Kelsey Plum hit the game-winning shot for Phantom in a 72-68 win over Rose in Unrivaled on Friday night. The victory clinched the top seed for Phantom in the Unrivaled playoffs, who finish the regular season 11-3.
With the target score set at 72 after Phantom finished the third quarter with a 60-56 lead, Rose cut its deficit to 64-63 on a layup by Sug Sutton. Plum and Angel Reese then traded 3-pointers to keep it a one-point game at 67-66. But Plum then followed with another 3 to put Phantom one basket away from the win.
Advertisement
A Lexie Hull layup made it a 70-68 game, but Rose couldn’t get the defensive stop it needed on Phantom’s next possession. Dribbling off a screen by Kiki Iriafen at the left wing, Plum drove into the lane and hit a short jumper over Hull for the win.
Advertisement
Plum finished with a game-high 35 points (hitting 6-of-12 3-pointers) with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Tiffany Hayes followed with 17 points, adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists, while Iriafen scored 14 points and grabbed 14 boards.
Rose was led by Reese’s 17 points and 8 rebounds, with Kahleah Copper adding 16 points. At 6-8, Rose will be in the playoffs as the No. 5 seed.
Advertisement
Phantom finished last in Unrivaled last year at 4-10, but drafted Plum for this season and she made a big impact, scoring 22.6 points per game.
Advertisement
“I was just super-grateful for the opportunity; I don’t take that lightly,” Plum said afterward, via broadcaster Wendell Epps. “I was excited to come to a team that was in last place. For me, I want to affect winning at the highest level.”
With its 11-3 record, Phantom finished ahead of Mist (10-4) for the top seed in the playoffs. Mist defeated Vinyl earlier on Friday, 72-62, and would have tied for the best record if Phantom had lost. However, the first tiebreaker is head-to-head record and Phantom won both of the matchups with Mist, 64-61 on Jan. 12 and 83-71 on Feb. 7.
Advertisement
The Unrivaled playoffs begin Saturday with first-round games in Miami scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET and 9:45 p.m. ET. Phantom and Mist will get first-round byes, while Laces face Vinyl and Breeze matches up versus Rose.
Advertisement
The two semifinal contests will be played in Brooklyn on March 2, followed by the championship game in Miami on March 4.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Chris Kreider beat Connor Hellebuyck off a rebound at 4:47 of overtime to give the Anaheim Ducks a 5-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.
Beckett Sennecke kept the puck and shot on a two-on-one break, with Kreider backhanding the loose puck in at the side of the net.
After Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov and Ryan Poehling scored third-period goals to give Anaheim a 4-3 lead, Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor tied it with 1:22 left and Hellebuyck off for an extra attacker.
Hellebuyck made 35 saves in his first game since backstopping the United States to Olympic gold.
Advertisement
Jacob Trouba also scored for Anaheim, Sennecke had three assists and Lukas Dostal made 29 saves. The Ducks have won seven in a row at home and 11 of 13 overall.
Anaheim won two nights after returning from the break to beat Edmonton at home for coach Joel Quenneville’s 1,000th NHL victory. The Ducks have five games left on a nine-game homestand.
Winnipeg rookie defenseman Elias Salomonsson had his first NHL goal and Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi also scored. Well back in the race for a playoff spot, Winnipeg has a game left on three-game trip before an eight-game homestand.
LaTroy Lewis’ time as a member of the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff lasted less than a month. The team dismissed him Friday after sexual assault allegations surfaced.
The allegations are tied to a December 2024 hotel incident during Lewis’ time with the Michigan football coaching staff. The Falcons released a statement Friday saying the organization was aware of the claims made against the team’s former assistant defensive line coach.
“We are aware of allegations regarding LaTroy Lewis,” the Falcons said. “We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.”
LaTroy Lewis of the Tennessee Volunteers watches from the sideline during a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium Nov. 29, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
In a statement obtained by ESPN, Michigan spokesperson Paul Corliss called the allegations “deeply concerning.”
Attorney Fabiola A. Galguera said Lewis “intends to fiercely fight these false allegations with the support of his wife, family and my team.”
Fox News Digital was unable to reach Lewis for comment.
Advertisement
Lewis served as a graduate assistant at Michigan in 2022 and was promoted to assistant defensive line coach for the next two seasons.
“The Ann Arbor Police Department was just recently made aware of allegations regarding a sexual assault reported to have occurred on December 5, 2024. The suspect in this investigation is LaTroy Lewis,” Ann Arbor Police spokesperson Chris Page said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
An Atlanta Falcons helmet on the field before a game between the Falcons and the Carolina Panthers Dec. 8, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.(David John Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“The AAPD Detective Bureau launched an immediate investigation into the incident. This investigation remains active and ongoing.”
Karen Truszkowski, the attorney for the woman accusing Lewis of sexual assault, said her client filed an incident report with Ann Arbor police and requested a protective order against Lewis.
Advertisement
The woman and Lewis connected on a dating app in July 2024, and she claims his behavior became aggressive via text message and phone calls, according to Truszkowski. They met for the first time at an Ann Arbor hotel in December 2024, when she told police Lewis raped her, according to Truszkowski.
The Milford Police Department in Michigan responded the next month to a 911 call from the woman’s neighbors, who heard raised voices, according to Truszkowski. The attorney said her client and Lewis told the police that their argument was not physical.
Truszkowski said her client told Milford police that Lewis was an assistant defensive line coach at Michigan, saying she didn’t want to talk about it. She was hesitant to tell the police at the time that Lewis had physically abused her, according to Truszkowski.
FILE – This is a 2019 photo of LaTroy Lewis of the Tennessee Titans NFL football team. This image reflects the Tennessee Titans active roster as of May 23, 2019 when this image was taken. (AP Photo, file)
Fox News Digital submitted a request to the Ann Arbor Police to obtain the police report and protection order tied to the allegations against Lewis.
Advertisement
Lewis coached under former Michigan coaches Sherrone Moore and Jim Harbaugh. Moore was fired in December after allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and being charged with three crimes, including felony home invasion and stalking.
The woman who accused Lewis reportedly shared details of the incident with Moore, according to her attorney. However, Truszkowski said Moore ultimately chose not to report Lewis and instead sent her client lewd, sexually explicit text messages.
Moore’s attorney denied the claims.
“Sherrone Moore did not fail to report misconduct, did not reward wrongdoing and did not harass anyone,” Moore’s lawyer, Ellen K. Michaels, said in a statement to ESPN. “These claims are false.”
“As we have noted, the university launched an investigation of the circumstances and conduct leading to Sherrone Moore’s firing as well as a broader culture review of the athletic department,” Corliss said in a statement.
“We continue to urge anyone with relevant information to reach out to the law firm conducting the investigation.
Lewis played linebacker at Tennessee before signing with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and appearing in the preseason. He later spent time with the Texans and Titans and coached at Toledo last season.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has been rumored to be on the trade block for the past few weeks. However, NFL insider Peter Schrager provided an update on his situation.
During an appearance on the “Pat McAfee” show on Friday, Schrager shut down these rumors involving the trade of Brown. He said that the Eagles are not looking to part ways with the wide receiver. However, he also expects GM Howie Roseman to keep his ears open for the offers they get for him.
Thanks for the submission!
Advertisement
“At the trade deadline, Howie Roseman told everyone, ‘No, we’re not trading A.J. Brown.’” Schrager said. “And then, you got to this media availability. What he said was, of couse, I always listen. Like I said, A.J. Brown’s Twitter handle is always open. Howie Roseman is always listening.
Advertisement
•
“But I will also add this, he is not on the block by any means. They are not proactively trading A.J. Brown. They are not shopping Brown. But he (Roseman) will always have his phone line open. The issue is for the Eagles, if they trade him before June 1st, it cost them $40 million dollars in dead cap money. They trade him after June 1st, it gets a lot less financially prohibitive.”
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
The Tennessee Titans traded Brown to the Eagles back in 2022. He initially agreed to a four-year deal worth $100 million. In April 2024, they offered him a three-year extension worth $96 million.
Advertisement
Last season, the Super Bowl LIX champion recorded 1,003 yards on 78 receptions and seven touchdowns. However, Brown also made headlines because of a rumored rift in his relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts. This triggered the rumor mill to churn about him potentiall parting ways with the Eagles.
NFL analyst discusses the reason why the Eagles are not trading A.J. Brown
On Friday, analyst Louis Riddick discussed a potential reason as to why the Eagles are not trading A.J. Brown. According to him, it is because other teams are not willing to offer them the trade value that they’re asking for.
Advertisement
“Look, they just need to. It just seems like they need to go their separate ways here,” Riddick said on ‘Get Up.’ “Look, there’s just too much smoke around this situation all the time. You have to make tough decision, this is one of those situations where I feel like that’s where it basically needs to go.
“I may be wrong, he maybe be on a football team in 2026, they may sau, ‘Look, we’re not going to get a fair value for this young man on the trade market, so we’re just going to keep him here regardless of how it looks from the outside.”
In seven seasons in the NFL, Brown has recorded 8,029 yards and 56 touchdowns receiving.
This wasn’t a matchup we hadever seen before, Auburn vs Nebraska on the diamond. In fact, going to any SEC team for a weekend series isn’t something we see very often at all. But the way the NCAA Tournament Committee has been rewarding teams that have a tough non-conference schedule, it will probably become a more common sight. And with how good of a game we saw tonight, it would be a welcome one.
For the first time this season, the game had a true Friday night feeling as the teams rolled out top flight starters to begin a series. Nebraska with Ty Horn and Auburn with Virginia Tech transfer Jake Marciano, and they were dueling early on. They combined to strike out 7 batters in the first two innings.
Advertisement
Auburn was the first to strike in the 3rd inning. Mason McCraine singled through the right side of the infield, and stole second base. His brother, Brandon hit a choppy grounder to Husker third baseman Josh Overbeek who was unable to come up with it. A sac fly brought 1 run home. Then Horn slipped covering a bunt, potentially another out awarded to the Tigers. a 3-2 count walk, loaded the bases for Auburn, and back to back singles made it 4-0. In the middle of all that, Horn and Worthley also got crossed up on the pitch call, despite wearing the communication devices. Just a bad half inning all around.
Advertisement
The Huskers would respond in the next half inning. Case Sanderson singled to lead off. Overbeek and Dylan Carey both stuck out on 3-2 pitches, including Sandy, that was 3 batters in a row that got to a full count. DH Cole Kitchens had no interest in working a full count, driving his first pitch off the War Eagle Wall (Auburn’s version of Fenway’s Green Monster) for an RBI double. Nebraska left fielder Will Jesske hammered a ball (on a full count!) to the nearly the same spot, trading places with Kitchens and cutting the lead to 4-2.
Jesske has had a lot of pop in his bat to start the season, the only issue is he has played at some of the biggest and strangest laid out outfield fences you can find. Had Nebraska played all their games in places like Haymarket Park, Jesske could very well be leading the nation in home runs. Could that be foreshadowing?!
Advertisement
Auburn added a run back in the 4th, ending Horn’s day at 3.2 innings pitched, with 4 earned runs allowed, on 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Things went sideways quick on him, for the first time in quite a few outings, as he was clutch down the stretch for Nebraska last year and had been off to a good start to 2026.
Marciano was able to make it only through 5 himself, as the Huskers were able to work him deep into counts often, and he chased the strikeouts, all 9 of them, but allowed zero walks. Nebraska would strike out 18 times in the 10 inning game, but despite the numerous deep counts, end up with zero walks. That shows you how ready you have to be in the batters box, but also how predictable the pitches can be when they get to a count with 3 balls.
Advertisement
The bullpens led by Cooper Katskee for the Huskers and Jett Johnston for the Tigers took over, tossing up zeros until Nebraska broke through in the 8th. Mac Moyer reached on an error, Case Sanderson ripped a single into center field, and Overbeek loaded the bases by taking a ball to the elbow.
The exact man Coach Will Bolt and Husker fans everywhere would want up for the situation strode to the plate, in Dylan Carey. Despite being 0-3 on the night, Carey worked it to a 3-2 count, and as stated above, got a predicable strike right over the middle of the plate and smashed the 51st double of his career to the War Eagle Wall. Two pitches later Cole Kitchens tied the game with a double into the right field corner. Overbeek scored on thr play, and Dylan Carey may have been able to score the go ahead run, but went back to tag up as the fielder seemed to get close to catching it on the fly from his perspective.
J’Shawn Unger took over on the mound in the 8th for NU, and despite a rocky inning with a walk, wild pitch, and unintentional/intentional walk, Unger was able to come up with a big strikeout to hold the tigers off the board.
After the Auburn closer struck out the side, Unger need only 7 pitches to retire the Tigers and send the game to extra innings.
Advertisement
Advertisement
The 10th started with a bang, as Sanderson collected his team leading 3rd hit of the night, a double into the left field corner. Overbeek hit a ball to the right side to move Sandy over to third and bring up that man again, Dylan Carey. Carey continued his hot streak, hitting a single to left and claiming his 3rd RBI of the night and team leading 15th RBI on the season in only 8 games. Devin Nunez added a base hit putting runners on 1st and 2nd for Jesske. This time Jesske conquered the War Eagle Wall, blasting his 3rd home run of the season and increasing his RBI total on the day to 4, putting his team up 9-5.
Nebraska would need every single one of those runs as they have struggled at the closer position to start the season. Kevin Mannell would be passed over, as the team tried other options. Unger gave up a 1 out single. The runner advanced to 2nd without a throw, then came around to score on a single. Caleb Clark came in to face a left handed batter and surrendered a 3-2 walk. Freshman Jace Ziola replaced Clark and gave up an 0-2 RBI single. A passed ball and 4 pitch walk loaded the bases.
Nebraska then turned to Pryce Bender, who was able to induce a ground ball which Carey snagged at short despite the runner and Overbeek both flashing in front of him. A run did score on the play, cutting the Husker lead down to 9-8. The best hitter for Auburn stepped to the plate with the tying run on 3rd and winning run on 2nd. Bender was able to get him to pop up on his first pitch and secure the win for Unger and a save for himself, albeit in nail-biting fashion.
Advertisement
Advertisement
This was the first Nebraska regular season win at an SEC field since 2014, and their 2nd win over a ranked team in a row. They did it by continually putting pressure on the Auburn pitchers, getting 6 lead off hitters on out of 10. Number of pitches is a big thing, but number of pitches under pressure is just an extra bit of stress on an arm. Nebraska is going to have to cut down on the strikeout numbers on offense if they want to win this series. They should go down a bit, as Auburn did use both of their closers and their top strikeout starter, but the rest of the staff is just as stingy on handing out walks, so get ready!
The Huskers go for the series win Saturday at 2pm CT.
WASHINGTON — Pierre-Luc Dubois had two goals and an assist to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.
All three of Washington’s goals came in the second period, with Jakob Chychrun adding his 22nd of the season. Braeden Bowman and Tomas Hertl scored in the third for the Golden Knights.
The Capitals pulled within two points of the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division and within two of Boston for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card. Washington is 2-0 since the Olympic break and has won six of its last seven.
The Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights had a three-game winning streak snapped despite the return of five Olympians. Vegas was without two Americans (Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin) and three Canadians (Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and Shea Theodore) in Wednesday’s win over Los Angeles. All were back on the ice Friday.
Advertisement
The Golden Knights scored five third-period goals in that 6-4 victory over the Kings and they nearly pulled off a big comeback at Washington. Bowman broke up Logan Thompson’s shutout bid early in the third, and Hertl’s power-play goal made it 3-2 with 10:45 still to play, but that was as close as Vegas could come.
Stone was called for high-sticking with 4:24 left, but Thompson still had to come up big on short-handed chances by Brayden McNabb and Marner.
Dubois beat Akira Schmid high to the blocker side 49 seconds into the second to open the scoring. Just over 2 1/2 minutes later, Aliaksei Protas found Dubois in front with a nice pass for a 2-0 lead.
Chychrun’s shot from the right circle sneaked under the crossbar to make it 3-0.
Advertisement
The line of Dubois, Protas and Tom Wilson was on the ice for all three of Washington’s goals, along with defenseman Rasmus Sandin. Protas and Sandin had two assists each.
Dubois had no points in his first six games this season and had surgery for injuries to his abdominal and adductor muscles. He has three goals and two assists in three games since returning.
He looks set to return to action in the summer, and has been linked to a showdown against fellow unbeaten fighter Keyshawn Davis.
Advertisement
Multi-weight champion Jones thinks Haney would be wise to indeed take that bout next, explaining to All The Smoke Fight that the longer ‘The Dream’ waits, the better Davis will get.
“If Keyshawn comes up or if they even do a catch weight of 143 144, it’s going to be a very interesting fight because I think Devin has more tools and more IQ right now. But Keyshawn is different.
“So, you got to have that intangible about him where he can be a different guy when it’s time to be a different guy. You can never count him out. How if I was pushing Keyshawn, I would have another fight or two before I fight Devin just for experience purposes.
“And if I was Devin, I would try to jump on it right now before he gets those couple fights because the more experience he gets, the harder he going to become to beat.”
Davis won the WBO lightweight title last year but recently stepped up to 140lbs – after failing to make weight in what was would have been his first defence at 135 – to claim a stoppage victory over Jamaine Ortiz in January.
Advertisement
He called out Haney immediately after the win, seemingly happy to move straight to welterweight for the challenge, though has since also floated the idea of facing Lamont Roach Jr.
Namestnikov was injured after he was tripped, causing him to collide with teammate Adam Lowry late in the second period. The 33-year-old was able to skate off on his own power, but went straight to the locker room for further evaluation.
Namestnikov, in his 13th NHL season and fourth in Winnipeg, has seven goals and 13 points in 56 games for the Jets this season.
He was selected 27th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2011 NHL Draft.
When the mystery figure was eventually unmasked, you likely would have expected somebody like Grayson Waller, but when Logan Paul finally did it, the result was rather unexpected.
For some context, the mystery masked figure has been tormenting The Vision for a little while now, hitting the stomp and attacking various members. It was teased as being Seth Rollins, but even those in WWE openly admitted that it doesn’t make sense, as Rollins is still a while away from his actual return from injury. With two more members of The Vision injured, it has led to a bit of a crisis. Regardless, Logan Paul managed to sneak his way into the main event, where he faced Jacob Fatu to replace Jey Uso in the Elimination Chamber match.
Advertisement
Thanks for the submission!
Right towards the end of the match, the masked figure attacked Austin Theory, but Paul intercepted him and knocked him out. When he removed the mask, it was a plant – an unknown name and face with no connection to anybody. There was confusion all around, as many expected it to be someone like Grayson Waller. Instead, WWE threw a wrench and added a twist by putting an unknown figure in the mask.
Advertisement
In all likelihood, this means that the masked figure is still at large and that this was simply a plant meant to throw the members of The Vision off. Logan Paul would also end up qualifying for the Elimination Chamber match when he beat Jacob Fatu courtesy of a Drew McIntyre assist.
Why did you not like this content?
Advertisement
Was this article helpful?
Thank You for feedback
Read all the hottest WWE news from Sportskeeda by choosing us as your preferred source. Click HERE.
This September, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will revisit their rivalry in one of the standout events of the 2026 boxing calendar. Ahead of the rematch, former WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis has offered his thoughts.
In an interview with FightHype, Davis spoke with excitement ahead of the battle, but admitted that he gives Floyd Mayweather the edge, due to the fact that he already holds a win over ‘Pac Man’.
“It’s a legendary fight.
I feel like it’s going to be a different fight, they are at two different ages, they are well past their [initial] retirements. They were both retired for a long time and I think that it’s going to be a different fight, so the fans are definitely going to be tuning in.
“Floyd [has the advantage], for sure, he already won the first time. You are only as good as your last performance [against each other], [in the] last performance, Floyd won.
“Both of their reflexes and timing still ain’t there but, I’m going to say this though, Pacquiao’s last performance was crazy, against a younger fighter too. Floyd has also been doing lots of exhibitions, so they have both been kind of active, but I can only judge off their last fight.”
Advertisement
Before rematching Pacquiao, Mayweather first takes on heavyweight icon Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout which is reported to be in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday, April 25.
Trent Alexander-Arnold had always looked irreplaceable. The remarkable passing range and pinpoint crossing that made him unique meant no successor would ever be a duplicate. But if Jeremie Frimpong has proved Anfield’s answer to the Real Madrid Alexander-Arnold, it has been in an unwanted respect. Frimpong’s injury-interrupted time at Liverpool mirrors Alexander-Arnold’s stop-start beginning to life at the Bernabeu.
The Netherlands international is poised to return against West Ham on Saturday. A man who barely missed a game for Bayer Leverkusen has had three hamstring injuries in England. Proof the physicality of the league can be tough to adjust to, Arne Slot has often said.
And for the first time in a month, Liverpool will be able to call upon a right-back who actually is a right-back; apart, anyway, from Calvin Ramsay, granted one start in the Carabao Cup, one minute in the FA Cup and neither in the Premier League.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s player of the season, has been dragged into right back from midfield far more often than Arne Slot would have liked (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
This has been the season of seven right-backs for Liverpool and, of the seven, Ramsay has played least. It could have been eight, had they got their way at the end of the winter window, when they tried to sign Lutsharel Geertruida on loan. The Dutchman has something in common with Alexander-Arnold having each played right-back for Slot in a title-winning campaign; one for Feyenoord, the other for Liverpool.
Advertisement
Of the Liverpool septet – at times, more makeshift than magnificent seven – one is a centre-back by trade, in Joe Gomez, and three are midfielders, in Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai. It has felt Liverpool’s cursed position: Conor Bradley missed the start of the season and will miss the rest of it, after undergoing knee surgery. Endo will sit out much of the rest of it with a foot problem which he incurred playing right-back; and probably only doing so because Szoboszlai was suspended following a sending off operating there. Gomez’s appearances have been rationed for fear he would get injured again. He, too, has had three spells on the sidelines this season.
There is a case – though the evidence is limited by his bit-part role – that Gomez is Liverpool’s best defensive right-back; they have three clean sheets in the six games he has started there. Frimpong may be the best attacking one: indeed, he was initially not trusted to operate in the back four by Slot, who sometimes instead selected him as a winger, but he brought dynamism around the turn of the year.
Bradley may be the best all-round right-back. Szoboszlai, indisputably, is the best all-round footballer, with his issues perhaps occurring due to an unfamiliarity with the position. The other problem is that he can be a first-choice in multiple positions at the same time: Slot started to turn the tide after Liverpool’s awful start at Nottingham Forest on Sunday by moving Szoboszlai into midfield and swapping Jones to right-back.
It probably wasn’t a scenario Slot envisaged last summer. Replacing Alexander-Arnold has come with more difficulties than expected. “Only because of the reason you said,” replied Slot, referencing injuries. He is happy with the two specialists, the homegrown and the purchased.
Advertisement
Jeremie Frimpong could return from injury to face West Ham at Anfield (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“We believe, I truly believe, in these two as quality players,” he added. “They are young and need time to develop. Jeremie is a bit older but comes from a different league so he always needed time to adapt. Conor is a young player who only played 30 games in the Premier League before the start of this season but we all saw his potential and still see his potential so if both of them would have been fit, I think we would have had and still have two great replacements for Trent.”
At Anfield, Alexander-Arnold was one of the world’s best, in his inimitable way. Slot feels the Northern Irishman and the Dutchman have the ability to be in that bracket.
“Trent ended at a level at this club – he probably didn’t start at that level – that is so high, they are not easy shoes to fill,” Slot continued. “But we believe and I still believe in the fact that these two can grow to a similar level; different qualities but to a similar level that Trent was when he left. the biggest thing is that both of them haven’t been available and that has been the biggest struggle to replace Trent.”
Advertisement
The struggle, in part, has been the constant instability, or the fact it keeps taking Szoboszlai out of the midfield. Liverpool lack a regular right-back but they have had some outstanding displays there: most recently Jones against Brighton in the FA Cup, perhaps most memorably Bradley’s annual tour de force against Real Madrid.
Szoboszlai was superb away at Newcastle, at home to Arsenal and, despite his eventual dismissal, against Manchester City. He may be more relieved than most to see Frimpong fit again. In November, Slot said he didn’t expect that in February or March Szoboszlai would play every game as a winger or a full-back. On the last day of the month, Liverpool finally have a right-back available again. For now, anyway.
