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Du Plessis was unfit for Delhi Capitals and was replaced by Rizvi

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2025Toss All the buzz about MS Dhoni captaining Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dissipated as Ruturaj Gaikwad walked out for the toss at Chepauk on Saturday. He lost the toss and Delhi Capitals’ (DC) Axar Patel chose what a lot of people do on evening games in hot and humid conditions: bat first. They had one change. Faf du Plessis wasn’t fit so he was replaced by Sameer Rizvi. DC’s bat-first XI only had three overseas players.Gaikwad, who took a blow to the elbow in the last game creating doubt around his participation, noted that the pitch was dry, which suggests there could be help for the spinners, like the home team has been looking for. CSK had two changes with Devon Conway coming in – Chepauk liked that, there was an immediate roar – for Jamie Overton and Mukesh Choudhary replaced Rahul Tripathi. Those changes mean CSK have R Ashwin at No. 8 – assuming Shivam Dube comes in as the Impact sub – and only the bowlers to follow him.CSK have won only one game in IPL 2025 and are placed eighth on the points table. DC, on the other hand, are yet to lose this season.Chennai Super Kings: 1 Devon Conway, 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 R Ashwin, 8 Noor Ahmad, 9 Mukesh Choudhary, 10 Khaleel Ahmed, 11 Matheesha PathiranaImpact Player list: Shivam Dube, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed, Nathan EllisDelhi Capitals: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3 Abhishek Porel (wk), 4 Axar Patel (capt), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Sameer Rizvi, 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Vipraj Nigam, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Mohit SharmaImpact Player list: Mukesh Kumar, Karun Nair, Darshan Nalkande, Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay

Warner and Khushdil’s cameos also helped Kings post 204, before Sultans folded for 117

Danyal Rasool01-May-2025Karachi Kings dumped Multan Sultans out of a tournament they never really got into, with former Sultan James Vince scoring a majestic unbeaten 65 to ask Sultans to chase 205. Sultans never looked to have the belief they would get anywhere close, and, eventually, didn’t. Kings were tidy, if not spectacular, letting Sultans’ tame, limp display on a blistering afternoon in Lahore do the job for them, and helping themselves to an 87-run win.This game was moved from Multan to Lahore despite Sultans’ objections. But it would have taken more than home advantage to overcome the gulf in the two sides’ performances on Thursday. David Willey conceded just 24 runs in his four overs, but when Michael Bracewell bowled the second over and conceded just as many in those six balls, it was more representative of what Sultans would dish up. That onslaught from David Warner on the New Zealand spinner set the tone for the innings, even if the Kings captain miscued Willey to point for an entertaining off just 30 13 balls.It was one of three wickets Sultans took within 11 balls, and would briefly have raised hopes that they would rein Kings in with wickets. Either side of Warner’s dismissal, Ubaid Shah removed Tim Seifert and Omair Yousuf. But it brought Vince and Irfan Khan together, as they took charge of the middle overs. As Sultans wilted in the heat, the pair cashed in, compiling 78 in 56 balls, and setting up a platform for a big finish.Sultans promised their fielding would stand out this tournament, and for reasons they wouldn’t want, it has. The shelling of a top edge from Vince by Usama Mir at square leg in the 17th over took the Englishman to 50, before both he and Khushdil Shah cut loose. The last 14 balls of the innings yielded 45 runs as Khushdil’s unbeaten 33 from 13 deliveries led the way as Vince offered ample support in his slipstream, smashing Ubaid for a six and a four in a penultimate over that went for 19 runs.Multan Sultans removed Mohammad Rizwan for a duck•PCB

When Khushdil cleared his front leg as well as long-on to heave Chris Jordan for six off the innings’ final delivery and dragged the total above 200, it was merely an exclamation mark on Kings’ dominance.Like a film that has revealed its hand halfway through but still needs to get through the remaining time, the second innings began. Sultans demonstrated there was little fight left, and their captain Mohammad Rizwan fell for a duck in the second over to Abbas Afridi. Usman Khan, once more, played an ordinary shot to scoop a wide delivery into Vince’s hands, while Yasir Khan’s breezy 26 was brought to an abrupt end by Aamer Jamal in the fifth over.Curtis Campher, though, went after Afridi in the final over of the powerplay to bring Sultans up to 53 in six overs, not far off from where Kings were at that stage. However, Sultans couldn’t bring themselves to put together a partnership of note, and the collapse that feels just around the corner was about to be realised. They lost five wickets for 14 runs to go from 76 for 4 to 90 for 9, wickets scattering like seeds in the wind, with Mohammad Nabi the primary grateful recipient.Two wickets in two balls from Nabi put Bracewell and Willey out of the equation before Khushdil mopped up Iftikhar Ahmed and Kamran Ghulam. Nabi added a third before Chris Jordan and Ubaid Shah found 27 runs for the final wicket that got Sultans to three figures while avoiding a three-figure defeat, but when Mir Hamza applied the coup de grace by getting Ubaid, it was almost more a relief for Sultans than Kings.

Former England chief selector played for Kent, Middlesex and three Tests for England

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2025Ed Smith has been named as the next president of MCC.Smith, the former England selector, will serve a 12-month term as president from October 1, succeeding Lord King of Lothbury, the club announced following its AGM on Wednesday.”Lord’s has been a special part of my life – as a cricket fan, a player and then as a selector,” Smith said. “I am deeply committed to serving the club – and the whole game – to the best of my ability.”Lord King said: “The choice of my successor meets the twin criteria of being an outstanding first-class cricketer who played for England and a highly intelligent author and educator who is ideally equipped to help MCC navigate the challenges ahead.”Smith played for Kent, Middlesex and three Tests for England in a career which spanned 13 seasons, scoring nearly 13,000 first-class runs, including 34 centuries.After retiring from the game in 2008, he embarked on a career in the media and wrote five books. He was chief selector for the England men’s team for three years from 2018, during which time England won the World Cup.Smith is also involved in academia, as co-founder of the Institute of Sports Humanities (ISH), which has a mission to nurture and inspire sport’s current and future leaders, teaching the MA Leadership in Sport in partnership with Loughborough University London.During Smith’s tenure as MCC President, Lord’s will stage the final of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and host Women’s Test cricket for the first time.He will also be in office during the Hundred’s first season under private ownership. MCC will retain a 51% stake in London Spirit after selling 49% to Cricket Investor Holdings Limited, a consortium of Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs, for £145.5 million – the largest sum accrued by any of the eight franchises.

David Willey leads from front with bat before regular wickets undermine hosts’ chase

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Jun-2025Northamptonshire Steelbacks maintained their 100% start in this year’s Vitality Blast when they defeated Lancashire Lightning by 24 runs at Emirates Old Trafford to make it five wins in succession.Having posted 180 for 6, in which skipper David Willey top-scored with 37, the visitors produced a determined display in the field, George Scrimshaw leading the way with career-best T20 figures of 4 for 19 from his four overs, as Lancashire ended on 156 for 9.The prize wicket of Liam Livingstone, who was playing his first match after his IPL triumph, was claimed by Lloyd Pope who finished with 2 for 27. Having won their first three T20 games, Lancashire have now lost two on the trot, both at homeBoth the batters to depart in Lancashire’s powerplay were caught at mid-on off James Anderson, whose first three overs cost 21 runs. Matthew Breetzke was pouched by Chris Green for 9 and Ricardo Vasconcelos by Ashton Turner for a 15-ball 32.But the four fours and two sixes hit by Vasconcelos reflected the pace of scoring at the other end and the Steelbacks were 57 for 2 after six overs. Lancashire enjoyed another success two overs later when Justin Broad was caught behind off Jack Blatherwick for 13 which left the visitors on 70 for 3, leaving Willey and Ravi Bopara with the task of rebuilding the innings while maintaining an aggressive approach.The experienced duo managed this with a stand of 60 in seven overs before both were dismissed in the space of six balls. Having made 28, Bopara lofted Anderson to Blatherwick on the cover boundary and Willey was caught by Jennings at cover off Livingstone for 37.Undaunted by these reverses, Saif Zaib and Lewis McManus put on 42 in 24 balls before McManus fell to Livingstone in the final over for an enterprising 28. At the same time, the Steelbacks’ final total of 180 for 6 seemed about par on a good wicket.Livingstone finished with 2 for 35 from four overs although Luke Wells was also impressive, conceding 23 runs from his four wicketless overs. Anderson took 3 for 31 but, rather puzzlingly, the England slow-left-armer, Tom Hartley, was not required to bowl.The in-form Ben Sanderson and his captain, Willey, ensured Lancashire’s reply got off to a poor start by dismissing Wells and Keaton Jennings inside the first 13 balls of the innings and although Matty Hurst and Livingstone hit four sixes in seven balls, Northamptonshire struck another blow in the powerplay when Hurst skied Luke Procter’s first ball to long stop was caught for 17, Scrimshaw running across from third man to take the catch.The Australian legspinner Pope took the vital wicket of Livingstone in the next over when the IPL winner with Royal Challengers Bangalore pulled him straight to Vasconcelos at midwicket and departed for 18.Pope took his second wicket when he had Turner caught down the leg side by McManus for 23 and with seven overs left to be bowled Lancashire needed another 76 runs to win. That task immediately became harder when Green skied Scrimshaw to Willey on 15.Michael Jones tried to salvage the game but he fell to Scrimshaw for 32 when he was caught by Breetzke who took three catches in the innings and also dropped two. With the outcome of the game all but certain, the final few overs of the match were anti-climactic.

The nerveless Portuguese superstar proved decisive once again as Real Madrid scraped past Juventus, but who joins him in our all-star selection?

• Alisson | Goalkeeper

  Roma's highly-rated shot-stopper Alisson made 10 saves against Barcelona, with seven of those coming at Camp Nou, where he kept his side in the tie before keeping a crucial clean sheet in the return fixture. The brilliant Brazilian is making an increasingly strong case to be considered the best goalkeeper in the world right now.

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  Rafinha | Full-back

  The versatile defender was called from the bench to replace an inadequate Juan Bernat in Sevilla, helping Bayern Munich come from behind to seal a 2-1 away win. With first-choice left-back David Alaba sidelined for the second leg at the Allianz Arena, Rafinha was chosen ahead of Bernat, and put in a determined and disciplined defensive display, finishing with more tackles and interceptions than anyone else on the pitch as Bayern kept the clean sheet they needed to advance.

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  Dejan Lovren | Centre-back

  The much-maligned Dejan Lovren is always prone to making costly mistakes but, credit where it's due, he was impeccable in both of Liverpool's wins over Manchester City. Alongside Virgil Van Dijk, who would have earned inclusion had it not been for his error in the build-up to Gabriel Jesus' goal at the Etihad, the Croatian restricted Pep Guardiola's fearsome side to just three shots on target over the course of 180 minutes.

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  Kostas Manolas | Centre-back

  Having put through his own net in rather unfortunate circumstances at Camp Nou, Roma defender Kostas Manolas responded in heroic fashion in the return. Not only did he carry a defence that shut down Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, he then went and netted the tie-deciding goal, prompting one of the most passionate celebrations we've seen in years!

The Frenchman is under pressure following his side's recent poor form and here is a look at some of the men who could succeed him in the summer

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  Joachim Low

  Real Madrid have long admired the Germany boss and he has been considered on a number of occasions in the past few seasons to coach Los Blancos.

  His commitment to the national team has dashed those hopes up until now and his current contract runs until 2020, but he could consider a move to Real if the position becomes available this summer, after he has led Germany in the defence of the World Cup crown they won in 2014.

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• Antonio Conte

  The Chelsea manager is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2019, but admitted just this week that "anything is possible" and it looks increasingly likely the former Italy and Juventus boss could be moving on in the summer.

  Having led the Blues to the Premier League title in his first season in charge and won Serie A three times as Juve coach, his stock is high in Spain and he will certainly be one of the names on Madrid's shortlist if Zidane ends up leaving at the end of this season.

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  Mauricio Pochettino

  Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has been a fan of the current Tottenham manager since his spell in charge at Espanyol and the Argentine's impressive work at Spurs has not gone unnoticed by the 10-time European champions.

  Pochettino will be among Madrid's top targets when Zidane leaves the club, be it this summer or further down the line, although the one concern at Real is the fact that the 45-year-old is yet to win a trophy in his coaching career.

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  Unai Emery

  The last-16 Champions League tie between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain could have a big bearing on the futures of both Zidane and PSG boss Unai Emery.

  Failure to make his mark in Europe this season is likely to see Emery replaced at the Parc des Princes in the summer and Madrid could make a move for the Basque, who was considered before Zidane took over in 2016 and is well regarded at the Santiago Bernabeu after winning the Europa League three times in a row with Sevilla.

At the age of 18, Harry Kane made his Spurs debut in a Europa League Qualifying Play-Offs round second leg tie against Heart of Midlothian…

Harry Kane took to social media to confirm that he will be staying at Tottenham Hotspur for the duration of the 2021-22 season to put an end to the rumours linking him with Manchester City.

Incidentally, the day he confirmed his stay in North London marked exactly 10 years to the day Kane made his debut for Tottenham, started in a Europa League Qualifying Play-offs round second leg tie against Scottish club Heart of Midlothian. The match ended in a goalless draw but Spurs qualified on aggregate (5-0).

Here, we take a look at who the teammates of Harry Kane were in that particular match and where they are now.

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  1Carlo Cudicini – GK

  After spending 10 seasons with Chelsea, the Italian goalkeeper joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2009 and spent three seasons at the club. He retired from professional football in 2014 after spending the last two seasons of his career at LA Galaxy.

  After retirement, in 2015 Carlo Cudicini joined the Republic of Ireland U21 side as their goalkeeping coach. In 2016, he returned to Chelsea and became an assistant coach. Since 2019, the Italian's role changed at the club as he became a technical coach for the players on loan at the Blues.

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  2Ryan Fredericks – RB

  A Tottenham Hotspur youth product, Ryan Fredericks was promoted to the senior team in 2010. He remained at the club until 2015 but in between, he was sent on loan to Brentford, Milwall and Middlesbrough. Since 2018, he is playing at West Ham United.

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  3Michael Dawson – CB

  The English defender played at Tottenham Hotspur from 2005 to 2014 after which he moved to Hull City and spent the next four seasons at the club. In 2018, he joined Nottingham Forest and spent the last three years of his career there before retiring in May 2021. After retirement, he returned to Tottenham Hotspur as a club ambassador. 

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  4Sebastien Bassong – CB

  The French-born Cameroonian international defender joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2009 and played at the club for three seasons. In the final year of his contract in 2012, he was sent on loan to Wolverhampton. He later played at Norwich City and Watford and since 2020, he is playing at non league outfit Haringey Borough FC.

Jude Bellingham is set to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season. A bidding war is inevitable.

Jude Bellingham can take his pick of clubs next season. It is as straightforward as that for the 19-year-old with the world at his feet and the giants of his game banging at his door.

Manchester United love him, Liverpool want him to inject youth and sparkle into an ageing midfield, while Manchester City know they are likely to have to replace at least one of Bernardo Silva or Ilkay Gundogan next summer.

Chelsea, too, are long-term admirers and have shown under their new owners that they're not afraid to splash the cash.

Bellingham, then, is quite simply the player every top Premier League club is prepared to battle it out for when he likely leaves Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.

But who's going to sign the most in-demand young player in world football? GOAL analyses what the future holds for Bellingham…

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  Bellingham knows his worth

  First things first, there is no guarantee the teenager from Stourbridge will even opt for a homecoming just yet. After all, he already resisted the overtures of Sir Alex Ferguson, Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona when United threw everything they had at trying to tempt him away from Birmingham in 2020.

  Bellingham knows his worth, knows his own mind – and has the assuredness of someone much older than his tender years to follow his own path.

  Dortmund, he decided, was a better environment to develop his prodigious talents than Old Trafford.

  Erling Haaland thought likewise when being courted by United at around the same time – and it didn’t turn out too badly for him.

  So, like Haaland, Bellingham is set to be at the centre of an almighty transfer scramble when he leaves Dortmund – but don’t rule out Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain, if he concludes that a return to England is not the right move for him.

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  Ready for the next step

  Something that does seem certain is that he will be ready for the next step come the end of the season.

  He gave a tantalising glimpse of his qualities in Dortmund's Champions League defeat to City earlier this month, scoring at the Etihad and imposing himself on Pep Guardiola’s star-studded team.

  He feels like the man to take England to the next level ahead of the World Cup, with Gareth Southgate facing scrutiny during this international window over how he handles the midfielder.

  Indeed, there are growing concerns that the manager's conservative tactics are stifling Bellingham's immense talent.

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  The future of England

  Bellingham’s versatility is a strength and has allowed Southgate to keep him involved over the past 18 months – but he needs to be given a defined role in the team.

  A midfield three with Declan Rice and Phil Foden would breathe life into an area of the pitch where England too often look short of inspiration – but would the risk-averse Southgate really veer so far away from the extra protection added by a Jordan Henderson or Kalvin Phillips?

  Mason Mount instead of Foden might provide more of a half-way house – but the Chelsea player’s best performances have come in a more attacking role for club and country.

  The feeling is that Bellingham is the future of England and that the midfield now needs to be built around Bellingham but, as once again underlined in last week's 1-0 loss to Italy, which relegated the Three Lions from the top tier of the Nations League, there are significant doubts over whether Southgate is capable of getting the very best out of the nation's best attacking talents.

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  Qatar calling

  Still, there is a growing clamour for Bellingham and Rice to make up two thirds of any England midfield at the World Cup. How Southgate chooses to supplement them is, of course, up to him. It's a decision that will likely define both England's tournament and, by consequence, the manager's legacy.

  What's clear, though, is that if Bellingham shines in Qatar, Dortmund can effectively name their price for their most valuable asset.

  He is already considered a potential era-defining talent. If he were to leave his mark on the 2022 World Cup, Bellingham will likely be a £100 million ($110m) player by this time next year, which narrows the field of potential destinations significantly…

It promises to be a busy month for the Red Devils as Erik ten Hag seeks to bolster his attacking ranks, but there may also be a few departures…

Manchester United have re-emerged as a formidable force at the start of the season and finally boast the strength in depth to cope with the demands of competing across four different fronts.

New manager Erik ten Hag signed six new players in the summer and all of them have integrated seamlessly into the squad, but pre-existing stars have fallen down the pecking order as a result.

It may be necessary for the Dutchman to trim the fat in the winter market, particularly as there may not be enough room for any further signings until the club's overall wage bill is reduced.

Permanent departures could be arranged for those who no longer appear to have a long-term future at Old Trafford, while others may be forced to go out on loan to continue their development.

GOAL runs down the players that may not be a part of United's plans in the new year…

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  Aaron Wan-Bissaka

  Wan-Bissaka was a guaranteed starter in his first two seasons at Old Trafford under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and arguably one of United's most consistent performers.

  However, questions have always been asked of the former Crystal Palace man's contribution going forward, as he has often been accused of playing with his head down and lacking the technical ability to take players on and deliver decisive passes.

  Wan-Bissaka has dropped completely out of favour since Ten Hag's arrival, playing only four minutes in the first half of the season, and United are reportedly ready to cut their losses.

  The 25-year-old won't fetch anywhere close to the £50 million he cost the club in 2019, but he's unlikely to go for peanuts either, given his contract is still due to run until 2024.

  A potential return to Palace has been mooted for Wan Bissaka, which might suit all parties concerned, and open up room for United to sign a new right-back to challenge Diogo Dalot for a regular starting spot.

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  Facundo Pellistri

  Pellistri was touted as a future star for United after joining from Penarol for £9 million in October 2020, having been followed by club scouts throughout the early stages of his career in Uruguay.

  Fast forward to the present day and the talented young winger, who was reportedly recommended to Old Trafford officials by former United striker Diego Forlan, is still waiting for his first senior appearance for the Red Devils.

  Pellistri returned to the club in the summer after a second loan spell at Alaves, and has been named among Ten Hag's substitutes on a number of occasions this season, but the Dutchman has been reluctant to hand him any minutes.

  Uruguay boss Diego Alonso took the decision to take the 20-year-old to the World Cup despite his lack of action in Manchester, and he was one of the few positives for La Celeste as they suffered a group-stage exit.

  Pellistri's efforts in Qatar are unlikely to change his situation at Old Trafford, with it reported that United are planning to send him back out on loan as soon as the transfer window re-opens.

  A permanent exit could even be on the cards for Pellistri, who looks as though he has very little chance of making it to the June 2025 expiry date in his contract.

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  Tenden Mengi

  Teden Mengi looked destined for a swift introduction to the United first team after graduating from the academy in 2019.

  The centre-back was handed his senior debut for the Red Devils in a Europa League clash with LASK in August 2020, but failed to kick on and ended up joining Derby County on loan the following February.

  Mengi signed a new contract at United a month later, but had to return early from Pride Park due to injury, and his fortunes did not improve in the first half of the 2021-22 season.

  Due to United's plethora of options in the heart of the defence, with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane all well ahead of him, Mengi once again struggled for a breakthrough after getting back to full fitness.

  Another loan move was arranged in January, this time to Birmingham City, but after an impressive start with the Blues, a recurring hamstring issue brought him crashing back down to earth.

  Mengi made a long-awaited return to the first-team fold during the World Cup break, but he suffered yet another injury in a friendly loss to Real Betis, and it has been reported that United could cut their losses on the 20-year-old in January.

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  Donny van de Beek

  The post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at United has produced a number of flops, including the likes of Angel Di Maria and Alexis Sanchez.

  The curious case of Donny van de Beek trumps them all, though, as few supporters understood why he was even a target when he arrived in Manchester from Ajax for £35 million in September 2020.

  Bruno Fernandes had already taken on the role of United's chief midfield creator after joining the club the previous January, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also had Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Fred and Scott McTominay to call upon in the middle of the park.

  There was never a spot open for Van de Beek in the first place, and he was restricted to just two Premier League starts for United before being loaned to Everton at the start of 2022.

  The 25-year-old was tipped for a major boost after reuniting with his former Ajax boss Ten Hag in the summer, but he has once again played a bit-part role for the Red Devils this season.

  Ten Hag has made it clear Van de Beek won't be loaned out again, but he could well be on the club's 'for sale' list in the new year. The United boss told reporters in November: "A loan doesn’t make sense. It’s either he finds himself and he proves himself in this atmosphere or he goes."

Cody Gakpo got off the mark at Anfield as 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic ran the show in Liverpool's Merseyside derby win over Everton.

Much has changed at Liverpool this season, and most of it for the worse, but their supremacy on Merseyside remains.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have had their struggles since the turn of the year, but they were too good for Everton here at Anfield, and the hope will be that this 2-0 derby win can inject some momentum into a stuttering campaign.

Victory came courtesy of a first-half strike from Mohamed Salah and a first Reds goal for Cody Gakpo after the break – both of them the result of lightning-quick counter-attacks. Everton, who arrived buoyed by their win over Arsenal last time out, offered precious little in response and their new manager, Sean Dyche, knows they still face a serious battle to avoid relegation this season. Defeat leaves the Toffees third from bottom in the Premier League, while Liverpool climb above fellow underperformers Chelsea into ninth.

Here are the winners and losers from an eventful night…

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  The Winners

  Mohamed Salah:

  Thirteen seconds. That was all it took to turn panic into delirium, and end a goal drought that was starting to get more than a little worrying for Liverpool’s Egyptian King. Everton thought they had the lead when James Tarkowski climbed highest to meet Alex Iwobi’s high, hanging corner in the 35th minute, but by the time the clock struck 36 they were behind. Tarkowski’s header hit the post, Liverpool broke and Darwin Nunez picked the perfect pass for Salah, who took advantage of some woeful positioning from Jordan Pickford to prod in his 18th goal of the season, and spark wild celebrations on the Kop. He had a hand in his side’s second goal too, his pass allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold to set up Gakpo for a far-post tap-in, and while he was unable to inflict further damage, Klopp will have been delighted to see his star man back on the scoresheet, and back smiling.

  Cody Gakpo:

  And on the seventh day, Liverpool’s new boy introduced himself properly. It’s been a tough start to life at Anfield for Gakpo, but he’ll have gone to bed with a great big smile on his face tonight, having grabbed his first Reds goal, and in the game which matters most to his new supporters. The Dutchman was perfectly-placed at the far post to tap home Alexander-Arnold’s immaculate low cross and give his side what proved to be an unassailable two-goal lead. The relief was clear on the 23-year-old’s face, and also in his performance across the next half hour, as he tore into Everton with the kind of confidence, purpose and quality we associated with him in his time at PSV Eindhoven. He left to a standing ovation, and a bear hug from Klopp. Job done. The first one is usually the hardest, now we can really start to see what the £44 million ($53m) man is made of.

  Stefan Bajcetic:

  Liverpool’s present and its future, all wrapped up in one very special young footballer. To boss a game like this at 18 takes some doing, but Bajcetic accomplished it. He was brilliant from start to finish, reading the game expertly, taking the ball anywhere and tackling like it meant something. One challenge, on Alex Iwobi, led to Liverpool’s second goal, another interception and forward burst should have led to another for Salah. Everton, in Abdoulaye Doucoure, Idrissa Gueye and the highly-rated Amadou Onana, had legs and experience in midfield, but Liverpool had the game’s best player, with Bajcetic’s calmness and class bringing out improvement in both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who had their best games for a while. Older fans may remember a teenager called Billy Kenny dominating a derby match for Everton back in the early days of the Premier League. He was never able to fulfil his rich potential, as it turned out, but hopes are high that Bajcetic can become a star for Liverpool. Here, we saw why everyone at Anfield is so excited by him.

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  The Losers

  Jordan Pickford:

  Where was he going? What was he thinking? The Everton goalkeeper doesn’t have great memories of Anfield, and he won’t want to remember his latest visit in a hurry either. It was his error that opened the game up. The England international is always keen to get himself involved, but he badly misjudged his charge from the line as Liverpool broke, nine minutes before half-time. With Pickford in no man’s land, Salah had the simple task of poking the opening goal home. Everton never recovered, and though Pickford made a couple of decent saves to deny Nunez and Salah in the second half, he made a fool of himself again late on, rushing out of his goal to confront Andy Robertson, who simply laughed in response. A yellow card, to go with another derby howler. Pickford won’t want to return any time soon.

  Ellis Simms:

  As one youngster thrived in the cut and thrust of a derby, so another faded into the background. Simms was a surprise choice by Dyche to lead the line for Everton. The 22-year-old had only started one Premier League game before this one, and had spent the first four months of this season on loan at Sunderland in the Championship. But with Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured – again – Dyche overlooked both Neal Maupay and Demarai Gray and went with the wildcard option. It didn’t pay off. Simms looked out of his depth against Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, with Everton offering zero by way of attacking threat as a result. He lasted an hour before being replaced by Gray – an indictment of Maupay’s struggles, to say the least – and it will be a surprise if we see him in a game of this size again any time soon. Everton need Calvert-Lewin back sharpish.

  Sean Dyche:

  Maybe Dycheball isn’t all that hard to stop after all. After the joy of Arsenal, Evertonians were brought back down to earth here, reminded that while they may have a new manager who bans hats and snoods and makes them train with long socks and shinpads, they also have a team that lacks balance and quality, and which has been in and around the relegation zone for more than 12 months. Dyche may reflect on fine margins – how different the world may look had Tarkowski’s header dropped in – but he will know deep down that Everton were second best in all departments here. What will hurt him most is that they were outbattled as well as outplayed. He has a job on his hands to keep this side up. Leeds on Saturday is huge.

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  Liverpool Ratings: Defence

  Alisson Becker (6/10):

  Did what he had to do well.

  Trent Alexander-Arnold (7/10):

  Superb assist for Gakpo and defended well for the most part.

  Joel Matip (7/10):

  One early slip aside, he was dominant and caused problems when stepping into midfield.

  Joe Gomez (7/10):

  Too good for the inexperienced Simms. He and Matip needed this performance.

  Andy Robertson (7/10):

  A bundle of energy, and earned major kudos from the home fans when laughing in Pickford's face after a tussle late on.

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  Midfield

  Fabinho (7/10):

  Much better. Not perfect, but much better.

  Stefan Bajcetic (9/10):

  Outstanding. Plays like a veteran, full of confidence and game understanding. A hell of a prospect.

  Jordan Henderson (7/10):

  Set the tone with a diligent first-half performance, and helped Liverpool dominate. A big step forward.