On Friday, Arne Slot considered the number of league goals Liverpool’s forwards have scored this season and said simply: “That is not enough.” If the message was conveyed privately to his players, they were swift to provide the right kind of answer. Hugo Ekitike scored inside five minutes against West Ham on Saturday. Cody Gakpo ended his own drought.

As no Liverpool attacker had found the net in their previous three Premier League matches, it was a step in the right direction. And yet Slot’s overall analysis probably still rings true to him: Liverpool, who spent £200m on strikers last summer, have too few goals from the front three. Certainly they have a lot fewer than last year.

After 28 league matches of last season, Liverpool’s six main forwards had 51 goals. Now that number is down to 26, little more than half. The first may represent more than could realistically be expected, the second fewer.

Some of the explanation lies in the breakdown of who has scored – or, this season, who has not.

2024-25 (first 28 league games only): Mohamed Salah 25, Luis Diaz 9, Gakpo 8, Diogo Jota 5, Darwin Nunez 4, Federico Chiesa 0.

2025-26: Ekitike 11, Gakpo 6, Salah 4, Chiesa 2, Alexander Isak 2, Rio Ngumoha 1.

There is a case for adding Florian Wirtz into the equation, given that he was the third major attack-minded signing last summer and that some of his minutes have come when playing on the wings, though the majority have come as a No 10. If so, the 2025-26 forwards tally goes up to 30.

It may be simplifying matters but the drop-off can be traced to two players: Salah and Isak. Even by the Egyptian’s standards, he was scoring at a remarkable rate in the first two-thirds of last season, averaging a goal every 99 minutes, allying them with 17 assists. His numbers had tailed off even before the end of a campaign that ended with him anointed PFA Player of the Year and Footballer of the Year. Now, however, Salah has his smallest return at the start of March in his time at Anfield. He has gone four months – albeit interrupted by a spell on the bench and the African Cup of Nations – without a Premier League goal.

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Then there is Isak. After Newcastle had played 28 top-flight games last season, the Swede had 19 goals in the division. At one every 109 minutes, he was almost in Salah territory. If some of Liverpool’s thinking was that, as Salah got older, Isak would assume the goalscoring mantle, his fragile fitness means he has not yet. A broken leg accounts for his absence now, incurred a fraction of a second after scoring just his second Premier League goal. They have come in 519 minutes. Salah, meanwhile, averages one every 429.

Each may be paying a penalty for Liverpool’s lack of spot kicks. Slot is aware it is a factor. Liverpool got nine, the joint most in the division, last year. So far this, they have been awarded two, the joint fewest, and Dominik Szoboszlai missed one of those.

But Salah and Isak’s numbers are down in other respects. Twelve months ago, they had overperformed their expected goals by 4.77 and 3.29 respectively. Now they have underperformed them, Salah by 2.78. The Egyptian’s xG per 90 minutes has halved, from 0.73 to 0.36. His shot count is down, but not as dramatically.

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For Isak, semi-fit for some of his time on the pitch with Liverpool, his shot count is reduced from 2.97 per minutes to 2.60, his xG from 0.68 to 0.48; again, the average quality of the chance is not as high.

In the rest of the forward line, the evidence is mixed. Chiesa and Ngumoha have overperformed their xG and have excellent goal-per-minute ratios, but have one league start between them. Ekitike and Gakpo have underperformed theirs; but, in the Frenchman’s defence, he was perhaps not bought to be the top scorer in his debut season and he is. When the final whistle blew on Saturday, only three players had more Premier League goals.

Go back a year, meanwhile, and Gakpo and Diaz could call themselves clinical, each with a goal tally that exceeded his xG. The late Jota and, unsurprisingly, Nunez had fewer than the statistics suggested they should.

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A year ago, Liverpool’s attacking numbers – goals, xG – were far and away the best. Now they stand fourth, or close to it, in most markers. Some it comes down to chance creation. Their six forwards have 15 Premier League assists now. A year ago, Salah had 17 on his own, the others 11 between them.

Salah’s shift from unstoppable to unexpectedly impotent has come quicker than envisaged; indeed, Liverpool scored five goals on Saturday without him scoring or assisting. Isak’s injuries and ineffectiveness are another factor in a drop-off. If Ekitike should be exempt from much of the criticism, Slot’s verdict probably still stands. Twenty-six goals from their forwards is not really enough.

Form WWDWW: Manchester United are desperate to return to the Champions League after a two-season absence and are flying under caretaker boss Michael Carrick. He has six wins and a draw from his seven games, taking 19 points from 21.

What Carrick says: [On going third] “It doesn’t mean an awful lot at the moment. It’s nice, of course it is. We want to keep progressing and moving up the table as much as we can and in that respect, it’s a step today.”

Run-in: Newcastle (A), Aston Villa (H), Bournemouth (A), Leeds (H), Chelsea (A), Brentford (H), Liverpool (H), Sunderland (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Brighton (A).

Chances: United are the form horse, without Europe or the FA Cup to distract them, and they are looking favourites to make it back to the Champions League.

South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs and George Linde walk off the field, after winning the T20 World Cup cricket match between South Africa and Zimbabwe, as Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza wears the cap, in New Delhi, India, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo)

TimesofIndia.com in New Delhi: “Even though there are bruises, we will look to win and earn respect,” said Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza before facing India in the T20 World Cup Super Eight. But then they were hammered for 256 runs, just days after being wacked around for 254 runs by West Indies. Despite going for 510 runs in two matches, on the eve of the contest against South Africa, Zimbabwe bowling consultant Courtney Walsh reiterated that their achievements – beating Sri Lanka and Australia in the group stage – cannot be ignored. “We wanted to make a statement here and I think the performance showed itself,” he said.A day later, Zimbabwe restored their pride and respect by pushing the Proteas at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi which witnessed nearly 20,000 spectators on a hot Sunday afternoon. Following their 5-wicket win, South Africa have maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament. They will now approach the semi-final against New Zealand, to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 4, with seven consecutive wins.

Raza, rather fittingly, led Zimbabwe’s effort in creating yet another upset in the competition. He scored 73 from 43 balls, laden with eight fours and four sixes, taking the side to 153/7, before chipping in with 3/29 from his four overs, including a first-over strike to dismiss Quinton de Kock and adding to South Africa’s troubles with wickets of Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis.Even though South Africa lost four wickets in the first 10 overs, they remained ahead of the scoring curve, producing 93 runs at the halfway mark. With Brevis falling not long after, Zimbabwe possibly had reason to believe. Was another upset in the offing? Were Zimbabwe on the cusp of beating their ‘big brother’?Those faint hopes were dashed by Tristan Stubbs (unbeaten 21 off 24) and George Linde (unbeaten 30 from 21 balls), stitching an unbroken stand of 53 runs from 43 balls.Earlier, Raza’s sublime ball-striking stood out in an otherwise ordinary batting display by Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe captain Raza hammered 73 off 43 balls while the other batters struggled to find the same flow against high quality pace.The batters, barring Raza, tried to attack the likes of Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje and the in-form Lungi Ngidi but were unsuccessful.Brief Scores:Zimbabwe: 153/7 in 20 overs (Sikandar Raza 73; Kwena Maphaka 2/21).South Africa: 154/5 in 17.5 overs (Ryan Rickelton 31, Dewald Brevis 42, George Linde ; Sikandar Raza 3/29)

Tottenham interim head coach Igor Tudor took aim at his own players before he criticised “cheating” Fulham and “home team referee” Thomas Bramall after another defeat.

Spurs lost for a second time under Tudor, who switched to a back four for this London derby but watched his faltering group go behind after seven minutes.

Harry Wilson scored for Fulham but Tottenham were furious a slight push by Raul Jimenez on Radu Dragusin was not penalised, especially given they had a goal ruled out against Arsenal last Sunday for a similar push by Randal Kolo Muani on Gabriel Magalhaes.

“Of course it’s a foul,” Tudor insisted. “Nine out of 10 people will say it’s a foul, I believe, because it’s so obvious.

“Sometimes the criteria don’t have consistency. Last week what happened in our game against Arsenal, same thing.

“He (Jimenez) was not thinking about the ball, he was thinking how to cheat, so he cheated the player with pushing and they scored the goal. So it’s cheating and there’s the foul.”

Tudor added in his BBC Match of the Day interview: “I didn’t like the referee today, too much of a home team referee.

“I didn’t feel well with him. All the decisions were on their side. He doesn’t understand football, the feeling of what is wrong and what is right.”

Fulham doubled their advantage in the 34th minute when ex-Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi fired in from range and even though Spurs substitute Richarlison pulled one back, the club’s winless run has extended to a record-equalling 10 Premier League games.

Whilst West Ham lost at Liverpool on Saturday to stay four points behind 16th-placed Tottenham, the north London outfit remain in a precarious situation.

“The problems are much bigger, the problems are much bigger,” Tudor reflected.

“It’s a complicated situation. A lot of problems, I cannot tell you nothing new. Nothing new. We need to find the voices inside each of us.

“I said to the players, ‘it’s always what you’re going to do, what you want to do with yourself,’ you know?

“More personality, more wish to do before reacting, a lot of things.

“We lack when we attack, we are lacking the quality to score the goal, we are lacking in the middle to run and we are lacking behind to stay there to suffer and not concede the goal. So, an amazing situation.”

Spurs had been second-best for an hour until Tudor introduced Pape Sarr, Mathys Tel and Richarlison.

Asked if he wanted to see more fight, Tudor responded: “I want to see everything more.

“Of course (substitutes) give something and of course we need that, Pedro (Porro) also, when Kevin (Danso) comes inside, personality and quality, so it changes. They bring this of course.

“This is the key also to have the players who can give this to the team. Too many players need the help from each other.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva refused to be drawn on their opener but claimed victory was deserved.

“No, I will not make any comments on it. Of course it is their opinion and I have to respect it,” Silva said.

“Of course the result, I believe the three points, (it’s) clear we deserve it. The score should be different with the amount of chances we created.

“Great performance from us.”

Chelsea have received nine dismissals across all competitions, although former manager Maresca, who was sent off for over‑celebrating a last‑minute winner against Liverpool, does not count in that total.

They are one short of equalling the joint record of eight different players sent off in a single season, held by Sunderland. They are two away from matching the Premier League record for the most red cards in a campaign.

This is far from a new issue.

Chelsea, bottom of the Premier League fair‑play table, finished second‑bottom last season under Maresca and bottom the year before under Mauricio Pochettino.

Maresca initially played down concerns before later launching his own review of the team’s indiscipline prior to his departure. Rosenior, meanwhile, believed he had tightened up Chelsea‘s disciplinary problems – only to see red cards return in consecutive matches.

“I have respect for the previous manager Enzo [Maresca]. I don’t speak about what happened before but it is starting to happen with me,” Rosenior said.

“That’s something I felt we had addressed. We went 10 games without a red card, now [we have had] two in two games and that’s a problem we need to solve.”

Why are Chelsea getting so many players sent off?

One possible factor, which is played down internally in west London, is that they have the youngest squad in the Premier League and lack natural leaders.

Former England defender Matthew Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It is costing them. I don’t think it is something you can address at this point – you’re in March.

“It is something that is said in pre‑season. It is cultural and you build it into the club. The players buy into it and they police it. It is about being measured and controlled at the right moment.

“Again, they are young as well. The younger you are, the more susceptible you are to those situations.”

One of the leaders tasked with helping halt Chelsea‘s disciplinary slide, Reece James, told Sky Sports: “Every time it’s someone different, not the same player. Internally we need to review and keep improving. It’s a problem.

“We are playing in the toughest league in the world — 11 v 11 is tough; 11 v 10 is even harder, no matter who you are playing.”

Akwa United FC defeated First Bank FC 2-0 on Sunday, March 1, 2026, to extend their lead at the top of the NNL Conference B table.

Akwa United had earlier beaten First Bank 3-1 away in Lagos in the reverse fixture, completing the double with this latest victory.

The home side started strongly at the Uyo Township Stadium. In the fifth minute, Emmanuel Charles controlled the ball well inside the box but his weak shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Nsikak Raphael also tried his luck from outside the area in the 10th minute, but his effort was blocked by a defender.

Paulinus Okon led several attacks in the first half, combining well with Daniel Gothom and Aniebiet Sunday, but could not find the final touch. Emmanuel Charles came close in first-half stoppage time, but his shot went just wide. The first half ended goalless.

Akwa United returned after the break with more purpose. Aniebiet Sunday and Emmanuel Charles both missed good chances before the breakthrough finally arrived in the 63rd minute. Yannick Menegbe delivered a fine cross into the box and Paulinus Okon rose highest to head the ball into the net.

Okon doubled the lead in the 75th minute to complete his brace and take his tally to four goals this season. He almost scored a third goal but his long-range effort missed the target.

The win was Akwa United’s eighth of the season and moved them four points clear at the top of the NNL Conference B table after 12 matches. They now have six matches left to play and will travel to face Osun United on matchday 13.

Speaking after the match, Coach Paul Offor expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance. He said:

“I am happy with the progress we are making. Today’s win was not a late winner or a narrow one-goal victory, which shows we are improving. We are also developing ways to break down opponents who sit back and defend. In the second half, we were able to open them up, create more space, and get our goals.”

He added: “From this point forward, every game we play is a final for us. We will approach each match with this mentality. If we want to secure promotion, we must ensure that after every matchday we remain on top of the league table.”

On Paulinus Okon, the two-goal hero of the match, Offor said:

“Paulinus is a brilliant player. Even with his skill on the ball, he still has the energy to cover the ground and help the team. We are very happy with his performance this season. Every time he is on the field, we know something special can happen, which is why we try to keep him playing as long as possible. His First Class degree shows he is hardworking, and that dedication shows in his game.”

Offor also confirmed the absence of striker Michael Okenwa, explaining:

“Michael was released to attend his mother’s funeral. He will return to the squad on Monday.”

He praised the fans for their support, saying:

“We love our supporters. We always give our best to perform well for them, and we encourage them to keep coming out to push us so we can achieve our target together.”

Paulinus Okon was named Man of the Match and received his award at full time from Ibom Air officials at the stadium.

Benjamin Sesko has seven goals in his last eight games for Man Utd and Michael Carrick has been impressed with his attitude on and off the pitch.

Michael Carrick is excited about seeing Benjamin Sesko’s “huge potential” flourish at Manchester United after the £73.7million striker kept up his remarkable run in front of goal.

Sesko was handed a first start under Carrick but found the back of the net again in the win against Crystal Palace, taking his tally to four goals in 168 minutes since Carrick’s appointment as head coach in January.

The 22-year-old striker began his rich vein of form during Darren Fletcher’s interim spell in charge, scoring three times in two games under the Scot, and although he has found it harder to break into the team under Carrick, his record in front of goal has been exceptional in 2026.

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His goal against Palace proved to be the winner and his four goals for Carrick have earned United seven points already. Carrick has praised the work Sesko is putting in in training and said the Slovenian had a clear idea of how he wanted to improve at Old Trafford.

“[We’ve been] working closely with him and connecting with him, building that relationship and that trust,” said Carrick. “I think that’s important when you’re trying to help players individually and certainly as a team.

“Lots on Ben, he’s put the work in and he’s stayed positive, he knows how he wants to improve, he is pretty clear on that but he’s a good player. That’s why he’s here, he has some great strengths.

“It’s clear to see he’s scoring different types of goals, but he’s such a threat. I’m really excited about where he can get to without getting too carried away. I think he’s got huge potential, he’s so young, still early days for him, but he is doing fantastic at the moment.”

Sesko came in to the side for Amad against Crystal Palace, with Amad then impressing off the bench, and Carrick suggested his fluid front three could yet change when United head to St James’ Park to play Newcastle on Wednesday.

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“Delighted for Ben. I’ve sat here and said to you for the last few weeks, it’s not really been a headache, it’s not been a big deal, it has not been a big drama. I think he’s had a huge impact,” he said.

“Ben is making big improvements and a little bit is getting used to what it’s like to be here and the feelings and what it means to play and things that we can take for granted at times. He’s desperate to do well.

“He works so hard, he thinks about it an awful lot. He’s an absolute pleasure to work with. It was a fantastic goal, fantastic goal. So he’s bringing an awful lot.

“We’ve got good flexibility across the top line and the front players can play different roles within the game, so there’s a lot of flexibility there and Amad took some time off today and it might change again for Wednesday but it’s nice to have those options really.”

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India have officially qualified for the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinals after a fantastic win against West Indies in Kolkata. The Men in Blue beat the two-time world champions by five wickets to book their place in the next round of the mega event.

Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to field first in the high-pressure contest against West Indies at the Eden Gardens. The Indian bowlers did a decent job as West Indies set a 196-run target for the home side.

In response, Sanju Samson‘s epic 97-run knock inspired the Men in Blue to a five-wicket victory. Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube supported Samson well as India sealed their place in the semifinals. On that note, here’s a look at the scorecard, Player of the Match winner and top stats from this game.

India vs West Indies T20 World Cup 2026 scorecard

None of the West Indies batters managed to convert their starts into big scores. Roston Chase emerged as the top-scorer with a 40-run knock at the top of the order. Thirties from Rovman Powell, Jason Holder and Shai Hope guided the Men in Maroon to 195/4 in 20 overs.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah emerged as the pick of the bowlers for India with figures of 2/36 in four overs. Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy chipped in with a wicket each.

Sanju Samson stole the show with an incredible 50-ball 97* at the Eden Gardens. Samson notched up his maiden T20 World Cup half-ton to knock the West Indies team out of the tournament.

Tilak Varma scored a quickfire 15-ball 27, and Shivam Dube’s two fours in the final moments eased the pressure for the Indian team. Shamar Joseph and Jason Holder took two wickets each, but their efforts ended in a losing cause.

India vs West Indies T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Match

Sanju Samson won the Man of the Match award for his unbeaten 97-run knock against West Indies. The Indian opener whacked 12 fours and four sixes and maintained a strike rate of 194 to help India win the match.

Samson did not feature in India’s playing XI when they played against South Africa last week, but the team recalled him after the top order’s failure and he justified the team management’s decision with an epic knock in the middle.

India vs West Indies T20 World Cup 2026 stats and records

India avenged their 2016 T20 World Cup semifinal defeat against the West Indies by knocking them out of the ongoing mega event. Here are some of the top stats emerging from this entertaining T20 World Cup 2026 contest:

1. India became the first team to qualify for the semifinals of ICC events for 20 times.
2. Sanju Samson broke Virat Kohli’s record for the highest individual score (82) by an Indian while chasing in a T20 World Cup match.
3. Samson also broke Tim Seifert’s record for the highest individual score (89*) by a wicketkeeper batter in a T20 World Cup run-chase.
4. India pulled off their highest successful run-chase in T20 World Cup history.