Former midfielder Jamie O’Hara has slammed two Tottenham Hotspur stars in the wake of the 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday, branding their performances “painful”.

Spurs fall to sixth after Aston Villa defeat

Tottenham suffered their second Premier League defeat of the season at the weekend, suffering a 2-1 loss at home against Villa, which means they have now fallen to sixth in the table.

On the balance of play, it was a relatively even game, with very few big chances being created by either side, but the visitors were ultimately more clinical, and Morgan Rogers’ first-half goal was particularly eye-catching.

Thomas Frank admitted the loss was a fair result in his post-match interview, saying: “I don’t think we did enough. If we’d done enough we wouldn’t have lost this game. I don’t think we gave too much away, they scored two goals from outside the box. But I think we can also create more for ourselves.”

As you’d probably expect, O’Hara was a little more scathing in his assessment of Spurs’ performance, taking to X to single out two players in particular for heavy criticism.

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The former midfielder said: “We’re so frustrating to watch it’s painful, why is Tel playing? Why is Odebert starting? They are not good enough, we need more than just long throws, our home form needs to be million times better.”

Tottenham must improve ahead of tricky run of fixtures

Frank’s side’s fixtures have been relatively kind on paper so far this season, but things are about to get more difficult, with upcoming Premier League opponents Everton still undefeated at home since their move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Everton (a)

October 26th

Chelsea (h)

November 1st

Manchester United (h)

November 8th

Arsenal (a)

November 23rd

Fulham (h)

November 29th

As such, Spurs must start showing signs of improvement soon, and O’Hara is right to be concerned about Odobert’s performances, with the winger still yet to register a single goal or assist in eight Premier League games this season.

Tel has also disappointed since his arrival, scoring just four goals in 28 outings, and the 20-year-old struggled once again on Sunday afternoon, receiving a 6.1 SofaScore match rating before being withdrawn on the hour mark.

Consequently, Frank could do with Dominic Solanke returning sooner rather than later, and the Tottenham boss recently provided a promising update on the centre-forward’s return from injury, saying: “The good thing is it’s positive, he’s progressing now. But he’s still training on his own. I don’t want to be too excited or too negative either way, so I’m actually taking it a little bit day-by-day and week-by-week to see how quick he progresses.”

Manchester United legend Michael Carrick has responded to links with the vacant Wolves manager's job following the sacking of Vitor Pereira. After weeks of speculation, the Premier League side finally took the difficult decision as they parted ways with the Portuguese coach following the club's nightmare start to the 2025-26 campaign, where they have remained winless after their first 10 matches.

• Wolves parted ways with Pereira

  Pereira was finally shown the door on Sunday, following the humiliating 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Fulham. It was the club's seventh league defeat in the 2025-26 campaign as they remain winless in their first 10 matches of the season. The club are currently languishing at the bottom of the table with just two points. Pereira helped Wolves avoid relegation last season and had even penned a new three-year contract with the club in September, only to be sacked just under two months later.

  After the Fulham defeat, Pereira had said: "I’m disappointed today. I’m not proud of my work, of our work, because I don’t know why. I don’t know if it’s because mentally, we put a lot of energy in the last game against Chelsea until the last minute. But what I realised today was a very difficult game for us, tactically, technically, physically. We played maybe one of the worst games that we’ve played. Even with 11 against 11, since the first minute the energy to move, the offensive dynamic, and the energy to press was not there. After five minutes, I started to realise that something is missing today. But the game was balanced, because even then, they were not playing in a high level. But after the goal, we tried to do something, but not in our level. After the red card, it was very difficult for us."

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  Man Utd legend linked with Wolves job

  Former United midfielder Carrick has been linked with the vacancy at Molineux and has now responded to the rumours, as he said on : "I’m enjoying some time out at the moment. I think I’m probably watching as much football now as I’ve ever watched really, with a free eye and kind of nothing on it. Still learning, still trying to improve, but I’m enjoying doing things like this (punditry). It’s a change, spending time with the family. I’ll see what’s next."

• Carrick was earlier linked with Rangers

  After Rangers sacked Russell Martin last month, they were also linked with a move for Carrick. The Scottish giants initially wanted Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard to return, but after the 45-year-old backed out of talks, Rangers turned their attention to the ex-Red Devils star. Carrick was sacked from his first permanent managerial job at Middlesbrough in June this year. He was appointed as Boro's head coach in 2022 and he immediately took the team up the table and secured a play-off place, only to see his them beaten in the semi-finals. Boro narrowly missed out on a top-six finish in the following two campaigns, leading to Carrick's dismissal ahead of 2025-26 getting underway. However, Rangers never formally approached the 44-year-old as they eventually appointed Danny Rohl as their new manager.

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• Rodgers could return to England

  Multiple media reports have claimed that former Liverpool and Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers is poised to make a comeback to the Premier League after three years, as Wolves are considering appointing the Northern Irish manager as their next permanent head coach. Earlier this week, Scottish Premiership giants Celtic announced that Rodgers had tendered his resignation amid the Hoops' own challenging start to the season.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank will be delighted with where the team is currently at, after moving up to third in the Premier League table on Sunday.

The former Brentford boss inherited a team that finished 17th in the division under Ange Postecoglou last season, despite winning the Europa League, which makes their current form all the more impressive.

Spurs travelled to Merseyside to take on Everton at the Hill Dickinson stadium on Sunday in the Premier League, and came away from that match with a 3-0 win.

Central midfielder Micky van de Ven took his tally for the season to five goals with two strikes in the first half, before Pape Matar Sarr added a third late on by heading in from close-range after Richarlison nodded the ball back across goal.

You would often be hard-pressed to find many negatives from a 3-0 win away from home in the Premier League, but there were some for the Lilywhites on Sunday.

For example, there was another fairly underwhelming performance from summer signing Xavi Simons in the middle of the park, and he needs to step up for Spurs in the coming weeks and months.

Why Xavi Simons needs to step up for Spurs

The Europa League champions splashed out £52m to sign the Netherlands international from RB Leipzig, possibly with the intention of him replacing James Maddison, who suffered an ACL injury in pre-season.

It is easy to see why they were willing to splash the cash on the former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona youngster, as he produced consistent quality in the Bundesliga in the last two seasons.

Appearances

32

25

xG

8.26

5.11

Goals

8

10

Big chances created

14

12

Key passes per game

2.5

2.0

Assists

11

7

As you can see in the table above, Simons racked up 18 goals and 26 ‘big chances’ created as an attacking midfielder or winger, proving that he can make a big impact in the final third.

However, the Dutchman has no goals and one assist, which came from a corner, in ten appearances in all competitions for Tottenham since his move to the club in the summer window.

Simons, as of yet, has been unable to translate his influence in the Bundesliga over to the Premier League. Whether that will come with more time and experience in England, it remains to be seen.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder played 62 minutes against Everton on Sunday, per Sofascore, and came off the pitch without any shots on goal or any chances created to show for his efforts for the Lilywhites, which shows that it was an ineffective performances in the final third.

Along with his struggles in the Premier League, Simons also has no goals, one key pass, and no ‘big chances’ created in three appearances in the Championship for Tottenham this term.

This shows that he has been struggling domestically and on the continent stage, which will be a concern for supporters and Frank at this stage, as the Dutch star is clearly capable of much better than he is showing, given his output for Leipzig in his two full seasons in Germany.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

With the £52m signing’s struggles at the top end of the pitch, though, it could be the right time for the Danish head coach to provide a young player with an opportunity to step up.

Luca Williams-Barnett made his first-team debut for the club in the League Cup in a 3-0 win against Doncaster Rovers, and he could emerge as a surprise upgrade on Simons.

Spurs travel to Tyneside to take on Newcastle United in the League Cup on Wednesday night, which could be the perfect opportunity to offer the teenage starlet a chance to shine.

Why Luca Williams-Barnett could be a Xavi Simons upgrade

The 17-year-old star’s form for the club at academy level this season suggests that he has the potential to be an exciting player for the first-team if he can make the step up.

As aforementioned, Simons has not stepped up to deliver goals and assists since his big-money move from Leipzig, with a goal contribution every ten matches on average so far.

Williams-Barnett, meanwhile, has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 12 appearances in all competitions this season, including a three-minute cameo for the first-team, per Transfermarkt.

On top of his exceptional form in front of goal in the current campaign for Tottenham’s youth teams, the England U18 international also scored 20 goals in all competitions last season.

Appearances

23

12

Minutes

1857

894

Goals

20

8

Minutes per goal

93

112

Assists

12

7

Minutes per assist

155

128

Minutes per goal contribution

58

60

As you can see in the table above, Williams-Barnett has provided goals and assists on a consistent basis since the start of last season, averaging a goal or an assist every hour or so over the past 18 months.

U23 scout Antonio Mango went as far as to call him the “most underrated talent in English Academies”, which speaks to how impressed he has been with the Spurs youngster’s performances.

His talent has been recognised this season, though, as he won the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for his displays at U21 level in September.

With all of this in mind, and the fact that his main position is as an attacking midfielder, it could be the right time for Frank to provide him with another chance to impress at first-team level after his debut against Doncaster last month.

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He has shown unbelievable form and consistency for the academy team for more than a year, and his numbers at youth level suggest that he does have the potential to be an upgrade on the currently underperforming Xavi Simons, if he can make the step up.

Ice Cube was the opening act for Game 2 of the 2024 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. Minutes before the first pitch, the founding member of N.W.A. performed heavily edited parts of two songs as he strolled from the fence in center field to home plate.

Cube began with Westside Connection's "Bow Down" and then did a version of "It Was a Good Day" where he messed around a hit a double. He also worked some new lyrics in about the Yankees.

The two songs came out in the early 90's which explains why Dave Roberts was one of the few people in the dugouts who was truly appreciating the moment. Well, him and Alex Verdugo – who was born the same year Bow Down was released. This just goes to show you that some music is timeless.

Stay tuned to see if Verdugo was truly inspired by the performance.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. authored some pretty serious bulletin board material for the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

After the New York Yankees lost Game 2 of the ALDS 4–2 to even the series at 1–1, Chisholm was asked about his team taking the defeat. He immediately claimed the Yankees would win the series and that the Royals got lucky on the night.

Chisholm was asked how different the series felt compared to after Game 1, which the Yankees won. He said, "It still feels the same, that we're gonna win it, you know? I don't feel like anybody feels any different, you know? We're gonna go out there and do our thing still. We still don't feel like any team is better than us. Like you said, we had a lot of missed opportunities tonight. So, they just got lucky."

While I appreciate the confidence in his teammates, that's a rough look for Chisholm.

The Royals didn't get lucky, they battered Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon. The lefty gave up four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. They also got three hits with runners in scoring position while the Yankees were 1-for-6. That's not luck, it's execution.

Both teams got stellar work from their bullpens. The Yankees' pen went 5 1/3 innings, allowing no runs on four hits and two walks. Meanwhile, the Royals used four relievers to cover the final five innings. They allowed one run on four hits and three walks. Closer Lucas Erceg surrendered a solo home run to Chisholm in the ninth and that was the only damage.

Kansas City did what it needed to on Monday night. Chisholm should recognize that.

Celtic clinched their place against St Mirren in the final of the League Cup on Sunday with a 3-1 win over their Glasgow rivals at Hampden Park.

The Hoops needed extra time to get past their ten-man opponents, though, with goals from Callum McGregor and Callum Osmand in the last 30 minutes sealing the win.

Interim head coach Martin O’Neill has won his first two matches in charge of the club, after beating Falkirk 4-0 in his first Scottish Premiership game last week.

Football Insider now reports that the interim boss has a chance to land the role until the end of the season if he picks up positive results in the next two games.

The outlet claims that O’Neill is closer to landing the job on a ‘permanent’ deal after beating Rangers 3-1, which would provide the club with more time to find a longer-term successor to Brendan Rodgers.

Whether Sunday was his last game or if he will be at the club for the rest of the season, the experienced manager appears to have unearthed a diamond for the next head coach in Callum Osmand.

Why Callum Osmand is an exciting prospect for Celtic

The Welsh youngster was signed from Premier League side Fulham in the summer after his contract with the English side expired at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

In the club’s official announcement post, Rodgers said: “He’s a quick and powerful striker and I’m really looking forward to working with him.”

Unfortunately, though, despite those comments from the Northern Irish boss, Osmand did not play a single minute of football under Rodgers before his resignation last week.

Callum Osmand’s U18 & U21 form for Fulham
Season	Appearances	Goals	Assists
24/25	22	11	4
23/24	29	21	6
22/23	21	11	2
21/22	1	0	0
Total	73	43	12
Stats via Transfermarkt

The 19-year-old centre-forward arrived at Parkhead as an incredibly exciting prospect because of his return of 43 goals in 73 matches for Fulham at U18 and U21 level.

His complete lack of minutes under Rodgers, though, meant that supporters were unable to see his quality on the pitch, which they have now seen under O’Neill in the last two games.

Osmand scored his first goal for the club in the 3-1 win over Rangers on Sunday, sliding in to convert Kieran Tierney’s cross, and came off the bench for his Scottish Premiership debut against Falkirk in O’Neill’s first game in charge.

To come on in such a big game, at a crucial time, and make a vital impact speaks to the youngster’s maturity and his quality, which is why he looks like such an exciting prospect for Celtic at the age of 19.

Osmand is not the only teenage attacker at the club who could be unearthed as a potential future superstar by O’Neill at Parkhead, though.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The interim manager has shown that he is willing to bring young players into the first-team squad, as evidenced by Osmand’s emergence, which is why he should also look to unleash Rhys Dargie from the B team.

Why Rhys Dargie is as exciting as Callum Osmand

O’Neill could unearth another future superstar for the Scottish giants, as he has with Osmand, by bringing the versatile Scottish attacker into the senior side in the coming weeks, should he remain in post.

The 18-year-old predominantly plays on the right wing for the B team, per Transfermarkt, but he can also play on the left, through the middle as a striker, and in central midfield.

Dargie has produced four goals and three assists in ten appearances in all competitions so far this season, per Transfermarkt, whilst Benjamin Nygren (six) is the only first-team player with more than four goals.

The teenage talent is currently out with an injury, with no return date out in the public domain, but his form before his spell on the sidelines suggests that he is a player who should be on O’Neill’s radar when fit and available.

Dargie racked up nine goals in 11 matches in the Lowland League in the 2024/25 campaign, per Transfermarkt, whilst he also scored against Rangers in the Glasgow Cup final at the end of the season.

These statistics suggest that the young winger has the potential to provide goals and assists at first-team level if he can handle the jump up in quality, as Osmand has in recent days.

There is no guarantee that academy form will translate to senior level, of course, but Dargie’s performances at youth level suggest that he is as exciting a talent as Osmand is.

Academy form	Callum Osmand (Fulham)	Rhys Dargie (Celtic)
Appearances	75	26
Minutes played	5,324	1,601
Goals	46	13
Minutes per goal	114	123
Assists	13	3
Minutes per assist	410	533
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the 18-year-old forward has scored and assisted goals at a fairly similar, albeit slightly worse, rate at youth level, which is impressive when you consider that Osmand is a striker and the Scottish forward mainly plays on the wing.

This is why O’Neill should look at Dargie as a potential option on the right flank in the coming weeks, if he is fit enough to come into contention, as he could emerge as a surprise star for the club.

Osmand’s big moment against Rangers on Sunday shows that a change in management can unearth talent that was not being utilised by the previous coaching group, which could also be the case for Dargie if he is given an opportunity to shine.

O’Neill, therefore, could provide the next permanent Celtic manager with two incredibly exciting talents who could be future superstars for the Hoops by offering Osmand and Dargie first-team experience.

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It was a big talking point at Hampden Park.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 2, 2025

Crystal Palace have now identified Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa as a target, amid the uncertainty surrounding Marc Guehi’s future at Selhurst Park.

Guehi was expected to leave Palace in the summer transfer window, with the captain’s move to Liverpool falling through on deadline day, but he has remained a consummate professional, most recently putting in a stellar performance at Anfield.

Indeed, the centre-back was solid at the back as the Eagles progressed to the EFL Cup quarter-final with a 3-0 victory against Liverpool on Wednesday night, making five interceptions and two tackles to help his side pick up a clean sheet.

The south Londoners will have their work cut out in the next round, however, having been handed arguably the most difficult tie possible, with Oliver Glasner’s side set to travel to Premier League leaders Arsenal in the week commencing on the 15th of December.

Should Crystal Palace manage to defy the odds and add the EFL Cup to their trophy cabinet, there may be some feint hope that Guehi will pen a new deal, but his future remains very much in doubt, with Liverpool and Real Madrid eyeing moves.

Crystal Palace join race for Ezri Konsa

As such, Glasner is likely to be tasked with bringing in a replacement for the 25-year-old, and Crystal Palace have now joined the race for Aston Villa defender Konsa, who is attracting interest from a plethora of Premier League clubs.

Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have also expressed an interest in the centre-back, as there is now a feeling that Villa may be forced to cash-in, given their need to comply with PSR regulations.

The Villans are extremely reluctant to sell the 28-year-old, as he is one of their key players, but if they have to sanction a departure, it is suggested they will look to hold out for between £40m – £45m.

The Englishman has started to establish himself at international level, having amassed 16 caps for the Three Lions, with teammate Luke Shaw being left very impressed by his performance in the Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland.

No Palace fan will want to see Guehi leave, but if the 25-year-old does move on, it would make sense to bring in a replacement who is proven in the Premier League, and the Villa star fits the bill, having now made 205 top-flight appearances.

Last season, the former Brentford man also cut his teeth in the Champions League, scoring the Villans’ third goal as they nearly completed a dramatic comeback against Paris Saint-Germain.

Konsa’s top-level experience could make him the ideal heir to Guehi, but it could be difficult to win the race for his signature, amid interest from some top clubs.

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Celtic manager target Kieran McKenna is now thought to be keen on leaving Ipswich Town to take over at Parkhead, and he is a frontrunner alongside one other boss.

What McKenna has said about Celtic job

The Ipswich Town boss has been linked with taking over from Brendan Rodgers in Glasgow, with the Hoops taking their time in regards to appointing their next permanent manager.

Martin O’Neill is currently doing a solid job in interim charge, defeating Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semi-final at Hampden Park at the beginning of November.

O’Neill’s first game in caretaker charge was a 4-0 win over Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership, and talking after that, McKenna was quizzed on a potential move to Parkhead. A Hoops supporter growing up, McKenna called Celtic “a really big football club” but was coy on any move north.

“It’s not something that I’ve followed greatly. I used to coach Martin’s nephew, which is my closest link to Martin O’Neill. Rory Fallon, who is a very good footballer and no other big links there. I think he got a good result last night.

“It’s a really big football club growing up. Again, we all have our affinities. I don’t think everyone has to go around and announce what they were. There are clubs that we support and clubs that we follow.

“But yeah, of course, it’s a really big football club. Again, we’re in a really busy, really important stage of the season, going into international next week with three big games.”

Celtic manager twist on Martin O'Neill after Desmond relationship revealed

Now, a new promising development has emerged over McKenna moving to Glasgow.

Kieran McKenna "wants the Celtic job"

Speaking to The Go Radio Football Show, relayed by 67 Hail Hail, journalist Mark Guidi claimed that McKenna “wants the Celtic job” and is a “clear front runner” for the vacancy alongside Bodo/Glimt’s Kjetil Knutsen, 57.

Guidi also hailed the work O’Neill has done so far in his short interim period.

McKenna’s Ipswich side currently sit 10th in the Championship with a game in hand, three points outside the playoffs.

McKenna’s Ipswich record

Games

187

Wins

87

Draws

50

Losses

50

Players used

81

Many would have expected the Tractor Boys to make an immediate return to the Premier League under the “sensational” McKenna after splashing the cash, but by the looks of things, a move to Celtic for the manager is a possibility.

MatériaMais Notícias

Luís Campos, diretor esportivo do PSG, esteve na Neo Química Arena na vitória do Internacional sobre o Corinthians para observar Gabriel Moscardo. O diretor do clube francês acompanha os principais talentos mundiais e salientou que a equipe não possui acerto pela joia do Timão.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

– Temos obrigação de estarmos informados sobre todos os talentos, mas ainda não temos nada assinado – disse Luís Campos ao Canal +, da França.

Mesmo com o interesse do PSG e outros gigantes europeus, como Chelsea, Milan e Barcelona, o Corinthians vai tentar segurar o volante nesta janela de transferências.

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O presidente Augusto Melo deixou claro que conta com o atleta para a próxima temporada, e o Lance! apurou que o Timão não vai vender Moscardo por menos de 30 milhões de euros (R$158,74 milhões na cotação atual).

O PSG acenou com a possibilidade de oferecer 25 milhões de euros (R$ 132,28 milhões na cotação atual), valores similares ao que o Corinthians recusou do Chelsea no meio da temporada.

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+ Veja como ficou a tabela do Brasileirão após a última rodada

Moscardo tem contrato com o Corinthians até julho de 2026, com multa rescisória de 100 milhões de euros (R$ 518,5 milhões) para o mercado internacional.

Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann has defended Florian Wirtz following his underwhelming start to life at Liverpool after signing for the Reds in a deal worth £116 million. Wirtz came in for fresh criticism following Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, but Nagelsmann feels the team's strikers could help out by finishing some of the chances the German star creates.

• Wirtz continues to struggle

  Wirtz failed to shine again on Sunday as Liverpool slumped to a seventh defeat in their last 10 games in all competitions. Liverpool's big-money buy has failed to manage a single goal or assist in the Premier League side since arriving at Anfield in the summer and has only show a few glimmers of the talent that persuaded the Reds to invest so heavily in his services. His performances have already drawn plenty of criticism, with former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger even claiming his arrival has "destroyed" Liverpool's midfield.

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  Nagelsmann takes aim at Liverpool

  Nagelsmann has been quick to defend Wirtz and feels he simply needs time to prove himself. He told reporters: "Liverpool could also help him out by scoring some of the chances he creates. They somehow don't like to shoot the ball in. To be honest, the overall situation doesn't make it easy for Flo either. The whole club isn't as stable this year as it was last year. It's much harder to slip into the team now. If you look at the game against [Manchester] City, they were actually the worse team over the 90 minutes. So it's also difficult for Flo to make a big impact. Ultimately, the overall situation is such that he just needs a little more time, which is normal; you see that with other players who move to the Premier League too.

  "We all know what he's capable of, and it's perfectly normal for a player of his age to go through a bit of a dip in form. We can't expect him to perform at the same level for three years straight. Instead, we all need to support him a little bit so that he can clear his head here, and then maybe Liverpool could also help him out by scoring some of the chances he creates. That would be one idea, because he does not create few chances, it's just that… they somehow don't like to shoot the ball in, that's also part of the truth."

• Wirtz branded a 'little boy' after City loss

  Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville didn't hold back in his criticism of Wirtz after watching Liverpool comfortably beaten by City. He told : "Wirtz is a problem. Let's just call it as it is. It's an issue. He's £100m+, and to be fair, I said a few weeks ago [Milos] Kerkez looked like a little boy out there. Today, I thought Wirtz looked like a little boy. That can't be the case.

  "We've been tiptoeing around him for a few months, around the fact that he's young, he's coming to a new country, but he's £100m+, you're going to have to stand up soon. He's obviously got something, he's a really good player, he's technically fantastic, but he's been mauled out there today by Matheus Nunes and by others. He's been chucked around the pitch, and didn't deliver on the quality side of things as well, so his performance was a real worry."

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  Can Wirtz regain form with Germany?

  Wirtz is now with the Germany squad for their final two World Cup qualifiers against against Luxembourg and Slovakia and will hope he can try and regain some kind of form before returning to Liverpool. Germany can secure top spot in Group A, and with it automatic qualification to next year's tournament, with two wins from their final fixtures. Wirtz will then head back to Liverpool with Nottingham Forest first up for Slot's side after the international break.