Arsenal are now leading the race for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, having overtaken London rivals Chelsea, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are in the market for a new central midfielder this summer, and they have reportedly held talks about signing Chelsea's Mason Mount, in what would be a shock deal, amid his stalling contract negotiations at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal's interest in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo is not dead, despite the fact he has signed a new contract at the Amex Stadium, while they are also said to be in "constant contact" with the representatives of Everton's Amadou Onana.

In a recent update from talkSPORT, it was detailed that Rice is "excited" by the prospect of a move to north London, and he is now growing more likely to get his wish this summer.

According to a report from Football Insider, the Gunners are now in pole position for the £60k-per-week England international, and they are becoming increasingly confident about being able to win the race for his signature in the summer.

Chelsea had been considered favourites, but their financial struggles mean that a deal may be difficult to orchestrate, while Newcastle United are also said to have halted their pursuit.

Both Newcastle and Chelsea are unwilling to match West Ham's valuation of the 24-year-old, meaning Arsenal have now leapfrogged their rivals, becoming strong favourites to win the race.

Should Arsenal sign Declan Rice?

One of the major perks of qualifying for the Champions League is being able to attract players of the West Ham captain's calibre, and the Gunners must seize the opportunity to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.

Lauded as an "absolute monster" by members of the media, the Englishman would be an upgrade on Mikel Arteta's current options defensively, having averaged more interceptions, clearances and blocks per 90 than Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey in the past year.

Not only that, but the central midfielder displayed his threat on the front foot in West Ham's 4-1 victory against Gent, scoring a "stunning" individual goal after initially acquiring possession in his own half.

Rice is exactly the type of signing that Arsenal need to cement themselves as consistent challengers near the top of the Premier League, and it is fantastic news they have moved to the front of the queue for his signature.

ScorecardLaurie Evans, on loan from Warwickshire, led a partial recovery for Northamptonshire (file pic)•Getty Images

Glamorgan’s teenaged debutant, Lukas Carey, tore through Northamptonshire’s top order with three wickets in the first six overs of his first-class career, before Laurie Evans and David Murphy revived their side with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 70 on a rain-truncated first day at Swansea.Carey, a 19-year-old seamer from nearby Pontardulais, claimed a notable maiden scalp with his eleventh delivery, when he had the in-form Ben Duckett caught at cover for 7, and after a break for rain, he was back in business in his fourth over when Shaun Terry attempted to work a straight ball through the leg side and was trapped lbw.Worse was to follow for the visitors when, with no addition to the score, Rob Newton played a loose stroke against Tim van der Gugten, and Northants were 38 for 4 when Carey picked up his third wicket – Rob Keogh, who was well caught at third slip. He finished his first day on the job with the impressive figures of 3 for 37 from 10 overs.Evans, the Warwickshire batsman who is playing the first game of his loan spell, led a partial recovery with Murphy in support but on a cloudy day, and on a pitch that had been covered for two days, Northants might have regretted their decision to bat first, as the Glamorgan seamers obtained plenty of movement to trouble the batsmen.After heavy overnight rain, and showers during the morning, there had been no play before lunch, with play eventually getting underway at 1.40pm. In addition to Carey’s debut, Glamorgan picked Rory Smith for his first championship appearance of the season, with Michael Hogan, Graham Wagg and Craig Meschede resting for this round.Carey who is one of seven Welsh-born players in the Glamorgan team, was understandably delighted with his performance. “I was very excited when I was told I was playing,” he said. “I was very nervous in the first over, but I soon got over that when I took the first wicket. The ball is swinging and nibbling, and hopefully we can take a few more tomorrow morning.”

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans to add to their defensive options in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Ferdi Kadioglu to Newcastle?

According to Turkish outlet Aksam, the Magpies are plotting a €20m (£17m) swoop to sign Fenerbahce right-back Ferdi Kadioglu as PIF look to bolster Eddie Howe's squad.

The report claims that the club wants to build a team that is deep enough to rotate on a regular basis, given they will be competing in a European competition to go alongside their domestic matches next season.

It is stated that the versatile defender is interested in a move away from his current club as he would like to showcase his talents on the European stage.

What is Ferdi Kadioglu's style of play?

The Fenerbahce gem currently plays as a right-back but started his senior career as a forward and has the attacking quality to make an impact in the final third.

Kadioglu's ability in possession could make him the dream long-term heir to current Newcastle star Kieran Trippier's throne at right-back, as the England international has been pivotal to the club's success with his invention.

In the Premier League this season, the former Tottenham Hotspur defender has racked up seven assists in 36 appearances and created a whopping 23 'big chances' for his teammates. He is the Magpies' top assister in the division and this highlights how important it is for Howe to have an attack-minded player in that position as the England international has been the main man for creativity.

Kadioglu, who is nine years younger than Trippier, has shown great promise as an attacking full-back. The 23-year-old has registered three assists in 30 appearances in the Super Lig this season but is relatively new to the right-back role and his previous form as a forward could allow him to thrive when bombing forward in Newcastle's system.

During his time at NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands, the 5 foot 9 youngster produced 12 goals and 16 assists in 70 first-team outings before he scored six goals and provided five assists in 32 games for Fenerbahce during his debut season in Turkey.

The 23-year-old dynamo, who was once hailed as a "future superstar" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, does not shy away from his defensive responsibilities. He has made three tackles and interceptions combined per match in the Turkish top-flight and won 58% of his individual duels this term, whilst Trippier has made 3.1 per game and won 54% of his battles in the Premier League.

These statistics indicate that Kadioglu has the potential to offer a similar level of defensive impact, in terms of volume and efficiency, in comparison to the Englishman whilst also having the attacking quality to be a threat going forwards.

Therefore, the Turkish gem could be Newcastle's long-term heir to the right-back position and a £17m swoop for the 23-year-old this summer could be a shrewd move by PIF to bolster the squad.

Aston Villa are on the path towards an exciting time ahead with Unai Emery at the helm on his Premier League return.

When the club hired the Spaniard in November, not many would have dreamed how the season could end, with Villa still in contention for a top-six finish and European football next campaign.

The four-time Europa League-winning coach has installed a new sense of belief in the squad, taking players to the next level and placing the club in a positive direction.

While things are ticking at Villa Park this season, the Spaniard has been linked with a number of players that could improve his squad in terms of depth and in signing future stars.

Earlier this week, the Villans were linked with a potential double swoop for a Serie A pair, in a move that could have a positive influence on Villa’s hopes to compete at this level again next season.

What’s the latest on Denzel Dumfries to Aston Villa?

As reported by InterLive – via SportWitness – Villa are planning a €55m (£48m) offer to sign Inter Milan duo Marcelo Brozovic and Denzel Dumfries.

Both players have been linked with a move away from Inter this summer, with InterLive’s report claiming that Mateu Alemany – who had been set to join Villa until a change of heart – could be the key influence in any move.

However, since revelations regarding Alemany's own future, there has been no update on whether Dumfries remains a target.

What could Denzel Dumfries bring to Aston Villa?

Lauded as a “monster” by journalist Alan Rzepa on Twitter, the right-back is one of the top performing in his position in Europe over the past year as per FBref.

The 27-year-old ranks in the top 4% in Europe’s top five leagues in his position for his rate of aerials won, with 1.97 per 90.

The most dominating attribute the Dutchman offers is his ability to get forward, which is a key strength for a full-back when entering the Premier League.

Having caught the eye for his pace and directness, the £55k-per-week defender is a threat in attack on the flanks.

Such a claim is supported by the £35m-rated full-back's numbers which rank him in the top 1% of those in his position in Europe for most touches in the attacking penalty area, averaging a huge 4.01 per 90.

While Ashley Young is a seasoned professional in the Premier League, having made 421 appearances in the league over the years, the 37-year-old is nearing the end of his playing career.

The Stevenage-born right-back has been a key member of Emery’s squad, however, finding depth in his position is vital.

Dumfries could opt as a worthy heir to the Englishman, as a player that is experienced himself having played among Europe’s elite in his career at Inter.

Only time will tell if the Dutchman will reside at Villa Park come the end of summer, however, his talent and suitability to Emery’s squad is an exciting prospect.

Pakistan have been fined for maintaining a slow over rate during their victory over England in the fourth Test at The Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2016Pakistan have been fined for maintaining a slow over rate during their victory over England in the fourth Test at The Oval.Misbah-ul-Haq’s side were found to be one over short, after time allowances were taken into consideration by the umpires and match referee. Misbah accepted the charge and was fined 20% of his match fee, while the Pakistan players were fined 10%.This was Misbah’s first over-rate offence within a 12-month period but the penalty will remain on his record and he could face suspension if Pakistan commit another breach.Pakistan’s win ensured they would share the series 2-2 with England and gives them a chance of being ranked the No. 1 Test side, depending on results in Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

Calum MacLeod’s third ODI ton propelled Scotland’s chase of 229 to see the hosts to a seven-wicket win over UAE at the Grange, thereby closing Netherlands’ lead at the top of the table to one point

Peter Della Penna in Edinburgh16-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:06

‘Offseason technical work gave me confidence’ – MacLeod

Calum MacLeod’s third ODI ton propelled Scotland’s chase of 229 to see the hosts to a seven-wicket win over UAE at the Grange, completing a series sweep in the pair of WCL Championship fixtures, thereby closing Netherlands’ lead at the top of the table to one point. It was MacLeod’s first century since making 116 not out in a win over Ireland in September 2014.Scotland’s chase began in slightly shaky fashion with Craig Wallace slashing Mohammad Naveed to third man for 6 and Kyle Coetzer top-edging a pull to mid-on off Mohammad Shahzad for 25. At 43 for 2 in the ninth over, MacLeod and captain Preston Mommsen came together to add 165, a third-wicket record for Scotland and their third-highest ODI partnership.MacLeod punished a short-pitched barrage from UAE’s pacers, cutting them through point for four of his six fours and clubbed three sixes over long-on during his classy knock. He brought up his fifty in 69 balls and took a further fifty balls to bring up his century. His innings, and the partnership with Mommsen, was ended by a yorker from Naveed when on 103. By that stage, Scotland needed just 21 more to win off 33 balls.Mommsen remained unbeaten on 80 as Richie Berrington hit the winning boundary to finish 15 not out in his 50th ODI for Scotland. Following his unbeaten 111 on Sunday, Mommsen is yet to be dismissed in three ODIs against UAE. His other knock is an unbeaten 139 in the final of the 2014 World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand, giving him a total of 330 runs in ODIs against UAE. In six total List A games Mommsen has played against the UAE – four WCL Championship matches and two games at the 2014 World Cup Qualifier – he has scored 383 runs at an average of 383 with his only dismissal coming via a runout.The win was set up after a UAE batting collapse saw them throw away a great foundation at 187 for 4 in the 34th over. They lost their last six wickets for 41 to be dismissed for 228 in 45.4 overs. Shaiman Anwar top-scored with 63 off 75 balls for UAE, but his wicket sparked the slide when an uncontrolled cut off debutant Chris Sole sailed to the point sweeper where Safyaan Sharif took a superb sliding catch on the run.It was one of several outstanding catches on the day for Scotland, who continued to show up UAE in the fielding department. After taking a brilliant diving catch at point on Sunday, Berrington pulled off another stunner at short extra cover to send Amjad Javed back for a first-ball duck off the bowling of left-arm spinner Con De Lange. Javed’s false drive came two balls after Anwar fell, expediting UAE’s downward spiral.Sharif had made the earlier inroads into the UAE top order, getting L Sreekumar for 16 driving to Michael Leask at cover and inducing Shahzad’s edge off a full delivery for 21. In between, Sole took his maiden wicket, sparking Scotland’s short-ball plan early in the day when he had Rohan Mustafa gloving a pull down the leg side for 19. Sole later bounced out Naveed.Alasdair Evans also used the short ball to claim his two wickets. Evans broke a crucial 76-run fourth-wicket stand between Anwar and Muhammad Usman when the latter laced a pull straight to MacLeod at short midwicket for 43 in the 30th over, and wrapped up the innings when Ahmed Raza’s awkward hook was taken at long leg by Coetzer.Sharif was the undisputed star with the ball though, finishing with 3 for 25 in eight overs while Sole ended up with 3 for 51 on debut. Scotland’s final two ODIs of the summer are against Hong Kong in Edinburgh, beginning on September 8.

On a day when India made questionable selections, one of the management’s moves in this series, the promotion of R Ashwin to No. 6, rescued them from 126 for 5

The Report by Sidharth Monga09-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
1:57

Manjrekar: Saha, Ashwin save Kohli the blushes

On a day when India made questionable selections, one of the management’s moves in this series, the promotion of R Ashwin to No. 6, rescued them from 126 for 5. In testing conditions India left out Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay in favour of Rohit Sharma, whose inclusion led to a rejigged batting order.While this apparent push for quick runs resulted in a batting failure, West Indies were not behind in making unusual moves. There was more purpose to their attack, after putting India in, than in the first two Tests. But when they should have looked to finish things off, they opted for the patience route, which cut down the runs thanks to a slow outfield. The wickets, though, came only through the batsmen’s impatience. KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane threw away starts with impatient shots, but Ashwin – dropped on 26 and caught off a no-ball on 35 – and Wriddhiman Saha soldiered on to keep India from imploding.Ashwin and Saha, 46 off 122, added an unbeaten 108 for the sixth wicket. Another lower-order contribution was a continuation of a trend for India: on tough pitches in the home season, they recovered from 139 for 6 in Delhi, 125 for 6 in Nagpur, and 102 for 5 in Mohali.The big comeback, though, was that of West Indies in the series. For the first eight days of the series they were pretty much outplayed. Moral victories and psychology can be terms abused in cricket, but the Jamaica draw might have caused damage in Indian heads that might have played a part in leaving them in tatters at tea in St Lucia. West Indies won the toss and utilised the conditions efficiently without being sensational, but India helped them out with their selections.Having survived the Jamaica Test, West Indies mounted a fresh challenge against this unsteady Indian batting line-up – a different top three in each Test – by taking wickets when the pitch was fresh and then choking India out with disciplined bowling. Rahul and Rahane, the only specialist batsmen to reach double figures, helped India recover from 19 for 2 but fell in soft manner just before the two session breaks, Rahane to a full toss to end his slowest Test innings of 10 or more.The second of the wickets was the highlight. Debutant Alzarri Joseph, who impressed with his pace and his bowling mechanics in only his ninth first-class match, nicked out Virat Kohli with the new ball, a promotion in the order because of the selection of Rohit. West Indies’ resistance and the resultant draw in Jamaica led to three changes for India, two of them expected, Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in for Amit Mishra and Umesh Yadav.The batting selections were instructive. At the toss, Kohli, who would have batted if he had won the toss anyway, emphasised that Rohit can change a match in a session. Both Vijay, who was fit after missing the Jamaica Test, and Pujara are reputed to be slower scorers. Turns out India might have misread the pitch or underestimated the attack: the situation asked for the patience of Vijay and Pujara. Moreover, Kohli and Rahane had to give up their familiar batting positions.West Indies were more aggressive to begin with. They added Joseph to the attack, and peppered India with short deliveries. The moisture in the pitch gave them spongy bounce when they pitched short, and some seam movement when they pitched it up. Shikhar Dhawan wasted little time in falling to a short ball, tickling Shannon Gabriel down the leg side.Kohli walked in at No. 3, but the fresh pitch with the new seaming ball was not suited for his style of play: soon he shaped up to cut a Joseph delivery that was neither short nor wide, neither full nor close enough to him. Kohli was eventually done in by the extra bounce, but playing such deliveries you get away on pitches like the one in Antigua or against the old ball. A bit of a repeat of his England dismissals brought in India’s most reliable batsman, Rahane.It was Rahul who weathered most of the initial storm. After an ordinary start – missing five of the first 11 balls he played at – he punished every error in length. Every time West Indies overpitched, Rahul drove hard, even in the air. Short and wide deliveries were cut away. It didn’t matter that the good ones in between kept beating him. On a day that the rest of the team scored 169 runs, Rahul took 50 off only 65 balls. Having done the hard work, Rahul fell 18 minutes before lunch, trying to whip a shortish delivery from Roston Chase straight to the man who had just moved to short fine leg.West Indies came back attacking in the second session. Soon Rohit fell in typical manner, pushing defensively at a Joseph outswinger a set of stumps outside off. After that wicket, though, perhaps because the pitch had settled down, West Indies began to test India’s patience. It worked: minutes before tea, Rahane, seeing release in a Chase full toss, swept down the wrong line and was bowled for 35 off 133. That didn’t result in taking off the part-time spin of Kraigg Brathwaite.The middle session produced just 43 runs for two wickets, and instead of going for the wickets of the lesser batsmen West Indies began with Jason Holder and Chase in the final session. On another day, persisting with these tactics might have worked but West Indies made two crucial mistakes. When Ashwin left the crease in impatience, inside-edging Chase, Leon Johnson missed him at short leg. When West Indies looked to break the monotony, Gabriel bowled a short ball from round the wicket for a catch at point, it turned out he had cut the return crease with his back foot.Other than that, Ashwin and Saha showed remarkable patience. Because of the slow outfield West Indies could have a stacked field. Chase often bowled with a six-three leg-side field, leaving point open and bowling into the pads. Any scoring was now fraught with risk, and if he dropped the ball short the slow outfield cost him just the one run. India were in no state to take risks so the two batsmen put their head down, and kept picking whatever singles or twos were on offer.Between the fall of Rahul and the claiming of the second new ball, only 111 runs came in 61.3 overs. Against the new ball, having done the hard work, the two batsmen chanced their arms. An edge fell short here, another flew over slips there; a crisp drive was misfielded now, a bowler bowled a loose ball there, and India had 46 in the last nine overs to wrest the initiative a bit. India dropped solid batsmen for quick runs when they should have been weathering the new ball out, then they were forced to bat slowly when they should have been capitalising on the older ball and tired fielders, and finally the lesson of building long Test innings was delivered by the lower order whose first role in the team is not batting.

Tottenham Hotspur could make a "statement" by signing Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, says talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Who could Spurs sign this summer?

The Lilywhites are currently prioritising both the search for a new manager and new sporting director, coming after the departures of both Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici.

In terms of the former, Spurs have been dealt a big blow in the last 24 hours, with former top managerial target Arne Slot confirming his intention to remain at Feyenoord.

Now, Tottenham must return to the drawing board and identify alternative Conte replacements. In terms of who they could go for, Luis Enrique, Ruben Amorim, Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank, Marco Silva, Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter are all contending for the vacant post.

Meanwhile, as the summer transfer window approaches, Levy must also get to work on identifying targets, with Leicester City star James Maddison and a new goalkeeper thought to be priorities.

Tottenham could also sign additions in defence, like Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, which will come as good news for supporters considering their side have shipped more goals than any other side in the top half.

Going back to the goalkeeping department, one player who could join Spurs is Pickford, despite him signing a new deal in February.

The England international has been linked with a move to north London since then, and talkSPORT's Agbonlahor, speaking to Football Insider, believes he'd be a "statement" signing.

“I’ve said this all season. Even before he signed the contract, it was clear that Pickford replacing Lloris is just an easy transfer for Spurs.“He’s English, he’s a top goalkeeper, he’s experienced, he can play from the back. Even though he’s signed a new contract – it means nothing.“I would still go for him. Make a statement.“Goalkeepers are a big part of where you need to go right as a football club, and Lloris is not good enough.”

Who is Jordan Pickford?

The 29-year-old has appears at three major tournaments for England at international level, playing a major role in their runs to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and Euro 2020 final.

Pickford could apparently cost around £35 million, which would be Everton's price tag if they were to sell, and it's arguable he may be worth that amount.

The former Sunderland keeper has been praised this season by Frank Lampard, who said this earlier in the campaign:

"I know how important keepers are, they can make or break you as a coach or as a team.“If we talk about expected goals and these things – then when he plays like that he wins you points, there’s no doubt.“Last week he could put his feet up, this week we rely on him and he makes great saves.”

Everton will host the highly-anticipated climax to the Premier League relegation battle at Goodison Park this afternoon in their clash with Bournemouth, and it will be a nail-biting 90 minutes for their loyal supporters.

The Toffees have their fate firmly in their hands with a victory today securing top-flight football for another season and will ultimately relegate their bottom-of-the-table rivals Leeds United and Leicester City.

Indeed, a draw could also keep them up if Leicester don’t take all three points from their clash with West Ham United, but Sean Dyche should not be willing to take the risk of sharing the spoils with Gary O'Neill's side and instead ensure his team can’t be caught with a win.

Since confirming their safety in the top flight, Bournemouth have lost their last three league outings so Everton will be hoping they can capitalise on their opponents' poor form to get the result they desperately need over the line.

The Everton boss has been dealt two major injury blows as Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Nathan Patterson will be unavailable for selection in the final fixture of the campaign, so it will be interesting to see how Dyche sets up his team, especially in the final third.

Having said that, Vitaliy Mykolenko is expected to be available for the clash after recovering from a thigh injury which will be a huge boost considering Ben Godfrey, Seamus Coleman and Patterson are all injured.

Will Vitaliy Mykolenko start vs Bournemouth?

The 23-year-old left-back has been a consistent feature in the starting eleven and his timely return could see him play a key role in keeping Everton up on the final day.

Over 34 Premier League appearances, the £58k-per-week gem – hailed “outstanding” by Frank Lampard – has averaged 49.4 touches, 1.4 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 2.6 clearances and 3.4 duels won per game, proving that he is a strong defensive presence on the pitch.

Not only that, Everton have kept seven of their eight clean sheets this season when Mykolenko has been deployed in the left-back role, further demonstrating the positive impact the Ukrainian can provide in the back four.

A solid defensive performance will be just as important as a hungry attacking threat for Everton today and tallying up a ninth clean sheet against the Cherries would put the Merseyside club in a great position to survive relegation.

With that being said, it will be a no-brainer for Dyche to unleash Mykolenko in the starting eleven should he be ready to start this afternoon, as his dominance in his position could be integral in Everton’s survival.

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur produced a seven-goal thriller at Anfield on Sunday in which Jurgen Klopp’s men scored a last-gasp winner and further boosted their hopes of securing a European spot for next season.

The Reds raced into a three-goal lead and while a Harry Kane strike just before the break reduced the deficit, they still looked in control. By injury time at the end of the second half, however, Spurs were level, and it was looking like a result that summed up Liverpool’s season.

Step forward Diogo Jota. The Portuguese forward scored a dramatic winner which sparked boisterous scenes from the stands and the bench, with Klopp even injuring his hamstring celebrating the winner.

The German persisted with his new tactical system which sees Trent Alexander-Arnold take up a role in midfield, yet this leaves the team fragile defensively, and it’s fair to say a few players struggled with this yesterday, none more so than Andrew Robertson, who looked all at sea during the first half performance.

How did Andrew Robertson against Tottenham?

Robertson’s attacking abilities have seen him shine under Klopp previously, registering a whopping 11 assists this season alone. However, with this new system, more defensive maturity will be required going forward as he and Virgil van Dijk have to work out how best to cover the space vacated by Alexander-Arnold.

With the Englishman moving into midfield as an inverted full-back, it means that Robertson has to fill in to form a make-shift back three. Unfortunately, he’s not exactly thriving in this role.

Indeed, the Scot received a Sofascore rating of just 6.4/10 for his troubles, which ranked him as statistically the joint-worst player for the Anfield side during the tie alongside Harvey Elliott.

With 132 touches and an 89% pass success rate, there was nothing wrong with his desire or passing ability, yet he made two errors which led to Spurs taking shots and only made two tackles throughout the match, allowing them a way back into the match while also losing possession a staggering 19 times.

Usually so reliable in an attacking sense, he disappointed on this occasion, proving successful with just two crosses from six attempts and succeeding with only one dribble attempt, far below the standards expected from him.

It may take time for the 29-year-old to get up to speed with the new tactical tweak, yet against Spurs that looks like it could take longer than anticipated, with writer Dave Hendrick describing him as “horrific” for a ten-minute period during the first half.

His display was perhaps best summarised by The Tactical Times, who Tweeted: “If Klopp is going to run with this rough shape long term, I think he might do well to think about a third centre back. Robertson is much better than he was today, but this back 3 doesn’t suit him. He is the definition of a full back.”

The last few games of the season will be crucial in terms of which European competition Liverpool will compete in next season, but the team will need to defend better ahead of much tougher tasks and Robertson is the key protagonist in this regard.