the bill at St. Andrew’s, with Birmingham drawing up ambitious plans after already seeing NFL icon Brady invest in the club alongside Knighthead Capital Management LLC.

Barcelona's top 10 away and third kits of all time – ranked

Though their Blaugrana home kits are iconic, Barca have also delivered some tasty alternative strips over the years

Barcelona's red and blue stripes may be famous, but the Catalan club has shown throughout its history that it can still put together an impressive away shirt. Indeed, the Blaugrana have been toying with creative and colorful designs for nearly 50 years, coming up with some absolute beauties at various points.

From the bright yellow donned by the famous "MSN" attacking trio, to the classic Cruyff diagonal stripe shirt of the 1970s, Barca have donned some classics.

And so following the release of Barcelona's new away kit for the 2023-24 season, GOAL takes a look at some of the best away and third kits to have ever been worn by the Spanish giants…

Getty Images10Ronaldinho's toe poke genius (2003-05)

Ronaldinho loved a long-sleeved Barcelona kit. He had plenty of memorable moments in them, highlighted by a now-famous Man-of-the-Match performance at Santiago Bernabeu that brought Real Madrid fans to their feet.

This shirt, meanwhile, was associated with another iconic moment, the Brazilian's toe-poke finish from outside the box against Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League last 16. Although Jose Mourinho's Blues would go on to win, this kit is associated with one of great European goals.

Advertisement9Catalan stripes (2013-14)

This strip was a special one for local Barca fans. For the first time in the club's history, Barcelona donned a kit based on the Catalan flag. There were other details that connected it to the club's local roots, too, including the "Mes que un club" motto stitched onto the back of the neck lining.

Outside of the local area, the kit split opinion. And as some publications pointed out, the Blaugrana enjoyed limited success in the shirt, going winless in their first five contests wearing it.

Still, its homage to Barcelona's Catalan heritage made the kit important in its own right.

Getty Images8Soon to be a classic? (2022-23)

Can a kit released so recently be considered among the best ever? This gold strip from the most recent season certainly makes a case.

It's one of the best shirts Nike has designed for Barca for some time, with its bold colourway paying homage to some of Barcelona's memorable kits of the early 2000s (more on that later), as well as the 30th anniversary of the 1992 Olympic Games that were held in the city.

And it will be associated with success, too. The Blaugrana won back the Liga title in 2023, an achievement that will forever immortalise this kit.

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Getty Images7R9 in a Kappa classic (1996-97)

Ronaldo only played for Barcelona for one year. And in those 12 glorious months, he donned some memorable kits. The home shirt, an effortlessly cool reimagination of the classic 80s strip, is one of the best ever. And the away one wasn't bad, either.

The Brazilian wore it while playing out one of the best individual seasons in Barcelona's history. Ronaldo scored 47 times in 49 appearances, including 34 in the league. And although his time in Catalunya ended after one year, he will forever be associated with breathtaking goals and classic kits.

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