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Why Mainoo’s goal was extra special

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Mainoo
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Manchester United fans just cannot stop watching Kobbie Mainoo’s brilliant winner against Wolves.

After the Reds had been pegged back to 3-3, due to Pedro Neto’s equaliser on the break, our newly crowned Player of the Month picked the ball up from substitute Omari Forson and tricked his way into a shooting position.

There was still much to do but he displayed exquisite technique to steer his finish wide of Jose Sa to send the away supporters crazy and clinch an eighth 4-3 victory of the Premier League era.

Although the strike came in the 97th minute, there was more injury time to be played out before three important points could be celebrated.

A goal in successive games for Kobbie kept him very much in the spotlight and manager Erik ten Hag explained afterwards why he is a role model for other youngsters in the Academy, as he is able to keep his feet on the ground.

“There can be a lot about him,” admitted the boss in one of his post-match interviews with the official broadcasters. “He is a great kid. Only in his head is football.

”He wants to progress every day. He is really an example for a lot [of others] and he has abilities. He has talent but talent has to work hard to progress, and that is what he is doing.

“I hope and I wish push him to keep going.”

Opta also produced an interesting stat, stating that this was only the second goal since the formation of the league in 1992 to be both assisted and scored by teenagers.

With Forson’s pass leading to the strike, Opta revealed the other time this happened was back in January 2005.

That memorable occasion was at Anfield, when Wayne Rooney’s low shot beat Jerzy Dudek, from a Cristiano Ronaldo set-up, to earn a sweet 1-0 success against Liverpool.

Rooney was 18 at the time, with Ronaldo only a year older.

 

Everybody of a United persuasion was naturally buzzing, and it was nice to see Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill’s reaction to the goal at Molineux from their seat in the stand.

Former midfielder Ander Herrera perhaps summed up the general mood when posting on Instagram: “What a player, what a future this Mainoo [has].”

Well done, and thank you, Kobbie – as we look ahead to seeing you at Old Trafford on Sunday, against West Ham United.

 

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‘I want to do everything I can’ – Osimhen reacts to Galatasaray win over Fenerbahce

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Victor Osimhen has once again reiterated his desire to give his best to Galatasaray, Ekwutosblog reports.

 

Osimhen fired a brace to help Galatasaray beat Fenerbahce 2-1 in the quarter-final of the Turkish Cup on Wednesday night.

The forward fired a thunderous shot inside the box to give Okan Buruk’s side the lead in the 10th minute.

He scored his second of the game from the penalty spot 17 minutes later.

“As I have said in previous interviews, I have really loved this club since I came here, I loved the people here, I loved the fans. I want to reciprocate their love by working hard. My teammates are also very important to me,” the Nigeria international told the club’s official website.

“They always support me. Of course, scoring a goal in the derby was important. If my teammates had not done very important things, I would not have been able to score those goals. I am grateful to them in this regard. I want to continue my performance. I want to do everything I can for the team.”

Galatasaray lost 2-1 to another Istanbul rival, Besiktas in a league match last weekend.

Osimhen said the players were disappointed with the outcome and were determined to compensate their fans.

“We know that Galatasaray – Fenerbahçe matches are intense and difficult matches. It is necessary to focus from the first minute to the ninetieth minute. We were actually optimistic when we came.

“Unfortunately, we made our fans unhappy last week. We had to play well here to compensate for them. Now we will look at the upcoming matches and progress match by match,” he said.

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Comparing Liverpool’s record with and without Trent Alexander-Arnold

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Trent Alexander-Arnold © PA Images
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Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to leave Liverpool in the summer following nine years in the first team but data suggests the Anfield side may cope without him.

The creative full-back is on the verge of a move to Real Madrid having allowed his contract to run to its expiry and despite Liverpool’s attempts to renew him, Alexander-Arnold has declined any offer as he seeks a move abroad.

But as for Arne Slot’s side, data shows they should cope with the loss of one of their own.

Alexander-Arnold made his Liverpool debut at the age of 18 in the 2015-16 season and quickly became a first team regular for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

With the right back in the team, Liverpool have won 169 games in the Premier League, drawn 52 and lost 33, giving them a win percentage of 67%.

Without him, Liverpool have won 48, drawn 24 and lost seven meaning they have won 61% of games. Interestingly, Liverpool have actually lost a higher percentage (13%) of games with him in the side compared to without (9%).

While Alexander-Arnold is listed as a defender on the teamsheet, his talent has always been going forward and with him in the side, the team have scored 557 goals which is 2.19 goals a game. Without him, Liverpool score 2.16 goals a game.

In recent years, it is Alexander-Arnold’s defensive output that has seen him most heavily criticised. With him in the team, Liverpool have conceded 240 goals or 0.94 a game. Without him, that number is 78 with an average of 0.99 goals conceded.

Alexander-Arnold’s presumed heir is another academy product, Conor Bradley and there are already promising signs with him in the team. The 21-year-old Northern Irishman made his Liverpool league debut in January 2024 and has shown himself more than capable when called up.

With Bradley in the team, Liverpool have lost just two of 23 games.

Bradley’s competence will be further tested in the near future after Alexander-Arnold picked up an ankle injury. The 26-year-old is expected to be out until the end of April.

Here’s how Liverpool’s stats with and without Alexander-Arnold stack up going back to the 2015-16 season.

With Alexander-Arnold

Games: 254

Won: 169

Drawn: 52

Lost: 33

Win percentage: 67%

Loss percentage: 13%

Goals per game: 2.19

Goals conceded per game: 0.94

Without Alexander-Arnold

Games: 79

Won: 48

Drawn: 24

Lost: 7

Win percentage: 61%

Loss percentage: 9%

Goals per game: 2.16

Goals conceded per game: 0.99

READ NEXT: How Liverpool pundits have reacted to the Alexander-Arnold Real Madrid transfer saga

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name Liverpool’s XI from their 7-0 win over Man Utd in 2023?

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Barca never had financial room to register Olmo – La Liga

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Barcelona’s Spanish forward #20 Daniel Olmo celebrates after scoring a penalty kick and his team’s second goal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and CA Osasuna at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on March 27, 2025. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)
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La Liga said Wednesday Barcelona did not have the financial capacity to register players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor and still lack it, ahead of a decision by Spain’s sports council (CSD) over the duo’s eligibility to play.

In January Barcelona announced a deal had been reached to sell VIP boxes at the club’s Camp Nou stadium, currently being rebuilt, worth a reported 100 million euros ($108 million), which gave them the financial fair play room for new licences for the players.

La Liga said Barcelona used an unnamed auditor between December 31 and January 3 which recorded the deal on the club’s books, but their current auditor no longer includes it in the club’s interim financial statements for the first part of the 2024-25 season.

“No amount from the (VIP box deal) is ultimately recorded in the profit and loss accounts, contrary to what had been certified by the club and the auditor at the time of said transaction,” said La Liga in a statement.

La Liga said they were reporting the auditor Barcelona used between December 31 and January 3 to the Accounting and Auditing Institute.

“Barcelona… did not have on December 31, 2024, or on January 3, 2025, nor has it had since that date, nor does it currently have, (the financial fair play capacity) for the registration of the players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor,” continued La Liga’s statement.

Barcelona declined to comment when asked about the matter by AFP.

On January 8 the CSD granted Barcelona precautionary permission to use Olmo and Victor, after La Liga said Barca failed to register them before a deadline at the end of December when their temporary licences they were given after signing last summer expired.

The CSD decided Olmo and Victor could be selected by Barca until they make a definitive ruling in the club’s case against La Liga and the Spanish football federation (RFEF), who did not let the club renew their registrations. The ruling is set to come on or before April 7.

The players were initially registered on a short-term basis, as Barcelona took advantage of a financial loophole following an injury to defender Andreas Christensen.

Olmo, currently injured, has played 13 times since then, scoring two goals and providing four assists, while Victor has five substitute appearances.

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