“You could argue that Emile Smith Rowe’s goal did not stand out in last weekend’s wider collection of finishes. Fulham ran out 2-1 winners against Nottingham Forest, with their opener coming from a well-worked sequence that saw Adama Traore cut inside onto his left foot before delivering a delightful ball for the onrushing Smith Rowe to head home. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
“Liverpool’s tilt at the 2024-25 Premier League title is beginning to look like a procession. This trip to the Etihad was meant to be one of Arne Slot’s biggest tests but his side negotiated it with minimum fuss, closing out victory thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah (of course) and Dominik Szoboszlai to move 11 points clear at the top of the table. Our experts analyse where the game was won and lost and where it leaves the campaign. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)
NY Times/The Athletic: Is Mohamed Salah about to break Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne’s Premier League assists record? (Video)
Leeds striker Joel Piroe celebrates with a young fan after scoring against Hull. Daniel Farke’s side currently top the Championship ahead of Sheffield United.
“Tibetan Buddhist monks will spend months working in cold conditions, icing their fingers, enduring significant discomfort, to create gorgeously detailed sculptures out of yak’s butter. And then they will destroy the sculptures, leaving them out in the sun to melt. For anybody connected with a Championship club, the sentiment will be familiar. At some level, most clubs exist to feed those higher up the pyramid. So why would a fan emotionally invest in a young star, even a local one, knowing he is unlikely to hang around for more than two or three years? And if a team are promoted, at least half the side will probably have to be upgraded to offer even a chance of survival. When the gulf between divisions is so vast, everything is fleeting, team-building an act of permanent evolution. …”
Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
Scissors Kick 