Sports
Gary Neville Savages Florian Wirtz After Man City 3-0 Liverpool
Arne Slot’s title-defending Liverpool, following their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City on the weekend, have now lost more Premier League matches (five) this season than they did across the entire 2024/25 league campaign (four). Gary Neville, in the aftermath of their defeat, pulled no punches when discussing the performance of Florian Wirtz.
Opening the scoring at the Eithad Stadium, City talisman Erling Haaland rose highest in the Liverpool box just before the half-hour mark before Nico Gonzalez extended their lead to two goals on the stroke of the half-time interval. Sandiwched between the host’s two goals was Virgil van Dijk’s header, which was controversially ruled out.
Liverpool, despite spending well in the summer of 2025 on a raft of high-profile names, have started their prospective title defence poorly – and Man of the Match Jeremy Doku dazzling down the left, cutting in and curling his effort past Giorgi Mamardashvili was the final nail in the coffin as they suffered their worst defeat of the 2025/26 campaign in all competitions.
Neville Claimed Wirtz ‘Played Like a Boy’ in Liverpool’s 3-0 Loss to Man City
By virtue of the manner of Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to City, there were very few Liverpool players who impressed; 22-year-old Conor Bradley was named – by Pep Guardiola – as one of the best right-backs in the Premier League. The likes of centre-back Ibrahima Konate, however, were on the other end of the spectrum with substandard displays.
Wirtz, a £116 million acquisition from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025, also struggled to perform in the east of Manchester – and Neville, formerly of Manchester United and England before turning his hand to punditry, spoke about the Germany international. “I thought Wirtz, in particular, it was a bad day for him,” he said, per Liverpool World, before adding: “We’ve been tiptoeing around him, haven’t we, for a few months around the fact that he’s young, he’s come to a new country.
“You’re going to have to stand up soon. He’s obviously got something. He’s a really good player, technically fantastic, but he’s been mauled out there by [Matheus] Nunes and by others.”
“He’s been chucked around the pitch and didn’t deliver in the quality side of things. His performance was a real worry. Physically, I’d be really worried if I was Arne Slot looking at that team. There were a few of them who look like they can’t run. I always think when you go on a losing streak, you start to doubt everything. That is wrong, because there are some great players out there with great attitudes to it’s not time to throw the baby out of the bathwater.”
Neville is correct. The 22-year-old – for large parts of his side’s 3-0 loss to City – was anonymous; he enjoyed just 39 touches of the ball, completed zero of his two crosses and both of his shots were blocked. As such, it may be time for Liverpool boss Slot to experiment by using his £100+ million summer addition as an option from the bench.
Nobody could foresee the fact that Wirtz, given that he broke the British record transfer fee prior to Alexander Isak‘s move doing the same, would struggle so much under the guidance of Slot. Many assumed Liverpool would walk the league – but the transition from German to English football has not been seamless and Wirtz’s bedding-in period continues to extend.
“Wirtz is a problem, let’s be clear. Let’s call it as it is. It’s an issue. To be fair, I said a few weeks ago about [Milos] Kerkez that he looks like a little boy out there. Wirtz looked like a little boy and that can’t be the case. He’s a Germany international of great standing, and he looks short in respect of what you’d expect in a top physical match.”
|
Florian Wirtz 2025/26 Premier League Stats vs Liverpool Squad |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Metric |
Output |
Squad Rank |
|
Minutes |
693 |
8th |
|
Average Passes per Match |
29.8 |
11th |
|
Pass Success Rate (%) |
80.2 |
14th |
|
Shots per Match |
1.1 |
7th |
|
Key Passes per Match |
1.5 |
2nd= |
|
Dribbles per Match |
0.7 |
5th |
|
Overall Rating |
6.38 |
16th |
“They have got to get him up to speed and got to get that sort of tenacity into him, that little bit of something that means he will get into form,” Neville continued. “It means that he will have to stick with him and persist, but they’ve got to find a way to get the best out of him.”
Yet to register a goal contribution in the 11 Premier League matches he’s featured in, the patience of the Anfield faithful is running thin after Slot – widely regarded as one of the best managers in world football – and his entourage spent so much money on his signature. Since joining, he was initially utilised from a central hub, but Slot has resorted him to his favoured left-wing position in recent weeks. Whether that can spark him into life, however, remains to be seen.
All statistics per WhoScored – correct as of 10/11/2025
Leeds are set to open contract talks to tie down one of their key stars when they return from the World Cup.
The Yorkshire club will be looking to strengthen their squad in the summer transfer window after an impressive 25/26 season.
It will also be imperative that they keep hold of as many of Daniel Farke’s key players as possible in order to continue building rather than stagnating.
Leeds already pulled off one of the most important deals of the summer, tieing Ethan Ampadu down to a new contract.
Farke has hardly completed any new signings so far, in terms of official confirmation, but there’s certainly no need to panic after they showed they can comfortably avoid relegation last season.
Leeds to open contract talks
According to a report from Football Insider, Leeds are set to open fresh contract talks with Brenden Aaronson once he returns from the World Cup.
The 25-year-old has now been knocked out of the tournament with the USA, but it will still be a while before he returns to Leeds.
Leeds want to offer Aaronson a new deal as a priority this summer, as he enters the final year of his deal.
If Leeds are unable to agree a new contract with the American international, they will look to cash in on him in order to avoid losing him on a free transfer.
Leeds paid a fee in the region of £25 million to sign Aaronson from Red Bull Salzburg, so they won’t want to be losing him for nothing.
You scored
out of 20
Leeds can take risks in transfer market
Leeds can now afford to take risks in the current transfer market after proving that they have a squad capable of avoiding relegation in the Premier League.
The Yorkshire club were one of the favourites to drop down to the Championship, but Farke managed to steer them away from the bottom three.
For Leeds, it’s now about going to the next level and climbing into the top half of the Premier League table.
Farke has certainly earned himself enough credit with the board to back him in the transfer market, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them enjoy a strong summer transfer window.
Hossam Hassan has made a shocking accusation about Lionel Messi following Egypt’s dramatic World Cup exit against Argentina on Tuesday night. The Pharaohs were two goals to the good with just 11 minutes of normal time remaining, but a stunning 14-minute turnaround from the holders saw Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernandez turn the game on its head and complete an incredible remontada in Atlanta.
For neutrals, it was football at its very best – a reminder that the game can be a cruel mistress, delivering ecstasy and agony in equal measure as Lionel Scaloni’s side kept alive their hopes of back-to-back World Cup titles. But since the final whistle, the result has opened a can of worms.
A VAR expert has claimed Mohamed Salah should have been awarded a penalty in the build-up to the 93rd-minute winner, while Egypt’s coaching staff have had plenty to say about FIFA’s handling of this year’s tournament.
After the match, striker Mostafa Ziko also vented his frustrations over several refereeing decisions, going as far as to suggest the World Cup has been ‘rigged’ in Argentina’s favour. While he stopped short of targeting Messi directly, his manager was not prepared to pull any punches, refusing to leave football’s golden boy out of the firing line as he reflected on Tuesday night’s heartbreaking defeat.
Egypt Manager Takes Brutal Swipe at FIFA’s Treatment of Lionel Messi
Speaking at a press conference after the match, Hassan was furious about his team’s defeat, which he claimed was deliberate. He told media, as per Gulf Today (watch his untranslated interview below):
“They want Argentina and Messi to stay in the World Cup for marketing. If they wanted Argentina to win, why invite other teams to participate? This match was clearly rigged, and the whole world witnessed it.
“We were better than Argentina, and football is unfair. We had a clear penalty that the referee didn’t award, and Ziko’s goal at the start of the second half was disallowed, even though it was perfectly legitimate.”
He added: “I will boycott watching the remaining matches of the tournament as a form of protest. I told the players that I thank them and that they can face the biggest teams in the world, provided there is fairness. FIFA promotes fair play, but we don’t see it on the pitch.”
“I’m not convinced with this outcome. I’m not convinced with the way things unfolded during this match. I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording, selective wording, and saying hard luck, and so on and so forth. We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice.”
Hassan Addresses Altercation with Referee that Produced Late Yellow Card
Hassan also said Egypt had objected to Letexier being the referee, referring to his “background,” as he is French, despite it likely being that he would rather his nation face the African side than their superiors from the 2022 final.
Nine minutes into extra time, Hassan was issued a yellow card after objecting to the lack of a VAR review. “I was just saying this is unfair. I was saying maybe he’s carrying a scar,” Hassan said of their interaction. “Maybe he has something to hide. Whoever has something to hide sometimes fails to hide what he is hiding.”
Argentina will now face the winner of Switzerland vs Colombia in the quarter-finals of this summer’s World Cup. After that, should they continue their title defence, they will face either Norway or England, and then one of France, Morocco, Belgium or Spain in the final.
Manchester United are planning a £51 million bid to sign a new midfielder who starred at the World Cup.
The World Cup is an opportunity for clubs to assess whether the players are capable of performing on the biggest stage.
That can also come with players seeing their price tags drastically increase, with selling clubs knowing they are announcing themselves on the world stage.
It can be risky business for clubs to sign players based on World Cup performances, but it is a real opportunity to see talent from around the globe.
United will have multiple scouts at the tournament, and they are specifically looking to bring in midfielders in the summer transfer window.
Man Utd Eyeing Move to Sign ‘Elite’ German Star
Manchester United could be in the market for a new defender.
Man Utd eyeing World Cup midfielder
According to a report from United in Focus, Manchester United are now planning a bid in the region of £51 million for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha in the summer transfer window.
United are looking to bring in a physical presence in the middle of the park, and Nmecha is viewed as a player who could help their rebuild in midfield.
United do face competition from Chelsea for the signature of the German international, but the Red Devils’ interest is believed to be the most advanced.
It remains to be seen whether the offer of £51 million will be enough to tempt Dortmund into accepting an offer.
Nmecha, who has been described as being ‘one of the best midfielders in the world’, is just one of many midfielders who United have been linked with in the summer transfer window as they look to find a replacement for Casemiro.
You scored
out of 20
Nmecha well known at United
Nmecha, who is believed to be open to moving to the Premier League, is someone who is well known by some of the hierarchy at Old Trafford.
Manchester United director Jason Wilcox worked with Nmecha when they were both at Manchester City’s Academy. The German midfielder made three competitive appearances for United’s rivals before leaving the club to join Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.
Whether Wilcox can have an influence on Nmecha making the move to United remains to be seen, but it’s no surprise that United are interested.
Nmecha moved to Manchester as a child and spent 14 years with the Citizens, so he’s no stranger to living in the North West of England.
Leeds to Open Contract Talks with Key Star Brenden Aaronson
Egypt Manager Accuses FIFA of Favouring Lionel Messi and Argentina
Manchester United Eye £51m Bid for World Cup Midfielder Felix Nmecha
Simi Sanya and Femi Dapson Are Now Legally Married and It Is Beautiful to See
Premier League Set-Piece Goals (2025/2026)
FCT Area Council Election: Live results from polling units
-
Sports2 days agoNeymar’s Comment to Norway Goalkeeper Orjan Nyland After Scoring Penalty
-
Sports2 days agoMexican Media Cast Verdict on England After Chaotic World Cup Win
-
Sports2 days agoEngland Fans Praise ‘Animal’ Anthony Gordon vs Mexico
-
Sports2 days agoWayne Rooney Blasts FIFA’s Decision to Suspend Folarin Balogun’s Red Card
-
Sports23 hours agoRodri Addresses Bernardo Silva Incident During Spain 1-0 Portugal
-
Sports1 day agoWorld Cup Fans Claim Bernardo Silva Player ‘Cost’ Portugal vs Spain
-
Sports11 hours ago‘Real Reason’ Why Sami Zayn Lost His Title to CM Punk
-
Sports1 hour agoMeaning Behind Egypt Manager’s ‘X’ Gesture vs Argentina