Rarely do Liverpool emerge from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without some scratches and bruises, and while Arne Slot’s side defeated the Londoners in the Premier League, it was a victory tainted by numerous grievances.

But this is not shaping out to be a pretty season for the Premier League champions, whose successive victory in the Premier League have extended their unbeaten run to five matches, with a win in the Champions League against Inter Milan at San Siro besides.

After a fiery and frantic encounter, Liverpool showed that they still lack the requisite control and fluency to challenge for the league title.

Alexander Isak’s goal should have been a relief, a turning point for the struggling talisman. But Isak got injured in the process of scoring off the bench.

Alexander Isak's misery continues

When it rains, it pours. It is typical that Isak entered the fray after half-time and quickly bagged to set Liverpool on their way against Thomas Frank’s Spurs, only to injure himself in the process of striking on goal.

It looked a painful one, with the 26-year-old, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle United for a record-breaking £125m fee on deadline day, swept aside by Micky van de Ven. It has since been insinuated that Isak has damaged his lower leg, which is preferable to a knee injury, if still deeply concerning.

The saving grace comes in the shape of Hugo Ekitike, whose second-half strike marked his fifth goal in three Premier League games. The 23-year-old joined Liverpool for £69m in July, and he looks every bit the world-class superstar Slot needs to spearhead his system.

It wasn’t a fine performance, but Liverpool got the job done, and the win underlined the calibre of attacking talent the Reds have at their disposal.

Now, an anxious wait for fears of a long-term layoff to be allayed – or not – for Isak, who scored only his second Premier League goal of the campaign.

Isak and Ekitike both got their goals, but it was a superstar on the other end of the field who proved himself to be Liverpool’s main man on a crucial evening in the Premier League

8/10 Liverpool star returned to his best

A fierce attack wins you games, but a mean defence wins you titles. Liverpool have got some of the best in both areas, and so must surely kick on now, having won three in a row in all competitions.

If the Reds are to rekindle their most fluent form, Virgil van Dijk will need to maintain the level of performance that he struck against Tottenham, commanding against the home side’s pesky frontline.

In the thick of the action after international teammate Xavi Simons committed a studs-up challenge and got sent off before half-time, the 34-year-old avoided injury as so many of his teammates dropped like flies.

Subscribe for expert Liverpool analysis in our newsletter Crave more context on tactical swings, player fitness and transfer implications? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear, expert-led coverage that breaks down Liverpool and Premier League stories into what matters for fans and analysts. Subscribe Subscribe for expert Liverpool analysis in our newsletter Crave more context on tactical swings, player fitness and transfer implications? Subscribe to the newsletter for clear, expert-led coverage that breaks down Liverpool and Premier League stories into what matters for fans and analysts.

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He was awarded an 8/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo, with praise drawn to his aerial dominance and quality on the ball, notably winning 11 of 13 contested duels and completing 94% of his passes.

Virgil van Dijk vs Tottenham

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

90′

Touches

90

Shots (on target)

1 (1)

Accurate passes

74/79 (94%)

Possession lost

5x

Recoveries

3

Tackles

1/1

Clearances

6

Ground duels won

2/2

Aerial duels won

9/11

Data via Sofascore

Isak and Ekitike both took their chances, but Van Dijk came up trumps as the focal point of a backline that has left so much to be desired this season, simply incapable of mustering the kind of cool control needed to match or even come close to the feats of last year.

There was much to dislike about Liverpool’s performance against the nine-man Lilywhites, but the important thing right now is to get points on the board, and Van Dijk’s steely form is proving instrumental in getting the side back on track.

If Liverpool are to make something of this season, they will need Van Dijk on his A-game, performing as he did down N17, a throwback to his imperious best.

Related Slot's own Coutinho: Liverpool lodge enquiry over signing £70m “magician”

Liverpool are looking to continue their sweeping rebuild with an ambitious target in 2026.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair

It wasn’t exactly a ninety minutes befitting of potentially the final chapter in Arsene Wenger’s rivalry with Manchester United, barring a typical Fergie-time equaliser from substitute Marouane Fellaini, but the Red Devils nonetheless did enough to get themselves over the line against a significantly weakened Arsenal side in the Premier League on Sunday.

Paul Pogba netted the opening goal as Hector Bellerin’s block from an Alexis Sanchez header cannoned off the post and into the path of the Frenchman, who produced another solid performance against a top team despite the criticism he’s often received this season.

Former United man Henrikh Mkhitaryan then levelled the scores just before half-time after some sloppy play in midfield eventually saw the ball come to the Armenian international, allowing him to poke it between Victor Lindelof’s legs and beyond David De Gea.

But after entering the fray from the bench, Fellaini had the most decisive impact. In just half an hour on the pitch he took three efforts at goal and won two headers, one of which connected with a beautiful cross from this season’s unsung hero Ashley Young – who Transfermarkt value at just £4.5million – and beat a flailing David Ospina.

So, United fans, who was your Man of the Match from Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Gunners? Fellaini, Pogba, Sanchez, Young or someone else? Let us know by taking part below and giving each player involved a performance rating out of ten…

Sorry folks, this poll is now closed!

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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The rain affected South Zone Cooch Behar Trophy match between Kerala andGoa, predictably enough, ended in a disappointing draw at the MedicalCollege ground in Trivandrum today. Play was possible only for 133 minuteson the first day during which Goa made 71 for eight wickets. The second andthird days were completely washed out and the teams got three points each.This was the second successive no result for Kerala.

ScorecardTom Abell gave a further illustration of his rich promise•Getty Images

Warwickshire are on the brink of LV=County Championship victory over Somerset after a third day on which young batsmen Sam Hain and Tom Abell showed their rich promise.Twenty-year-old Hain completed an unbeaten 103 (169 balls, 12 fours) – his sixth century in only his 18th first-class match – to lift Warwickshire to 365 all out and a first innings lead of 100 at Edgbaston.As Somerset then folded all out for 170 in their second innings, the exception to some tatty batting was 21-year-old Abell. The Taunton-born opener, in his 15th first-class match, batted through the innings for a skilful 88 (142 balls, 13 fours).It was the second time in five weeks that he had carried his bat, having achieved the feat against Nottinghamshire at Taunton in June, and he was only denied a deserved career-best (which remains 95) and maiden century by the ineptitude of his colleagues.While Abell resisted, the rest failed to deal with the aggressive seam-bowling of Rikki Clarke (four for 43) and the astute spin of Jeetan Patel (four for 47). Their supine efforts left Warwickshire a victory target of 70 and they reached six without loss before rain lopped of the last 15 overs.After Warwickshire resumed in the morning on 319 for eight, Hain and Patel took their partnership to 83 before Patel (41, 47 balls) was bowled by Overton who then removed Oliver Hannon-Dalby first ball to finish with a career-best six for 74.If a lead of 100 looked useful, it soon appeared mountainous after Somerset, having advanced with relative comfort to 32 without loss, lost three wickets in 14 balls without adding a run.Marcus Trescothick fell lbw, sweeping at Patel, and Clarke delivered fast, straight balls too good for Michael Bates, lbw, and James Hildreth, bowled.Abell dig in admirably but nobody else passed 21. Tom Cooper was trapped in front by Hannon-Dalby and Jim Allenby edged Chris Woakes to second slip before Clarke and Patel hoovered up the rest.Clarke ousted Peter Trego lbw and Overton who thumped two fours then sent up a skier in search of a third. Patel removed Abdur Rehman, who played an appalling shot, and had Alfonso Thomas and Tim Groenewald caught behind off successive balls to finish with match-figures of nine for 136.Twenty overs remained in the day when Warwickshire set off in pursuit of 70 but drizzle forced the players off after 26 balls.

Tasmania fast bowler Andrew Fekete is the surprise inclusion in Australia’s Test squad for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh. Fekete and Western Australia opener Cameron Bancroft are the two uncapped members of the 15-man group, while Adam Voges has been named as vice-captain to Steven Smith for the two-Test tour next month.Australia’s selectors confirmed that Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood had been rested from the tour given their heavy workloads over the past few months, with Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle and Pat Cummins set to lead the pace attack. There were also recalls for Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell and spinner Steve O’Keefe, who made his Test debut in the UAE last year.The retirements of Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson and Ryan Harris on or after the recent Ashes tour forced Australia’s selectors to look to the future with their squad for Bangladesh. A thumb injury suffered by David Warner during the ODIs in England also meant they had to find a new vice-captain, and Voges’ domestic experience tipped things in his favour.”It was a very tough decision to make, that,” national selector Rod Marsh said. “We’ve got a lot of people that have played very few Test matches. The fact that Voges has captained Western Australia, the fact that we’re playing in Bangladesh – it is quite possible to wake up in the morning and not be able to play if you’ve caught something … If Steven Smith did get crook, it would have been very tough to have anyone else captain the side but Voges.”He’s had a lot of experience at captaincy, he’s got a cool head, and I think he’ll be an excellent vice-captain for Steven on his first tour of duty away from home as captain of the Australian Test team. Having said that, we’re really going to miss David Warner. He was excited about his appointment as vice-captain and he’s bitterly disappointed he can’t make this tour.”At 35, Voges is comfortably the oldest man in a squad that is much shorter on experience than Australia is used to. The only other players aged in their thirties are Shaun Marsh, Siddle, O’Keefe and Fekete, 30.”The retirements of five players from the squad that went on the Ashes tour, as well as issues of injury, form and conditions have brought about a major change in the profile of the touring party from the one that toured the British Isles,” Rod Marsh said. “But with that change comes a fantastic opportunity for all the players going to Bangladesh.”They are going as a young group with seven of the players aged 26 or less, and all 15 have the opportunity to kick on and, in the case of Cameron Bancroft and Andrew Fekete, kick off their Test careers and establish themselves as the core of the side for years to come.”Although Bancroft’s inclusion was widely expected, as Australia sought top-order replacements for Rogers and Warner, Fekete was very much a left-field selection. He was the second-leading wicket taker in the Sheffield Shield last summer with 37 victims at 24.10, but his only prior first-class experience was six matches the previous season.The new man in Australia’s Test squad, Andrew Fekete has played only 18 first-class games•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Originally from Victoria, Fekete played a solitary one-day game for his home state before moving to Tasmania, where he made his first-class debut aged 28 in late 2013. Australia’s selectors were impressed with Fekete’s bowling on the recent Australia A tour of India, where he claimed five wickets in two first-class matches.”Andrew bowled really well last summer and followed that up on the A tour,” Marsh said. “He can generate reverse swing and that ability could be extremely useful in the conditions we expect to encounter in Bangladesh.”Bancroft, 22, is a patient opening batsman who last summer made a 13-hour 211 for Western Australia and his temperament should mean he is suited to the challenges of Test cricket. He was the third leading Sheffield Shield run scorer last season with 896 at 47.15 and he too played well on the A tour of India.”Cameron is a player who impressed everyone on the recent A tour of India,” Marsh said. “He can bat for long periods of time and scored an outstanding 150 against India A in Chennai. On that tour he played spin well, fielded brilliantly at bat-pad and his whole demeanour was that of a player who is determined to play Test cricket. He scored almost 900 first-class runs last season, he’s young, hungry and he could become a very good player for us over a long period of time.”Bancroft, Burns, Khawaja and Shaun Marsh loom as the candidates for the opening positions vacated by Rogers and Warner in Bangladesh. The make-up of the attack will depend on the pitches offered in Bangladesh, but there is every chance that a twin spin attack will be employed, with O’Keefe and Maxwell preferred to legspinner Fawad Ahmed as backup for Nathan Lyon.”Stephen did well on the A tour,” Marsh said. “We felt he bowled exceptionally well. It’s true that Fawad didn’t get many opportunities in either the West Indies or on the Ashes tour but when he did get them he didn’t bowl as well as I’m sure he would have wanted.”He will go back to Victoria and hopefully start taking wickets to give us the right type of problem to have as a National Selection Panel. With Stephen O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon and Glenn Maxwell we believe we have the right number and the right type of spinners for the conditions we expect to encounter.”The pace attack will be shorn of the speed of Johnson, who in challenging conditions in the UAE last year was the only Australian to average under 30 with the ball, and Bangladesh could be a tough place for Cummins to return to Test cricket for the first time in nearly four years. But Marsh said it was important that Johnson and Hazlewood were rested with six home Tests and a tour of New Zealand coming up.”Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood were not considered for the tour as, after heavy workloads over the past six months and with a significant amount of cricket to come, we wanted to make sure they are right to go at the start of our domestic summer,” he said.”We expect both players to start bowling again in the next week or so, hopefully play some Matador Cup and Sheffield Shield cricket for their states and be ready for selection for the first home Test of the season, against New Zealand.”The Australians will depart for Bangladesh on September 28 ahead of a three-day warm-up game in Fatullah from October 3 to 5. That is followed by two Tests in Chittagong and Dhaka, Australia’s first in Bangladesh since the 2006 tour on which Jason Gillespie famously made a double-century.Australia Test squad Steven Smith (capt), Adam Voges (vice-capt), Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns, Patrick Cummins, Andrew Fekete, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Stephen O’Keefe, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc

ScorecardFile Photo – Arup Das and Krishna Das shared all 10 wickets from the Odisha innings•PTI

Seamer Krishna Das took 7 for 21 to bowl Odisha out for 88 and give Assam, who had made only 92 yesterday, an almost inconceivable first-innings lead. Assam then managed to cobble a total in triple-figures, finishing on 137 for 8 at stumps. The Cuttack pitch afforded 15 wickets on Thursday and 13 today, so any advantage seems vital and the visitors are 141 runs ahead.Krishna and Arup Das, who took 3 for 45, took care of all the Odisha batsmen. Only Natraj Behera and Anurag Sarangi managed to get double-figure scores and Odisha’s best partnership – 22 runs – was put on by the ninth wicket.But the help that was available to the fast bowlers meant the hosts were able to reel in some of the ground they lost. Suryakant Pradhan struck twice in the second over of Assam’s second innings to dismiss Kunal Saikia and Gokul Sharma for ducks. At the other end, Basant Mohanty removed Amit Verma, also for a duck, to leave the visitors on 13 for 3.By the 45th over Assam were 86 for 6. But coming in at No. 7 Syed Mohammad struck 42 off 158 balls with four fours to record the highest score of the match so far and perhaps tempt his team into contemplating an away victory.
ScorecardOvernight rain followed by intermittent showers on the second day resulted in only 16.2 overs being bowled in the Group A game between Bengal and Rajasthan at the Eden Gardens.The start of the match was delayed by an over hour. Resuming from 104 for 3, Rajasthan lost two wickets while putting on 38 runs. Pragyan Ojha got the first when he went through the defences of Ashok Menaria in the 43rd over while Ashok Dinda had Puneet Yadav caught for 14 in the 50th.Ojha came back to dismiss Arjit Gupta for 5 in the 59th over but then the weather intervened. Only 59.4 overs have been possible after two days. Karnatka v Vidarbha in Bangalore – Satish 81* leads VidarbhaDelhi v Haryana in Delhi – Sehwag threat looms

ScorecardFile Photo – James Faulkner picked up two wickets in an over towards the end•Getty Images

Tasmania knocked out Western Australia from the Matador Cup thanks to a century from Dom Michael and an even bowling display at Drummoyne Oval.Using the same pitch on which New South Wales beat Queensland, the Tigers fought to build a decent total despite the return of Mitchell Johnson, who bowled with good pace and control in his first match of the season.Michael’s wandering career seems to have found a home in Tasmania, and he combined poise and languid strokeplay with patience to bat almost through the whole Tigers innings.The Warriors made a solid start in reply through Cameron Bancroft and Shaun Marsh, but after they were separated by Clive Rose, wickets fell regularly to leave the match in Tasmania’s possession.World Cup winners James Faulkner and Xavier Doherty bowled notably well for the Tigers, who have mixed strong displays with abject losses during this tournament.

It was easy to get an idea of where New South Wales and South Australia sit in cricketing esteem by listening to their captains being quizzed on the eve of the Matador Cup final.Steven Smith, leader of NSW and Australia, was peppered with questions about the looming Tests with New Zealand, the state of his sore knee, the problematic pink ball and only a couple of queries relating to the domestic limited-overs decider. Travis Head, by contrast, was asked largely about SA’s underdog status and how this unheralded team had emerged as the best development story of the Cup despite the inclusion of a youth-focused Cricket Australia XI.At 26, Smith is now an experienced customer on high profile occasions. At 21, Head has probably never seen more television cameras than he did this day. The Blues, led by Smith with the bat and the ravenous Mitchell Starc with the ball, are expected to swat the Redbacks aside at North Sydney Oval. But Head and his coach Jamie Siddons know their young collective have already made giant strides in the space of just two weeks.For one, they twice unseated a seasoned Victoria to earn qualification for the elimination final and then the decider itself. Given that the Bushrangers had themselves inflicted the Blues’ only defeat of this tournament, there is reason for SA to be optimistic. As Head put it, Smith’s XI are “only human” after all, and the Redbacks still have plenty of room for improvement.”It’s going to be a hard task tomorrow with the New South Wales team so strong,” Head said. “We probably came into the tournament keeping a pretty low profile and knowing the work we did in Adelaide was holding us in good stead for the tournament, we’ve played exactly how we wanted to play, we’ve been positive and taken the game on.”We probably haven’t put together the perfect game yet with bat or ball – the bowlers have been fantastic throughout, the batters probably have had their moments of really good stuff but been a little inconsistent, so we’re looking tomorrow to put the runs on the board or chase down whatever we can.”Critical to the outcome will be Head’s personal duel with Starc, which was short yet decisive when the two sides met, also at North Sydney, during the qualifying games. That day Starc found swing and speed to strike Head’s off stump, and after a similar early dismissal to James Pattinson at Bankstown, Head resolved to give himself a few more sighters before throwing himself at the opposition fast men.”He got the better of me the other day, yesterday facing Jimmy Pattinson I took my time a little bit and tried to keep it on the carpet,” Head said. “I’m still going to be positive and aggressive and still hunt the four ball but I’ll be watching him. I’m not going to change much, I’m trying to be positive at the top of the order, try to set the tone for the innings and hopefully get a big score – that’s what I’ll be trying to do.”Smith’s tournament has seen him lead the Blues with impressive clarity of purpose, and he shrugged off a pair of ducks to fashion a century against Queensland before resting his knee against the Bushrangers. All the time he has been talking with the national selectors about the composition of the Test team to face New Zealand, but for now he wants to help deliver a first domestic one day crown to NSW in a decade.”They’ve been looking pretty closely at the Matador over the past couple of weeks,” Smith said of the observational work put in by the chairman Rod Marsh and his panel. “It’s a different format but if you’re scoring runs you’re putting your name up there. There’s been some pretty good performances and we’ll wait and see what the selectors have for us in that first squad.”I feel good where everything’s at at the moment, I feel like I’m hitting the ball well. I’d like a big score tomorrow and a win for NSW. We haven’t won this tournament in 10 years, so it’s a big one for us and I’m really excited about getting out to North Sydney Oval tomorrow.”A win for NSW would confirm the primacy of a team that embodies Australian cricket’s present. An upset by the Redbacks would make a similarly compelling statement about the nation’s future.

With a lead of 160 runs, Pakistan was in the driving seat when it resumed the innings at the score of 341 for 5. They were determined to carry on with the innings to build up a +challenging lead but one could not imagine the level they ultimately achieved. The heroic innings by Younis Khan and Wasim Akram led them to a mammoth total of 600 runs, providing Sri Lanka, a sky high target of 420 runs to win in two days and 25 overs. It was Pakistan’s day of fantastic cricket.Younis Khan and Abdur Razzaq started with full confidence of staying at the crease and piling up runs. With an impressive lead at the back, they were scoring a four in almost every over. In 129 overs, the pair hoisted Pakistan’s 400 on the board. By lunch, the score rose to 427 with Younis Khan (72) and Razzaq (35) holding the crease.The bowlers not making much of an impact, the batsmen were almost dictating terms. Sri Lanka, however, achieved the important break through when Abdur Razzaq was bowled by Muralitharan after scoring an invaluable 48. Pakistan lost the 6th wicket at 446.Wasim Akram was again promoted in the batting order, rightly to enhance the pace of scoring. Comprising of a stream of fours and sixes, the partnership between Younis Khan and Wasim Akram created unprecedented excitement among the crowed. They punished the bowlers so severely and consistently that even the master spinner like Muralitharan was reduced to ashes. On one occasion Wasim Akram hit him for a fabulous six and four, his over conceding 13 runs. By smashing Herath to the square leg boundary, Younis Khan hoisted his second ton in test cricket. The first one, he scored in his debut test at Rawalpindi, also against Sri Lanka.Having piled up a fabulous total of 500 runs and Younis Khan’s century on the board, the players were now at liberty to embark on the path of adventurism. There came a spate of fours and sixes, especially from the bat of Wasim Akram.Contrary to expectations, Pakistan did not declare the innings closed, to provide the batsmen at the crease the chance to score their highest. To pile up runs quickly, they adopted the policy of “hit out or get out.” As a result Younis Khan was caught at the boundary line after playing an excellent innings of 116 runs. Pakistan was now 556 for 7. With Wasim Akram also heading for a century, the time was not ripe for a declaration.Continuing with his repeated shots to the boundary, Wasim Akram completed his superb century with a cheeky single. He accomplished the magnificent task of scoring a 100 in 87 balls, with the help of 6 huge sixers and 8 fours. Just as Pakistan lost its 8th wicket at a score of 600, skipper Moin Khan batting at the other end declared the innings closed.With a lead of 419, Pakistan left Sri Lanka with a target of 420 runs to win in 2 days and 25 overs.Sri Lanka 2nd inningsSri Lanka opened the innings apparently not looking under pressure. The two batsmen Jayasuriya and Atapattu kept scoring at the normal pace. They, however, lost their 1st wicket at 33 when Jayasuriya was out after scoring 21 runs.At the close of play Sri Lanka was 45 for 1 with Atapattu (17) and Russel Arnold (4) holding the crease.The magnificent centuries by Younis Khan and Wasim Akram and above every thing a colossal score of 600 for 8 by Pakistan were the highlights of the day’s play.

England all-rounder Mark Ealham claimed season’s best figures of five for 35 to dismiss Yorkshire for 145 and leave Kent a last day victory target of 230 in their intriguing championship clash with Yorkshire in Canterbury.The hosts, who trailed by 84 on first innings after being polished off for 317 earlier in the day, rolled the Tykes over inside three and a half hours with Ealham and Martin Saggers ruling the roost.In humid conditions and under solid cloud cover Ealham’s away swingers accounted for Michael Vaughan and Anthony McGrath early on, then Saggers, who trapped Simon Widdup in his opening burst, returned to claim three for one in 10 balls during a crucial second spell from the pavilion end.He had Darren Lehmann, who was dropped at second slip by Martin McCague when on seven, caught behind for a top score of 42 then, in his next over, removed Gary Fellows and Gavin Hamilton to take his championship tally to 57 for the season.Ealham returned to claim the last three as Yorkshire lost their last six wickets for 43 runs.Earlier Kent – who need nine points from this game to ensure their Division 1 survival – notched a vital third batting bonus point courtesy of a patient 42 from Matthew Walker and steady contributions from the tail that took them past 300 for only the second time in a championship first innings this year.