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With the January transfer window now open, Chelsea have the chance to make up for a summer of deals yet to pay off and potentially hand Mauricio Pochettino further reinforcements to turn things around. The Blues currently sit as low as 10th and are already 12 points adrift of the Premier League's top four, as they remain on course for another season without European qualification.

In an attempt to prevent what would be another disastrous campaign, Todd Boehly could spend even more money in a transfer window that he must get right if the Blues are to pave the course back to their best. Among those who could help steer a sinking ship is one exciting young defender who is set for a vital decision this month.

Chelsea transfer news

It's a rare day when Chelsea aren't in the headlines for their transfer activity these days and those headlines aren't always positive. The London giants spent big in the summer to welcome the likes of Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Romeo Lavia and several others, only for Palmer to be the only real standout so far. Yet to see their transfer tactic pay off, Chelsea could now turn to a Benfica star to solve their problems.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

According to The Sun, Chelsea are eyeing a move to sign Manchester United target Antonio Silva in the January transfer window. The Blues have reportedly already had their first proposal of £52m plus Armando Broja turned down, however, and have been told that they will need to pay the central defender's release clause of £87m if they want to secure his signature.

Money has rarely stood in the way for Boehly at Chelsea, but the need to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations may prove to be an obstacle in such a big-money move, potentially handing those at Stamford Bridge a frustrating blow.

Given that the report claims Silva is Manchester United's number one summer target though, Chelsea may have to move quickly to welcome the Benfica man, getting one over on their rivals in the process.

"Talented" Silva can be better than Disasi and Badiashile

Since arriving, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi have struggled to find their feet at Stamford Bridge, playing their part in the side which has already suffered eight defeats in 20 Premier League games this season. Silva could make the impact that the aforementioned duo have failed to, however, despite being just 19-years-old. Silva's stats, when compared to Disasi and Badiashile, show that he is already bettering them in some areas.

Player

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes

Tackles Won

Blocks

Antonio Silva

16

67

27

31

Axel Disasi

18

73

12

14

Benoit Badiashile

0

17

9

6

Benfica manager Roger Schmidt will be keen to keep hold of Silva, having been full of praise for the teenager last year, saying via talkSPORT: "Antonio is 18, but when you see him on the pitch, he doesn't look that age. It was obvious in pre-season that he is a talented player and that he is already a professional player who is able to withstand the pressure playing for the Benfica first team, and he has shown it many times this season."

Celtic return to Champions League action on Tuesday night as they go in search of their first win in the group stages of the competition this season.

The Hoops are firmly rooted to the bottom of the table and have managed one draw and three defeats from their opening four European ties.

Brendan Rodgers' side were humbled by a 6-0 defeat to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid last time out and they now travel to Italy to face Lazio.

The Northern Irish head coach's side come into this match off the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw with Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

He could look to make a few alterations to his starting XI after that draw and here is our predicted line-up – including four changes – to face the Italian side on Tuesday…

1 Joe Hart

The former England international – Joe Hart – could start between the sticks as the veteran shot-stopper has only missed one match in the Premiership and Champions League combined so far this season. This suggests that the boss trusts him and that is why he may start on Tuesday.

2 Alistair Johnston

At right-back, Alistair Johnston could return to the starting line-up after Anthony Ralston came in to play the full 90 minutes against Motherwell.

The Canada international has started all four of the club's Champions League matches so far this season and it remains to be seen whether or not his Scottish teammate has done enough to oust him from a fifth European selection.

Johnston has made 3.6 tackles and interceptions per match in Europe, whilst Ralston is yet to feature in a single game in the competition, and could provide a strong defensive presence on the right side of the backline.

3 Cameron Carter-Vickers

It would not be a shock to see the former Tottenham Hotspur enforcer at the heart of the defence. The 25-year-old colossus has won 61% of his duels in the competition this season and could be a commanding presence at the back with his dominant defending.

4 Liam Scales

Next to the USA international, Liam Scales could complete the central defensive pairing. He has started 16 of the club's 18 matches in the Premiership and Champions League so far.

5 Greg Taylor

At left-back, Greg Taylor could keep his place. He has started all four of the club's European matches so far this season and has contributed with 1.8 tackles and interceptions combined per match.

6 Callum McGregor

Starting in midfield, it would be a surprise to see the captain lose his position in the side as Callum McGregor has started all 18 of the club's Premiership and Champions League matches so far this season.

7 David Turnbull

The second alteration that could be made to the starting XI is Scotland international David Turnbull being brought in for Odin Thiago Holm, who could be ditched from the midfield.

Against Motherwell, the Norwegian midfielder was named in the starting line-up and flopped with a disappointing display. He lost five of his six duels and failed to create any chances for his teammates, to go along with zero shots on goal, before being withdrawn at half time.

Whereas, Turnbull came off the bench and impressed with one key pass, a 100% duel success rate (2/2), and one goal from the penalty spot to secure a point.

The Scottish whiz, who was once lauded as a "terrific" player by ex-Hoops man Peter Grant, has four goals in his last five games for Celtic and could provide an attacking threat from midfield.

He has also created four 'big chances' in the Premiership and could offer creativity as well as goalscoring, whilst Holm has zero goals and two 'big chances' created in eight matches in the top-flight.

8 Matt O'Riley

The third and final position in midfield could go to Denmark U21 international Matt O'Riley, who has two 'big chances' created and two assists in four European outings this season.

9 Hyun-jun Yang

Hyun-jun Yang could retain his position on the right side of the attack as Daizen Maeda and Liel Abada continue to recover from their respective injury woes.

10 Hyeon-gyu Oh

In the number nine position, Hyeon-gyu Oh could start ahead of Kyogo Furuhashi as the third change to ensure that the Hoops have a useful outlet at the top end of the pitch.

In the 6-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid, the Japan international struggled badly and failed to provide his team with an outball to relieve pressure when the hosts were piling it on.

Minutes played

61

Sofascore rating

6.4

Goals

Zero

Assists

Zero

Touches

Eight

Passes completed

Zero

Duel success rate

25%

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo was a lightweight who offered incredibly little in and out of possession and this was also the case against Motherwell on Saturday.

The striker completed three passes and failed to score a goal or create any chances for his teammates whilst also only winning one duel in 67 minutes.

Oh, who has scored three Premiership goals this season, came off the bench against Motherwell and caught the eye by winning three of his five duels and a penalty, which was converted by the aforementioned Turnbull.

He has won 60% of his aerial battles in the Champions League this season, compared to Kyogo's 0%, and could, therefore, offer more of a presence for Celtic to compete with opposition defenders.

After initially getting off to an impressive start in the Championship this season, to say that Norwich City's form has come to a crashing halt would be an understatement. Desperate to get back to the promised land of the Premier League, those at Carrow Road have seen their side go from one loss in their opening six league games to one win in their last ten, leaving them as low as 17th and six points adrift of the dropzone.

As their league run continues, doubts over the future of David Wagner will only increase, and one man is already reportedly high up on the Canaries' shortlist to replace the former Huddersfield Town boss.

Update on David Wagner's Norwich future

Appointed in January of this year, it's looking increasingly unlikely that Wagner will last up until the anniversary of his arrival, given recent results. If the German does lose his job, he'll go down as yet another failure at Carrow Road, as Norwich look elsewhere for the manager to take them back to the Premier League. The last time that they were in the top flight was, of course, in the 2021/22 campaign – a swift managerial change could yet turn things around, however.

According to TeamTalk, Frank Lampard is high up on Norwich's managerial shortlist in the event that they sack Wagner, who they've had talks with regarding his future at the club. The former Chelsea and Everton manager previously impressed in the Championship with Derby County, but eventually failed to take them up following play-off heartbreak.

Out of a job since a caretaker stint to forget at Chelsea last season, Lampard is reportedly willing to drop down to the Championship to take the Norwich job and get his managerial career back on track. Having held talks with Rangers and clubs in the USA previously, perhaps this is the job that the midfield legend, whose playstyle is an attack-minded 4-3-3, is waiting for.

Lampard a strong candidate for Norwich job

Closer to the foot of the table than the Championship play-off places, Norwich would be doing themselves little harm by taking a risk and appointing Lampard. Things look to have gone as far as they can under Wagner, who looks unlikely to turn their disastrous form around, and before the festive fixtures come thick and fast, Norwich would be wise to make a decision as soon as possible.

Whilst he struggled in the Premier League, Lampard's Championship record speaks for itself. During his time at Derby, the former manager won 26 games, drew 15 and lost 16. In comparison, at Norwich, Wagner's record currently stands at 14 wins, seven draws and 18 losses in a run that doesn't look likely to improve anytime soon. Lampard's record against Norwich is also impressive, given that he's never lost against the Canaries.

Norwich still have time to turn their season around and Lampard is no longer the inexperienced manager who took Derby to the play-offs only to suffer the ultimate heartbreak – this is now a coach who has experienced both ends of the Premier League table, as well as Champions League football. If Norwich replace Wagner with Lampard, they could finally bring an end to their woeful form.

Newcastle United have had a strong start to the 2023/24 season, currently sitting sixth in the Premier League table and are still fighting for qualification out of the group stage in the UEFA Champions League despite losing last week to German outfit Borussia Dortmund.

However, the Magpies suffered a crushing blow during the 1-0 loss to Dortmund in Europe a week ago as star striker Alexander Isak was taken off early into proceedings and is expected to miss the next few weeks with a groin injury.

Callum Wilson is now Eddie Howe's only fit striker, with some big games on the horizon, but there is one man set to return to action soon after a lengthy absence that many Newcastle fans may have loved to see take Isak's place in the team.

Ivan Toney set to return

Ivan Toney's career kickstarted in League Two with Northampton Town eleven years ago this month. The 6 foot 1 striker bagged 11 goals in 60 appearances for the Cobblers before Newcastle came calling.

Although Toney recently revealed that a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers collapsed as the club discovered scoliosis in his back, the Magpies capitalised on the situation, signing the frontman for a reported £250k in 2015.

Unfortunately, Toney made merely four appearances for Newcastle and was sold three years later to Peterborough United in League One for £650k. Eventually, the striker's impressive goalscoring form for Posh earned him a transfer to Brentford who were pushing for their first-ever promotion to the Premier League under Thomas Frank. The London club gave Peterborough £10m to secure his services.

At Brentford, Toney has gone from strength to strength, becoming the club's all-time top goalscorer with 68 goals and even being labelled as "remarkable" by head coach Frank. The 27-year-old was handed an eight-month ban back in May for breaching the FA's betting rules, although he is set to return to action this coming January.

The two clubs play each other once more on the final day of the Premier League season and Toney will certainly want to make his former club regret selling him, especially now that he is worth 47 times what Newcastle sold him for five years ago.

Toney's stats comparison

Last season, Toney scored more goals than both Newcastle strikers Isak and Wilson, bagging 20 and registering four assists in 33 Premier League appearances. In 31 games, Wilson scored 18 times while Isak finished with 11 goals in his debut campaign in the top flight from 24 matches. However, Wilson's goals per 90 record of 0.86 was far better than Isak's 0.59 and Toney's 0.61, according to FBref.

That being said, Toney was more prolific when it came to scoring chances that arose as the England international was having fewer opportunities per game than the duo up north. The Brentford talisman averaged 2.65 shots per 90. Newcastle's Swedish sensation boasted 2.8 shots per 90 while Wilson averaged the highest number of shots per 90 with 3.35.

The main reason for this was because Brentford had the fifth-lowest share of possession in the Premier League last term with 43.8% compared to the Magpies holding the seventh-highest with 52.3%.

In addition, Toney's xG per 90 average during the 2022/23 league campaign was 0.57 while Wilson maintained a 0.84 xG per 90 rate. The former scored more goals despite having fewer quality opportunities.

There is no doubt that Isak and Wilson are fine frontmen and have served Newcastle well during their respective stints at St. James' Park. However, the stats show that Toney would outperform the double-act if he still played for Newcastle, a sale that may still haunt the previous ownership.

Worcestershire have never reached Finals Day in the Vitality Blast and they are putting their faith this season in bolstering their batting strength

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2018

Martin Guptill leans into a drive•Getty Images

Worcestershire have signed Martin Guptill and Callum Ferguson as overseas players for the Blast T20 competition.Worcestershire, who have never reached Finals Day and finished eighth in the North Group in 2017, have already signed Australian Travis Head as their primary overseas player in the 2018 season. The addition of Guptill, who will be available to play in all formats from June 20 to July 29 (Head is expected to be absent on international duty) and Ferguson, who will take over in the Blast once Guptill departs, provides further batting strength to a team that will also include the England Lion Joe Clarke and six-hit specialist Ross Whiteley.Add the by no means unrealistic prospect that Moeen Ali might not hold his place in the England side, and so be available for at least some of the Blast season, and Worcestershire’s top order could be among the most dangerous in the competitionGuptill, the New Zealand opening batsman, is currently No. 5 in the ICC’s T20 rankings and has been (in 2012) as high as No. 2. He has made two international T20 centuries and, in 2015, plundered an unbeaten 237 against West Indies in an ODI. It is the second highest ODI score of all time.A vastly experienced international player – he has played 47 Tests, 159 ODIs and 75 T20Is – he has also had previous spells in county cricket with Derbyshire and Lancashire. He is expected to be available for eight Blast games before departing for the Caribbean Premier League.While less experienced at international level, Ferguson is a veteran of Australian domestic cricket. If the T20 record – he averages 22.34 and has a strike-rate of 119.43 – looks modest, it should be remembered he bats in the middle-order.”Martin is a world class player,” Worcestershire’s new head coach, Kevin Sharp, said. “With Martin and Travis and the rest of our batting line-up, it will be quite a scary prospect for some opposition sides to think what might happen.”It is exciting for us to sign someone of his quality and I’m sure he is someone all the Rapids supporters will look forward to watching. In white ball, he is a destructive batsman – and his record proves that – and for him to be available for the first eight T20 games is excellent. But he also has a good record in red ball cricket and will also be able to play the two Championship matches in June when Travis is on international duty.”

Nolan Arenado may be closer to finding a new home.

The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to find a trade partner to take Arenado and the rest of his salary. Arenado has signaled a willingness to move off of third base to help a new team's roster flexibility. With that in mind, the Detroit Tigers might be a fit.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi is reporting the Tigers could emerge as a fit given the team's need for right-handed bats. If Arenado is willing to play first base, the Tigers could be a great fit. Morosi notes that Detroit would likely ask for cash to be included in the deal to help pay Arenado's salary.

Arenado is on the back half of an eight-year, $260 million contract he signed with the Colorado Rockies in February of 2019. He has three seasons left, and will make $21 million in 2025, $16 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027. His salary for luxury tax purposes will count as $25.555 million in each season. The deal also includes $44 million in deferred money that will run through 2041.

The 33-year-old Arenado is coming off back-to-back subpar seasons by his standards. In 2024, he slashed .272/.325/.394 with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs. His OPS (.719) was the lowest he'd produced since his rookie season in 2013.

A change of scenery is likely needed for the eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner. Detroit makes a lot of sense.

The January transfer window is fast approaching and Liverpool could be in the market to bolster their squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Jurgen Klopp's side are currently top of the Premier League table and are one point ahead of Arsenal in second place after 16 matches.

They are in the title race after missing out on a top four finish at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and adding one or two more players next month could give their push for silverware an added boost.

Liverpool's last five Premier League fixtures (via Sofascore)
Team	Result
Crystal Palace	2-1 win
Sheffield United	2-0 win
Fulham	4-3 win
Man City	1-1 draw
Brentford	3-0 win

The Reds have only lost one top-flight match so far this season and boast the best defensive record with 15 goals conceded in their 16 games.

However, there is always room to improve and Liverpool are reportedly looking at a player who could come in to add to the manager's options in midfield and out wide.

Liverpool transfer news – Alex Baena

According to a recent report from 90min, the Reds are one of a number of clubs eyeing up Villarreal starlet Alex Baena ahead of a potential swoop for his services.

The outlet claimed that Aston Villa are keen on the talented youngster, who was managed by Unai Emery in Spain, and the Villans boss has urged the club to monitor the winger as they consider a January or summer approach to land his signature.

Villa are said to have been hugely impressed by his performances so far this season and they are now weighing up a move to bring him to England.

90min add that Premier League giants Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal have also been scouting the Spanish whiz over the past 12 months and could, therefore, rival the Villans in January or at the end of the campaign.

Baena has a release clause in his current contract with Villarreal that stands at £51m and the report claimed that any interested party will likely have to match that fee in order to snatch him away from his home country in 2024.

However, there is no mention of how much the Reds would be willing to pay to secure his services or whether or not they are ready to make an official approach for him in January.

Klopp could, though, land his own version of Manchester City and Belgium superstar Kevin de Bruyne if he is able to bring Baena to Anfield.

Why Baena is similar to de Bruyne

The 22-year-old prospect is an outstanding creative threat who could consistently split open opposition defences in the Premier League in a similar way to how the Belgian whiz has over the course of many years in England.

As per FBref, de Bruyne is one of the most similar players to Baena based off their respective statistics over the last year – alongside fellow Premier League maestro Martin Odegaard.

Most similar players to Baena in Men's Big Five Leagues over the past 365 days
Player	Rank
Ilkay Gundogan	5
Teun Koopmeiners	4
Viktor Tsyhankov	3
Kevin de Bruyne	2
Martin Odegaard	1

In that time period, the Manchester City wizard ranks within the top 1% of his positional peers in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for assists (0.51), shot-creating actions (5.98), and Expected Assisted Goals (0.51) per 90.

The 32-year-old star has racked up 96 goals and 153 assists in 358 appearances in all competitions for the Cityzens, whilst predominantly playing as an attacking or central midfielder – along with a smattering of matches out wide.

De Bruyne has helped his team to win five Premier League titles, five League Cups, two FA Cups, and one Champions League during his time at The Etihad to date.

He has been a consistent creative presence in the heart of Pep Guardiola's midfield and his aforementioned statistics show that de Bruyne is one of the best creators in Europe.

The experienced talent has the ability to create opportunities for his teammates at an exceptional rate in comparison to his

positional peers and Klopp could now land a player with the potential to reach similar levels.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig once described Baena as an "offensive allrounder" and rated his potential as 9/10. He also named former Liverpool whiz Philippe Coutinho as a similar type of player, which provides Reds supporters with an insight into his style of play.

Alex Baena's season in numbers

The versatile attacking midfielder, who predominantly plays as a number ten but can also be deployed out wide, has showcased his creative quality on a regular basis this season.

He has been able to unlock opposition defences with ease for his teammates in LaLiga with 2.4 key passes per game and seven 'big chances' created in 14 league outings.

Meanwhile, no Liverpool player has managed more than 2.4 key passes per match and no central or attacking midfielder has produced more than two per clash for the club in the Premier League this term.

This suggests that the 22-year-old ace, who was described as a "beautiful" technician by journalist Josh Bunting, could come in as Klopp's outstanding creative talent through the middle of the pitch to tee up the likes of Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez for chances in the final third.

In fact, Baena has been putting up de Bruyne-esque numbers at the top end of the pitch so far this season in La Liga. He has averaged 0.42 assists, 5.01 shot-creating actions, and 0.29 Expected Assisted Goals per 90 in the Spanish top-flight so far – ranking in the top 5% or higher of midfielders within the division in each statistic.

Over the last 365 days, the Spain international ranks in the top 2% of his positional peers for Expected Assisted Goals (0.27), the top 5% for shot-creating action (4.46), and the top 3% for assists (0.28) per 90 in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions.

Therefore, Klopp could unearth his own version of de Bruyne by securing a Liverpool deal to sign the Villarreal star ahead of their rivals, due to his outstanding creative qualities and room to improve at the age of 22.

The proposed takeover of Everton continues to be a big talking point at the moment, and now a new update has emerged regarding 777 Partners and the current situation.

Everton's takeover talk

The Blues picked up a hugely impressive and much-needed Premier League victory on Sunday afternoon, battling their way to a 1-0 triumph away to a good West Ham, thanks to Dominic Calvert-Lewin's goal. It was one of Everton's best results of the season so far, and it steadied the ship greatly after some poor matches recently, as Sean Dyche continues to improve in the Goodison Park hot seat.

Away from the pitch, there has been a period of grieving, following the sad passing of legendary chairman Bill Kenwright at the age of 78 earlier this month, while the constant talk surrounding the takeover of the club has also carried on. Many Everton supporters are desperate for a deal to be struck as soon as possible, bringing an end to the Farhad Moshiri era on Merseyside, but it is clearly not going to be easy for 777 Partners to come in.

Everton takeover latest

Speaking on the Sport Unlocked podcast [via Goodison News], reporter Tariq Panja provided an update on Everton's takeover and explained how 777 Partners' payments could be made if the Blues suffer relegation from the Premier League to the Championship:

"From what I hear from the 777 deal, that will still go ahead with a bunch of contingencies in that contract based on Everton being relegated.

"If this deal goes through, these guys will still pay a similar amount, but slightly less if Everton do not come back up within two years, over a staggered payment scheme."

The idea of Everton being relegated from the Premier League for the first time in their history doesn't bear thinking about for supporters, especially with the exciting move to Bramley Moore Dock happening at the end of the season, as the Blues plan to move into a wonderful new stadium.

On the plus side, it is at least good to know that some planning is being done should the worst-case scenario happen next May, ensuring that Everton are hit as little as possible in a financial sense, should 777 Partners' takeover be completed in the coming months.

Sunday's aforementioned triumph at West Ham was a timely reminder of what this Blues side are capable of, however – they have also won away impressively at Brentford this season – and they should be looking for more of a mid-table finish in the league than worrying about going down, assuming Everton's potential 12-point deduction doesn't happen.

In Dyche, they appear to have a good manager who has made Everton difficult to break down, with even Liverpool struggling to break the deadlock in the Merseyside derby at Anfield prior to a penalty decision, and it would be a big surprise if they fared worse than they have in the past two seasons, just avoiding relegation each time.

A completed takeover would only make things easier for Dyche and his players, bringing more of a settled feeling to the club and also potentially generating more funds for transfer further down the line, but 777 Partners are putting contingency plans in place.

تحدث كودي جاكبو، لاعب فريق ليفربول، عن فوزهم العريض في مباراة اليوم ضد وست هام في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على ملعب الأخير.

واستضاف ملعب “لندن الأولمبي” مباراة الفريقين في إطار منافسات الجولة التاسعة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث فاز ليفربول بخمسة أهداف دون رد.

وشهدت المباراة أداءً عالميًا من جانب محمد صلاح، الذي سجل هدفًا وصنع هدفين.

وتمكن محمد صلاح من صناعة الهدف الثاني لصالح ليفربول، الذي سجله كودي جاكبو، قبل أن يسجل الثالث بنفسه، ثم يصنع الخامس لـ ديوجو جوتا.

وقال جاكبو، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “قدمنا ​​أداءً جيدًا مرة أخرى اليوم وتمكنا من تسجيل بعض الأهداف، كانت مباراة جيدة”.

اقرأ أيضًا | محمد صلاح يحرج ليفربول بعد تألقه أمام وست هام.. ويتجاهل الكرة الذهبية من أجل هدف آخر

وأضاف: “لقد نجحنا في تسجيل الكثير من الأهداف (17 هدفًا في آخر 4 مباريات خارج ملعب ليفربول)، نحن نعمل كثيرًا على محاولة صناعة الفرص وتسجيل الأهداف”.

وأردف: “ربما كان بإمكاننا تسجيل المزيد اليوم لكننا نعمل بجد للقيام بذلك، لقد قلنا قبل المباراة أننا نريد أن نفعل كل شيء للحفاظ على نظافة شباكنا، لقد فعلنا ذلك بشكل جيد حقًا في بداية الموسم ولكن في الأسابيع الأخيرة استقبلنا بعض الأهداف، نأمل من اليوم فصاعدًا أن نعود إلى نظافة شباكنا”.

وعن تمريرة محمد صلاح الحاسمة لهدفه، قال الهولندي: “ربما كانت مهارة، أو ربما كانت حظًا، لا أعرف، لكنه مرر الكرة إليّ وقمت بتسديدها”.

Halfway-line goals are a rarity in football. Not many players possess the vision, technique and execution to pull off such an audacious strike.

But every now and then, someone across the globe pops up with a moment of magic from long range, catching a goalkeeper unawares with a mischievous effort.

That has led Football FanCast to take a trip down memory lane and revisit what we consider to be the top 10 best goals scored from inside the opposite half. We’ll be ranking the strikes on the difficulty of execution, from ‘easiest’ to hardest.

Without further ado, here’s our selections:

11 Xabi Alonso v Newcastle

21st September 2006: Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle United

Xabi Alonso netted a wondergoal from inside his own half as the Reds eased past Glenn Roeder’s Newcastle United side in the 2006/07 campaign.

Alonso’s effort was struck from a colossal 70 yards out, and it’s not the only time the Spaniard has scored from his own half, having netted a similar strike a season earlier against Luton Town in the third round of the FA Cup.

Though, we’ve been harsh adjudicators and left that goal out of our list.

Champions League

2005, 2014

UEFA Super Cup

2006, 2014

FA Cup

2006

Community Shield

2006, 2007

European Championship

2008, 2012

World Cup

2010

Copa del Rey

2011, 2014

LaLiga

2012

Supercopa de España

2013

Bundesliga

2015, 2016, 2017

DFB-Pokal

2016

DFL-Supercup

2017

10 Maynor Figueroa v Stoke City

12th December 2009: Stoke City 2-2 Wigan Athletic

Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa put the visiting Latics back in front after striking a quickly taken free kick from inside his own half, catching out Stoke City goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

The effort wasn’t hit with much height, but rather a driven effort, leaving Sorensen with little chance to get back in time to make a stop.

Even more spectacularly, the long-distance strike found the top corner, making it that bit more pleasing to the eyes of football purists.

The goal came ahead of the January transfer window, with Manchester United and Sunderland both said to be interested in acquiring his services.

Though, the Honduras international remained at the Latics and was later awarded Goal of the Season by the BBC’s Match of the Day programme.

Every MOTD Goal of the Season since 2000

Honduras

181

5

3

0

Wigan Athletic

87

5

2

1

Houston Dynamo

63

2

3

0

Hull City

43

0

1

0

Colorado Rapids

10

1

0

0

9 Wayne Rooney v West Ham United

22nd March 2014: West Ham United 0-2 Manchester United

Spoiler alert, Wayne Rooney features twice on our list, which is quite incredible. The Manchester United forward was at the double against West Ham back in 2014, with his first strike, although from slightly inside the opponents’ half, particularly memorable.

Rooney used his physicality to roll Hammers defender James Tomkins before unleashing a sensational half-volley which looped over Adrián and bounced in.

David Beckham was in attendance at the ground and was seen applauding Rooney’s astounding strike, which was similar to his own marvellous effort against Wimbledon in 1996.

Read more: 10 memorable David Beckham moments

“Everybody probably flashbacked to Beckham’s goal and there was a bit of similarity in it tonight. I was saying to Wayne, ‘it bounced before it went in and we were worried the bounce was going to go over the bar’. He’s a top player and he’s scored a great goal,” David Moyes said post-match.

Premier League

29

17

12

Champions League

9

2

8

EFL Cup

2

0

2

8 Charlie Adam v Chelsea

4th April 2015: Chelsea 2-1 Stoke City.

Stoke City’s Charlie Adam levelled against the soon-to-be Premier League champions Chelsea just before the break with a 65-yarder, lobbing a true world-class goalkeeper in Thibaut Courtois.

“I never knew I had that much power, to beat a quality goalkeeper like that is something special. One that I will always remember. It was one of them that sat up nicely and I saw the goalie off his line. I was lucky enough that it went in.

“Once in a lifetime this can happen to you, it’s great on an individual level – a great way to get my 50th goal in English football – but the team lost and that is the disappointing thing,” Adam said.

Chelsea boss José Mourinho was full of praise for the strike, despite being on the receiving end of it: “It was a fantastic goal, every player in the world would like to score a goal like that. Diego Maradona to Lionel Messi to all these brilliant players. Not all of them did score that goal in their careers.

“Charlie Adam has condition for a 50-metre shot, so normally he would anticipate the moment we lost the ball, but it’s a great goal.”

Adam’s technique should be marvelled at for years to come, as the former Liverpool midfielder demonstrated a masterclass in long-distance shooting. He even managed to swerve the ball, making matters more complicated for Courtois. Simply brilliant.

Team

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Trophies

Scotland

26

0

7

0

Stoke City

179

22

17

0

Blackpool

98

35

22

0

Rangers

81

15

11

1

Dundee FC

65

12

19

0

Liverpool

37

2

9

1

Reading

27

2

4

0

St Mirren

2

0

0

0

7 Harry Kane v Darmstadt 98

28th October 2023: Bayern Munich 8-0 Darmstadt 98

Harry Kane settled in quickly to his new Bayern Munich surroundings, having completed a £100m move from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2023

The England skipper netted 44 times in 45 outings in his debut campaign, whilst laying on 12 assists, though, one goal stood out more than any other.

As Bayern notably secured a thumping 8-0 victory against Darmstadt 98, Kane continued his prolific goalscoring fortunes – netting a hat-trick.

The 30-year-old’s second goal saw him lob the backtracking Marcel Schuhen from inside his own half, Beckham-style. The superbly executed strike didn’t even bounce, as it soared straight into the centre of the goal.

Bundesliga

32

36

8

Champions League

12

8

4

DFL-Supercup

1

0

0

6 David Beckham v Wimbledon

17th August 1996: Wimbledon 0-3 Manchester United

Perhaps the most iconic halfway-line goal, certainly in Premier League history…

David Beckham’s spectacular effort against Wimbledon catapulted his profile to superstardom. It had fans in complete amazement and Becks recalled Sir Alex Ferguson shielding him from the public spotlight following the game – aware that the flock of media attention could affect him.

“I went up to the boss. I thought he was going to say, ‘Great goal’ and put his arms around me. He said, ‘Straight on the bus — and don’t talk to anyone.’ But that was his way of protecting me. He didn’t want me speaking to any media because he knew what that goal was going to do.”

England

115

17

42

0

Manchester United

394

85

120

14

Real Madrid

159

20

52

2

Los Angeles Galaxy

124

20

42

2

AC Milan

33

2

9

0

Paris Saint-Germain

14

0

2

1

5 Ismaïla Sarr v West Bromwich Albion

8th August 2022: West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Watford

Ismaïla Sarr broke the deadlock in quite brilliant fashion, executing a beautifully struck chip from inside his own half to put the visitors ahead at The Hawthorns.

His initial touch is worth noting, too, as he brought down a looping ball elegantly before pivoting and pulling off the extraordinary – a strike that was later crowned EFL Goal of the Season.

Though, the Senegal international would’ve left the field disappointed by his performance, despite scoring perhaps the best goal of his career.

With the score one apiece, Sarr stepped up to take a penalty in the 73rd minute but saw his effort saved by David Button. A contrasting day of emotions for the former Stade Rennais winger.

4 Nayim v Arsenal

10th May 1995: Real Zaragoza 2-1 Arsenal

The Parc des Princes staged the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final, as Spanish outfit Real Zaragoza met reigning champions Arsenal.

The cagey affair burst into life when Juan Esnáider’s volley beat David Seaman in the 67th minute before John Hartson found the leveller just eight minutes later.

As the encounter ticked into the final minute of extra-time and with penalties looming, Nayim produced a moment of genius, looping a 45-yard volley over Seaman’s head to win the cup in quite extraordinary fashion.

“I had played against Arsenal for five years with Tottenham and remembered they always played with a high defensive line, with the goalkeeper acting like a sweeper, so before the game, I told my team-mates and our coach that we should try and shoot from the halfway line,” Nayim said.

“I was going to pass to a team-mate but I looked up and I saw Seaman coming out so I just kicked it. I was very lucky. It’s my first goal against Arsenal after playing against them half a dozen times. For me, it’s something special as a former Tottenham player.”

Supercopa de España

1986

Copa del Rey

1988, 1994

FA Cup

1991

Community Shield

1991

UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup

1995

3 Wayne Rooney v West Ham United

29th November 2017: Everton 4-1 West Ham United

Wayne Rooney completed a hat-trick with a remarkable first-time effort from 59 yards out, as Everton cruised past the visiting Hammers back in 2017.

The strike perfectly soared over two leaping West Ham defenders and shot-stopper Joe Hart – who could only watch on helplessly.

It just edged his previous goal in our rankings due to the distance from where it was hit and the difficulty of taking it on first-time. Most players would’ve either hesitated and taken a touch or shanked it – which is completely understandable, by the way.

The difficulty rating is off the charts…

2 Kemar Roofe v Standard Liège

22nd October 2020: Standard Liège 0-2 Rangers

Not only did Kemar Roofe find the net from inside his own half, which is remarkable in itself, but he also used nimble footwork to skip past two players to make room for the shot which sealed a Europa League victory for Rangers in 2020.

The Gers forward struck from 54.6 yards out, lobbing it over backtracking ‘keeper Arnaud Bodart, who ended up being nowhere near it, in all honesty.

Roofe’s marvellous effort broke the record for the longest-distance goal ever scored in the UEFA Europa League.

Genius innovation from the former Leeds United forward.

Premiership

24

14

4

Europa League

7

2

0

SFA Cup

3

2

0

Europa League Qualifying

1

0

0

League Cup

1

0

0