Football

There were just 13 foreign players in the Premier League when it began in 1992 - now there are more than 300.

But of the 2,016 non-British and Irish players to grace the top flight since then, which import can be classed as the best?

More than a quarter of a million votes were cast and now we have the result.

Have a look at the numbers in full at the bottom of the page.

A shortlist was provided to the panel featuring overseas players who had made it into a PFA Team of the Year. The panel then selected what it considered the standout candidates in each area of the pitch - three goalkeepers, three defenders, three midfielders and four forwards.

The Premier League's all-time top goalscorer Alan Shearer, former Chelsea and Newcastle manager Ruud Gullit, title winner Chris Sutton and New York Times football writer Rory Smith discussed the options for a Premier League Show Special.

Take a look at how you voted by each position, with the overall percentage next to the player's name, and the winner at the bottom.

Goalkeepers

3) David de Gea (Man Utd) - 1%

Sutton: He was under a lot of scrutiny in his first season, as is natural for goalkeepers who sign for Manchester United. He showed he had the temperament to cope and grew in stature. Commanding, unflustered and a great shot stopper, he makes so many saves with his feet. An outstanding all-round decision maker and goalkeeper.

Smith: The fact that he's won less than Peter Schmeichel during his Manchester United career - and hasn't been quite as domineering a figure in football's consciousness as his predecessor - means he has to rank below him, and behind Petr Cech, but if he remains in England for the peak years of his career, as it now appears he will, that may have to be reassessed.

2) Petr Cech (Chelsea, Arsenal) - 1%

Smith: Cech was the underrated player of that Chelsea team from the mid-2000s that set a lot of records. He went on to Arsenal and had a decent career so his longevity is extraordinary. He has won four titles, has more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper and more clean sheets in a single season.

Sutton: Cech has the numbers and was very calm and dependable. He was a different type of goalkeeper to the others.

1) Peter Schmeichel (Man Utd, Aston Villa, Man City) - 5%

Sutton: Schmeichel was head and shoulders above the rest. He was rather unorthodox, more of a handball goalkeeper when he first came over. It was very unusual but he had a very imposing presence. At the start of the era, what that Manchester United team achieved was down to his influence.

Gullit: Schmeichel was a complete package, his presence was there all the time and he was very good with his feet too - that is very important now. You probably felt safe with Schmeichel behind you and the players would have thought, "As long as he is there, we have a chance to win". He would make saves that were vital.

Shearer: I played against him numerous times. He was hard, great at crosses and a winner. He bullied and organised his defenders and, having talked to Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister who played in front of him, they said he was pretty horrible in a good way. They had huge respect for him and you knew you were going into battle when you came up against Peter. He certainly was not afraid. He brought the starfish technique where he made himself huge and you had to be accurate to get the ball past him. The memory I take from playing against him is how big he made himself against you.

Honourable mention

Edwin van der Sar

Shearer: He has more appearances, more clean sheets and a better clean sheet percentage record than Schmeichel, plus four titles, yet he has hardly got a mention.

Defenders

3) Jaap Stam (Man Utd) - 0%

Smith: Stam was arguably the first world-class player to arrive in the Premier League at his peak. He was the best defender in the world when he came to England and was extraordinary for Manchester United in a very brief period. He didn't like the Neville brothers, upset Sir Alex Ferguson and left. Fergie puts selling Stam to Lazio down as one of his biggest regrets. That is an incredible admission. You wonder what would have happened if he did not make that mistake and if Stam had stayed.

Sutton: Who would I least like to play against? Jaap Stam. He was an all-rounder who had everything. He was strong, quick, he could head the ball and he could play football too.

Shearer: He was very tough and you knew exactly what you were going up against. He could do everything. If you wanted a scrap and a fight, he would not mind that but if you wanted to play football, he was also good at that.

2) Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd) - 2%

Sutton: Vidic ended my career - I played my last ever game against him.

He was part of one of the greatest centre-back partnerships the Premier League has ever seen with Rio Ferdinand. Beauty was Rio and the beast was Vidic. An old school rough and ready defender, he was tough and uncompromising but he was more than that. A superb reader of the game and leader. When the going got tough he was the one you would want standing next to you in the heat of the battle.

Gullit: If you look at how many titles Vidic won - five - that stands out. He was very reliable at the back and at the front.

Smith: Vidic's career was incredible and the sheer number of titles he won gives him a compelling case. Defenders are always overlooked, but there's a case to be made that, pound for pound, Vidic is up there with the best signings of the Premier League era. Imperious and impervious at his best, as rounded a defender as you could find, enormously successful and impressively long-lasting. Probably counts as £12.5m well spent, all told.

Shearer: Vidic was a warrior and a very good one.

1) Vincent Kompany (Man City) - 2%

Shearer: He played in midfield when he first arrived and has been a fantastic player for Manchester City. He won three titles and has made 260 appearances but it would have been so many more but for his injury struggles.

Sutton: What a fantastic leader. I played against him when he was at Anderlecht at the age of 17 and he marked me out of the game. He was mature at that age and read the game superbly well.

Smith: When you take away the raw achievements on the field, Kompany arrived before the money kicked in and he has been there throughout City becoming a force in the Premier League. To have experienced all of that, to have survived all those managers and styles, that is testament to his abilities.

Honourable mentions

Sami Hyypia

Shearer: When you put Sami up alongside the likes of Vidic and Vincent Kompany, not winning the title does not help him. He was very honest and would not kick you as much as the others did. He was a nice centre-half, if you could get such a thing. Stam and Vidic were horrible to play against.

Ricardo Carvalho

Smith: He was just as important to Chelsea in that first Jose Mourinho season as John Terry. He was the perfect partner.

Midfielders

3) Patrick Vieira (Arsenal, Man City) - 2%

Gullit: His presence in midfield... Because of him Arsenal had the foundation which was difficult to get through. There was Martin Keown and Tony Adams behind you and that is why the rest of the players played. He had vision and was tough tackling.

Sutton: Vieira had huge influence over Arsenal, he could do more things than others. Vieira was box to box. He was the only player able to break my nose as well.

Shearer: Vieira epitomised what that Arsenal team were all about. The hunger and desire, the ability to mix it with the best. He was someone who was horrible to play against. He had huge respect from everyone in the game. If you were not prepared to run and fight and scrap to win football matches and the title, you might as well have given up.

2) David Silva (Man City) - 2%

Smith: Silva has won three Premier League titles but he has proven something wrong. When he first arrived, people looked at him and thought, he is not very tall, not very strong and he will be crowded out by Premier League midfields. For a long time, most players were built in the Vieira model - tall, rangy, powerful and tough. Silva is none of those things and has thrived for nearly a decade. He has shown incredible endurance and perseverance, his class has never dropped throughout and is catching up to Cesc Fabregas as the player with most assists.

1) Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) - 14%

Smith: It is hard not to be seduced by what Ronaldo became. His is the best player the Premier League produced and went on to become one of the two best players of his generation. The Ronaldo we saw winning four Champions League titles in five season at Real Madrid is not the same Ronaldo we saw in the Premier League.

Shearer: His name has to be considered, there is no doubt about it - what an amazing player. He was superb at Manchester United and then went on to achieve more at Real Madrid.

Sutton: When he first started, he wanted the ball for himself and was very talented. He developed his game but there are stronger candidates in the Premier League era.

Honourable mentions

N'Golo Kante

Shearer: There is no way Leicester or Chelsea would have won the titles without Kante in the team. When you are talking about importance to a team, you have to give him a mention. I don't think I have ever seen a midfielder with the energy of Kante to get around the pitch.

David Ginola

Shearer: Ginola was sometimes a frustrating talent because he did not always show his ability but when you gave him the ball with his back to the defender, I have never seen a player able to go either way with his natural ability.

Yaya Toure

Smith: Toure had a bit of Vieira and a bit of Silva in him. He was one of the pillars that the past 10 years of Manchester City has been built on. He was a superstar signing from Barcelona and scored the winning goal in an FA Cup final. He was incredibly important and his legacy is overlooked.

Claude Makelele

Smith: Makelele is the only player to leave the Premier League with a role named after him. What a legacy that is.

Forwards

4) Didier Drogba (Chelsea) - 6%

Gullit: This player stands out. He won the Champions League for Chelsea in 2012 with the header in normal time and then scored the decisive penalty in the shootout - that is the icing on the cake. The influence, the power that he had on the club, he was a presence and he scored goals.

Shearer: Chelsea liked to play their football but if things were not working then Drogba gave them a different option of going route one. He was as good as anyone in holding the ball and bringing others into play.

Smith: Drogba changed the way we think about strikers. Before we saw them playing in twos, but Drogba came in and he was a one-man forward line. He was utterly unplayable at times and did not need a partner.

3) Sergio Aguero (Man City) - 8%

Shearer: I am a huge fan of Aguero. Even when Pep Guardiola came into Manchester City, all we kept hearing was that he had to change his game, he did not work hard enough and was not one of Pep's players. He has managed to do that and kept his goals ratio very high.

Smith: He is probably the best foreign Premier League player of the decade. Since he arrived he has been incredibly consistent and can do everything. He is the complete forward.

2) Eric Cantona (Leeds, Man Utd) - 12%

Smith: Can you believe Sheffield Wednesday turned Cantona down? He had the upturned collar, the arrogance and he fitted the stereotype that English people had of the French. Most of the players on this list would not have come to England if it were not for Cantona. The moment he arrived at Leeds in 1992, then on to Manchester United, he transformed English football in a way that no other player has done. He has not won the most trophies or scored the most goals but he has had more impact than anyone else.

Sutton: He transformed Manchester United at the start of the Premier League era when the club started to dictate. He gave them the confidence and an edge.

Shearer: £1.2m from Leeds? What a signing. When you speak to other Manchester United players about him, there were rules for them and Cantona had his own set of rules. Basically, because of his ability and his impact, he could do whatever he wanted to do. Week in, week out, he performed so well for them.

Gullit: What an unbelievable impact he made in the Premier League for Manchester United. In Europe, and even France, Cantona is not such a big name as it is in England. So I heard about him when I came here and he was an extraordinary player. I played against him and his influence was different from anyone else.

Honourable mentions

Luis Suarez

Smith: He produced the best individual season of any player I have seen. He dragged Liverpool to within four points of the title on his own that year. He was a pleasure to watch.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Smith: He was not as rounded as Drogba with his attributes because the Chelsea man could hold the ball up better, had more pace and was stronger. But as a finisher, Van Nistelrooy was outstanding.

Dennis Bergkamp

Gullit: Dennis was everything you like about football and had so many elements to his game. He could do things and score goals that others could not. For elegance, he is the top of everybody.

Mohamed Salah

Shearer: His numbers for goals to games are incredible, but it is too soon to be including him in this list. If he does it for a number of years and scores the amount of goals he has, then we can discuss it

And the winner is (by a landslide)...

1) Thierry Henry (Arsenal) - 45%

Shearer: For longevity in the Premier League and the number of appearances he made and the goals he scored, Henry is up there.

Smith: Henry has all the numbers. There was elegance to everything he did. I wonder how many fans around the world watch the Premier League because of Thierry Henry. He was the complete package, an incredible footballer and a marketing manager's dream. He took your breath away with what he did.

Sutton: Henry is the greatest ever player in the Premier League. What he brought in terms of people paying to watch him play, he is the one. He got the crowd off their seats and what could he not do? He was a phenomenal player.

Manchester City to play pre-season match in Japan against Marinos

(Reuters) - Manchester City will play a pre-season match in Japan for the first time when they take on J League side Yokohama F. Marinos on July 27, the Premier League champions said on Wednesday.

City Football Group (CFG) own a majority stake in City and a minority stake in the Marinos, and the two teams will play in the inaugural EuroJapan Cup.

"We are delighted to announce Manchester City's first ever match in Japan. The club has a passionate fan base there and we are excited at the prospect of playing in front of these fans for the first time," club COO Omar Berrada said in a statement.

"This will also be a special moment for City Football Group as Manchester City and Yokohama F. Marinos come together to play each other in a match that will provide Pep (Guardiola) and his team with great preparation for the upcoming season."

The club will announce further fixtures for their pre-season Asian tour in the coming weeks.

50th Messi hat-trick fires Barcelona to thrilling win

Barcelona`s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their second goal with Ousmane Dembele in a La Liga match against Sevilla at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville, Spain on 23 February 2019. 

Lionel Messi hit a sumptuous hat-trick, the 50th of his career, to inspire Barcelona to a 4-2 victory over Sevilla on Saturday and take them one step closer to winning La Liga.

Messi was supposed to be lacking fitness and Barca struggling for form but both delivered a resounding response at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, with two matches against Real Madrid just around the corner.

After scoring 11 goals in nine games, Messi's thigh strain had coincided with a dip by his own high standards, one goal in four prompting concerns he was being pushed too far.

But the Argentinian was back to his scintillating best, this his 44th treble for Barcelona, now the joint most for a Spanish club alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, rounded off by a trademark chip late on.

"We cannot always be at our best," Messi said afterwards. "We came from a streak when, to be honest, we weren't playing our best football. If the game flows it is easier to score goals."

Luis Suarez needed a goal after a disappointing performance against Lyon in midweek and Messi arranged that too. It was his pass that Suarez converted for a fourth, after Jesus Navas and Gabriel Mercado had twice put Sevilla ahead in the first half.

Sevilla's top-four hopes look increasingly uncertain but for Barcelona, this was one of the toughest tests left in their run-in, with perhaps the most difficult to come next weekend, against Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real, who face Levante on Sunday, sit 12 points behind Barca and their best hope of a domestic trophy is surely now in beating them first on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey.

"This is not the title almost won but it was important to win today," Messi said. "It gets harder towards the end and it is never easy here. Today we were back to being us."

As well as a return to form for Barca and Messi, there was a return to the team for Samuel Umtiti, the defender handed his first appearance in three months after recovering from a knee injury.

It was given an early test as Wissam Ben Yedder twisted him one way and then the other but Umtiti was quick on his feet and did well to make the block.

Sevilla had started at a furious pace and it was the speedy Navas that scored first, sprinting almost 78 metres to meet the end of a slick counter-attack.

Messi lost the ball and Ben Yedder set off through the centre, teeing up Navas on the right to find the far corner.

Messi soon made amends. Ivan Rakitic sent over a dangling cross, which he volleyed sweetly past Tomas Vaclik with his left foot.

The ball was flying from one end to the other as Umtiti stopped the lively Pablo Sarabia and Gerard Pique's blistering break forward was halted by his opposite number three, Sergi Gomez.

Sevilla scored next, just before half-time, with Marc-Andre ter Stegen's underhit clearance allowing Sarabia to scuttle down the right. He flicked the ball off the goalline and back to Mercado, who steered it into the net.

Ousmane Dembele came on and should have equalised, fluffing his finish after a cross from Suarez, who should have had a penalty when Simon Kjaer caught him late.

Messi provided the finishing touch. Again it came from the goalkeeper, Vaclik's punt falling straight to Rakitic. Dembele pulled back for Messi, who took one touch and curled it, this time right-footed, into the top corner.

Sevilla looked dead on their feet, their early intensity draining away, and Messi landed the knock-out blow. There was a hint of fortune as Carles Alena's shot deflected neatly into his path. Vaclik came out but Messi scooped it over his body and in.

Three times a scorer, there was still time for an assist. Messi chested and poked the ball through for Suarez. His lob made it four.

What Signing Bryce Harper Would Mean For The Phillies

From their current roster and playoff hopes to future financial situation, here's what signing the superstar would mean for the Phillies.

or years it's seemed possible, for months it's seemed likely, and for weeks now it's been more of a matter of when, not if, the Phillies would sign superstar free agent outfielder Bryce Harper. This weekend, Phillies owner John Middleton met with Harper's camp in Las Vegas, and the latest reports from USA Today's Bob Nightengale indicates that a deal could be reached as early as Monday afternoon.

Of course, anything is possible. But with Manny Machado now off the board at the record setting cost of a 10-year, $300 million committment from the San Diego Padres, virtually every other club known to be seeking Harper's services has bowed out. The Padres are reportedly still considering him, but most find that situation unlikely. The Chicago White Sox are out, and the Washington Nationals "haven't heard from Harper in months," per a report Friday from NBC Washington.

That leaves the San Francisco Giants as the only other team publicly known to be interested in Harper. They still want him, but aren't willing to give him the long term contract he wants. And now that they know he'll surely be demanding something even larger than Machado's record payday,

The Phillies will look like a playoff caliber team for the forseeable future

With numerous offseason additions in the books, the Phillies had already paced the additions made by their competitors in the NL East. As things stand now, the Phillies, the defending champ Braves, perennial contending Nationals, and the Mets all look about equal, with the Nationals having perhaps a slight edge.

Adding Harper to the Phillies would tilt the balance in their favor, of course. And it could very well make them the favorites to win the National League in 2019, and beyond.

Indeed, with Harper in the fold, the present Phillies starting core would have an average age of 27.9, as NBC Philly's Corey Seidman notes. Like the Cubs, Astros, Yankees, or Red Sox, the Phillies would have a team built to chase titles for year.

It's a lineup that would compare favorably with just about any team outside of the Yankees:

1. Cesar Hernandez 2B
2. Jean Segura SS
3. Bryce Harper RF
4. Rhys Hoskins 1B
5. JT Realmuto C
6. Andrew McCutchen LF
7. Maikel Franco 3B
8. Odubel Herrera CF

The outfield logjam would need to be resolved

If Harper signs, he'll be the everyday right fielder. Offseason acquisition and fellow former MVP Andrew McCutchen is already penciled in at left. That leaves five outfielders on the 40 man roster jockeying for one starting spot: Odubel Herrera, Roman Quinn, Nick Williams, Aaron Altherr, and Dylan Cozens. 

Two of them could remain, one as the starting center fielder (probably Herrera) and one as the backup (Quinn feels like the favorite due to his speed, defense, and versatility). There's not room on the 25-man roster for more.

Cozens could float between Triple-A and Philly for another year, but with Harper, it's difficult to see where starting caliber, proven players like Williams and Altherr would fit in.

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A trade for a pitcher would make the most sense, but the market in late February is dubious. Given the late stage of the still unresolved Harper talks, would the Phillies turn around and try to trade an outfielder or two before the season began? Would they send two or three to Triple-A and wait to make a move at the deadline? The former would surely be the organization's preference, but it could prove difficult.

Some pitchers who could be available, from teams that also need outfielders: Michael Fulmer (Detroit), Marcus Stroman (Toronto), Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco), Mike Minor (Texas), or possibly Trevor Bauer or Corey Kluber (Cleveland).

Future financial obligations

It might seem like the record contract Harper will probably receive — likely in the $350-$360 million range, per Jon Heyman — would hamstring the Phillies in some way down the line. But as things currently stand, that's not the case.

Matt Klentak's series of shrewd signings the past few offseasons have been strictly short term deals, meaning that for the 2021 season, the team will has only $63.7 million on the books, per Baseball Reference. For a franchise that's seemingly willing to push the luxury tax threshold ($206 million), that's quite a bit of wiggle room, even counting another $35 million a year on a potential Harper deal.

As things currently stand, for instance, there's nothing about signing Harper to a record deal that means that Phillies couldn't turn around and sign Mike Trout when he's a free agent after the 2020 season.

Ticket sales would skyrocket

Citizens Bank Park was busier last summer than it has been for years, but for a major market team that was battling for first place for much of the year, attendance was still underwhelming: 2.1 million, 12th out of 15 National League teams, and a far cry from the 3.5 million-plus that regularly graced the the park during the 2007-2011 golden years.

Harper, by all indications, would change that. He's the kind of player that fans paid to see when he visited a few times a year with the Washington Nationals. With Harper in Phillie red, expect Citizens Bank Park to be a much more intense environment this summer.

See related Phillies coverage:

Phillies Land All Star Catcher J.T. Realmuto In Blockbuster Trade

Phillies Sign Reliever David Robertson To 2-Year Deal

Phillies Sign Former MVP Andrew McCutchen To $50M Deal

Phillies Trade Carlos Santana, J.P. Crawford For Jean Segura

Sooner Or Later, Phillies Must Address Roster Excesses

England’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Banks dead at 81

STOKE-ON-TRENT, England: Gordon Banks, the goalkeeper in England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team, has died at the age of 81, his former club Stoke City said Tuesday. Banks won 73 caps for England between 1963 and 1972 and made nearly 200 appearances for Stoke before his playing career was brought to an end in a car crash that cost him his sight in one eye.Widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers to have played the game, Banks will probably be best remembered for the diving stop he made to deny Brazil’s Pele at the 1970 World Cup, which later became known as the “save of the century”.

Banks played every game in the 1966 World Cup including the 4-2 victory over West Germany in the final at Wembley - the only time England has won the world title.

Four years later though, in Mexico, he produced one of the most outstanding saves in the history of the tournament in a group game in which Brazil beat England 1-0.Pele rose to head a cross from the byline by right-winger Jairzinho, thundering the header down towards Banks’ right hand post.The ball appeared to be past Banks, but his agility and strength saw him get down and palm it high and wide to safety.Thirty-eight years later, Pele travelled to Stoke to unveil a statue to Banks and recalled the save.

The Sheffield-born Banks began his career at Chesterfield in 1958 and moved to Leicester City the following year. He won his first England cap in 1963, four years before he joined Stoke.

Banks retired in 1973 following the car crash, aged only 33, but four years later he returned to play with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

Soon after Banks’ death was announced, football fans and others began taking flowers and scarves to the life-size statue of him outside the Stoke City stadium. Some touched the statue in reverence or wiped away tears.

Around the city, where Banks is a revered figure and was often seen at charity and football events, flags were lowered at public buildings, and local radio talk shows were inundated with calls remembering him.

For some, it rankled that Banks was never awarded a knighthood.

The German Football Association (DFB) paid tribute to Banks on, saying on Twitter: “A fierce opponent and a good man. Rest in peace, Gordon Banks.”

Alexis Sanchez targets Man Utd Champions League glory

United face Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their last-16 tie at Old Trafford on Tuesday night with confidence high after they claimed their 10th victory from 11 matches in all competitions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a 3-0 win at Fulham.Sanchez missed out on European glory while at Barcelona, having joined the club the season after they won the Champions League in 2011 before leaving before they won it again in 2015.

"The Champions League is a dream for any footballer," Sanchez told the Sunday Mirror.

"I lived with that dream at Barcelona and saw what it was like. I hope I can win it one day and why not here?

"We have got through the group stage and PSG is next. It's a big test but it's 180 minutes of football - anything can happen.

"United is a club with so much history and is capable of beating any rival.

"If we win at Old Trafford and we don't concede, then I think we would be favourites for the second leg.

"I think we can do that and I see this United team with a lot of chances to score in Paris."
                                                                       

                                                                 

Solari: Bale's goal ended derby clash

The Real Madrid head coach praised the club's new centurion following Saturday's 3-1 win at 10-man Atletico Madrid

Santiago Solari said Gareth Bale helped define Saturday's derby after scoring his 100th Real Madrid goal against Atletico Madrid.

It was a memorable outing for Bale at Atletico's Wanda Metropolitano, where the Welsh forward celebrated his century of goals in the 3-1 La Liga derby victory.

Casemiro opened the scoring for Madrid with the quickest goal Atletico have conceeded in La Liga at their home ground, with Sergio Ramos hitting from the penalty spot to put the club 2-1 up after Antoine Griezmann​ has leveled matters. 

Bale came off the bench and netted Madrid's third – his 100th goal in all competitions since arriving from Tottenham in 2013 for a world-record fee – against 10-man Atletico.

And Madrid head coach Solari praised Bale following reports the Wales international walked back to the dressing room on his own following the triumph.

"He walked into the locker room very well and he was very happy with his goal," Solari said during his post-game news conference.

"He helped define this match because it was very much alive at this point. But thanks to his goal it ended the match and he's very good."

Cavani to miss PSG vs Man Utd Champions League last-16 clash

The 31-year-old will miss the trip to Old Trafford after suffering a thigh injury in Saturday's win over Bordeaux

Paris Saint-Germain have been dealt a further blow ahead of their Champions League last-16 clash against Manchester United with the news that Edinson Cavani will miss the game.

The Uruguayan striker limped off of PSG's 1-0 win over Bordeaux with a thigh problem after scoring the Ligue 1 encounter's only goal of the game, making him a doubt for Tuesday's first-leg against United.

Coach Thomas Tuchel admitted after the game that he was "afraid it's serious", before providing an update on the Cavani's condition on Sunday. 

Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish gives brilliant verdict on Reds boss Jurgen Klopp

The club’s greatest ever player insists the German is showing no signs of feeling the heat as the Premier League title fight reaches boiling point.

That’s despite wasting the chance to go seven points clear at the top to drop into second on goal difference in less than week.

Back-to-back draws have allowed Manchester City to regain top spot and given renewed hope to Tottenham in third.

Man City leapfrog Liverpool at the top as fans TAUNT Jurgen Klopp at Everton

Goals courtesy of Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus ensured Pep Guarduola’s side left Merseyside with maximum points.

Liverpool now sit second on goal difference behind the champions and Jurgen Klopp was subjected to taunts at full-time from the City fans.

A jubilant travelling City support sang ‘Jurgen's cracking up!’ at full-time as they revelled in their win.

Chelsea make £100m Eden Hazard decision as star’s pals CONVINCED of Real Madrid move

Friends of the Blues winger are convinced he wants to make a dream move to Real Madrid this summer and will not be signing a new contract.

The 28-year-old has yet to communicate a final decision on his future to Chelsea, despite being told to do so by Blues boss Maurizio Sarri.

Club insiders insist there is no frustration on their part at Hazard’s stalling but it is understood contingency plans are being drawn up should he leave.