Is a Leeds United midfielder ready to reject a switch to Old Trafford?

Typically, Manchester United are too big to turn down but Kalvin Phillips is believed to be willing to withstand their interest due to the rivalry between the two clubs.

The beneficiaries of such a decision? Liverpool apparently.

 

TOP STORY – PHILLIPS TO TURN DOWN MAN UTD

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips will snub a move to Manchester United in favour of Premier League rivals Liverpool, according to The Sun.

Phillips has emerged as a target for Leeds' bitter rivals United, while Liverpool are also admirers of the England international.

Wary of the backlash a move to Old Trafford would cause among Leeds fans, Phillips is ready to reject United and join Liverpool.

 

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Arsenal are plotting a move for Everton star Richarlison, claims Fichajes. The Brazil international scored against Arsenal on Monday, while he has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain.

- Fabrizio Romano reports Borussia Dortmund have made direct contact with Salzburg star Karim Adeyemi. The Germany international is Dortmund's main target as clubs queue up to sign Erling Haaland, who is wanted by Manchester United, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea, PSG, Juventus and Bayern Munich.

- Tuttomercato says Franck Kessie could leave Milan on a free transfer. The soon-to-be free agent has been linked with Tottenham, Inter, PSG and United.

Fiorentina are poised to sign Lille star Jonathan Ikone, per Gianluca Di Marzio. The deal is reportedly not related to the future of wantaway forward Dusan Vlahovic – the Serbia international has been linked with City, United, Bayern, Inter, Juve, Tottenham and Arsenal.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta conceded the Gunners were not good enough as they suffered stoppage-time heartbreak against Everton in the Premier League.

Arteta's Arsenal suffered their third defeat in four Premier League matches after Demarai Gray's stunning individual effort saw the hosts snatch a dramatic 92nd-minute victory.

Martin Odegaard had given the visitors a half-time lead with his neat volley from Kieran Tierney's cross at Goodison Park.

Arsenal were made to rue their failure to convert their winning position, as Richarlison equalised before Gray completed the turnaround in the second minute of stoppage time.

Arteta felt his players were punished for their lack of game management after succumbing to three consecutive league defeats to Everton for the first time since 1986.

"In the first half, we were very inconsistent with the ball," Arteta told Sky Sports. "I didn't like it. [We had] no penetration; one of the few times we did it, we scored. 

"Second half, we tried to do more of those things, created four big chances, but conceded a very sloppy goal when you need to manage the game.

"I think the team tried to keep going, we kept pressing high. We lost a few important duels that put us some pressure."

"What I want is more from my team. Today, you have the game under control even though you're not playing your best, and you have to find a way to win it.

"It could have been very different, but we haven't managed to do it. When the opponent is there for the taking, you have to do it, and we haven't. It wasn't good enough."

Odegaard concurred with Arteta that seventh-placed Arsenal must significantly improve their performance levels.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Odegaard was one of Arsenal's better performers on Merseyside; registering game-high tallies of four key passes and three shots on goal.

Odegaard's goal was the ninth consecutively scored by Arsenal in the Premier League by a player aged 23 or younger, their longest such run in Premier League history.

He also became the youngest Norwegian (22 years, 354 days) to score in back-to-back Premier League appearances since John Arne Riise in August 2002 for Liverpool (21 years, 328 days).

"It's a hard one to take. I think in general, we were not at the level we needed to be at today," he said. "We had some good moments, but we have to do much better. We should have been better.

"It's hard to say exactly what happened. We have to do better when we have that lead. We stopped playing and gave them the game they wanted to play.

"I think it is [a mindset problem]. When you're leading 1-0, you get afraid to lose the win and, in my opinion, that's what we did wrong today. 

"You go for the second goal and that was the intention, but we didn't manage to do that on the pitch."

Arsenal have lost consecutive Premier League matches when scoring the first goal in each match, the first time they have done that since December 2016, with one of those defeats also a 2-1 loss against Everton at Goodison Park – the other was a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Demarai Gray's stoppage-time wonder goal saw Everton snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory over Arsenal and relieve the pressure on boss Rafael Benitez.

Martin Odegaard put the Gunners in front just before half-time at Goodison Park with a neat volley from Kieran Tierney's cross.

But despite twice being denied by VAR, Richarlison equalised with 10 minutes remaining, before Gray completed the turnaround with a stunning 25-yard effort in the second minute of stoppage time.

Now without a win in four Premier League visits to Goodison, Mikel Arteta’s side missed the chance to return to fifth place in the table.

Everton were unbeaten in their three previous home games against Arsenal in the Premier League and made a bright start to proceedings.

Top scorer Gray and Abdoulaye Doucoure were off target, while Anthony Gordon had a shot blocked inside the box.

The hosts thought they had taken a 44th-minute lead when Richarlison headed in Andros Townsend's cross, but VAR denied them as the Brazil international strayed marginally offside.

The visitors capitalised in first-half stoppage time, Odegaard arriving late to neatly volley home Kieran Tierney's centre.

Odegaard almost turned provider eight minutes after the restart, the former Real Madrid midfielder’s cross finding Gabriel Magalhaes, whose header was saved by Jordan Pickford.

Everton and Richarlison were denied by VAR again four minutes later, the latter offside by a fraction once more as he received Doucoure's pass before slotting beyond Aaron Ramsdale.

But their persistence paid off 10 minutes from time, Richarlison reacting quickest to head home the rebound after Ramsdale had done brilliantly to turn Gray’s initial effort onto the crossbar.

Eddie Nketiah then squandered a glorious opportunity to snatch the points for Arsenal; the substitute somehow hitting the post with a close-range header.

It proved costly as Everton snatched all three points in the second minute of added time, Gray embarking on a strong run before bending a wonderful 25-yard strike in off the post.

Everton insisted manager Rafael Benitez retains their "full support" amid an ongoing slump, but director of football Marcel Brands has left the Premier League club.

Dutchman Brands joined Everton from Eredivisie outfit PSV in 2018 and signed a new three-year contract as recently as April.

Reports emerged on Sunday he had left his Goodison Park post and that was made official late in the evening, with Brands saying it was his choice to move on.

Brands departed due to differences in opinion over plans for the future of the club, with his views apparently not sufficiently aligned with those of others.

He said, quoted on Everton's website: "This decision has taken some time and some consideration and was one of the most difficult I have faced in my career.

"The board and I agreed that there is a clear difference in the vision and direction for this beautiful club and, with that in mind, the decision was taken."

Everton are mired in a dismal run of form under former Liverpool boss Benitez, taking one point from a possible 21 across their last seven games to slide out of the top half and down to 16th place.

In a statement, the club said: "Everton Football Club can confirm that Marcel Brands has left his post as director of football.

"Brands joined Everton from PSV Eindhoven in June 2018 and was appointed to the club's board in 2019. The owner and directors would like to thank Marcel for the service he has given to the club over the past three and a half years and wish him well for his future.

"A strategic review of the football structure will now take place which will inform the best model for the club to proceed with in the long-term.

"In the meantime, the owner and board of directors will continue to provide our manager, Rafa Benitez, with their full support."

Everton's owner is Farhad Moshiri, who elected to appoint Benitez after Carlo Ancelotti left the club at the end of last season to embark on a second spell as head coach of LaLiga giants Real Madrid.

A 4-1 defeat to Merseyside rivals Liverpool last Wednesday was Everton's last Premier League outing, with Benitez's team next in action on Monday when they face Arsenal at Goodison.

The appointment of Benitez in June was a controversial one given his past as a fans' favourite at Liverpool, and his renowned affection for the Reds. A positive start curried favour with some sceptics, but there has been a cooling in the support from many Everton supporters for the Spaniard and his team in recent weeks, with results in sharp decline.

Ralf Rangnick has been tasked with restoring the fortunes of struggling Premier League giants Manchester United.

His previous work at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga has sparked speculation regarding possible transfers.

That has led to talk regarding Amadou Haidara.

 

TOP STORY – HAIDARA WANTED AT OLD TRAFFORD

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick wants to make RB Leipzig midfielder Amadou Haidara his first signing, according to The Sun.

Rangnick has been appointed until the end of the season and talk of January incomings have already emerged.

The German brought Haidara to Leipzig during his time at the Bundesliga club and he is believed to be interested in reuniting with the 23-year-old star.

 

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- Staying at Old Trafford and El Nacional reports United want Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, having rebuffed a proposal for Philippe Coutinho.

- Portuguese journalist Pedro Almeida claims Jose Mourinho's job as Roma head coach is in danger following another defeat, this time 3-0 to former club Inter in Serie A on Saturday. Mourinho has cut a frustrated figure amid just three wins in nine league games. Mourinho has also been linked with Everton as pressure mounts on Rafael Benitez.

Chelsea and Arsenal are both interested in Paris Saint-Germain forward Mauro Icardi, says Ekrem Konur. The Argentina international has been linked with Barca, Newcastle United, Tottenham and Juventus.

- According to The Sun, Ligue 1 giants PSG are lining up a bid for Wolves' left-back star Rayan Ait-Nouri.

- Widespread reports claim Leipzig are seriously considering the sacking of head coach Jesse Marsch, who only replaced Julian Nagelsmann at the start of the season. Leipzig have lost three consecutive Bundesliga games for the first time in their history.

Kylian Mbappe has had an extended flirtation with Real Madrid.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward is out of contract at the end of this season.

Mbappe has stalled on signing a new deal with PSG amid speculation of a move.

TOP STORY – REAL CONVINCED OF MBAPPE DEAL

Real Madrid are convinced they will win the race for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe's signature, according to AS.

Los Blancos are certain the 22-year-old France international will join the club on a free transfer at the end of this season.

Mbappe has long flirted with Madrid and has decided he will not renew with PSG. The LaLiga giants are already planning Mbappe's arrival at the sporting and commercial level.

 

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- Manchester City have joined the race to sign Fiorentina's hot property forward Dusan Vlahovic, claims La Repubblica.

- Barcelona have held discussions with Manchester City about the potential to sign Spanish forward Ferran Torres in January, according to ESPN.

- Fichajes reports that Liverpool are interested in signing Lille's Portugal midfielder Renato Sanches. Lille have valued him at £34m.

- Arsenal are homing in on Lille's Canada international forward Jonathan David, according to the London Evening Standard. David is currently Ligue 1's leading scorer.

- Calciomercato claims Christian Eriksen is close to terminating his deal with Inter, having been unable to play since his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.

- Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca is in the sights of Roma who have considered a move for the Spaniard, claims Corriere dello Sport.

- Chelsea have opened talks with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy over a new deal, claims Football Insider.

- Everton have joined the race to sign Zenit striker Sardar Azmoun, according to 90min.

Cashed-up Newcastle United are currently sitting last on the Premier League table, without a win with the season into December.

As a result, the Magpies are expected to be busy when the transfer window opens in January.

Newcastle are the only team yet to win a Premier League game this season.

TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE TARGET ENGLISH SEXTET

The Telegraph claims that Newcastle United have six English players on their January shortlist, including Manchester United's Jesse Lingard, Tottenham's Harry Winks, Chelsea's Ross Barkley and Atletico Madrid's Kieran Trippier.

According to the report, the club will hand over a blank cheque to manager Eddie Howe to land players who can make an instant impact.

Newcastle's owners are confident they can act swiftly in January despite their ongoing search for a sporting director. Burnley's James Tarkowski and Liverpool's Nat Phillips are also on their radar.

ROUND-UP

- The Mirror reports that Arsenal are tracking Everton's England international forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin with a view to an end-of-season move, as Alexandre Lacazette's replacement.

- Manchester United's veteran Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani wants to join Barcelona next season claims The Times.

- Milan and Internazionale are both lining up bids for Manchester United's Brazilian full-back Alex Telles according to The Sun.

- The Sun claims that Chelsea loanee Saul Niguez is unhappy at the club and wants a switch in January after joining the Blues on loan from Atletico Madrid in August. However, Saul cannot join a third European club this season, complicating matters.

- Talks between Barcelona and Ousmane Dembele have failed to progress, putting in doubt his future at the club, reports Sport.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed two-goal hero Mohamed Salah and "unplayable" Sadio Mane after the Reds routed crosstown rivals Everton 4-1 in the derby.

Salah bagged a brace as Liverpool crushed Everton in the Premier League to earn Merseyside bragging rights at Goodison Park on Wednesday.

Jordan Henderson and Salah struck inside the opening 20 minutes and while Demarai Gray pulled a goal back for Everton prior to half-time, Liverpool were in complete control thanks to Salah's second and Diogo Jota.

Salah has scored 13 Premier League goals this season, nine of which have come away from home – it is more than double the number of any other player so far, while the Egyptian star is the first Liverpool player to register a goal or assist in seven consecutive away appearances in the competition.

Liverpool's Salah has been directly involved in at least one goal in each of his last 12 Premier League appearances (13 goals, seven assists), the third player to achieve that feat after Stan Collymore (12, March - August 1995) and Jamie Vardy (15, August - December 2015).

Salah, meanwhile, became the first Liverpool player to score twice away at Everton in the derby since Fernando Torres in September 2008.

Klopp praised Salah, Mane and Jota afterwards as third-placed Liverpool stayed within two points of leaders Chelsea.

"Not only him, but of course him as well," Klopp told reporters when asked about Salah. "Scoring these two goals, the first one was a pass from Hendo [Jordan Henderson] and the next one... he put [Seamus] Coleman under pressure.

"We saw a similar situation in the Chelsea – [Manchester] United game; even Jorginho, one of the best in the world, under pressure and a high ball is really tricky. He went and put that away, absolutely great.

"Diogo's [Jota] goal, outstanding. The performance of all of the boys was absolutely outstanding. I thought Sadio [Mane] was in moments unplayable as well, so it was just a good performance."

Liverpool scored four goals in an away league match against Everton for the first time since a 5-0 win in November 1982 under Bob Paisley.

Klopp's Liverpool have scored at least twice in each of their last 18 games in all competitions, the new longest record in history by an English top-flight side.

Liverpool captain Henderson, meanwhile, became the first Liverpool player to score and assist at Goodison Park in the same Premier League game since Steven Gerrard in December 2005.

"Hendo was good, but with his skillset you should be good," added Klopp. "When you can train, when you can play, when you get rhythm and then you have the quality of Hendo, then you will play good football games.

"Tonight, I think it was for him as well the best performance at Goodison. Obviously since I'm at Liverpool we had to learn these kind of games. We had to learn to play at Old Trafford, we had to learn to play at Goodison, and tonight we showed that we made a big step in our development and that's really good.

"It doesn't mean anything for the future but it shows us that this is now our benchmark, that's what we have to reach now in each game when we play these kind of teams, because emotions are important in football. We are a very emotional football team but, first and foremost, you need the right mood and mindset. Yes, emotion [is] good but not the only important thing."

The Everton fans who had bravely bothered to stick around until full-time of Wednesday's derby-day surrender to Liverpool made their voices heard in no uncertain times.

"Sack the board" was the chant aimed in the direction of the directors' boxes, with chairman Bill Kenwright and director of football Marcel Brands bearing the brunt of the ire from the disgruntled Toffees faithful.

Conversely, there were plenty of songs of support for Everton boss Rafa Benitez – the only issue being they were songs of joy from a buoyant Liverpool away end keen to serenade their legendary former manager as his present employers were ruthlessly dismantled 4-1 at Goodison Park.

The exodus of home fans began from 20 minutes, by which time Reds captain Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah had put Liverpool 2-0 in front – the latter and Joel Matip having already passed up golden opportunities.

Those who stayed were offered brief hope of a recovery when Demarai Gray halved the deficit before the break, but Salah and the brilliant Diogo Jota offered a brutal reminder of the chasm that exists between Merseyside's heavyweights.

Cliche lovers never fail to remind us that the form book goes out the window in derby matches. But that fabled window was slammed shut for an Everton side now winless in eight top-flight matches, with six of those ending in defeat.

What is so maddening for the Blue half of the city is the predictability of it all. Everton's present predicament is the result of muddied thinking, a raft of managerial changes, and a baffling approach in the transfer market that has resulted in a disjointed and dispirited squad.

Benitez has to take his share of the blame, of course. Attempting a 4-4-2 against Liverpool's attacking juggernaut, allowing Salah and the rest of the Reds' devasting cast the freedom of Goodison Park, is a decision that ranks among the very worst of his illustrious career.

But the Spaniard's hands have been tied to an extent. Limited funds in the transfer market, the loss of star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to injury, and colossally dense thinking in the boardroom have all played a part in the Toffees' increasingly sticky situation.

Benitez's appointment was met with widespread despair given his association to the Reds, which included leading Liverpool to that famous Champions League comeback in Istanbul in 2005.

What will rankle even more for a despairing fanbase is the fact Everton's worryingly rapid fall is coinciding with a time where everything at Liverpool from boardroom to dugout is so frighteningly in sync.

Picking a title winner from Chelsea, Manchester City or Liverpool right now is a tricky task, and for the neutral long may this thrilling race continue.

But make no mistake about it, Jurgen Klopp and his marauding troops look bang up for the battle of regaining a trophy wrested back in style by Pep Guardiola's City last term.

In Salah they have a player who many would agree is the best in the world on current form and he has now been directly involved in at least one goal in each of his last 12 Premier League appearances (11 goals, seven assists) – the third player to achieve that feat after Stan Collymore (12) and Jamie Vardy (15).

The Egyptian's sensational form is in keeping with Liverpool's relentless assaults on their opponents. In this game, the Reds broke the all-time record for consecutive games of scoring two or more goals (18), and the 25 away goals they have scored in their first seven on the road has only been bettered twice (Sunderland, 27 in 1892-93, Manchester United, 26 in 1907-08).

Moreover, the 43 goals in 14 games they have scored is not only their most at this stage of a league season since 1895-96 (48 goals), it is 10 more than anyone else has managed so far (Chelsea - 33). It is also the first time Liverpool have scored four at Goodison since the famous 4-4 in 1991, Kenny Dalglish's last game of his first spell in charge, and the first time in the league since Ian Rush scored four in a 5-0 win in November 1982.

It was just over 13 months ago that Liverpool departed Goodison Park with a 2-2 draw and the loss of influential centre-back Virgil van Dijk to a serious knee injury after being clattered by Jordan Pickford.

It began a raft of injuries, particularly in defence, that ultimately derailed their title defence. But Van Dijk and his team-mates were all smiles on a night when the gulf between the Reds and the Blues, both on and off the pitch, was laid bare in such a devastating manner in front of the watching world.

Jurgen Klopp labelled Liverpool's 4-1 win at city rivals Everton as their best performance at Goodison Park in recent years after the Reds earned Merseyside bragging rights.

Jordan Henderson opened the scoring before assisting Mohamed Salah's opener as he became the first Liverpool captain since 2005 to lay on an assist and get on the scoresheet in a Premier League game at Everton's ground.

Salah, who has been directly involved in at least one goal in each of his last 12 top-flight fixtures, then added a second as he became the first Red to register a brace away in the Merseyside derby since September 2008.

Diogo Jota struck in the second half to cap off another productive outing, with Demarai Gray's first-half strike that initially halved the deficit proving irrelevant in a fruitless performance by Rafael Benitez's Everton on Wednesday.

Klopp, who lost his last Premier League game 2-0 against Everton, praised Liverpool's display as he revelled in the away performance.

"It was a really good game from my team, a really mature performance, grown-up performance, much better than in years before, especially at Goodison," Klopp told Amazon Prime Video post-match.

"We were much too open when we gave away the goal but it can happen when you are superior. We should have been one or two-nil up before we scored the first goal.

"We scored the goals at 2-0 and maybe then we were not that ruthless, we gave them so life back. I am not seeking for perfection, if it would be easy I know everyone could do it. The boys did well."

The former Borussia Dortmund head coach also indicated Salah, who has now scored 13 times in the league this season to top the charts, was frustrated at not recording a hat-trick in a dominant display.

"He [Salah] was angry after the game!," he added. "He wanted to score the third one. I don't take these things for granted. 

"His second goal, you have to force these kinds of mistakes. Mo put Coleman under pressure to win that ball and from then on it is a good chance he will score.

"We have momentum but it was by far the best performance since I've been at Liverpool at Goodison. Before the game people told me that in derbies form or shape doesn't count, I see it totally different."

Liverpool are third in the Premier League standings, two points behind leaders Chelsea after 14 matches.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah said he has "no comment" to coming seventh in the Ballon d'Or voting as he laughed off finishing low down the list.

The Egypt international was considered among the favourites to come out on top at Monday's ceremony in Paris on the back of another impressive year for Liverpool.

However, Salah finished below Cristiano Ronaldo, N'Golo Kante, Karim Benzema, Jorginho, Robert Lewandowski and record-extending seven-time winner Lionel Messi.

After scoring twice in Liverpool's 4-1 win against Everton on Wednesday, Salah was asked by Amazon Prime how he felt about finishing seventh in the standings.

Salah shook his head while laughing and said: "I have no comment".

Prolific forward Salah doubled Liverpool's lead after Jordan Henderson had opened the scoring at Goodison Park, before Demarai Gray pulled one back for Everton.

Salah's second and a thumping Diogo Jota strike sealed a third win in a row for the Reds, who remain within one point of Manchester City and two behind leaders Chelsea.

It is the first time Liverpool have scored four goals away to Everton in the league since a 5-0 victory in November 1982 and Salah was pleased with the performance.

"It's a great result. To come here, play good football and win the game is something positive," he said.

"The scoreline is great. We also scored five against Manchester [United] – hopefully we can continue like that."

Salah, who is the first Liverpool player to score twice away at Everton in the league since Fernando Torres in 2008, added: "Hopefully there are many more goals to come.

"My first target is to win something at the club – the Premier League, the Champions League... hopefully both."

Salah has now scored 13 Premier League goals this season, nine of which have come away from home – more than double the number of any other player.

He is also the first Liverpool player to register a goal or assist in seven consecutive away appearances in the competition.

The 34 goals Salah has scored in all competitions this calendar year is a tally bettered only by Benzema (35), Kylian Mbappe (37), Erling Haaland (38) and Lewandowski (53) among players from Europe's top five leagues.

Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool thumped Merseyside rivals Everton 4-1 to make it three Premier League victories in a row and inflict further pressure on Toffees boss Rafael Benitez.

The Reds raced two goals in front inside 20 minutes in an away game against Everton for just the third time in the competition's history thanks to strikes from Jordan Henderson and Salah.

Demarai Gray pulled a goal back before half-time to improve the mood around the ground, which began emptying after the second of Liverpool's goals, but Salah gave Liverpool some breathing space with his second.

Diogo Jota blasted home a fourth to highlight the gulf between the clubs and add some gloss to a win that keeps Liverpool within one point of Manchester City and two behind leaders Chelsea, with both sides also victorious on Wednesday.

Salah twice went close and Joel Matip wasted a big chance as Liverpool made a fast start, but the visitors' pressure soon told as Henderson guided Andy Robertson's cutback past Jordan Pickford with a first-time shot.

That was Henderson's first Merseyside derby goal in his 18th appearance and he also set up Liverpool's second goal, the midfielder playing in Salah following a Ben Godfrey error for his team-mate to bend around Pickford from an angle.

Liverpool continued to dominate but were given something to think about when Gray took Richarlison's pass in his stride and slotted in Everton's first goal in a month with 38 minutes played.

That kept alive the prospect of a fifth successive league draw between the sides at Goodison, but Salah restored Liverpool's two-goal lead with another calm finish after Seamus Coleman failed to control a poor pass from Gray on halfway.

Jota brilliantly turned Allan and fired an unstoppable drive past Pickford to round off the scoring 11 minutes from time in a one-sided derby that will lead to more questions being asked of Liverpool legend Benitez.

Liverpool set another goalscoring record with their two first-half goals against Everton in Wednesday's Merseyside derby.

The Reds raced into a two-goal lead inside 19 minutes at Goodison Park thanks to strikes from Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah.

In doing so, Liverpool scored at least twice for the 18th match running in all competitions, a streak stretching back to August 28 when drawing 1-1 with Chelsea.

Sunderland previously held the record among English top-flight clubs with a run of two goals or more in 17 straight games in 1927.

With his well-taken strike, Salah has been directly involved in at least one goal in each of his past 12 Premier League appearances.

He is only the third player to do so in the competition after Stan Collymore (12 games) and Jamie Vardy (15).

Trent Alexander-Arnold has never experienced a more intense Premier League title race than the one this season despite only being 13 games into 2021-22.

Chelsea lead defending champions Manchester City by one point, with third-placed Liverpool just two off Thomas Tuchel's Champions League winners.

All three teams will be in action on Wednesday, with Chelsea at Watford and Manchester City visiting Aston Villa, while the Reds make the short trip to Everton for the Merseyside derby.

Liverpool may be unbeaten in their last 10 top-flight visits to Goodison Park, but Alexander-Arnold appreciates his side cannot afford to relinquish ground on the top two.

Asked whether he had experienced a more competitive title race, the right-back told Liverpool's website: "No, I wouldn't say so. It is intense. It's going to be a good season, I think everyone has got that feel for it. 

"The way the table is looking now as well, going into the Christmas period, it's as tight as it comes really: three teams, it's probably something we haven't seen over the last few years. It's going to be intense and we know that any slip-ups will be costly."

Everton won the last Premier League meeting between the local rivals, though the Toffees have not won back-to-back Merseyside derbies since 1984-85 and have come under fire recently after slipping to 14th with just 15 points.

Alexander-Arnold recognises Rafael Benitez's side will be looking for a response, but he believes Liverpool's dangerous frontline will be all Everton are thinking about ahead of the clash.

"They'll be looking to bounce back, they suffered a defeat that they probably won't be too happy with on the weekend, so they will probably have a little bit more motivation to bounce back and want to do it in front of the home fans," he added.

"But that's football, every team has those little bits of motivation – we are a top, top team so every team wants to beat us. 

"But I'm also sure they will be worried about what we can do going the other way. 

"The form that the front three are in at the minute is frightening; goals and the way they are contributing and linking up together, and the way the team is gelling at the minute is looking very good for us and I'm sure they will be watching our analysis with a little bit of fear in them."

Indeed, Jurgen Klopp's team have scored at least twice in their past 17 games across all competitions, the joint-longest such run in history by an English top-flight side.

The Reds have been inspired by Mohamed Salah's 11-goal haul in the league so far, while the Egypt international has managed a goal or an assist in each of his last six Premier League away games – no Liverpool player has ever managed that in seven successive matches on the road.

But Alexander-Arnold believes it is the group dynamic that is ensuring Liverpool keep pace with the early leaders.

"I think it's part of modern-day football, that rotation, and more 'squad' rather than just a team," he continued. "Injuries come, especially at this time of year they're very frequent, so it's important to have a strong squad. 

"I think we've got that, we've got players contributing with goals and assists and clean sheets. So it's vital to have that within the squad and whether you are starting or coming on, that you've got that confidence that you can contribute to the win."

Liverpool have two reunions with fan favourites coming up in the space of 10 days.

While Steven Gerrard will bring his Aston Villa team to Anfield on December 11, Liverpool first make the short trip to Goodison Park to face the manager under which they enjoyed their best spell of the 21st century prior to Jurgen Klopp's arrival.

Rafael Benitez was a contentious appointment, to say the least, when he replaced Carlo Ancelotti at Everton.

After a strong start to his tenure at Goodison Park, a combination of injuries to key players and questionable tactical decisions have left Benitez under pressure.

Everton are on a seven-match winless run in the league, their worst run since 2016, and a streak of just one victory in 10 matches across all competition. 

It does not look pretty, the mood around each club could hardly be more different, and the last thing Benitez needs is a reunion with a fanbase that once idolised him and may well be singing his name again on Wednesday.

Where did it all go wrong?

Benitez has inherited a mess and Everton's director of football Marcel Brands and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri must face scrutiny. The Spaniard, however, must ultimately shoulder part of the blame for the current malaise.

Of Everton's Premier League managers, only Howard Kendall (in his ill-fated third spell at the club) and Walter Smith took fewer points than Benitez's tally of 15 across their first 13 league games.

Everton went unbeaten in their three league derbies under Ancelotti, albeit they did suffer a 1-0 loss to very much a second-string Liverpool side in the FA Cup in January 2020.

However, Ancelotti oversaw Everton's first derby victory since October 2010 when the Toffees beat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield in February, ending a winless run at that ground stretching back to September 1999.

That win at an empty Anfield inflicted a fourth successive home league defeat on Liverpool for the first time since 1923 and left the Merseyside rivals level in the race for Champions League qualification.

Since then, Everton have won just nine of their 27 Premier League outings, losing 11, with Liverpool winning 17 of 26, only suffering three defeats. The Reds have scored 62 goals, 36 more than their city rivals, while only Chelsea's defence is stingier of sides to have been in the top tier for the entirety of that timeframe.

If Evertonians hoped a corner had been turned in February, Klopp's team have proved they are still worlds apart.

Similar derby records... differing approaches

Speaking of Klopp, he has won seven Merseyside derbies since joining Liverpool in 2015, drawing five and suffering that solitary defeat. 

Benitez will be the sixth Everton boss Klopp has faced, and the German holds an impressive record over his Liverpool predecessor, winning four of seven meetings, losing just once, when Napoli beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the 2013-14 Champions League group stage.

Liverpool also won their last three league games against Benitez's Newcastle by an aggregate score of 9-2. 

This game will take Klopp onto the same amount of Merseyside derbies that Benitez managed as Liverpool boss. The former Real Madrid coach oversaw 14 meetings with David Moyes' Everton, winning eight and losing only three times. The Toffees' failures in this fixture have not been limited to the past decade.

Across the last seven matches, Benitez's team rank 17th for possession (39.5 per cent), joint-18th for shots on target (21) and joint-20th for goals (four), albeit they have underperformed their expected goals (xG) value (7.58) – the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin has not helped this.

Liverpool, on the other hand, have scored a league-leading 24 times in that time. Their xG of 16.4 also tops the competition, though it does suggest their finishing is above the standard that would be expected based on the quality of the chances.

Their high press has been back at its best, with no team producing more high turnovers (sequences that start in open play and begin 40 metres or less from the opponent's goal) than the Reds' 145. Everton's 78 ranks above only Watford (74) and Tottenham (72).

Another concern for Benitez will be Everton's tally of 101 high turnovers against. This ranks 11th in the league, but an issue for the Toffees all season has been an inability to keep the ball for sustained spells, even if it has been their aim to counter-attack. Their number of sequences of 10+ passes stands at 63 (16th). Liverpool's total is 220, placing them behind only Manchester City (283).

Everton had just 22.7 per cent of the ball in their recent 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, allowing 17 shots. It is hard to imagine Wednesday's statistics turning out much differently.

Injuries giving Toffees the blues

Mohamed Salah came seventh in the Ballon d'Or voting but if he continues his current form into 2022 then he could be a shoo-in for next year's award. He has been sensational, scoring 17 times in 18 appearances across all competitions, and also leads the league in assists (eight). 

Salah scores every 92 minutes, on average, while Sadio Mane has bounced back from his struggles last season with seven league goals.

Mane has played in 14 derbies, contributing to seven goals, scoring five himself, while Salah has netted twice across five appearances against Everton.

While Liverpool's talismanic duo head into Wednesday's fixture in fine fettle, Everton are in the midst of an injury crisis that has exposed their weak squad.

Richarlison should return from suspension and Abdoulaye Doucoure played at Brentford, but Calvert-Lewin and Yerry Mina remain out.

Calvert-Lewin has been a huge miss but the influence of Doucoure and Mina should not be understated.

With the pair playing, Everton have won three of six league games, averaging 1.8 goals for and 1.3 goals against, picking up 1.8 points per game. Without at least one of them, Everton have won just one of seven and averaged 1.7 goals against and 0.7 goals for. Their points per game drops to 0.6.

Liverpool's last league win over Everton came on December 4, 2019, a 5-2 thrashing at Anfield marking the end of Marco Silva's tenure.

Eight of Liverpool's last nine top-tier trips to Goodison have finished level but, unless Benitez can pull off an unexpected result, his fate may be similar. 

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