LIVERPOOL: Liverpool has yet to allow a goal this season and Mohamed Salah has scored in each of the three games — all victories.
If this is what contract distractions look like at Anfield, new manager Arne Slot is fine with it.
Salah, captain Virgil van Dijk and right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold are all in the final year of their deals, and though it’s still early in the Premier League season Liverpool is the only team keeping pace with defending champion Manchester City.
Slot reiterated Friday at a press conference that “we don’t talk about contract situations over here” — unless there’s a new deal — and said the focus is on making it four wins in a row when Nottingham Forest visits Merseyside on Saturday.
“I’m fully focused on the individuals and the team,” he said about the trio in question, “and they are part of the team and trying to work with them in the best possible way to get the best out of them. So it’s not a distraction for me at all.”
The transition from Jurgen Klopp has been seamless.
Slot is the first manager to win his first three Premier League games without conceding a goal since Sven-Göran Eriksson at Man City in 2007.
“It’s not the defense who keeps a clean sheet — it’s 11 players who keep a clean sheet,” Slot said. “We try to convince them constantly about this because in an ideal world we don’t need (goalkeeper) Allison. It’s a team performance that we don’t concede and that has a lot to do with us putting in a lot of work without the ball.”
The schedule gets busy now, though, with seven games in the next three weeks. Liverpool plays at Inter Milan on Tuesday in the Champions League.
The international break saw lots of Liverpool players logging heavy minutes for their national teams.
“Maybe in the future I sometimes would love it to be a bit different,” Slot said. “It’s a positive thing that we are in such a good place that we have 10 players that can play every minute for the national team. It says a lot about the quality we have.”
Salah marked his 100th cap for Egypt with a goal in a 4-0 victory over Botswana on Tuesday in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. In the Premier League this season, Salah is the only player to have scored three goals and provided three assists.
Harvey Elliott will be sidelined for several weeks because of a foot fracture, which Slot said is “a blow” for both the team and the midfielder.
“He would have had a lot of playing time in the upcoming fixtures,” the manager said.
Next test for Slot is navigating Liverpool’s busy schedule amid Salah contract questions
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Next test for Slot is navigating Liverpool’s busy schedule amid Salah contract questions
MOD UAE fighters continue to dominate on day 2 of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship
- Round 4 of national competition concludes on Sunday at Zayed Sports City Complex in Fujairah
FUJAIRAH: The fighters of MOD UAE continued their impressive performances on the second day of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship — Round 4 (Gi), taking first place at the Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah and maintaining their lead for a second straight day.
Al-Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club secured second place, while Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club finished third.
With competitions across the youth and children’s categories, the event drew about 850 male and female competitors from clubs and academies throughout the UAE on Saturday. The competitions for the boys U-14 and U-16 will be held on Sunday.
Sheikha Al-Kaabi, a member of the Federal National Council, expressed her pleasure at attending the championship and participating in crowning the champions.
“Jiu-jitsu has become a part of every household in the UAE, and is increasingly popular among children and families. We are confident that the future holds even greater success for Emirati jiu-jitsu athletes,” she said.
Ibrahim Al-Hosani, technical director of jiu-jitsu at Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club, said: “Our club had a strong presence today, with 135 male and female athletes from our team, all of whom performed exceptionally.
“The level of talent displayed by these young athletes at such an early age is remarkable. Their precision, skill, and execution are outstanding, reflecting the efforts of our clubs and academies. They have not only promoted the sport but have also developed a new generation of champions,” he said.
Princess Dilayl crowns Saudi Games triathlon winners
- Jessica Arnzen won gold in the women’s competition
RIYADH: The 2024 Saudi Games’ CEO Princess Dilayl bint Nahar on Saturday crowned the male and female winners of the triathlon competition held at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex.
Ali Maqbool, president of the Saudi Triathlon Federation attended the competition.
Jessica Arnzen won gold in the women’s competition with a time of 58 minutes and 41 seconds, while Sarah Kennedy bagged silver in 61:19. The bronze medal went to Kerma Al-Jaroudi with a time of 64:33.
In the men’s competition, Oscar Rodriguez won the gold medal in 49:37, ahead of Ryan Al-Khuwaitir with a time of 50:43 and Ibrahim Al-Zaidi who clocked 51:59.
Guardians crush Tigers 7-3 to advance in Major League Baseball playoffs
- The AL champion will face the National League champion, the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers, in the World Series
WASHINGTON: Lane Thomas smashed a grand slam and the Cleveland Guardians beat Detroit 7-3 on Saturday to advance in the Major League Baseball playoffs.
Cleveland captured the winner-take-all showdown to seal the American League division series 3-2 and reach a best-of-seven AL Championship Series (ALCS) matchup with the New York Yankees that starts on Monday in New York.
The AL champion will face the National League champion, the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers, in the World Series.
Cleveland, into the ALCS for the first time since 2016, have not captured the MLB crown since 1948 and have not reached the World Series since 2016.
Thomas blasted his bases-loaded home run in the fifth inning and drove in another run in the seventh to power the Guardians.
“It’s incredible,” Thomas said. “You just love coming through for your teammates in that situation. Our bullpen has been grinding this whole series and to make all those innings worth it, it feels awesome.”
Cleveland used eight pitchers to frustrate Detroit batters, combining to strike out 16 while scattering seven hits and six walks as closer Emmanuel Clase retired the last six Tiger batters over the final two innings.
“Watching him all year has been incredible,” Thomas said of Clase. “It was cool to see him get those last outs.”
Detroit’s left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal — the Game 2 winner who led the AL this year with 18 wins, 228 strikeouts and a 2.39 earned-run average — struck out six over six innings but surrendered the pivotal grand slam to Thomas.
“He threw me a good pitch to hit,” Thomas said of the grand slam offering. “He threw one pitch over the middle and I happened to put a good swing on it, simple as that.
“It was good to come through.”
The Tigers escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third inning when Thomas popped out to first base.
The game was scoreless until the fifth, when Detroit’s Trey Sweeney walked and scored on Kerry Carpenter’s single off the right-field wall.
The Guardians loaded the bases again in their half of the fifth on singles by Andres Gimenez, Steven Kwan and David Fry and then Skubal hit Jose Ramirez in the left forearm to force in the tying run.
It was the first run allowed by Skubal after 28 2/3 scoreless innings since Sept. 18.
Thomas then followed with his bases-clearing grand slam to give Cleveland a 5-1 advantage.
“I don’t know how many scoreless innings he threw,” Thomas said. “But it only takes one (pitch).”
Detroit answered in the sixth when Spencer Torkelson doubled, took third on a wild pitch by Tim Herrin and scored on a Jake Rogers single, but the Tigers left the bases loaded when Carpenter struck out.
The Tigers, who last won the World Series in 1984, pulled within 5-3 in the seventh when Riley Greene singled and scored on a double by Colt Keith.
Cleveland responded in the seventh when Kwan singled, took third on a Ramirez single and scored when Thomas singled for a 6-3 advantage.
The Guardians added another insurance run in the eighth when Gimenez doubled and scored on Brayan Rocchio’s single.
Clase entered for the Guardians in the eighth and the 26-year-old Dominican right-hander sent down the Tigers’ final batters in order for the victory.
Women’s T20 World Cup: Pakistan stay alive despite consecutive losses
- Pakistan need to beat New Zealand by “significant margin” to stay alive in tournament, says ICC
- Skipper Fatima Sana, who missed previous match due to father’s passing, will rejoin team on Monday
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s hopes of making it to the semifinals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup remain alive despite its back-to-back losses to heavyweights India and Australia, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Sunday.
Pakistan began the tournament on a high note, beating Sri Lanka by 31 runs on Oct. 3 before losing to arch-rivals India by six wickets last Sunday. Pakistan suffered their worst defeat of the tournament so far on Friday, losing to heavyweights Australia by nine wickets.
The South Asian country will now face a strong New Zealand side on Monday which has already defeated India in the tournament.
“Pakistan are still in contention for the semifinals but will need to beat New Zealand by a significant margin to stand a chance,” the ICC said in a report.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana, who missed the previous game after her father passed away, will return to lead the team for the New Zealand fixture.
However, the green shirts will have to do without pacer Diana Baig, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament after a calf muscle injury that she sustained during the clash against Sri Lanka.
“Najiha Alvi will replace Baig in the squad ahead of the final Group clash against New Zealand on Monday,” the ICC said.
Pakistan squad:
Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan, Najiha Alvi.
Artur Beterbiev dominates Dmitry Bivol in triumphant return at IV Crown Showdown
- The 39-year-old Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) had won all 20 of his previous fights by knockout
Riyadh: Artur Beterbiev made a triumphant return to the ring at the IV Crown Showdown to beat Dmitry Bivol by majority decision and underline his status as one of the light heavyweight greats.
Despite recent knee surgery, Beterbiev showed his resilience and skill, sending a clear message to the boxing world that he remains a formidable force at 39 years of age.
The IV Crown Showdown, which took place during the grand opening of Riyadh Season 2024, featured some of the sport’s biggest names in a series of compelling bouts in which champions were crowned and new talents made their mark.
Headlining the night was Beterbiev, who solidified his reputation as one of boxing’s toughest competitors and showed that his dominance in the light heavyweight division remains unquestioned.
In another major highlight, Australian featherweight sensation Skye Nicolson delivered a commanding performance, defeating Raven Chapman in a thrilling contest. Nicolson, known for her sharp technique and quick movement, used her superior footwork to neutralize Chapman’s attempts to pressure her. The victory is another step forward in Nicolson’s rapidly rising career as she continues to establish herself as a force in women’s boxing.
The local crowd also had much to celebrate, as Saudi boxer Mohammed AlAkel earned an impressive victory over Jesus Gonzalez in a welterweight showdown. AlAkel was cheered on by an enthusiastic Riyadh audience as his aggressive approach and tactical precision overwhelmed Gonzalez, securing him a well-deserved win and further fueling Saudi Arabia’s growing presence on the international boxing stage.
Throughout the evening, fans were treated to a range of matchups in several weight divisions, with each fight contributing to the atmosphere. The IV Crown Showdown successfully blended high-level competition with the excitement of Riyadh Season, making it a landmark event in Saudi Arabia’s sports and entertainment calendar.
With boxing stars from around the world converging on Riyadh and a passionate fanbase in attendance, the IV Crown Showdown set a powerful tone for the season ahead. The event not only highlighted top-tier boxing talent but also confirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to hosting premier sporting events on the global stage.
As Riyadh Season continues, the event will be remembered as a night when champions were made, careers were advanced, and the spirit of competition took center stage in the heart of the desert.
