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Old 22-08-2018, 07:10 PM   #21
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Gomez in-line for England recall

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez could be set for an England recall.

Boss Gareth Southgate watched the versatile 21-year-old during the Reds’ 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on Monday, and is reportedly a big fan.

Gomez played in last season’s games against Germany, Brazil and Holland — helping to keep three clean sheets — and would have almost certainly gone to the World Cup this summer but for an ankle injury that also stopped him playing in the Champions League Final loss to Real Madrid.



He is now likely to be drafted straight back in for the Nations League opener against Spain at Wembley on September 8 and the friendly with Switzerland in Leicester three days later, report the Mirror.

Southgate names his party on August 30 with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill at risk of being ditched as he has not even made the matchday squad for any of new boss Maurizio Sarri’s first three games.
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Old 22-08-2018, 10:14 PM   #22
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Old 23-08-2018, 09:21 PM   #23
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Default The teams Liverpool can definitely face in the Champions League

After coming up just short in their attempts to secure a sixth European Cup back in May, Liverpool will begin their attempt to do it all over again next month.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds secured their passage into this season's Champions League with a top-four finish in the Premier League for the second successive season, and there are plenty of heavyweight names they could be drawn against.

The Reds will surely have little to fear however, after re-establishing themselves as a genuine European force once more last term, and such a mindset will hold them in good stead if they are paired with some big-name players on the continent in next Thursday's draw.

UEFA rules dictate that Liverpool won't be able to meet Premier League champions Manchester City in the group stages, but there are still some seriously gifted teams that the Reds could potentially meet.

Here are the teams who occupy Pot 1 who Liverpool could feasibly be drawn with in the Champions League.

Pot 1: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Lokomotiv Moscow

Real Madrid



How did they get there?

They might have finished third behind Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in last season's La Liga, but Real Madrid arrive as Champions League royalty. They are the holders of the trophy and are aiming for an unbelievable fourth successive victory this term.

Liverpool know this all too well.

Star man

Where do we start? Well, they have lost Cristiano Ronaldo, who ended his nine-year and 451-goal career with the Spaniards earlier this summer by joining Juventus. The holders are still blessed with quality throughout however, despite so failing to sign a direct replacement for Ronaldo. Gareth Bale is a standout performer, while retaining midfield schemer Luka Modric was huge.

Notable summer transfers

The loss of Ronaldo will be keenly felt by the Spaniards. They have so far failed to sign a direct replacement and have until August 31 to splash the cash on a new 'Galactico'. They have however boosted their goalkeeping ranks with the signing of Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois.

Alvaro Odriozola has arrived for around €30M from Real Sociedad, while Andriy Lunin was a relatively modest €8.5m from Zorya Luhansk. Brazilian youngster Vinicius Junior has also been snared from Flamengo for a reported €45m.

Verdict

Liverpool would love to draw Real for the opportunity to extract revenge, and it would obviously be the blockbuster clash of the group stages. Yet there are easier teams to draw, undoubtedly.

Atletico Madrid



How did they get there?

A runners-up spot in La Liga would have seen them in Pot 2, but the Spanish side sealed their place as top seeds with Europa League success over Marseille in Lyon.

Star man

Antoine Griezmann. One of France's World Cup heroes will be aiming to fire Atleti to their first ever European Cup after a summer which saw him commit his future to the club. Very much in the mould of a modern forward, the 27-year-old is both chief creator and main goalscorer for Diego Simeone's side.

Notable summer transfers

Thomas Lemar arrived from Monaco in a club-record deal, a year after Liverpool tried to take him to Anfield. They have also strengthened their strike force with the arrival of Nikola Kalinic and Gelson Martins - the latter on a free transfer after the Portuguese winger cancelled his Sporting contract.

Verdict

A game pitting Klopp and Simeone together would be some watch. Though Atletico have potentially dropped a level from the side who reached two finals under the Argentine, they would provide Liverpool a stern test. Crucially, both games would be very intense and could have an impact on the following Premier League weekend.
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Old 23-08-2018, 09:23 PM   #24
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Barcelona

How did they get there?

Champions of Spain - winning the title by 14 points - Barca are set for their 15th consecutive campaign in Europe. They will be looking to go beyond the quarter-final stage for just the second time in six seasons.

Star man

Some little fella called Lionel Messi. Perhaps you've heard of him.

The Argentine also has an incredible support cast which includes former Liverpool duo Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez.

Notable summer transfers

There was a distinct South American feel to the Camp Nou arrivals this summer, with Arturo Vidal the standout after arriving from Bayern Munich. Brazilian youngsters Malcolm and Arthur also joined, with Sevilla defender Clement Lenglet another addition.

Verdict

It has been 11 years since Liverpool faced Barcelona and it would provide some showdown for the neutrals. In reality, it would be two games which Liverpool should relish, but also would probably prefer further in the competition.



Bayern Munich

How did they get there?

Another Bundesliga title win, this time by 19 points. Klopp's Dortmund were the last side to deny them lifting the trophy back in 2012.

Star man

Robert Lewandowksi remains the man who provides the goals for the German giants, although Klopp is a big fan of Thiago Alcantara. The Spanish international is very much the purists' player with his metronomic style in midfield.

Notable summer transfers

Not many, in truth, with Leon Goretzka the only arrival on a free transfer from Schalke. Far more significant is the appointment of Croatian boss Niko Kovac, who arrives from winning the German Cup with Eintracht Frankfurt.

Verdict

A big name and, in an alternate reality, Liverpool's opponents in Kiev. But despite a brave semi-final defeat to Real Madrid, Bayern are nothing to fear for the Reds. Klopp knows them well, obviously, and their style would seem to be primed for Liverpool's style of play.
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Old 23-08-2018, 09:31 PM   #25
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Juventus

How did they get there?

The Serie A champions once more, although the Turin giants found themselves working harder for it than in recent years, fighting off Napoli to lift the Scudetto with 95 points.

Star man

Cristiano Ronaldo is the new show in town after his big-money move to Italy. Still considered in the world's top two best players, even at 33 he will prove a significant signing - and bring some real star power - to a club desperate to lift the Champions League for the first time since 1996.

Paulo Dybala is solid side dish, while Emre Can is hoping to establish himself there after leaving Liverpool.

Notable summer transfers

Can and Ronaldo are the main two, but they have also spent big on right back Joao Cancelo and centre-back Leonardo Bonucci, who returns after a year at AC Milan. Gonzalo Higuain has moved in the opposite direction.

Verdict

Juventus were unfortunate to be knocked out by Real at the quarter-final stage last season and would represent a stern test for the Reds - even more so now Ronaldo is in Turin. The two games would provide intense atmospheres and a different kind of solution for Klopp to solve.



Paris St-Germain

How did they get there?

Regaining the Ligue 1 title after Monaco lifted it the previous campaign. There were no slip ups this time, finishing 13 points ahead of second-placed Monaco.

Star man

Before the World Cup, it would have been Neymar. But now, everybody is talking about Kylian Mbappe. In a side littered with global stars, the Frenchman is being primed to take over the mantle of Messi and Ronaldo and become the world's best player. Edinson Cavani makes up a pretty impressive front three.

Notable summer transfers

PSG have done little work this summer, with Schalke defender Thilo Kehrer arriving for around £30million. Gianluigi Buffon also arrived on a free, while Thomas Tuchel is now in the dugout.

Verdict

A top side, no doubt, but one which still seemingly struggles with going the extra mile in Europe. Liverpool should fear nobody, but PSG might be the side they could inflict surprising damage to in the group stages.



Lokomotiv Moscow

How did they get there?

A five-team title race was eventually won by Lokomotiv, with city rivals CSKA and Spartak their main challengers.

Star man

Fyodor Smolov is perhaps the most dangerous name, while Eder scored the winner in the Euro 2016 final for Portugal. Klopp will know plenty about Benedikt Howedes too, given his ties to Schalke.

Notable summer transfers

Smolov was the big signing for £8million from Krasnodar, while Howedes was also an astute capture. Vitally for manager Yuri Semin - 71 years old - he's retained the players who led them to the title.

Verdict

The one every other team wants to draw, undoubtedly. Spartak Moscow were arguably a better side last season than this year's Lokomotiv outfit, and Liverpool beat them 7-0 at Anfield. A trip to Russia should never be hoped for - or underestimated - but these represent the kindest draw by far.
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Old 23-08-2018, 09:40 PM   #26
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Divock Origi

The saga over the Belgian seems to be rumbling on and on but now it appears Liverpool are insisting to Borussia Dortmund, the club interested in loaning the 23-year-old, that there must be an obligation for the German club to buy the striker.

The Telegraph report that Dortmund remain in talks over a deal to sign Origi before the end of August, with the Germans trying to make a breakthrough.



Liverpool’s initial £27million valuation was considered too high by Dortmund, who would prefer to take the frontman on a season-long loan.

But, with just two years remaining on Origi’s contract, Liverpool will only loan him out if there is an agreement Dortmund buy him at the end of it.

Liverpool do not want to allow Origi’s value to drop, along with his contract, while he is playing elsewhere and leave open the prospect of him returning with only 12 months left on his deal next year.

Having initially wanted to sell Danny Ings for £24m this summer, Liverpool eventually allowed him to join Southampton on loan ahead of a pre-agreed permanent move worth £18m plus £2m add-ons.

Liverpool and Dortmund could strike a similar deal over Origi if the two clubs can agree on the final figure and when the move would become permanent.

Origi would be interested in joining Dortmund, but is also happy at Liverpool and still believes he could compete for a place in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

Should he stay at Anfield this month, then Origi will only have 18 months remaining on his contract in the January transfer window and Liverpool would find themselves in an even tougher bargaining position.

Origi spent last season at Wolfsburg and went through an up-and-down time during a turbulent spell on and off the pitch for the Bundesliga club.

He returned to Liverpool hoping to fight for his place, but has been told he can go if the right offer arrives.

Liverpool signed Origi for £10m from Lille in the summer of 2014, but he was immediately loaned back to the French club for the following campaign before moving to Anfield in 2015.
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Old 23-08-2018, 09:45 PM   #27
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Mohamed Salah tipped for the Premier League golden boot again

Mohamed Salah has been tipped to win the Premier League golden boot again this year.

Sky Sports have taken a look at all of the competitions top strikers and used statistics available from a number of different outlets to compare who is most likely to score the most goals this term.

And to the surprise of probably just about nobody reading this blog, Liverpool’s Egyptian King comes out on top.

Goals

The raw numbers suggest Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is the Premier League’s top finisher right now - having scored a league-topping 32 goals last season - with Kane finishing two shy of the Egyptian.

Indeed, Salah also topped the chart for goals per 90 minutes with 0.99, followed by Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, whose 21 goals came at 0.96 per 90, with the Argentina international playing more than 10 games fewer than Salah and Kane.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the ground running after his January switch from Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal with a 0.85 ratio - scoring 10 goals in just 1,058 minutes.

In terms of adaptability in front of goal, Kane recorded a diverse split of right-footed (13), left-footed (10) and headed (six) goals - while Salah scored 25 of his 32 goals with his favoured left boot.

Like Liverpool’s talisman, Lukaku also tends to finish with his left, hitting 11 of his 16 goals - or 69 per cent - with his preferred foot.

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Old 23-08-2018, 09:49 PM   #28
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Expected goals (xG)

Expected Goals (xG) measures the likelihood of a shot ending in a goal based on a range of variables, such as assist type, shot angle and distance from goal, whether it was a headed shot and so on.

Expected Goals (xG) in a nutshell
  • A shot from 8 yards has a higher xG value than a shot from 18 yards
  • A shot directly in front of goal has a higher xG value than a shot from a tight angle
  • A shot taken by the foot has a higher xG value than a header

According to this Opta data, Salah topped the chart again, scoring seven goals more than expected, followed by new Man City recruit Riyad Mahrez, Kane and Aguero (each +5).

This suggests that all those players are fine finishers, hitting the net on several occasions when the majority of shots historically taken from those positions would not be scored.

Only three players recorded negative figures, with Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata the chief offender, finishing the season with two goals fewer than expected. Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus and Liverpool’s Sadio Mane both finished around one goal below their xG.

Alvaro Morata scored two goals fewer than expected last season, according to xG.

This metric suggests Mahrez scored 84 per cent more goals than expected, a statistic boosted by his four goals from outside the box - only new team-mate Kevin De Bruyne and former Stoke attacker Xherdan Shaqiri scored more long-range efforts (five).

According to Opta, Kane and Lukaku both exceeded expectations in front of goal - with the England international scoring five more than expected (+21 per cent) and Lukaku with three more (+19 per cent).

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Old 23-08-2018, 09:53 PM   #29
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Accuracy

Shooting accuracy is defined as an unblocked shot on target - but the results can be misleading.

A tame shot that reaches the goalmouth can boost a striker’s ratio of hitting the target, while a thunderous strike from range that grazes the crossbar does not count.

However, the statistic does help establish which strikers hit the target more consistently when lots of shots are aggregated.

In terms of shot frequency, Kane topped the chart with 133 unblocked shots last season - 23 per cent more than any other player - but only 56 per cent of those attempts hit the target, which ranked him 14th out of 20.

Arsenal’s Aubameyang led the division with a 79 per cent shooting accuracy - although this ratio was potentially skewed from only taking 24 unblocked shots in total.

In terms of players that attempted a higher number of shots, Lukaku, Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino (both 63 per cent) and Salah (60 per cent) ranked highly.



Conversion

In contrast to shooting accuracy, shot conversion includes blocked attempts. Kane led the way again for shot frequency with 184 attempts, including 51 blocked efforts - resulting in a 16 per cent goal ratio (17th out of 20).

Meanwhile, Lukaku attempted fewer than half of Kane’s attempts with just 86 shots and converted 19 per cent of those into goals (11th out of 20).



Kane’s habit of shooting from any angle or range reduced both his accuracy and conversion rates, as the graphic below clearly shows.



Leicester’s Jamie Vardy appeared to be the most clinical of strikers in this metric, netting 28 per cent of his 71 efforts on goal - while Aubameyang’s 32 per cent is skewed from having taken just 31 shots.

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Old 23-08-2018, 09:55 PM   #30
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Other notable strikers with high shot frequencies and high conversion rates included Salah, Aguero (both 22 per cent) and Raheem Sterling (21 per cent) - despite the latter being frequently accused of being a poor finisher.



Big chances

Sterling’s main criticism typically arises from failing to convert clear-cut opportuinities. Opta record this metric as ‘big chances’.

However, the England forward once again contradicts criticism with an above-average 54 per cent conversion rate, compared with a chart-low 37 per cent from Liverpool winger Sadio Mane.

Indeed, Golden Boot winner Salah only managed 47 per cent - missing 23 of his 43 big chances in front of goal.

Kane fares slightly better than the Liverpool forward, equalling Sterling on 54 per cent, while Lukaku is close behind on 50 per cent.

Vardy was reliable when faced with a golden opportunity, scoring 14 of his 21 chances on goal - a league-topping 70 per cent conversion rate.

Burnley’s Chris Wood (69 per cent) is boosted thanks to having relatively few big chances.



Conclusion

With all the above metrics factored, Salah, the Premier League golden boot winner, appears to have a strong case for being considered the top flight’s top finisher right now. He benefited from playing in a side which created a lot of chances, but his impressive xG, shooting accuracy and conversion rates stand out.

Injuries may have hampered Aguero’s hopes of finishing top scorer last season but he excelled across a raft of per-90 stats and remains one of the Premier League’s top finishers - as his hat-trick against Huddersfield underlined.

Aubameyang’s per 90 and percentage stats are somewhat skewed from joining the Gunners in January and recording fewer shots but is clearly a talented striker, while Opta data suggests Mahrez has a habit of scoring stunners but may miss the easier chance or two for City this season.

Statistically, Vardy appears to be the most clinical at finishing clear-cut chances.
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