Alexis Mac Allister is facing intense scrutiny over his physical form following a difficult performance during Liverpool’s 3-2 Premier League defeat against Manchester United.
The Argentina international was involved in three decisive errors that ultimately cost Arne Slot’s side at Old Trafford.
Pundit Jamie Carragher recently highlighted that the Merseyside club lack the physical dominance required to cope with the demands of the league.
Costly errors at Old Trafford
The midfielder was unfortunate to see Matheus Cunha’s opening strike deflect off him and into the bottom corner.
A slack pass from the 27-year-old then led to a loss of possession in a dangerous area, allowing Benjamin Sesko to force home a second goal.
“The second goal we did not concede because of the handball,” stated Arne Slot. “We conceded it because we lost the ball in a stupid position.”
To compound a miserable afternoon, a mishit clearance was severely punished by Kobbie Mainoo for the winning strike.
Tactical and physical drop-off
Deployed in a deeper midfield role, the World Cup winner struggled to track back efficiently as Ryan Gravenberch pushed forward.
This tactical setup afforded Bruno Fernandes vast amounts of space to orchestrate frequent counter-attacks for the hosts.
Data suggests the South American has experienced an alarming dip in his physical metrics throughout the current campaign.
Both his average and top speeds have decreased compared to previous seasons, alongside a noticeable drop in pressing intensity.
A heavy workload takes its toll
The current season has demanded significantly more minutes from the playmaker, who has already surpassed his start totals from the previous two years.
Despite these recent struggles, he remains a highly valued figure at Anfield following his instrumental role in their recent title triumph under Slot.
However, rectifying this drop in pace and power will be crucial if the club are to prevent opposition sides from exposing them in transition.
Representatives for Anthony Gordon have held talks with Barcelona sporting director Deco regarding a potential summer transfer from Newcastle United.
The winger’s future at St James’ Park has been the subject of intense speculation in recent months.
Footage emerged showing the player’s agents, Will Salthouse and Adam Dugdale, meeting with the Catalan club’s hierarchy in Spain last weekend.
Barcelona have made the acquisition of a wide forward one of their primary objectives ahead of the upcoming window.
Newcastle’s difficult campaign
The Magpies are currently languishing in 13th place in the Premier League table and look certain to miss out on European qualification.
Manager Eddie Howe finds himself under pressure after a disappointing season, despite significant summer investment in players such as Anthony Elanga and Yoanne Wissa.
A departure for their star forward would represent a significant setback for the Tyneside outfit.
Heavyweight competition
The La Liga giants are not the only major European side monitoring the English attacker’s situation.
Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have all been credited with an interest in securing his signature.
Any move to the Camp Nou remains complicated by the substantial financial demands involved in the deal.
Financial hurdles
The former Everton man is contracted to his current employers until 2030 and holds an estimated market valuation of €60m (£51m).
Newcastle have reportedly already received lucrative offers in the region of €80m (£68m) for their prized asset.
It is believed the Spanish heavyweights will find it extremely difficult to match those rival bids.
The Catalan club recently opted against triggering a €30m (£26.1m) option to sign loanee Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis to focus on other targets.
Stellar individual season
Since arriving in the North East for £45m in 2023, the dynamic forward has established himself as a crucial figure.
He has registered 39 goals and 28 assists across 152 appearances for the English side.
The current campaign has proved to be his most prolific yet, with the attacker finding the net 17 times in 46 matches.
Tottenham Hotspur are weighing up a £27m permanent move for Paris St-Germain loanee Randal Kolo Muani following his standout performance in a crucial Premier League victory over Aston Villa.
Spurs have already secured agreements to sign Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson and Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi on free transfers.
However, the completion of those moves relies entirely on the north London club retaining their top-flight status for next season.
Their survival hopes received a significant boost at the weekend following a second consecutive league victory.
De Zerbi promised summer funds
West Ham’s heavy 3-0 defeat to Brentford means Roberto De Zerbi’s side are edging closer to Premier League safety.
If they successfully avoid relegation, the Italian manager is expected to be handed a substantial transfer budget to overhaul his squad.
Successive campaigns fighting near the bottom of the table will not be tolerated by the club’s hierarchy.
Securing a permanent deal for their on-loan striker may now become an immediate priority for the upcoming window.
Overcoming initial struggles
The French international arrived in the summer amid strong interest from Italian giants Juventus.
Despite the initial fanfare, he struggled to adapt and looked disjointed under former manager Thomas Frank.
His overall form remained underwhelming when Igor Tudor stepped in as interim boss.
At that stage, committing £27m to secure the former Eintracht Frankfurt forward was considered highly improbable.
A turning point against Villa
Sunday’s exceptional display on the right flank appears to have dramatically altered his long-term prospects.
The World Cup finalist delivered a relentless pressing performance, severely testing opposition defender Ian Maatsen.
His dynamic play and clear commitment won over the frequently frustrated home supporters.
The 25-year-old won a match-high 11 duels and successfully completed four dangerous dribbles.
TNT Sports co-commentator Lucy Ward praised his dramatic transformation during the match broadcast.
“He was absolutely brilliant.”
Ivan Barbashev’s controversial late goal secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory for the Vegas Golden Knights over the Anaheim Ducks in the opening game of their second-round playoff series in Las Vegas on Monday.
With just under five minutes remaining in regulation, the Russian forward capitalised on a superb pass from Pavel Dorofeyev to break a tense 1-1 deadlock.
The pivotal strike followed a contentious non-icing call by the officials, prompting a furious reaction from Anaheim head coach Joel Quenneville on the bench.
Mitch Marner later sealed the win with a 162-foot empty-net effort with only six seconds left on the clock.
Howden extends scoring streak
Brett Howden had earlier opened the scoring for the hosts, extending his personal goal streak to a career-best four games.
The forward converted a precise pass from Marner midway through the second period entirely against the run of play.
Anaheim had dominated the early exchanges, outshooting the home side 11-6 in the first period, but struggled to beat an inspired Carter Hart.
The Vegas goaltender made 33 crucial saves throughout the contest, continually frustrating the visiting attack.
Penalty kill proves decisive
Mikael Granlund eventually levelled the tie late in the third period following a patient setup by Jackson LaCombe.
However, the Ducks were ultimately unable to replicate their lethal power-play form from the first round, where they had converted eight times against Edmonton.
The Nevada franchise’s penalty-kill unit remained impenetrable, successfully defending four Anaheim advantages to extend their current scoreless defensive streak to 14 attempts.
Vegas were also boosted by the emotional return of William Karlsson, who stepped onto the ice to a roaring ovation for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury in November.
The two Western Conference rivals will meet again for Game 2 in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.
Max Verstappen has praised significant Red Bull upgrades after returning to form at the Miami Grand Prix, while team-mate Isack Hadjar struggled to match his pace.
The Milton Keynes-based team endured a difficult start to the 2026 season, failing to match the speed of Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
However, developmental changes introduced during a five-week break allowed the Dutchman to deliver a highly competitive showing in Florida.
The four-time world champion qualified second for Sunday’s race, although a spin at the start relegated him to an eventual fifth-place finish.
Light at the end of the tunnel
The improved performance comes after a frustrating opening three rounds in Australia, China and Japan, where he failed to qualify higher than eighth.
These early struggles, combined with his distaste for the sport’s new regulations, had previously prompted him to consider his future in Formula 1.
Following a breakthrough in Saturday’s qualifying session, a noticeably happier driver expressed optimism about the updated RB22 challenger.
“I’m already very happy with where we are,” Verstappen said.
“From here there’s light at the end of the tunnel, that we can just push on and try to close the gap further.”
Regaining control of the car
Prior to the Miami weekend, the series leader admitted he felt like a passenger in a thoroughly unpredictable machine.
The extensive upgrades have seemingly cured those drivability issues, giving him the confidence to push the car to its limits once again.
“I never felt comfortable with the layout of the car,” Verstappen explained.
“I feel more in control of the car again and then I can push a bit more, then the upgrades are working.”
In stark contrast, his team-mate Isack Hadjar endured a torrid weekend, losing significant ground to the revitalised team leader.
The French driver will now face mounting pressure to extract similar performance from the upgraded package at the next round of the championship.
The New York Knicks have opened their Eastern Conference semi-final series with a commanding 137-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.
Jalen Brunson led the charge for the second seeds, scoring 27 of his 31 points in a relentless first-half offensive display.
The visitors arrived in the city fresh from a gruelling 3-1 series comeback against the Boston Celtics in their opening round matchup.
However, they appeared visibly fatigued as the Madison Square Garden outfit easily sealed their fourth consecutive post-season blowout.
Brunson and Towns overwhelm struggling defence
Karl-Anthony Towns proved to be a constant matchup nightmare for a Philadelphia squad completely unable to find its defensive rhythm.
At the other end of the court, the hosts successfully stifled Joel Embiid, rendering the star centre largely ineffective throughout the contest.
Even a desperate tactical strategy to intentionally foul Mitchell Robinson failed to derail the relentless momentum of the home side.
The heavy defeat ruthlessly exposed Philadelphia’s flawed formula of relying entirely on early shot-making to stay competitive.
Focus shifts to crucial Wednesday night clash
The seventh seeds must radically adjust their defensive scheme to contain Brunson if they hope to level the series in Game 2.
Dynamic guard Tyrese Maxey will also need to establish his presence significantly earlier to provide vital scoring support.
Not only was New York scorching hot, Philly missed just about everything, and the result was an embarrassing loss.
Elsewhere in the NBA playoffs, the top-seeded Detroit Pistons are preparing to face the Cleveland Cavaliers to complete the Eastern Conference bracket.
Meanwhile, the Western Conference semi-finals will feature Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs clashing with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi says he has evolved as a player under Mikel Arteta as Arsenal prepare for a defining week in their history.
The league leaders currently hold a six-point advantage at the top of the Premier League with three matches remaining.
However, second-placed Manchester City possess two games in hand, ensuring the domestic title race remains finely poised.
The north London club swept Fulham aside 3-0 at the weekend, keeping their hopes alive of ending a 22-year wait for domestic supremacy.
European ambitions
Domestic matters are briefly paused as Arteta’s squad face Atletico Madrid in their Champions League semi-final second leg on Tuesday.
Victory against the Spanish opposition would secure a first-ever appearance in the final of Europe’s premier club competition.
It presents the Gunners with a rare opportunity to complete a historic league and European double.
Tactical evolution under Arteta
A central figure to this campaign has been Zubimendi, who arrived from Real Sociedad in a £51m deal last summer.
The 27-year-old remains the only outfield squad member to feature in every league fixture this season.
Initially expected to operate solely as a defensive anchor, the midfielder has flourished in a more advanced role, contributing a career-best six goals.
Speaking to the official club website, the former Real Sociedad man outlined his manager’s profound influence.
Once I joined the club I realised that I had a lot to learn; Mikel’s a coach who’s seen a lot, who’s learnt a lot and who’s studied a lot.
You can see that since I’ve joined the club I’ve become a different player.
We work really hard, all of our training sessions have tactical, technical and strategic aspects. Ultimately, repetition leads to perfection, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve.
Liverpool join forward race
Meanwhile, plans for next season are already accelerating with reports indicating renewed competition in the transfer market.
Liverpool have reportedly joined the race to sign Paris St-Germain forward Bradley Barcola.
The highly-rated French attacker has been monitored by the Emirates hierarchy for several years as they look to bolster their offensive options.
Taylor Hall scored a dramatic overtime winner as the Carolina Hurricanes fought back from a two-goal deficit to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 and take a 2-0 lead in their second-round NHL playoff series in Raleigh on Monday night.
The veteran forward scrambled to his feet after being knocked down to slot the puck past goaltender Dan Vladar after 18 minutes and 54 seconds of extra time.
It capped a resilient performance from the hosts, who trailed for the first time in this postseason following a blisteringly fast start by the visitors.
The series now shifts to Pennsylvania for the third game of the matchup on Thursday.
Flyers start fast before Carolina response
Philadelphia head coach Rick Tocchet had demanded a quicker reaction from his players following a comprehensive 3-0 defeat in the opening game.
His squad delivered emphatically, with Jamie Drysdale and Sean Couturier scoring just 39 seconds apart in the first period to stun the home crowd.
However, Nikolaj Ehlers halved the deficit with a precise power-play strike to steady the nerves inside the arena.
Seth Jarvis then linked up with the Danish winger midway through the third period to drill an equaliser from the right flank and force sudden death.
Goaltenders shine in tense encounter
Despite conceding three times, visiting netminder Vladar was outstanding, turning away 40 shots and denying Eric Robinson on two separate second-period breakaways.
Travis Sanheim also provided crucial defensive cover, sweeping a loose puck off the goal line to keep the game deadlocked during regular time.
At the other end, Frederik Andersen remained utterly dependable, making 34 saves to ensure his team maintained a perfect 6-0 record in the current playoffs.
The visitors heavily dictated the pace during the extra period, outshooting their opponents 15-8, but found the veteran shot-stopper in impenetrable form.
Injury woes continue for both sides
Philadelphia were once again without their regular-season top scorer Owen Tippett, who missed his second consecutive game with an undisclosed injury.
Meanwhile, the victorious hosts remained without towering defenceman Alexander Nikishin.
The Russian blue-liner took part in pre-game warmups but continues to recover from a concussion sustained during their first-round sweep of the Ottawa Senators.