Chelsea sign Richards as Liverpool striker joins new club

Chelsea on Friday announced the signing of Dujuan Richards.

The Blues in statement via its website, said Richards completed his move to the west London club from the Phoenix Academy.

The Jamaica international signed for Chelsea in the summer and trained with the first-team squad during their pre-season tour of the USA.

Richards who celebrated his 18th birthday in November has now finalised his switch to Stamford Bridge.

‘I’’m so pleased to be here,” Richards told Chelsea’s website.

“My dream was always to sign a professional contract and to have the chance to do that here at Chelsea, it’s difficult to put into words the emotions. I just can’t wait to get started.”

Meanwhile, in a related development, Liverpool confirmed that striker Paul Glatzel has completed a permanent move from the Reds to League Two side Swindon Town.

Liverpool disclosed this in a statement via its website.

Glatzel progressed through the ranks in Kirkby to become a prolific goalscorer.

He was captain of Liverpool’s U18s when they lifted the FA Youth Cup in 2018-19.

Glatzels scored 28 goals in all competitions that campaign.

“Everyone at Liverpool FC wishes Paul the very best for the future as he now joins Swindon,” Liverpool’s statement read in part.

Liverpool sign Mac Allister from Brighton for cut price £35m

Liverpool have reportedly activated the transfer clause in the contract of Alexis Mac Allister at Brighton, the final step in the signing of the Argentine midfielder.

James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Arthur Melo have left the Merseyside club at the end of their contracts.

The Reds are expected to sign at least three midfielders to revamp the department. And it is not a surprise that Jurgen Klopp looked to sign Mac Allister, one of the best midfielders in the premier league in the just concluded season.

The 24-year-old has already passed a medical examination, the report adds.

Mac Allister’s pay will increase from £50,000 to £150,000 per week.

A five-year agreement that lasts through 2028 will be signed. Transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Reds secured the services of the Argentine for just £35 million which has been termed as a ‘steal’ by numerous sports publications.

Romano tweeted: “Liverpool have just signed Alexis Mac Allister for… £35m.”

“The Reds have triggered the clause to sign the midfielder. The final documents are currently in the process of being signed

Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso appointed Bayer Leverkusen manager after Gerardo Seoane sacking

Bayer Leverkusen has appointed Xabi Alonso as their new manager after sacking Gerardo Seoane.

The Bundesliga club announced on Wednesday, October 5, that they had “parted ways” with Seoane. He has now been replaced with Alonso, 40, who will sign a contract until June 2024.

Seoane’s last game in charge was a 2-0 defeat at Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday, days after they were demolished 4-0 at Bayern Munich in the league.

A club statement confirmed the news on Wednesday.

It read:

‘Bayer 04 Leverkusen have parted company with head coach Gerardo Seoane. The Swiss coach is followed by Xabi Alonso who has a contract to 30 June 2024.’ The club’s sporting director Simon Rolfes further elaborated on the reasons for relieving Seoane of his duties.

‘Gerardo Seoane has done good work for Bayer 04 over the past one and a half years, above all with the outstanding qualification for the Champions League,’ he said.

‘Unfortunately, we have left the path of success. The early exit from the DFB Cup but in particular the current position in the Bundesliga, which does not meet our expectations, has compelled us to change coaches.’

Alonso is set to hold his first press conference as Leverkusen boss. The Spaniard has been out of work since his exit from Real Sociedad B in May.

In 2021, Alonso helped the Basque club win promotion to the Second Division for the first time in 60 years. He then decided to leave the club this summer in pursuit of a fresh challenge.

Liverpool beat Man City to win Community Shield

Liverpool left it late to secure a 3-1 win over Manchester City in the 100th Community Shield at the King Power Stadium.

New boy Julian Alvarez had initially cancelled out a stunning opener from Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez struck in the dying embers in front of the Reds faithful.

Liverpool looked the much fresher of the two sides in the early exchanges, and it only took 21 minutes for their dominance to pay off courtesy of Alexander-Arnold’s sublime first-time finish into the far corner from a good 20 yards.

With Alisson Becker and Caoimhin Kelleher sidelined, Liverpool’s third-choice goalkeeper was called into action to save from Erling Braut Haaland before the Norwegian’s acrobatic attempt from close range failed to come off.

Fans got to see a glimpse of Nunez and Alvarez on the King Power turf in the second half, and Liverpool fans wanted a penalty when the former went over following a challenge from Ederson, who got just enough of the ball.

However, it was City’s South American who would have the bigger impact, as Alvarez followed up on Phil Foden’s saved effort to poke home a 70th-minute equaliser, which was initially disallowed before a lengthy VAR check allowed those in sky blue to celebrate.10 minutes later, Liverpool fans were the ones demanding the intervention of VAR after Nunez’s header struck Ruben Dias on the arm, and Craig Pawson awarded a penalty after checking the monitor. Salah stepped up and found the bottom corner to put Liverpool 2-1 ahead, despite Ederson going the right way.

Nunez missed a good chance to make it three for Liverpool in the 87th minute after heading wide from James Milner’s cross, but the Uruguay international made no mistake in second-half injury time, as his diving header nestled into the back of the net to wrap up an emphatic Liverpool win.

The new strikers were taking centre stage all afternoon, and there was time for Haaland to crash a late effort against the bar from only a few yards out before the celebrations started for Liverpool.

Ferdinand questions Liverpool fans for ‘ridiculing’ Sterling, claims Chelsea star is a ‘steal’ at £47.5m

Rio Ferdinand thinks Chelsea have done “unbelievably well” to sign Raheem Sterling from their rivals Manchester City for £47.5m.

Sterling made his debut in senior football with Liverpool. He shone for them prior to his £49m move to Man City ahead of the 2015/16 campaign.

The Englishman was a key player for Man City, scoring 131 goals in 339 appearances. He helped them win the Premier League title four times.

The forward fell slightly down the pecking order last term and his contract was due to expire in 2023.

Chelsea have now signed him for a fee of around £47.5m. He is their first incoming ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

“Questioned by Liverpool fans, ridiculed by Liverpool fans when he made that move. Other sections of the football community questioned whether he was good enough, shouldn’t be held in that esteem, shouldn’t be held in that class,” Ferdinand said on Vibe with Five.

“The kid does it everywhere, he does it in the Champions League, the Premier League. And Chelsea, by the way, what a steal.

“The market and they’ve gone and got him… wow. So the new owners at Chelsea have come in, it’s a fantastic deal on their part, listen they’ve got a ready-made Premier League goal-getter, havoc-causer in the league, simple as that. If he can replicate the form at Man City in a Chelsea shirt… wow. Listen, the Chelsea boys in England they know what they’re getting they know what’s coming through that door.

“They’re not idiots, they know, they’ve done unbelievably well to get him, I just can’t believe other teams he could’ve gone to, he maybe could of but he wanted to go to London.

“But Raheem Sterling, even though you were on the other side of Manchester, I have to salute the way you carried yourself and the way you continue to do so because I know you will. So listen, good luck man and don’t be too successful because I want my boys to come back but I hope you have a good spell there alright, take care.”

Liverpool confirm departure of Origi, Karius, five others

Liverpool have confirmed the departure of seven players, including striker Divock Origi, when their contracts expire at the end of this month.

Goalkeeper Loris Karius and former first-team players Sheyi Ojo and Ben Woodburn have also been released, along with three members of the club’s academy.

Origi spent eight years at Merseyside and sealed the Reds’ stunning second-leg comeback to sink Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League semi-final in 2019.

Announcing the Belgian’s departure, Liverpool wrote, “Divock Origi will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of June.

“Thank you for an incredible eight years of service and leaving us with so many special memories. [Divock Origi], Liverpool legend.”

Karius became notorious for his error-strewn performance in the 2018 UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, and spent much of his subsequent Anfield career on loan.

Ojo made 13 senior appearances, scoring in the FA Cup win over Exeter.

Woodburn became the club’s youngest goalscorer — a title he still holds — when he scored in the League Cup match against Leeds United at the age of 17.

Liverpool face Real Madrid in Champions League last eight-quarter finals

Liverpool will face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Manchester City have been drawn against Borussia Dortmund, while Chelsea play Porto and defending champions Bayern Munich take on Paris St-Germain, the team they beat in last year’s final.

In the semi-finals, the winner of the Real Madrid v Liverpool tie will face Porto or Chelsea and Manchester City or Dortmund will take on Bayern or PSG.

The two-legged quarter-finals will take place on 6-7 and 13-14 April.

The first legs of the semi-final will be on 27-28 April with the return ties on 4-5 May.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah had to go off with a shoulder injury after a challenge with Sergio Ramos during the first half of the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah had to go off with a shoulder injury after a challenge with Sergio Ramos during the first half of the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid

Liverpool and Real Madrid met in the 2018 Champions League final with the Spanish club, who have won the competition a record 13 times, winning 3-1.

The two teams have played each other six times in Europe’s top competition, with both winning three games apiece, including Liverpool’s 1-0 victory in the 1981 final.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah had to go off with a shoulder injury after a challenge with Sergio Ramos during the first half of the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah had to go off with a shoulder injury after a challenge with Sergio Ramos during the first half of the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid

Their only previous meeting in a knockout tie came in the last 16 in 2009, with Liverpool winning 5-0 on aggregate.

Premier League leaders Manchester City have only met Dortmund twice. Those games came in the group stage of the Champions League in 2012, with the English side drawing 1-1 at home and losing 1-0 in Germany.

City, who are aiming to win the competition for the first time, remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple and could face England winger Jadon Sancho, who left the club in 2017 to join the German side.

LIVERPOOL IS SET FOR UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER FINALS

Egypt and Senegal internationals inspired Jurgen Klopp’s men to the quarter-finals of the European competition

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane scored to help Liverpool secure a 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig in Wednesday’s Champions League game.

The victory at Anfield helped the Reds advance into the quarter-finals of the European competition on a 4-0 aggregate after securing a 2-0 win in the first leg.  

Salah has been the standout performer for the Reds this season and against the Red Bulls, he shone to ensure his side progressed in the tournament.
Mane was afforded his eighth appearance in the Champions League this season and utilized the opportunity to add to his tally.

RB Leipzig dominated the first half of the game but failed to get the ball into the back of the net, missing a few chances which they paid for in the second half.

After the restart, Liverpool seemed to awake from their slumber as they pressed aggressively for the opener.

Their efforts paid off when Salah broke the deadlock in the 70th minute after receiving a timely assist from Diogo Jota.

The Egypt international, thus, took his goal tally to 25 this season, scoring the most across all competitions among the Premier League stars.

Four minutes later, Mane doubled Liverpool’s lead with a fine effort after benefitting from Divock Origi’s assist.The forward has now bagged 12 goals in the knock-out stage of the elite European competition since he made his

debut and only Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more than him since the 2017-18 season.

Mane has now scored 12 goals and provided five assists across all competitions in the 2020-21 campaign for Liverpool.

Salah was recently rewarded for his impressive goalscoring form, winning Liverpool’s Goal of the Month for February and has now clinched the individual accolade six times on the bounce.

The forward along with Mane will hope to continue their impressive performances in front of goal when the Reds take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in their next league game on March 15.

Liverpool 0 — 1 Chelsea

Chelsea strengthened their case for Champions League qualification and harmed champions Liverpool’s own top-four hopes as Mason Mount’s goal gave them victory at Anfield.

The Blues were the better side and had an early Timo Werner finish disallowed by the video assistant referee for a fractional offside.

But Mount did give them the lead before the break, cutting inside for a low finish.

Liverpool felt they should have had a penalty, but N’Golo Kante was ruled not to have handled on purpose in the box.

Chelsea, who are now 10 games unbeaten under Thomas Tuchel, move up to fourth in the Premier League, with 47 points from 27 games.

Liverpool, who have now lost five in a row at home in the Premier League having not suffered defeat in 68 games at Anfield before that, are four points worse off in seventh.

Van Dijk injury blow for Liverpool in Merseyside derby as Pickford avoids red card for wild lunge

The Everton goalkeeper crashed into the Dutch defender, leaving him crumpled on the turf, but the offside flag came to the rescue for the Toffees

Liverpool suffered an early injury blow in their Merseyside derby with Everton after seeing Virgil van Dijk forced off after just 11 minutes following a wild lunge from Jordan Pickford.

The Reds were already in front when the controversial incident occurred, with Sadio Mane breaking the deadlock with less than three minutes on the clock.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were looking for a second when their Dutch defender picked up an untimely knock.

Van Dijk sought to get onto the end of a ball that looped beyond the far post. Pickford raced out to meet the Liverpool centre-half and clattered into him, leaving him crumpled on the turf.

Everton’s goalkeeper, who has faced plenty of questions regarding his reliability over recent weeks, faced an anxious wait before discovering what the match officials had given.

An offside flag came to his rescue, with a VAR review deeming that the right call had been made. That got Pickford off the hook as he could have been facing at least a penalty, and potentially a red card.

Liverpool’s frustration at missing out on a spot kick was compounded when, after receiving treatment on the field, a talismanic part of their plans was forced off and straight down the tunnel.

It now remains to be seen how serious the problem picked up by Van Dijk is and how long he will be out of action for.

His absence was felt almost immediately by Liverpool, with Everton dragging themselves back into a lively contest in the 19th minute. With no Van Dijk around to organise at the back, Michael Keane headed home an equaliser.

Fabinho was unable to contain the threat posed by an England international, and he powered past Adrian to restore parity.

Liverpool knew they were going to face a response from their hosts after hitting the front so early in a keenly-contested fixture.

Mane’s goal, which saw him drill home Andy Robertson’s low cross from the left, made history for the men from Anfield. No player has ever been as quick out of the blocks on derby day for the Reds in the Premier League era.

Keeping opponents out has, however, been an issue for the defending champions in 2020-21 and another opportunity to collect a clean sheet has passed them by.

Liverpool won’t dominate title race, Man City will be back & Man Utd may have a new manager by January – McAteer

The former Reds midfielder is not expecting a repeat of a runaway triumph from 2019-20, with rivals looking to chase Jurgen Klopp’s side down

Liverpool are unlikely to run away with the Premier League title in 2020-21, admits Jason McAteer, with Manchester City expected to come back into the picture while Manchester United may have a new manager in place by January.

A first English top-flight crown in 30 years was captured by those at Anfield last season, with Jurgen Klopp overseeing a record-setting triumph.

Many expected the Reds to be as dominant again in defence of that crown, but leaks at the back have opened up and a stunning 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa last time out proves that anything is possible.

Everton and Aston Villa are the only sides at this early stage of the campaign to still boast a 100 per cent record, with the expected pack of title challengers still scratching around for consistency.

McAteer believes that will leave the title race wide open, with it possible that renewed confidence and the odd change of personnel here and there could see former champions come back into contention.

Former Liverpool midfielder McAteer told FreeSuperTips: “It’s still difficult to say whether Liverpool will run away again with the Premier League.

“As we’ve seen in the first four rounds of Premier League matches, teams seem to be struggling to win at home, with only 14 home wins out of 38 matches, which suggests that away teams have nothing to fear and play more expansive football when there are no fans in the stadium. 41 goals were scored in the last round of fixtures which is great to watch but makes things very unpredictable.

“It’s still early days but don’t count Manchester City and Manchester United out just yet.

“Pep Guardiola always loves a challenge and Manchester United might have a new manager before the next transfer window which might shake things up – a lot can happen in the next two months.”

Next up for Liverpool, who have still taken nine points from four games so far, is a derby date with Merseyside neighbours Everton.

McAteer believes the Reds could be considered underdogs at Goodison Park, given how impressive Carlo Ancelotti’s Toffees have been so far, but anything is possible in contests that often see form go out of the window.

“For the first time in quite a few years, this is Everton’s best opportunity to cause an upset against Liverpool,” said a man who graced many such occasions in his playing days.

“On current form, Everton will go into the game as favourites, after an outstanding start to the season, with them winning all four games and scoring 11 goals. 

“Carlo Ancelotti’s recruitment this summer was outstanding, bringing in midfield strength in the form of Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan, as well as having the creativity of James Rodriguez in attack which is bringing the best out of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who deservedly won the player of the month award for scoring 11 goals including two hat-tricks in all competitions.

“Although Liverpool were beaten convincingly in their last Premier League game against Aston Villa, I do expect changes to the personnel and performance, so I don’t see Everton having it all their own way.” 

‘Henderson knew Van Dijk was captain competition’ – Liverpool skipper saluted by Aldridge for raising game

The former Reds striker remains a big fan of the man chosen by Jurgen Klopp to be an on-field leader for the reigning Premier League champions

Jordan Henderson has “upped his game as a captain” at Liverpool because he knew the arrival of Virgil van Dijk would place his role as skipper under threat, says John Aldridge.

The Reds added a commanding centre-half to their ranks in the January transfer window of 2018 when Van Dijk slotted seamlessly into the fold, with his value and leadership qualities apparent from the off.

He has taken the armband at times while at Anfield, but Henderson remains very much the go-to man for Jurgen Klopp in that department.

The England international has shown himself to be deserving of such responsibility since inheriting the job of captain from the legendary Steven Gerrard, with consistency added to his game that few believed he had when making a slow start to life on Merseyside.

Henderson’s game has been taken to even greater heights under Klopp, allowing him to get his hands on Champions League and Premier League crowns, with the challenge posed by Van Dijk successfully fended off.

Former Reds striker Aldridge told the Liverpool Echo of a power battle at Anfield: “When Virgil van Dijk came to the club, everyone was saying he would go on to be the captain and Jordan’s not soft, he probably knew what people were thinking and that the big Dutchman was a threat to his hopes of keeping hold of the armband.

“But he upped his game as a captain, in the dressing room and on the pitch, and I really think he’s been a brilliant captain for Liverpool and deserves all the accolades which have come his way in recent times.

“When he’s on the pitch he’s always shouting orders, lifting and organising the players around him and if he’d have been playing at Aston Villa we would not have lost 7-2, without a doubt.”

Henderson is currently away on UEFA Nations League duty with his country, with his efforts to earn a penalty in a 2-1 victory over Belgium seeing him come in for criticism from Roy Keane.

Aldridge is not surprised to see a man he knows well speak out against supposed theatrics, but he has no issue with the Liverpool midfielder going to ground under little pressure from Thomas Meunier.

“I see he’s got a bit of stick from my old Republic of Ireland team-mate Roy Keane for ‘screaming’ and drawing attention to the fact he was fouled for the penalty which brought about England’s equaliser,” Aldridge said.

“At the end of the day, he was only doing what many players, foreign and home-grown, have been doing pretty much since football began although it does seem to have crept into the game more and more over the years.

“There’s a big difference though between what Jordan did and what we see from other players who go down like a sack of spuds when they’ve not been touched.

“He was fouled by the defender, who clearly pulled him back when Jordan was going to get to the ball ahead of him so it was a penalty, all day long.

“We’ve seen plenty of examples, including a few with Mo Salah in recent times, when players have tried to do what is supposedly the right thing by staying on their feet and the referee takes the view that because the attacker stayed upright he didn’t have to give a decision.

“A foul is a foul whether the forward ends up on the ground or not and until referees start to give them in those situations, players will feel they have no alternative.”

Van Dijk calls for calm after Liverpool thrashed by Aston Villa

The Reds centre-back believes it’s important for the club not to let the loss drive them crazy but is eager to see a positive response

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has called for calm after seeing his side suffer a humiliating 7-2 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday. 

Jurgen Klopp’s side were humbled away from home by Villa, who scored four goals in the first 45 minutes and wrapped up the win despite having just 30 per cent of possession across the match. 

This was the first time the Reds have conceded seven goals in any competitive game since 1963, while they are the first reigning English top-flight champions to ship so many goals in a league match since Arsenal did so against Sunderland in 1953.

While a monumentally bad result for Liverpool, Van Dijk was quick to pay respect to Dean Smith’s side and called on his team to react appropriately to the defeat. 

“It’s hard to lose the way we lost tonight. First and foremost well done to Aston Villa, we have to give them the credit they deserve,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports post-match.

“It was one of those performances where we weren’t 100 per cent at it from start to finish. The goals we conceded we should have done, but also the chances that we had, we should have done better. Overall we’re all disappointed, we shouldn’t have lost with the numbers that we did but it’s about sticking together and making sure it doesn’t happen again.

“You can’t take the credit away from Aston Villa, but we should have been more clinical. In all aspects of the game we should have done much better. It’s important not to get crazy but we’ve got to step it up and the performance level between the Arsenal league win and today was too big.”

On the absence of Sadio Mane and Alisson, he added: “We prepared well and we played a good game against Arsenal in mid-week. Our preparation was good and we were ready for it before the game. Unfortunately in the game it didn’t happen how we wanted it to.”

Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins claimed a hat-trick against Liverpool and believes he should have had even more goals to his name. 

“I can’t believe it really. Getting one goal is good but three is unbelievable. I think 1-0 up gives us confidence, we grew into the game and punished them,” he told BBC’s Match of the Day.

“I came away with a hat-trick but think I could have got more. It is bitter sweet.”

‘We lost the plot!’ – Klopp admits Liverpool made ‘the wrong type’ of history in Villa defeat

The German coach believes his side lost their way early on in a surprisingly big loss

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp declared his team “lost the plot” after conceding inside four minutes against Aston Villa in a 7-2 loss on Sunday in the Premier League. 

The Reds conceded four first-half goals with Ollie Watkins netting a hat-trick inside 45 minutes as Villa strolled to a third straight league win. 

Klopp’s side dominated possession but struggled to make the most of their chances and were made to pay in defence by a ruthless Villa, who scored seven times from just 11 efforts on target.

While a monumentally heavy defeat for the reigning Premier League champions, the Liverpool manager concedes he saw such a result coming after conceding so early and continuing to make so many mistakes. 

Asked if he could believe result post-match, Klopp told BBC Sport: “Yes, I saw it. So it is easy to believe because I was here. First of all you have to say that Villa did very well. They were very physical, very smart and very direct, we were not.

“We had big chances which we did not use, but when you concede seven I’m not sure you can say it would have been 7-7. We made too many mistakes and massive ones obviously. It started with the first goal and around the goals we made massive mistakes.

“We lost balls in the wrong area and did not protect properly. It looked like we lost the plot after it went to 1-0. It is not an excuse. Normally you can be 1-0 down and do the stuff you want to do. We created but did not protect ourselves properly so each ball we lost was a massive counter attack.

“That is why we conceded and three goals were deflected. It’s unlucky but it is not a coincidence because it means it was not a proper block. There is nobody to blame apart from me and us.

“Aston Villa were so good. Watkins wow and of course when you give the ball to Jack [Grealish] in a one v one situation on the left he can go either way and create chances.

“Who wants to lose 7-2? Years ago we told ourselves we wanted to create history. That was history but obviously the wrong type.”

The shock result sees Liverpool slip to fifth in the Premier League, while Aston Villa are now second despite playing one game less than every other side currently in the top half of the table. 

Bukayo Saka: Arsenal wonderkid could be Nigeria’s biggest loss to England

The Arsenal teenager is likely to make his competitive Three Lions debut in October, thus terminating any hope for a Super Eagles career

Another one that got away — except Bukayo Saka just isn’t any ordinary player.

Maybe it’s recency bias, perhaps not, but seeing the Arsenal youngster potentially feature for England in their Uefa Nations League game on October 11 against Belgium at Wembley or Denmark at the same venue three days later will rankle.

Many Nigerians had dreamed of arguably the most-talented Premier League youngster at the moment representing the three-time African champions. The loss of Chelsea pair, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori, last year was felt initially, but the general feeling afterwards indicated that supporters of the West African nation had moved on in a trice.

Having drawn up fantasy formations including Saka in the Nigeria set-up — in a 4-3-3 alongside Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze on the right flank and Victor Osimhen at centre-forward or in a 4-2-3-1 with the Arsenal youngster in a front four together with the aforementioned forwards and possibly Alex Iwobi in the hole — the sensation’s inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s 30-player squad saddened many in the West African nation.

Further rubbing salt into the wound was the fact the news broke on Nigeria’s national day, October 1, when the nation celebrated the 60th year of her sovereignty. While the breaking story was probably inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, in a sporting sense, missing out on the 19-year-old felt like a kick in the teeth.

Of course, the Super Eagles will move on, just as they did when Abraham and Tomori chose the Three Lions. The continued rise of Osimhen as one of the brightest young frontmen in Europe means nobody rues the Chelsea striker’s decision now. In fact, there’s a feeling the Napoli frontman has a lot more about him and will be Nigeria’s number nine for years to come.

As for the centre-back, despite his promise and composure in possession, the 22-year-old hasn’t developed as many imagined after a bright start to 2019/20 as a Premier League defender.

As it is, the Blues youngster hasn’t added to his solitary England cap — picked up against Kosovo in November 2019 — while he’s arguably not significantly better than the current options at Gernot Rohr’s disposal.

For Abraham’s part, there was always going to be uncertainty over his long-term international career, especially with Harry Kane unlikely to be displaced as England’s primary frontman. Also, the form of Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the presence of Manchester United striker Markus Rashford suggests there isn’t a clear path to regular game time for the European nation.

Given the odd antipathy that grows after Anglo-Nigerians reject the African nation, the schadenfreude that’ll follow if Abraham and Tomori fail to cement their place for the Three Lions will be extreme. This is largely due to a feeling among fans of the Super Eagles that, despite the lure of playing for England, the 1966 World Cup winners have never seemed to integrate them satisfactorily into the side — except for possibly Dele Alli.

While John Fashanu, John Salako, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Carlton Cole immediately spring up as players who spurned Nigeria — Fashanu has since revealed this wasn’t the case — but never really flourished, there’s a fear that the same may eventually befall Abraham, Tomori and Saka.

The aforementioned quartet played a combined 17 fixtures for the Three Lions, many of which were non-competitive fixtures, and their careers with the English national team never got off the ground.

Then there’s the pair of Jordon Ibe and Dominic Solanke, two players who pledged their allegiance to the European nation but have just one cap between them — a friendly against Brazil in 2017 for the former Chelsea and Liverpool attacker.

Ibe, who rejected Nigeria in 2015, was never given a chance by the Three Lions, leading to harsh criticism for the former prospect from fans of the Super Eagles.

While the jury remains out on Abraham and Tomori, there’s seemingly been a poor trend with Nigerians with dual citizenship who opt to play for the Three Lions, prompting fears concerning Saka.

What isn’t considered, however, is the talent level of the Arsenal academy graduate compared to his predecessors who either didn’t get a look in or have their paths to consistent game time shrouded in doubt and uncertainty.

With the 19-year-old, there seems to be a high ceiling that, ceteris paribus, indicates he could develop into a gem of a player in his prime.

Saka’s adeptness in different roles makes him an asset for any England boss now or in the future — although many observers feel his versatility could hurt his development as a player — something Nigeria may have benefitted from with his proficiency at left-back and out wide on both flanks.

Months ago, the Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick stated that the country would cease to place players with dual nationalities on pedestals, an assertion that was welcome by supporters owing to previous embarrassing snubs.

“Saka is an excellent prospect but we have other players in his position who are playing so well,” Pinnick said in an Instagram Live chat in July. “We have talents everywhere so we won’t beg people to play for Nigeria.

“It is about ardour and fervour. If it’s their desire and they merit it, they’ll be given a chance to represent Nigeria.”

It’s safe to say Saka merited a place in the side following his meteoric rise at Arsenal, but evidently never yearned for a Super Eagles career.

In that sense, Nigeria leaves with her pride intact. However, given the supreme talent he possesses, supporters will wear a rueful grin when they consider what might have been had the youngster chosen the West African giants.

Liverpool ‘machine’ will take some stopping after Arsenal, Chelsea wins

Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Arsenal on Monday Night Football made it nine points from nine to start their Premier League title defence. The early evidence suggests Jurgen Klopp’s side will take some stopping this season…

Liverpool’s chaotic 4-3 win over Leeds on the opening day of the season offered some encouragement to their Premier League rivals. Mohamed Salah looked more lethal than ever, but the solidity that underpinned their title charge was absent. Was it a sign of slipping standards?

It was certainly a tantalising thought for the sides seeking to close the gap to the top of the table in the new campaign, but fast forward two games and their hopes of a Liverpool drop-off look fanciful at best. Two of those sides, first Chelsea and now Arsenal, have found that out for themselves.

On Monday Night Football, Jurgen Klopp’s side followed up last weekend’s 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge with a similarly impressive show of force at Anfield. Mikel Arteta’s side had beaten them twice in the previous four months. A third consecutive upset, however, never looked likely.

That is not to say there were not awkward moments for them.

Arsenal’s lead, following Alexandre Lacazette’s freakish opening goal, lasted only 147 seconds and it was a minor miracle that they were still in the game at all when Diogo Jota struck Liverpool’s third in the closing stages.

By the end, Jurgen Klopp’s men had attempted 21 shots to Arsenal’s four and the numbers were similar against both Leeds and Chelsea. As well as taking maximum points from their first three games, Liverpool have attempted the most shots in the Premier League and faced the fewest.

Are you crazy?’ – Klopp unhappy with Liverpool applause of Chelsea red card

The Reds boss wasn’t impressed with the reaction from one of his members of staff after the Blues were reduced to 10 men

Jurgen Klopp reiterated his dislike for any unsportsmanlike behaviour after remonstrating with a member of the Liverpool staff for applauding a red card handed to Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen on Sunday. 

After VAR intervention, an initial yellow card for Christensen was upgraded to red for a poor challenge on Sadio Mane and Klopp was left fuming when someone on the Reds bench began applauding the decision. 

“Are you crazy? We never ever do that, ok?,” Klopp could reportedly be heard shouting from the sidelines.