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Arne Slot's side struck twice in quick succession, but collapsed in the second half to draw as fans jeered departing their right-back

Liverpool threw away a commanding lead as Arsenal roared back to claim a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday as Trent Alexander-Arnold faced a hostile reception as a substitute after announcing his decision to leave his boyhood club.

Arsenal had gone close early on when Bukayo Saka broke Liverpool's offside trap and prodded wide, but two goals in the space of 87 seconds handed the hosts a dominant lead midway through the first half. Cody Gakpo looked to have scuppered one opportunity with a mishit close to goal, but play was restarted quickly from the resulting throw-in, which allowed Andy Robertson to charge into space unopposed before finding the Dutch forward, who made no mistake this time with a thumping header.

Things got even gloomier for the visitors soon after when Liverpool doubled their lead. Mohamed Salah's pass was brilliantly controlled by Dominik Szoboszlai, who quickly rolled the ball across goal for the onrushing Diaz to slide in ahead of William Saliba and tap home.

Liverpool were punished for a sloppy start to the second half as a real lack of concentration allowed Leandro Trossard to curl in a cross to Gabriel Martinelli, whose glanced header found the far corner to breathe new life into the contest. There was then an awkward response to Alexander-Arnold's introduction as the Anfield faithful made their feelings known, and the departing right-back was somewhat at fault as he played Mikel Merino onside to head in Arsenal's equaliser.

Merino was then sent off as Liverpool ended the game in the ascendancy, but no winner arrived.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Alisson Becker (5/10):

Not much he could do about Martinelli's header. Uncharacteristically parried a shot straight to Merino for the equaliser.

Conor Bradley (6/10):

Snapped into challenges forcefully but did pick up a yellow card.

Ibrahima Konate (4/10):

Not switched on when Martinelli headed in.

Virgil van Dijk (4/10):

Also a little sleepy as Arsenal fought back.

Andy Robertson (6/10):

Very sharp to exploit empty space and cross for Gakpo to head in.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Ryan Gravenberch (5/10):

Guilty of losing possession a little too frequently throughout the game.

Curtis Jones (5/10):

Buzzed around in the middle but didn't assert much authority.

Dominik Szoboszlai (8/10):

Outrageous touch and quick pass to set up a tap-in for Diaz.

Getty Images SportAttack

Mohamed Salah (5/10):

Played the ball to Szoboszlai for the second goal, but missed his trademark edge all game.

Luis Diaz (8/10):

Was on hand to quickly double Liverpool's lead from close range and was a total nuisance in the first half.

Cody Gakpo (7/10):

Looked to have blown one opportunity but then converted an easy header to open the scoring.

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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Alexis Mac Allister (5/10):

Just a little loose with his distribution.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (4/10):

Received a pretty mixed reaction from the Liverpool faithful after his introduction, which very much put a dampener on proceedings. Also played Merino onside for the equaliser.

Darwin Nunez (5/10):

Didn't get much of a chance to wreak havoc.

Diogo Jota (5/10):

Nearly found the far corner after a long run.

Harvey Elliott (N/A):

Curled one decent effort wide.

Arne Slot (6/10):

Some human error creeped in as his side blew their lead, which is something Slot will want to stamp out after last week's loss to Chelsea.

Australia selector Tony Dodemaide has defended the presence of injured players in the squad

Alex Malcolm17-Feb-20234:59

Chappell: Cummins being the only pacer in the XI is a ‘hell of a gamble’

Australia’s selectors have backflipped on their decision to leave out Travis Head in Nagpur by selecting him in Delhi because of his bowling ability. Matthew Kuhnemann has also leap-frogged Ashton Agar to make his Test debut as Australia select three specialist spinners and one fast bowler for the first time since 2017 with Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc both ruled unfit.Australia’s selector on tour Tony Dodemaide spoke to the media shortly before the toss in Delhi to explain the selectors’ decision-making. Having left Head out in Nagpur as a horses-for-courses selection due to his poor batting record on the subcontinent, and his struggles at the training camp in Bengaluru, Dodemaide explained that Head had been included in Delhi at the expense of Matt Renshaw because Australia felt they were missing a fifth bowling option in Nagpur.”Renners is really stiff,” Dodemaide said. “There’s no slight on him. He’s very much a valued player in our team planning moving forward. He was quite stiff, particularly in the first innings [in Nagpur]. So he hasn’t been dropped for those performances.”The key thing where we see the difference this time around is that Heady does offer quite a valuable option as a fifth bowler and that’s where we felt we were stretched in parts of the game in Nagpur and that fifth bowling option is something that we value, albeit another spinner. But we expect spin to dominate in any case.”Ashton Agar struggling for formKuhnemann’s Test debut has come in extraordinary circumstances. Last week he was playing his first first-class match since October for Queensland at the MCG in Melbourne, having been biding his time as the second Queensland spinner behind Mitchell Swepson in their Sheffield Shield side.Kuhnemann was not selected in the initial India tour squad but flew into Delhi on Sunday as Swepson went home for the birth of his first child. Agar was picked as Australia’s second spinner in the XI in Sydney in the last home Test before the India tour and as the preferred left-arm orthodox spinner in the touring party.But Agar’s performance in Sydney against South Africa, and at the training camp in Bengaluru, meant that he was not a viable option to be picked in the first or second Test.”His red-ball game is not quite where he wants it to be,” Dodemaide said. “Matt Kuhnemann has come over and impressed. He got a chance in Sri Lanka, albeit in limited-overs form, he’s played well in domestic cricket this season and he’s impressed us in the nets. We just feel his style at the moment is more suited to these conditions.”Matthew Kuhnemann played 13 first-class matches before making his Test debut in Delhi•Getty ImagesKuhnemann made a similar shock ODI debut last year in Sri Lanka when Adam Zampa missed the tour on paternity leave.Australia have opted to not pick a second pace bowler for the first time since Chittagong in 2017 when Pat Cummins was the lone quick alongside Agar, Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe, although on that occasion that did have Hilton Cartwright’s medium pace.Boland was arguably Australia’s second-best bowler in Nagpur behind Todd Murphy but only bowled 17 overs for the Test. Australia’s selectors believe the conditions in Delhi make a second quick surplus to requirements.”It’s a bit unusual going the three spin and one quick,” Dodemaide said. “We feel the pitch here, the conditions, we feel that spin will dominate the game once again and from what we understand this pitch has been used three times already this year and there’s already substantial cracking in the areas where most of the game is going to be played. That’s the reason for going for the three spinners. The fifth bowler is important too.”We don’t have the seam bowling option of Cam on the table quite yet. We’re very confident and hope he’s continuing to progress and we expect him to be available for the third Test in Indore. That’s the context around selection for this one.”Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc hopeful for IndoreDodemaide defended the selectors’ decision to bring three players on tour who are not fit enough to be selected in the first two Tests. Josh Hazlewood is still battling an Achilles issue while Green and Starc were pushing to be fit for the second Test but neither were quite right with their respective finger injuries despite training fully on Wednesday.”We brought them over in the expectation they’d be available,” Dodemaide said. “Starcy and Greeny didn’t quite come up for this one. We fully expect them to be online for the third one.”Certainly if [Starc] was 100% we would have had a serious conversation about the bowling structure, about two [quicks] and two [spinners] as opposed to one [quick] and three [spinners]. Certainly, it’s great balance if you’ve got that seam bowling without shortening the batting with Greeny being available. That’s not the case and we deal with what you’ve got.”Cam’s been going through his return to play stuff. He hasn’t really completed all of what he was intended to do. He still hasn’t faced quick bowlers. He hasn’t done a lot of catching as well. He’s trained for quite some time. But there’s just enough reaction and discomfort there that it’s just not ready.”

Newcastle United will be offered three players in exchange for Alexander Isak by a huge European club this summer, according to a new transfer claim.

Newcastle sweating over Isak's future

Isak is enjoying a fantastic season for the Magpies, standing out as not only their star but also one of the best players in the Premier League currently, causing defenders nightmares with his pace, finishing and all-round game.

The 25-year-old has scored 19 league goals in 2024/25 to date, with only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland ahead of him in the charts, which says a huge amount about the sort of company he is now in.

Isak’s blistering form is understandably seeing him being linked with a move away from Newcastle this summer, however, with some huge clubs battling to snap him up. Chelsea and Arsenal have both been mentioned as potential suitors to sign the Sweden international, while Liverpool are also reportedly pushing to sign him in a possible £148m deal.

The Magpies are understandably desperate to keep their most prized asset at St James’ Park for as long as possible, but there will be concern that he could eye a move elsewhere, feeling he could reach another level at an even bigger club.

Newcastle to be offered attacking trio in Isak swap deal

According to RMC Sport [via NUFC Blog], Paris Saint-Germain are ready to offer Marco Asensio, Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani to Newcastle this summer, in a swap deal that allows them to sign Isak.

The bottom line is that the Magpies would surely rather retain the services of the Swede than lose him, even if it means three players heading in the opposite direction.

Granted, he hasn’t been without injury problems, so there is a tiny element of sense in cashing in on him, but he needs to be viewed as the fulcrum of Eddie Howe’s attack for the foreseeable future.

Should the worst happen and Isak move to PSG, however, Newcastle would at least be bringing in three top-quality players who have proven themselves at a high level throughout their respective careers, with the Ligue 1 champions currently paying the trio a combined £383,000 per week.

In Ramos, the Magpies could have a particularly exciting option, having been hailed by Ian Wright after a stunning hat-trick for Portugal against Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup:

“It was very impressive, he played very well, scored a hat trick and takes all the headlines and rightly so. He held the ball up brilliantly but the first goal it set the stall for him. ‘He scores a goal that he’s not meant to score (his first goal). He hits it so well, he’s not meant to score that side of the goal but that kind of set them on the road really.”

Meanwhile, Asensio is a three-time Champions League winner from his Real Madrid days, and is currently doing well on loan at Aston Villa, recently scoring a late winner against Chelsea in the Premier League.

88 goals since leaving Newcastle: Toon flop is now on par with Gordon

This former Newcastle United attacker would get first team opportunities if he was back on Tyneside.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 4, 2025

Kolo Muani was famously denied by Emiliano Martinez in the dying seconds of extra-time for France against Argentina in the last World Cup final, and he has five goals in as many Serie A starts on loan at Juventus this season.

Everything you need to know about Emiliano Martinez's salary at Aston Villa

Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez joined Aston Villa in 2020 after spending eight long seasons at Arsenal. Despite his time in North London, Martinez saw limited first-team opportunities and endured multiple loan spells across various clubs before making a permanent move to Villa Park.

He quickly became a fan favourite at Aston Villa, showcasing a commanding presence between the posts. Martinez has also been instrumental for his national team, playing a key role in Argentina’s Copa America triumphs in 2021 and 2024, as well as their 2022 FIFA World Cup victory.

Martinez is currently under contract with Aston Villa until 2029, though he is widely expected to depart the club in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Argentine also commands a high salary at Villa Park, ranking among the club’s top earners.

So, exactly how much does he earn?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

*

Emiliano Martinez's wages at Aston Villa in numbers

Martinez's current contract with Aston Villa gives him a weekly salary of £150,000 ($199,112), making him the fourth-highest paid player at the club. His yearly earnings are £7.8 million ($10.3m).

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Emiliano Martinez

Argentine

£150,000

$199,112

£7,800,000

$10,353,844

Advertisement(C)Getty imagesTop earners at Aston Villa

Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, is the top earner at Aston Villa. Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans, and Emiliano Martinez have the same salary, following Rashford. Donyell Malen is fifth in earnings.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Marcus Rashford

English

£225,000

$298,669

£11,700,000

$15,530,766

Boubacar Kamara

French

£150,000

$199,112

£7,800,000

$10,353,844

Youri Tielemans

Belgian

£150,000

$199,112

£7,800,000

$10,353,844

Emiliano Martinez

Argentine

£150,000

$199,112

£7,800,000

$10,353,844

Donyell Malen

Dutch

£140,000

$185,838

£7,280,000

$9,663,588

Top 5 earners in the Premier League

Erling Haaland is the highest-paid player in the Premier League, with a contract at Manchester City until 2034. Kevin De Bruyne ranks second, followed by Mohamed Salah in third.

Casemiro is the only Manchester United player in fourth place, and Liverpool's Virgil Van Dijk is fifth.

Arsenal players do not appear in the top five highest-paid players in the league.

Player

Club

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Erling Haaland

Manchester City

£525,000

$703,974

£27,300,000

$36,606,644

Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City

£400,000

$536,361

£20,800,000

$27,890,776

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

£400,000

$536,361

£20,800,000

$27,890,776

Casemiro

Manchester United

£350,000

$469,316

£18,200,000

$24,404,429

Virgil Van Dijk

Liverpool

£350,000

$469,316

£18,200,000

$24,404,429

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Getty Images SportHighest paid players in the world

Premier League salaries are substantial, but these players are not the highest earners worldwide.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the top scorer in Champions League history, earns the most at Al Nassr. His former Real Madrid teammate, Karim Benzema, is next.

Riyad Mahrez, formerly with Manchester City, is third, while Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly from Senegal are fourth and fifth.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,270,519

$4,385,050

£170,066,890

$228,022,620

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,635,259

$2,192,525

£85,033,490

$114,011,310

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£853,605

$1,144,498

£44,387,482

$59,513,904

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£654,104

$877,010

£34,013,396

$45,604,524

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£567,435

$760,806

£29,506,621

$39,561,925

Saha’s form at the top could be a worry for Titans even as Capitals try to fix their middle order

Sreshth Shah01-May-20236:03

Moody: Delhi Capitals will be Gujarat Titans’ party spoilers

Big picture – Tough challenge for Delhi Capitals
Is Tuesday night’s game a contest between the season’s best and worst teams? It’s not just the points table suggesting that.In key metrics, Gujarat Titans reign supreme while Delhi Capitals bring up the bottom. Their chasing records (100% v 20%), middle-order batting averages (37.8 v 16.6) and scoring rate in the last four overs (12.3 v 7.9) suggest the same. David Warner’s side have also lost the most wickets to spin, have the lowest run-rate against pacers, and are the only side with no batter having a 140+ strike-rate.But Capitals have produced better performances over the last fortnight, with only a close defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad robbing them of a hat-trick of wins. Their batting has started to click regularly and their spinners have been a rare positive.Titans look sturdy as an XI, with a robust middle-order supporting Shubman Gill. In Kolkata, they showed that Rashid Khan is not their lone bowling trump card, and like last season their Indian batters like Abhinav Manohar and Vijay Shankar are consistently delivering.Their only weaknesses at the moment are Wriddhiman Saha’s form and their 1 in 3 record batting first. It will be up to Capitals, who themselves are in a good space for a change, to take advantage of any opening they find. Their best chance will be for more players rallying around Axar Patel and Mitchell Marsh, and a better batting track than Delhi which shall suit their overseas-heavy top order.Form guide
Gujarat Titans WWWLW
Delhi Capitals LWWLL3:06

Moody: Don’t understand why Axar Patel bats so low

Team news – Mohit injury not serious
Mohit Sharma had jammed his fingers under the ball during the Kolkata Knight Riders game. While it looked serious at first, his return later in the game to take a catch was promising news for the Titans. There are no other injury concerns from either side.Impact Player strategyGujarat Titans
Saha’s form is worrying for Titans. At 18.9, his average is the worst among all IPL 2023 batters. If Titans chase, they could replace Saha after the fielding innings for a top-order batter like B Sai Sudharsan when batting second. If they bat first, they may be forced to stay with Saha since they’re constrained with replacing a pure batter for an extra bowler in the second innings. It is more likely that they’ll stick with the same combo.Titans XII: , 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk) / Sai Sudharsan, 3 Abhinav Manohar, 4 Hardik Pandya (capt), 5 Vijay Shankar, 6 David Miller, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Josh Little, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Mohammed Shami, Delhi Capitals
Capitals could make a few changes depending on their assessment of the pitch. They could roll the dice with Prithvi Shaw but would not want to drop Phil Salt from the opener’s spot. He and/or Abishek Porel, could also come in place of Priyam Garg or Ripal Patel.Capitals XII: 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Manish Pandey, , 6 Priyam Garg, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Ripal Patel, 9 Anrich Nortje, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, , 12 Mukesh KumarStats that matter – Watch out for Warner v Titans pacers Capitals’ left-arm spinners have kept Hardik unusually quiet. He’s scored 14 in 16 against Kuldeep and 18 in 17 against Axar. Warner’s 107 runs against Shami are among the bowler’s worst numbers against a batter. But Shami has dismissed him twice in 10 games. Warner, in particular, enjoys facing Mohit, hitting him for 100 runs in 55 balls. That one-on-one strike-rate of 182 is among the worst for Mohit against any batter. At Ahmedabad, the average first innings score has been 192 but the average first-innings winning score is 207.Pitch and conditionsExpect a batting-friendly track. The ground dimensions could be a factor based on which pitch is used. It should be a dry evening.The big question

Celtic are in a strong position to sign a new playmaker who is keen to make the move to Parkhead, according to a new report.

Rodgers looking to bounce back from Rangers defeat

Celtic remain firmly in charge in the race for the Scottish Premiership title, though their final game before the international break ended in tears with a defeat to bitter rivals Rangers.

The Gers soared into a 2-0 lead before Brendan Rodgers’ side bounced back to level the scores in the second half through goals from Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate.

Just when it looked like they were about to complete an astonishing turnaround, Rangers’ Hamza Igamane hit a stunning winner in the 88th minute, thrashing the ball into the top corner from just outside the Celtic area.

Speaking after the defeat, Rodgers urged his side to bounce back and apologised to the club’s fans.

Worse than Schlupp: 4/10 dud had his worst game in a Celtic shirt

The Celtic defender was even worse than Crystal Palace loanee Jeffrey Schlupp.

ByDan Emery Mar 17, 2025

“Firstly, the message to the supporters is, we apologise because we always want to win games here and against our big rivals, so, for them, it’s not a great feeling,” he said. “In every facet of the game, we have to be much better, and if you’re going to be a champion this year, you’ve got to go and show that you’re a champion and you’ve got to earn it.”

He added: “So there are eight games to go, with 13 points, but we’ve got a lot of big games to play.”

Celtic in race to sign O'Sullivan

Even though Celtic will likely end the season as Scottish champions, Rodgers is still keen to bolster his side in the summer’s transfer market – even if it only means being able to avoid another defeat to their rivals next term.

And according to The Athletic, as relayed by the Nottingham Post, the Hoops are firmly in the running to sign Irish teenager Cathal O’Sullivan, who is also attracting interest from Nottingham Forest.

Cork City’s O’Sullivan only turned 18 in early March, but already has a wealth of experience under his belt, having made 30 appearances for Cork at senior level, and is also a regular for the Republic of Ireland’s Under-19s.

While The Athletic reports that it is Forest who are first in line to land the teenage attacker, O’Sullivan himself has suggested he one day would love to play at Parkhead.

In a recent interview with the Irish Examiner, O’Sullivan said: “Yeah, it’s definitely an ambition because obviously the link with Ireland and Celtic. It’s a huge club, massive club so yeah, I would love to go over and play for a club like Celtic.

“I love watching their games and how impressive their Champions League run was this year, and my dad is the same,” he added. “My dad supports Celtic if they’re on the TV. There’s a connection between Ireland and Celtic or Cork and Celtic, there’s a huge amount of fans over here.”

Liverpool are closing in on the Premier League title and expectation is growing that statement signings could be on the way at Anfield this summer, but there is also hesitance over potential departures.

Liverpool's need for statement incomings under Arne Slot

Earlier this week, news that Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool to join Real Madrid came as a bitter blow ahead of next season, albeit there is a feeing this has been on the cards for a while due to his contract impasse.

Arne Slot has shown he doesn’t need reinforcements to turn Liverpool into a winning machine, but you can bet your bottom dollar that he will be active in the market this summer to maintain his side’s place at the Premier League summit for time to come.

Andy Robertson isn’t getting any younger and may need competition for his place over the next couple of years. In light of this, Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and Juventus star Andrea Cambiaso are on the Reds’ radar as options to strengthen in the left-back department.

Potentially costing £40 million or £50 million apiece, both would be affordable in the modern-day climate, though it remains to be seen if either of their current employers would be willing to budge in the summer.

Liverpool's "special" academy star may leave a bigger legacy than Trent

Liverpool’s esteemed right-back is closing in on a free transfer to Real Madrid when his contract expires in June.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 28, 2025

Defensive reinforcements are indeed on the agenda and may be heightened by Ibrahima Konate’s contract situation at Liverpool, which has drawin interest from the likes of Real Madrid in a £50 million transfer.

Now, Slot could be plunged into a corridor of uncertainty if speculation is to be believed regarding another member of his resolute backline after Alexander-Arnold.

Barcelona prepare two-year contract offer to Virgil Van Dijk

According to reports in Spain, Virgil Van Dijk is being lined up by Barcelona this summer and the Catalan giants are ready to put forward a lucrative two-year contract for the Netherlands international.

Citing his experience and leadership, the La Liga leaders have spotted a major opportunity to land someone with elite pedigree for no cost, even if his £220,000 per week wages throw a spanner in the works given their financial issues.

Virgil Van Dijk’s for Liverpool in 2024/25 – Premier League

Appearances

29

Goals

1

Assists

1

Duels won

134

Interceptions

44

Recoveries

94

Labelled “crucial” by Slot, Van Dijk could be a timely arrival for Barcelona should Andreas Christensen or Eric Garcia move on during the off-season. However, news that he is now in the eyes of a European rival will worry Liverpool supporters.

Mohamed Salah is also at risk of leaving for nothing once his contract expires. Should the trio all depart for nothing, FSG would likely cop a severe amount of criticism.

Financially, failing to recoup sizeable fees could impact the Reds’ scope to recruit adequate replacements on the market. Put simply, it is now or never for Liverpool to avoid another Alexander-Arnold scenario.

James Rew scores second ton of match but achievement overshadowed by lack of declaration

Paul Edwards14-May-2023
It is one of history’s grimmer truths that since the founding fathers gave it large in 1776, challenging declarations have been hard to find. Even in cricket’s rich past, Stuart Surridge, Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie, Garry Sobers and Ben Stokes often corner a distinctly unadventurous market and only Stokes has played in the era when T20 shot palettes have made ten runs an over perfectly gettable in the closing stages of a match.Rarely, though, does caution stray towards the marches of bloody-minded lunacy to the extent it did here at Emirates Old Trafford, when Somerset’s Tom Abell opted not to declare at all, instead choosing to amass a totally pointless lead, even when his side was safe. In the course of this charade, it is believed that 19-year-old James Rew might have become the youngest Somerset cricketer to score two hundreds in a first-class match and he is certainly the leading scorer in Division One. The problem was that some of his runs were scored off the bowling of George Bell and Dane Vilas. Rew is a fine player and his achievements deserve a nobler context. This was one-hand, one-bounce cricket.It was only after luncheon that Abell’s tactics became very clear. In the morning session Somerset’s batsmen had proceeded much like the Trumpton clock: “steadily, sensibly, never too quickly, never too slowly.” Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who can shred an attack in half-an-hour, was bowled for 11 when he played inside a ball from Will Williams, and Tom Lammonby then had a giddy two minutes in which he gave one stumping chance to Bell, who fumbled it, and another the next ball, which the keeper didn’t take cleanly but still removed the bails before Lammonby had regained his ground. By then, though, the Somerset opener had made 78 and had set his side up for an onslaught, should they opt to launch one.They didn’t. They absolutely didn’t.Just before 2.45pm Lancashire’s view of Somerset’s tactics were made plain when Steven Croft and Vilas started bowling seam up in tandem. Neither was remotely threatening but the point had been made. Cricket had been replaced by a game of silly buggers. Then Josh Bohannon took the gloves and pads in order that Bell should have his first bowl for Lancashire. Right arm offspin, in case you were wondering but don’t expect to see it again. Bell bowling could be county cricket’s answer to sightings of the great bustard.Eventually, Rew reached his century with a pull through midwicket off Vilas. There were cheers from the Somerset balcony but no celebration whatever from the batsman. Rew is clearly an intelligent cricketer as well as a very talented one. And all this was watched by the members in the pavilion and the paying spectators under The Point. Hardly anyone moved although it’s possible in one or two cases that rigor had set in.One had sympathy for the umpires, Nigel Llong and Tom Lungley, who were required to officiate as conscientiously as they might in a Test match. They did well and one wishes they stood together more often, not least because their surnames are so gloriously complementary. Llong and Lungley: Charles Dickens, who was partial to a dollop of alliteration, would have loved it.We got to tea and realised we only had 50 more minutes of this stuff to endure. Kasey Aldridge pulled Vilas for six to reach his maiden first-class century. This should be a major event in a young cricketer’s career, just as it was for Rew 10 months ago at Chelmsford. Instead, Aldridge reached his landmark in an atmosphere that varied between tedium and farce.But let us see what defence can be offered for Somerset opting to bat throughout this final day to achieve the draw that has left them in eighth place, one place and two points behind Lancashire Some might point out that Abell’s team had played their best cricket of a mediocre season in the previous three days of this match. Was it fair to ask them to risk defeat in such circumstances? To which the answer might be “Yes”, especially when the draw leaves Somerset just above the relegation zone.What’s more, it is becoming increasingly clear that this season’s reduction in points for the draw from eight to five is having a considerable impact on the league tables. Lancashire would have been fourth in the table rather than seventh when this game began had the original allocation been in place. Now, they remain seventh, unbeaten and winless, whereas Somerset are two points further behind before their game against Middlesex at Lord’s on Thursday.”We went to Lancashire yesterday afternoon before the second new ball about the possibility of making a game,” Abell explained. “We felt we needed the best part of 96 overs to bowl a side out and it wasn’t right for them at the time, which is fair enough.”A chase of only 50 or 60 overs only plays into their hands. We wanted to set up a game where both teams would have a chance of winning but ultimately it didn’t feel right. Fifty or sixty overs on that surface wasn’t going to be enough. So it turned into a bit of a damp squib but I don’t want to take that away from the efforts over the four days.”But declarations have frequently been about far more than agreed targets and buffet bowling. The best of them surprise opponents by taking a match out if its expected pattern. If Somerset could not have 80 overs, could they not have tried to set Lancashire a much tougher target in say 60 and then seen how Vilas’s batsmen responded to Craig Overton and Matt Henry with the new ball? Championship cricket is more open to original thinking than Abell’s comments suggest. Very often, it’s not about pow-wows and “what will you chase?” It’s about doing what your opponent least expects and profiting from their discomfort. Spectators enjoy such battles.Of course, this is by no means the first game to end in such a fashion this season. Sometimes there is no option but to block out; the problem was that plenty of more creative choices were available on this final day and at a time when four-day cricket constantly needs to prove its worth to the cynics and one-eyed reformists, it is incumbent on captains to explore them. But maybe we shouldn’t be too harsh on current skippers. Even in 1776, the cold truths of history were fighting to repel the comfort blanket of nostalgia. Rumour even has it that the Georgia delegate wanted to chat on for another hour.

Manchester United are working on an improved bid for Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo after they saw their first offer turned down by the Bees.

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Man Utd see first bid rejected for MbeumoReadying new and improved second bidRed Devils eager to seal dealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United have been interested in Brentford star Mbeumo since last summer and have renewed their interest in the 25-year-old on the back of his great Premier League campaign for the Bees.

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The 20-time Premier League champions made their first official bid earlier this week, a reported fee of £45 million with £10 million in add-ons. However, the Bees immediately turned down the offer but continued to remain in conversation with United. According to the , Manchester United are now working on an improved bid which will also be their "final offer" for Mbeumo. The Red Devils are willing to offer £55m, plus £5m in bonuses.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mbeumo scored a total of 20 goals in the Premier League in the 2024/25 season with Brentford, ending the campaign as the league's fourth top-scorer behind Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MBEUMO?

Manchester United will have to wait and see if Brentford are willing to accept their improved offer. If not, they may have to turn their attention to other targets.

Tottenham ace Mikey Moore converted from the spot to give England U-19s a share of the spoils in their European Championship opener against Norway.

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Three goals in frenetic first halfEngland dominated the ball, but Norway broke at paceMikey Moore penalty ties the game in 79th minuteFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE

The game set into an entertaining and frenetic pattern from the off. The young Three Lions dominated possession, and were occasionally able to break down a steadfast low block from the Norwegians. When England gave up possession, Norway broke both accurately and at pace.

England took the lead on the 11th minute, with Kadan Young striding through the Norway half before finding fellow winger Tom Watson open at the edge of the box. The Brighton youngster's low driven effort deflected past Daniel Gjerde Sætren and into the roof of the net.

It took Norway just seven minutes to respond, as Hamburg winger Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit drove at the England defence, skipping past two defenders and ploughing past Tommy Setford at the near post.

Both teams created decent chances for the remainder of the first 45. Norway in particular were unlucky not to take the lead when Setford produced a smart save from point-blank range, and Sondre Granaas struck the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.

Granaas had his moment, on the strike of halftime, when he coolly volleyed home a perfectly-weighted ball from Røssing-Lelesiit.

The pace slowed in the second half, as Norway seemed more content to soak up England's pressure without pushing for a third. Snatched opportunities from Watson, and captain Moore did little to trouble Gjerde Sætren, and England failed to capitalise on a number of dead-ball opportunities.

Just as England looked to be running out of ideas, they received a lifeline. Norway failed to clear their lines, Shumaira Mhueka broke onto a loose ball on the box and was tripped by Mathias Øren. Moore blasted the spot kick home in the 79th minute.

Norway will rue a missed opportunity in the final knockings, as a brilliant last-ditch tackle by Caleb Khorpa denied Jesper Reitan-Sunde a tap-in in the 89th minute. Worringly, Moore appeared to take a heavy fall over his right ankle in the final minutes of added on time.

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The ease with which Norway broke on the England defence will be a cause for concern. The Three Lions did not concede a single goal during their six qualification games for the tournament.

THE MVP

Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit: Unfortunately, a knock picked up in the first half prematurely called time on the winger's day, as he was pulled off the pitch in the 55th minute. He was clearly disappointed, and who could blame him? The Hamburg prospect had the measure of the England defence, displaying the ability to go down the line and cut in from his position on the left flank. Took his goal, and set up the second brilliantly.

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THE BIG LOSER

Mathias Øren: The Norwegian centre half had a solid day at the office until giving away the penalty. It appeared the youngster lost his head following the decision, receiving a booking for dissent and getting the hook shortly thereafter.