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Wirtz mocked by Man City fans – and his honest analysis

Sotd Editor
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Wirtz mocked by Man City fans – and his honest analysis

After the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City, Florian Wirtz summed up well what went wrong in Liverpool’s game. A more detailed look does not exactly flatter Arne Slot. Will the mocking chants against Wirtz become the motto of the season?

Much has been written this season about how much more pragmatic Pep Guardiola’s play has been in his tenth year at Manchester City. In Sunday’s Premier League top match against Liverpool FC, his team did things that would have been unthinkable a few years ago, such as defending deep and ignoring possession statistics. But ManCity 2025/26 is still a Guardiola team. The goal that made it 1-0, set up with 19 passes from their own penalty area to the opponent’s and finished with a dream header from Erling Haaland, left a lasting impression on the Catalan’s anniversary, a picture that could not have been more fitting for his 1000th competitive game as a coach. And even before and after that, ManCity was much more reminiscent of the ManCity of summer 2024 than the one that had been so pitifully easy to beat at times last year. You only had to listen to Florian Wirtz to realize that.

“Everyone knows City’s qualities, they move the ball around very well,” Liverpool’s new signing explained after the 3-0 defeat on Sky, although all that knowledge did not help the Reds. Wirtz’s honest analysis: “We just didn’t manage to disrupt them today, then get into good transition moments and become dangerous ourselves.”

Did Wirtz expect to settle in more quickly? “Yes, but…”

After he and his teammates had been praised for their tenacity, especially after the 1-0 win against Real Madrid, the 22-year-old now stated: “We just weren’t aggressive enough in the tackles and didn’t get into the pressing game we had planned.”

Wirtz, who started on the left again, was unable to make an impact, unlike against Real, and, like his teammates, who were no less weak, faded before the break. When he was substituted in the 82nd minute, Man City fans taunted him, chanting “What a waste of money” – as many other opposing fans have done this season – after the €125 million man.
When asked whether his acclimatization to Liverpool and England was taking longer than he had expected, Wirtz replied with a “yes, but” – even after 693 Premier League minutes, he has yet to score a point (xGoals: 1.3; xAssists: 1.19). “Yes, but I’m very happy to be here. I’m getting my playing time and my chances on the pitch.” He now knows “what to expect, so I don’t need to keep mentioning” the difference between the Bundesliga and the Premier League.

Liverpool’s problems go far beyond Wirtz

The problems at Liverpool, currently eighth in the table, go far beyond Wirtz anyway. The even more expensive Alexander Isak, who didn’t even come on as a substitute on Sunday, continues to struggle to settle in, and coach Arne Slot keeps making mistakes, unlike in the almost flawless championship season.

Against the Citizens, his team was caught off guard by, among other things, the fact that they repeatedly overloaded Liverpool’s right side of defense with the very offensive left-back Nico O’Reilly, which is why Conor Bradley was never able to get a grip on the outstanding Jeremy Doku. Mohamed Salah left the right-back unmarked so often that one had to wonder whether he hadn’t listened to Slot enough or whether Slot hadn’t paid enough attention to Guardiola.

“It’s easy for the players to win their tackles when the match plan and tactics are working, which was the case against Villa and Madrid,” Slot explained self-critically: “This time, we had great difficulty with them bringing so many players into midfield. Then it was difficult for some of our players to make the right decisions.”

After the harsh reality check at the Etihad (“Before the break, they were better than us in all areas”), Slot wrote off the title race, at least for the time being. After the international break, he and his team urgently need to work on ensuring that “What a waste of money” does not become the headline for Liverpool’s season.

Dispute with Barca: Spain sends Lamine Yamal home

Jason Maverick
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Dispute with Barca: Spain sends Lamine Yamal home

Lamine Yamal will not be available for the Spanish national team at the end of the World Cup qualifiers. The association sent the youngster home—and sent angry words to FC Barcelona.

The row between FC Barcelona and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over the treatment of Lamine Yamal is entering a new round that is sure to reverberate. On Tuesday, the RFEF dropped the 18-year-old from the squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Georgia and against Turkey, and heavily criticized Barca in the process. The medical department of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) would like to express its surprise and dismay at learning on Monday, November 10, at 1:47 p.m., the day of the national team’s official training start, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone invasive radiofrequency treatment that same morning to treat his pubic area discomfort,” according to an official statement. This procedure was performed “without prior notification to the national team’s medical staff.” It was only “through a report received yesterday evening at 10:40 p.m.” that the medical department learned of the details. And in that report, the medical recommendation was for Lamine Yamal to rest for seven to ten days.

“In view of this situation and taking into account the health, safety, and well-being of the player, the Spanish Football Federation has decided to release the athlete from the current nomination,” concludes the RFEF, which wishes Lamine Yamal a “speedy and complete recovery.”

On Sunday, Flick had already sent a message to the association – again

After the October international matches, Barca, in the person of coach Hansi Flick, had criticized the association for playing the previously injured winger twice for over 70 minutes – whereupon he was sidelined again. “That’s not looking after the players,” Flick had complained at the time, which national coach Luis de la Fuente had not taken kindly to. On the sidelines of Sunday’s 4-2 win at Celta Vigo, Flick had again emphasized that he expected the association “to take care of him.”

Was the apparently uncoordinated treatment with the forced break, which coincides with the international break, the Catalans’ retaliation for what happened in October? Even though Spain is likely to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the coming days without Lamine Yamal, there will certainly be more to come in this matter.

Liverpool protests against disallowed goal

Jason Maverick
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Liverpool protests against disallowed goal

At Liverpool FC, the anger over Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed goal in the top match at Manchester City has not yet subsided. The Reds have now turned to the highest refereeing authority.

Arne Slot emphasized several times, just to be on the safe side, that his team had been completely deservedly behind 0-2 at half-time. And yet the Liverpool FC coach felt unfairly treated after Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City. Why wasn’t Virgil van Dijk’s header counted to make it 1-1?

The Reds captain rose high from a corner in the 38th minute and buried the ball in the bottom right corner. However, because Andy Robertson, who was offside and in the path of the ball, had ducked away in the five-meter area, referee Chris Kavanagh decided after some hesitation to disallow the goal. VAR Michael Oliver reviewed the situation but confirmed the call. Robertson was offside “and made an obvious move directly in front of the goalkeeper,” was the explanation on the video screen at the Etihad Stadium.

Liverpool, who conceded the decisive 0-2 shortly afterwards through a deflected shot from Nico, continue to dispute this. According to unanimous reports in the English media, the champions, who have fallen to eighth place, have lodged a complaint with the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO), the highest refereeing organization in English soccer, headed by Howard Webb.

Liverpool sees Donnarumma’s line of sight as unobstructed

The club accepts the defeat against ManCity, but believes that the incident should not be accepted without protest or review, writes the BBC. Liverpool argues, based on numerous camera angles, that Gianluigi Donnarumma’s line of sight was by no means obstructed.

According to Rule 11, an offside player influences an opponent in a punishable manner if he “prevents him from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing his vision; contests the ball with that opponent; clearly attempts to play the ball near that opponent, where this action affects an opponent; clearly becomes active and thus clearly affects the opponent’s ability to play the ball.”

The Reds do not believe this to be the case in the scene in question, and there is correspondingly great displeasure with VAR Oliver, who had no objections. Nevertheless, it should be clear to them that they have bigger problems right now. “The 1-1 would have been the biggest gift we could have gotten at halftime,” Slot said after the game. “Before the break, they were better than us in all areas.”

Betting scandal in Turkish soccer: Eight arrest warrants

Jeffrey Gooding
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Betting scandal in Turkish soccer: Eight arrest warrants

The betting scandal continues to rock Turkish soccer. Suspects are now being held in custody, including a club president.

In connection with the betting scandal in Turkish soccer, a court in Istanbul has issued arrest warrants for eight suspects. Among them are the president of the Eyüpspor club, Murat Özkaya, and several referees, reported the state news agency Anadolu. Eleven other people have been released on bail. They are accused of abuse of office and competition manipulation, among other things.

At the end of October, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced allegations that a total of 152 referees had actively placed bets. Clubs and players are now also under investigation. The TFF has suspended 149 referees and assistants for periods ranging from eight to twelve months. According to media reports, players are also being targeted by the judiciary.

Historic Wemby secures Spurs victory, Cunningham with career high, Lakers effortless

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Historic Wemby secures Spurs victory, Cunningham with career high, Lakers effortless

Victor Wembanyama secured victory for the San Antonio Spurs thanks to a historic performance against the Chicago Bulls, while Cade Cunningham set a new career high against the Wizards. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers had little trouble with the Hornets.

Wembanyama shines in the fourth quarter

After a few quieter games recently, Wembanyama made an impressive comeback against the Bulls. The Frenchman was unstoppable in the fourth quarter in particular, scoring 18 points in the final period, including two clutch three-pointers in the final minute that ultimately sealed the victory. The Bulls had led by double digits at the start of the fourth quarter, but then shot only 28 percent in the final twelve minutes. Wemby finished the game with 38 points (11/19 FG, 6/9 three-pointers), twelve rebounds, five assists, and five blocks. No player in NBA history had ever achieved a stat line of at least 35 points, ten rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and five three-pointers before.
For the Bulls, who were without their playmaker Josh Giddey, Kevin Huerter (23), Tre Jones (20), and sixth man Ayo Dosunmu (20) were the top scorers.
Cunningham sets career high in seventh straight win

The Pistons remain the hottest team in the league thanks to their seventh win in a row, even if it took overtime and a monster performance from Cunningham to beat the Wizards. The superstar set a new career high with 46 points, which he even turned into a triple-double with twelve rebounds and eleven assists. However, his efficiency will be anything but satisfactory.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons to victory.
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons to victory.

He needed an incredible 45 shots to score his 46 points, and he didn’t do much from outside either (2/11). Only at the free throw line was he consistent (16/18). So it was two-way player Daniss Jenkins who saved the Pistons with a three-pointer in the final seconds to send the game into overtime. There, it was a three-pointer by Duncan Robinson with 1:04 left on the clock that sealed the deal.

Jenkins was the hero of the night alongside Cunningham, with 24 points (9/17 FG) and eight rebounds, he had by far the best game of his young career. For Washington, CJ McCollum had his best scoring performance of the season so far (42, 14/25 FG), while newcomer Cam Whitmore contributed another 20 points off the bench. Center Alex Sarr also had a nice double-double (15 points, 15 rebounds).

Lakers cruise past Hornets, Flaggs’ career high not enough

The Los Angeles Lakers, who are also in strong form (six wins in their last seven games), had a much easier time of it. After a mistake-riddled first half, JJ Redick’s team pulled away steadily after halftime and sealed the deal thanks to a strong third quarter (31:15).

Luka Doncic was the outstanding player with 38 points (14/28 FG), six rebounds and seven assists, while Austin Reaves contributed another 24 points on his comeback after a three-game break. For the Hornets, who are still without their star LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges was by far the best scorer with 34 points.

Rookie Cooper Flagg received as little support as Bridges against the Bucks. The No. 1 pick set a new career high with 26 points on a strong shooting percentage (9/16 from the field), but it wasn’t enough for the win – despite a double-digit lead at the start of the fourth quarter. The reason for this was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 15 of his 30 points in the final quarter. The Mavs still had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds thanks to P.J. Washington (16), but he missed a crucial free throw.

After Flagg, guard Brandon Williams (19) was the top scorer, while Anthony Davis was again absent with his calf injury. For the Bucks, Kyle Kuzma was the top scorer off the bench (26) after Giannis.

Heat win at the buzzer, Clippers crisis deepens

Andrew Wiggins clinched the victory
Andrew Wiggins clinched the victory

Things were just as spectacular in Miami as they were in Orlando, with the home team also coming out on top. The Cavaliers had just managed to force overtime with a 36-27 quarter and found themselves with their backs to the wall once again. However, with 0.4 seconds left on the clock, Donovan Mitchell hit a difficult three-pointer from the corner to tie the game and send it into another overtime period. But the Heat had other plans. After the timeout, they blocked Andrew Wiggins nicely, who drove unchallenged to the basket and dunked the ball for the win after an alley-oop pass.

Those were Wiggins’ 22nd and 23rd points, and in the absence of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, only Norman Powell scored more (33). Mitchell was the Cavs’ top scorer with 28 points, followed by De’Andre Hunter (23). Darius Garland only managed 11 points and had to leave the game in the third quarter due to injury. It looked as if he had injured his toe again, which had forced him to sit out for months.

For the Clippers, on the other hand, the crisis is becoming increasingly acute after their fifth defeat in a row. The Californians trailed the decimated Hawks for almost the entire second half, with a three-pointer from Vit Krejci with 36 seconds left ultimately sealing the deal. The Czech was also the Hawks’ best player that evening, setting a new career high with 28 points (9/13 FG). For the Clippers, who were without Kawhi Leonard due to injury, James Harden (35) was the only player in normal form, with no one else scoring more than 13 points.

“Worst day of our program”: Porsche loses WEC runner-up title to Toyota

Phil Laffertey
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“Worst day of our program”: Porsche loses WEC runner-up title to Toyota

Instead of competing for the title, Porsche experiences a bitter weekend in Bahrain as it bids farewell to the WEC: for the first time ever, the team fails to score any points.

Porsche has described the World Endurance Championship (WEC) finale in Bahrain as the “biggest disappointment” of its three-year LMDh era. The German manufacturer bid farewell to the Hypercar class with a difficult race: Both Penske Motorsport factory Porsches finished the season finale one lap behind the leader in 13th and 14th place.

For the first time since the Porsche 963 debuted in 2023, the sports car failed to score any points in a WEC race. Various factors led to the team falling well short of expectations. Porsche had gone into the final race with realistic chances of winning the title – both in the manufacturers’ and drivers’ standings. However, optimism quickly gave way to disillusionment: instead of fighting Ferrari for the title, they lost second place in the manufacturers’ standings to Toyota. Drivers Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor fell back to fourth place in the overall standings.

Biggest disappointment in three WEC years

When asked what had been the biggest disappointment of the three Hypercar seasons for him, he replied, “The race on Saturday. Not because it was the last one, but because of the result.”

“It wasn’t Le Mans 2023. We made mistakes there ourselves. That’s not good, of course, but at least you can learn from it and improve. It wasn’t Le Mans 2024 either, nor was it Le Mans 2025. But on Saturday, we had the chance to win the championship. The minimum goal was second place in the world championship. We lost the title without doing anything wrong. That was the problem,” Kuratle continued.

The title contender with start number 6, driven by Estre, Vanthoor, and Matt Campbell, had only managed 18th place in qualifying after Estre braked too late, but worked its way into the top 10 by the end of the third hour of the race.

How Porsche explains the back-and-forth in strategy

Like many teams, Porsche took advantage of the safety car phase in the middle of the race, which was called after an accident between Jenson Button’s Cadillac and Thomas Flohr’s AF Corse Ferrari, to make a pit stop. An hour later, however, they returned to their original strategy and brought both cars back into the pits.

“That was an intense discussion in the background,” explained Kuratle. “You start, see where you stand, and adjust your strategy during the race. Then you calculate how things might continue. That was the reason.”

The medium tires, which were the preferred compound during the night hours, were particularly problematic. Estre also had difficulty getting the set of tires he had already used in qualifying back up to temperature. As a result, the 963 was unable to confirm the potential shown in the practice sessions, in which Porsche was the fourth-fastest manufacturer despite an unfavorable balance of performance.

Everything lost in the last half hour

“What went wrong? The race never came to us. That was the problem,” said Kuratle. “In practice, things looked a little better on the long runs, but ultimately the result was not surprising. The team didn’t do anything wrong, but a detailed analysis is still pending. In the end, it was more of a discussion about kilos and kilowatts than about tires.”

The final setback came with the last virtual safety car phase, which was called shortly after the last pit stop for both factory Porsches. “That’s racing,” said Kuratle. “Of course, it was unfortunate to lose everything half an hour before the end of the season. But it is what it is.”

After leaving the Hypercar class, Porsche will remain active in the North American IMSA GTP program, where the factory team won the championship title in both 2024 and 2025.

Last-lap drama at Racing Bulls: What happened between Lawson and Hadjar

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Last-lap drama at Racing Bulls: What happened between Lawson and Hadjar

Away from the TV cameras: A risky duel between Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar marks Racing Bulls’ return to the Formula 1 points standings

Racing Bulls celebrated a strong comeback in the top 10 at the Formula 1 race in Brazil after three weekends without points: Liam Lawson finished seventh and Isack Hadjar eighth—despite the two making contact on the final lap.

Lawson successfully pulled off a risky one-stop strategy, but came under heavy pressure from Hadjar and several midfield drivers in the final laps. This battle was not shown on live TV, as the broadcast focused on the duel between Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen for second place.

This is what happened away from the cameras: At the start of the final lap, Hadjar attempted an overtaking maneuver on the outside of Turn 1. In doing so, he pushed Lawson slightly inward, resulting in brief wheel-to-wheel contact at the apex. Hadjar caught a slight sideways skid and stayed on track, while Lawson finished seventh after a 52-lap stint on medium tires.

How Hadjar and Lawson reacted to the contact

After the race, Hadjar admitted to Sky that he had attacked his teammate a little too hard: “I tried it—and overdid it a bit. My mistake.”

Lawson, who is known for his robust driving style, reacted calmly: “He wanted to overtake. It’s a curve that pulls inwards, and he probably wanted to get past before braking. He just misjudged it. But we both finished, so it was okay. More importantly, the team achieved a strong result with seventh and eighth place.“

”It was the last lap. Of course, it would be ideal not to take any risks, but no one is going to give up voluntarily in a situation like that. I respect that. We were lucky that everything went well, and overall it was a great weekend for the team.“

Team boss Alan Permane explained that Racing Bulls were confident in the final stages of the race ”that they would resolve it cleanly.”

Hadjar annoyed with his strategy

Hadjar was nevertheless dissatisfied with his strategy: “It wasn’t a good day for me. The tactics in the first stint weren’t good, we lost some time. We wanted to make up for that, but our pace wasn’t outstanding. Points are good, of course, and help in the battle for sixth place in the constructors’ championship, but for me personally, it wasn’t a good day.”

The Anglo-Italian team goes into the final three race weekends with 82 points—ten more than Aston Martin in seventh place and twelve ahead of Haas, which has scored points regularly in the past two weeks thanks to the strong performance of Oliver Bearman.

Two poles, two wins: Only one thing bothered Lando Norris

Jeffrey Gooding
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Two poles, two wins: Only one thing bothered Lando Norris

Double victory in Sao Paulo, but no euphoria: World championship leader Lando Norris is critical—and continues to warn against Max Verstappen

World championship leader Lando Norris is “pretty happy” with his Formula 1 weekend in Brazil. No wonder: he started both races from pole position and won both races. But one thing bothered the McLaren driver: his “great weekend” didn’t go “completely smoothly,” Norris said.

He is particularly irritated by the small lead in the Grand Prix. “In Mexico, we were 30 seconds ahead, and I was happier with the balance there. This time it was only ten seconds, and Max Verstappen was closing in pretty quickly at the end. So our pace wasn’t outstanding,” Norris explained. “And because we set high standards for ourselves, there are a few things for us to analyze.”

He realizes that this could be perceived as “complaining at a high level.” “As a driver, you’re always complaining about something. But overall, we did very well: I was there when it mattered in every session. That’s exactly why I flew to Brazil: I wanted to score the maximum number of points possible. I succeeded in doing that,” said Norris.

However, the McLaren driver does not want to talk about a turning point in the World Championship title fight, even though he has significantly extended his lead over Oscar Piastri and Verstappen. “That’s no reason to get euphoric just yet,” explained Norris. “I’m happy, but we still have a long way to go. I need to keep getting strong results, week after week.”

Norris still has Verstappen on his radar: “I’m sure he’ll be a threat again in the next few races. He always is. He’ll give it his all until the end. And who knows what will happen in the championship? There’s no point in speculating, but at his pace, he probably would have won the Grand Prix if he had started further up the grid.”

“But that’s how it is: things don’t always come together perfectly, and mistakes can happen quickly. We, on the other hand, performed optimally this weekend, and that’s all that matters.”

“I’m not aggressive”: Aldeguer defends his tough duel with Binder

Sotd Editor
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“I’m not aggressive”: Aldeguer defends his tough duel with Binder

Fermin Aldeguer clashes with Brad Binder in Portimao – parts fly, but there are no penalties – What both have to say about the duel and the contact

Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini-Ducati) and Brad Binder (KTM) were locked in a close battle at the Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimao. Binder was sixth when Aldeguer attacked on lap nine. The KTM rider fended off the first attack.

Aldeguer then braked on the inside of Binder in turn 5. This resulted in contact, causing parts to fly through the air. Both were able to continue without any problems. Aldeguer had secured his position.

The race commissioners treated the contact as a normal racing incident. No penalty was imposed. “If a penalty had been imposed, I would have understood it, of course,” said Aldeguer after the race. “But for me, it was a racing incident.”

“We were fighting for sixth place at that moment, but it was nothing extreme. I was just trying to overtake him. He closed the line and there was a slight contact. I think he’s always a bit defensive, yes, and it’s normal when you make contact.“

Aldeguer eventually finished fourth, with Binder coming in fifth. The South African also takes a relaxed view of the incident: ”To be honest, I hardly felt anything. I just heard that something had broken. But yes, there was nothing dirty about it at all.”

“We’re fighting hard, after all. I tried to catch up with him again after that, but he was just a little too fast for me. I couldn’t quite keep up. But yes, from 14th to fifth place, I have to be satisfied with that. It’s an improvement.“

So both riders were fine with the overtaking maneuver. Aldeguer emphasizes: ”We didn’t talk, he didn’t say anything to me either. I think it was a good duel – one of those that add a little spice to a race.“

”For me, it was just a racing incident. In the end, it was a contact that benefited me. But if it had been the other way around, I wouldn’t have complained to the race director.“

The best rookie of the year has already shown some overtaking maneuvers at the limit and has earned himself a certain reputation. But Aldeguer says: ”I’m not aggressive. My style is pretty clean and easy to read, I’m not overly hard.“

”But it’s true that I’ve found the limit for overtaking on the MotoGP bike. If you analyze it, I’m probably one of the riders who has overtaken the most this year. That’s positive because I had difficulties with that in Moto2, and now I’ve improved a lot.”

Tennis star announces pregnancy

Lesley Summerville
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Tennis star announces pregnancy

The former world number two announced the happy news on social media.

In July, former world number two Ons Jabeur announced she was taking a break from professional tennis, and now the Tunisian has announced her pregnancy.

“The court will have to wait a little longer, because soon… we will welcome our smallest teammate,” Jabeur wrote on an Instagram video of herself and her husband Karim Kamoun.

In it, the couple presents a mini tennis racket and a white tennis bodysuit. Their son is due in April 2026. Before announcing her break from tennis, the three-time Grand Slam finalist had endured two difficult years on the WTA Tour. She experienced the highlights of her career so far when she reached the final at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023 and at the US Open in 2022.

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