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Former Dermot Gallagher has claimed that Tyrone Mings should have been sent off against Liverpool following his shocking challenge on Cody Gakpo.

What's the latest on Liverpool, Villa and VAR?

The Reds took on Aston Villa this weekend in the Premier League but had to settle for just a draw.

Jacob Ramsey opened the scoring with a fine volley before Roberto Firmino equalised late on in what was his final game at Anfield.

As a result of the dropped points, Liverpool look almost certain to miss out on Champions League qualification and this will be hard news to take as it seems they weren't helped by the officiating on the day.

Indeed, Jurgen Klopp will feel as though they should have been playing against ten men for a large part of the game when Mings planted his studs into the chest of Gakpo but only received a yellow card.

Talking about the incident on Sky Sports Ref Watch (via Football Daily) Gallagher insisted it was a red card.

He said: “I think it’s a red card there. He is face to face, he brings his boot up after he's played the ball. So for me, there, I think red card."

He was then asked if referee John Brooks even needed to go to VAR, he replied: “Well, the referee retains all options until he restarts [play]. So the referee could red card [Mings without VAR] himself."

He continued: “The referee can change his mind. He could take advice from the assistants, the fourth official. He can ask VAR, have I seen this correctly?

"Because he can say to the VAR, I've seen this, I think he's hit him there. And then the VAR could say: Well, he hasn't actually, he’s hit him there. So you might want to go and have a look at the screen."

Did Mings deserve a red card for his foul on Gakpo?

At the time, Klopp actually didn't make too much off the incident as he didn't seem to see it clearly live.

Indeed, he told the press (via Liverpoolfcnews): "I didn't see it back. Was it a red card from your point of view?"

But journalist James Pearce certainly noticed the error in the moment, writing on Twitter: "Mings very lucky that his challenge on Gakpo isn't upgraded from a yellow to a red by VAR. Caught Gakpo in the chest with his studs."

Before adding: "Can't believe Brooks wasn't advised to look at the monitor."

Incidentally, rules expert for ESPN Dale Johnson explained in his column that "there tends to be much greater leniency when it comes to high boots" and that VAR wouldn't intervene as the referee had come to his own decision having seen the stud marks immediately after the foul.

By the sounds of it, then, referee Brooks should have reached for the red without needing the help of any technology.

Everton are keeping tabs on UD Almeria forward Largie Ramazani ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Largie Ramazani?

Ramazani is an exciting winger who currently plays his football at the Power Horse Stadium having made 93 appearances since joining back in August 2020, and he’s already got experience playing in England having previously undergone spells at Charlton Athletic and with Manchester United’s U18s and U23s youth sides, as per Transfermarkt.

The Toffees were already heavily linked with a move for the 22-year-old back in January after outlet AS reported that Farhad Moshiri had made contact to ask about the possibility of a deal, and they were handed a further boost by Estadio Deportivo who claimed that the attacker would say yes to joining if a proposal was made.

The Goodison Park outfit and the Belgian, however, failed to reach an agreement at the start of the new year, but with there being a method to prise him away, Sean Dyche appears to be preparing to take a second bite of the cherry during the upcoming window.

Are Everton signing Ramazani?

According to Spanish reports (via Sport Witness), Everton still have Ramazani in their “sights” ahead of the 2023/24 season. The Almeria forward is “attracted” by the prospect of establishing himself in the Premier League and the Blues are “looking” to recruit him to bolster Dyche’s attacking department, with the club believing that he would play an “important role” on Merseyside. The only “potential hurdle” that the board could face though is his €40m (£34m) release clause which may prove to be a “challenge”.

Ramazani isn’t as high-profile of a name as Everton fans might expect to be targeting but he’s a hidden gem that’s even been dubbed a “Mini-Vinicius” by talent spotter Jacek Kulig, so the left winger, who has the versatility to play in seven various positions across the pitch, would be a promising purchase for the long-term future of the club.

The Europa League participant, whose contract still has another two years remaining, has racked up 46 goal contributions (32 goals and 14 assists) in 144 appearances throughout his career, but even when he’s not on the scoresheet, he’s constantly looking to produce moments of quality in the final third.

As per FBRef, Ramazani ranks in the 99th percentile for interceptions, the 98th percentile for progressive carries and the 95th percentile for successful take-ons so loves to dribble past his marker and make the magic happen, and an offensive player with this level of drive to succeed is the exact profile of what the manager needs at his disposal.

Newcastle United could be set to raid a Premier League rival this summer, with recent reports suggesting that the Magpies are interested in Leeds United sensation, Wilfried Gnonto.

What's the latest on Gnonto to Newcastle?

According to club insider, NUFC Blog, the Tynesiders are seemingly keeping a close eye on the Elland Road outfit's fight for survival, amid the prospect of potentially snapping up the teenage Italian on the cheap this summer if his current side are to suffer relegation.

The report suggests that Eddie Howe and co are 'aware' that 'several capable Premier League players will be available' at the end of the season with the likes of Leeds, Leicester City and Everton all battling to avoid the drop, with Gnonto among those of interest to the St James' Park hierarchy.

The diminutive 19-year-old only made the move to Yorkshire on a £3.8m deal last summer, although a move away from the Whites could already be on the cards, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City also reportedly keeping tabs on his progress.

Should Newcastle sign Gnonto?

Despite his relative youth, Gnonto has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign with his current side thus far despite the club's collective woes, having contributed four goals and four assists in 24 games across all fronts thus far.

A real livewire in attack, the 5 foot 7 ace seemingly has that "X-Factor about him" – according to writer Casey Evans – having also been lauded as a "wonderkid" by talent scout Jacek Kulig during his time at former club FC Zurich, where he provided 22 goal involvements 74 games in all competitions.

The Verbania-born speedster was also dubbed the "new Obafemi Martins" by Kulig after leaving Inter Milan's youth ranks in 2020, with the ex-Newcastle striker having also left the Serie A side in order to make his move to Tyneside back in 2006.

While Martins may not be a real star name for those of a Magpies persuasion, the now-retired marksman did enjoy a respectable three-year spell in the northeast, having scored 35 goals and racked up ten assists in 104 games in total.

Something of a unique talent, the 42-cap machine was hailed as a "special player" by former boss Kevin Keegan back in 2008, with the legendary figure also going on to state that he had "never worked with a player like him".

Gnonto, too, is also able to offer a rather unpredictable quality having been lauded as "like a firework" by pundit Noel Whelan, as he is just such an "exciting player", with it easy to see why the £35m-rated asset is attracting such interest.

The hope will be that the youngster can prove a more successful signing than that of Martins – who was part of the side that suffered relegation in 2009 – and go on to become a leading figure in Howe's squad over the coming years.

كشف مصدر داخل لجنة الحكام، عن كيفية اختيار أطقم الحكام في مباريات بطولة كأس مصر الجديد (الموسم الحالي 2023).

وتأهل 14 فريقًا بعد انتهاء مباريات الأدوار التمهيدية، إلى دور الـ 32 من بطولة كأس مصر وهم (بروكسي – الألومنيوم – أبو قير للأسمدة – لافيينا – بورفؤاد – بترول أسيوط – جمهورية شبين – مكادي – النصر – الواسطى – بتروجت – القناة – التراسانة – النجوم).

وبعد تأهل الـ 14 ناديا سينضم إليهم 18 فريقا المتواجدين في الدوري الممتاز، ليقام دور الـ 32 من البطولة الأقدم في مصر.

وقال المصدر في تصريحات لـ “بطولات”، “فيتور بيريرا سيقوم بتعيين أحد حكام الدرجة الثانية في إدارة المباريات التي سيكون طرفها إحدى أندية دوري الدرجة الثانية في دور الـ32 بكأس مصر”، (أي أن في حالة مواجهة فريق من الممتاز أمام آخر من دوري القسم الثاني، سيتم تعيين حكمًا من حكام دوري الدرجة الثانية “دوري المحترفين).

طالع | اتحاد الكرة يحسم قراره بشأن إقامة مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي كأس مصر بـ الإمارات أو السعودية

وأشار إلى أن المباريات التي سيكون طرفيها فريقين من الدوري الممتاز سيتم اختيار حكمها من مجموعة حكام الدوري الممتاز.

تجدر الإشارة إلى أن اتحاد الكرة المصري لم يعلن عن موعد إقامة قرعة دور الـ 32 من بطولة كأس مصر ولا مواعيد المباريات.

يذكر أن نهائي كأس مصر للموسم الماضي 2022 الذي يقام بين الأهلي والزمالك سيلعب يوم 13 مارس 2024.

Jurgen Klopp has brought through a whole raft of youngsters into the Liverpool first team since arriving back in 2015.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliot and more recently Stefan Bajcetic all making their mark in the senior side in recent years, the Liverpool academy is bearing fruit that’s for sure.

Could the German be about to unearth the next big thing with defender Billy Koumetio? With change afoot ahead of next season, the 20-year-old may just emerge into prominence.

Who is Billy Koumetio?

The Frenchman arrived at the Anfield side in 2019 from US Orleans aged just 16 and his talent was obvious, with journalist Mohamed Bouhafsi lauding him as “promising” with the defender earmarked as a future first-team star.

It wouldn’t be long before he made history, with the centre-back becoming Liverpool’s youngest-ever player to feature in the Champions League aged just 18 years and 25 days. Indeed, Klopp looked as though he had another prodigy in the making.

That day was special, particularly because the "incredible" young talent – as dubbed by his manager – happened to be a ball boy on the night of that famous 4-0 win over Barcelona at Anfield. Clearly, Europe's most prestigious competition already has a big place in Koumetio's heart.

Klopp signed Ibrahima Konate in 2021 and the French defender was looked upon as the ideal mentor for Koumetio, with the youngster aiming to eventually take over from him in the centre of the Reds' defence in the coming years.

He was sent out on loan to Austria Vienna this season to experience first-team football at senior level and after making five appearances he was recalled in January. During his short stay in Austria, he won 60% of his duels, made 3.4 clearances and one tackle per game, certainly proving he can perform at a high level.

The decision to terminate his loan early could be because Klopp wants to keep a close eye on the player as he plays for the U21 side and since January he has featured eight times in Premier League 2, scoring once.

Although Konate is just 23 years old, if he continues his fine form at Liverpool then there will no doubt be a host of potential suitors lining up to take away from the club and instead of spending millions to replace him, Koumetio could be ready to replace him.

With nothing but European spots to play for between now and the end of the season, Klopp may soon give some youngsters a run-out. The young French sensation could be the future of the defence and all he needs is a chance to impress.

France and AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud ‘would be a good fit’ for Crystal Palace in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Giroud linked with Palace move

The Eagles have struggled for goals at times so far this season, only scoring 21 times in 25 Premier League matches, with Wilfried Zaha leading the charts with six strikes despite missing time through injury.

One player who has been linked with a summer move to Selhurst Park is Giroud, who is France’s all-time record goalscorer with 53 goals in 120 caps.

The 36-year-old is out of contract at Milan at the end of the season, meaning other clubs could snap him up as a free agent.

The Latest: ‘Would be a good fit’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke talked up the idea of Giroud joining Palace at the end of the season:

“I think it would be a move he would consider. If he doesn’t agree a new contract at AC Milan, I’m sure a move back to the Premier League would be right up there among his top priorities.

“Crystal Palace would tick a lot of boxes because I think Giroud, ideally, would prefer to move back to London having lived there and played for Arsenal and Chelsea. Palace would be a good fit for him.”

The Verdict: Is he too old now?

There is no denying Giroud’s pedigree as a footballer, with his aforementioned record for France outstanding and a tally of 262 goals at club level also highly impressive.

At 36, there is certainly an argument to say that the £73,000-a-week striker is well past his best, however, and that Patrick Vieira should look at younger, longer-term options to bring in.

It could be that Giroud has one more season in him at a high level, having been hailed as ‘world class’ by Simon Kjaer earlier this season, but it would come with a risk element.

The proud and expectant Chelsea faithful may be galvanised by the spending spree under owner Todd Boehly this season, but there have been a few ramifications which have quilted a layer of trepidation over Stamford Bridge.

Having spent more than £280m in January alone, there were some notable omissions from the Blues’ Champions League squad ahead of the knockout phase. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the high-profile exclusion, helping to pave the way for the likes of mid-season arrivals Joao Felix, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez.

Aubameyang’s bitter fortunes, partnered with the fact that he has only scored three goals from 18 outings since his summer arrival from Barcelona, make it hard to believe that he can lead the line for the coming years.

Given that he is now 33, the Gabonese talisman might find that his stay in west London does not stretch beyond next summer, despite Chelsea manager Graham Potter’s need for a reliable centre-forward, a position where goals have been sorely lacking this season.

Who could replace Aubameyang at Chelsea?

While Chelsea have certainly demonstrated that they are willing to part with whatever transfer fee is necessary to sign their prized targets, the prudent route might indeed be the shrewder one when searching for a replacement for Aubameyang, with a ready-made heir already on the club’s books.

Mason Burstow is a dynamic 19-year-old striker with a wealth of potential and all of the desirable attributes for a player who seems destined to ply his trade at one of Europe’s most esteemed clubs.

In Premier League 2 this season, the former Charlton Athletic starlet has scored six goals and supplied four assists from 15 starts, also scoring once in the EFL Trophy against Oxford United, with that strike hailed as “incredible” by Nizaar Kinsella.

When learning his trade for the Addicks in the maiden period of his professional career, Burstow scored six goals and delivered three assists from just 23 appearances, laying the foundation for a potentially successful spell in senior football.

The Athletic’s Liam Twomey waxed lyrical over the rising star, lauding him as “one of the most coveted teenagers” in England; and it seems that with the right guidance, he truly could blossom into a clinical force of nature at Stamford Bridge.

Also with the £160k-per-week Aubameyang recording a modest Sofascore league rating of 6.55 for the Blues, Burstow could hardly do much worse than his established senior peer.

In all likelihood, Potter will look to land a superlative striker ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, given Chelsea’s inability to muster a level of offensive potency despite their lavish spending – only one team outside the bottom seven in the Premier League have scored fewer than their 23 goals.

However, with Burstow rising through the ranks, he could be the perfect understudy to whoever is granted the role of marquee centre-forward at Stamford Bridge next season, succeeding the ageing and under-performing Aubameyang in the long run.

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery swooped to make two additions to bolster his playing squad during last month’s January transfer window.

The Villans boss worked with Johan Lange to snap up Jhon Duran and Alex Moreno on permanent deals from Chicago Fire and Real Betis respectively, to improve their options at the top end of the pitch and at left-back.

It remains to be seen whether or not either of them will be a success in the Premier League and it will be interesting to see if they can avoid becoming the latest in a growing line of top-flight flops for the club since they returned to the division in 2019.

Dean Smith, who was sacked in November 2021, led the side back to the top table by winning the play-offs in 2018/19 and splashed the cash in his first summer in charge.

The English boss brought in the likes of Tyrone Mings, Wesley, Matt Targett, Douglas Luiz, and Trezeguet, among others, to head into the 2019/20 Premier League campaign.

One of the signings from that summer that the now-out-of-work manager endured a blunder with was defensive midfielder Marvelous Nakamba.

Where is Marvelous Nakamba now?

The Zimbabwe international arrived at Villa Park from Belgian giants Club Brugge for a fee in the region of £11m and is currently plying his trade in the second tier of English football with Luton Town.

He joined the Hatters at the end of last month on loan until the end of the campaign after failing to make a single appearance in Villa’s first-team during the first half of the season.

Luton boss Rob Edwards recently described the midfielder as a “Duracell battery” and the gem has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.80 across his three Championship appearances so far, winning 66% of his duels and making an eye-catching 5.0 tackles and interceptions per match.

Nakamba appears to have found his level after struggling badly in the Premier League following his big-money move from Belgium in the summer of 2019.

In his first campaign in England, the now-29-year-old was handed plenty of opportunities to prove his worth as Smith played the enforcer in 29 top-flight matches – 19 of which were starts.

However, an average Sofascore rating of 6.67 – placing him 18th in the squad – in 19/20 shows that the battler did not grasp his chance and failed to deliver consistently impressive displays in comparison to his teammates.

The midfielder then went on to start just 19 Premier League games in the following two seasons before his exclusion from the side in 2022/23 under Steven Gerrard and then Emery, which led to the decision to send him down a division to the Championship.

Therefore, Smith endured a Villa blunder by swooping to sign Nakamba for £11m as the flop has not become a consistent performer, or even selection, for the club and is now playing in the second division despite only turning 29 in January.

Everton manager Sean Dyche faces a brutal task in his Goodison Park debut on Saturday, and the former Burnley boss must focus his efforts on stopping Arsenal’s superstar skipper Martin Ødegaard.

The Lowdown: January disaster

After the sacking of Frank Lampard, Everton fans could have been forgiven for expecting to see some new faces coming through the door during the January transfer window.

Alas, the Toffees ended up as the only team in the Premier League not to make a single signing, despite selling Anthony Gordon, who has played over 1,000 Premier League minutes this season.

Dyche now faces an uphill battle with a squad even thinner than the one Lampard left behind, and his first test is welcoming Mikel Arteta’s red-hot Arsenal team to Merseyside in Saturday’s early kick-off.

The Latest: Ødegaard the key

While it’s fair to say the Gunners have more than a few threats – Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have seven top flight goals each – stopping Ødegaard is surely the new Everton boss’ priority. Arsenal have failed to win in each of Ødegaard’s three lowest-rated performances this season (Whoscored), and they are the only times they have dropped points.

The Norway captain is perhaps the most crucial cog in the Arteta machine, racking up eight goals and five assists on route to becoming one of the front-runners to be named PFA Player of the Year.

The last time these sides met, the 24 year-old, who has four goals and three assists in his last six league matches, scored in a 5-1 demolition job of the Blues in north London, creating five chances – just one less than the entire Everton team – and registering three shots, one successful dribble and a 100 per cent completion rate on long passes.

The Verdict: 4-5-1

One way to trouble the Gunners star is to pack the midfield by dropping an extra forward player when out of possession, similar to how Dyche used Ashley Barnes during his time at Turf Moor.

Setting up in a 4-4-2, either Barnes or Jay Rodriguez would come deep to effectively create a 4-5-1, allowing the two central midfielders to limit the space between themselves and the centre-backs while Chris Wood remained up front as an out ball (The Mastermind Site).

At Everton, Dyche should look at none other than Alex Iwobi for this role, given the Nigerian’s tireless work ethic and impressive versatility. He is capable of playing across the midfield or on either wing, and has been dubbed ‘exceptional’ by Franck Leboeuf for his form this season.

Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye, averaging 2.6 and 2.1 tackles per game respectively, can focus their efforts on stifling Ødegaard, with Demarai Gray and Dwight McNeil the likely candidates on the flanks to get balls into Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front.

According to Whoscored, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton set up in exactly this system when they took points off Arsenal back in October, deploying a 4-4-2 with midfielder Joe Aribo playing in the ‘Barnes role’. Dyche can give Toffees fans a first impression to remember by replicating the Austrian’s game plan.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made a move to sign Roma midfielder, Nicolo Zaniolo, as sporting director Fabio Paratici once again looks set to turn to the Italian market for potential recruits.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Lilywhites are believed to have made a bid to sign the 23-year-old on loan this month, with the Serie A giants said to be willing to sanction a temporary exit so long as the deal includes an obligation to buy.

The report adds that the north Londoners are currently working with a ‘limited budget’ hence the desire to pursue a loan agreement, with the Italy international valued at around £35m by Jose Mourinho’s side.

This follows previous speculation during the summer window which claimed that Antonio Conte’s side were interested in the 11-cap dynamo, with both the serial-winning coach and compatriot Paratici seemingly keen admirers of the playmaker.

Lamela 2.0

The Tottenham hierarchy notably enjoyed great success with the signings of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Italian giants Juventus a year ago, with the hope being that Zaniolo can also aid in securing a top-four finish for Conte and co this time around.

Bringing in the 6 foot 3 sensation from the Giallorossi may well evoke memories of another man to have arrived at Spurs from Rome in the form of Erik Lamela, with the Argentine forward joining as part of the post-Gareth Bale signings back in 2013.

The current Sevilla man went on to spend the next eight years in English football, eventually racking up 37 goals and 47 assists in 257 games in all competitions in that time.

That lengthy stint saw the 5 foot 11 maestro undoubtedly produce notable moments of magic but also flatter to deceive in equal measure, with his time at the club perhaps encapsulated by his derby display in March 2021, as the one-time River Plate man scored a stunning ‘rabona’, only to then somewhat sour his performance by getting sent off.

Another somewhat frustrating feature of the creative gem’s spell at N17 was his inability to stay injury-free for a consistent period, having regularly endured bouts on the treatment table over the years.

Zaniolo could follow in Lamela’s footsteps in being something of a mercurial talent for Spurs, with the towering ace having also been regularly struck down by injury in his career to date.

The former Inter Milan asset is undoubtedly a “special player” – in the words of journalist Carlo Garganese – although that has not always translated into an end product, as he has just five goals and assists to his name in 17 games this season.

The £79k-per-week menace did, however, chip in with 17 goal involvements during the previous campaign, with it perhaps hard to determine just what to expect from the Italian on a consistent basis.

As such, there could well be a feeling that Tottenham would be landing Lamela 2.0 if they are to bring Zaniolo to England before the end of the window.