All posts by n8rngtd.top

Both players have had stints in the middle order before, but India’s team management does not want to resume those experiments

Vishal Dikshit at the Wankhede21-Oct-20171:42

‘Don’t want to force Rahul into middle-order role’ – Kohli

KL Rahul is missing from India’s ODI squad for the New Zealand series because the hosts are looking at him purely as an opener and don’t want to forecefully make him another middle-order option. Captain Virat Kohli explained on the eve of the first ODI in Mumbai that India were already carrying three openers – Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane – so it was decided to give Rahul more time in the first-class circuit.

Kohli wary of India’s ‘hectic’ schedule

Virat Kohli is concerned about the lack of rest Indian players have been getting because of the “hectic” schedule they are made to play in. Kohli emphasised the importance of getting adequate rest as it could be the difference between good and bad performances, and said every player needed a break irrespective of the high fitness levels they maintain these days.
“It’s become quite hectic, that’s something we definitely have to sit and discuss in the future,” he said. “Look at New Zealand, they haven’t played any cricket after Champions Trophy, there’s been such a good layoff and it can be the difference between doing well in a big tournament and not doing well. We are expected to perform on a consistent basis but I think the rest and the time to prepare should be adequate for athletes as well.
“This shouldn’t be an area where players are just chipped and changed according to form. You need to look at all the aspects, in terms of how many games you are playing, how much rest you are getting, whether you are able to maintain that consistency for 12 months given the number of matches that we play. Physically, are you able to keep up with it.
“How much ever fitness you do, but everyone needs rest. Everyone needs time to come back from training, especially the fast bowlers. We are doing that now with Umesh and Shami, we want them fresh for the Test season coming up. We don’t want to overtire players. Even some of the key batsmen will definitely get some rest in the future weeks because of the importance of the away tours that are coming up.”

For the middle order, India opted for Dinesh Karthik, who has amassed runs across formats in recent times. Even though Rahul was in the squad for the recently-concluded ODI series against Australia, he was dropped without being given a single chance.”This series, Dinesh Karthik has come in for KL. We felt KL, because he opens mostly, we don’t want to have a situation like Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane) was going through in between – having to play in the middle order forcefully because of what the top order was doing,” Kohli said. “We thought it’s better that he (Rahul) gets some game time in the first-class level so we got in Dinesh who has always played in the middle order. He is more comfortable and more aware of how to bat in the middle order. We need to strike that good balance, bring in guys who have the ability, who have done well in domestic cricket, who have done well for India A, you know track their performances and give them chances accordingly.”It’s not a situation where you just start giving chances to people so much that you compromise on winning the series because of lack of experience. We need to strike that good balance regularly.”Soon after being dropped for the ODIs, Rahul got a chance to open when he was drafted in for the warm-up matches against New Zealand. In the first match , he scored 68 off 75 balls in an opening stand of 147 with Prithvi Shaw but was only made to carry the drinks in the second match, for which Karun Nair moved up from No. 3.Rahul had started his ODI career in impressive fashion when he became the first Indian to score a century on ODI debut, against Zimbabwe in June 2016. He got to open against England too, earlier this year, when Rohit was injured but only managed low scores of 8, 5 and 11, falling to early swing two out of the three times. Rohit opened in the Champions Trophy once he recovered, and now the only way to slot Rahul in the XI was somewhere in the middle order.When India toured Sri Lanka in August, Rahul got opportunities at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 in the ODIs but the runs still didn’t come as he scored 4, 17 and 7, perishing to offspinner Akila Dananjaya all three times. Time was running out for Rahul because of the fierce competition in the Indian batting line-up. There could have been another chance to open for him when Australia arrived for five ODIs and Dhawan opted out of the series, but Rahane had been sitting on the sidelines for so long that he was given a go and he shone with four consecutive half-centuries. Coincidentally, he may also sit out of some of the New Zealand ODIs as the Dhawan-Rohit combo is set to reunite.”He’s definitely grabbed his opportunities as the third opener,” Kohli said of Rahane. “As I mentioned, there was KL as well competing for the spot for a bit, but Jinks has really performed well, he stood up and taken his chances. That’s how the dynamics of the team work, when you have four guys who play in a similar position, then obviously one of them will have to miss out. Even in the three, only two can play in the XI. Again, as I mentioned, we don’t want to confuse him too much making him play in the middle order.”You need to find your game in ODI cricket, you need to understand how to go about things in ODI cricket and he’s always been very solid at the top order because of his technique. And he likes playing there as well, it gives him freedom to go after the bowlers. We don’t want to confuse him, he’s in a happy space, he knows whenever someone is not going through a good phase or there is an injury coming up, he’s there, he is right at the doorstep waiting to play a game whenever the team requires him to. He’s pretty happy with his batting at the moment.”Since Dhawan and Rohit have collected nearly 3000 runs while opening together, at an average of over 48, it only means Rahane is going to be the back-up opener. And Rahul, will be the back-up’s back-up.

Chris Woakes’ second spell of the day yielded four wickets for 15 runs, and his six-for took his wickets tally in two first-class matches on the tour to 12

George Dobell in Townsville15-Nov-2017
ScorecardChris Woakes doesn’t fit the classic image of a fast bowler.While the newspapers in Australia are full of stories of his counterparts – brooding, menacing types persuaded to stare down the lens like it just took the last pringle – promising to unleash pace and destruction upon England, Woakes responded to another outstanding performance by saying “it was nice”. And then, after a pause, “and pleasing”.Make a headline out of that: “It’s nice,” roared Woakes. “It’s pleasing,” bellowed Woakes. “I’m focusing on my processes,” vowed Woakes.But beneath the bluster, beneath the wearying propaganda that seems to preface Ashes series these days, Woakes is getting on with his job “very nicely” indeed. And while most of the media may be fixated on the damage the Australian fast bowlers are promising to inflict on England and the absence of Ben Stokes, the tourists’ other fast-bowling allrounder is enjoying the opportunity to warm-up for a confrontation that could go a long way to defining his career. And the result of the series.Woakes’ performance is vital. If he can replicate his record in England – where he has 42 Test wickets at a cost of 24.28 apiece – he will have given England a potency that will support James Anderson and Stuart Broad and ensure they have a viable attack. If he cannot improve his overseas record – he has currently taken eight Test wickets outside England (and Wales) at a cost of 63.75 apiece – then too much will be required of England’s opening bowlers and it is hard to see how they win.The key would appear to be movement. If Woakes can persuade the Kookaburra ball (used here) to move laterally as he can the Duke’s (used in England) then his other qualities – his control, his relative pace (upper 80s, you would think) and his bounce – will all be enhanced.So the good news – from an England perspective – from this tour to date is that he is finding that movement and, as a result, proving a tough proposition. Even on these pudding pitches.Getty Images

Woakes, for the second time in successive innings, produced a spell that effectively cut the opposition in half. This time it was four – the first four wickets to fall – for 15 in six overs. Later he returned to claim two more. It means he has, at present, claimed 12 first-class wickets on this tour at a cost of just 10.25 apiece. The opposition is about to get much tougher but the pace he is bowling and the movement he is generating are encouraging.It may be tempting to read some diffidence into Woakes’ softly-spoken manner. To imagine that he will recoil in the furnace of the Gabba.

‘Getting close to being cooked’ – Woakes

Chris Woakes feels he is coming to the boil nicely ahead of the first Test in Brisbane.
Woakes claimed 6 for 54 on the first day of the match against a CA XI in Townsville and afterwards spoke of his delight at his own rhythm and his ability to move the Kookaburra ball.
“All the numbers are saying I’m getting close to getting cooked,” Woakes said. “I’m pleased with where my body is at and getting overs in the legs is important. You don’t want to go in to the Test series undercooked and I’m pleased with where I’m at.
“We got a bit of shape with the ball, which was nice. There has been a lot spoken about the Kookaburra ball not doing as much as the Duke’s and generally it doesn’t. The fact that we got a bit of movement today is pleasing and builds some confidence with this ball that we are not as used to.
“The most important thing today was that I was pleased with how it came out and my rhythm. Six wickets is pleasing but had I picked up one or two I would still have been pleased.”

Tempting but wrong. Instead his quiet manner reflects a confidence in his own ability, which doesn’t require the layer of bravado others see fit to use. He knows it is performances that matter, not rhetoric. And he knows, if he “nails his processes” he will end the tour in a “very nice, very pleasing” mood. What’s that saying about empty vessels and loudest sounds? Talk doesn’t take wickets.It’s been noticeable in Woakes’ career to date that he has produced some of his most eye-catching performances when his side have been under pressure. How about that 11-wicket haul against Pakistan at Lord’s? England lost. Or that unbeaten 95 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge? He came in when England were 82 for 6 and chasing 287. Both times, the pressure brought the best out of him.His wickets here generally came from deliveries on or around off-stump that either bounced or nibbled away. So once Nick Larkin and Josh Carder’s fine opening stand (they put on 66 in 26 overs as England failed to fully utilise the first new ball) was ended with Larkin slashing to gully, Carder and Ryan Gibson were unfortunate enough to receive balls that demanded a stroke and nipped away just enough. Jason Sangha and Simon Milenko were beaten for pace by full deliveries while Harry Nielsen also pushed one to gully.Broad’s figures, in comparison, were modest. But he bowled fine generally and used this game for the warm-up that it is. He is, in the best sense of the word, something of a show-off. And performing amid the bucolic charm of Riverway Stadium – and a vocal crowd who were never far away from reminding him he remained wicketless for most of the day – was never likely to inspire him.This is another slow pitch, too. Disappointingly slow. England opted to come here over other options (Drummoyne in Sydney and Hobart were mentioned) as the ground had a reputation for pace that was akin to that expected in Brisbane. Instead, they have something more akin to New Road. Mount Louisa, off in the distance, even did a passable impression of the Malvern Hills. For the third time in succession, they surface they have encountered has been markedly different to that expected in Brisbane.The England camp are remaining tight-lipped on their view of the preparation they have been provided. But it will be no surprise if, the next time they are here for an Ashes series, they bring a battery of their own seamers (and perhaps hire their own training facility) to ensure they face more taxing bowling. The likes of Mark Footitt, Stuart Meaker, Olly Stone and Richard Gleeson could all have been employed – fitness permitting – to ensure England experienced some pace ahead of the Ashes.Getty Images

Cricket Australia would have you believe this CA XI represents almost the best opposition available with the Shield in full swing. It’s not entirely true, though. Ed Cowan, for example, says he would have loved to play this game but, having been offered the opportunity to appear only 48-hours ahead of the Adelaide match, could only promise his availability for the second game. Perhaps, with a bit of planning, the likes of Cameron White and Michael Klinger could have been included, too?England experienced a few nervous moments during the day, though. The most serious came when Jonny Bairstow had to leave the field after hurting the middle finger of his left hand in scuffing a delivery off the bowling of Woakes that appeared to bounce just in front of him.While Ben Foakes, who was permitted to take the gloves by the umpires despite not being named in the XI, is a more than capable deputy (and soon had a catch – perhaps the first ‘caught Foakes, bowled Woakes’ of many), the thought of losing Bairstow from England’s middle-order is enough to keep Joe Root up at night. He will, therefore, have been hugely relieved to see Bairstow reclaim the gloves about 50 minutes later having been diagnosed with nothing more serious than a bruise.The cordon remains a bit of a concern, though. While James Vince, so fallible in the slips during his first spell in the side, has taken to the gully position with some class – he held three sharp chances on the first day here, none of them easy – another two or three chances went begging in the region. The most straightforward went to Root, off Mason Crane, when Matthew Short had 36, while Bairstow – leaping in front of first slip – put down another (this time off Woakes) to reprieve Milenko. Another edge, again off Crane, went between Bairstow and Root, while Mark Stoneman dropped a tough chance – he did well to get a hand on it, really – when Short cut Crane on 25.Short took advantage of his reprieves to record a stubborn half-century (51 from 122 balls with just two boundaries) and ensure the CA XI recovered from the loss of four wickets for 25 runs either side of lunch.Craig Overton impressed, too. He has settled into this tour nicely and, with his height and ability to generate movement, has demanded respect from the batsmen. He has conceded almost exactly two an over in the first-class games on this tour so far and has given himself an outstanding chance of a Test debut in a week’s time.There was also good news off the pitch for England. James Anderson, who missed training on Tuesday due to illness, bowled in the nets, while Jake Ball returned to running for the first time since sustaining strained ankle ligaments in Adelaide, and later also enjoyed a gentle bowl.

USWNT star Kristie Mewis was in a wistful mood as she shared some stunning pictures from a dreamy winter break with fiancée Sam Kerr.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mewis posts photos of idyllic retreat
• Pair enjoy break in stunning winter location
• Kerr on comeback trail after ACL injury

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The pair, who announced their engagement in November, wowed social media followers with breathtaking pictures of their snow-covered holiday, including shots of them swimming outside under clear blue skies.

Advertisement

• WHAT KRISTIE MEWIS SAID

  "Photo album purging this week," said Mewis, as she posted the stunning collection of photos from her and fiancée Kerr's winter break.

  🚨 IMPORTANT: Delete this slide, via the three dots 'More Actions' button above, if there are no quotes to use in this story

• Getty
  

  THE GOSSIP

  It's not known when their trip took place but it appears to be before Kerr suffered a season-ending ACL injury after an 'innocuous' incident during Chelsea's mid-season training camp in Morocco.

  The injury is expected to keep the Australian international on the sidelines for the remainder of this season and the beginning of next term.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR MEWIS & KERR?

  While Kerr begins her long road to recovery, Mewis will be hoping to make her WSL debut for new club West Ham against Tottenham Hotspur this Sunday. The Hammers are currently 11th in the table and in desperate need of a victory in their battle to beat the drop.

USMNT prospect Cade Cowell's hot start to life in Mexico continued Saturday with an emphatic cowboy celebration after a Chivas goal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Chivas defeat Juarez 2-1
• Cowell celebrates goal with cowboy celebration
• Liga MX side in CCC action Tuesday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After Chivas went 2-0 up on Juarez, Cowell – who was substituted on the pitch in the 63rd minute – leapt onto the back of goalscorer Victor Guzman, celebrating rapidly. The 20-year-old was held up by his teammate as he threw his arms and hands in the air like a cowboy with a lasso on a horse.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Cowell's start to life in Mexico has been electric, with the ex-San Jose Earthquakes player seemingly adapting to play – and the lifestyle – quickly. He has yet to find the back of the net in Liga MX action, but scored two goals and added an assist in Leg 1 of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie against Forge FC last week.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• @ChivasEN_
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR COWELL AND CHIVAS

  The Liga MX side are back in action Tuesday evening in the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Canadian side Forge FC. It's Leg 2 of the meeting between the two clubs, with Cowell and co. holding a two-goal advantage via a 3-1 aggregate scoreline from last week's meeting.

A round-up of the NCL matches that concluded on October 2, 2017

Mohammad Isam02-Oct-2017Tier 1Defending champions Khulna avoided their first scare this season, but ended up drawing the game against Dhaka at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.Batting first, Dhaka banked on centuries from Nadif Chowdhury and Mosharraf Hossain to put on 519 for 9. Nadif made a career-best 166 off 239 balls with 17 fours and 6 sixes. He added 227 runs for the seventh wicket with Mosharraf, who also made his career-best score, 125 off 245 balls with 12 fours.Khulna were bowled out for 247 runs with Ziaur Rahman top scoring with 104 off 116 balls. He struck five sixes and 12 fours. Nazmul Islam took four for 79. Following on, they reached 180 for four on the final day, having survived 90 overs in total. The in-form Tushar Imran battled for more than three hours to make 63 off 189 balls.Rain ruined the Barisal-Rangpur encounter in Rajshahi which ended in a draw. There were only 16.2 overs possible in the entire match, on the third day, after the first two days were washed out. On the fourth day, the match was called off at 12.15pm.Winning the toss, Rangpur reached 61 for two with Jahid Jabed unbeaten on 24 and Suhrawadi Shuvo making 34 not out.Tier 2The match between Chittagong and Sylhet was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Bogra. Rain ruined all four days with play being called off after mid-day every day.On the fourth day, the umpires called off the match at 1.30pm. This was Sylhet’s second consecutive full abandonment.Rain also affected the Dhaka Metropolis-Rajshahi match in Khulna, as this match too ended in a draw.Batting first after a rain delay on the first day, Rajshahi were bowled out for 220 runs with Junaid Siddique top scoring with 85. Mizanur Rahman also made a half-century. Dolar Mahmud and Sharifullah took three wickets each for Dhaka.Dhaka took a 109-run lead thanks to Marshall Ayub’s 132 and Mehrab Hossain Jnr’s 89. The pair added 175 runs for the fourth wicket as Dhaka declared on 329 for nine on the fourth day. Rajshahi could bat only three overs before play ended. Marshall was adjudged the Player-of the Match.

Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate laughed off suggestions that he may be joined by France team-mate Kylian Mbappe at Anfield.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Konate laughs off Mbappe Liverpool link
• Says: 'We all know where he's going'
• Reds go five clear at top of table

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The defender returned from suspension to help his side to a comfortable win at Brentford on Saturday afternoon. He was in a playful mood after the game when asked by a French broadcaster on the prospects of Mbappe, who this week told Paris Saint-Germain he will depart the club his summer, joining him on Merseyside next season.

Advertisement

• WHAT IBRAHIMA KONATE SAID

  "Do you really think he's going to come here?" laughed Konate when asked by about the chances of Mbappe joining Liverpool. "I think we all know where he's going to go."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Konate's response underlines the theory that Mbappe is destined for Real Madrid. Representatives of the 25-year-old are reportedly in negotiations to finalise a deal that has been a long time in the making, with the Madrid board keen to conclude the transfer with as little fuss as possible and also keen not to upset a club they may yet meet in the Champions League this season.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL AND KONATE?

  It was a good result for Liverpool, winning at a ground that has proved problematic for them in the last two seasons. But it wasn't all plain sailing as the Reds picked up a number of concerning injuries as they head into a week where they face Luton Town in the league on Wednesday and contest the first silverware of the season against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final next Sunday.

Jordan Henderson is desperate to return to the Premier League from Al-Ettifaq amid the Saudi Arabian club's dismal form.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Henderson wants return to England
• Ettifaq in woeful form
• Would cost Henderson a huge sum

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Henderson is already angling for a potential return to England, reports, having only played 19 times for Al-Ettifaq. He has struggled to settle in Saudi Arabia and the report states that he will seriously consider any offers that are tabled for him in the January transfer window. However, any move would come with serious strings.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The England midfielder earns £700,000-per-week tax-free in Saudi Arabia but, per the report, the tax-free element only kicks in if he sees out the first two years of his contract. Turning his back on Al-Ettifaq, as a result, would cost the 33-year-old around £7 million ($9m).

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Al-Ettifaq have been in dismal form under the management of Steven Gerrard and with Henderson in the team, winning just five of their 17 league matches. The club are currently eighth in the Saudi Pro League and Gerrard recently lost his assistant manager, Ian Foster, who headed back to England to join Plymouth Argyle.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR HENDERSON?

  It remains to be seen if there will be expressions of interest in his signature now he has seemingly made it clear that he is open to a departure. One has to think that he might be waiting by the phone if Ettifaq's form continues.

Tasmania’s captain, George Bailey, was rewarded for his persistence as the men’s domestic player of the year

Daniel Brettig12-Feb-2018Australia’s leading allrounder Ellyse Perry has joined a select group in becoming a multiple winner of the Belinda Clark award as the nation’s women’s cricketer of the year.With 116 votes, Perry finished comfortably ahead of her nearest challenger Beth Mooney, at the end of a season in which she was a pivotal part of a successful Ashes campaign against England despite a shoulder surgery ruling out captain Meg Lanning. In doing so, Perry joined Lanning, Shelley Nitschke, Lisa Sthalekar and Karen Rolton as players to have secured the award on more than one occasion.The centrepiece of Perry’s year was a monumental, undefeated 213 in the Ashes Test match at North Sydney Oval , which secured a draw and all but ensured Australia would preserve the series lead they had established during the ODI component of the contest over the final Twenty20 matches. Perry’s all-round abilities were amply demonstrated by the fact she not only led all run-makers during the voting period but also finished third behind Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen among the bowlers.The other major women’s winner of the night was Beth Mooney, who was named the domestic player of the year for an extremely consistent contribution with the bat over the voting period. Georgia Redmayne, the 24-year-old Hobart Hurricanes representative, was handed the Betty Wilson award as the young female player of the year.Tasmania’s captain, George Bailey, was rewarded for his persistence as the men’s domestic player of the year, racking up a combined 1468 runs at 52.43 across Sheffield Shield, domestic limited overs and Big Bash League games over the voting period, including a trio of centuries. This was a significant effort in response to his dumping from the Australian limited-overs team in December 2016, and an example to other mature-aged players (Bailey is 35) trying to improve their games.In reference to his now trademark closed stance, with his front leg and backside facing the bowler, Bailey joked that it had been a case of misunderstanding. Saying he had been devastated to lose his international place, and looking for advice, Bailey said he had been told by his father to “turn the other cheek” to the selectors. The unusual batting stance, Bailey deadpanned, had been the result.

Matt Prior became only the third wicketkeeper to score a hundred on debut, and the fifth batsman to do so at Lord’s

S Rajesh and HR Gopalakrishna18-May-2007Four batsmen managed three-figure scores against a hapless West Indian attack, but the man of the moment was undoubtedly Matt Prior, the 25-year-old debutant wicketkeeper. While the rest of the batsmen scored at a strike rate of less than 60, Prior blasted 126 off a mere 128 balls, a scoring rate of 98.43 per 100 balls.As the table below shows, Prior’s most productive stroke was the pull – he played it 12 times for 36 runs, including eight fours. The drives on either side of the wicket fetched him plenty of runs too.

Prior had little problems in dealing with the good-length stuff – West Indies’ bowlers sent down 93 deliveries around that length, and he scored at more than a run a ball, including 14 fours.

With this hundred, Prior has become only the third wicketkeeper to score a hundred on debut, after two Sri Lankan glovemen – Brendon Kuruppu (201 not out against New Zealand in 1986-87) and Romesh Kaluwitharana (132 not out against Australia in 1992). He also became the fifth batsman to score a hundred on debut at Lord’s – after Harry Graham, John Hampshire, Sourav Ganguly and Andrew Strauss – and needs only five more runs to become the highest scorer on debut here. The record is currently held by Ganguly, who scored 131 in 1996.West Indies, on the other hand, didn’t have much to celebrate in the field. Four of their bowlers conceded more than 100 runs – it’s only the second time this has happened to the West Indians in a Test against England: the only earlier occasion was in Jamaica in 1930, when England amassed 849. The only consolation for West Indies is that with two days of play already done, it’s highly unlikely England will attempt to get anywhere near that total.

Liverpool's Darwin Nunez beat Mohamed Salah to an impressive 2023-24 milestone with a brace against Bournemouth on Sunday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Nunez netted a brace against Bournemouth
• First EPL player to score 10 goals & provide as many assists this season
• Liverpool thrashed Bournemouth 4-0

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  With his brace on Sunday, which helped Liverpool register an important 4-0 win over Bournemouth, the Uruguayan striker achieved a milestone as he became the first player in the ongoing 2023-24 Premier League season to score 10 goals and provide 10 assists across all competitions.

  He opened the scoring for his side in the 49th minute and then doubled his account in injury time after executing a brilliant first-time volley when latching onto Joe Gomez's cross at the back post.

Advertisement

• WATCH THE CLIP

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Nunez becomes the only player to have 10 goals and as many assists in the current season, when it comes to overall goal contributions from Premier League players, Reds' star Mohamed Salah continues to top the list with 14 goals and eight assists. He is followed by Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, who has netted nine times and provided 10 assists. Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland has the same number of goals as Salah but has contributed with only four assists thus far.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  With the win over the Cherries, Jurgen Klopp's side extended their lead over Manchester City to five points at the top of the table. The Reds are now set to take on Fulham in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash on Wednesday before facing Norwich City in the FA Cup fourth round on January 28.