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Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, admits that the club has “lost the battle” in its attempts to prevent the ECB from embarking on a radical restructuring of T20 cricket

Andrew Miller at Kia Oval04-Apr-2017Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, admits that the club has “lost the battle” in its attempts to prevent the ECB from embarking on a radical restructuring of T20 cricket in England and Wales, and fears that the sport’s quest for a brand-new audience from 2020 onwards is a “leap of faith” that has no guarantee of success.Surrey, the richest of England’s 18 first-class counties, were one of three clubs who voted against the ECB’s initial proposals back in September, with Richard Gould, their chief executive, steadfastly opposed to the concept of hosting domestic contests at the Kia Oval that do not involve the club’s own colours and infrastructure.Their reasons for refusing to tow the line were understandable. While other clubs have found it hard to drum up regular support for their so-called “appointment to view” fixtures on Friday nights during the early seasons of the NatWest T20 Blast, Surrey have attracted regular 23,000-strong crowds for such games, by tapping into the psyche of London’s many office workers who have come to regard three hours at the cricket as the start of their weekends.”We don’t need it, because of what we do here,” said Stewart. “We are in a fortunate position with our marketing, sponsorship and ticketing departments all ensuring that, if you’ve been here on a Thursday or Friday night, there’s no better place to be.”But we’ve got to look outside of just what’s good for us. I still don’t think the ECB know exactly how [the new competition] is going to work. And that’s the big issue. They are asking counties to vote for something that perhaps won’t be the finished product. The CEO used the term leap of faith, and that’s always pretty dangerous.”Surrey have made a success of English cricket’s existing T20 competition, and have been reluctant to embrace the ECB’s reforms•Getty Images

Nevertheless, Stewart believes that the club has no choice but to accept that change is inevitable, and focus on ensuring that the new-look competition is as robust as it can possibly be.”You have to go with it,” he said. “There are financial penalties if we don’t. Yes, we fought a battle as a club, and we accept we lost the battle, so we have to buy into what is going to happen as we move forward.”Where the lucrative T20 market is concerned, a subtler measure of change has been introduced for the 2017 season with the restructuring of the T20 Blast as a single block of matches in July and August, rather than a once-a-week affair spread over the course of the season. And while this may be more popular with the players, some of whom (notably Kevin Pietersen) have found it hard to sustain their form over a protracted period, Stewart fears that Surrey will notice the change in this year’s bottom line. The new competition, he adds, may face similar issues.”We fill the ground on the right days,” he said. “On Thursday and Friday, we sell out. But we’ve got three Saturday and Sunday matches this year, so we’ll struggle for those ones, I’m afraid. And for this new competition, with 36 games in 38 games, that means there will be Sunday, Monday and Tuesday matches, which we haven’t been able to sell previously.”We’ve got to be positive about it. We can sit here and be cynical. If there’s a new audience out there that hasn’t turned up here, then fantastic. But the fact is, it’ll be running just as [football’s] Premier League is starting up again. If people don’t turn up to watch Chelsea, will they come here instead? Perhaps this new competition will find that new audience that do like coming on a Monday night.”A lot of the ECB’s plans and proposals have been drawn up with the success of Australia’s Big Bash League in mind, and that even extends to their recent unveiling of the new All Stars Cricket concept, aimed at five to eight-year-olds and modelled very much on Australia’s Milo In2Cricket campaign.But, according to Michael Di Venuto, Surrey’s Australian head coach, there are fundamental differences between the set-ups of the two countries that will make it difficult for the ECB to replicate the format lock, stock and barrel”We have six states, and eight BBL teams, so the players don’t miss out,” said Di Venuto. “In this competition, only a quarter of the players [in county cricket] will play. Also, in Australia, in the summer holidays, not too many people leave the country. Here, with Europe so close, people tend to go away. It’ll be interesting to see how it all unfolds.”At the age of 39, Gareth Batty, Surrey’s captain, does not expect still to be an active player by the time the new competition comes to fruition. But, he believes the changes being mapped out by the ECB could herald the sport’s biggest upheaval since World Series Cricket was launched in Australia in the year of his birth, 1977.”I’m a player now but I’ll probably be a fan by the time it happens,” he said. “I’d say it’s the biggest thing in cricket since Kerry Packer, and I think the ECB have a huge responsibility to the game as a whole.”We are very tribal in a lot of ways in this country,” he added. “A guy in Liverpool, will he support Manchester cricket or anything like that in Old Trafford? Probably not. But will he support Lancashire? Yes, he probably will.”It goes back to those little pockets within our island. Good luck getting that right. If it bombs out, cricket will be damaged for a decade or more.”

Newcastle United are set to battle Manchester United for Serie A hitman Victor Osimhen after his incredible goalscoring feats for Napoli this season.

Why is Victor Osimhen so highly rated?

In all competitions for Napoli, Osimhen managed 30 goals and five assists in 38 appearances. The forward almost managed to score or assist a goal every 90 minutes this season – a truly elite feat.

Winning Serie A in such exciting fashion has ensured the likes of Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are spoken about in the same breath as some of Europe's most exciting players.

Former striker David Trezeguet told Napoli Magazine how much he believes in the Nigerian forward. He said: “I follow Osimhen elsewhere, everyone wants him. In Germany and France, he’s talked about a lot, he’s demonstrating a lot.

“He’s already done it with Lille, he did very well there. He’s a unique player, a prototype of the new player, fast, and he moves a lot. I think he has become a striker with an important profile. He knows how to move and manage himself in the match.”

FBref, a statistics database, compares players to other stars in the same position to them and they've recorded that Osimhen has some truly astonishing stats this season.

Scoring 0.9 non-penalty goals every 90 minutes places Osimhen in the top percentile of all forwards.

His xG, the metric that refers to how many goals a player is expected to score based on projections, is 0.79. This means that if Osimhen plays ten games, he is expected to score 7.9 goals in that period. In reality, he scored at a rate of 0.93 goals per 90 or 9.3 goals every ten matches.

A unique player indeed as Trezeguet said.

What's the transfer latest on Osimhen to Newcastle?

The Mirror has relayed an update from Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport regarding Newcastle and Osimhen. Eddie Howe wants to add more firepower to his squad after qualifying for the Champions League next season.

Following their fourth-placed finish, Newcastle are set for a "windfall of more than £100m", the Mirror states. They are also set to announce a brand-new shirt sponsor in July which will further enable Newcastle to secure their preferred transfer targets.

Osimhen is a target for Howe and Newcastle have made contact with the forward's agent. Napoli maintain they do not want to sell the Nigerian, who will reportedly cost a minimum of £130m.

It's a lot of money to pay but after scoring 30 goals this season, Osimhen is could be considered one of the most in-demand forwards on the market given the likes of Man United and Chelsea are reportedly interested.

Manchester United are believed to be interested but with their potential takeover still unresolved, their transfer plans for the summer may be restricted amid the Glazers' ongoing tenure at Old Trafford.

While new additions will no doubt be on the agenda for Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou this summer, the 57-year-old will also likely be concerned with shifting the 'deadwood' in his squad, with there undoubtedly a handful of first-team assets in need of a fresh start elsewhere.

One man who has endured a dismal time of it at Parkhead in recent seasons is boyhood fan, James McCarthy, with the experienced midfielder having been restricted to just 27 appearances since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, with only five of those coming this term.

Although the Republic of Ireland has been hampered by injury of late, even prior to that the 32-year-old had looked like something of a spare part, with reports leading up to the January transfer window having suggested that the Old Firm outfit were open to letting the Glasgow-born dud move on.

Having been signed on a free transfer back in the summer of 2021, the Hoops may now be regretting the "strange" decision to hand the ex-Everton and Crystal Palace man a four-year deal – in the words of pundit Alan Hutton – with the club now forced to pay the player's £14k-per-week salary despite seeing little return on that investment.

The hope will be that the peripheral figure can find a new home ahead of next season, although McCarthy is not the only forgotten man who Postecoglou should be keen to sell, with goalkeeper, Vasilis Barkas, also seemingly having no future at Celtic Park.

Will Barkas leave Celtic this summer?

While the recruitment during Postecoglou's tenure has arguably been "exceptional" – as per ex-Bhoys skipper Scott Brown – the Scottish champions didn't always carry out astute business prior to the Greek-Aussie's arrival, with Barkas, in particular, having been a clear example of those shortcomings.

The Greece international was snapped up for a rather hefty fee of around £4.5m back in the summer of 2020 during Neil Lennon's tenure, having previously established himself as the first-choice option at AEK Athens.

As pundit Tam McManus previously stated, the underwhelming stopper has since proven a "waste of money" as far as those at Paradise are concerned, having made just 15 Scottish Premiership outings during his debut season before being replaced by backup option, Scott Bain.

The 6 foot 5 dud – who was branded "awful" at the time by pundit Frank McAvennie – was handed another chance to impress at the start of last amid Postecoglou's arrival, although notably dropped a clanger in the Champions League qualifying encounter against FC Midtjylland.

The subsequent signing of Joe Hart ended any hopes of Barkas establishing himself as the first-choice pick, with the 13-cap asset going on to make just two appearances in total throughout the entire 2021/22 season.

Having spent the current campaign on loan at Eredivisie side FC Utrecht – where he has conceded 45 goals in 28 league games – the error-strewn 'keeper is now believed to be at the centre of something of a 'transfer battle', as per the Glasgow Times, with there a potential for Celtic to spark a bidding war once the market re-opens.

On the evidence of that interest, it looks as if the Old Firm side will be able to ditch the one-time Atromitos man sooner rather than later…

Manchester United's season of peaks and troughs reached a new low on Thursday evening, with the Red Devils crashing out of the Europa League following a dismal, 3-0 defeat at the hands of La Liga strugglers Sevilla.

Having already edged past Barcelona and Real Betis in the previous two knockout rounds, United's meeting with the Andalusian outfit proved a step too far, as they merely capitulated against a side who sit a lowly 13th in the Spanish top-flight.

That grim performance – amid a season that has been littered with shambolic showings away to the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Brentford – has only served to further showcase that Erik ten Hag has a way to go before truly turning the club into a competitive outfit once again, both in Europe and in the Premier League.

That shock defeat to the six-time winners of the competition has also raised "long-term questions" surrounding a handful of the players who started in Seville, according to journalist Laurie Whitwell, with the attacking duo of Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial among those facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford heading into the summer window.

As The Guardian's Jamie Jackson also revealed following that continental collapse, the £600k-per-week pairing are "under threat" with regard to their position at the club, with the respected journalist stating in his attached piece that the two men could be part of a mass squad exodus ahead of next season.

While clearly not the only figures to potentially be facing the axe, the possible exits of Sancho and Martial could represent the ruthlessness that has so often been lacking in recent years at the Theatre of Dreams, with the club routinely hanging on to players for far too long – Phil Jones being a case in point.

If Ten Hag is to lead the Carabao Cup winners to bigger heights next season, then the misfiring forwards should seemingly be among the first to be forced to walk the plank…

Will Martial be sold this summer?

In the case of Martial, the polarising Frenchman appears to have outstayed his welcome in Manchester, with it approaching almost eight years since the former Monaco man was snapped up on an initial £36m deal by Louis van Gaal back in 2015.

It had, of course, been a terrific start for the then-youngster in English football as he bagged 18 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign, memorably making his mark on debut with a fantastic solo goal against bitter rivals, Liverpool.

The commentary of Sky Sports' Martin Tyler during that goal will live long in the memory of United supporters, although significant time has passed since that stunning entrance at Old Trafford, with it difficult to say whether the striker's time at the club has ever got any better than that goalscoring bow.

Although the 30-cap enigma did enjoy a standout 2019/20 campaign in which he bagged 23 goals across all fronts, that has been something of an anomaly rather than the norm, with the £250k-per-week man having notably netted just nine Premier League goals since the start of the 2020/21 season.

For a club of United's stature to still be reliant on such an inconsistent goalscoring presence as their leading number nine is rather bizarre, with it easy to see why Ten Hag is said to be open to selling the fleet-footed dud this summer.

While the Dutchman has conceded that his side play their "best football" with Martial leading the line, the injury-prone asset has simply been unable to get on the pitch often enough, having made just 20 appearances across all fronts this term amid a stop-start campaign.

Albeit unfortunate, the sight of the marksman limping off yet again in Seville would have had the away supporters tearing their hair out, with the 5 foot 11 hotshot having only recently made his return from a lengthy injury layoff.

As club legend Paul Scholes noted, it would appear that Martial "doesn't quite have the heart for it" when the "going gets tough", with it time for Ten Hag to do what other managers could not and show the long-serving dud the door.

Will Sancho be at Man United next season?

As for fellow forward, Sancho, the Englishman made an even earlier departure from the pitch in midweek, with the 23-year-old having been hooked at half-time in place of the returning Marcus Rashford.

That unceremonious withdrawal marked what was yet another lifeless performance from the Borussia Dortmund man in the red jersey, with the £73m man having looked 'nowhere near sharp enough', according to the Independent's Jamie Braidwood.

In truth, such an anonymous performance has been what United have come to expect from the £350k-per-week man during his time at the club to date, having now scored just ten goals and provided only five assists in 69 games across all fronts.

That grim record comes despite Sancho having blossomed during his prior stint in Germany after providing 114 goal involvements in just 137 games for the Bundesliga side, having been hailed by former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the time of his capture as an asset who "will form an integral part of my squad for years to come".

By the start of next season, neither Solskjaer nor Sancho could be at the club as the Norwegian's predication has well and truly not panned out, with recent reports suggesting that Ten Hag is now growing 'increasingly impatient' with the winger's lack of impact.

Despite having been afforded time away from the first team earlier this season in order to get himself physically and mentally ready for the second half of the campaign, the 23-cap dud has hardly pulled up any trees since his return, having totalled just five goals and two assists so far this season.

While unlike Martial the London-born trickster has not had as long to prove his worth in a United shirt, it is hard to see where he fits in the long-term plan, with Ten Hag said to favour Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho on the left flank, while £86m arrival, Antony, looks set to be the first-choice pick on the opposite wing.

As pundit Jamie Carragher brutally noted following the loss to Sevilla, the latter man appears to have "done more in six months than Sancho has in two years", with that a further indication of the one-time Manchester City youth product's inability to perform.

Although the once-promising talent still has plenty of years ahead of him to turn things around, the Red Devils don't appear to have the time to wait for the former Dortmund sensation to get back to his best.

As the Old Trafford outfit have learned with the case of Martial, holding out hope on a player based on what they have previously done in the game is folly.

In truth, continued faith in the Frenchman has grown to become something of a disaster, with United needing to avoid making the same mistake with the underwhelming Sancho.

Everton, on a day when a win would have propelled them up the table, instead suffered one of their worst losses of the season at home to Fulham.

Welcoming Marco Silva's struggling outfit to Goodison Park, who were without Aleksandar Mitrovic due to his suspension, it seemed like the stars might align for the Toffees to climb the Premier League with a result. After all, with the tumultuous run-in they are set to face, it marked one of their easier games on paper.

However, slow starts in each half consigned them to an embarrassing 3-1 defeat, where the visitors admittedly played them off the park.

A catalogue of errors resulted in the Cottagers first, but that seemed to spark the hosts into life, culminating in Dwight McNeil's fine equaliser. Sean Dyche's men would press on further, seeking to take advantage of their superiority, but would only go in at the break with the scores level.

Golden chances had been spurned, and it always felt like this would come back to haunt them.

That was almost instantly the case, when Harry Wilson was able to power home from Willian's cutback to reinstate their lead, which they would not relinquish for a second time. Dan James added another with 20 minutes to go, and the atmosphere on Merseyside quickly turned toxic.

A fury and vitriol quickly descended upon the ground, aimed at those on the field who had caused such a mess. Whilst few covered themselves in any kind of glory, Demarai Gray was a standout passenger.

How did Demarai Gray play vs Fulham?

Returning to his preferred flank with the introduction of Neal Maupay, it was expected that the £25k-per-week wide man would play a key role in any offensive success the hosts might have enjoyed.

However, it quickly became clear that this was not to be the case.

An anonymous 90 minutes on the pitch culminated in just 40 touches, of which goalkeeper Jordan Pickford actually recorded more (45).

Such a distinct lack of involvement unsurprisingly led to dwindling influence on the game, as the 26-year-old completed zero successful crosses, recorded no key passes and even missed a big chance, via Sofascore. A torrid day at the office for the attacking asset who offered no offensive input.

Writer Peter Guy put it succinctly when summing up Gray's contribution yesterday, as he wrote on Twitter that he "never turned up".

What makes it even more frustrating is the lack of work rate from the Englishman, who would lose four of the whopping 17 duels he competed in. Dyche would likely excuse struggles up front, but this kind of work-shy behaviour cannot be allowed to stand.

Whilst most in Royal Blue let down the club yesterday, with his 6.0 rating the joint-worst of anyone on the pitch, few disappointed as heavily as the former Leicester City man.

Finance expert Kieran Maguire has stated that the Premier League changes to owner tests won’t impact a potential Manchester United takeover involving Sheikh Jassim.

What’s Maguire had to say on a new ownership update?

Jassim, alongside Sir Jim Ratcliffe, made a revised offer for the Red Devils last month and is now waiting to hear a response from the Glazers.

However, there have been some changes in the Premier League when it comes to ownership, with sides voting in favour of new rules that will see a government using a banned list to see who can own clubs. The Daily Mail highlight how there have been concerns flagged over the possibility of a Qatar-based takeover of Manchester United, but it seems as if they will be unaffected by the changes.

Maguire, who contributes to Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding the changes to the Owners’ and Directors’ Test and what it could mean for Manchester United.

The finance expert said it wouldn’t impact Jassim taking control at Old Trafford, describing it as “big news for Man United fans” who want to see the Qatari-led group in charge.

“As far as the changes to the Owners’ and Directors’ Test that have been agreed upon at the latest Premier League meeting, this will have zero impact in relation to a potential takeover of Man United.

“The changes don’t impact Sheikh Jassim or anyone from Saudi Arabia or other Middle Eastern states.

“Therefore, this is big news for Man United fans who are looking forward to the possibility of being owned by Sheikh Jassim. In terms of the proposals, there are going to be relatively few people who could previously buy a Premier League club that now can’t because of these changes.”

What happens now?

Offers on the table at Old Trafford are thought to be worth around £5bn, with the Glazers holding out for a figure closer to £6bn, although there is still no guarantee they will green-light a full sale.

Therefore, although these changes wouldn’t impact Jassim, he still needs the current owners to be willing to sell and strike a deal, something which is seemingly proving difficult at this moment in time.

Suitors are expecting to hear back from the Raine Group, who are dealing with a possible takeover for the Glazers, this week, with room for another round of bidding if required, so we could know more in the coming days.

Chelsea are now interested in signing Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Chelsea eyeing goalkeeper

With goalkeeper Edouard Mendy currently ‘not looking’ to sign a contract extension at Stamford Bridge, the Blues are eyeing a new option between the sticks, recently being linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel.

On a more long-term basis, Chelsea have been looking at a number of options with proven Premier League experience, including Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper Robert Sanchez, who at one point was deemed to be ‘high up on the list.’

At one stage, the west London club were said to have made contact with David Raya about a move across the capital, while Everton’s Jordan Pickford was also a target, but the Englishman has recently signed a new contract.

The Latest: Meslier targeted

As per a report from Football Insider, Chelsea have now joined the race to sign Meslier in the summer transfer window, amid interest in the £30m-rated goalkeeper from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Graham Potter is said to have informed owner Todd Boehly that he would like a new goalkeeper in the summer, and the club believe they could sign the Leeds United star for a bargain fee if they are relegated from the Premier League.

Despite the high level of interest in the 23-year-old, the Blues are willing to outbid their rivals to secure his signature.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Lauded as ‘unbelievable’ by members of the media, the Frenchman is at the right age to be a long-term success at Stamford Bridge, and he has been one of Leeds’ most consistent performers in the Premier League so far this season.

With an average Sofascore mating of 6.89, the former Lorient man is the sixth-best performing player in the squad, most recently impressing by making a total of six saves from inside the box in his side’s vital 4-2 win away at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That said, it is unclear whether the 6 foot 4 colossus would be an upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga, ranking far lower than the Spaniard in terms of average save percentage per 90 over the course of the past year.

Given that Kepa has been putting in some very good performances in recent weeks, recently making five saves, including three from inside the box in the 3-1 victory at Leicester City, Chelsea should continue to monitor the performances of their current goalkeeper before deciding if a summer replacement is really necessary.

يرى وائل جمعة مدافع الأهلي السابق، أن لاعبي القلعة الحمراء في الوقت الحالي، يحتاجون إلى أمر هام خلال الفترة القادمة.

ويستعد الأهلي لمواجهة شباب بلوزداد الجزائري، مساء اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وقال جمعة خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت”: “فترة صعبة على الأهلي ومحبيه، تحديدًا بعد المباراة الأخيرة أمام باتشوكا، كان من الممكن أن تكون أسعد فترة في تاريخ الأهلي والتأهل للنهائي والانتقال لتحدي أعلى ومواجهة أكبر ناد في العالم”.

وأضاف: “اللاعبون أضاعوا على أنفسهم كتابة المجد والتاريخ، كلنا في حالة حزن، كانت فرصة سهلة للاعبين أهدرنا كما كبيرا من الفرص، وكان من الممكن حسم اللقاء بسهولة دون اللجوء لركلات الترجيح التي كانت بها مشاكل كثيرة تتعلق بترتيب اللاعبين”.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي أمام شباب بلوزداد في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.. وسام أبو علي يقود الهجوم

وتابع: “لكن إن شاء الله الأهلي لا يعيش على أمجاد الماضي، ولا يعيش في الفترة السلبية مدة طويلة، وإن شاء الله الوضع يتحسن”.

وأكمل: “خلال فترتنا أتوا لنا بطبيب نفسي “محمد فكري”، لكنه لم يقدر على العمل معنا، كان اللاعبون شخصيات مختلفة، اللاعبون الآن يحتاجون هذا الأمر”.

تجدر الإشارة الى أن الأهلي كان قد خسر أمام باتشوكا المكسيكي في دور نصف نهائي بطولة كأس إنتركونتنتتيال بركلات الترجيح.

وواصل: “لا شك إن كولر مدرب جيد، لكن الفترة الأخيرة هناك شك في قراراته، وعدم قناعة ببعض اللاعبين، وقرارات متخبطة بشأن لاعبين آخرين”.

وتابع: “رضا سليم لم يحصل على فرصة حقيقية ليحكم عليه، وأفشة لاعب جيد ومهم ومطلوب في الفترة الحالية، الأهلي عندما يمر بفترة سيئة فيجب أن يلعب لاعب يجيد الاستحواذ على الكرة، لأن الثلاثي الحالي ليس عندهم ملكة إرسال الكرة للعمق والاستحواذ عليها”.

Liverpool host West Ham United on Sunday in a Premier League fixture that goes back over a century. Only three points separate them in the table, too – a result here could bring them together or create a bigger divide.

So what can we expect? Here at Football Fancast, we've gone into the historical data to find everything you want to know about this fixture at every level.

Liverpool vs West Ham: What's their head-to-head record?

As with virtually all of their head-to-head records, Liverpool come out of this one looking quite dominant. It's not exactly a small sample size, either.

Liverpool and West Ham have met 147 times in English football, dating back to an FA Cup tie in early January 1901. They wouldn't meet in the league, however, until the very end of 1923. The Reds won both games, starting a pretty incredible record against the Hammers.

Overall, Liverpool have won 80 of the 147 fixtures – so quite comfortably over half. It's quite rare to see records that dominant over a long run of games like that, something underlined by how few victories West Ham have managed.

The Hammers' 29 wins are very, very low. It's fewer than Derby County, Bolton Wanderers, both Sheffield teams, Stoke City and Middlesbrough, for a non-exhaustive list. None of those teams have faced Liverpool as often as West Ham.

And for those keeping count, there have been 38 draws between the two sides.

Liverpool wins

80

Draws

38

West Ham wins

29

Liverpool vs West Ham: What's the record at Anfield?

70 of the 147 games have been at Anfield. It is very difficult for any side to play that many home games against one team and come away with a better record than Liverpool have.

They've won 49 of them, but the real standout here is the number of wins West Ham have at Anfield – 4. That might actually be the worst record any team has at Liverpool's ground, taking the number of fixtures into count.

For a quick comparison, Brighton have won at Anfield three times but have only played there on 19 occasions, not 70.

Somehow, Liverpool don't average two goals per game at home, against them, though. They fall just shy on 136. West Ham, if you're wondering, have 41 goals in those 70 games.

Liverpool wins

49

Draws

17

West Ham wins

4

Liverpool vs West Ham: What's the record at West Ham?

Well, West Ham do fare better on their own ground than they do at Anfield. But they're also still playing catch-up.

72 fixtures have been in East London, with Liverpool coming out on top 29 times. West Ham, in response, have 25 wins and 18 draws. The best you can say about that is the Reds fail to win slightly more often than they do win. You're still more likely to see them celebrating than the hosts, however.

In terms of goals, Liverpool are comfortably on top, too. They've scored 108 in 72 games to West Ham's 95. Both manage to average well over a goal per game, then.

Liverpool wins

29

Draws

18

West Ham wins

25

Liverpool vs West Ham: What's their record in finals?

One of the strangest things about Liverpool's dominance in this fixture is that West Ham aren't a small club. That's highlighted best by the fact that these two have met four times in finals.

Two of those were in the Community Shield. Both in 1964 and 1980, the Reds went into the season-opener as First Division Champions, the Hammers as FA Cup winners.

The first ended in a 2-2 draw, with the shield shared. Liverpool then squeezed a win out of the second as Terry McDermott scored in a 1-0.

Then there was the 1981 League Cup final. This one was so close that the first game ended in a draw after extra time, forcing a replay. West Ham took a 1-0 lead in that through Paul Goddard, but Liverpool hit back to win 2-1 after Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen found the net.

And, of course, there was the 2006 FA Cup final. The two sides played out a remarkable, historic match that saw West Ham go 3-1 up. Steven Gerrard, though, carried the Reds over the line with two second-half goals – the second of which might be the best final goal the competition has ever seen. Liverpool won on penalties to win the cup.

So that's five games, two draws, three Liverpool wins. None of these were emphatic wins, however, and it does once again suggest there's a sort of mental block at West Ham against the Reds. Despite being competitive with them, they just struggle to win.

Liverpool wins

3

Draws

2

West Ham wins

0

Liverpool vs West Ham: What's their Premier League record?

Liverpool have consistently been a more competitive team than West Ham since the start of the Premier League in 1992. It leaves a record that doesn't exactly surprise – the Reds are dominant.

54 Premier League fixtures have resulted in 34 Liverpool wins. The remaining games are then split evenly, with 10 draws and 10 West Ham wins. It has become a rather predictable result, especially at Anfield.

Not that anyone will be shocked at that if you've read the stats above. Only one of those 10 West Ham wins has come on Liverpool turf.

Liverpool wins

34

Draws

10

West Ham wins

10

Liverpool vs West Ham: When did West Ham last win at Anfield?

So given there have only been four West Ham wins at Anfield, you might be wondering when it last happened. After all, it's a genuinely historic event.

2015, is the answer. It was one of Brendan Rodgers' final home games as Liverpool boss and a real sign of the end for the Northern Irishman. Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho all scored to humiliate the Reds.

Before that? 1963. Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters – England's goalscorers when they would win the World Cup three years later – put West Ham two up, but Liverpool could only reply through Roger Hunt (who would also start that final).

And we might as well round out the other two here for the complete four. West Ham also beat Liverpool at Anfield in 1954 and this one was particularly notable as it happened in the Second Division. 2-1 it finished, much like the result in '63.

That leaves one – a 3-1 win in February 1928, this time in the First Division. And that's your lot.

Liverpool vs West Ham: What are the recent results?

Liverpool have played West Ham 14 times since the start of Jurgen Klopp's first full season in charge. In that span, all have been in the Premier League and have seen the Reds fail to win on just three occasions.

One was a draw in December 2016, another a draw in February 2019. Then West Ham got their sole win over Klopp's Liverpool in November 2021. The Reds have won the other 11.

It's obviously an incredible record but we do think it's worth mentioning that the last four results have been very close. All have been by one goal – West Ham winning 3-2, then a couple of 1-0s for Liverpool before a 2-1. Despite the dominance in the win column, the Reds aren't exactly playing their opponents off the park here.

Last five results (All Premier League):

West Ham 1-3 Liverpool West Ham 3-2 Liverpool Liverpool 1-0 West Ham Liverpool 1-0 West Ham West Ham 1-2 Liverpool Liverpool vs West Ham: How have they started the season?

Liverpool have been chaos since the season started. Of course, they're trying to rebound from their struggles last season – but no one can be really sure if they're doing that.

They drew 1-1 at Chelsea in what no longer looks like a particularly good result. The Reds have since gone behind early against Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Wolves but came back to win all of them. A 3-0 win over Aston Villa is their most impressive result.

West Ham are another that you can't really pin down. They've conceded in every game but have still managed an enormously impressive 3-1 win over Brighton. A 3-1 win against Chelsea, too, raised eyebrows. Of course, no one will be too harsh on losing 3-1 to Manchester City.

Things do feel positive, even if David Moyes' team lack control. They've built a very solid squad despite losing Declan Rice in the summer – that's an accomplishment in of itself, given most move backwards after losing such a key player.

Liverpool vs West Ham: When is it?

Liverpool host West Ham United at 14:00 UK time on Sunday, September 24. It'll be the 148th meeting between the two teams as the Hammers look to record an incredibly rare feat – a win at Anfield.

Doing so would be just their fifth in 71 attempts, meaning few would count on it. But with Liverpool feeling inconsistent, perhaps now is the time to make history and get number five.

That would put these two level on 13 points after six games, while Liverpool are hoping to move onto 16 and firmly cement themselves in the early fight at the top.

Once pre-season is done and dusted, players eagerly turn their attention to domestic action. A new season, a fresh chance to impress. The start of what could be a campaign of ultimate glory.So, with that said, the worst start that a player can make to a season is receiving a red card on the opening night. Unfortunately for Barcelona and Raphina, that’s exactly what happened against Getafe.The Brazilian wasn’t the only one guilty of letting tensions reach boiling point, before they spilt over, though, with manager Xavi also seeing red, as well as Getafe striker Jaime Mata.In a fiery affair to get the season underway, it was Getafe who will be the happier of the two sides, holding out for a point in a frustrating stalemate for Barcelona.Without any goals to watch, it’s Raphinha who stole the headlines, with his UFC-style elbow rightfully resulting in his dismissal.

What did Raphinha do to get a red card vs Getafe

Attempting to make a run off the ball, Raphinha was expertly marked by Getafe’s Gaston Alvarez, who received a brutal elbow to the back of the head for his troubles, before going down.

The incident was well spotted by the referee, who wasted no time in giving the Barcelona winger his marching orders.

Even so, the Getafe bench were furious and charged out of their seats, out of the technical area, and nearly onto the pitch to vent their anger – perhaps showing why the football now has stricter rules on such behaviour.

The referee wasn’t done with his red cards there, either, handing a second yellow card to Getafe’s Mata to make it 10 men apiece.

Finishing things off, the referee then handed a red card to Barcelona manager Xavi after the Spaniard reacted furiously when Abde Ezzalzouli was brought down.

The La Liga champions also got plenty of attention on Twitter after quite the hilarious blunder, as they first posted in support of Raphinha, before their next Tweet revealed his second off.

The game, itself, was full of strange moments and was perhaps best summed up when Ronald Araujo bizarrely decided to catch the ball instead of controlling it and yet still avoided a yellow card.

As far as opening nights go, it doesn’t get much more disjointed than Barcelona vs Getafe.

What is the market value of Raphinha?

Joining Barcelona for a reported £55m from Leeds United last summer, Raphinha has since gone on to show glimpses of what he’s capable of at the Nou Camp, scoring 10 goals, and assisting a further 12 in all competitions for the club.

That said, his valuation has, in fact, decreased in the year that he has been in La Liga. According to Transfermarkt, the winger is currently worth €60m (£52m), meaning that his value has gone down by £3m since Barcelona splashed out to secure his signature in 2022.

Meanwhile, Raphinha reportedly earns a staggering £199k per week at the Spanish giants, which is a hefty figure for a player who hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts this season.

From the Brazilian’s perspective, he will hope to bounce back from his sending-off in style when he returns to prove once and for all that he belongs in a Barcelona shirt.