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Thiago Alcantara continues to improve for Liverpool despite enduring a difficult first season on English shores.

The 30-year-old midfielder signed from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich last summer, arriving at Anfield after picking up seven consecutive league titles during his time in Germany.

However, coronavirus and a serious knee injury hampered the Spain international’s start to life with the Reds, meaning he’d only made one Premier League start by January.

The last couple of months have represented quite the turnaround for the diminutive maestro, though. A string of impressive performances have seen Thiago earn an average WhoScored rating of 7.5 over his last five outings, outlining his importance to Liverpool’s eight-game unbeaten run in the league.

His display against West Bromwich Albion was arguably his best since arriving on Merseyside, with SofaScore grading him an 8.1, the highest-rated player on the pitch, despite Alisson’s remarkable, headed winner in injury time.

It was a frustrating afternoon for Jurgen Klopp’s men for large periods at the Hawthorns as Sam Allardyce’s side set out to frustrate their opponents, but Thiago’s vision and passing ability stood out amongst the exasperation of the former Premier League champions.

The ex-Barcelona academy graduate was the game’s key creating alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, as the pair notched up five key passes apiece, more than anyone else on either side.

Compared to his season average of 1.3 key passes per game, Sunday’s exhibition further illustrated the improvements and dominance that has now started to become normal for the two-time Champions League winner.

A game-high 120 touches against the Baggies highlights how the playmaker was pulling all of Liverpool’s strings over the weekend, and with a 91% pass accuracy, it’s clear Thiago has mastered the perfect combination of risky penetrative passes and precise ball retention.

A severe injury crisis to Liverpool’s centre-back options forced holding midfielder Fabinho to fill in at the heart of the defence in the early stages of the season, often leaving Thiago exposed in the No.6 role.

But Ozan Kabak’s arrival in late January allowed the Spaniard to move forward as Fabinho returned to his natural role, and Klopp addressed how this change of position has brought the best out of his £25m purchase.

“So we decided to adapt his position a little bit – that worked out pretty well, it gives us stability, gives him stability, we can use his football skills which are obviously outstanding. Really good,” Klopp said.

The fight for the Champions League qualification places is set to go right down to the wire, and if Liverpool want to return to Europe’s elite cup competition next season, they’ll need Thiago to maintain this outstanding run of recent form.

And, in other news…Lost possession 17x: £34m LFC star proved Klopp right with another shocking display – opinion

The England attacker was the star of the show once again as the Red Devils overpowered the Toffees at Old Trafford.

Marcus Rashford has done it again!

The 25-year-old forward was the hero for Manchester United, powering them to a 3-1 victory against Everton in the FA Cup third round at Old Trafford on Friday evening.

The England international ensured a positive start for his team as he exposed Ben Godfrey on the wing before sending a dangerous ball towards the back post for Antony to slide in the opening goal.

It was his good footwork that resulted in United's lead being restored, too. He sent the ball into the box early in the second half to catch Everton goal scorer Conor Coady off guard, resulting in an own goal from the defender.

Everton thought they had pulled level once again through Dominic Calvert-Lewin but VAR put an end to their celebrations. Rashford, as the architect of all of United's good work, then put an end to any of the Toffees' hopes of getting a draw when he finally got the goal he deserved, converting a late penalty to put the game beyond doubt.

United are now on a seven game winning run and Rashford has been pivotal to that, having scored in each of his last five matches for the club.

Below, GOAL takes a look at the winner and losers from an entertaining cup tie at Old Trafford.

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  The Winners

  Marcus Rashford:

  Rashford's renaissance continues! The England international maintained his excellent form with another strong performance. He made easy work of Ben Godfrey down the left side to set up his team's opening goal. He was a danger throughout the match and his fancy footwork and dangerous ball in created United's second. To cap off a near-perfect night, Rashford made international teammate Pickford look silly, waiting for the Everton 'keeper to move before rolling his penalty into the opposite corner.

  Demarai Gray:

  He was Everton's brightest player throughout the game and the man most capable of causing a threat for the visitors. That was summed up quite well when he charged forward and blasted the ball in off of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The goal would have been just reward but sadly for the Toffees it was ruled out because he was marginally offside in the build up. If his side are to pull away from the relegation zone Gray is going to need to produce a few more performances like this one.

  Alejandro Garnacho:

  United's rising star came off the bench and made an impact as his burst into the Everton box ended with him being brought down and earning a penalty for his side. The youngster is making a case to be given more playing time at United and after Antony and Anthony Martial both underwhelmed once again, it may be time for Erik ten Hag to give him a proper run in the starting XI.

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  The Losers

  David de Gea:

  The goalkeeper gifted Everton their equaliser with a calamitous moment. As the ball was whipped in, De Gea stood up against his post and let it slip through his legs which allowed Conor Coady to rush in and knock it over the line. Much like his compatriot Kepa Arrizabalaga's error against Man City the previous night, it really was impossible to decipher what on earth he was thinking. At least it didn't cost his side in the end…

  Anthony Martial:

  A quiet and fruitless performance from the French striker as he often seemed out of sync with the rest of the United attack. Martial took too many touches on the ball and needed more time and space than any defence will afford him, making it far too easy to keep him quiet at Old Trafford on Friday. He needs to find form soon or he'll find himself slipping back down the pecking order.

  Alex Iwobi:

  The Nigeria international was stretchered off with a nasty looking injury following a challenge from Tyrell Malacia. Iwobi has been one of Everton's best players so far this season and he and coach Frank Lampard will be hoping for good news as a long-term absence would deal a huge blow to their hopes of crawling away from the Premier League's bottom three.

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  Manchester United Ratings: Defence

  David de Gea (4/10):

  He was hardly kept busy in this game but he completely buckled the one time United needed him to be alert.

  Diogo Dalot (7/10):

  The Portugal international was constantly available on the overlap for Antony but the Brazilian hardly ever used the option. Made a vital clearance to preserve United's lead.

  Raphael Varane (7/10):

  Looked strong at the back once again and comfortable on the ball but was hardly put under pressure defensively.

  Luke Shaw (6/10):

  Once again used at centre-back and looked comfortable alongside Varane. Harry Maguire will feel his time in the starting XI may well and truly be over with Shaw's resurgence.

  Tyrell Malacia (5/10):

  Made some wild challenges in this match and left a bit of a gap in the defence at times.

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  Midfield

  Casemiro (7/10):

  A solid performance from the 30-year-old. He is always there to clean up in front of the back four and is such a calming presence for the Red Devils. They missed him after he was taken off and replaced by Fred.

  Christian Eriksen (6/10):

  Had a dangerous shot in the first half and was comfortable on the ball with his neat passing which helped set the pace in midfield and also carved out a few chances for his side.

  Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

  Not the best performance from the Portugal star. He opted for some fancy flicks when United needed him to keep it simple and he hardly had a huge impact on the game.

Many Everton fans have been buzzing over a transfer update on Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.

As per The Mirror, the Goodison Park club are considering a move for the Fulham midfielder, of whom Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly a big admirer.

He is believed to cost around £25m with two years left on his current deal at Craven Cottage and may seek a move back up to the Premier League if Scott Parker’s team find themselves relegated at the end of the season.

The Cameroon international could well be an upgrade on Everton’s current options in the middle of the park, as he has averaged more interceptions (1.5), shots (0.8) and dribbles (2.7) per game in the top flight than Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and Andre Gomes so far this season.

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Everton fans on Anguissa transfer update

These Toffees were buzzing as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one Everton supporter describing the 25-year-old as ‘class’:

“Would be a decent addition. 100x better than Gomes”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“Consider yourself, part of the family!”

Credit: @Pudefc7

“Reckon he’s class me”

Credit: @bobadiIIa

“Exactly what we need, get it done”

Credit: @dannymonnox

“Yes yes yes”

Credit: @EFCMichael7

“I beg”
Credit: @adamsg1878

In other news, this early team news ahead of the West Ham game has left some Everton fans fuming.

After being left out of the line up by Erik ten Hag for disciplinary reasons, the England forward came off the bench to score the winner at Molineux

Manchester United are into the top four of the Premier League table, but they needed Marcus Rashford to save them from a disappointing draw against Wolves as the forward stepped up from the bench to seal a 1-0 win at Molineux.

Erik ten Hag revealed before kick-off that in-form Rashford had been left out for "internal disciplinary reasons", but with United struggling to break down their relegation-threatened hosts, the Dutch coach turned to the England international at half-time.

Rashford came up trumps, scoring one while having another ruled out for handball by VAR as he proved the difference on a day when United's other attackers put in displays to forget.

But who were the biggest winners and losers from Saturday's game? GOAL breaks it down…

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  The Winners

  Marcus Rashford:

  All the talk ahead of kick-off at Molineux centred on Rashford following Erik ten Hag's decision to drop the forward due to disciplinary reasons, and now all the talk after the game will focus on the England international, too. Brought on at half-time to give United the spark that they had been missing without him, Rashford stepped up as the game entered its closing stages, trading passes with Bruno Fernandes before driving into the box and firing past Jose Sa for his third goal in as many games since the World Cup. As long as he maintains his discipline, Rashford is undroppable right now.

  Aaron Wan-Bissaka:

  Heading into the January transfer window, it felt almost certain that Wan-Bissaka would be moved on by United this winter, but the waters have now been muddied somewhat. With Diogo Dalot having returned from the World Cup with an injury, Wan-Bissaka has been thrust back into the line-up and has barely put a foot wrong. Against Wolves, he looked to get forward and combine with Antony at every opportunity, while in defence he was excellent, with one superb block in the first half ensuring the teams went in level at the break. United could still let the ex-Crystal Palace man go in January, but they may be forced to think about it slightly more than they would have done a week or so ago.

  David de Gea:

  There was speculation leading into the Premier League's return that Ten Hag was ready to move on from De Gea in the coming months, hence him not being handed the same contract extension that others whose deals end next season got in December. And while there remain doubts over what he can do with the ball at his feet, he showed here that he remains one of the finest shot-stoppers in the Premier League when called upon. De Gea did not have much to do, but stepped up twice in the second half, first to keep out a fizzing Ruben Neves free-kick before palming away Raul Jimenez's close-range header in stoppage time, to move himself up into second in the list of most clean sheets for a United goalkeeper. Only Peter Schmeichel now stands above him.

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  The Losers

  Man Utd's long-serving centre-backs:

  When Luke Shaw was named as Raphael Varane's centre-back partner against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, illness was cited as the reason for Harry Maguire only being a substitute and Victor Lindelof not being in the squad. But four days on, and Shaw was again at the heart of the United backline at Molineux, with both Maguire and Lindelof named on the bench. This was the clearest sign since Erik ten Hag took over that the usual starting centre-back duo from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign are now well down the pecking order, with the Dutch coach clearly more comfortable playing a left-back in the middle than he is two naturals in the position. It would not be a surprise if both Maguire and Lindelof were now moved on in the next six months or so.

  United's forward line:

  While Rashford came off the bench to be United's hero, the three players that started in attack had afternoons to forget. Alejandro Garnacho was perhaps a little unlucky to be sacrificed for Rashford at half-time, but the teenager did miss a big chance to break the deadlock after being put in on goal by a poor Nelson Semedo back-pass. Anthony Martial and Antony were, however, both very poor, and can be thankful to Rashford for digging them out of a hole. Both should have scored with their heads in the first half, with Martial cutting a particularly frustrated figure as he dropped deep to try to get involved in the game. Antony, meanwhile, continues to flatter to deceive, and though Ten Hag clearly trusts the player who shone so brightly for him at Ajax, there will soon be questions asked as to whether he deserves his place in the side if performances don't improve.

  Diego Costa:

  Costa is yet to score in a Wolves shirt, and if Saturday's performance is anything to go by, it will be a while before he finds the net in the Premier League again. The ex-Chelsea man was bullied by Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw before being replaced by Julen Lopetegui at half-time, and Costa spent the second 45 minutes sat in the stands alongside new signing Matheus Cunha. It would be a shock if Cunha is not brought straight into the line-up to replace Costa when Wolves take on Aston Villa in their next game on Wednesday.

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  Man Utd Ratings: Defence

  David de Gea (7/10):

  Barely tested but made fine saves when called upon to keep out a Neves free-kick and Jimenez's late bullet header.

  Aaron Wan-Bissaka (7/10):

  Worked tirelessly up and down the right-hand side and made a key first-half block to further highlight his defensive strengths.

  Raphael Varane (8/10):

  Imperious at the back, winning countless headers and making plenty of key blocks.

  Luke Shaw (7/10):

  Again looked comfortable at centre-back, proving Ten Hag right for sticking with him over Maguire and Lindelof.

  Tyrell Malacia (7/10):

  Did well defensively and provided good thrust down the United left when joining in the attack.

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  Midfield

  Casemiro (6/10):

  Solid again at the heart of the United midfield. Has mastered the art of the tactical foul and showed plenty of nous when Wolves looked to attack.

  Christian Eriksen (6/10):

  Dictated the tempo with his passing and provided dangerous deliveries from set-pieces, but couldn't find the spark before being replaced on the hour.

  Bruno Fernandes (6/10):

  A mixed showing from the No.8, as he mixed in overhit passes and wayward shots with some neat touches, the most important of which was the assist for Rashford's winner.

Newcastle United are reportedly in a race with other clubs in the Premier League to sign Tammy Abraham, according to ESPN.

As per the news outlet, West Ham United and Aston Villa are also interested in signing the Chelsea striker, with Thomas Tuchel’s team prepared to offload him in the summer transfer window.

Abraham will only have two years remaining on his current deal at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues are willing to sell him in order to maximise his value.

Chelsea could be prepared to sell the England international for £40m, but there is apparently confidence among those interested that a deal could well be done for a lower sum.

Newcastle must capitalise on Abraham opportunity

There will not be many opportunities that come around for the St. James’ Park faithful to sign a player of the quality of Abraham.

Described as ‘phenomenal’ by former top-flight boss Alex McLeish back in March, it is hard to disagree when you look at his record in front of goal.

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For a man that has not always started for Chelsea in the 2020/21 term, Abraham has still managed a total of 18 goal contributions in 31 games over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt), which is certainly not to be sniffed at.

Given that he is English and still only 23 years of age, £40m or less could turn out to be a bargain for the striker in the near future.

In other news, find out what arbitration insight Mark Douglas has dropped from takeover sources here!

Big teams, big names, brilliant shirts.

The Champions League is back and that means an orgy of goals and apparel. The history of the tournament is littered with some seriously sensational kits, so as each club begins their long march to potential victory, we compiled a list of the 10 best Champions League winning shirts. After all, it’s not the winning that counts, it’s looking really good while you do it. 

And if you're looking for a ranking of every Champions League kit for the 22-23 season, you can do that here.

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  Aston Villa 1981-82

  For one of Aston Villa’s most memorable moments, the club was forced to change from its classic claret and blue. In its place, they wore a white shirt that nodded to the usual colours with a claret pinstripe. It was all finished off with a central badge, making it a fitting winner for the tournament 40 years ago.

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  PSV Eindhoven 1987-88

  PSV also departed from their traditional colours for their first, and so far only, Champions League triumph. Eschewing their red and white stripes so that Benfica could wear their all-red home strip, the Eindhoven team instead wore white shirts with a light blue trim, contrasting nicely with the red detailing. 

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  Barcelona 1991-92

  The 1992 Champions League final marked the end of Barcelona’s relationship with cult local brand Meyba, who had produced their kits for 10 years. Barcelona’s final game in a Meyba shirt saw them sport a bright orange design finished off with red and blue sections. A fitting colour for Ronald Koeman to lash home an extra time winner.

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  Marseille 1992-93

  Marseille’s early ‘90s kits have long been an object of desire for collectors, and their Champions League winner was one of the best. The white shirt was finished with adidas’ three stripes in light blue, wrapping round and appearing on the right shoulder and left shorts. Panasonic’s sponsor logo and the Marseille crest also arrived in the same light blue tone.

According to recent reports, Tottenham Hotspur could look to bring in Gareth Southgate as the club’s new manager following the sacking of Jose Mourinho on Monday.

The report by The Guardian claimed that Daniel Levy would like to appoint an attack-minded coach as the next permanent manager of Tottenham, with the chairman thought to also be looking for a candidate with a modern outlook on the game as well as having “strong credentials” in the development of younger players.

The Guardian continued by claiming that England manager Southgate could emerge as a target for the north London club, as the 50-year-old has an “excellent relationship” with Harry Kane, before stating that the former Middlesbrough boss would be open to a return to club football.

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering that Southgate’s only previous experience as a manager in club football came during a three-and-a-half-year spell at Middlesbrough, in which he oversaw the club’s relegation to the Championship before being sacked in 2009, the argument could certainly be made that the 50-year-old may not be qualified to take over at Tottenham this summer despite coaching the national team and taking them to the World Cup semi-finals.

However, as The Guardian pointed out, perhaps the manager’s relationship with Kane could be of rather large importance to Levy, who will likely do all he can to keep the Spurs star at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, with the England captain being heavily linked with a move away from the club. That could count in Southgate’s favour if he is interested in replacing Mourinho at N17.

In other news: Insider information on Spurs’ Mourinho sacking emerges; sources rubbish ‘absolutely false’ claim – find out more here!

The LA Galaxy and Atlanta United stars headline Goal's picks for Major League Soccer's team of the season for 2018

• Stefan Frei | GK | Seattle Sounders

  The Seattle Sounders had an up and down year, finishing with a strong second half, but one of the few constants was Frei, who was key to helping the club surrender the second-fewest goals in MLS. The 32-year-old's 1.03 goals-against average was second in the league to New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles. 

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• New York Red Bulls
  

  Kemar Lawrence | LB | New York Red Bulls

  The Jamacian speedster enjoyed a career year, emerging as a lock-down defender at the left back position while continuing to be a threat in the attack. His importance to the Red Bulls' league-best defense was clear after his absence from the Red Bulls' Eastern Conference finals loss to Atlanta United.

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  Aaron Long | CB | New York Red Bulls

  The MLS Defender of the Year was a steady and reliable force at the heart of the league's best defense. His passing out of the back was key to New York's success and he was often asked to shut down the opposing team's top threat. The 26-year-old also emerged as an attacking threat on set pieces, finishing with three goals and two assists.

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• Atlanta United
  

  Michael Parkhurst | CB | Atlanta United

  The highest scoring team in the league gave up just 44 goals, fourth best in MLS, with the veteran defender a big part of their success. His reading of the game was crucial for a side that often left itself open to counterattacks, with his passing out of the back helping to spark the league's best attack. 

The legendary striker scored his first goal at Parc des Princes on Tuesday – now just 15 grounds have denied him as a Real Madrid player

• Stade de Marrakesh

  Marrakesh, Morocco

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  El Arcangel

  Cordoba, Spain

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  San Siro

  Milan, Italy

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  Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps

  Auxerre, France

Bayern Munich lead the German top-flight at the end of the Hinrunde, but which players make our best XI for the 2017-18 season so far?

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  Jiri Pavlenka (Werder Bremen)

  The 25-year-old goalkeeper only joined Werder Bremen from Slavia Prague in the summer, but has already become one of the Riverislanders' key players as they look to battle relegation from the Bundesliga. Werder have had problems all over the pitch, but between the sticks is not one of them, as the Czech stopper's heroics have earned them valuable points. Despite sitting 16th, they have conceded the third fewest goals in the German top-flight.

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  Philipp Max (Augsburg)

  Both Manchester clubs, Everton, Chelsea, Liverpool, in fact, most of the top-half of the Premier League have been linked with left-back Philipp Max. The 24-year-old has provided more assists than any other player in the Bundesliga this season, and has been one of the key reasons why Augsburg have exceeded all expectations in 2017-18.

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  Naldo (Schalke)

  Naldo has been in the Bundesliga for 13 seasons, but might very well be having his best campaign ever at the age of 35. The Brazilian centre-back has been a rock in defence for Schalke, with his powerful performances at both ends of the pitch putting Domenico Tedesco's side in the top two at the winter break. Strangely enough, Tedesco is actually three years and two days younger than Naldo!

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  Salif Sane (Hannover)

  Senegal international defender Lamine Sane moved to the Bundesliga to join Werder Bremen from Bordeaux, but has so far been outshone by his younger brother Salif Sane. The 27-year-old centre-back has been immense in the air, and leads the league by winning 82 per cent of his aerial duels.